20240718

Finding the sweet spot

Sweetwater Lake proposed management plan invites feedback

RALEIGH BURLEIGH

Sopris Sun Editor

Winding up Sweetwater Road, north of Interstate 70 near Dotsero, nearly every home displays a yellow sign with “STATE PARK” circled in red and struck through above the words: “TRULY SAVE SWEETWATER LAKE.”

Neighbors are making public their concerns as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) solicits feedback on its proposed management and development project at Sweetwater Lake (www.fs.usda. gov/project/?project=64047). The plan represents an uncommon partnership where Colorado Parks and Wildlife will manage the federal land under a 20-year lease. As part of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) process, public input is solicited during this initial scoping

CROSSCREEK Trail#1855

period by Aug. 5. There will be a second 90-day public comment period once a draft Environmental Impact Statement is released, likely this winter.

“I feel like we’re at a good initial proposal here,” USFS Eagle-Holy Cross District Ranger Leanne Veldhuis told The Sopris Sun. “Comments received now will help us hone in on something better.” Veldhuis welcomes specific comments regarding site amenities and more. “We’re excited for the opportunities we have at Sweetwater to hopefully do something of value that provides amazing access and protects the site.”

The road to this stage is as winding as the narrow, dirt one that straddles two counties and leads to the 488-acre property acquired by USFS in 2021.

Previously, the area was under private ownership and switched hands seven times over the course of 39 years, according to Adrienne Brink, owner of AJ Brink Outfitters. Since 1984, AJ Brink Outfitters has operated primarily on year-long leases, offering daylong and overnight horseback trips, rowboat rentals and rustic lodging. The company also ran a restaurant known for its pies and homestyle cooking for most of that time. The restaurant was closed prior to the pandemic by investors seeking to sell the property and it remains closed due to a leaky roof and other deferred maintenance.

“We’re perfectly willing to do what needs to be done to preserve it,” Brink assured of the building. It’s one of several that has sat vacant since USFS obtained the

property with $8.5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund — a program that invests offshore oil royalty money in government conservation projects. According to USFS, the restaurant and most lodgings are too dilapidated for occupation.

Over the course of her business, Brink has seen a parade of proposals for the land, including a water bottling facility and, most recently, a private ranch that would have barred public access and torn down the buildings. In 2019, Eagle Valley Land Trust led a “Save the Lake” campaign which garnered $350,000 in community donations and motivated Eagle County to pledge $500,000 toward the effort. The Conservation Fund, with a headquarters in Boulder, facilitated the purchase and transfer to the USFS with the assistance of a $6.2 million interest-free loan from Get Outdoors Colorado — a program that allocates state lottery revenues.

Local trust soured in October 2021 when Governor Jared Polis stood atop a rocky outcrop — now closed to the public — that overlooks the lake, proclaiming the area Colorado’s 43rd state park. The announcement took many by surprise, including the Garfield County Commissioners who supported the “Save the Lake” campaign, though not financially. The Garfield County Commissioners then pushed for the highest level of review under NEPA for the project.

“When we as a community were trying to protect the lake, we approached [Eagle Valley] Land Trust with the intent it would not be developed,” explained Bill Stevens, a fourth-generation member of the Sweetwater community raising the fifth. “I’ve seen Sweetwater change over the years and the population grow a little bit, but for the most part Sweetwater Lake has remained a constant.” Stevens continued on page 5

Sweetwater Lake in Garfield County remains a quiet getaway despite media attention surrounding its announced fate as Colorado’s 43rd state park. Neighbors fear that the character of the place could be spoiled by state management. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

Living the end stage

A medical team stopped and restarted my heart a few weeks ago, trying to stop its atrium from fibrillating. I considered this a drastic measure, but it didn’t work. It rarely does, with people my age. Consequently, I’ve scheduled even more drastic measures.

My cardiac reboot took place two days after a close friend’s memorial service. After living with Parkinson’s disease for 21 years, he died of it last December. Despite 63 years of uninterrupted friendship, he didn’t recognize me the last time I visited. I didn’t take it personally. He didn’t recognize his son either. Severe dementia is common during late-stage Parkinson’s.

Shortly after my coronary reboot, another friend called to check on me. He too has Parkinson’s, plus a few bonus conditions. My oldest and exceptionally athletic 84-year-old friend suffers from peripheral neuropathy, a progressive condition wherein his feet become numb. It affects his balance and makes walking on uneven ground increasingly difficult. He has given up on his dream hike in Patagonia. This is what our eighties are like. Declining abilities are strongly felt, dreams are abandoned, and death claims us with increasing frequency. The “golden years?” Maybe.

approve of how we’ve lived we develop a sense of integrity, contentment and completion.

Accepting things we aren’t proud of is one version of Eriksonian wisdom. “An informed and detached concern with life in the face of death,” is another way the Eriksons put it. So, Stage Eight is about “knowing” and about “letting go.” Two decades ago, upon completing a career I loved, I wasn’t ready for Stage Eight. I still had too much to give to my community, so I started another career with Age-Friendly Carbondale.

Editor Raleigh Burleigh 970-510-3003

news@soprissun.com

Contributing & Digital Editor

James Steindler

OPINION MATURE CONTENT

By Ron Kokish

Remember Joan and Eric Erikson’s Eight stages of life from last month’s column? (Of course, you do. You’ve thought about little else since, right?) At each stage, the Eriksons theorized a specific developmental task we have to complete to resolve a basic conflict between individual wants and societal demands. By resolving the conflict, we develop a “virtue” that will be essential for successfully resolving the next stage’s conflict. Successful resolutions at each stage yield at least a possibility of happiness. Failed resolutions bring, well . . . not happiness. Usually, triggered by one or more losses, we start transitioning into Stage Eight sometime after age 65. At 83, I’m well into it. Characteristic of this stage, we have increasingly less to look forward to, and increasingly more to look back on. Consequently, we come to rely ever more on our past to infuse our present with meaning. The inherent psycho-social conflict we face during this final stage is “integrity vs. despair.” The central question is, “Did I live a meaningful life?” The potential virtue to be developed is wisdom. When review reveals regrets about important things we wish we’d done differently we tend toward despair, because opportunities for amends have become extremely limited and do-overs almost non-existent. Conversely, to the degree we

LETTERS

Re: Twin Acres

I am writing in response to the story you ran about Twin Acres (June 27) and the push from the Keep Missouri Heights Rural opposing a 100-acre riding facility to be built on an existing original homestead of Missouri Heights. Most if not all these people live in subdivisions. Who gave them the self-appointed knowledge of what is rural and what is not? According to a definition found online, “Rural communities can be described as farming communities, fishing communities, logging communities or communities with a high amount of tourism for a certain part of the year. These types of work often dictate the way things are done in these communities.”

Do they really think their subdivisions are rural? Most of their complaints include problems they have created. They complain about outside lighting, traffic, noise, water, wildlife, etc. Rather than putting the blame on a proposed equestrian facility which happens to fit within the definition of “rural”, they must first look at themselves and understand that they have already created the problems

I love this career even more because it’s unrelated to earning a living. I love it enough to be writing this column at 4am. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to live up to the standards I set for myself. Afib makes me tired. Everything seems to be taking me longer and staying focused is increasingly difficult. Soon, I’ll have to step back from this career too.

As for that Eriksonian developmental task, I think I’m doing okay. Increasingly, I’m looking backward. I made mistakes that hurt people I loved. Some people tried warning me but, being too immature to listen, I pandered to my ego and hurt people who didn’t need to be hurt. As a Stage Eight veteran, I own that. Owning it includes mitigating a bit of the damage by apologizing. In one case I can somewhat compensate for the damage by helping financially, so I’m doing that. But I can’t do a thing for my dead parents who deserved better than I gave them. That regret I’m just living with. Altogether, I feel that I’m doing well at accepting and mourning my mounting losses. But all is not lost. I still have considerable abilities. I treasure those and intend to continue using them on behalf of my community until I no longer can. I think that’s also a part of integrity. So is recognizing when “no-longer-can” has arrived. “You gotta know when to hold’em, know when to fold ‘em . . .” the poet wrote. I also still have many relationships and am even forming new ones, but here I’m not doing as well. I attend to them much less than I could, even while knowing that unexpressed love is worthless. Yes, just knowing that is a kind of wisdom, but knowing it and still not expressing the love is plain stupidity.

There are still plenty of Stage Eight issues to resolve before I can die feeling complete instead of just feeling worn out. I guess it’s true. It’s not over until the ample soprano sings. (Hey, just trying to avoid another regret.)

Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale

we currently have on Fender Lane and in Missouri Heights. The problems are due to development. Because of all these people, the volume of traffic, which includes landscaping service trucks, delivery trucks, snow plow trucks and cars, has increased 100-fold.

I don’t understand how the impacts of a horse facility that boards 45 environmentally-friendly horses compares to all the existing problems that these developments themselves have already created. Just because the area around this ranch was subdivided long after the ranch was in existence, they complain about what’s in their backyard. NIMBYism at its best.

How can they not see the hypocrisy when they post signs “Keep Missouri Heights Rural” on the fences of the very subdivisions that have ruined Missouri Heights? Ranches are being threatened by these very people that want to “Keep Missouri Heights Rural.” If the Eagle County Commissioners deny the Twin Acres application, all ranches in the area are doomed by the pressures of development.

Gay

Lewis, Someday Ranch

Re: Downtowner

It is NOT too good to be true. It is totally free, no strings attached. It is a door-to-door ride share, WHENEVER you need it (Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm and 9am to 10pm weekends). It is a free door-to-door, air-conditioned “taxi van” service, WHEREVER you need it (within C’dale town limits).

