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Volume 13, Number 52| Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

¡Aqui! ¡Adentro! una nueva publicación semanal con noticias locales en español.

COUNTING COLORS

The 43rd Annual Valley Visual Art Show is currently on display at The Launchpad’s R2 Gallery.Among 60 unique pieces, each by a different local artist, “Wonderland” was created by Maria Beam and is “intended to capture that sense of being a part of the divine whole,” reveals her artist statement. “These expressive starry skies and colorful palettes explore the beauty we find when we venture into the dark and unknown, and the treasures unearthed when we are willing to know and embrace our shadow.” Carbondale Arts will host a First Friday reception at the gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 4. The show continues through Feb. 25, open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Masks are currently required inside at The Launchpad, regardless of vaccination status. The show is also viewable online at www.carbondalearts.com

OPINION OPINION

By Jeannie Perry Ps & Qs

By Jeannie Perry

Now that I’m in my 50s, I kinda thought I would have my life figured out. It may have been all those sitcoms I watched as a kid. I thought I would have at least received a copy of my permanent record by now… but all I’ve come to realize is that life is mysteriously cyclical, and each new day presents another opportunity to get a strike. Or at least pick up a spare.

There are so many unexplained things happening on this planet that we humans ignore, as we busy ourselves with work and recreational pursuits. It is the year 2022 and scientists still have not observed eels mating in the wild. Sure, they’ve captured eels

Bowling with Betty White and observed their reproductive cycle in captivity, but that’s like watching a sex show in Amsterdam and claiming to have witnessed true love. Not necessarily the same thing.

Meanwhile, the Earth is shifting and changing in ways that could lead to our demise faster than you can say underground bunker — much less get to one.

Take the recent volcano in the Pacific for example. Plates are shifting and releasing gasses from the planet’s core, which has the power to render life as we know it as meaningless as a pair of Manolos in a bowling alley.

Since 1980, I have only bowled a handful of times. It was never my favorite pastime, even if I didn’t have to wear shoes that weren’t my own.

Meanwhile in the last 40 years, the north and south poles have shifted four meters* (13 feet). It would seem that Earth is getting a hitch in her giddy up.

Apparently, our planet shifts on its axis as it hurtles through the cosmos, and this shifting causes a wobble called polar motion, which has to do with the ratio of water to land. Wobbles, in my opinion, are not good.

The fact that we’re out here in the “unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy,” as explained by Douglas Adams, spinning along as though we have nothing but time and oil, is a friggin’ miracle in itself. And if the delicate balance of water to hardened lava tips too far to one side or the other, then it really won’t matter how cute our shoes are.

Humans are cute, objectively, but we should remember that we’re not irreplaceable. (Which is a good thing, because you never want to be so good at your job that you can’t be promoted.)

I like to imagine the gods and goddesses watching over us as we eat nachos, drink beer and hurl heavy balls down the lane, congratulating each other for knocking down all the pins while our planet is in serious jeopardy of becoming a gutter ball. I’m sure they can understand the levity we crave while living in such political clutter and chaos.

Each day, we turn on our screens to witness the juxtapose of river and air pollution next to wildlife and wildlands. To watch billions of our tax dollars spent on bombing our fellow earthlings.

To try to understand how the

cast of Sex and the City and The Golden Girls can be portrayed as the same age. What an amazing age decade, the 50s! Especially for single women living their best lives with their best friends.

In my experience, by 50 years old we are fully oscillating between big-picture world issues and microscopic self needs, between gratitude and greed.

And it is a balancing act to keep from becoming jaded to the plight of others, while still taking care of ourselves and protecting our own joy. There isn’t much wiggle room but, as they say, if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.

Maybe that’s why people take up bowling in middle age — or better yet, curling (what they call bowling in Canada, eh?). A hobby with Zen-like repetition and adult beverages might be just the thing to make me temporarily forget about the state of our planet. And maybe when I’m hanging out with Betty White, enjoying nachos and beer while wearing hobby-specific shoes, I will look back and see that my 50s were when I figured it all out. *www.bit.ly/EarthAxis

LETTERS Comp Plan update The town of Carbondale hired a consulting firm to review our 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Every town is required by the state of Colorado to have a “Comp Plan.”

A town’s Comp Plan states the goals of the community in terms of how things look, where things are, and what “quality of life” means to us. This kind of document is intended to be a guide for a town’s elected officials in terms of planning, policies and rulemaking. Lots of surveys and meetings have taken place over the last few months.

I checked with the Town Planning department and found that the town’s Board of Trustees has not been involved in the process. The trustees will not see the proposed plan until it is essentially completed. They will then review and vote to approve.

This timing is interesting because there is an election in just a few months and the makeup of the board will change. The new board may have some different ideas about our community and want to consider some of the conclusions and recommendations that will be in the new plan.

It is a great concern of mine that the world that Carbondale is a part of is changing rapidly. Even this morning I am reading an article titled “Scientists Issue Dire Warning: Chemical Pollution now Exceeds Safe Planetary Limit.” In my view, neither Carbondale nor the valley as a whole have really taken stock of these changes. Nor have they sufficiently incorporated that information into their policies.

Consequently, I think it may be wise for the current board to postpone the final vote

just a couple of months for the incoming board to review. For example, there is reason to believe that the new board might put more emphasis on the Carbondale Environmental Bill of Rights (EBOR).

The EBOR has its nexus in the Town Mission Statement and was a collaborative effort between the Board of Trustees, the Environmental Board and multiple public meetings. It was signed into a resolution by Mayor Dan Richardson.

There is no apparent urgency to finalize this Comp Plan. Why not give it a fresh look?

Patrick Hunter Carbondale

Taking the lead I was scared. I was working at the command post of the Grizzly Creek Fire as ash was falling on me and the people and vehicles around me.

I will never forget the fear of waiting for the wind to change and wondering what I would do if my family and I had to evacuate our home.

The summer of 2020 was the start of my career as a public information officer, working with state, local and federal agencies and incident management teams on wildland fires.

This past year, I encountered many displaced people and disrupted lives while working all summer on megafires in Colorado, Oregon and California.

My experience has convinced me that we must invest in community resiliency, including steps to become fire adapted communities. In wildfire-prone areas, fire adapted communities reduce the potential for loss of human life and injury, minimize danger to homes and infrastructure and reduce firefighting costs by

taking necessary steps to prepare people and property before a wildfire occurs.

We are still dealing with the aftermath of the Grizzly Creek Fire. We no longer have a “fire season,” fires happen year-round. The recent devastation in the Boulder area, where fire destroyed over 1,000 structures in just half a day, occurred mid-winter.

To become a fire resilient community, we must work on infrastructure improvements, including water infrastructure to keep water flowing to our farms, ranches, and communities, and emergency response strategies such as evacuation routes and upgraded community shelters. We must also invest in our human infrastructure, including our CDOT state workers, fire districts and communication systems that reach everyone in our community.

We need leadership that understands our rural community and will fight for us at the state capitol to make sure we have the resources we need.

Now, more than ever, we need elected officials that will ensure that no matter what we look like, where we come from or what’s in our wallets, we have what we need to take care of our families.

