Carbondale’s annual Independence Day parade saw a healthy turnout, with Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District opening up the fire hose to cool off spectators.
Photos by Tommy Sands
‘Where I’m From’
Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) students share personal narratives based on the prompt, “Where I’m From.” Their stories take place in lush gardens in Mexico, volcanic lakes of Guatemala, quaint parks in Honduras and olive orchards in El Salvador, as well as right here in the familiar mountains of the Roaring Fork Valley and the Town of Carbondale. Thank you to RFHS, Eric Lamb and Amanda Martinez for their support in the creation of this special student edition of VOICES Radio Hour: “Where I’m From.”
Henri Oziel Andrade Machado was born in Pajigua Arriba, El Salvador. He moved to Carbondale in September of 2021 and graduated from RFHS in the spring of 2024. Oziel loves biking, playing soccer and working on cars. His favorite type of car is a Subaru. He’d like to send a special thank you to his dad, siblings and grandma for always being there for him.
OPINION
My family has many important things that remind us of our ancestors, such as photo albums, old watches and telephones, and many coins originating from El Salvador. My grandparents keep these items to show my cousins, siblings and me because, otherwise, I wouldn’t know anything about the original currencies of El Salvador called the colón and peso.
My grandfather died eight years ago and after that everything changed. The house with my grandmother and sister felt lonely without my grandfather. I still remember my grandfather singing along to music on an old radio.
VOICES
RADIO HOUR
By Henri Oziel Andrade Machado
I am from a small house in El Salvador. My grandmother and my grandfather, Candelaria and Julio, were the ones who raised me as their own. They are like my parents. My grandmother, Candelaria, always helped me with my chores and my grandfather, Julio, always worked very hard farming. During the fall and winter, every day after school my sister, Xenia, and I collected olive pits with my grandmother and grandfather. After keeping the olive pits out for a few days, we cooked them. I can remember the fresh and earthy smell. We all helped prepare and cook the olive pits: my grandmother, my sister and my grandfather. After cooking the olive pits, my grandmother made soap balls to sell and help pay for my studies.
LETTERS
Sign of the times?
I was broken-hearted driving through downtown Carbondale today expecting to see the gloriously big American flag proudly displayed like years past on the Fourth of July. I hope this was by mistake and is not a sign of the times.
Kirk Webb Carbondale
A tale of two towns
Just returning from my yearly trek to my mother’s hometown of Craigmont, Idaho, I’m struck by the differences and similarities with my hometown, Carbondale. Craigmont is a true small town. It’s had 500 people from the time the town and my mother were born in 1920. Carbondale likes to think of itself as a small town, but with a population of 7,000, it really isn’t.
Craigmont is the kind of town where five minutes after you get there everybody knows who you are, where you’re from, who you’re related to and which hand you wipe your ass with. I go back there and people I haven’t seen in 50 years recognize me. There’s a bit more anonymity in Carbondale. I’ve lived here nine years and I go to events where nobody knows me.
Situated on the Camas Prairie at the base of the Idaho panhandle, Craigmont is at the heart of some of the richest farmland in the world. One hundred bushels per acre wheat harvests are common. The entire economy centers around agriculture. Being surrounded by magnificent mountains and rushing rivers, tourism keeps Carbondale going.
There is, unfortunately, one feature Craigmont and Carbondale do have in common. Lewiston, Idaho, a city of about 35,000 at the confluence of the Snake and
I remember when we collected olive pits. I hated it at the time because it was after school and I just wanted to go out and play and spend time with my cousins and friends. I also didn’t like collecting olive pits because we had to bend down for hours and hours until it got dark and we couldn’t see the olive pits anymore.
But what my grandparents did was help me achieve my studies, and made me a good person: respectful, educated and a good cook. I thank them very much for what they did for me.
Sometimes we don’t fully appreciate what we have until we lose it. Appreciate and care for every moment and every person in your life because you might realize their true value when they are no longer by your side.
VOICES Radio Hour’s RFHS Student Edition: “Where I’m From” will air on KDNK on Friday, July 12 from 6-7pm. You can listen to past episodes of VOICES Radio Hour at voicesrfv. org/voices-radio-hour
Clearwater rivers, is to Craigmont what Aspen is to Carbondale. It’s the place where the majority works, but few can afford to live there.
So, young families are moving to Craigmont, which is 40 miles away, and other small towns that’re even farther. This is a bad trend. It’s not only dangerous and time-consuming to be traveling that far to work, but the emissions from gas-burning vehicles aren’t doing the climate any good. There are few public charging stations in the area, so electric vehicles are rare.
Cities like Lewiston and Aspen need to build affordable, perhaps multifamily dwellings, so the folks who work there can live there.
Fred Malo Jr. Carbondale
Support for Steven
We are writing in support of Steven Arauza, Garfield County Commissioner candidate for District 3. As block captains in Carbondale for the Garfield County Democrats, we walk our neighborhood three or four times a year to deliver fliers about candidates and upcoming events. This May, Steven offered to join us on one of our walks. Neither of us had met Steven, so we appreciated the opportunity to get to know him.
As we knocked on doors and listened to neighbors’ questions and their discussions with him, we were impressed with Steven’s attentiveness to, and empathy with, people’s concerns. His answers to their questions revealed an impressive depth of understanding and knowledge of the issues facing our county, as well as creative ideas for addressing them. Coming from a working-class background
and having a young family himself, Steven clearly understands the daily challenges of earning a living, maintaining housing and raising a family in Garfield County in 2024. He plans to work in collaboration with all levels of government to improve access to healthcare, childcare and mental health services, as well as promoting programs that offer people a pathway to home ownership.
Having worked in oil and gas regulation for over a decade, Steven will bring an experienced and nuanced perspective to the Board of County Commissioners. He understands the benefit of tax revenue from the oil and gas industry and also understands the importance of diversifying our economy and identifying new energy and economic opportunities for the county. He plans to prioritize training programs to meet these opportunities with our existing workforce.
Steven is also dedicated to promoting the inclusion of community voices in policy decisions to ensure that the people who are most impacted by government decisions have the opportunity to be heard.
Steven is committed to public service and we are convinced that he will work hard to improve the quality of life for all Garfield County residents. Get to know and support Steven by visiting www.steveforgarco.com
We will be voting for him for county commissioner and hope you will too. Robin Van Norman & Candace Goodwin Glenwood Springs & Carbondale
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SCUTTLEBUTT
The rest is history
The Carbondale Historical Society’s Log Cabin Museum (499 Weant Boulevard) is open from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays this summer. But they need your help to keep it that way! A volunteer training session is slated for 10am Saturday, July 13 at the Museum. Email info@carbondalehistory.org with questions.
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority was awarded just shy of $33 million, out of nearly $52 million distributed throughout the state from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for bus and bus facility improvements. The state-wide funding was made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “This project will modernize the Glenwood Springs Operations and Maintenance Facility to support its planned zero-emission bus fleet,” reads a press release from Senator Michael Bennet’s office. “It will help RFTA achieve its goal of a fully zero-emission
Lawn gear trade-in
The Carbondale Rotary Club, Town of Carbondale Environmental Board, CLEER, Trinity Recycling, Mike Waski and Patrick Hunter are hosting a “Green for Green” lawn gear exchange at Valley Lumber (55 Sunset Drive, Basalt) on July 20 from 10am to 2pm. Turn in your gas-powered lawn equipment and get a $50 gift card toward a new electric replacement.
Raise the roof
The Basalt Library begins construction this month, and is expected to continue through September, to replace its roof. There will be limited parking during the course of the project and, of course, increased noise levels. Funding for the project comes from the library’s capital reserves account.
Ninth Judicial vacancy
Families volunteering
Colorado
Hillary
Jaime Maybon
All
Basalt Library
Colorado Animal Rescue
Carbondale Arts
Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner in 2024? Email Todd@soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866
Ninth Judicial District Judge Christopher Seldin will vacate his role on Oct. 5. A nominating commission will interview selected nominees to fill the vacancy on Aug. 21 at the Pitkin County Courthouse. To be eligible, an “applicant must be a qualified elector of the Ninth Judicial District at the time of investiture and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years,” according to a press release. The current salary for the position is $193,008. Applications are due by 4pm on July 31. Anyone can suggest an eligible candidate, but no later than July 24 at 4pm. Find the application and more information at coloradojudicial. gov/careers/judge-opportunities
Step aside, Biden
Third Congressional District Democratic candidate Adam Frisch released a YouTube video on July 2 encouraging that President Joe Biden withdraw from the race. He said that neither of the front-running presidential candidates are fit for the Oval Office. “I thank President Biden for his years of service, but the path ahead requires a new generation of leadership to take our country forward,” Frisch concluded the 30-second video.
Signing up for a family shift for Mountain Fair’s Green Team is a great opportunity to do some family bonding while contributing to the community and reducing the festival’s waste output, and also modeling for your children how to participate in volunteerism. Consider signing up for a Green Team shift as a family or parentchild team. Middle-schoolers and teens are welcome and capable of the modest tasks required over the two-hour shifts. Sign-ups can be found, along with other Mountain Fair volunteer opportunities, at www.bit.ly/mtnfrvolunteer
They say it’s your birthday!
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Art Ackerman, Joanne Kaufman, Monica Munoz, Danny Muse, Mellie Rose, Bill Spence and Bob Young (July 11); Ian Bays, Ariana Gradow, Solomon Liston, Rebecca Self and Summer Scott (July 13); Ben Isak Green, Andrew Halloran-Taylor, John Tolan and Britney White (July 14); Meghan Gillespie (July 15); Diana Alcantara, Katie Browne, Bel Carpenter, Tony Spires and Niki Turner (July 16); Eric Brendlinger, JoAnn Glassier, Merrill Johnson, Luke Spaulding, Kim Stacey and Jason Steinberg (July 17).
The Carbondale Library hosted a foam party on its back lawn as part of the library district’s Summer Reading Challenge on Tuesday morning, July 9.
Photo by Tracy Kallassy
Never too many cooks at Carbondale Mountain Fair
JAMES STEINDLER
Contributing Editor
Carbondale Arts and the community are about to throw the biggest party of the year: Mountain Fair. So grab your kaftans, leave your shoes at home and get ready to head on down to Sopris Park July 26 to 28.