This is a community service available to ANYONE 12 years of age or older and eight folks can fit in at a time. You can request a ride multiple times a day if you need it. You don’t need a credit card or an ID card.

Just call 970-504-0054 and talk to a real live person. Give that dispatcher your name, pick-up point and destination, and if you need space for a stroller or a wheelchair or a walker. They will send a ride your way in just a few minutes. Most rides show up within 10 minutes. It is very unlikely that you will need to wait more than 20 minutes on a busy day.

Need to talk to someone in Spanish? No problem. I have used the Downtowner several times myself and have spoken to others who are thrilled that C’dale and

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Swimmers and hikers have likely already experienced up to two hour delays on Dinkle Road, which will continue at least through the end of this week and possibly into next as Pitkin County performs road detail from the intersection of Prince Creek Road up to Dinkle Lake. For updates, visit www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver

Shade studies and stage location considerations are informing a 90% schematic design for Chacos Park at 4th and Main in Carbondale. The steering committee’s findings will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on Aug. 14 at 7pm and during a Board of Trustees work session on Aug. 20 at 6pm. The 100% schematic design will be presented for final approval at the Sept. 24 Board of Trustees meeting.

Ticks

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is asking folks to mail them ticks, dead or alive, to help determine what species exist in different regions of the state. This study will help to understand the risks of diseases Colorado ticks may carry. According to a press release, “[tick] diseases are rare in Colorado, even when someone has been bitten.” Learn more at www.bit.ly/mailticks

RFL expands

Roaring Fork Leadership (RFL) is recruiting a development director in response to expanding community demands. The nonprofit recently secured a $90,000 United States Department of Agriculture grant. RFL offers an annual 10-month leadership training program and hosts the Elevate forum, amplifying women’s voices and perspectives, alongside RFL Mastermind, a five-month women’s collaborative leadership program. To learn more, visit www.rfleadership.org

Rural America

Paonia’s Blue Sage Center for the Arts is hosting “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” through this Saturday, July 20. The exhibit was created in partnership with Colorado Humanities and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “The exhibit is meant to engage people in conversation,” said Jennifer Macias, Colorado Humanities history programs coordinator. Ellen Stapenhorst will perform music at the exhibit’s closing recep-

Following a close vote by Carbondale’s Board of Trustees to proceed with demolition of the John M. Fleet Pool ahead of a guaranteed maximum price for the full project, Carbondale Parks and Recreation, Land+Shelter architects, contractor A.D. Miller and owner’s rep Wember Inc. put ceremonial shovels in the ground to get the party started. Learn more about the new pool and fundraising efforts at www.carbondaleconnect.org

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

CPW feedback

Colorado Parks and Wildlife released a draft of its 2024 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which outlines a five year “strategy to ensure that Colorado’s outdoor recreation opportunities remain outstanding into the future while addressing challenges, including population growth, climate change and habitat loss,” a statement read. The public is invited to provide feedback through Aug. 6. Visit www.tinyurl.com/SCOPRreview to review SCORP and chime into the conversation.

Chairman Polis

Colorado Governor Jared Polis was elected chair of the National Governors Association — representing the leaders of 55 states, territories and commonwealths “dedicated to leading bipartisan solutions,” a press release announced. Polis made education his initiative during this year-long term. “As the world changes and technology evolves, ensuring all students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary for success is so important for U.S. economic competitiveness,” he stated.

Kennedy on ballot

The Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign released a statement that it submitted more

than 30,000 voter signatures in order to appear as an Independent candidate on Colorado’s ballot, more than double the 12,000 required. The state will review the signatures and have a final count by Aug. 1. This comes on the heels of the Libertarian Party of Colorado (LPCO) announcing that Kennedy would appear on the Colorado ballot as its candidate; however, that has been challenged by the nationwide Libertarian Party which intends for its select candidate, Chase Oliver, to be on Colorado’s ballot. While it remains to be seen where Kennedy’s name may appear, his campaign “is assessing the permissibility of listing both,” the statement read.

They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Kenna Crampton, Heidi Paul, Dawn Rains and Jacque Whitsitt (July 18); Tony Comer, Edgar Reyna and Annie Van Druten (July 19); Ed Anderson, Amy Burdick, Dave Dixon, Pat Morrissy and Heather Henry, (July 20); Jordan Ebel, Ernie Kollar, Colleen Weinfurter, Brian Wexler and Bonnie Williams (July 21); Louie Girardot, Jessica Kollar and Elley McBrayer (July 22); Mary Boucher, Rick Burrows, Shelle DeBeque, Ruth Frey, Maria Sabljak and Jeff Wadley (July 23); Michael Banks, Mark Von Hagke, Adele Hause, Greg Jeung, John Masters and John Steuben (July 24).

Strengthening community support is at the heart of Glenwood Springs withdrawal center

ANNALISE GRUETER

Sopris Sun Correspondent

The new Mind Springs Health withdrawal management facility in Glenwood Springs officially opened last month, creating a new support resource for community members and alleviating capacity pressure on hospitals and law enforcement. Last week, regional outreach director Hans Lutgring, MSW, and program coordinator Andre Gossweiler spoke with The Sopris Sun about what the center offers and the vision for this community resource.

The center’s creation came from a five-year-long process initiated by and for the Roaring Fork Valley community, which Mind Springs is happy to support. It “started from a notion of mobile recovery,” explained Gossweiler, and in the broader view, “a desire to get to the heart of why people need detox” to support more sustainable and effective care and resources.

Key aspects of the center’s care model include certification

for a higher level of care than was previously available. The new Glenwood Springs facility is certified for “Medically Managed Withdrawal Management” and a 3.7-level American Society for Addiction Medicine care standard, high-intensity inpatient treatment that includes 24-hour psychological and medical monitoring if necessary. This level of care was previously only available in local hospitals at limited capacity and in larger hospitals in Grand Junction and the Front Range, less than ideal for community members in crisis. Lutgring said “the 3.7 medically-managed model is so much more efficient for clients getting to us. Clients do not have to come in through a hospital or ER.”

This accessibility is one of several ways the withdrawal center is lowering obstacles to treatment. Valley residents can walk into the center or have friends or family drop them off without scheduling in advance. Citizens in need can be referred by local hospitals, but they don’t have to be.

In fact, Gossweiler emphasized that the Mind Springs center is a great resource for folks wanting guidance on a course of action, from immediate treatment needs to how to manage whatever phase of substance recovery they are navigating. Calling the withdrawal center can help clarify necessary steps for individuals and their families. “For serious cases, clients may go to the ER first,” Lutgring acknowledged, but the withdrawal center has created “significantly more capacity than what existed before.” Another benefit of being certified at 3.7-level care is that the center is “speaking the same language as law enforcement and hospitals, which simplifies the process” when clients are referred by ERs or police. Regarding resources for community members struggling with substances, both Gossweiler and Lutgring highlighted the value of building a stronger recovery ecosystem. For now, said Gossweiler, resources “can be case dependent. Our number one priority is

safety. We’re getting people who may be a danger to themselves or others through our doors to help get them stable.”

Once at the center, the high level of medical support helps clients through critical phases of detox first, then follows up with additional resources.

“Treatment does not stop at the door,” Lutgring explained. The center’s peer specialists

can help clients feel seen and understood in their recovery journey and explain options. The process of reconnection and “creating rapport, trust, familiarity” are facets of recovery the withdrawal center is making available. “The mobile recovery team here is vital to this stop on the continuum,” Lutgring said. When it comes to the

of Colorado; Maricopa County in Arizona or Riverside County in California. Limit one entry per person during the promotional entry period regardless of the method of entry. Ten HeyBike E-Bike prizes and twelve cash prizes will be awarded. The total approximate value of all prizes awarded is twenty thousand nine hundred ninety dollars ($20,990.00 USD). You have not yet won. Winners will be randomly selected. Odds of winning are based on the number of eligible entries received during the promotional entry period. Promotion winners may decline the prize and an alternate winner, or winners may be selected at Sponsor’s discretion. For the Heybike E-Bike Prizes, Sponsor will cover applicable federal taxes owed on the E-Bike Prizes, provided the potential winner abides by the proper tax reporting requirements. Winnings are subject to IRS/tax reporting. For complete eligibility restrictions, mail-in details, and winner selection details, see the Official Rules at https://www. efirstbank.com/landing/goGreen/rules.htm Sponsor is FirstBank, 12345 West Colfax Ave. Lakewood, CO 80215. banking for good

This mural by local artist John Carr welcomes visitors to the new withdrawal center in Glenwood Springs. Courtesy photo by Matt Janson

pointed to Sylvan Lake in Eagle County, established as a state park in 1987, as an example of “a pristine, quiet place” being overrun with people, campers, “blaring music” and paddle boards.

Roaring Fork Audubon recently visited the site to conduct a bird count to inform their NEPA comments. “In all our surveys across Western Colorado, Sweetwater Lake stands out for its rich avian diversity,” the organization remarked. “Of the 84 bird species recorded, over 11 are species of conservation concern, with the potential for at least five more.” Notably, access to wetlands would be closed to protect wildlife as part of the proposed action.

Stevens is concerned to see campsites drawn over floodirrigated pastures in the plan and is adamant that camping sites should remain “primitive,” without electrical or water hookups. “People need to see what Mother Nature is,” he said. “If you don’t understand Mother Nature, that’s unfortunate.”

The USFS proposed action includes 15 to 20 new primitive to semi-primitive campsites and a bathhouse, turning the existing USFS nine-site primitive campground into a day-use site, building up to a dozen new cabins (some with running water), a new lodge/ visitor center with a cafe, employee housing, new horse stables and

four to seven horse campsites. Mountain biking and motorized travel would not be allowed and visitation would be capped at 250 daily visitors, which may require an advanced reservations system.

