Happy Monday, Longmont! And welcome to November. Once tomorrow comes to a close, we’ll have had quite the 72 hours: We gained an hour of sleep, the Broncos beat the Chiefs and — hopefully — you got everything you voted for after polls close on Election Day tomorrow. If you’re unhappy with the results, at least the new Cat in the Hat movie comes out Friday.

Today — investigating what led to the demise of Parry’s Pizzeria, a look at the final designs for Longmont’s flag, and city council is planning to discuss the officer-involved shooting of Dariss Yearby.

Let’s dive in.

The only time we’ve seen pizza collapse like this is when that one guy decides to eat his pizza folded.

After Longmont’s Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse shut its doors for the final time on October 27, many were left unsurprised. Comments left on social media often criticized the restaurant’s declining customer service and chronically poor food quality.

In an email sent to The Longmont Brief, Parry’s corporate office responded to questions about its closure rationale with a resounding “No comment.”

So what happened?

A former employee provided some answers.

“​In my opinion, the failure comes down to Longmont's local pizza market. Parry's prices and quality simply don't stand up to local competitors,” the individual, who chose to remain anonymous, said. The employee added…

Another employee succinctly attributed the closure to a lack of business, while another said the reasons are wide-ranging. Neither elected to elaborate.

Commenters on social media often cited issues related to cleanliness, collapsing food quality after the restaurant’s early years, and even cold food — particularly for takeout orders. Many also argued that problems at Longmont’s Parry’s weren’t indicative of problems at every Parry’s.

Big picture:

Keep in mind, pizzerias across the nation haven’t exactly been raking in dough, either. Pizza sales have been slumping in the last several years, while Americans become more price-conscious (and calorie-conscious, particularly with the rise of GLP-1s).

Zooming back in:

Competition in Longmont is stiff. Since opening in 2016, Parry’s has seen the pizza climate in Longmont become considerably more crowded. Newcomers like Urban Field (2022), Antonio’s (2024), Krave It (June 2026) and, most recently, Slice House (October 2026), are among the latest pizza shops competing for locals’ affection. Not to mention, the award-laden Rosalee’s has been a fan-favorite since opening in 2014.

And one should never, ever underrate the power of Costco’s $1.99 slice. Not to mention, the $1.59 hot dog & soda combo.

City council to discuss shooting of Dariss Yearby: During a closed-door executive session tomorrow, Longmont City Council will “discuss the Dariss Yearby officer-involved shooting and applicable laws, policies and procedures,” per a City of Longmont agenda packet. At an October 6 Longmont City Council meeting, close to 50 members of Yearby’s family petitioned LCC to initiate an independent investigation into Longmont Police’s handling of the shooting and the public communication that followed. Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring appeared sympathetic, stating “We’ve got work ahead of us and I admit that. And we have a commitment to do that. For Dariss and all of our kids who are struggling.” Yearby was killed by Longmont Police Officer Joshua Barry on August 10. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office cleared Barry of all wrongdoing on Thursday.

Another sub-average month of rain: Longmont finished October tallying 0.96 inches through the 31-day month, according to the National Weather Service. Though that’s roughly in line with what the city usually collects in October, it remains below its historical average of 1.04 inches. Longmont has failed to meet its historical average every month of 2026. On the bright side (or rather, the rainy side), Longmont’s November is off to a strong start, as the city collected some precipitation last night, and more is likely on the way today.

Longmont runner places 16th in state cross country race: Longmont High School senior Jack French concluded the 2026 season by posting a 5K time of 16:01, good for a 16th place finish in 4A state championship race. The race’s winner, Coronado senior Oliver Horton, finished with a blistering 14:40. Longmont’s top female racer senior Cora Reinholt placed 108th (21:04), just behind Silver Creek’s top girl, Makenzie Livingston, who edged the Trojan by just 0.03 seconds. Silver Creek’s runners Gabriel De La Lama and Elijah Charlton finished 69th (17:05) and 93rd (17:25), respectively.

And then there were three.

The City of Longmont’s Art in Public Places Program released the final candidates for the new design of Longmont’s flag. Longmont residents Tara Davids, Orlando Quiroz and Leah Winkler are the designers behind the top contenders, who were chosen from a pool of 89 applicants.

Whether you love the designs or hate them (and there’s a fair bit of both), AIPP is inviting community members to vote for their favorite.

Looking ahead:

Each of the designers already received $1,000 for their proposal. The winner will score an additional $1,500 if their design is chosen.

“As we celebrate Colorado’s 150th birthday, the nation’s 250th and 155 years since Longmont’s founding, this is a meaningful opportunity for residents to help create a symbol that reflects who we are today and our shared vision for the future,” said Art in Public Places Administrator Angela Brill.

Key: Sport (win - loss, ranking (if in Top 25)): most recent result. next scheduled event.

Election Day: Ah, everyone’s favorite day of the year. In a historically long Longmont ballot, voters may see big changes after tomorrow. The Longmont-specific measures include questions asking voters to approve ranked choice voting, raise taxes to fund more jobs in public safety, and protections to open spaces. Voters are also being asked to approve tax hikes to fund childcare subsidies and the next phase of the Colorado Connector Passenger Rail project. You can drop off your ballot at any of these Longmont locations: St. Vrain Community Hub (529 Coffman St.), Boulder County Fairgrounds (on Fairground Lane near the south parking lot), Front Range Community College (near the C1 door on Pike Road), Garden Acres Park (18th Avenue, on the south side between Sunset and Juniper Streets), and the YMCA (950 Lashley St).

High school playoff action: Multiple Longmont high school teams will be in action this week as state tournaments kick into high gear. Silver Creek boys soccer plays on Wednesday in the second round of the CHSAA 4A state tournament, when they take on eighth-ranked Lewis-Palmer in Monument. Football’s state playoffs also begin this week. Both Silver Creek and Longmont made it into the fold, albeit with low seeds. #18 Silver Creek heads to Windsor to take on the 15th-ranked Wizards, while #19 Longmont will try their hand at #14 Vista Ridge, both on Friday night.

Longmont World Day of Remembrance: Take an evening to remember and honor those who have lost their lives in traffic crashes. The WDOR is a worldwide celebration that not only offers a chance to commemorate lives lost, but call for changes to road safety. The event includes presentations by local safety and public health officials, survivor testimonials and opportunities for attendees to make personal commitments to help prevent traffic related deaths and injuries in Longmont. It takes place Wednesday from 6 - 8:30 pm at the Longmont Museum. Tickets are free but registration is encouraged.