The heart and soul of the Fair are the people who make it happen, known as Friends of the Fair. These hundreds of volunteers who donate but a few hours of their time bring form to matter year after year.
One of the first things Carbondale Arts Executive Director Jamie Abbott learned upon assuming her role was that Mountain Fair is “for the community, by the community.”
“We want everybody to come be part of it,” she continued. “Because when you’re part of it, you realize the magic that’s in it.” And, practically speaking, it takes a whole lot of hands to pull it off.
On top of the more than 400 general volunteer sign ups last year, there were volunteer supervisors, nonprofits volunteering at the Cantina and so many others giving their time in some way. “There’s just so much love being poured into it,” said Mountain Fair Chief of Operations Deborah Colley.
just having the best time,” she said. “As soon as I started doing stuff with Carbondale Arts that’s when I started meeting all of these people who are so important in my life … I think of Mountain Fair as my extended family.”
There are still lots of volunteer roles to fill, from set up to take down and everything in between. Joining the Parking Perimeter Team is a great way to feel the vibe of the Fair without getting in the thick of it — shade and water is provided.
The Oasis
This year, The Oasis will be on Main Street in Carbondale spanning from Weant to Fourth Street, appropriately rebranded The Oasis Family Block Party. The stage will be on Weant and Main, anchoring that corner, said Colley.
“The way it’s coming together is awesome,” said Abbott.
A corridor of vendors on Weant will connect The Oasis to the rest of the Fair. La Raza will be serving outside on Main Street, there will be food vendors “and of course Peppinos is right there,” said Colley.
Among many attractions, Thunder River Theatre Company will host a puppet making booth, there’ll be the kids’ carnival, street performances, interactive family hangout areas and fun activities to keep cool.
As an aside, guardians are reminded not to leave their children unattended at The Oasis.
It’s also a great way for people new to the area to become integrated, expeditiously. “The Fair is an inclusive place where we wrap our arms around everyone,” said Colley. “We want everyone to find a sense of home and community, of belonging, at Mountain Fair. The best way to do that … is through volunteerism.”
Something new this year is business volunteer sponsorships. If a business signs up its team for either Green Team or Peace Patrol its volunteering employees can promote the business by wearing a piece of attire with the company brand, such as a hat or apron, along with their Friend of the Fair t-shirt. Signing up during peak hours will increase exposure, of course. If a business signs up by July 17, it will also be thanked in the Mountain Fair Program. Email emily@carbondalearts.com for more information.
Colley recalled volunteering for the Fair the second summer she was living in Carbondale — about 16 years ago. “I remember
Just four hours of volunteering gets you a Friend of the Fair shirt and the chance to win two Green Is The New Black tickets. Bilingual individuals are highly encouraged to sign up.
Colley is optimistic that The Oasis expansion onto Main is a step in the right direction, providing more space and room for the Fair to breathe.
Sign up to volunteer and find a schedule of events at www.carbondalearts.com/ mountain-fair
Two Friends of the Fair cheerfully fulfill their Peace Patrol duties during the 2022 Mountain Fair. Photo by Beth White
Celebrating local youth at glenWOODSTOCK
JEANNE SOULDERN Sopris Sun Correspondent
Glenwood Springs Parks and Recreation will host the first-ever glenWOODSTOCK on July 20 from 5 to 8pm on the lawn of the Community Center. The festival, which is free and open to the public, celebrates local youth by providing a platform for young artists, musicians and entrepreneurs to showcase their talents.
The festival is the brainchild of Cath Adams, who works within Parks and Rec’s teen programming. She explained the inspiration: “The idea for glenWOODSTOCK came because we wanted to create a space where teens could express themselves, connect and learn valuable life skills.”
Emphasizing the importance of personal interaction and community support, Adams noted, “We need to celebrate our youth and give them opportunities to shine. This festival is about bringing people together, just like the original Woodstock, but tailored to the interests and needs of local teens.”
There will be musical performances by six local teen bands, plus the headline act Whiskey Stomp. The festival will host teen vendors selling handmade crafts and art, along with local food trucks selling food and beverages.
Tabatha Galicia, a 2024 Roaring Fork High School graduate, and Edie O’Byrne, a Glenwood Springs High School sophomore, took the lead in creating concert posters and stickers, which are displayed throughout the Roaring Fork Valley to promote the event.
The festival will also provide mentorship opportunities with experienced community members, including Whiskey Stomp bandmates, offering guidance and sharing their expertise with aspiring young musicians. “It’s amazing to see professionals reaching out to these kids, inviting them to [radio] studios and helping them grow their talents,” Adams said.
Musical mentors
Clint Thompson, drummer and founding member of Whiskey Stomp, has been involved in music and music education for most of his life. “Any opportunity I get to be
a resource for budding musicians or even seasoned ones needing support or advice, I take it. These people have always helped me, so I feel compelled to give back,” he said.
Thompson hosts a weekly podcast, “Tunes at the Thompound,” which airs on the GrassRoots Community Network’s YouTube channel, featuring performances by local musicians. A recording of performances by glenWOODSTOCK musicians was aired on this week’s podcast offering.
Beyond his podcast, Thompson is passionate about creating performance opportunities for young musicians. “Not just for one event, but as an ongoing resource,” he explained.
Whiskey Stomp has played at various venues, including performing for veterans and at Yampah Mountain High School where his wife, Misty, teaches. “We’ve had a good relationship with those kids and that school in the past,” he added.
Open mic nights at venues like Silt’s Burning Mountain Pizza provide a great atmosphere for young artists to perform and hone their skills. “I’ve been blown away by their musicianship,” he said.
Reflecting on his experiences, Thompson emphasized the importance of young people performing before a crowd. “Part of being a musician is being able to conduct yourself in a way that’s appealing to the crowd and rolling with the punches,” he noted.
AZYEP helps with the promotion
Brendan Girardot, community outreach coordinator for the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program (AZYEP), shared the origins of AZYEP’s involvement with glenWOODSTOCK during a recent interview with The Sun.
He attended an initial meeting with Adams and other adult mentors, during which they discussed the vision for glenWOODSTOCK. He immediately saw the potential for AZYEP to offer support by providing airtime to promote the festival and amplify the voices of the creative team.
This led to a recent roundtable discussion at KDNK studios featuring Adams, singer-songwriter and glenWOODSTOCK poster artist Tristan Trincado and other
IN A NUTSHELL
What: glenWOODSTOCK
Where: Glenwood Community Center
When: July 20, 5-8pm
CARE. PRIMARY REGION’S LARGEST NETWORK OF
Musicians (left to right) Serenity O’Neil and Lana Greengrass of The Sundresses, and Jeff Rice of Whiskey Stomp are set to perform at glenWOODSTOCK on July 20. Photo courtesy of Gregg and Cath Adams Photography
Salt under Carbondale is no reason to sweat
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
We have an intimate relationship with geology in the Roaring Fork Valley. A glance at contemporary place names is telling: Basalt, Redstone, Marble, even Glenwood Springs. This closeness to the physical foundations of the region has played a role in energy production and economy, from silver mines to stone quarries and midvalley charcoal and ore processing facilities. The struggle between commercial mineral interests and conservationists has ebbed and flowed over the decades.
Since Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) received $312,000 in Colorado Energy Office grant funding in May for the development of a thermal energy network around the Third Street Center, questions have floated around about the implications of the project. The project aims to install ground source heat pumps and an ambient temperature water loop to exchange heat between buildings and will entail drilling up to 90 500-feet-deep boreholes to enable heat energy transfer into and out of the earth.
For readers aware of Carbondale’s high rate of sinkholes — the highest in Colorado due to an underground gypsum layer formed by ancient oceans coming and going — The Sopris Sun sought to learn more from Colorado Mountain College professor emeritus Garry Zabel, who continues to teach local and regional geology field trip classes.
A significant reason that Carbondale experiences such incidence of sinkholes is
the Carbondale Collapse feature, a geological process in which mineral deposits like gypsum in geological strata gradually dissolve in groundwater and springs, flowing into local tributaries and leaving behind underground caves and caverns. Some readers have wondered if drilling holes for a thermal energy project is a risk.
Not to worry, Zabel says. While he disclaims himself as not a geophysicist, he has significant expertise on the collapse feature. It is a process that has been occurring for more than 10 million years.
Small-scale geothermal is much better for our environment,
What we’ve experienced in the past century-plus of permanent human settlement is that our activity has had negligible effect.
Hydro pumps moving various temperatures of water are far less disruptive than in oil and gas extraction, where boreholes reach a depth of 5,000 to 10,000 feet. In the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process, “companies pump their wastewater far deeper into the ground [than 500 feet] and the chemicals cause more pressure and instability,” Zabel explained. “Small-scale geothermal is much better for our environment.”
- Garry Zabel, local geology professor
CLEER has also done extensive preparation. “Rich White, the project geologist with GreyEdge Group, has written a report on the specific site geology, and we have data from our test borehole, both of which conclude the site is feasible for installing a geothermal borefield with minimal risk,” explains Dr. Jon-Fox Rubin, CLEER innovation manager. “During the installation process, a loop of polyethylene tubing is brought down to the bottom of each borehole and is encased in a heat conductive motor that seals the hole and minimizes the risk of water intrusion or flow between.”
Moreover, Zabel assures, geothermal energy is a good option for Carbondale given the local geological composition.
Geothermal energy plants and hydro pumps are not new technology, either. The first geothermal engine we know of was built in 1904 by an Italian aristocrat and chemicals company scion, Piero Ginori Conti. The United States has been experimenting with geothermal energy production since at least the 1960s, when Pacific Gas & Electric Company built a power plant in The Geysers, California.