Elizabeth Velasco Glenwood Springs

Gratitude Thank you to the hard working town road crews who are plowing our streets and doing the chopping up of ice so our streets are safe. Bravo!

Illène Pevec Carbondale Continued on page 19

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The community is invited to submit letters up to 500 words to news@soprissun.com. Longer columns are considered on a case-by-case basis. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday.

2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

Executive Director

Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 • adsales@soprissun.com

Editor

Raleigh Burleigh 970-510-3003 • news@soprissun.com

Contributing Editor James Steindler

Interim Graphic Designers

Will Grandbois & Alyssa Ohnmacht

Delivery

Frederic Kischbaum

Proofreader Lee Beck

Current Board Members board@soprissun.com

Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke Lee Beck • Megan Tackett Gayle Wells • Donna Dayton Terri Ritchie • Eric Smith The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on first Thursdays on Zoom.

Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+

Lee Beck & John Stickney Kay Brunnier Michelle & Ed Buchman Toni Cerise CoVenture Sue Edelstein & Bill Spence Deborah & Shane Evans Greg & Kathy Feinsinger Peter & Mike Gilbert Gary & Jill Knaus Carly & Frosty Merriott Mama Sandy & Lee Mulcahy James Noyes Ken & Donna Riley Patti & George Stranahan Anne Sullivan & John Colson Megan Tackett True Nature Healing Arts Elizabeth Wysong Alpine Bank

Legacy Givers

for including us in their final wishes.

Mary Lilly

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The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District

Pave the way for love! The second annual Light the Night with Love (LNL) is happening Feb. 11 and 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with a new route that begins at Town Hall, weaves through True Nature Healing Arts, and ends at the Carbondale Clay Center.

Co-hosted by the Carbondale Creative District and KDNK, LNL is an interactive journey along the Rio Grande Trail — lovingly renamed the “Heart Way” — that features whimsical performances, mixed-media art and homemade light installations.

In 2021, with the heaviness of the pandemic and mid-winter’s gloom, LNL co-founders Barbara Frota and Amy Kimberly realized the community needed an opportunity to come together and remember the light within themselves. For Frota and Kimberly, that light can shine through art.

“Art is such a big transmuter of pain and sorrow,” Frota said. “Everyone has that potential to change their reality and, as artists, I think it is our responsibility to remind the community of their inherent power. The point of the event is to give artists the opportunity to get creative again and feel inspired.” She added, it’s also “to remind the community that they can do that as well and join us in our creative efforts to light the night up.”

This year, the event showcases a wide range of talent that includes aerial performances by Sopris Soarers, other dance and musical acts, film, ice sculptures, blacklight painting and more, according to Kimberly.

Special 3D “love lenses’ will be given to attendees, adding another layer of love.

“You put them on and every point of light is encircled by a heart,” Frota explained.

“Anywhere you are looking, from the moon to the sparks coming off the fire, you see hearts. Hearts, hearts, hearts!”

Adding to the experience, KDNK will be

Light the Night with Love illuminates community

By Kate Phillips Sopris Sun Correspondent

Art installations viewed through special 3D "love lenses" create hearts wherever there is light.

Photo by Sue Rollyson lighting up the airwaves with love songs and hosting karaoke by the fire at the Clay Center, said Anderson Cole, the marketing and events coordinator at KDNK. Additionally, KDNK’s “Love Line” is back! People can openly express what lights up their hearts by phoning 970-510-3250 and leaving a message. The recordings will then be played on the radio before and during the event, where KDNK will be broadcasting live.

“Even though it might be cold, it’ll feel warm to be surrounded by a community expressing their love,” Cole said.

While there is plenty of opportunity to witness art along the Heart Way, Frota and Kimberly emphasized the importance of community participation to truly invoke the feeling of light and togetherness in the darkness of winter.

Prior to the event, attendees are encouraged to purchase a farolito, or paper lantern, from The Launchpad and decorate it to showcase their love. Decorated farolitos should be returned to The Launchpad by Feb. 10 to be displayed along the Heart Way. “It’s a really fun family activity,” Kimberly stated. “Families can get a couple;

and the kids get excited when they find their farolito along the trail.”

Attendees can become their own LNL installations and join a costume raffle. Come dressed in a glowing outfit — whether that be a hat, light-up shoes or wrapped in holiday lights — to be entered into a raffle for prizes from the Carbondale Creative District.

Through a collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, restaurants will be offering specials with proof of LNL attendance plus late-evening shopping experiences at True Nature and the Clay Center.

Love Notes, a new project, will be on display at True Nature. Community members can support LGBTQ+ youth by writing words of support to help children feel less alone as they explore their identities, according to Kimberly.

Sopris Lodge will also join in with a collaborative piece under the guidance of artist Gabriela E. Mejia. “Residents are creating these beautiful dreamcatchers together,” Frota said. “In addition to Love Notes, this is one of my favorite pieces because it’s a creative outlet for our elders to be a part of the event, whether or not they can attend in person.”

Opportunities to volunteer are abundant, according to Kimberly, and volunteering is a great way to quickly connect with the community. Current volunteer positions include event set-up, break-down and peace patrol — to keep people safe along the route.

“For Carbondale Arts, our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable community through art,” Kimberly stated. “Every event we do is about bringing community together … It just feeds our soul to be able to bring people together throughout the year and give inspiration and hope.”

Ready to join the fun? Learn more about the event and volunteer opportunities at http://bit.ly/lightthenightwithlove

TOWN OF CARBONDALE

Get involveD!

Comment & ConneCt

Draft Carbondale Comprehensive Plan Update

Public feedback is needed on the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update to Town of Carbondale’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan. All materials are provided in English and Spanish.

Beginning Monday January 24 there are two ways to provide feedback on the Draft Plan: 1) Go online and read the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update and take the Draft Plan Survey at Chartcarbondale.com 2) Head to a "Reading Room." Stop in at one of ten locations around town, read the Comprehensive Plan Update and take the online survey or paper survey.

- Locations are listed at Chartcarbondale.com or call : 970.510.1208 - Hard copies of the Draft Plan will be placed in all the reading rooms, along with a comment box. P

Paper + online Surveys will be collected from January 24 – February 25 www.chartcarbondale.com

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 3

SCUTTLEBUTT

Send your scuttlebutt to news@soprissun.com

Masks galore

Tax assistance

Many local institutions, including fire and police departments, along with all local libraries, are partnering with the state of Colorado to distribute free KN95 masks to the public. There is a limit of five masks per person, per month. For the full list of participating organizations, visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/freemasks

High Country RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) can prepare and e-file simple federal and state income taxes free of charge for seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities and those making less than $60,000 per year. Appointments are required and are available beginning in February in Glenwood Springs, Rifle and Parachute. For assistance, call 970-384-8740.

Musician housing The Aspen Music Festival and School is urgently seeking summer housing for their musicians, faculty and staff. Learn more about how to support (and perks for helping out) at www.aspenmusicfestival.com/rent-to-amfs-students and www. aspenmusicfestival.com/faculty-and-staff-housing.

