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Happy Monday, Longmont! Tomorrow marks the beginning of National Park Week, which extends through next Sunday. Contrary to what our staff anticipated, that does not mean visitors can get free entry into all national parks each of the next nine days. The only fee-free day is Tuesday. I think I feel the flu coming on…
Today — pro cycling comes to Longmont, a major tech company unveils its new facility, and an opportunity to check out the designs that may grace Longmont’s next flag.
Let’s dive in.
TOP STORY
🌎 Elite cyclists head to Longmont for final leg of prestigious race
Photo by Markus Spiske
The only things more tired than high schoolers after their first week back to school are the bicycles hitting city streets this weekend.
The Gold Rush Omnium is an elite, multi-day bicycle racing series taking place across three Colorado cities: Lafayette, Louisville and Longmont. Lafayette’s leg concluded yesterday while Louisville’s kicks off today. The final race — also the Colorado Criterium State Championship — begins in Longmont on Sunday morning.
It’s not exactly the Tour de France…
But, it’s still a prestigious race. It’s a USA Cycling-sanctioned event with a $20,000 prize purse up for grabs.
The competition is an omnium, which means it’s made up of multiple races.
This omnium has riders racing in three criterium, or “crit,” races. Crit races are short, closed-course road races where riders do repeated laps at very high speeds.
How Longmont fits in:
According to the event website, “high-speed turns are the order of the day.”
The race is centered at Thompson Park and features a 6 corner course, and each lap is 0.8 miles.
Races begin at 9 a.m. with junior divisions and continue throughout the day with other amateur divisions.
The pro divisions begin at 3:30 p.m. The women will race for roughly an hour, and the men will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Thompson Park will be home to many race day festivities including food trucks and a beer garden. Local restaurants are getting in on the fun, too. Martini’s Bistro is offering reservations for “front row seats” on its patio and lawn to watch the race as it zips by. Check out the course map:
Courtesy: Sanitas Sports
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3 Big Things
Longmont’s next flag design will soon be selected and the process begins tomorrow. The Art in Public Places selection panel is inviting locals to join them in reviewing submissions for Longmont’s next flag design. The event features a project overview, panel review of submitted designs, and a public comment period. It takes place at the Longmont Museum beginning at 9 a.m. and lasts until 1 p.m. Learn more info or sign up to speak here.
Landline Doughnuts’ final weekend: The end is near for one of Longmont’s most beloved third places. Owners Jodi and John Mowery announced in June that Landline would be closing its doors for good on August 25 to move closer to family in Washington state. Landline is always closed on Sundays and Mondays, that means you have just three days left — today, tomorrow and Tuesday to indulge in their potato doughnuts.
Councilmember Marsing, Senator Wallace to convene in Longmont for town hall on childcare funding: On Sunday, the rally to get locals on board with a tax to fund childcare subsidies continues. Longmont City Council member Jake Marsing will team up with Colorado State Senator Katie Wallace to meet with locals to discuss the state of childcare, break down the ballot proposal, and respond to questions. The November ballot will ask Boulder County voters to raise property taxes to help fund about $30 million for childcare subsidies. The tax would cost the average household roughly $110 every year. The event takes place at Longmont’s TLC Learning Center at 2 p.m.
Check this out
Longmont tech company celebrates opening of 105,000-square-foot expansion
Stored Energy Systems may not have the most creative name in the world, but it’s certainly staying busy creating.
Yesterday afternoon, SENS and the Longmont Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting celebrating the tech company’s move into its new facility in southwest Longmont. SENS has been in Longmont since 1992 but, after seeing rapid expansion in the last several years, has been forced to move multiple times to accommodate its operation.
SENS specializes in providing industrial battery chargers, battery monitoring systems and DC power systems. Essentially, it builds power systems for companies in industries who can’t afford to lose power. Think hospitals, utilities, and data centers.
Origin story:
SENS was founded in California in 1971, but moved to Longmont in 1992, when it had just three employees.
The company transitioned from a space behind a Subaru dealership, to a leased building on S. Fordham St. — which was intended to last a half-decade, but only lasted a couple years — to their location today off Nelson Rd. and S. 75th St. near Silver Creek High School.
What’s changed?
The expansion adds 105,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space, doubling SENS footprint.
Grew from 180 employees to over 300 in the last year. For more perspective, it only had 50 employees at the end of 2020.
Another facility expansion is planned in the next year.
“More than additional space, [the expansion] represents our confidence in the future of SENS, our commitment to American manufacturing and our continued investment in Longmont and Colorado,” SENS CEO Igor Stamenkovic said.
“We are proud to call Longmont home,” Stamenkovic said.
But, wait — There’s more!
Business is booming in Longmont.
Ursa Major, a major aerospace and defense company headquartered in Berthoud, opened a new facility of their own in Longmont yesterday. Stay tuned — an extended report will be published tomorrow.
Service Experts, one of the nation’s leading HVAC companies, announced on Tuesday it’s entering the Longmont market as part of a three-territory expansion into Colorado. It’s also taking on Fort Collins and Greeley.
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Events
Happening this weekend
Grandparents Day Celebration: Take some time to celebrate our golden-aged heroes. The Longmont Public Library is hosting an event at the Sandstone Ranch Visitor Center featuring live music, singing, dancing, crafts and more. Water and snacks will be provided but organizers are asking visitors to bring a lunch. It happens tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Learn more about the free event here.
Household Hazardous Chemical Drop-Off Day: Have no idea what to do with those 10 cans of paint that have been sitting in your basement for years? Check that item off your to-do list tomorrow from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Longmont Waste Services Center (110 S. Martin St.) when you can dispose of a range of household chemicals for free. It’s only open to Longmont residents, so remember to bring your ID and current city utility bill. You can also get rid of pesticides, cleaning products, fuels and more. Learn more here.
Wild weekend at Summit Tacos: From hosting the album release party for a Longmont-based punk rock duo, to hosting pro wrestling, Summit Tacos is busy this weekend. Kung Fu Juicebox, the two local teenage brothers quickly breaking into Colorado’s punk rock scene, are dropping their first-ever album at the taco shop at 6 p.m on Friday. The next day, Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling returns to Longmont for “Summit Smack Down.” Tickets to the high-flying event are $10 for kids and $25 for adults if you buy online, or $30 at the door.
Last Call
Today’s weather forecast is sunny and hot with a high near 98 degrees, and a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m., per the National Weather Service. There’s a decent chance of storms Saturday & Sunday, too.
Gas prices in Longmont-Boulder shot up, again. The average is $4.46 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s a five cent hike from Wednesday.
High school football begins today. Skyline High takes on Conifer on the road at 6 p.m. Longmont and Silver Creek High Schools kick off their seasons next Friday.
Bears are back in Longmont. Locals reported this bear near Skyline High School yesterday morning. Longmont Public Safety reports it’s been traveling from southwest Longmont to northeast Longmont. If you see bears, LPS urges you to follow these guidelines.
Juniper Goods is now selling Italian-style prosciutto sandwiches.
Longmont’s newest pizza shop, Slice House by Tony Gemignani, is hiring. It’s hosting open interviews tomorrow.
The newest chapter in the Insidious horror movie franchise releases today. See Regal Village at the Peaks showtimes for Insidious: Out of the Further here.
Until Monday,
The Longmont Brief
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