“It’s not dramatically different than what was up there when the bulk of Sweetwater was private land,” Veldhuis said of the USFS proposed action. “We’re trying to bring in newer and nicer facilities that still kind of match the aesthetic of the area.” She added, “It won’t change the character to the extent that a water bottling facility and multiple new homes would have done.”

USFS data from the existing campground shows an average of 438 overnight stays per year from 2016 to 2023. A Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment document from 2017 details Brink’s business receiving an average of 23 people during its busiest days. According to Stevens, the only time he saw close to 250 visitors at the lake in one day was for a wedding. He is worried about an increase in traffic accidents if the lake is overdeveloped and marketed as a state park.

In response to the neighbors, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has publicly stated the site need not be called a “state park.” Veldhuis said, “A name hasn’t been determined. That’s also something we’d be

ABOVE: Turning from Colorado River Road onto Sweetwater Road, a large sign makes clear the sentiments of neighbors opposing a state park at the top of their box canyon community.

RIGHT: Adrienne Brink’s restaurant has sat empty since before the pandemic. Locals fondly remember the kitschy atmosphere, delicious trout and homemade pies.

Photos by Raleigh Burleigh

happy to take public comments on during this scoping period if people have ideas, but the term ‘state park’ doesn’t necessarily need to be in the name.”

Balancing modernization with history

JAMES STEINDLER Contributing Editor

EDITOR’S NOTE: Historical information is referenced from the book “Glenwood Hot Springs Celebrating 125 Years” published by the resort in 2013.

The Glenwood Hot Springs has gone through many a transformation, from Jonas Lindgren charging 10 cents for a dip in a wooden bathtub to being advertised as “Colorado’s Sea Beach in the Mountain” when Frank Kistler literally had sand hauled and laid at the edge of the pool in the late ‘30s. All of this time later, the Hot Springs opened the Yampah Mineral Baths on Memorial Day this year.

Yampah is a Ute word for “big medicine,” which, of course, was adopted by settlers and speaks to the health benefits those original inhabitants knew the waters possessed.

Walter Devereux opened the large pool, then known as “The Natatorium,” on the Fourth of July, 1888. The resort eventually went into foreclosure and was purchased by Kistler who, in the ‘50s, sold it to 22 local businessmen who wanted to keep it accessible and prevent it from falling into the hands of outside investors. The families of many of those businessmen still own the resort today.

Upon entering the Yampah Mineral Baths area, the sound of falling water masks the buzzing of I-70 as visitors leave behind the worries of daily life.

3.5 million gallons of the natural mineral water is available to pump into the Hot Springs daily from the Yampah Source Spring, according to Operations Manager Jarrid Hadland. “Which is more than we can use,” added Resort Sales Manager Kimberly Marcum. Pedestrians and Hot Springs visitors can walk right up to the Source Spring where permanent signage will soon be installed that’ll include historical information.

The Yampah Mineral Baths are phase three in the resort’s master plan, with “more to come,” said Hadland. Although, any future plans are still preliminary and not set in stone. Being more than three football fields in length, from end to end, the Hot Springs provides increasingly more space for guests to spread out.

There are five new baths for visitors to dip into in the new section. Cascade Waters

(100-104F) is at the east end of the Yampah Mineral Baths where an opaque wall of water numbs the nerves and eases the mind. Sacred Waters (97-102F) looks out over the rest of the Hot Springs and Red Mountain with an infinity edge that gives a sense of the water leading straight into the view. “It takes you right to the mountain,” said Hadland. Falling Waters (95-100F) pummels your shoulders (in a good way) while standing beneath its waterfall with faux rock that mimics grottos of the area. Then, of course, there are the Inhale (52-60F) and Exhale (75-80F) pools, the first being the coldest plunge and the

latter making for a nice transition after a dip in the Inhale.

There is an entirely new pump house that treats the water to the Yampah Mineral Baths. The pump house that treats water leading into the Therapy and Grand pools was updated during Phase Two a few years ago.

The Historic Drinking Spring, where the mineral water used to be bottled and sold from, appears as it did in the early days with the original stone work still intact. A short stairway leads directly to it.

The idea behind the new baths is to provide a serene, relaxing setting for people to reset. Therefore, at five o’clock in the evening, the new pools

are closed off to youngsters. There’s a fireplace area in the corner where people can rest and chat. And while alcohol is still not permitted outside of the onsite restaurant patio, visitors can “try Casey Brewing’s Yampah Mineral Baths lager, exclusively at The Grill,” said Hadland There’s a balance to strike, Marcum concluded, between modernizing the pools to accommodate guests and respecting the history behind the waters. “We want to be good stewards,” she stated. “This is a historic place.”

To find out more about the Yampah Mineral Baths, visit www.hotspringspool.com

Aspen Film Teen Festival Fri, July 19, 1-3PM A selection of short films from Oscar-qualifying, Aspen Shortsfest for middle and high school students followed by a Q&A with Aspen Film members and a filming workshop.

Summer Performer: Foam Party with Ann Lincoln Tues, July 23, 10:30-11:30AM

Have a blast with music and MASSIVE bubbles.

Aspen Film Shorts: Basalt Library Tues, July 23, 5-7PM A screening of a selection of shorts from Aspen Film festival’s archive with films in English and Spanish.

Young guests lean over the infinity edge of the Sacred Waters pool at Glenwood Hot Springs’ new Yampah Mineral Baths. The new section is closed off to youngsters after 5pm. Photo by James Steindler

Gloomy budget forecast, elevator woes, new natural gas wells

AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) Monday approved the county’s first Chevron natural gas well permit request to drill two wells from an existing pad northwest of De Beque. The pad is remote. No human-inhabited structures are within a mile of it, although it is in the middle of high priority habitat (HPH) for elk winter range and sport fish management. Colorado Parks and Wildlife granted a waiver to drill in the HPH zone due to the drainage’s intermittent nature and no evidence of sport fish.

A Chevron representative told The Sopris Sun that the company plans to use best management practices for wildlife protection, including deliberate fencing, bird surveys and no drilling or other activities between Dec. 1 and April 1. He said that an enhanced stormwater berm will divert wastewater into detention ponds but the ponds will not be covered. No pipeline permits are required.

The BOCC approved the request with conditions. Staff planner Philip Berry said the company needs to obtain a baseline water sample from the state health department before the county permit is issued. “The reason we prefer that is our regulatory regime ends when we issue that permit,” he explained. “We wouldn’t have any skin in the game left.”

The well pad was originally approved for 22 wells but has been used as a storage site. Berry said the new permit would replace the storage permit. All equipment not associated with the new permit would need to be moved to the new storage site

within a year of county permit issuance. The process now moves to the state Energy and Carbon Management Commission. Monday was also Budget kick-off day, heralding the budget process that ends with final approval in the fall. Jamaica Watts, county finance director, and her team presented a sobering forecast of declining revenues over the next few years. Already, the 2024 actual revenues are $5 million less than 2023 and expenses have increased by almost $18 million. The county’s fund balance this year is projected to be a little over $100 million, down $8 million from last year. If trends don’t change, it is predicted to fall through the floor in 2028. Property

tax revenue forecast shows $41.4 million in 2025, sales tax at slightly more than $18 million. Severance tax has flatlined at $1 million. Oil and gas property tax revenue will significantly decrease next year.

The BOCC agreed that it’s time to curb spending. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky mentioned several ways to do this, such as returning the mill levy to 13.665, reducing discretionary grants, revamping health insurance costs and grudgingly suggested a possible workforce reduction. Commissioner Mike Samson said he is against raising taxes and reducing the workforce. “We have good benefits and good salaries,” he said. “This will be a struggle to continue

Rolling up on South Bridge and CEO transition

ANNALISE GRUETER

Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s (RFTA) July 11 board of directors meeting kicked off with community comments. Rachel Richards made a passionate argument regarding community support for the entrance into Aspen. Mark Rinehart suggested that the transit authority prioritize expansion of electric vehicle charging capabilities through the Valley. And general appreciation was expressed for the July 1 launch of the Carbondale Downtowner pilot program.

Vice Chair Greg Poschman provided a brief report of his visit to Washington, D.C. on behalf of RFTA. He shared input he received for options to incentivize bus companies to respond to electric bus requests for proposals.

David Knapp, Ph.D, who is contracted with RFTA to oversee leadership training and support the CEO transition period, provided an update. He explained that management within RFTA is performing admirably. Knapp

described the coaching program in progress and praised outgoing CEO Dan Blankenship for his continued commitment. Knapp shared that the Department of Transportation has a very high opinion of RFTA, an indicator of the authority’s reputation within the broader transportation ecosystem. It is likely that RFTA will allocate additional funds to extend Knapp’s role through the end of 2024.

South Bridge

Ryan Gordon, the city engineer for Glenwood Springs, gave an update on the proposed South Bridge Project. Gordon said the original intent of building the bridge was to establish a critical evacuation route for South Glenwood. The current plans link South Glenwood neighborhoods to Highway 82, the Rio Grande Trail and creates a looping ability for the transit network. It’s projected to reduce travel time in the area by seven to 12 minutes during rush hours, alleviating congestion and reducing emissions.

Thanks to a nearly $50

million Rural Surface Transportation Grant, there is hope to start construction in early 2026. Some changes have been made to the design. Originally proposed as a concrete bridge, it is now planned as a steel girder bridge, which could save approximately $10-12 million and reduce the timeline of construction by about a year. The proposed height of the bridge was decreased by 12 feet, which should improve access to adjacent buildings and entail less roadwork. Some minor adjustments were made for sidewalks, including additional pedestrian crossings.

