Boulder During The Holidays

Boulder, Colorado is a great place to hang out during the holidays. The Pearl Street Mall is always busy, and with temperatures often reaching the 60s or 70s this month, the outdoor patios seem to be doing great business, too. At night, the mall is lit from end to end with festive holiday lights. I took the photograph on the left as I was leaving the Boulder Bookstore on Christmas Eve. As far as I am concerned, the Boulder Bookstore is the best bookstore in Colorado, and was understandably packed with shoppers, too. And although I know that school is out for the holidays, it seems like the students wait until the very last minute to head home, if they actually head home at all. Boulder is that kind of town.

The big news in Colorado these days is that the University of Colorado has hired Fernando Lovo as its new athletic director. Lovo was previously the athletic director at the University of New Mexico, where he oversaw "eight Mountain West titles and significant financial growth for the athletic department." Lovo has also worked in football operations at the University of Florida, Football Operations Coordinator at Ohio State, Assistant A.D. for Football Operations at the University of Houston, Chief of Staff for Football Operations at the University of Texas, and Chief of Staff for the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the most telling fact is that CU Chancellor Justin Smith announced Lovo's selection Monday, and he will be officially starting work on January 1st. Three days after being hired. In my opinion, that says a hell of a lot about both Albuquerque, which I have driven through and not been impressed, and Boulder, which I heard on a television newscast Lovo has never visited before. And with an annual salary of $1.2 million, he might even be able to afford to live there.