Geothermal done well can be incredibly efficient, too. In Iceland, roughly a third of the nation’s energy is produced by geothermal plants, and a significant majority of household heating is via geothermal water. One of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions is part of the national geothermal infrastructure: The Blue Lagoon is well-marketed wastewater from the Svartsengi Power Plant. In addition to being a happy accident spun into steady tourism profits, the Blue Lagoon shows that geothermal energy production is both remarkably safe and
efficient. Both the Svartsengi plant and the lagoon have largely been able to maintain operations through the Sundhnúksgígaröð volcanic eruptions that started late last year. Though far less dramatic, the Roaring Fork Valley sits on volcanic heritage too. It is common knowledge that Basalt Mountain is a shield volcano that produced copious amounts of the rock for which it is named. Unlike Iceland’s features, the basalt erupted over 10 million years ago. Mt. Sopris, while shaped rather more the way we envision a classic volcano, is not one. Sopris is some 32 million years old, formed by a magmatic intrusion, or upward bubble, that never reached the surface or erupted. That magmatic intrusion formed a mushroom-shaped blister, doming overlying sedimentary rocks. Erosion then took over, removing sediment and sedimentary rock. If you think Sopris is impressive today, imagine a leap back in deep time to when it was newly formed. Geologists like Zabel estimate that 10,000 feet of height have eroded off Sopris since then — more than double its current prominence over Carbondale.
If you want to learn more about local geology, Zabel hosts regular field trip courses within the Roaring Fork Valley. He also has a course planned for September 2024 in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks offered through Colorado Mountain College.
The Sopris Sun will continue to provide updates about the CLEER thermal energy network project as it evolves.
A bright future
WILL BUZZERD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Paonia-based Solar Energy International (SEI), a global leader in solar energy education and training, has opened applications for 2024 high school graduates in Colorado to enroll in two of its most popular courses to kickstart a career in solar energy.
Founded in 1991, and originally based in Carbondale before moving to Paonia in 2013, SEI leads the industry in both entry-level and advanced solar education programs. For over 33 years, SEI has trained more than 100,000 solar professionals.
As part of its scholarship program, SEI is offering two of its most fundamental courses to high school graduates both to prepare them for an entry level position in the industry and to successfully complete the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Photovoltaic (PV) Associate certification exam — the standard certification for private and public employers. The scholarship covers the entire $1,600 cost of the two-class program, including the $100 fee for the NABCEP exam.
The two courses, Solar Electric Design and Installation and PV System Fundamentals, are available online and take place over
six weeks, each. While the lessons are pre-recorded, students will also be connected with instructors to provide feedback and help answer any questions.
Students are not required to take the NABCEP exam, but it is highly recommended by SEI to do so. Completion of the courses also earns graduates SEI’s own certification to tack onto resumes.
Doctor Laurie Williams, professor of physics and engineering at Fort Lewis College, spoke highly of her education through SEI. After the pandemic, Williams took every SEI course available and, today, uses her skills to lead solar projects on the Navajo Nation. “Literally everyone I meet in the solar world points to SEI,” said Williams.
“I was very impressed with the SEI courses because they were self paced [and] super convenient,” Williams added. “If you reached out to someone with a question, they were very quick and very thorough with responses. I really felt like I was being mentored … As an educator myself, I thought they really established a high bar and were meeting it.”
The 2024 scholarship program was made possible through State Bill 23-205, once titled the Universal High School Scholarship Program but renamed to
Opportunity Next Colorado. The bill was signed in 2023 with the goal of increasing enrollment in Colorado-based postsecondary education and training programs in order to invest in Colorado’s homegrown talent.
Educational organizations such as SEI were required to apply to Opportunity Next Colorado directly, and are to use awarded funds for individual student scholarships. SEI has received funds to offer scholarships to 40 students for this year’s program. If SEI receives enough applicants, they could be eligible to reapply for the grant so as to offer
Navigating education and community A conversation with RFSD Superintendent Cole
JEANNE SOULDERN
Sopris Sun Correspondent
In a recent interview with The Sopris Sun, Dr. Anna Cole, Superintendent of Roaring Fork Schools, recounted her journey from growing up in Ohio to her work in the Roaring Fork Valley.
The Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) serves over 5,600 students across 14 Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs schools.
Cole has served as the district’s superintendent since August last year — first in an acting capacity and then, officially, as the interim superintendent — during the family medical leave and subsequent resignation of the previous superintendent, Dr. Jesús Rodríguez. The board of education offered her the superintendent position in March, and her three-year contract was finalized in May.
Cole, her husband, a non-surgical interventional spine specialist at Grand River Health, and their three teenagers have called Carbondale home for the last nine years.
Cole’s parents “were very intentional,” she said, in raising their children in the Kennedy Heights neighborhood of Cincinnati, what she called “a planned integrated community, designed in response to the redlining and segregation that had been happening years earlier in some Midwestern cities.”
She attended an inner-city Montessori magnet school and “a wonderful public high school” — both with racially diverse white and Black student populations. Those formative years are the foundation for her commitment to create learning environments that embrace diversity and foster academic excellence for all students.
After high school, she attended the University of New Mexico (UNM), where, with a laugh, she said, “I changed my major nine times, studied everything and had such a great time.” She eventually settled on a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
After graduating from UNM, she taught outdoor education in Maine and later moved to Ashland to earn a Master of Science in environmental education from Southern Oregon University.
In Oregon, Cole taught high school in an alternative wilderness-based program for at-risk youth. “We took our kids on multiweek backpacking trips, where we did a lot of service projects and studied forestry and permaculture. It was a great group of students,” she shared.
She returned to New Mexico, where she taught in a high school of 150 students in Jemez Valley, a small community nestled northwest of Albuquerque.
She was the only science teacher and
the same scholarship incentive to 2025 graduates.
The scholarship comes at an opportune time for young Coloradans looking to start a solar career in their home state. In Delta County planning is currently underway for an 383-acre, 80 megawatt agrivoltaic solar facility — which will not only provide energy to over 18,000 homes, but also include grazing land for over 1,000 sheep.
Further away, tribe officials on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation have proposed an eight-mile long, one-mile wide solar array, slated to be one of the largest in the country.
Named the Sun Bear Solar Project, it’s expected to employ over 500 long-term solar professionals and thousands more for the duration of construction. Both arrays are potential opportunities where SEI certified students can apply their skills, and help keep the lights on in their home state.
Applicants are required to be Colorado residents and have graduated high school in 2024. Applications are active until June 2025 and can be found at www.solarenergy.org/ opportunity-next-colorado
worked closely with education directors from two nearby pueblos to design a high school science curriculum focused on water science. “We based it all around what was really important to the pueblos — that the students understood everything they could know about water, including water rights, water quality and water systems,” Cole explained.
“My experience in Jemez raised all sorts of questions for me about education and pedagogy, including the teaching and learning about culture, race and language,” she said, leading her to doctoral research at UNM that examined how these dynamics shape student learning and outcomes.
She and her husband, a UNM medical student, then moved to Alaska for one year of residency work and then to
Rochester, Minnesota, where he completed his residency. While in Minnesota, Cole did consulting work and curriculum development and worked with Montessori Schools International Baccalaureate Programs.
The Cole family moved to Cortez, Colorado where she worked as an educator and curriculum developer at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, working with Hopi tribe members.
Relocating to Carbondale nine years ago due to her husband’s medical career, she transitioned from teaching and consulting to spearheading the Family Resource Center (FRC) as its director.
In 2021, Cole’s role expanded within the school district, where she assumed
High school students receive hands-on training at Solar Energy International’s lab yard in Paonia. Courtesy photo
Dr. Anna Cole poses with artwork from Roaring Fork High School students on display in the district offices building in Carbondale. Photo by Jeanne Souldern
Register Today!
Community Classes in Carbondale
INTRO TO HOMEOPATHY
Simple, affordable medicine that gently heals mental health issues, allergies and more.
Mondays, 6-7:30pm, 7/15-8/5
EAT YOUR WEEDS
Learn to identify and use edible and medicinal plants growing wild in your own backyard. Saturday, 10-11:30am, 7/20
PLANT PRUNING TECHNIQUES
Learn the “natural” style of pruning trees - timing, technique, different plants and styles.
Monday, 5-8pm, 7/22
APOCALYPSE 101
Practical knowledge and skills to survive local disasters, or a national/global catastrophe.
Saturday, 10am-1pm, 8/3
KNIT A STUFFED ANIMAL
Learn or review basic knitting techniques while knitting one these adorable stuffed animals. Thursdays, 6-8pm, 7/25-8/15
MORE SWING DANCE LINDY HOP
Build on the basics with Lindy Hop and expand your dance knowledge and confidence. Wed., 6:30-8:30pm, 7/31-8/21
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER . . .
690 Colorado Ave, Carbondale 970-963-2172
Credit Classes*
COLOR THEORY & PAINTING 7/29-8/1 Aspen 9am-2:20pm
WILDERNESS EMS - UPGRADE 7/17-8/7 Online & Off Campus
TOP ROPE CLIMBING 7/17-7/21 Spring Valley 8am-5pm
* CALL 970.963.2172 for Credit Class info and how to register.
THURSDAY, JULY 11
DEATH DOULA
As part of its free, public Family Education Series, Sopris Lodge will host a presentation by death doula Akaljeet Khalsa on end-of-life care at 4pm. To RSVP, visit soprislodge.com/events
LEGALLY BLONDE
Catch Theatre Aspen’s production of “Legally Blonde” at 4pm or 8pm today or most any other day through July 27. Tickets at www.theatreaspen.org
DR. NOIZE
Dr. Noize will teach middle school students about writing music from 1 to 2:30pm at the Basalt Library (registration required at www.basaltlibrary.org). He will then perform a show for families and kids of all ages at 5pm.
RODRIGO ARREGUIN
Guitarist Rodrigo Arreguin performs at the Handlebar at The Homestead in River Valley Ranch from 5 to 7pm.
WILD WEST RODEO
The Carbondale Wild West Rodeo continues every Thursday through Aug. 22 with a free shuttle to the Gus Darien Riding Arena from both The Orchard and 4th and Colorado (across from Town Hall) between 6 and 10pm. Gates open at 5pm, slack is at 5:45pm and grand entry at 7:30pm.
WHY VOTE?
Democrats Cole Buerger (running for Colorado Senate) and Caitlin Carey (Garfield County Commissioner candidate) meet and greet at Carbondale Beer Works from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
EMOTIONAL ELOQUENCE
Julie Oldham presents “Emotional Eloquence and Authenticity: Taking Your Emotional Intelligence to the Next Level to Create Greater Long-term Happiness, Life Satisfaction and Success” at True Nature at 6pm. Tickets and more info at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
ICE CREAM SOCIAL
The Crystal River Caucus meeting will be held at the Church at Redstone at 7pm, preceded by an ice cream social at 6pm.
CEREMONIAL BREATHWORK
WILLITS MÚSICA
Grupo Ascenso performs a free concert at Triangle Park in Willits at 5:30pm.
DANCE GALA
DanceAspen presents “Old Hollywood,” its third annual gala, at the Hotel Jerome beginning at 5:30pm. Tickets at www.dance-aspen.org
LIBRARY INTEGRITY
Logan Davis presents “Colorado Communities Stand Up to Christian Nationalism” at the Glenwood Springs Library at 6pm. This event is sponsored by Protect Our GarCo Libraries, “a local group of concerned community members working to maintain the integrity of our libraries and prevent book-banning.”
SOUND JOURNEY
Dr. Zachary and Krista Cashin guide a sound journey at True Nature at 6:30pm. Tickets and more info at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
HEART COLLECTORS
Steve’s Guitars hosts The Heart Collectors, all the way from Australia, at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net
SATURDAY, JULY 13
HELP HISTORY
The Carbondale Historical Society’s Log Cabin Museum (499 Weant Boulevard) is open from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays this summer, but needs your help to keep it that way! A volunteer training session is slated for 10am today at the museum. Email info@carbondalehistory.org with questions.
HERBAL ALLIES
True Nature hosts a workshop on medicinal foods and herbal allies from 11am to 3pm. Tickets at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
WISDOM OF THE STARS
Sustainable Settings hosts an overnight astrosophy workshop, “Wisdom of the Stars,” from 1pm today to 11am tomorrow. More info at www.sustainablesettings.org Email rose@sustainablesettings.org or call 970-963-6107 to register.
REDSTONE MUSIC
Mosey on down and enjoy dining, live music, shopping & more on Rodeo Thursdays in Carbondale.
Drink Specials Food Promos
Park in town and ride the free shuttle to and from the rodeo:
#1. The Orchard
#2. Fourth and Colorado
See what‘s goin’ on
Facilitators Davis Cowles and Alya Howe lead a ceremonial circle combining breathwork, music and yoga nidra at The Launchpad from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Tickets at www.mnbcoach.com/ events-2-1
CRYSTAL THEATRE
“Despicable Me 4” shows at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm tonight through Saturday, at 5pm on Sunday and 7pm on July 17-18.
SPRING AWAKENING
SoL Theatre Company presents “Spring Awakening” at Thunder River Theatre at 7:30pm tonight, tomorrow, July 13, 18, 19 and 20. Catch a 2pm matinee on July 14 and 21. This show is rated “R.” Tickets and more info at www.soltheatrecompany.org
FRIDAY, JULY 12
BEE FRIENDLY
Join Bee Friendly Carbondale at the Historic Thompson House (301 Lewies Lane) at 4pm to help tend to the new native pollinator garden and learn about native plant maintenance along the way.
COMEDY WKND!
The Collective Snowmass’ Comedy WKND! kicks off with a happy hour at the New Belgium Ranger Station beginning at 5:30pm. Find details on free and ticketed events through Sunday at www. thecollectivesnowmass.com
The Mad Dog Band performs at Redstone Park at 6pm.
CLAY & MOONLIGHT
The Carbondale Clay Center hosts Clay and Moonlight, an evening replete with culinary delights dished up on local ceramicists’ plates with performances from Thunder River Theatre Company and Mt. Cirque Entertainment, at 6pm. Tickets and more info at www.carbondaleclay.org
MARC DEMATTEO
Marc Dematteo, a 33-year Roaring Fork Valley resident, performs folk music at El Dorado from 7 to 9pm.
MAGIC AT TACAW
Magician Taylor Hughes takes the TACAW stage at 8pm. Come early for Supper Club at 6pm. Tickets and more info at www.tacaw.org
SUNDAY, JULY 14
SUNDAY MARKET
The Basalt Sunday Market runs from 10am to 2pm through Sept. 29 at 101 Midland Avenue.
SHOW BIZ
Theatre Aspen presents a showcase of songs that give insight into the theater industry at the Hotel Jerome with brunch at 1pm and dinner at 6pm. The dinner is sold-out! Tickets at www.theatreaspen.org
Aspen Dance Connection presents OUTSIDE/ IN 2.0 featuring ORMAO Dance Company at TACAW on July 19 at 7pm. This sitespecific performance will flow from dancing outdoors to inside the theater with the film “Memory Cue” (pictured) showing in the lobby during intermission. Tune in to “Everything Under The Sun” on KDNK this Thursday, July 11, for a conversation on the topic. Courtesy photo
SECOND SUNDAY CONCERT
Carbondale’s free Second Sunday Concerts in Sopris Park series continues with live jazz beginning at 4pm.
EIA SUMMER BENEFIT
English In Action hosts its 7th annual Summer Benefit, with music by Josefina Méndez, beginning at 5:30pm at the Doerr-Hosier Center in Aspen Meadows. Tickets and more info at www.englishinaction.org
ECSTATIC DANCE
Alya Howe guides ecstatic dance with music by DJ Dustin Eli and friends at 13 Moons Ranch, south of Carbondale, from 6 to 8pm.
MONDAY, JULY 15
STORYTIME
Theatre Aspen Education hosts storytime for ages 2 to 5 at the Hurst Theatre (470 Rio Grande Place) from 10:30 to 11:30am.
MEDITATION
Roaring Fork Insight hosts Monday Night Meditation at 13 Moons Ranch from 7 to 8:30pm.
CINEMA UNDER THE STARS
To kick off its Cinema Under the Stars Summer Series, Aspen Film, in collaboration with The Little Nell, screens “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” at 8:30pm at the base of Aspen Mountain. Tickets at www.aspenfilm.org
TUESDAY, JULY 16
MAKE BELIEVE BAND
Youngsters help save Imagination Land with the help of Will Parker and the Make Believe Band at the Carbondale Library at 11am and 2pm at the Glenwood Springs Library. More info at www.gcpld.org
MOCKTAILS MIX-OFF
A Way Out and the Basalt Library host a “Mocktail Mix-off” contest at the library at 6pm. More info at www.basaltlibrary. org This is a sober event.
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at Coffman Ranch (1837 County Road 100) at 6:30pm — BYO-supplies.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17
FARMERS’ MARKET
The Carbondale Farmers’ Market runs from 10am to 3pm through Sept. 27 at 4th and Main.
AIKIDO
Crystal River Aikikai teaches Aikido — a non-violent, Japanese martial art — for adults and teens at 13 Moons Ranch from 9:30 to 10:30am. The first class is free!
ASPEN HISTORY
The Aspen Historical Society (AHS) hosts a tour of the Holden/Marolt Mining & Ranching Museum property, where the McMurchy/Zupancis cabin and outbuildings were relocated from Main Street in 2017, today at noon. On July 20, AHS guides a tour up Aspen Mountain examining the history of silver mining, also starting at noon from the Koch Lumber Yard. More info at www.aspenhistory.org
ARTIST TALK
American pop artist and author Michael Albert speaks at the Basalt Library at noon. More info at www.basaltlibrary.org
ORMAO DANCE COMPANY
ORMAO Dance Company will perform modern dance excerpts at the Carbondale Library at 2pm. The audience will also be invited to dance.
ADVERSITY TO STRENGTH
The Basalt Library presents “From Adversity to Strength: Keys to Cultivating Resilience,” exploring the impacts of a resilient Latino community, at the library at 5:30pm. This is a bilingual event. More info at www.basaltlibrary.org
BASALT MUSIC
Paws Vet OPEN HOUSE
Friday, July 12, 4pm - 6pm
LETTING GO
Rev. Florence Caplow will be joining us IN PERSON for this special service. This is also the last Sunday for our fabulously dedicated and soulful Music Director, Jimmy Byrne, who has been with TRUU for many years. He and his family are moving to South Carolina. Please come to greet Rev. Florence, who has been speaking to us remotely all year, and to offer farewell and gratitude and best wishes to Jimmy Byrne. Jimmy will be playing his favorite hymns and songs.
The Know Bodies Band opens for Dangermuffin at the Basalt River Park at 5:30pm.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jeff Lowdermilk presents a slideshow about his book, “Honoring the Doughboys: Following My Grandfather’s World War I Diary,” at the Carbondale Library at 6pm.
BROTHERHOOD CIRCLE
Kyle Jason Leitzke guides this month’s Sacred Brotherhood Circle, themed “Feelings,” at True Nature at 6pm. More info at ww.truenaturehealingarts.com
GLENWOOD MUSIC
The Queen Bees open for the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs at 6:30pm.
Sunday, July 14th, 10am at Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Community Room @ Third Street Center in Carbondale or via Zoom (scan QR code)
Join Zoom Meeting - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82605258305 Meeting ID: 826 0525 8305 - Passcode: chalice
Rev. Florence Caplow (she/her) has served Unitarian Universalist congregations in Illinois, Washington State, and Colorado. Before becoming a minister, she worked as a botanist for 25 years, specializing in the conservation of endangered plants. She is also a writer, editor, change coach, and ordained Soto Zen priest.
music by Jimmy Byrne.
MLK Day, lower county assessed values, land use code changes for natural gas operations GARFIELD
AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent
The history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Colorado dates back to 1975 when State Representative Wellington Webb introduced the first of three bills to establish the holiday. For three years, those bills were defeated. In 1979, Representative King Trimble introduced a bill that died in committee. In 1981, Representative Wilma J. Webb introduced the first of four bills to establish the holiday. The fourth one passed. On April 4, 1984, about a year after Dr. King’s birthday was approved as a national holiday, Governor Richard D. Lamm signed House Bill 1201 into law. The following year, Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. King, came to Denver to help plan Colorado’s inaugural holiday for Jan. 26, 1986. It has been observed in the state ever since on the third Monday in January.
For more than 40 years, however, the holiday has not been included in Garfield County’s holiday calendar. But Commissioner Tom Jankovsky seems to want to change that.
During a discussion Monday of the calendar for 2025, the county Human Resources (HR) office gave the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) two options: keep the current calendar at ten holidays or increase observed holidays
to 11 with a floating holiday. Jankovsky offered something different.
“I would like to see option ‘C,’ which would be Martin Luther King Day as a holiday,” he said. “I just think it’s time we honor that holiday for the father of the Civil Rights Movement and a gentleman that had very wise comments to make about civil rights.” He brought this up more than once.
But, the BOCC voted unanimously to adopt the current 10-holiday calendar and add Friday, Dec. 26 as the eleventh day.
Commission Chair John Martin referred Jankovsky’s idea to HR.
“I think the committee needs to talk about Martin Luther King Day and see if the employees would like to add that,” said Martin. “But that would be 2026.”
In other news …
County Assessor Jim Yellico presented the 2024 report of values, protests, drill rigs and other items. The total assessed value for the county for 2024 is a little over $3 billion. That may sound like a lot, but Yellico told the BOCC that it’s a 26% decrease from 2023. Value of real property is just over $1.5 billion, down 4% from last year. And the oil and gas value is just over $1.3 billion, down 44% from 2023.
Have you heard about the Multi-Year RFHS class reunion this Summer?
The Reunion is planned for those who graduated in the 1980's, including teachers and coaches.
We have a lot of fun events planned and hope to see you there
MORNING HIKE TO THOMAS LAKES with your local guide, Eric Jackson. Please contact Eric at at Xiomy���@yahoo.com.
GOLF AT RIVER VALLEY RANCH, 1pm tee time, $110/person approx.
Please email johnbatug@yahoo.com for registration details.
(First night of Mountain Fair):
RAFTING IN GLENWOOD SPRINGS 9:30am-1:30pm $70/person
Please email Aundrea (Dennis) Tormási at Letsride���@gmail.com
MAIN EVENT MEET AND GREET 4:30pm-9:30pm.
“The biggest factor in the reduction of Garfield County assessed value is the 63% reduction of the overall average netback price of natural gas and [natural gas liquids],” Yellico told The Sopris Sun in an email.
The BOCC approved auctioning surplus vehicles, heard an update on 5Point Film Fest and approved three liquor licenses and the consent agenda.
County Landfill Director Deb Fiscus gave an update on the landfill, stating that reports will be biannual instead of quarterly. Overall revenues are at $1,111,389, up slightly from $1,091,960 in 2023. Expenses are also up slightly over 2023 at $618,680. The landfill has accepted less waste from more customers so far this year than in 2023.
County clerk and recorder Jackie Harmon told the BOCC that the primary election results are still being finalized.
The Garfield County RE-2 Tony May recall election is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 27.
After lunch, commissioners considered solar energy amendments to the Garfield County 2013 Land Use and Development Code, ultimately denying the amendments as presented. A future work session is planned to hammer out details.
The BOCC approved land use code text amendments for oil and gas operations discussed on June 17. Those amendments to Article 9 include detailed requirements for scheduling neighborhood meetings and public hearings. Setback changes include 500 feet between existing oil and gas wells and surface facilities and human-occupied buildings, 2,000 feet for schools/childcare centers, 350 feet for subdivision plats, and 150 feet between
Great food, live music with the Johnny O Band, Slideshow, Fun & games including a photo booth. At The Orchard Church in Carbondale at 110 Snowmass Drive, $75/person.
Please email Jill (Mohrlang) Cobb at jill.cobb@bellsouth.net or Aundrea (Dennis) Tormási at letsride���@gmail.com for the Friday night Main Event registration details.
We hope to see you there!!! Please spread the word. We are needing a headcount asap for food and drinks.
Special Thanks to PE INO’S PI A
for their amazing generosity in support of independent journalism
Pool demolition to begin amid close vote
RALEIGH BURLEIGH
Sopris Sun Editor
All trustees were present during Carbondale’s regular Board of Trustees meeting on July 9 with Ross Kribbs joining via Zoom from Scotland. The meeting concluded with the narrow passing of a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contract for the demolition of the John M. Fleet Pool, utility work and excavation for the new pool. A second GMP contract will include construction costs, with schematic designs already complete.
But first, the consent agenda was unanimously approved, including accounts payable, a two-year contract extension with Mountain Waste for residential curbside trash and recycling collection services (per a June 11 vote), a liquor license renewal for Tiny Pine Bistro and permission for La Raza to build a temporary dining patio on Main Street. During general comments from the public, several people praised the new Downtowner on-demand shuttle service and commented on the perils of Highway 133.
During general comments from trustees, Colin Laird remarked on the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition asking Aspen City Council for $450,000
BASALT REPORT
toward its pilot program subsidizing home purchases for qualified applicants in exchange for deed restrictions. Chris Hassig stated that the next Bike Pedestrian and Trails Commission meeting (Aug. 5) will be a “big leap forward” in terms of the Multi-Modal Mobility and Access Plan. Town Manager Lauren Gister announced that Christy Chicoine will be departing her role as finance director the first week of August to work as chief financial officer for the Roaring Fork School District.
Action items
Two brief action items were unanimous approval of a public easement acceptance for the new storage facility along Highway 133 and a liquor license for Cowboy Up Carbondale, Aug. 23 from 6 to 10pm at 4th and Main.
Stroad 133
Age-Friendly Carbondale then presented their “Highway 133: Dangerous as Designed” findings to the trustees. The presentation began with a short video by Strong Towns America describing “stroads” — where traffic moves too fast for a business-serving street and too slow for an efficient road between destinations. “Highway 133 divides our town
in half,” stated Niki Delson. “The town is not woven together, especially for more vulnerable users.”
Age-Friendly had two asks: Commit to transforming Highway 133 into an aesthetically pleasing and safe street through town and allocate sufficient budget in 2025 to create a safe pedestrian crossing at City Market by the end of the budget year. Bill Crawford, a Colorado Department of Transportation engineer, showed an example of an exceptionally safe crossing in Gunnison.
Trustees were receptive to the suggestions, acknowledging the need for safe crossings and reduced speed limits, especially in the school zone from Ross Montessori to Roaring Fork High School. Jess Robison stated she’d like to see the installation
State Rep Velasco visits Town Hall
WILL BUZZERD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
At this week’s regular council meeting, State Representative Elizabeth Velasco visited Town Hall to discuss legislative developments pertinent to District 57 following the adjournment of Colorado’s 74th General Assembly.
Mayor David Knight asked Velasco for an update on tax relief for senior citizens and those with fixed incomes. The Capital has passed on the Colorado Property Tax Revenue Cap Initiative for the voters to decide on the November 5 ballot. If passed, it would amend the state constitution to cap property tax revenue at 4% growth above the total statewide property tax revenue collected in the previous year.
Velasco described the Initiative as a “difficult decision,” and expressed concerns that this statewide limit could negatively affect smaller communities like Basalt, because such revenue funds local community services like fire departments, libraries and schools.
Velasco relayed that the state will expand the Homestead Property Tax Exemption, which provides a property tax exemption to qualifying seniors and veterans with disabilities equal to 50% of the first $200,000 of their property value should they also have had that property for the past 10 years. While the exemption is planned to be made “portable,” meaning that it can
be transferred to a new property should a current recipient decide to downsize, Velasco said that in areas like Basalt, where property values have risen to millions of dollars, a $100,000 tax exemption may still not be enough.
Confluence Park
While improvements have been made for the pedestrian experience outside of Basalt Elementary, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (PCOST) is planning more substantial improvements at the Two Rivers Road and Cottonwood Drive intersection.
Such improvements include larger pedestrian crossings, flashing stop signs and a signaled crosswalk closer to the Elementary School’s driveway. Additionally, landscape architecture firm Design Workshop collaborated with Girl Scout Troop 17080 to draft design recommendations for an improved parklet beside the river.
PCOST plans to create a budget and a construction plan over the next nine months before implementing it in 2025.
Basalt Center Circle
A first reading of updates to a planned housing development, the Basalt Center Circle (BCC) project, which is to include 65 residential units at the Midland Ave and Two Rivers Road intersection — formerly Clark’s Market — was presented to the council.
Approved in 2022, the BCC project is
of crosswalks both at City Market and Ross Montessori in next year’s budget.
Mayor Ben Bohmfalk pointed out that when Highway 133 was first built, it was a bypass, and the town gradually grew around it. “Now we’re trying to retrofit it to be a street. So I think it’s worth acknowledging that’s a dilemma, it’s not because of somebody’s bad decision making or bad planning,” he stated.
Pool vote
The final item was the aforementioned partial-GMP to begin work on the new pool and stay on schedule for completion in October 2025. Cris Silverberg, representing the town’s owner’s rep, Wember, advocated for the partial-GMP while final pricing
is settled around construction costs within the next two to three weeks. Silverberg said aesthetic details could change depending on material costs, including the concrete and glass blocks in the aspirational design.
Gister explained that waiting any longer to begin the project, with an estimated total cost of $11,653,692, could make it more expensive, especially if construction is pushed into the winter, and risk the contractors getting distracted with other work, delaying it further.
Trustees Kribbs, Robison and Laird expressed their hesitation to begin demolition without a guaranteed price for the total project. “Are we putting ourselves literally in the hole?” Kribbs asked.
“I don’t want to be risk averse,” said Trustee Erica Sparhawk. “I don’t see anything we would learn in the next two weeks would suddenly put a hold on this project.”
Hassig mentioned that getting the construction fence up ahead of Mountain Fair may be wise. “We’ve sort of gotten on this horse no matter what,” he added, in favor of proceeding.
Sparhawk moved to approve with Hassig seconding and Bohmfalk and Christina Montemayor joining in favor. Kribbs, Laird and Robison voted “no.” The fence will be installed on July 16 with demolition poised to begin soon after.
mixed-use, providing a space for Jimbo’s Liquor Store as well as, potentially, a new grocery store on the ground floor. In the initial 2022 approval, the applicant agreed to maintain ownership of all of the units as rentals.
In this hearing, the applicant requested to condominiumize the units and sell them to employers to rent to their employees. In addition, the applicant drafted a priority list to determine which entities would have first pick of the units, starting with the Town of Basalt and on-site commercial operators, respectively, and followed by the Roaring Fork School District, local emergency response units and hospitals (all of which would have
equal priority in purchasing a unit).
Council members voiced concerns over how employer-owned housing would be regulated, as the goal for the project was to provide housing for those working within Basalt. If an employer has multiple locations, council argued that it would be too difficult to monitor where tenants were actually working.
This first reading was approved 6-1, with Ryan Slack dissenting.
“Someone who can afford to rent in this building is different than someone who can afford to own in this building,” said Slack. “Individual ownership of individual units is not what I was sold on.”
Age-Friendly Carbondale’s presentation on Highway 133 drew a large audience. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh
At Basalt’s first annual Basalt River Jams last weekend, Frying Pan Anglers hosted the inaugural fly casting competition in which local student Ryder Hutchinson took second place. Courtesy photo by Mitzi Rapkin, Full Light Communications
SoL dives into ‘Spring Awakening’
MYKI JONES Arts Correspondent
SoL Theatre is set to premiere the relevant and thought-provoking musical “Spring Awakening,” written by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, at Thunder River Theatre (TRTC). The show opens on July 11 at 7:30pm and runs through July 21.
This is the youth theater company’s first professional production and the premiere of its new Summer Stock series.
Set in Germany in the late 19th century, this critically acclaimed, coming-of-age, rock musical is based on an 1891 play of the same name, written by Frank Wedekind, and follows the story of a group of teenagers in a provincial town as they navigate puberty and experience a series of events brought on by a lack of knowledge and the hypocrisy of the adults in their lives who are hellbent on protecting their innocence.
It is important to note that Jennifer Austin Hughes, the executive director of the youth theater company, issued a content warning for themes of abuse, sexual situations, abortion and suicide — various traumas the characters face. Therefore, the play is rated “R.”
“It is basically the story of what happens when parents gatekeep information from kids,” Austin Hughes told The Sopris Sun, “but not really thinking about the repercussions of kids not having all the information they need to navigate the world as adults.”
Staring in this show are: Blake Novy (Melchior), Maizy Post (Wendla), Jessica Vesey (Martha), Liam Specht (Ernst), Isabella Poschman (Anna), Zach Bartlett (Moritz), Kassidy Birdsong (Frau Gabor), Katie Huttenhower (Thea), Ella Lindenberg (Ilse), Willow Poschman (Georg), Ricky Perez (Hanschen), Charlie Cox (Otto), Allison Fifield (Frau Bergman), Eliza Domingos (Fraulein
IN A NUTSHELL
What: “Spring Awakening”
Who: SoL Theatre Company
Knuppeldick), William LeDent (Herr Stiefel), Gerald Delisser (Headmaster Knochenbruch) and Emma Boucher (ensemble and swing).
Luke Ryan choreographed, Bonnie Draina was the musical director and Sean Jeffries was the lighting designer.
Though it is true that SoL has primarily performed family-friendly shows, it has veered in more mature directions over the last couple of years, putting on shows like “Rent” and “West Side Story.”
“Funny enough, some of the older kids in this cast have been asking to do this since they were younger. I always said it was never going to happen,”
Austin Hughes explained. “We’ve been testing the waters and pushing the boundaries for a few years — also leveling up the production value of our shows, especially since moving into TRTC. It felt like the perfect time to do it.”
One of the student performers, Lindenberg, has been involved with SoL for two years. In discussing her role as Ilse, she said she was drawn to the character, who, she explained, can be interpreted in many ways.
“A challenge that I have had in playing a character like [Ilse] has been finding ways to relate, as I have not experienced the things she has,” said the young actor, adding, “She brushes over the darkness in her life in a humorous ‘Oh, it’s fine’ kind of way.”
When asked about the importance of putting on shows like this, Austin Hughes said that elements in the show are very relevant to what’s going on in the world today. She sees the theater as the perfect place for folks to start those conversations.
“The stage allows a safe space to have difficult conversations. It can challenge … how we think we already feel about something, simply by seeing and walking for a couple of hours in someone else’s shoes,” Austin Hughes concluded.
Where: Thunder River Theatre Company
When: July 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30pm; July 14 and 21 at 2pm
Tickets: www.soltheatrecompany.org
The Heart Collectors travel to Steve’s Guitars
MYKI JONES
Arts Correspondent
The Heart Collectors, an Australian-based folk music group, will be stopping in Carbondale on July 12 as part of a tour promoting the release of their fifth album, “The Space Between.”
The band consists of Kymrie Henge, Reuben Loire, Mobius ‘Mo’ Barnaby and Tristan DaFoe. They have performed together for seven years and are managed by lead singer Kymrie’s mother, Drew Porter, who the band affectionately nicknamed “Mummager,” under their own record label, Spins The Gold Records.
All four bandmates sing alongside each other, combining their musical talents on the mandolin, electric guitar, banjo, cello and bodhran to create a whimsical, nostalgic and thought-provoking sound that is uniquely their own. If there were any comparison to make for this dynamic group, it would be akin to combining the sound of Fleetwood Mac, Enya and Celtic-inspired music in a cauldron located in the middle of a forest under a bright moon.
“We’re very harmony-driven, as far as the vocal side of the band goes,” Barnaby stated. “We are always going to feel passionate about harmony and that we can turn up anywhere with our instruments and play.”
His sentiments were echoed by Loire who expressed that their harmony as a band has created a unity that keeps them strong. “Our different influences all combine into this one feeling and one current. That’s the unity of our sound and I feel that’s a special thing,” he stated.
One example of this sound comes from the song “Evergreen” from the newest album. The opening lines of the track — “Seasons come, seasons go, life moves like a traveling show, not long now we’ll be back on the road” — lay the groundwork for the rest of the song, which delves into the joys and sorrows that come with living. This album perfectly encapsulates the quartet’s goals of emoting inspiration, positivity, connection and humanity for their listeners.
This will be The Heart Collectors’ first time performing in Colorado, which they say they’re feeling excited about. Asked how they hope to connect with the audience, DaFoe expressed the band is looking forward to finding commonalities within the crowd.
“The main thing we appreciate in performing is connecting with the audience,” he said. “We’ve played in many places throughout the world, and no matter who, where, or when, you can always find a level of common ground with people. Once that’s established, there’s this hard connection where every sort of notion falls away. We’re trying to communicate love and humanity.”
The group began creating together after Henge stepped away from her dream of being a professional ballet dancer after sustaining injuries to her feet during the Youth America Grand Prix in her teens.
“I took some time to rehabilitate, but my body and the feet could not hold up. It was a loss, and at the time, I wasn’t aware of how I was processing it,” Henge told The Sopris Sun. “What I came to know was poetry and writing out what I needed to hear to get me through what I was going through,” Henge told The Sopris Sun.
These motivational words then informed the band’s first album. “That is where the band’s beginning happened,” Henge continued, “and from that point, it’s grown, flowered, changed and shape-shifted.”
Discussing what drives their creative process, The Heart Collectors credit nature and connection as two pillars of inspiration, both of which they are excited to be immersed in while bouncing around the state.
“When we perform, we love telling the story about where we come from, our lives and the nature of where we are on the east coast of Australia. We have beautiful, big storms there that inspire some of the songs on the album. We like writing and sharing our journey with people and where we come from through our songs,” Barnaby stated.
To keep up with The Heart Collectors, visit www.theheartcollectors.com or follow them on Instagram @theheartcollectors. The band’s music is also available on Spotify.
IN A NUTSHELL
Who: The Heart Collectors
Where: Steve’s Guitars
When: July 12, 8pm
Tickets: $30-$40 at www.stevesguitars.net
SoL actors Maizy Post (left, foreground) and Jessica Vesey rehearse with their castmates. Courtesy photo
Australia’s The Heart Collectors bring their harmonies to Steve’s Guitars on July 12. Courtesy photo
The history of formal US experiential education
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Once upon a time, experiential education was the peda gogy. Many high-ranking nations for education today heavily center primary education around experience and play. Once academia became established in the U.S. as the primary method of learning for young people, however, desire arose to offer alternative means for learning skills inadequately covered in memorization-based classrooms. Some of the most enduring and well-known of these experiential schools are the National Outdoor Leader ship School (NOLS) and Outward Bound.
The latter has a surprisingly presti gious history. Outward Bound was founded by Lawrence Holt and Kurt Hahn in 1941, based on Hahn’s pedagogy from the Gordonstoun School. You may recognize Gordonstoun as the academy where both Prince Phillip and King Charles did their secondary education. Outward Bound’s basic pedagogy entails putting young people open to learning in a set but unfamiliar environment and tasking them with increasingly difficult problem-solving scenarios.
The Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) was started in 1962. Physically rigorous, its program emphasizes teamwork, communication and problem-solving. COBS implements what it calls design principles: Challenge and Adventure, Supportive Environment, Learning to Lead, Success and Failure, Reflection and Transference. The school of thought demonstrates the relationship between these
Enhancing Your Rio Grande Trail Experience Roaring Fork Bridge CLOSURE until January, 2025 Have questions or concerns? Contact
The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) and Meridian Consulting Inc. will be conducting necessary repairs and improvements to the Roaring Fork Bridge. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and understanding as we work to enhance the bridge, ensuring a smoother and safer trail experience.
Follow All Posted Detours:
The established detour route will be along Dolores Way and Satank Road and then across the Satank Bridge for trail users to navigate around the construction zone safely. Please follow all trail closures and detours for your safety and the safety of our workers.
at 970.925.8484 or
for
information Starting on July 15th, 2024 the Roaring Fork Bridge will be closed until January, 2025. The Roaring Fork Bridge is located along the Rio Grande Trail (RGT) just west of the Carbondale Park & Ride at mile post 11.5. The Rio Grande Trail will be closed from mile post 11.1 to 11.9.
Three fast tips to grow your money
Money Juice is all about getting people on a path to sustainable wealth while having fun in the process. Does money stress you out? If you think developing wealth is a pie-in-thesky goal for people who already have money, you are sadly mistaken. Growing money is for all of us. Money likes to grow. It’s what it’s best at. Currently, your money is doing one of three things: 1) Your money is growing for you, 2) it’s supporting you by paying for things in your life, or, 3) it’s growing for someone else at your expense.