After explaining the updates, Gordon opened the conversation for questions and comments. There was brief discussion as to whether this could be considered a commuter bypass. Gordon assured that the intent is to alleviate pressure on the community in the area, not create a bypass.

A community member wanted to know RFTA’s role in the project beyond it already committing $4 million. The project’s designers have pondered how to best

to pay a liveable wage.”

“I just want to say that, okay, if we collapse the whole system, then a foreign entity can come in and take over without firing a shot,” offered Commission Chair John Martin. “That’s my gloom and doom.”

In other news, it looks like the elevator at the county courthouse in Glenwood Springs will be replaced after all. It stopped working mid-March. Dallas Crow of TK Elevator Corp said he and county workers have been trying to fix it ever since. First, they found a blown fuse in the mainline disconnect, replaced it, the elevator ran for a day and then quit. They replaced a different fuse, troubleshooted the starter and replaced the door motor, among other things, to no avail. The real culprit seems to be age. He said the elevators are 42 years old, which makes repair difficult.

Crow said he will not bill the county due to obsolete equipment and will credit the county for two months of the maintenance contract. Elevator replacement begins in August and will take about a month. The other elevator is still working.

Commissioners approved a transfer of concept plan from Dark Horse Aviation to Vantage Aviation for improvements at the Garfield County Airport. But, they denied a permit for a rooftop solar farm south of Silt, stating that the request was premature. The applicant can return once it has purchased the building upon which the solar panels will be placed.

You can watch Monday’s meeting and all archived meetings at the county website, www.garfield-county.com

provide South Glenwood residents with RFTA access, stated Gordon, but at present no further funding is being requested.

Gordon emphasized that not moving forward with the project at this stage would be a massive risk, given work done over the past two decades. He reminded the board that growth projections made in the mid-2000s were over 40% higher than the population is today.

Strategic Plan

The meeting turned to a strategic plan update from Kurt Ravenschlag, the incoming CEO. There was discussion and agreements around language for the strategic plan updates the board discussed earlier in the year. Most of the conversation was around Objective 2.7, which entails developing a trail between Glenwood and New Castle based on established precedent.

“This is important. I would expect people to want to use this,” said Poschman. The consensus was to keep the objective, but to also be mindful about the potential perception

that RFTA is responsible for trail development.

Some other minor revisions were made, including: adding emphasis to an objective about affordable employee housing and combining two objectives under Section Six, environmental sustainability. The board will review the strategic plan again at the August meeting for final approval.

The final public session of the meeting was a presentation from RFTA’s Jason White and Stantec consultant Analy Castillo on the Zero-Emission Vehicle Transition Plan. Castillo presented thorough data to support the recommendation that RFTA continues to move gradually toward a mixed fleet of fuel cell electric buses (hydrogen) and battery electric buses by 2050. Like the strategic plan, the final resolution will be on the agenda at next month’s meeting.

Agendas, which include minutes and Zoom links for upcoming meetings, are available at www.rfta.com/board-meetings

GET GREEN FOR GOING GREEN -

THURSDAY, JULY 18

Carbondale Library’s Third Thursday Book Club discusses Lynda Rutledge’s “West with Giraffes” from 2 to 3:30pm.

BANNED BOOK CLUB

Basalt’s Banned Book Club discusses “Sold” by Patricia McCormick at 4pm.

‘LEGALLY BLONDE’

Theatre Aspen presents “Legally Blonde” most every night through July 27 at 7:30pm, with two performances on Thursdays and Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm. Tickets and showtimes at www. theatreaspen.org

LIBRARY CONCERT

Aspen Music Festival and School presents a chamber music concert at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm.

HeadQuarters in Basalt welcomes all to discuss and journal around “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk from 6 to 7:30pm. To register, visit www.headq.org

CALEB WILBOURN

Caleb Wilbourn, a songwriter from West Texas, plays at El Dorado from 7 to 9pm. Wilbourn discovered his passion for performance during a stint of homelessness brought on by addiction where his guitar and voice were his lifeline.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

“Despicable Me 4” continues at the Crystal Theatre through Saturday at 7pm nightly. “Thelma” opens on Sunday at 5pm and continues July 24 and 25 at 7:30pm.

‘SPRING AWAKENING’

There are four more chances to catch “Spring Awakening,” performed by SoL Theatre at Thunder River Theatre, at 7:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Saturday, July 20. The closing show is on Sunday, July 21 at 2pm. The show is rated “R.” Tickets and more info at www. soltheatrecompany.com

FRIDAY, JULY 19

STORYTIME

Young children and their accompanying adults are invited to the Carbondale Library for stories, activities and music from 10:30 to 11am.

LIBRARY FILMFEST

Aspen Film invites middle and high school students to the first-ever Teen Film Festival at the Basalt Library today from 1 to 3pm. Registration and more info at www.basaltlibrary.org

ART OPENING

The Ann Korologos Gallery’s next exhibition, “What Lies Beneath: Andy Taylor and Amy Lay,” will have an opening reception from 5 to 7pm preceded by a live painting demonstration from 2 to 5pm.

GARFIELD COUNTY FAIR

The 86th Annual Garfield County Fair kicks off with the Latino Heritage Concert today at 4pm, followed by a week of events at the fairgrounds in Rifle, including the parade tomorrow at 10am. Ned LeDoux opens for Gabby Barrett at the rodeo on Friday, July 26. Visit www.garfieldcountyfair.com for a list of events, times and ticket info.

EXTINCTION CRISIS

Biologist Mike Phillips, the executive director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and who vied for a successful reintroduction of gray wolves in the Southern Rockies Ecoregion, speaks at the Hotel Jerome at 5pm. Register at www.aspennature.org

ORMAO

Aspen Dance Connection presents “OUTSIDE/IN 2.0” at TACAW at 7pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

LOUNGE SESSION

HeadQuarters in Basalt invites all to practice journaling based on the book “Scars to Stars: Stories of Vulnerability, Resilience and Overcoming Adversity” from 6 to 7:30pm. More info at www.headq.org

WESTERN MEDICINE

Steve’s Guitars presents Western Medicine with Tashi-T at 8pm. This show is sold-out!

SATURDAY,

JULY 20

TRTC AUDITIONS

Thunder River Theatre Company holds auditions for its 2024-2025 season from 9am to 4pm today. Sign up for an audition slot at www.tinyurl.com/ TRTCauditions For questions or to submit a video audition, email missy@thunderrivertheatre.com

BIOBLITZ

Wilderness Workshop hosts its third annual bioblitz at Homestake Valley, counting species to advocate for conservation, from 10am to 4pm. For details, visit www.wildernessworkshop.org

ASPEN HISTORY

Aspen Historical Society guides a tour up Aspen Mountain examining the history of silver mining starting at noon from the Koch Lumber Yard. Then, catch a tour of the Wheeler/Stallard Museum on Monday, July 22 at 3pm. More info at www.aspenhistory.org

UPLIFT

HeadQuarters and Roaring Fork CrossFit join forces for a no-cost workout session oriented around mental health from 9 to 10:30am at Roaring Fork CrossFit.

GREEN FOR GREEN

Trade your gas-powered lawn equipment for $50 toward a new electric replacement at Valley Lumber (55 Sunset Drive, Basalt) from 10am to 2pm.

ORGANIC FORM

Former Carbondale Clay Center resident artist Brian Chen guides students through designing organic forms from clay at the Center from 10am to 5pm. Registration and more info at www.carbondaleclay.org

GLENWOODSTOCK

glenWOODSTOCK, a new community festival highlighting local youth artists and musicians, kicks off on the lawn of the Glenwood Springs Community Center at 5pm.

SNEAKERS & SNOUTS

Sneakers & Snouts celebrates its second anniversary with a benefit for Colorado Animal Rescue at Mountain Heart Brewing (1841 Dolores Way, Carbondale) from 5:30 to 9pm.

REDSTONE MUSIC

The Queen Bees perform a free concert at Redstone Park at 6pm.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

DANCING SCULPTURES

Aspen Dance Connection will celebrate the installation of three “Stay Human” dancing sculptures by Gail Folwell at the Basalt River Park, with a performance of “Shoes” by choreographer Amy Anderson at noon.

SUNDAY MARKET

The Basalt Sunday Market runs from 10am to 2pm through Sept. 29 at 101 Midland Avenue.

Hiroya Tsukamoto, a Japanese guitarist, returns to Carbondale for a performance at the Third Street Center on July 18 at 7pm.

HARMONIC HEALING

Dominick Antonelli guides harmonic energy healing through music and meditation at 4pm at True Nature. Register at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

TYPOGRAPHY

The Aspen Institute hosts a discussion of the Bauhaus school’s legacy in graphic design and typography at the Paepcke Auditorium from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Register at www.aspeninstitute.org/events

SOPRIS MOUNTAIN BOYZ

The Handlebar (303 River Valley Ranch Road) welcomes the Sopris Mountain Boyz, a local bluegrass-folk band, performing from 5 to 7pm.

EXTRAEXTRA

Steve’s Guitars hosts ExtraExtra from New Orleans at 8pm. Tickets at www. stevesguitars.net

MONDAY, JULY 22

THEATRE EDUCATION

Theatre Aspen Education presents “Storytime!” for ages 2 to 5 every Monday from 10:30 to 11am at the Hurst Theatre (470 Rio Grande Place).

IN STITCHES

The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library at 1:30pm.

ROCK HISTORY

Musician Joey Leone performs and teaches about the history of rock’n’roll at the Carbondale Library at 6pm. Leone will be at the Glenwood Springs Library at 6pm on July 25. Visit www. gcpld.org for more info.

EL PLACER DE LEER

Practice your Spanish by reading with Angélica Breña at the Basalt Library from 5 to 6:30pm.

AIKIDO

Crystal Aikikai teaches aikido for adults and teens at 13 Moons Ranch from 5:15 to 6:15pm. Another class is taught on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:30am. More info at www.crystalriveraikikai.com

MEDITATION

Roaring Fork Insight hosts Monday Night Meditation at 13 Moons Ranch from 7 to 8:30pm.

STEVE’S GUITARS

Blair Borax and Alex Dunn perform at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www. stevesguitars.net

TUESDAY, JULY 23

RFOV

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers pulls tumbleweeds at Red Hill from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Register at www.rfov.org

FOAM PARTY

Ann Lincoln takes her foam cannon to Basalt Library for music and biodegradable, hypo-allergenic bubbles for all to enjoy from 10:30 to 11:30am.

KIDS BOOK CLUB

The Carbondale Library hosts a book club for ages 9 to 12. This month’s book is “The Canyon’s Edge” by Dusti Bowling. Every participant will receive a free copy.

LIBRARY FILMFEST

Aspen Film brings Shortsfest programming to the Basalt Library for a bilingual screening from 5 to 7pm.

DRAWING CLUB

The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at Triangle Park in Willits at 6:30pm.

THE GLASS HOURS

Steve’s Guitars welcomes The Glass Hours at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

FARMERS’ MARKET

The Carbondale Farmers’ Market runs from 10am to 3pm through Sept. 27 at 4th and Main.

CAPTAIN POW

Captain POW, champion of the environment, battles Pollutron in a children’s show at the Basalt Library from 11am to noon.

DEMENTIA

Amelia Schafer, director of memory care for Ascent Living Communities, teaches about communicating with people with dementia at the Basalt Library at 4pm.

BASALT MUSIC

The Highway 82 band opens for Peach Street Revival at 5:30pm at Basalt River Park.

GLENWOOD MUSIC

The Social Climbers open for Boys of Summer, an Eagles tribute band, at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs at 6:30pm.

Community Classes in Carbondale

KNIT A STUFFED ANIMAL

Learn or review basic knitting techniques while creating your own adorable stuffed animal. Thursdays, 6-8pm, 7/25-8/15

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

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

Fall Class

MEMOIR WRITING WORKSHOP

Explore memoir writing and learn how a turn a touchstone event into a great narrative. Mondays, 6-8pm, 8/26-10/7

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER FOR COMMUNITY CLASSES . . . 690 Colorado Ave, Carbondale 970-963-2172

Credit Classes*

COLOR THEORY & PAINTING 7/29-8/1, Aspen, 9am-2:20pm

DRAWING: OBSERVE & ABSTRACT 8/5-8/8, Aspen, 9am-12:20pm

* CALL 970.963.2172 for Credit Class info and how to register.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Enhancing Your Rio Grande Trail Experience Roaring Fork Bridge CLOSURE until January, 2025

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.

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.

Have questions or concerns? Contact RFTA at 970.925.8484 or visit RFTA.com for up-to-date information

Carbondale Chamber Ribbon Cuttings

January - June, 2024

Cheers to the Carbondale Chamber Members who marked milestone achievements with a Ribbon Cutting celebration! We are proud to be your partner in making Carbondale a more vital and dynamic place to live, work, and visit.

Jalisco Grill Carbondale Grand Opening, February 28

21

Roots Hair Co. Grand Opening, May 3

Rio Grande ARTway Youth Art Park Grand Opening, May 29

For more information regarding the Carbondale Chamb er, membership and ribbon cutting opportunities, visit carbondale.com, or ema il chamber@carbondale.com

Cocoa Club by Pollinator Chocolate One Year Anniversary, March

Fire on the mountain

July 11, 1974

An application by Mid-Continent Coal and Coke to dump wastewater in Coal Creek prompted concern by the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, an inspection by land management agencies and broader concerns about water qualities. Although water from the mines themselves was mostly pumped back into the ground for natural filtering, the wash plant downstream sometimes ran into the stream, with at least two spills recorded that spring. Mid-Continent engineer John Reeves downplayed environmental impacts and reminded readers that “if you want a ton of steel, you have to have a ton of coal to make it with.”

In other news … Glenwood Springs pilot David Force sighted the wreckage of a small airplane that had disappeared shortly after taking off from Aspen the previous March, confirming the loss of all five people aboard.

July 12, 1984

Part-time Fryingpan resident Robert Adams accepted a new position as head of the Smithsonian Institute. Asked why such a high-profile academic chose to spend several months a year in a remote section of Colorado, Adams said it broke up his pattern of living and gave him a chance to concentrate on complex ideas without the distractions of Chicago. His wife, Ruth, found the same for her position editing the “Bulletin for Atomic Scientists” and a number of other experts in everything from biology to particle physics were spread throughout the mountains.

In his new role, Adams hoped that he could reinvigorate the international scientific exchange that had stagnated due to the Cold War. He was less optimistic about his own region of anthropological focus, however: the Middle East, which he expected to remain full of turmoil for the foreseeable future.

In other news … A land trade between the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) and the Bureau of Land Management added

2,000 acres to the Lake Christine and Toner Creek wildlife areas.

July 7, 1994

The public was just beginning to learn the true horror of the South Canyon Fire, which had overrun the fireline at roughly 3:30pm the previous afternoon. At press time, the Bureau of Land Management was reporting 11-13 firefighter fatalities (the final death toll turned out to be 14).

Three more were admitted to Valley View Hospital for burns and smoke inhalation. Local emergency crews scrambled to the scene, many prepped for disaster by the Mid-Continent disaster of 1981 and the Rocky Mountain Natural Gas explosion two years later.

Soon, those crews would be back out fighting fire, with lightning igniting blazes in Spring Valley, Missouri Heights, Thompson Creek, Cattle Creek, Lake Christine, Marble and more. There were already inklings of new camaraderie, with district and political boundaries put aside to create an ad-hoc mutual aid network from Rifle to Aspen. Indeed, the event would ultimately reshape wildfire management on the Western Slope and beyond.

In other news … The Town of Basalt opted to annex 300 acres along Willits Lane, and the roughly 250 new residents in the area were already noticing police patrols. Others speculated on how long it would take the Town to expand a little further and take in the tax base at the El Jebel City Market.

July 15, 2004

After 17 years of managing Mountain Fair, Thomas Lawley passed the torch to Amy Kimberly. She brought with her community connections as KDNK’s development director and know-how as backstage manager at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. And she’d had some assistance from Steve “Social” Horn, Angie Bovee and Gabe Riley. None of them had plans to completely change the fair overnight, but the addition of an “Elegant and Exotic” dress-up theme for Sunday night gave a hint of things to come.

Carol Craven with the Valley Journal captured this photo of a fire truck responding to a house fire in June of ‘94, which demonstrates the level of fire danger that summer. “I remember a touch of queasiness, as well as a feeling of confidence and gratitude for our hometown fire fighters,” Craven recently told The Sopris Sun.

In other news … Thunder River Theatre Company was getting ready to break ground on a new 5,000 square-foot building in the heart of the Town Center development (of which little else would come to fruition).

July 17, 2014

It took 75-miles of dirt trails, Bonedale Bike Week, the Rocky Mountain Omnium, ShakaCross, Bonedale Bike Project and the Porcupine Loop to get Carbondale bronze status as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the National League of American Cyclists. And as the Town prepared to apply for

silver status, a $95,000 bike park wasn’t going to hurt. Funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, Garfield County’s Federal Mineral Lease District, the Town and an array of private donors led by Alpine Bank, the facility was under construction next to North Face Park and expected to open by the end of the summer.

In other news … Ernesto the bison sculpture proved a less controversial replacement for the pink bunny that had previously held down the corner of Seventh and Main as part of public art around town — though both would eventually find permanent homes in town.

New children’s book serves as launching point for rewilding project

JESSICA PETERSON

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Nikki Beinstein and Tara Sheahan believe in the power of bison restoration. The two are a powerhouse going after the same cause: bringing back the bison and educating others on why their restoration is crucial. A recent study in Romania showed that a herd of 170 bison can offset the annual carbon dioxide emissions from 43,000 gaso line-burning cars. The natural method of countering climate change through bring ing back bison is a mission that Beinstein and Sheahan have taken to heart.

“It seems like now is the time [to bring back] the bison,” Beinstein said. “[Their pres ence] naturally helps restore the soil which allows the grasslands to grow … which creates a rainforest effect and sequesters the carbon. This can potentially reverse climate change or at least be one of the key compo nents of it,” Beinstein said.

Beinstein launched her nonprofit, The Serious Type, back in 2020 to uplift local youth. She currently works as a middle school teacher and has previously taught at Marble Charter School and Colorado Mountain College as a sustainable busi ness professor. She is also the author of multiple published books. After connect

Cacao price surge, a bitter taste for chocolatiers

WILL BUZZERD

Sopris Sun Correspondent

As the calendar drifts into the dog days of summer, business has slowed down for Carbondale-based Pollinator Chocolate.

Pollinator Chocolate founder Mark Burrows has been staying afloat selling wholesale to restaurants and hotels in the Valley and beyond, plus keeping busy selling coffee to loyal clientele at the Cocoa Club on Highway 133. All the while, the chocolate world is being rocked by a shortage of cacao beans, leading to an explosion in bean prices, which has affected Burrows’ business.

Located on the west coast of Africa, the neighboring countries of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire produce 65% of the globe’s cacao. Early this year, the region was faced with severe drought followed by flooding, which has resulted in reduced fruiting by the cocoa trees and widespread disease. Farmers in the region have been left with two-thirds to three-quarters less than their usual crop.

Cacao is a commodity with prices controlled by the stock market, and values have fluctuated wildly in the past few months as the market has tried to adjust to the shortage. In April of this year, the price of one metric ton (MT) of cacao beans exceeded $10,000 for the first time in history. Until 2023, prices hugged $2,000 to $3,000. After the shortage, Burrows said that the market is expected to settle somewhere around $7,000 to $8,000 per MT.

“And then the price of chocolate went through the roof. The end.”

On June 18, Burrows sent an email to customers painting a picture of the issues being faced by the chocolate industry and announcing that it will be raising its prices by $1 a bar. Ordinarily, specialty bars from Pollinator Chocolates cost between $10 to $12. Since the cost of beans has quadrupled, Burrows elaborated on the relatively modest increase in prices, stating that for now the $1 rise is to reduce sticker shock among consumers. However, as the year goes on, Burrows said that prices will likely continue to rise to adjust to the new market.

While the increase in costs makes business difficult for Pollinator Chocolate and other craft chocolatiers, Burrows pointed out a bittersweet silver lining. For farmers in parts of the globe still producing cacao — including Southeast Asia and South America — the price increase means farming is more profitable than ever and, for independent farmers, once barelylivable wages have multiplied.

Fair treatment of the farmers has always been a pillar of Pollinator Chocolate’s mission. Since its inception, Burrows has worked with cocoa brokers who provide

JULY 27TH CHALLENGES

not only high quality beans, but who ensure that no slavery or child labor was used on the plantations they buy from.

Additionally, since the massive rise in prices has made cocoa farming more profitable in the short term, Burrows said that new plantations are already springing up across the globe to break into the market. This will likely reduce prices, eventually, but, Burrows hopes, not at the cost of farmers’ pay.

Large confection manufacturers such as Hershey’s and Ghirardelli maintain massive stockpiles of cacao, and are likely to use up the beans in storage before purchasing more. In order to keep costs down, Burrows said that consumers might see less true cacao in their Snickers bars and more filler ingredients by the end of the year.

However, smaller artisanal chocolatiers who don’t have the same massive stockpiles of cacao have to bite the bullet and pay the higher price tag to keep manufacturing their products.

For Burrows, the changing costs have highlighted how the supply chain — a commonly named culprit for shortages during the pandemic — constantly affects local businesses.

“This is what we’ve been hearing about for years that nobody really understands: like what it takes to get a bag of coffee from Venezuela to your neighborhood,” said Burrows. “It’s the same thing with cacao … It’s heavy … it needs to be transported and a lot of humans have to be involved with the process.”

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Carbondale local catches big break in show biz

MYKI JONES

Arts Correspondent

It was announced July 7 that ABC’s “The Rookie” recruited two new actors who will be appearing in Season 7 of the critically-acclaimed television show. One of these talents happens to be Patrick Keleher, a Carbondale local who — in addition to his newfound daytime television success – has been starring in an off-broadway production at the iconic Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, California. “Fatherland” is set to have a run in New York City once through its California dates.

“I had a great time shooting some crazy scenes today,” Keleher told The Sopris Sun after wrapping up shooting scenes for “The Rookie.” “It was one of the hottest days in LA this summer yet, so it was pretty awesome.”

Having grown up in Carbondale, Keleher has been acting since the fifth grade when he first performed in a talent show and was told he should audition for theater. He went on to work with Stage of Life Theatre Company, Aspen Community Theatre and Theatre Aspen — where he starred in such shows as “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “School of Rock.”

After graduating from Roaring Fork High School in 2020, Keleher traveled the country and parts of South America. Upon returning from a trip to Paraguay, he decided to attend film school at Full Sail University in Florida where he graduated in 2023. He described this experience as life-changing when he decided to take his craft seriously.

“I got sober when I was a year into school. I said to myself, ‘Let’s really take this stuff seriously.’ I made some pretty kick-ass films, met some really great people and I worked on set as a production assistant, director of photography, a director — I did every job apart from makeup, and that was a lot of fun,” he explained.

If you’re trying to pursue acting, you gotta live. We gotta be able to have experiences and have things coming from all different directions, - Patrick Keleher

Keleher said that diving into the role in “Fatherland” came at the perfect time when he was figuring out what to do with his life after graduating from college. After spending 75 days doing another stint of traveling around the world, he returned to the Valley to work for Aspen Skiing Company, knowing he wanted to make the move to California. On a whim, while researching his desired destination, he reached out to the Fountain Theatre and inquired about auditions, only for them to respond 10 minutes later to say that there was one and that they would see him at the allotted time.

Keleher, courtesy photo

“The first time I was ever on stage, I memorized this Brian Regan comedy bit called “Stupid in School” — and it was perfect, as it related to being in middle school — and these kids could not stop laughing. The feeling that that gave me was so addictive that it drove me to become an actor,” Keleher confessed.

“I am so proud to be a Carbondalian and I am so proud to have come from Carbondale. I would give credit for a lot of the things that I’ve learned in life to having grown up in my small town.” He continued, “The first movie that I’m in that’ll go to the box office, I want played at the Crystal Theatre.”

“I slept on a buddy’s couch, then I went out, did the audition and booked this job,” he said. “We have a guy named Larry, and his wife is one of the most well-known casting directors in LA, and she had an audition open for an Amazon pilot, and she came to me on the second night of the show and said, ‘Patrick, I would like for you to audition for this.’”

Though the pilot was not in the cards, Keleher would go on to tape more auditions before eventually landing his role on “The Rookie.” Asked for words of wisdom for any hopeful actors reading this article, Keleher

Mosey on down and enjoy dining, live music, shopping & more on Rodeo Thursdays in Carbondale.

encouraged living life to the fullest and taking all the chaos of life as motivation.

“Live in freedom,” he said. “Find reasons to be alive. If you’re trying to pursue acting, you gotta live. We gotta be able to have experiences and have things coming from all different directions. That car crash or that heartbreak is all part of it. If there’s any inspiration I can give, it would be to live your life the way that you would want to see somebody living their life. In order to be free, you gotta have the courage to find that freedom for yourself.”

Patrick

Missouri Heights residents fear losing rural Colorado lifestyle

AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent

Despite the outcry from Keep Missouri Heights Rural (KMHR), a citizens group opposing the Twin Acres Riding Stable and Boarding Stable on the Eagle County side of Missouri Heights, some residents would rather see horses than houses.

“I’m more in favor of keeping Twin Acres,” said Felix Tornare, owner of Milagro Ranch. “Because, in my humble opinion, if you let [KMHR] control the county commissioners and get rid of Twin Acres, which is a viable ranch, then we are all in trouble as ranchers.”

Tornare and his wife, Sarah, bought their Missouri Heights ranch in 1998 when it was just ranchland. They’ve built the ranch and the business, a successful cow/calf and regenerative agriculture operation, from the ground up.

“When we first moved here 25 years ago, we never saw a house in our view. And now we look out and there’s nothing but homes and lights,” he told The Sopris Sun. “It’s a matter of time for all of us before those very subdivisions complain to the county commissioners that we shouldn’t be here because our cattle smell, our horses smell, we’re riding through their property, and they don’t want us here anymore.”

The Twin Acres equestrian center proposes a commercial operation with a new 7,860-square-foot, 25-stall boarding stable and a 20,000-square-foot covered riding stable on 20 acres of a 101-acre established ranch, now under a conservation easement. Up to 50 horses could eventually be housed on the property.

Residents of the surrounding subdivisions are worried about flies, noise, lights and how manure from 50 horses could ruin the local air quality. Other concerns include water supply, traffic and wildfire risk.

But, for Tornare and his neighbors, Gay Lewis, Glen Sloop and Kat Rich, who live in the Garfield County portion of Missouri Heights, it’s more of a values thing. Their biggest fear is losing the easy-going, rural Colorado lifestyle, which they say is already on its way out. And, it’s not just land use

changes; it’s also an attitude shift from neighborly to, at times, acrimonious.

Tornare used to move his cows down County Road 100 to leased pastures off Highway 82. He doesn’t do that anymore because it’s dangerous. “People [used to] stop and help,” he explained. “They’d be patient, they would take videos, they would be a part of it, everybody wanted to be a part of it.”

Now, it’s a different story. Drivers are impatient and rude. “They give us the finger when we go slow,” he said. “They would honk and not pull over or try to go [around] the herds.”

Lewis misses the freedom to ride horses across the

landscape. “There’s nowhere to ride now,” she explained. “Everybody’s shut their gates, locked their gates, no trespassing. Nobody welcomes you on their property anymore.”

The definition of “rural” is quite the bone of contention on Missouri Heights these days, which is a patchwork of at least 14 subdivisions and crisscrossed with roads. Many of those opposed to Twin Acres shut down the proposed Ascendigo Autism Services camp in 2021 for fear of losing Missouri Heights’ rural character.

But, in a June letter to the Eagle County Commissioners, Sarah Tornare pointed out the irony of their complaints. “It’s ludicrous that all these people in subdivisions are protesting on the basis of Missouri Heights no longer being ‘rural,’” she wrote, adding that developments inherently chase away the rural character that those homeowners are trying to protect. “It seems they never really wanted to live in a ‘rural’ area; they just wanted to live in a nice, neat housing development that had the views and quiet we all moved here to enjoy.”

Rich agrees. “They want to say they live in a ranching community. They want to eat the fresh produce. They want to go to the farmers market. They want to do all of these things,” she said. “But when it comes down to what actually produces those things, they want nothing to do with it because they don’t want to look at it. They don’t want to smell it. They don’t want to hear it.”

Tornare remembers how the community united in 2018 to face the Lake Christine Fire, and would like to see that camaraderie return. “This can all be worked out and put together so we can live together and not be angry all the time,” he said. “But compromise is a two-way street.”

Eagle County Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, July 23 to discuss and possibly decide the fate of Twin Acres. Sloop, who has lived with Lewis in one of the old Fender family ranch houses since 1998, said it would be helpful if homeowners knew the history of Missouri Heights. “This was ranching and potato farms,” he said. “I understand that the world changes. We’re just asking that those of us that want to be rural and ranching have that opportunity.”

Felix Tornare, Gay Lewis, Glen Sloop and Kat Rich, photo by Amy Hadden Marsh

Letter from Michigan: Elections have consequences

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every summer Ken Pletcher has written a letter to Sopris Sun readers from Michigan. Here is letter number four.

Hello again from the southeastern shores of beautiful Lake Michigan, part of a region sometimes called America’s Third Coast. I had planned, in this fourth letter, to write about our immediate neighbors behind our cottage, the Prairie Club, and its legacy of conservation and land stewardship, like so many organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley.

But that will have to wait for another time. With the election looming, Michigan will be one of several states crucial in determining who will be our next president. That seemed a more pressing topic.

I first voted in the 1972 presidential election and have done so in virtually every contest (federal, state, local) since, including by mail when I was at school in Japan in 1976. I consider it my duty as a citizen to do so, even though sometimes I’m not that enthusiastic about the candidates. Not voting means that someone else is deciding who will govern you. And that can have consequences.

It is unclear how Michiganders (and Detroiters) are going to vote this year, but Michigan will again be a crucial swing state affecting the outcome. A survey of 1,000 Detroit residents in April found that although the great majority of them plan to vote, some 13% said they probably would not; Hispanics constituted most of the latter group, “often citing beliefs that their vote doesn’t matter and dissatisfaction with candidates,” according to the report.

GUEST OPINION

By Ken Pletcher

On another level, Michigan has long been known for its right-wing and paramilitary groups. It was one of the centers of so-called Posse Comitatus groups in the 1970s and, from the mid-1990s, of organizations such as the Wolverine Watchmen. The Oklahoma City bombers reportedly visited one of these groups shortly before their attack in 1995.

133, Dangerous as Designed: Our paved futon

By Age-Friendly Carbondale

We conclude our review of crossings along 133 with Snowmass and Meadowood Drive, the only two where survey respondents did not report perceiving unsafe conditions. That said, let’s take this week to examine the nature of 133.

Roads move people from point A to point B quickly, efficiently and, usually, safely. In the song “Ramblin’ Man,” the Allman Brothers Band sings: “I’m on my way to New Orleans this mornin’, leaving out of Nashville, Tennessee.” Dorothy skips down the Yellow Brick Road to her various destinations around Oz. Willie Nelson wants to get “on the road again” to places he has never been. Dorothy, Willie and the Allmans don’t stop to shop, find a good restaurant or visit the farmers market. They are traveling from one place to the next. They need a “road.”

Michigan – especially heavily Democratic Detroit – learned this in 2016, when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton here by less than 12,000 votes (out of almost 4.8 million cast). In Wayne County (encompassing Detroit and its western suburbs) thousands of residents either did not vote or, if they did, voted for a third-party candidate or, simply, did not vote for any presidential candidate.

That this made a difference in the state’s electoral vote is evident in the 2020 results, when Joe Biden defeated Trump by more than 150,000 votes here, most of those coming from a significantly higher turnout in Wayne County. One Detroit resident said, in an interview before the 2020 election, that she had “learned her lesson” and was voting for Biden, a sentiment that apparently was shared by many fellow Detroiters.

Members of the Watchmen participated in a plot to kidnap (and possibly murder) Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020; several of them were tried and found guilty of various felonies and were sentenced to prison. Some two dozen Michiganders have been charged in connection to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Federal prosecutor Jack Smith, in his indictment against Trump for allegedly trying to subvert the 2020 election, has put Michigan at the “epicenter” of the plot. One of the more dramatic components of that scheme involved a slate of “fake” Republican Michigan electors, who in December 2020 attempted unsuccessfully to replace the duly elected Democratic electors. All but one (who cooperated with prosecutors) have been charged with multiple felonies and are waiting to learn if they will stand trial.

I find those and similar actions around the country to be highly troubling, especially with the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding only two years away. At the annual Prairie Club Independence Day observance, a member reads aloud the Declaration of Independence. Listening to it this year, I was struck by how some of the “injuries and usurpations” leveled against George III seemed like they could have been made against Trump – and from the murmur in the crowd, others apparently also did.

We have faced serious threats to our country’s existence before and overcome them, and I believe we are facing another one now. Can our democracy prevail again? I want to believe it can but am more fearful than I have ever been. I implore people to vote – in Michigan, in Colorado, everywhere – and fervently hope that, when we do, we keep in mind the greater good for all of us.

the organization’s annual Independence Day observance, July 6.

Photo by Ken Pletcher

The Beatles sang: “In Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs of every head he’s had the pleasure to know, all the people that come and go, stop and say ‘hello.’” Penny Lane is a “street.” Rather than getting you from one place to another place, streets are places. They provide housing, access to services and recreation. Streets are the lifeblood of a community. They create wealth, slow traffic and have infrastructure designed to strengthen the fabric of a community. People live their lives on streets — children, caregivers with strollers and walking dogs, pedestrians, cyclists, older adults and people with mobility challenges. Highway 133 was established in the 1920s, as a vehicle thoroughfare from Bardine (near Paonia) to Carbondale, according to Wikipedia. Over the next few decades, the road underwent many changes. By 1954, a large segment had been removed, and only a four-mile section near Carbondale remained. By 1978, the route was expanded and completely paved. As Carbondale grew, it expanded along both sides of 133. Essential services like housing, restaurants, shopping, medical services and recreation have changed the thoroughfare’s nature and utility. Rather than skirting Carbondale, 133 now divides it, with too few safe ways for vulnerable users on either side to access goods and services on the other.

Highway 133 no longer moves motorized traffic efficiently enough to be a road, but it’s not safe or efficient for vulnerable users going about their local business either. We’re trying to make 133 serve two conflicting functions, so naturally, it serves neither function well. We call this kind of hybrid a “stroad.” Stroads are the futons of our transportation system because a futon tries to be both a bed and a couch and is not good at either. Highway 133 is our paved futon. Next week, we’ll conclude this series with recommendations for redesigning it.

WITHDRAWAL CENTER

from page 4

long-term vision, the Glenwood Springs withdrawal center is most focused on strengthening community connections. Per Lutgring, the center “has secured a multi-year community partner commitment to help launch the program and offset any additional costs associated with providing this essential service on the Recovery Continuum. For the first few years, we will be building our sustainability plans as we increase our volume and average daily occupancy.” The initial capacity is nine beds and will remain static for now. The focus is very much on de-siloing the approach to substance recovery.

The withdrawal center staff and management are “constantly thinking about how we approach recovery and service as a safety net for substance use and mental health cases,” Lutgring shared. Gossweiler agreed that the center is about far more than just taking clients through the physical withdrawal process. “Our aim is to serve as a hub to other treatment resources. No one should feel like they’re going through this alone.”

The Mind Springs withdrawal center is located at 2802 South Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs, directly adjacent to the Garfield County outpatient clinic. More information can be found on the website (www.mindspringshealth.org/glenwood-springs), including a schedule of peer support group meetings and information about sliding-scale, income-based payment options.

Prairie Club member Randy Lutter reading the Declaration of Independence at

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Scene Eight

By Don Marlin

I didn’t miss the cat as much as Mary did. Old Romeo had some out-of-thebox experiences before, but this one probably was on the frontal lobe of his brain. The special dinners, medicines for arthritis, re-emergence of the pill out of his mouth for better movement out of his other end, and constant bellowing for attention in his old age were temporarily a problem for New England.

Richard and Sally made it a habit to place a towel over their George II’s front over the next few weeks for privacy and they moved out of their bedroom to keep the noise down. The two cats got along pretty well, and their bedroom became their new domicile. Mary occasionally called Romeo’s name and Sally told her that his ears perked up.

We launched several patent ideas over the days and weeks. Considered confidentiality agreements to talk to other people, scientists and government agencies about the portal, but always corrected it instead of finishing it. We were astir about the new page in history, mankind, global communication, transportation and animal transfer development that would enrich our lives in the coming future.

It was almost Christmas and the latest Reader’s Digest came out with the same stale list of new presents on a scaled-down budget that could be purchased. I lay in bed under the faint glow of the cobalt blue and finished the article. Boring read, but what a great monthly value of articles.

About three in the morning, I woke up in bed. I couldn’t figure out what raised my alert level, so I stared at the ceiling and tried to figure it out. No noise. Mary had her earplugs in so it wasn’t her nightly kicks that stopped my snores so she could race me back to sleep, but something different. I couldn’t hear any noise from Somers either. The cats were probably asleep, old or worn out, but not making any noise.

The LED numerals on the clock and the humidifier were blue but we normally cover them up with a hand towel to keep it dark and the security panel is a dull orange. We put these in the house now, after the George II incident in August, to keep track of time and secure the house and portal, so all appeared normal.

Mary didn’t wake up as I rotated my legs out of bed, or when I exhaled loudly to stand and walk across the floor to the bathroom from too much zinfandel, but the muffled scream that I made as I saw my face in the mirror of the George II made her fall right out of bed.

I called Richard and Sally’s house immediately even though it was French horn scales day in class and more dangling participles had to be corrected in a few hours. They were already awake, and I could hear the TV in the background. Richard didn’t say a word but held the phone up to the local news channel. I could hear Sally crying softly in the background.

It was the voice of a female television reporter from Plymouth, Connecticut. She said the ground began to tremble. A subsurface fault zone shifted at the same epicenter as it did back in 1755. Framed pictures fell off bookshelves. Driverless cars rolled down slopes. A 6.0 earthquake centered below Cape Ann caused the ground to crack in Scituate and Pembroke.

Their half of George II Giltwood Oval mirrors, made in the 18th century that Stella Spencer brought to Colorado from New England in the back of a wagon and never left the pine crate that we uncovered in the collapsed woodshed on the back of our property, was on the floor and the mirror was shattered into a thousand pieces.

Epilogue

The Homestead Act that existed from 1862 to 1976 allowed a peaceful citizen to claim 160 acres of federal land if one was 21 years of age, would live there five years and show evidence of improving the land. Stella Spencer, a schoolteacher in1872, first found this property and filed for a deed of title from the government on the property we just bought. She brought all of her clothing, furniture, tools, books and materials from Connecticut by covered wagon and raised five children on our homestead. This was an extreme hardship at the time they were migrating west. Some of the iron skillets, stove pipes, and wooden beams that she carved with help from other pioneers still bear the markings of their handiwork on the fences, walls, roof and floors of our home.

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Rivers

By Kitty Riley

Silver ribbons tie the land together Rushing, roaming, wandering, Always traveling To another place

Passing fields and animals, People and mountains

Carrying life and sustenance Along the way

Sometimes raging, Sometimes trickling, Sometimes harming, Sometimes curing But always traveling To another place

These silver ribbons That tie the land together

To amp up Mountain Fair excitement, Lynn “Jake” Burton is sharing memories circa 1984 from the end-of-fair slide show. Dr. Limbo’s Medicine Show featured his Elixir of Life, which gave everyone who sipped, slurped or slugged the stuff the ability to do anything they desired. The show also featured kids’ acts, including Gretchen Jochems, Cheyla Samuelson, Casey Crumpacker and Harmony Hendricks singing “Swinging on a Star.” The medicine show was the predecessor to today’s Oasis stage. Photo by Lynn “Jake” Burton

RFTA have collaborated to provide this service. Don’t like driving at night but the show isn’t over ‘til after dark? Call the Downtowner. Your bum knee is acting up again? Call the Downtowner. Feeling woozy after your dentist appointment? Call the Downtowner. Don’t want your teen to walk home in the dark after a party? Call the Downtowner. Your car is too small for all the folks you said you would take to church? Call the Downtowner. Bike broke? Lock it up and call the Downtowner then pick it up tomorrow. Too challenging to walk to and from the grocery store with a kiddo in a stroller and one in your backpack? Call the Downtowner. Had too much to drink at the party? Call the Downtowner. Want your house guests to be a bit more independent? Give them the Downtowner number. Prefer to use an app instead of calling? Easy download.

If we use this amazing resource well, our streets will be safer with fewer folks who probably should not be driving, parking will be less of an issue, you won’t always be begging friends for a ride, more people can take advantage of more community events. The drivers have been great, the wait times minimal.

The Downtowner is being offered on a trial basis until December. Use it or lose it! If the three vans are not used enough, this fabulous service will go away. Please, tell your friends. C’dale needs this service to stay. I’m so grateful for yet another opportunity to improve the quality of life for Bonedale residents

nicked Trump’s right ear. The television news channels are showing continuous coverage. A national debate is ongoing as to who to blame. I checked national gun violence online.

According to “The Trace,” 36,357 firearm injuries occurred in 2023. Almost 100 every day. Of those, there were 18,874 firearm deaths , excluding suicides, in 2023. Almost 52 people died every day. More than 1,600 children and teens under 18 died from gunshots. Gunshots are now the leading cause of death for American children.

Obviously, the United States has a horrible problem with gun violence. Except for the occasional mass shooting, the problem is not much talked about. Mass shootings are so common they are no longer “breaking news.”

A common statement about Trump’s shooting is that there is “no place for this kind of violence” in this country. But that statement is clearly incorrect. This country is the poster child (sorry) for gun violence. Will the Republican Party’s candidate for the presidency “fight for” (as they always say) an end to violence? Not likely, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been a huge donor of money to the Republican campaigns. According to The Trace, the NRA spent more than $50 million in 2016.

According to supporters of Trump, the “media” is to blame for this incident. They say that there is never anything positive said about Trump. Just non-stop attacks from programs like “The View.” One odd thing, the shooter was a registered Republican. One inch to the right and we would be living in a different world.

Patrick Hunter Carbondale

The liberal media-fed irrational hate of Trump is what led a deranged 20-yearold misfit’s assassination attempt of The Donald. Today, local media had no mention of Trump’s narrow escape from a coward’s bullet, just more letters from Biden apers braying about existential

Whether you believe Trump is a felon or Biden is a China-compromised traitor, we should be weighing their policies

With Trump, we had a great economy, lower crime, a secure border and no wars in Europe or the Middle East. We were energy independent, gas and groceries cost less.

Under Biden we have over 10 million foreigners in our country and we’re spending billions of our tax dollars on supporting them. Our education, medical, law enforcement and social services are being overwhelmed. An open border and a welfare state cannot coexist. Plus, Biden is reactive rather than proactive with foreign policy. He has no plan for ending the wars in Europe or Gaza.

The choice for our country’s and our children’s futures is on the November ballot. Please vote wisely.

Bruno Kurchenwitz Rifle

Commentary 2

As of Sunday morning, there is a shooter and one attendee dead in Pennsylvania. Two are still in critical condition. A bullet

Habitat thanks

Habitat for Humanity of the Roaring Fork Valley gives a huge thank you to the Glenwood Springs community and our longstanding business supporters — Bay Equity and Bighorn Toyota — for our wonderfully successful Restaurant Takeover fundraiser on Monday, July 8. Riviera Scratch Kitchen opened its doors and its kitchen to our guest waitstaff of amateur servers who provided their “questionable” service to more than 100 diners.

Habitat for Humanity RFV was both the beneficiary of this Bay Equity and Bighorn Toyota signature event, for which we are honored to have been selected, and the Habitat for Humanity RFV team had the privilege of working alongside the Bighorn and Bay Equity volunteer servers that evening in a true partnership.

Event-goers enjoyed delicious and artfully prepared appetizers, salads, main dishes and desserts. But sweetest of all? The generous tips from all our guests from this lively event will benefit Habitat’s newest Glenwood Springs neighborhood, The Confluence, which will break ground this fall.

We extend our sincere gratitude for the fun — and the fundraising. Thank you! Gail Schwartz, president & Alex Yajko, major gifts officer Habitat for Humanity RFV

PARTING SHOTS

Challenge Aspen’s ‘Love Story’ awes

Challenge Aspen, a nonprofit dedicated to impacting lives through year-round adaptive experiences for people with disabilities, presented “Love Story: A Swifties Midsummer Night’s Dream” at TACAW on July 12. This musical was the culmination of a week-long music and dance camp for people with disabilities of all ages.

The long-running Magic of Music and Dance Camp took a hiatus in 2020 and had to cancel its 2021 performance due to COVID, returning in 2022 at TACAW’s new theater space. Each performer is paired with an on-stage assistant and encouraged to let their talents shine.

Challenge Aspen’s annual gala, “Moving Mountains,” will be held at the Buttermilk Mountain Lodge this Sunday, July 21. Learn more at www.challengeaspen.org

Photos by Raleigh Burleigh

from page 5

Historically, Sweetwater Lake was open for spontaneous and free use. A rack sits near the dock lending out life jackets for free. Neighbors worry a reservation system and possible day-use fees would prioritize access for people with the means to plan ahead.

“We feel as a community that [this proposed action] is still too big,” Brink, who lives 2.5 miles from the lake, commented. She said the 10-mile Sweetwater Road is not optimal for 100 additional vehicles per day and especially not motorhomes. Brink hopes to continue her business in some form, despite the drop in income without a restaurant and cabins. “Five years from now, not one of these people working on the plan or designing it or dreaming it up will be around, but this community will live with what happens forever,” she said.

Comments are due Aug. 5 and can be submitted electronically (at www.fs.usda.gov/ project/?project=64047), in-person at the Forest Supervisor’s Office, 900 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs or by mail to: Heather Noel, acting forest supervisor, White River National Forest, c/o Jamie Werner, 900 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601

A final decision is estimated by March 2026.

SWEETWATER

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ProMex Bakery

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Lectores y anunciantes disfrutarán de un periódico local más accesible y sólido disponible cada viernes de forma gratuita. Este cambio re eja los comentarios de la comunidad para simpli car el Sol del Valle con su propia identidad, por y para los hispanohablantes locales que viven en el valle de Roaring Fork.

LA MISIÓN DEL SOL DEL VALLE ES SIMPLE PERO ESENCIALPROVEER UNA FUENTE CONFIABLE Y CRECIENTE DE INFORMACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL QUE APOYE Y HAGA CRECER LA SALUD, EL IMPACTO Y EL BIENE-STAR DE LA DIVERSA COMUNIDAD LATINA DESDE PARACHUTE HASTA ASPEN.

Para ponerse en contacto con el equipo editorial del Sol del Valle, envíe un correo electrónico a Bianca Godina a bianca@soldelvalle.org o por WhatsApp al 970-510-0234. Para publicidad y apoyos, envíe un correo electrónico a Margarita Alvarez a margarita@soldelvalle.org.