🌱 Patch AM: How often should Boulder residents water trees in this dry winter?

Morning Boulder! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How often should Boulder residents water trees in this dry winter?
• Why Megan Trussell’s Boulder Canyon death still haunts the community
• Can CU Boulder’s imagination hack actually change how you feel about people?

Also on today's calendar: Max's Seussical - Teen Cast and 6 more events.

Today's riddle: The world champion tongue twister just got arrested! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Plenty of sun, with a high of 51 and low of 32 degrees.
• Wednesday: Plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 58, low: 37.
• Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 52 and low of 42 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Dry Winter Conditions Prompt City of Boulder to Urge Winter Tree Watering (bouldercolorado.gov) — Boulder officials are urging residents to water their trees during this unusually dry, windy winter to prevent long-term damage and pest problems. The city explains which trees are most at risk, offers clear watering and mulching tips, and reminds neighbors to use deicers sparingly to protect local streams. Free mulch is available at the city pile on Pearl Parkway.
   

2. Top 10 Stories of 2025: No. 4: CU Boulder student Megan Trussell found dead in Boulder Canyon (dailycamera.com) — Boulder readers are still grappling with the February death of 18-year-old CU Boulder student Megan Trussell, whose body was found in hard-to-reach terrain along Boulder Canyon Drive and ruled a suicide by the coroner. Her parents, unconvinced by that finding, have held memorials, circulated a petition to reopen the case, and kept her memory alive through stories of her passion for film and music.
   

3. CU Boulder study: Using imagination to improve relationships (broomfieldenterprise.com) — CU Boulder researchers found that simply imagining unexpectedly positive moments with someone you know can actually make you like them more, with brain scans showing key reward and memory areas lighting up. A Boulder psychologist says the work backs up therapeutic techniques that use mental imagery to ease fears and reshape thinking. The findings highlight how Boulder-based science is revealing everyday ways imagination can strengthen relationships and mental health.
   

4. Winners Announced for 2025 Boulder St. Vrain Watershed Art Contest for Students (longmontleader.com) — Boulder County students just swept the 2025 Boulder St. Vrain Watershed Art Contest, with several Boulder kids earning top honors for artwork celebrating local rivers and streams. The Keep it Clean Partnership, which includes Boulder and nearby cities, saw record participation and used local artists as judges for the first time, spotlighting young talent and water stewardship across the county.
   

5. Crews Rescue Injured Climber In Colorado State Park (unofficialnetworks.com) — An injured climber was rescued Saturday on Eldorado Canyon State Park’s West Ridge Trail after Boulder County dispatchers coordinated a multi-agency response, including Mountain View Fire Rescue and Rocky Mountain Rescue. Crews hiked in, treated the climber, and carried them to an ambulance for transport with reportedly minor injuries. The park, just minutes from Boulder, remains a popular but technical climbing destination.
   

📸 Around Boulder

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Boulder

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Thursday January 1

• All Ages Storytime
  Community Room (2nd Floor), NoBo Library
  10:15 am
• STUDIO 24: Open Studio
  STUDIO 24 Classroom, NoBo Library, Makerspace STUDIO 24
  2:00 pm
• Max's Seussical - Teen Cast
  The Locol Theatre, 800 S Hover St, Longmont, CO, 80501
  7:00 pm

Friday January 2

• All Ages Storytime at Reynolds
  George Reynolds Branch Library Reynolds Meeting Room, Reynolds Library
  10:15 am
• All Ages Storytime
  Community Room (2nd Floor), NoBo Library
  10:15 am
• Ramble & Write
  Reynolds Meeting Room, Reynolds Library
  1:00 pm
• Club de Literatura Moderna en Español
  Arapahoe Room, Main Library
  3:30 pm

Saturday January 3

• Storytime Break: No storytime today!
  Boulder Public Library All Locations
• Guided Tour with Food Historian John Lehndorff
  Museum of Boulder , 2205 Broadway , Boulder
  10:00 am

📣 Boulder Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday December 30

• All Ages Storytime
  NoBo Library Community Room (2nd Floor),
  10:15 am

Thursday January 1

• STUDIO 24: Open Studio
  STUDIO 24 Classroom , NoBo Library, Makerspace STUDIO 24
  2:00 pm

Friday January 2

• Ramble & Write
  Reynolds Library Reynolds Meeting Room,
  1:00 pm
• Club de Literatura Moderna en Español
  Main Library Arapahoe Room,
  3:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Boulder PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• These are the adoptions for the week before Christmas.
  They do a lot of work at the Humane Society……it never stops….not for weekends nor Christmas. (Nextdoor Boulder Country Club)
• My 16 week old puppy was stolen by the men in this video.
  I know it is blurry, but it's all I got. Please keep an eye out for her. She's a pitnull mix , very young, very cute, black and white, seen… (Nextdoor Orchard Grove)

• SBM Management posted a job opening for Day Porter in Boulder. Apply here.
• O'Reilly Auto Parts posted a job opening for Retail Service Specialist in Boulder. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Boulder here.

Ok Boulder! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I hear they’re giving him a really tough sentence.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook