Happy Monday, Longmont! Nobody tell Don Henley, but the final full day of summer has come. We’ll officially transition to Fall tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. when the autumnal equinox occurs. So, although the lake, streets and beach may be empty, and your brown-skinned summer fling may have run off with another man, look on the bright side

Today — Longmont’s newest idea to help revitalize the sugar mill, a milestone for a local brewery, and the plight facing a downtown coffee shop.

Let’s dive in.

If there’s anything we learned from Brendan Fraser and the cast of The Mummy, even that which is long dead, could still come back to life.

But, this particular dead thing — once known as the Great Western Sugar Factory — still has a long way to go.

During the budget discussion portion of tomorrow’s Longmont City Council regular session, city staff will discuss a proposal that would use treated wastewater as an energy source for heating and cooling buildings within future redevelopment at the sugar mill.

Details, please:

The idea would involve the creation of a district energy system. This is essentially a shared heating and cooling system for a cluster of buildings, with a central plant producing and distributing thermal energy rather than each individual building having its own boiler, furnace and air-conditioning system.

The idea is simple enough and not uncommon. District energy systems are frequently used for densely-packed developments like colleges and medical campuses. As for the heating and cooling capabilities of wastewater, Longmont has experience. Per a city council agenda packet, wastewater — in this instance, hot water used for showers, dishes, clothes, etc. — sent into the city’s sewer system has often been heated for home or business use.

A perfect fit?

The idea has multiple things going for it:

How would it work?

Zooming out:

City staff is also considering the same idea for land in the area between Martin Street and Main Street within Boston Avenue and 1st Avenue, as the city prepares for the arrival of Front Range Community College’s campus.

No major decisions will be made tomorrow regarding the issue, staff is only seeking general direction on pursuing the concept.

1,000,000 barrels of beer: Eat your heart out, frat boys. Left Hand Brewing Company announced recently it brewed its one millionth barrel of beer. To put that in perspective, that’s equal to 31 million gallons of beer, 248 million pints, or enough to fill roughly 47 Olympic-size swimming pools. If 100,000 people each drank one 12-ounce beer every day, it would take them 37 years to finish one million barrels. It’s a major milestone for a company that began in 1993 in Longmont, but has since grown into one of the industry’s top pioneers. Left Hand beers can be found in 44 U.S. states and D.C., and in countries as far away as Austria, Chile, and China.

Record-breaking month for Best Day Ever: Best Day Ever Coffee & Crepes announced on Friday the shop broke its record for most sales in a single month in August. Best Day Ever is a relative newcomer to Longmont’s downtown coffee scene, but the nonprofit has been gaining widespread recognition for placing a focus on providing jobs to adults with disabilities. In a social media post, owner Joe Truitt said despite the milestone month, the shop still operates at a deficit, with expenses outpacing revenue by roughly 10% on a monthly basis. This deficit, paired with a surplus of interest from job seekers, prompted Truitt to ask the community for help keeping the nonprofit afloat. Learn more about Best Day Ever here.

4^th place finish for Longmont jet racer: Matt Menza, a former Navy pilot from Longmont, scored a fourth-place finish in the Jet Silver class in his National Championship Air Races debut. Menza competed in a total of four races, earned two third-place finishes, twice topped the 2025 Jet Silver class winner, and reached speeds of nearly 400 miles per hour. The NCAR is largely regarded as the gold standard for jet racing in the world.

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

Wine Walk: Spice up your Thursday evening by heading downtown for the Longmont Wine Walk. Sample your way through two dozen businesses while enjoying a a variety of unique wines. Your ticket includes a limited-edition wine sampling glass, 10 samples of wine, complimentary bites at each location and more. It happens this Thursday from 4:30-8 p.m.

Longmont City Council, BoCo commissioners to meet: It’s the crossover we’ve all been waiting for. Tonight, Longmont City Council will host the Boulder County Commissioners for a joint meeting to discuss several big topics: the 1st and Main transit project, future planning for Boulder County Fairgrounds, affordable housing, the airport, and more.

Food workshop for teens: The first of a three-part series on food entrepreneurship hosted by the Longmont Public Library begins tomorrow. If you know a child between 6th-12th grade who likes eating food, making food, or dreams of becoming a chef or restaurant owner, take them here. Attendees will hear from local food entrepreneurs about how and why they got into business, watch as they demo a popular menu item, and prepare a dish of their own. Registration is required, learn more here.