GWS Ward 1

Mask order rescinded In response to the downward trend in COVID cases in Garfield County, the city of Glenwood Springs rescinded its indoor mask order on Jan. 31. The city strongly encourages masking indoors and obeying masking requests by facilities or businesses. Walk-in services remain temporarily closed through Feb. 11. In-person court dates will resume on Feb. 15.

ACF scholarships Aspen Community Foundation’s 2022 post-secondary scholarships are open to local, public high school students. The application deadline is Feb. 22. Each of the nine scholarships offered have varying missions and criteria for a diverse array of opportunities. More at aspencommunityfoundation.org/apply

CMC scholarships Over 500 Colorado Mountain College Foundation scholarships are available for the fall semester through a single application, which automatically matches students to the scholarships they qualify for. Applications are at apply. coloradomtn.edu with a priority deadline of March 1. Federal financial support is available at studentaid.gov and due by June 30. For more information, contact scholarship coordinator Kathy Desportes at kdesportes@coloradomtn.edu

The world celebrated Lunar New Year on Feb. 1 (the first new moon after the first full moon after the winter solstice) with celebrations continuing through the next full moon (Feb. 15). Art by Benny Blue

Local olympians There are 23 Coloradans competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China this month. Valley athletes are cross-country skier Hailey Swirbul of El Jebel, and freestyle skiers Hanna Faulhaber of Basalt and Alex Ferreira of Aspen.

Hoop there it is The Roaring Fork basketball boys recently topped Gunnison 4740 and the girls won 47-20. Basalt, meanwhile, saw dual defeats to Coal Ridge, 51-64 for the boys and 38-48 for the girls. Then, the two faced off on Feb. 1 with Basalt besting both the boys 48-38 and girls 50-49. RFHS will play Grand Valley at home on Feb. 4 (girls at 5:30 p.m. and boys at 7 p.m.) while Basalt travels to Delta. On Feb. 5, the Rams face North Fork away. They then host Moffat County on Feb. 8 (5:30 boys; 7 p.m. boys) while the Longhorn girls travel to Meeker and the boys host Aspen at 7 p.m. Finally, the Basalt girls host Steamboat on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.

4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

Glenwood Springs city councilor Steve Davis resigned on Jan. 26 after nearly seven years of serving on the council.

“Steve has been a tireless advocate for the city, and particularly our downtown” wrote Mayor Jonathan Godes. According to the City Charter, the council is required to appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The appointee will be selected by a majority vote of the council.

Interested applicants residing can visit cogs.us/212/ Council or call 970-384-6406 for more information.

Flush charities The Colorado Secretary of State’s office reported on Jan. 28 that 8,313 Colorado charities with fiscal years ending in 2020 reported revenue of over $29.9 billion. The public database of charities and fundraiser filings is available at www.checkthecharity.com

Military salute Sunlight Mountain Resort offers two-for-one lift ticket deals to all active and retired military through Feb. 6. To redeem the offer, a military ID must be presented at the ticket window.

They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Bob Moore, Stacey Novak and Sarah Strassburger (Feb. 3); Sandra Gaddis, Sue Gray and Aly Sanguily (Feb. 4); Jim Coddington, Patrick Hunter, Sandra Lopez and Andrew Scott (Feb. 6); Kelly Rinick (Feb. 7); Michael Kinsley and Amanda Villalobos (Feb. 8); Charley Hill (Feb. 9).

Local residents displaced amid housing crisis

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

Longtime resident Jimmy D'Annibale is faced with leaving his home of nearly a decade. He is one of several tenants at the Thunder River Lodge Apartments in Carbondale whose leases will not be renewed by their landlord, Aspen Ski Company (ASC).

The apartments currently provide an affordable living option nestled between Honey Butter and Garcia's Market off Highway 133. A studio unit goes for $825 a month, which includes utilities.

ASC Vice President of Communications Jeff Hanle told The Sopris Sun that the ski company purchased the building in 2005 or 2006. There are a total of 24 units, tenants from nine of which will have to find new housing or find employment with ASC. D’Annibale recently discovered the notice posted to his door. It’s dated Jan. 19 and instructs that he must vacate by April 30, when his lease is up. He soon learned that many of his neighbors received a similar notice.

Hanle said that ASC now requires the studio-units for employee housing. “With the current housing and staffing challenges we all face here, it is necessary that we maximize our housing units for ASC

employees,” he stated.

“We notified those living at Thunder River who are not ASC employees to find other housing arrangements at the end of their current lease,” said Hanle, “and give anyone the opportunity to find employment with ASC if that works for them.” He acknowledged the company is aware that the option to seek employment with ASC “will not work for everyone.”

Tenants occupying the other 15 units already work for ASC and will not have to leave. Hanle stated that as the nine units become vacant, ASC employees will move in. He added that the housing for its employees is not seasonal but year-round.

On behalf of ASC, Hanle claimed, the tenants had been notified in writing in September about their impending displacement, “and would need to find other arrangements by April 30.”

However, tenant D’Annibale maintained that he first became aware when he came home to find the notice posted on his door in January. The Sopris Sun was notified by more than one of the affected tenants at the end of January. D’Annibale was the only tenant comfortable with speaking on record.

Hanle alluded to the current housing crisis and said it’s

Tenant Jimmy D'Annibale stands at the base of the staircase leading to the apartment that he must vacate by April 30. Photo by James Steindler affecting the company’s employees as well. “We all face some unique challenges in the current environment,” he began. “We have workers being displaced across

I'm just waiting until you say the magic word…

Tre a t s !

every division and at every level in our company.”

Hanle continued, “We have people who want to work here but who we can’t find housing for. We

owe it to our employees to do what we can for them, and so we have to look at every opportunity to offer our housing to our employees.”

ASC is aware of one tenant within the complex who receives Department of Housing and Urban Development (commonly referred to by its acronym: HUD) benefits whose lease will not be renewed.

“I’m not telling anybody about how bad the housing is around here,” D’Annibale quipped.

He included that he personally was planning to live there until moving into senior housing one day. He works nights in Aspen and plans to seek housing through his current employer, “or any housing that’s reasonable.”

“We’ve been a family here,” said D’Annibale. “I’ve been here almost eight years; there’ve been people here 10, 11, 12, 14. We all look after each other. It’s not just a room, it’s our home.”

D’Annibale continued, “I honestly believe, maybe the people making this decision don’t know how bad they’re impacting so many people. Basically, everybody is very devastated by it.”

To that point, Hanle said, “We understand the impacts this has on individuals and we did not come to this decision lightly.”

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 5

RFSD board begins new superintendent search

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

The business of finding a replacement for departing Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Superintendent Rob Stein began last week with two RFSD Board of Education meetings — a regularlyscheduled meeting on Jan. 26 and a special meeting on Jan. 28. In both meetings, steps were discussed and agreed upon to begin the process of hiring a new superintendent.

Stein, who announced his resignation on Jan. 21, took the helm as superintendent in July 2016, after serving three years as the district’s chief academic officer. Stein’s announcement stated he would be leaving in May, at the end of the school year.

Board members have set the goal of hiring a new superintendent by May to assume the role in July. It’s a tight timeframe, which board members are determined to adhere to while also emphasizing the need for transparency and public input by community stakeholders.