OPINION
deductible. If you don’t qualify this year, you can do some math to understand if it’s something to take advantage of next time you’re choosing health insurance. We can expect to spend 12% to 20% of our income on health expenses during retirement, so having an account ready to rock is truly a smart move.
2) Switch banks
MONEY JUICE
If you simply start thinking of money as numbers that like to grow, you can remove the stress from the situation. You can start to view your financial landscape with the eye of a scientist. Pretend you work in a lab that’s growing a special plant. Some of the seedlings are growing well and some of them are not. You’ll spend some time figuring out what’s going on with those babies that aren’t doing so well, right? Now, if you think of this in terms of your financial health, you might just ignore the things that aren’t thriving and call up a friend to grab a beer.
By Megan Janssen
I know, it’s a pain in the ass, but keeping your unhelpful, overcharging, impersonal banking relationship is not serving you. To become a true money steward, you must start acting like a money steward and putting your money in good, loving hands. Talk to your bank to learn about what options they might have for you as a trusted customer, i.e., high-yield accounts, fee waivers, automatic round-ups into savings, etc. Make a list of the pros and cons with your bank and consider finding one that has your back on your wealth-acquisition journey.
But these little babes need you! Don’t walk away! The best part about money is it’s predictable and simple. It’s far easier than a science experiment. If you have credit card debt, this is just money that is growing for someone else that needs to be transitioned to growing for you. And, because it’s money and it’s simple, you can plug the amount you owe into a debt pay-off calculator online and have a clear picture of how much it will take to pay it off and when it’ll be paid. Voila! Easy squeezy.
Here are some unique steps to help you start growing your wealth today.
1) Open a Health Savings Account
Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are amazing unicorn accounts that allow you to grow your money with a triple tax advantage, meaning you are not taxed federally on 1) the money that goes in, 2) the money that grows, and 3) the money spent (when on eligible expenses).
HSAs are accounts specifically for medical needs; the beautiful part is the list of eligible expenses is more inclusive than just paying for prescriptions and bills. A quick search reveals that you can use your HSA for birth control, in-home medical care, dental work, acupuncture and hand sanitizer. On its own, this is tremendous. Further, if you choose to invest a portion of your HSA funds, your money can grow for you year over year tax free. People who are relatively healthy and who don’t visit the doctor regularly will sometimes opt to pay for their current medical needs with cash (aka, NOT with this account) so their HSA can grow for them and turn into a banger retirement account. To qualify for an HSA, you must have a health insurance deductible above a certain amount. To learn if you do, look up the qualifying amount for your state, then check your
Remember, your money works for YOU now. Let me give you an example: a few years ago, I decided to get cozy with my credit union. In just a few clicks, I learned I was eligible for a savings account with an earning rate of 6.12%. This is huge! There are stipulations to this account that I pay close attention to and when the time is right, I deposit as much as I can and watch my seedling grow.
Hate the idea of switching over all your accounts? Well, when you start working with Money Juice, ahem, you’ll have such a good picture of your financial landscape, transferring money will feel like a snap.
3) Drugs
As mentioned above, Money Juice is all about making this process fun. If money stresses you out, regardless of your situation, it’s time to develop a better relationship with it. We recommend looking at your numbers regularly; we call this going to the Money Gym. Even if you have tons of wealth, if you have stress, something is amiss and it will behoove you to build a stronger relationship. Think of it as saying hello to your seedlings in the lab everyday. Play them some music, give them some light, notice what’s happening.
If you are someone who hates addressing your money stress, add drugs. Why do you think people go for a second run after struggling through the first one? Because their bodies produce endorphins and they get biofeedback telling them they should do it again. So we prescribe endorphins to our clients. Do 20 jumping jacks, listen to your favorite song, watch your favorite comedy clip, eat something spicy that you enjoy — and then get to work. Give yourself the gift of a new successful and enjoyable habit. You deserve it. And so does your money. Megan Janssen is a financial educator and the founder of Money Juice. Learn more at www.money-juice.com
OBITUARIES
Sheryl Bogatz
September 20, 1954 - June 29, 2024
Sheryl was born to Dorene and Marty Smith. She had one younger sister, Diane, who she doted on and guided fiercely with her love.
Sheryl attended Wilbur Avenue Elementary School after her family moved from Sherman Oaks to Tarzana, Los Angeles. This was followed by Portola Junior High and Taft High School. She attended California State University, Northridge as an art history major, then left to pursue a position at Aaron Brothers Art Mart. She was very successful and looked every bit the part with her construction boots and toolbelt on her hips!
In her 20s, Sheryl attended Lifespring, a personal development training and was influential in her family and friends attending the training as well. She then became the company’s enrollment coordinator and increased enrollment substantially. Later, she joined Cunningham and Associates in the office furniture industry. From there, she joined Herman Miller (now Herman Miller Knoll) in April of 1984 and worked for them for nearly 25 years, starting as a salesperson and finishing her career as the vice president of sales for the western sales area. She won the love and admiration of her fellow employees as well as multiple awards, including six Cube Awards — Herman Miller’s highest award for salespeople. To this day, her fellow employees still sing her praises.
Sheryl believed in giving back, and she did so by volunteering with an organization that mentored young women of color preparing for the workforce. She also volunteered with the American Cancer Society. In her later years, she continued to be extremely philanthropic.
In 1993, Sheryl was introduced to Larry Bogatz by her dear friend Margot’s husband, David. The two fell in love, married four years later and traveled the world with Margot and David who later moved to Carbondale, Colorado. In 2016, Sheryl and Larry moved to Carbondale to be closer to them and her sister, Diane, and her husband, Scott.
Sheryl was an extremely loving wife, daughter, sister, friend and aunt. She actively participated in her two nephews’ lives, Ryan and Trevor, attending school and sporting events, always cheering them on with unbridled joy. When Ryan needed to “shadow” someone in the workforce for a school assignment, Sheryl spent the day showing him the ropes of corporate America at Herman Miller.
In 2006, Sheryl began experiencing memory lapses which were affecting her work, so she retired. In 2013, she was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s and “the longest goodbye” began.
She always came from love, despite what she knew lay ahead of her. While it was a heartbreaking diagnosis, and she did struggle with it, her heart remained loving and generous. In 2019, she experienced some seizures and, after rehab, became a resident of the memory care unit located just minutes away from Larry.
Sheryl is preceded in death by her loving parents, Marty and Dorene. She is survived by her beloved husband Larry Bogatz, Diane Darling and her brother-inlaw Scott, and beloved nephews Ryan and Trevor. She is also survived by Larry’s son Scott Bogatz and his children Sidney (and her husband David) and Matthew, as well as Melissa Bogatz and their children Alessandra and Van and countless friends.
Sheryl will be laid to rest on Sunday, July 14 at 10am at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary (6001 W. Centinela Avenue) in Los Angeles, California.
Alzheimer’s is an insidious disease. It robs a person of their memories and life. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Association and/or Ovations For the Cure are appreciated and flowers can be sent to Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary.
David “Stretch” Piccione
July 3, 1950 - June 23, 2024
For Dave, every day was a “beach day.” Time spent with family and friends he considered, “live entertainment.” Dave was the proud father of two boys and a loving husband for 55 years.
In addition to his love of family, he loved music, architecture and fast cars. He was a talented brick and stone mason. His big smile and larger-thanlife positive personality touched many. He never met a stranger.
He is survived by his wife, Claudia, sons, Mike and James, daughter-in-law, Regina, grandchildren, Cash and Jolene, sister, Diane, and brother, Doug.
When you see crows say hello, we think Dave might be among them.
133, Dangerous as Designed: Designated crossings
By Age-Friendly Carbondale
The next intersection in the 133, Dangerous as Designed series is Hendrick Drive and Sopris Avenue. This is an oddly configured intersection because Hendrick and Sopris are not aligned, adding to its complexity and making it more difficult to negotiate safely.
OPINION
many complaints about this intersection: cars travel too fast, cars don’t stop when the crosswalk lights are flashing, drivers are distracted, reports of near misses and more. To address these issues, AFC recommends:
Several factors make this intersection unsafe. The first is speed. Leaving the roundabout southbound, 133 follows a straight path “encouraging” drivers to speed up. At Sopris, 133 becomes three lanes because of the dedicated right turn lane for Wells Fargo Bank and Hendrick giving drivers further encouragement to speed. This happens just as drivers are about to reach the 133 crosswalk.
The second is the location of entry and exit points. Hendrick and Sopris are offset, making it difficult for drivers to see one another. Both streets have drivers turning right and left turn onto 133. Drivers are exiting 133 as well, turning onto both Hendrick and Sopris. If keeping track of who is going where is not difficult enough, bike paths on both sides of 133, the user-activated crosswalk signal and the shopping plaza entrance across from Hendrick add to the challenge.
The third is road width. Hendrick and 133 are three lanes wide and Sopris is wide enough for drivers to use it that way. This width increases the traffic exposure time of users and the complexity of the view of traffic movement.
Age-Friendly Carbondale (AFC) received
1) Decreasing vehicle speed by adding traffic-calming elements to 133. This could include the elimination of the right turn lane on 133 at Hendrick (moving the curb accordingly), converting to a raised 133 crosswalk and adding speed signage in the median.
2) Upgrading the current crosswalk signal to a high-intensity signal that places the flashing lights overhead, in drivers’ line of sight, and uses a light sequence similar to regular traffic signals.
3) Install a pedestrian refuge island in the 133-crosswalk to provide a safe waiting spot for users crossing one direction of traffic at a time. It would also be a traffic-calming element.
4) Improve lighting for increased safety after dark.
This intersection is widely used. Children and adults (including seniors from Crystal Meadows) cross 133 to access Main Street’s shops and restaurants, the library, Stepping Stones, Sopris Park, the pool, the Rec Center, Hendrick Park’s soccer field and more, as well as to visit friends and family. Making this intersection safer is about reducing the potential for accidents, but it’s also about preserving, and enhancing Carbondale’s small-town character.