At the Jan. 26 board meeting held via Zoom, the first task in the process was hiring a consultant to search for prospective candidates.

According to a memo from board president Kathryn Kuhlenberg, staff recommended that the board works with a consultant to lead the search process, appoints an advisory committee (pursuant to board policy) to assist with the search, and mirror the district’s hiring process for principals and directors as much as possible to ensure transparency, consistency and collaboration.

The memo also recommended working with the chief of human resources and chief financial officer on contract negotiations, compensation recommendations, updating the job description and consulting with past board members and other individuals who have experience with candidate searches.

A rubric was created to rate and rank whether each firm could meet the district’s 11 criteria for hiring, which included communication protocols between the board, community and candidates. It further describes how to best ensure the engagement of underrepresented communities in the recruitment process.

Before the Jan. 26 meeting, four superintendent search firms gave presentations and answered board members’ questions. The four firms submitted proposals to the board, each with varying degrees of experience in satisfying superintendent hires, recognizing the importance of including community voices and price points for consultation fees.

At the special board meeting held Friday, Jan. 28 for the sole purpose of voting on the selection of a consultant firm, the board voted to hire Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates (HYA) — a firm based in Schaumburg, Illinois.

HYA’s consulting fee for the search was quoted at $24,950. The firm’s representatives committed to finding a superintendent candidate by Apr. 27.

HYA conducted RFSD’s superintendent search in 2012 and was responsible for Aspen School District’s 2020 hiring of Superintendent Dr. David Baugh.

RFSD Superintendent Rob Stein will step down at the end of the school year. The Board of Education seeks to hire a new superintendent by May to assume the role in July. Courtesy photo

COVID-19 protocols During the public comment portion of the Jan. 26 regular meeting, seven community members addressed the board about the district’s current mask and quarantine mandates.

Several parents asked the board to ease its current mask mandate, while others supported the district’s current protocol.

Stein explained that the decision making process for the district’s COVID-19 protocols is based upon guidelines from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).

Stein said they also seek input from local public health officials to interpret and comply with those state guidelines.Stein assured listeners that in formulating the district’s

COVID-19 protocols, he was “not trying to have anything stricter than the CDPHE.” He also acknowledged the difficulty of formulating and implementing policies within a district that serves students from three counties — Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin — each with their own set of rules, vaccination rates and fluctuating numbers of positive COVID cases.

He added, “We’re not going to satisfy the entire community no matter what we do. It’s hard to serve and know we can’t meet everyone’s needs.”

The board unanimously voted to continue the district’s current standard, with Kuhlenberg adding that they will continue weekly meetings to monitor the evolving situation.

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970-440-2628 | SoprisLodge.com | 295 Rio Grande Ave., Carbondale 6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

Residents: ‘Don’t make Carbondale too pretty’

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor Comparing feedback from Spanish and English engagement meetings, Carbondale Planning Director Janet Buck was amused to find among the common sentiments, “Don’t make Carbondale too pretty!”

That input is just a small sample of thousands of comments received over the course of seven months toward a draft Comprehensive Plan Update, now available for public review.

In January 2021, the Carbondale Board of Town Trustees agreed to update the 2013 Comprehensive Plan.

By June 2021, architecture and engineering design firm Cushing Terrell was contracted to lead the process.

Cushing Terrell was guided to focus on six longrange planning topics: Downtown Character, Downtown North (now called Opportunity Area), Climate Action, Aging in Community, Multi-modal Mobility and Residential Character. The process began with a survey, receiving more than 500 responses, and was amplified with stakeholder

In the current draft update, the “Opportunity Area,” previously referred to as “Downtown North,” is reimagined to accommodate new trails and residential units while maintaining light industrial uses.

Courtesy graphic group meetings, design charrettes and bilingual inperson and virtual town hall meetings. “These ideas didn’t come from Cushing Terrell,” said Buck about the draft, “they came from feedback from the community.”

Municipalities in Colorado are required by the state to have a comprehensive plan (comp plan) which “provides the policy framework for regulatory tools like zoning, subdivision, regulations, annexations and other policies,” explains the Colorado

Department of Local Affairs.

“A comp plan lays out certain criteria,” informed Buck, “providing things above and beyond what’s in the code.” Although a comp plan offers a framework, it is not a regulatory document.

As a supplement to the 2013 comp plan, this draft update re-establishes the town’s goals and elaborates a new list of implementation strategies within the goal topics mentioned above.

For example, the prominent theme of “sustainable

development” from 2013 is expanded to intersect with social equity, defined in the draft as “a state achieved when all people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to attain their full potential” as determined by “social, economic, geographic, political and built environment conditions.”

Following the presumed adoption of an update, the town’s planning department will next be addressing the Unified Development Code to incorporate changes and

Get Involved Environmental Board

•

Public Arts Commission Contact: Kae McDonald 970-510-1248 kmcdonald@carbondaleco.net

Applications and More Information:

with a public hearing. Then, the Board of Town Trustees will vote on final approval, also with a public hearing.

Weigh in

Throughout this process, the town has made an extra effort to receive feedback from Spanish-speaking members of Carbondale’s community.

Although it was not initially planned to translate the full document into Spanish, Buck considered it imperative to follow up on the outreach meeting held in August.

“That was an amazing meeting,” reflected Buck.

“Participants said they appreciated being included and wanted to remain involved.”

The decision was made in January 2022 to translate the survey and thus take extra time to translate the entire comp plan update.

Buck opted to hire a translator able to interpret some of the more technical language, “because Google Translate just doesn’t hack it,” she said.

Those items will also be online and at reading room locations once they are completed.

A new survey and relevant materials are online at www. chartcarbondale.com Additionally, “reading rooms” have been established at nine locations throughout town. Here, a physical copy of the draft update can be perused.

Find a reading room at: Town Hall, the Carbondale Library, the Third Street Center, the Launchpad, the Roaring Fork High School library, Craft Coffeehouse, the Carbondale Rec Center, the RVR Ranch House and Bonfire Coffee.

Acknowledging that copies have already “grown legs” and allegedly walked off, Buck requests that anyone wishing to have a take-home paper copy contact the Planning Department with that request at 970-510-1208.

The survey closes on Feb. 25. Following that, the appointed Planning Commission may recommend adoption of the document

‘Google Translate just doesn’t hack it…’

An Uplifting Evening of Light + Love + HeART February 11-12, 2022 | 5:30-7:30

The Town of Carbondale Boards and Commissions have the following vacancies: • Board of Adjustment • Bike, Pedestrian and Trails Commission • Tree Board •

implementation strategies.

This process, Buck estimates, will likely take another year and also involve opportunity for public input, though not as robust.

An interactive HeArT Walk along the rio Grande ArTway Light & Art Installations

Live performances

decorated Farolitos

Tickets and farolito kits are available to purchase at ShopCarbondaleArts.com. Tickets include a set of special LOVE lenses to enhance the light experience. Farolitos line the ARTway and are perfect for decorating or honoring someone you love. All proceeds benefit Carbondale Arts and KDNK Community Radio.

For tickets and more information please visit prESENTED BY

WITH SupporT From Love Lights

Hearts

Frosty Merriott

https://www.carbondalegov.org/government/boards_&_commissions

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 7

SPEAKERS

Looking to have fun and give back?

Join us at Rotary every Wednesday at 7a.m. at the Carbondale Fire Station!

Visit rotarycarbondale.org for details.

All are welcome!

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Visit soprissun.com to submit events

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3 BEGINNERS QUILTING

The Roaring Fork Quilting Guild leads a four-week workshop on Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. For registration, email cclick@basaltlibrary.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4

February 9, 2022 Guest Speaker Steve Skadron CMC Vocational Project

VVAS RECEPTION

The 43rd Valley Visual Art Show is ongoing at Carbondale Art’s R2 Gallery, open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The First Friday artists reception is from 5 to 7 p.m.

Feburary 16, 2022 Guest Speaker Luis Yllanes 5 Point Film Festival

SOUND JOURNEY

True Nature hosts Dr. Zachary Cashin for a sound healing journey at 6:30 p.m. To register, visit www. truenaturehealingarts.com

RSVP to Rick Carlson (970) 948-9650 • riccarlson@gmail.com

CRYSTAL THEATRE

“Licorice Pizza” screens at the Crystal Theatre on Feb. 4, Feb. 5 and Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5 SKI FOR SISU

The Mount Sopris Nordic Council’s annual fundraising event, Ski for Sisu, kicks off and continues through Feb. 13. Ski any time, as often as you like, with prizes for most kilometers skied and most pledges raised. Learn more at www.springgulch.org

EXPLORERS CLUB

STORYTIME

TIME TO TALK

Kids two and up are invited to early literacy storytime at the Basalt Library from 10:30 to 11 a.m.

DANCE PERFORMANCE

NVA & Guests, in residency with Dance Initiative, perform at The Arts Campus at Willits at 8 p.m.

Tickets are at www.tacaw.org

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6

HEROINE ANONYMOUS

The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers a 12step meeting at 5 p.m.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7 MAC MONDAY

Learn how to use the Mac Photos app from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Basalt Library.

Register by calling 970-927-4311 ext. 1013 or emailing cbaumgarten@basaltlibrary.org VALENTINE CRAFTS

Basalt Library invites all ages to make a valentine for someone special from 2 to 5 p.m.

VACCINE CLINIC

Still need your booster? Get your first, second or third dose at the Basalt Library from 4 to 7 p.m.

No appointment is necessary.

y las Cuevas históricas de Vapor

Baños naturales minerals termales “Más privado que una piscina”

CRYSTAL TRAIL

The Forest Service hosts a public meeting regarding the Redstone to McClure Pass Trail draft Environmental Assessment at the Third Street Center from 5 to 7 p.m.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

An online, bilingual presentation about workplace rights at 6:30 p.m. To register, visit www.gcpld.org/rights

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 VALENTINE CONCERT

Tom and Julie Paxton will perform classic love songs at the Redstone Inn during a senior luncheon. Register by Friday, Feb. 4 by calling 970-920-5432.

MONEY MATTERS

No WALKINS Por favor.

Llame para citas

Basalt Library hosts “Planning Your Money” at 4:30 p.m. To register, email Cathy at cclick@basaltlibrary.org TUESDAY DINNER

Para información y reservaciones llame a 970-945-0667 • yampahspa.com El Spa esta abierto de 9 a.m. a 9 p.m. y el Salón de 9 a.m. a 7 p.m.

8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9

TAI CHI

Basalt Library hosts Tai Chi lessons with instructor Jake Carroll of Wandering Monk Tai Chi weekly from 9 to 10 a.m.

More info at www.basaltlibrary.org

VISITE UNO DE LOS SPAS MAS ANTIGUOS Y RESPETADOS EN AMERICA

Carol Shure will guide another cohort of participants in Healing with the Ancestors, a monthly systemic family constellation workshop. Systemic family constellation work is a form of therapy that delves into ancestral sources of grief and, in turn, healing. Shure’s next workshop is on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Third Street Center. For more information and registration, visit www. carolshure.com Photo by James Steindler

The Arts Campus at Willits in collaboration with Epicure Catering hosts exclusive dinners every Tuesday in February at 6 p.m. For tickets visit www.tacaw.org

School-age children are invited to free after-school activities with the Aspen Science Center at the Glenwood Springs Library on Wednesdays at 2:30 pm.

Aspen Strong hosts a virtual mental health meeting on the second Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. More info is at www.aspenstrong.org WHO WE ARE

Aspen Film screens “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” at the Isis Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free to Aspen Film members and available at the box office.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10 NATURALIST NIGHTS

Wilderness Workshop, ACES and Roaring Fork Audubon present “Forest Disturbance by Bark Beetles” at Hallam Lake in Aspen at 6 p.m. Registration is at www.aspennature.org and the presentation will also be streamed and archived through Grassroots TV. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers a 12step meeting at 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 MOUNTAINFILM

Basalt Regional Library presents “MountainFilm on Tour” with dinner and drinks at 5 p.m. followed by 10 short films beginning at 6 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required by emailing Cathy at cclick@basaltlibrary.org LIGHT THE NIGHT

The Carbondale Creative District and KDNK present Light the Night with Love, an interactive HeART Walk along the Rio Grande Trail, on Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Find tickets at www.shopcarbondalearts.com ART DEADLINE

Submissions for Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers’ 2022 art contest are due by midnight. The winning design will be featured on posters and stickers and the winner will receive $400. Find submission details at www.rfov.org

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12 FILM TALK

Honoring Black History Month, Garfield County Libraries invite you to stream “They Ain’t Ready For Me” for free, then join a virtual discussion facilitated by Steven Arauza and Sájari Simmons at 11 a.m. For more info, visit www.gcpld.org/

Sol del el

Conectando comunidades

Realmente electrizante

Valle

A este su agrpadec nu e o y o e m o vo p par s ro y a ecto .

Volumen 1, Número 48 |3 de feb. - 9 de feb. de 2022

La modernización de la bomba de calor hace que la red cero sea alcanzable Por Dyana Z. Furmansky Traducción por Dolores Duarte “Bombas de calor, bombas de calor, esa es la clave”, declara Marty Treadway, director de programas de la oficina comunitaria para la eficiencia de los recursos (CORE).

Este es el tipo de respuesta categórica que da a los propietarios de viviendas que preguntan qué equipos pueden instalarse para reducir las facturas de los servicios públicos residenciales y, preferiblemente, no destruir el planeta. La siguiente pregunta es: ¿qué es una bomba de calor?

Es hora de averiguarlo. El año 2022 es cuando los propietarios de viviendas deberían “identificar la ubicación de las futuras baterías y bombas de calor”, según la plataforma de códigos CORE, una guía para reducir todas las emisiones de efecto invernadero de edificios residenciales y comerciales hasta llegar a la red cero, el punto en el que cada estructura produce sólo tanta energía como consume, y no tiene ninguna línea de gas natural conectada.

La plataforma de códigos pone presión a los códigos de construcción locales para que exijan tecnologías verdes y estén preparadas para ello en todas las nuevas construcciones.

El objetivo global es electrificar de forma limpia, cómoda y económica todo lo que hay bajo el sol para lograr una “electrificación benéfica”, que es la jerga que utilizan los fanáticos de las energías renovables para hablar de la carrera humana contra el cambio climático. El objetivo de Carbondale es para el año 2030.

Lo que hace que la bomba de calor sea un componente crítico en esta tarea masiva es que no quema combustibles fósiles. Un estudio del CORE de 2017 estimó que el 62% de todos los gases de efecto invernadero en la parte alta del valle del Roaring Fork son emitidos por estructuras ya construidas.

Sin un mandato de electrificación, como ocurre con las nuevas construcciones, corresponde a los propietarios de los edificios existentes realizar una adaptación benéfica y “cambiar el combustible” del gas natural a la electricidad. Las bombas de calor se utilizan desde hace tiempo en los climas cálidos para enfriar los edificios absorbiendo el aire caliente del interior y expulsándolo al exterior; también son un mecanismo importante en los frigoríficos y aires acondicionados.

El gran avance es el desarrollo de bombas de calor para climas fríos que absorben el calor del aire frío del exterior y lo transfieren al interior.

Para demostrar que las bombas de calor para climas fríos pueden funcionar incluso a temperaturas de congelación, Aspen Skiing Company (SkiCo) instaló una en Elk Camp, el centro de patrullaje de esquí de Snowmass, situado a 11,800 pies de altura, dice Ryland French, director de operaciones de instalaciones y gestión energética de las mismas. Para ver las bombas de calor en acción, French llevó recientemente a The Sopris Sun y a otros visitantes al techo de The Hub at Willits, construido por SkiCo para sus empleados y trabajadores de la guardería.

La azotea está adornada con 53 bombas de calor, una por cada una de las 53 unidades de alquiler de The Hub. Parecen aires acondicionados.

En Basalt Vista, una subdivisión de 27 casas unifamiliares económicas construidas por Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley, cada residencia tiene una bomba de calor, dice la presidenta Gail Schwartz.

Treadway aplaude estas instalaciones generosamente subvencionadas.

Pero “no desmitifican las bombas de calor para todos los demás. Hay que normalizar la instalación de bombas de calor”, dice, al igual que se está normalizando la compra de un vehículo eléctrico (VE). Las bombas de calor pueden ser menos caras que los VE y no evocan estatus ni estilo. Sin embargo, son igual de importantes, dice Treadway.

Lisa Reed, gestora de programas energéticos de Holy Cross Energy (HCE), ofrece un ejemplo de la diferencia de conciencia pública entre los VE y las bombas de calor.

Dice que en 2021 HCE concedió 102 reembolsos por instalación de baterías de vehículos eléctricos en el RFV, pero solo dio 20 reembolsos por bombas de calor. Algunos sistemas siguen necesitando un respaldo de calefacción convencional.

Reed reconoce que, sin rebajas, los sistemas de bombas de calor son más caros al principio comparado con los equipos convencionales.

Pero no por mucho tiempo.

“Yo daría otros tres o cuatro años antes de que la instalación de la bomba de calor sea competitiva”, dice.

La familia Dixon está feliz por haber instalado una bomba de calor en su casa. Dan Dixon, padre del niño aquí, dice de su bomba de calor para el calentador de agua, “Somos tres personas y nunca nos quedamos sin agua caliente".

Foto de Will Sardinsky

Isaac Ellis y su mujer, Dana Ellis, no quisieron esperar. Nos dimos “un paseo por la montaña rusa” de los programas de reembolso para encontrar la fórmula financiera para readaptar la casa de Carbondale de 40 años, totalmente eléctrica y de 2,000 pies cuadrados, que hace las veces de oficina para su estudio de arquitectura, Outpost Studio LLC. “Los descuentos en bombas de calor van y vienen”, advierte Ellis. Aconseja a los propietarios de viviendas que visiten la base de datos de incentivos estatales para energías renovables y eficiencia para encontrar las ofertas actuales.

Antes de la instalación, Ellis dice que es esencial “tener un conocimiento básico de cómo tu casa utiliza la energía”, obteniendo

una evaluación energética gratuita y realizando las mejoras necesarias.

El contratista Dan Dixon no sabía nada de las bombas de calor hasta que las conoció a través de CORE, y encontró un programa de descuentos de Xcel Energy para instalar suelos radiantes con bomba de calor en el taller de su granero. También instaló una bomba de calor para el calentador de agua de 40 galones de la casa principal, de 1,000 pies cuadrados. “Somos tres personas y nunca nos quedamos sin agua caliente”, dice. La casa y el taller de Dixon son tan confortables que animó a un cliente de Aspen a instalar un sistema similar en su remodelación multimillonaria.

“Estamos muy contentos con nuestra bomba de calor”, dice Scott

Dillard, un agente inmobiliario que recibió un reembolso de la HCE para modernizar su residencia de 7,000 pies cuadrados. Los Dillard no necesitaron utilizar la chimenea en una gran habitación con paredes de cristal, ni siquiera cuando la temperatura exterior bajaba de cero. El mismo sistema enfría la casa en verano, dice.

“Tener una casa que produce su propia energía es emocionalmente fascinante”, dice Isaac Ellis, que también instaló paneles solares para vender energía a HCE. “Cambiar a una bomba de calor no es un lujo. Es accesible para mucha gente que vive en este valle. Y es una necesidad, para evitar que las generaciones futuras hereden nuestro acertijo climático”.

Saliendo de la rutina

OPINIÓN

Por Crystal Mariscal ¿Cómo romper esta rutina?

Seguir en el mismo patrón del día a día y no poder cambiar, pese a que se está cómodo en lo conocido ya lo mismo no funciona. Ya no llena el alma, ya no resuelve los problemas.

Este 2022, comenzamos con todo el ánimo pero terminó el primer mes del año y sentimos que nada de lo planeado sucedió, sino que al contrario. Hubo enfermos a nuestro alrededor con el nuevo virus, incluso nosotros nos enfermamos. No pudimos hacer ese cambio que estábamos peleando.

Algunos dejaron ese plan de ejercicio y de alimentación porque no tenían contemplado las cosas que están sucediendo en sus vidas.

Otros siguen esperando “buenas noticias”, desde ascensos en el trabajo, aumentos de sueldo o algo diferente y lo diferente que llega es

quizás más trabajo y por la misma cantidad de dinero, o quizás pérdida de trabajo.

Este artículo hoy no intenta hablarle a las personas que quieren leer algo agradable. Esta es una invitación a salir de la rutina, no solo de la rutina de la que nos sentimos cómodos, pero de la rutina que este 2022 nos está enredado.

Esta es una invitación para los valientes, aquellos que se la han jugado de todo a todo, para sobrevivir. ¡Ahora es tiempo de vivir! Tenemos la idea de “mundo allí te quedas” al momento de partir a una mejor vida. ¿Pero le sacamos todo el provecho a esta vida? ¿Hicimos lo que fuimos llamados hacer y a ser? Para algunos, la respuesta sería ¡sí!

Hice lo que quise. Una pregunta más para ellos: de los sueños de infancia, ¿los lograste?

Si pudiéramos entrevistar a nuestro niño interior, ¿que diría de nosotros? Si le preguntamos a nuestra madre de aquel entonces, ¿que nos respondería?

Cuando llegamos a este país, venimos con costales llenos de sueños, manos vacías pero hambre de la que no se sacia con pan.

Pareciera que la rutina nos devoró y solo hacemos lo mínimo para salir el día. El valle devoró nuestros sueños y el día a día intenta romper

nuestra voluntad. ¡Quién tiene tiempo de soñar cuando hay tantas facturas por pagar!

El mundo se detuvo desde el 2019, cuando algo tan invisible al ojo humano apareció, desde entonces vamos declarando, ¡Este es mi año! Y nada, una nueva variante, un nuevo problema y seguimos sin recuperar el tiempo perdido. Es tan de humanos querer ganarle al tiempo y desear regresar al pasado… ¿Qué haremos con el presente que se nos va sin piedad?

El miedo a las relaciones por miedo a perder parte de mi, a menos de que la otra parte esté dispuesto a contribuir o regresar mi misma inversión. Miedo a seguir trabajando en lo de alguien más por que en algún momento me pueden despedir, miedo a querer mucho a una amistad por miedo a que me traicionen, ¡miedo, miedo, miedo!

Ese miedo nos impide estar completamente en algo. Estamos sin estar, intentando proteger nuestro pellejo. No vivimos a la máxima capacidad porque estamos buscando la salida, vivimos saboteando nuestras relaciones por no estar presentes. Nos enfocamos en cómo terminar en vez de cómo construir; construir esa relación, ese negocio, esa familia.

Esos sueños de infancia, mejor los dejo en el baúl de los recuerdos.

Mejor me quedo haciendo lo

mínimo y desde lejos observo, lo cómodo es lo seguro.

Es por eso que esta invitación es para valientes. Esta invitación es para los que se han quedado sentados en sus sueños. ¿Cuál es el primer paso por hacer? ¿Qué deseas romper en tu rutina? ¿Qué esperas lograr? ¿Cuál es el resultado final?

Romper la rutina es no regresar a lo cómodo, sino a comenzar algo incluso desconocido. Romer rutina es ser impredecible, espontáneo, cambiando cada día a lo que viene.

Reconectando con intencionalidad, haciendo cambios, eliminando distracciones, que importa lo que digan de ti, es creer en el interior de ti, pedir al Ser superior que te prepare con fuerza.

Romper la rutina cambiará tu personalidad, donde al final tendrás que volverte a presentar a las personas que pensaron que te conocían. Nuestro espíritu ha sido atormentado por el miedo, dudas, circunstancias. Se nos ha olvidado que es “paz”. Para romper rutinas, necesitas encontrar tu paz, la paz es una herramienta. Paz en lo que no vas a poder cambiar, ¡esa paz que sobrepasa todo entendimiento!

Donaciones por correo o en línea P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Executive Director Todd Chamberlin • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Editor Raleigh Burleigh • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Directores Artísticos Will Grandbois y Alyssa Ohnmacht Traductoras Jacquelinne Castro y Dolores Duarte Distribucion Frederic Kischbaum Miembros de la Mesa Directiva Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke Lee Beck • Megan Tackett Gayle Wells • Donna Dayton Terri Ritchie • Eric Smith The Sopris Sun, Inc. Es un miembro orgulloso del Distrito Creativo de Carbondale The Sopris Sun, Inc. es una 501(c) (3) organización benéfica sin fines de lucro. Contribuciones financieras son deducibles de impuestos. ¡ESCRÍBENOS! Para contribuir ideas y contenido al Sol del Valle, escribiéndonos a: sol@soprissun.com Para comprar espacio publicitario en español, inglés, o ambos, mándanos un correo electrónico a:

adsales@soprissun.com

También se puede contactarnos llamando a 970-510-3003.

El Pueblo de Carbondale

INFORMACIÓN

Remueve la Nieve de las Aceras

¡Mantenga nuestras aceras seguras durante el invierno!

RETIRE EL HIELO Y LA NIEVE Conozca sus responsabilidades de Remover la Nieve: Es responsabilidad de los dueños u ocupantes de cualquier propiedad en el pueblo de remover la nieve y el hielo en las aceras que rodean su propiedad (incluyendo las aceras de los terrenos ubicados en esquinas).

Límite de tiempo: Los negocios deben tener las aceras limpias entre las primeras 4 horas despues de que la precipitación haya parado. Los residentes deben tener sus aceras limpias en las primeras 24 horas despues de que la precipitación haya paraado. ¡Limpie su acera! ¡Mantenga en Carbondale ! movimiento

Visite la página web de la Municipalidad de Carbondale o su perfil en Facebook para obtener actualizaciones.

Para mass información, contacte al Departamento de Policias de Carbondale: 970-963-22662

10 • el Sol del Valle • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 3 de feb. - 9 de feb. de 2022

MANAUS, es una organización sin fines de lucro que trabaja en colaboración con otros para crear soluciones sostenibles que promueven la equidad en nuestras comunidades utilizando los principios de organización comunitaria y con el enfoque centrado en las personas. Para obtener más informacion sobre nuestros proyectos, vaya a manaus.org/manaus-es.

www.manaus.org 520 SOUTH 3RD STREET SUITE 22A CARBONDALE, COLORADO 81623

CHISME DEL PUEBLO Mascarillas en abundancia

Atletas olímpicos locales

Beca de CMC

Varias instituciones locales, incluyendo el departamento de policía y el cuerpo de bomberos, junto con todas las bibliotecas locales, se han asociado con el estado de Colorado para distribuir mascarillas KN95 al público. Esto tiene un límite de 5 mascarillas por persona cada mes. Para ver la lista completa de organizaciones participando visite https://covid19. colorado.gov/freemasks

Hay alrededor de 23 residentes de Colorado en las Olimpiadas de Invierno del 2022 en Beijing, China este mes.

Los atletas de Roaring Fork Valley son esquiadore de fondo Hailey Swirbul de El Jebel y esquiadores de estilo libre Hanna Faulhaber de Basalt y Alex Ferreira de Aspen.

Línea de amor

En respuesta a la baja tasa de casos de COVID-19 en el condado de Garfield, la ciudad de Glenwood Springs revocó la orden de mascarillas el lunes 31 de enero.

La ciudad está animando a la gente a usar mascarillas en lugares interiores y obedecer solicitudes de mascarillas en instalaciones o negocios. Los servicios sin cita previa permanecerán cerrados temporalmente hasta el 11 de febrero. Citas de corte en personas se reanudarán el 15 de febrero.

Más de 500 becas estudiantiles de Colorado Mountain College Foundation estarán disponibles para el semestre del otoño a través de una sola inscripción, la cual automáticamente dirigirá a los estudiantes con las becas a las cuales califican. Las inscripciones están disponibles en https:// apply.coloradomtn.edu/ con la fecha límite hasta el 30 de junio.

Para más información, contacte a la coordinadora de becas Kathy Desportes a kdesportes@ coloradomtn.edu.