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com
Scene Seven
By Don Marlin
Richard and Sally didn’t return the phone call for over an hour. It was probably a good time to have more coffee, lunch, sugar and a circling of each respective wagon train in the two states. I continued to ponder the problem of why this one-way portal was present, and why did it occur between the two Georges? If Stella Spencer had even a fraction of the interaction between the two mirrors at the time and even blurted it out for discussion the community in neighboring counties would have called out a witch hunt, rivaled by probably only Salem. Surely it was better to bury the mirrors in a crate after the move across the country.
“Vince, you are both scientists and we are both teachers. What do we do with this situation? Call authorities, call an exorcist, call a physicist? This is scaring us to death over here and makes me question every purchase, refurbishment and restoration we have in our house!” Richard was not amused with the second earplug launching.
“I have a few more tests I’d like to run,” I said.
“Tests like what are we going to do to sell this to the industry?” Richard’s Arabian snorts were back in high fashion. Sounds like a horse recovering after the first race at Saratoga Springs.
“Sales, no, not yet, not maybe ever; but this kind of power is enormous.”
“Enormous? This is alien! Sales of these two together could bring thousands!”
“I’m not talking sales, Richard. I’m talking about patents, physical science breakthroughs, an end to energy needs, a total collapse of the transportation industry if it can be harnessed.”
I began to get an elation over the whole issue. If this phenomenal find could be understood, replicated and used by the world, then the age of the internet and global communication by satellites and micro-downsizing of every gadget to become connected could be a page in history. Discovery of fire, invention of the combustible engine on petroleum by-products, use of the combustible engine in every transport method known to man today: cars, planes, boats, rockets – all obsolete. Richard and Sally are intelligent adults and their silence on the other end, as well as the boink on the cowlick and nose of both of them across the states, made me recognize that they grasped this too.
“Alright. Alright. Alright,” Richard whinnied. “What … what … what do you want to test, Einstein?”
“Look, this portal is open now and all four of us recognize it. I can hear you, see you and pummel you with Mary’s zinfandel noise canceller. This all illustrates to us that this connection is real and open as we are speaking on the phone while all of this happens.” I began to gain confidence in
my postulates and started the journey of theory.
“I think we are scared but we are curious, the way all creatures are. Two ideas come to mind. One: we can only guess that this is a real time portal proving the existence of a vacuum where light reaches maximum speed and is not caused by some gravitational issue forming a black hole where all matter disappears.”
“Again, my correct use of Einsteinetiquette,” boasted Richard.
“Come on, hear me out. The phone and earplugs illustrate some sense of a time and matter continuum but doesn’t negate the idea of two parallel universes being connected by a solar or space perturbation.”
Two sets of nostrils could be heard, and the level of oxygen drawn on Richard and Sally’s side of the phone made me consider placing a feather to my George II. That thought faded quickly with Sally’s response.
“Mary, you have an old phone, don’t you? I’ve chided you to catch up with the iPhone world, but you never wanted to give up the analog nature of the clock and big clunky keys, right?”
Mary exhaled, “Yeah, but what in the
world are you …”
“Sally is on to it, Mary. We live with our phones, but you have the most disposable one and it could answer the parallel universe versus time continuum conundrum,” I replied.
“Alright, Vince. I am now going to crown you Doc from Back to the Future as you are just way too postdoctoral, Yellow Brick Road scarecrow, for Albert Einstein” Richard whinnied again.
“Mary, what time does your phone say now?” I asked.
“Two-fifty-five pm,” she responded. I asked Richard, “Do you have the same time?”
“Yep, but we all have those stopwatch settings so let’s count to three after we get that setting on the screen and synchronize them.” Richard was now stamping his hooves on the floor to beat of one, that Timmy was still in the well and two, he had the knowledge to get him out.
“Okay, Richard, on my mark start the stopwatch on your phone and Mary will do the same.” After a pause we were all set. “Mary, toss your phone at George II”. The phone bounced off of Richard and Sally’s bed and landed on the floor next to the bed and startled their cat, Felix, who hissed and ran out of their bedroom.
“Richard? Tell me, tell me, tell me.”
Richard trumpeted back, “The earplugs were one thing, but the phone brings back the entire shock of what we are witnessing right now. Mary’s Colorado phone came through George II, through your George II! Scared the cat to death! Unbelievable!”
“Richard? What does it say?” I asked.
“In sync! I knew I couldn’t believe there were two of each of us in parallel universes! That is crazy, Doc!” Richard said in his best Marty tone.
“What is crazier? We have an open portal with no discontinuum for light and matter versus a parallel universe. What a physical breakthrough!” I think my nostrils were opening.
“Mary, Richard, Sally? I have one more test.” At this point our phones were all on speaker settings and I could see and hear Richard and Sally on their bed speaking as if there was a stereo in the room. I was convinced this was a new page for mankind. “Sally, can you watch our cat, Romeo, for a few days? I’m going to send him over.”
Mary screamed in objection. Richard and Sally gasped so hard that I could hear a suction sound on all three of the outlets coming through and around the portal. It was an amazing microsecond of reality. The discussion was difficult. The cat was reluctant. But his age and a soft bed on the other side with Richard and Sally as a backstop persuaded Mary.
I launched Romeo for mankind.
‘Tis the season! It’s that time of year in the Roaring Fork Valley when ranchers are cutting and baling their hay. There’s a certain art to cutting hay and some ranchers excel at the artistry, as seen here on the hayfields at Strang Ranch. Scott Strang is responsible for this particular masterpiece. Photo by Jane Bachrach
On July 12, 2024, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library, Colorado Times Recorder reporter Logan Davis will speak on “Colorado communities standing up to Christian nationalism.” Davis, a self-described “progressive researcher and writer based in Denver, specializing in the threat posed by right-wing extremism” has covered the Woodland Park American Birthright Standards controversy since
Davis asks: “Why are groups from New York, Florida and Washington, D.C. interested in a district of a few thousand students in Teller County, Colorado? And why do so many players in the cast of characters in this small-town drama have direct connections to politically-active, right-wing billionaires and the groups they fund? And why does the town’s hyper-political religious sect — a sect which specifically preaches the taking-over of government institutions for the glory of God and the kingdom of Christ – seem to be so involved with all
Many of the same players and themes have been behind a recent surge of challenges to library materials across the nation. According to various studies, most Americans of any political party are overwhelmingly opposed to censorship. So who is pushing it and why?
Sponsored by the non-profit Protect Our Garfield County Libraries, this presentation is free to the public. Please note that library rooms are available to other community groups and perspec-
More money
Are your bills getting harder to pay?
“A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.” But hey, “an unprecedented wealth boom began in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic market surge. Since 2020, the wealth of the top 1% has increased by nearly $15 trillion, or 49%.”
So the basic problem is insufficient income for the lower wage earners. This has been decades in the making. The system is rigged. The problem escalated with the Supreme Court permitting unlimited campaign donations from corporations and wealthy people. Much of Congress is bought and paid for. The political right wing complains constantly about government programs that try to help people who can’t afford basic services, like food for their kids or basic health care. But — if these folks made enough for their hours worked, the special programs would not be needed. I hear stories about Walmart employees using food stamps. Walmart — whose heirs are some of the wealthiest on the planet. Spread it around, maybe?
The Federal minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour — same in many states that are politically red. This wage was set in 2009. Not even a cost-of-living adjustment has occurred. Adjusted for inflation, that should be $10.50 — and even that is low. Tukwila, Washington leads the nation at $20.29. In 2021 the Dems tried to raise it to $15 but the Repubs killed it. Big corporations have a number of reasons to keep wages low. More on that and how to fix it next time.
Patrick Hunter Carbondale
from page 5
participants led by AZYEP intern Jem Badgett (DJ Cool Kat) and Girardot. The conversation was edited into a recent public affairs show on KDNK.
AZYEP will have an information table and sell merchandise at the festival. They also plan to capture audio snippets from the audience, sharing their experiences and reflections. Girardot, who grew up in the Valley, was a musician in high school. “It would have been awesome to have something like this when I was in school,” he shared. “It’s a pretty great thing, and I feel honored to be involved with glenWOODSTOCK.”
“The goal is to have glenWOODSTOCK become an annual event, growing each year as more people get involved and support our youth. We want this to be a night to remember, celebrating our kids and our community,” Adams concluded.
GrassRoots TV episodes can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@grassrootstv To listen to a recording of the AZYEP program with glenWOODSTOCK participants and musical performances by Trincado, visit www.tinyurl.com/ AZYEPglenWOODSTOCK
SUPERINTENDENT
from page 7
responsibilities as the Chief of Student Family Services, navigating complex COVID-19 health protocols and community dynamics across three counties — Eagle, Pitkin and Garfield. Cole herself acknowledged, “I took a very non-traditional pathway into the classroom and organizational leadership in education.” But reflecting on her experiences, she stressed the importance of integrating community voices and perspectives into mainstream education.
She emphasized RFSD’s resilience during leadership transitions and the collective efforts to maintain continuity and strategic focus amid challenges. Cole envisions a future where innovation and inclusivity define Roaring Fork Schools.
“As a district, I think we have a clear vision of what our priorities are, what we need to work on and what we need to shore up to get there — focusing on the disparate academic outcomes. We have a lot of work to do there. I think we’ve got the right people in place to start driving on that and our kids and families are ready to lean in and do the work, too,” she shared.
Garfield County Libraries
PARTING SHOTS
SOFT ROCK
The 35th MARBLE/marble Symposium wrapped its first session on July 8 with Shady Lane performing rock’n’roll, per tradition. Every summer, sculptors of varying experience drop in for the opportunity to carve world-famous Colorado Yule marble while camping out between the aspens at the top of the Crystal River. Visitors are welcome to stop by and view the works during each session. This year’s second session runs from July 15 to 22 and the final session is from July 29 to Aug 5.
LEGAL NOTICE
Case number: 2024C5
Public Notice is given on June 10 2024 that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Eagle County Court.
The Petition requests that the name of Jennifer Lee Riffle be changed to Genevieve Juniper Lee Riffle
Inga Causey, Judge
Published in the Sopris Sun on: 6/28/24, 07/05/24, 07/12/24
Photos by Raleigh Burleigh