Para el fin de semana del Día de San Valentín, el distrito creativo de Carbondale y KDNK presentarán Ilumina la Noche con Amor, un paseo interactivo con amor a lo largo del sendero Río Grande en Carbondale. Puede llamar a la línea de amor de radio comunitaria KDNK para dejar una nota llamndo al 970-510-3250.

Becas ACF Las becas postsecundarias del 2022 de Aspen Community Foundation están abiertas a estudiantes de secundaria locales.

La fecha límite para inscribirse es el 22 de febrero. Cada una de las nueve becas que se ofrecen tienen varias misiones y criterios para una diversa gama de oportunidades.

Para saber más visite www. aspencommunityfoundation.org/ apply/scholarships-2

Orden de máscara rescindida

Consejo de Glenwood Springs

Conoce tus derechos En asociación con Alpine Legal Services, Colorado Mountain College y Towards Justice, las bibliotecas del condado de Garfield ofrecen una presentación bilingüe en línea acerca de los derechos laborales a las 6:30 p.m. Para inscribirse, visite www.gcpld.org/rights

Asistencia de impuestos High Country RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) puede preparar y registrar electrónicamente impuestos de ingresos federales gratuitamente a las personas de mayor edad,

veteranos, las personas con discapacidades y aquellos que hacen menos de $60,000 por año. Las citas son requeridas y disponibles a principios de febrero en Glenwood Springs, Rifle y Parachute. Para asistencia, llame al 970-384-8740.

El concejal Steve Davis de la ciudad de Glenwood Springs renunció el 26 de enero después de siete años sirviendo en el consejo. “Steve ha sido un defensor incansable para la ciudad”, dijo el alcalde Jonathan Godes. “La ciudad de Glenwood Springs es un mejor lugar gracias a Steve Davis.” De acuerdo con la constitución de la ciudad, el consulado es requerido nombrar a un reemplazo para llenar la vacante dentro de los siguientes 30 días. La persona asignada será seleccionada por una mayoría de votos por el consulado. Los solicitantes interesados pueden visitar https://cogs.us/212/ Council o llamar al 970-384-6406 para más información.

el Sol del Valle • Conector de comunidad • 3 de feb. - 9 de feb. de 2022 • 11

Un mejor futuro por y para los jóvenes Por Maeve Murray Traducción por Dolores Duarte YouthZone, un programa local que ayuda a los jóvenes a mejorar sus perspectivas de futuro busca ampliar la colaboración entre la población a la que sirve. Según su página web, YouthZone es una “organización sin fines de lucro que da prioridad a la familia y que se dedica a fomentar el desarrollo positivo de los adolescentes que llaman a la ladera oeste su hogar”. YouthZone tiene un centro en Glenwood Springs que ofrece servicios de consejería, intervención en materia de sustancias, grupos de apoyo LGBTQ+, oportunidades de voluntariado y mucho más.

Magdalena Palomares, la presidenta asesora de los jóvenes en la junta directiva de YouthZone, está buscando estudiantes de todo el valle a unirse al consejo juvenil formado recientemente para ser una voz de los jóvenes en la comunidad.

Palomares dice que el objetivo es “reunir a todos en una sala y discutir cómo ayudar”. El consejo juvenil está todavía en proceso de desarrollo, por

lo que hay mucho espacio para ideas creativas.

Los miembros del consejo juvenil colaborarán con la junta directiva y mantendrán reuniones con la directora ejecutiva Jamie Hayes para hablar de actuales y futuros proyectos. De este modo, la población juvenil del valle tiene comunicación directa con YouthZone en cuanto al tipo de apoyo que necesitan sus compañeros. Palomares considera que asuntos de salud mental y abuso de sustancias son problemas importantes dentro de nuestra comunidad, y ella procurará abordarlos con el nuevo consejo juvenil. Junto con los miembros recién nombrados, espera visitar pronto las escuelas para hablar más sobre estos temas.

El consejo consultivo juvenil tiene vacantes para estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria de todo el valle. Como dice Palomares, “¡todos son bienvenidos!”.

Los estudiantes que deseen formar parte del consejo juvenil deben estar motivados a ayudar a la comunidad. El candidato perfecto es “alguien que quiera ayudar trabajando con otros... y esté dispuesto a compartir sus ideas”.

Palomares también espera ver más contenido y programación originados por el consejo juvenil en los próximos meses, incluyendo videos, presencia en los medios sociales y talleres.

El objetivo de YouthZone es ofrecer a los niños y adolescentes un espacio para ser ellos mismos y obtener ayuda si la necesitan. La organización quiere dar a conocer el tipo de servicios que ofrecen.

Se ofrece orientación, o simplemente consejería si tú o alguien a quien quieres está luchando contra el abuso de sustancias y/o problemas de salud mental. En palabras de Palomares, YouthZone es un brillante recordatorio de que “no es ningún tabú sentirse mal o necesitar ayuda”.

Según Palomares, formar parte del consejo asesor tendría beneficios importantes para el individuo y su comunidad. “Además de ser una buena actividad, le ayudará a convertirse en un líder, a sentirse cómodo hablando con adultos, a crecer y a estar en un ambiente de oficina. No sólo eso, sino que puede quedar muy bien en solicitudes de empleo o de universidad”, continuó. “Si conoces a alguien que encajaría bien en el consejo asesor de

Magdalena Palomares es la representante de los jóvenes en el consejo administrativo de YouthZone. Foto de cortesía

jóvenes, o estás interesado tú mismo, considera unirte para ayudar a la comunidad”.

En conclusión, Palomares quiso transmitir que “cualquiera que sienta que su voz no es escuchada y quiera tener su perspectiva ahí afuera como joven de un entorno diferente debería unirse”.

Ella anima a sus compañeros a ser el cambio en su comunidad, a ayudar a los demás y a adquirir experiencia laboral a través de esta nueva iniciativa.

Para saber cómo unirte al consejo juvenil, visita www.bit.ly/YouthZoneAdvisory

Carbondale recibe donación anónima de 1.6 acres en el centro Por Raleigh Burleigh Traducción por Dolores Duarte

Todas las parcelas que arrodean el teatro fue donado al pueblo. Foto de Raleigh Burleigh

La plaza de Fourth Street (380 Main Street) y los 16 lotes que rodean el edificio del Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) fueron donados discretamente a la municipalidad de Carbondale a finales de 2021. La aceptación de esta asombrosa y generosa donación de más de 1.6 acres

se incluyó en el orden del día de una reunión virtual de los comisionados finalizada en menos de cinco minutos, el 28 de diciembre a las 9 de la mañana.

El Sopris Sun agradece a un astuto lector que nos haya avisado.

La plaza de la calle cuatro ha sido arrendada a la ciudad para su uso como un parque y un espacio para eventos como Cowboy Up, mercado de agricultores y el

Municipalidad

de Carbondale

¡InVolÚCreSe! ÚnaSe Y ParTICIPe

redacción de la actualización del Plan exhaustivo de Carbondale

festival de música del Mt. Sopris.

El donante, quien desea permanecer anónimo, conservará un espacio de estacionamiento privado adyacente al callejón, donde ya existe un estacionamiento. En los lotes no urbanizados que rodean el TRTC, el donante mantendrá cuatro espacios de estacionamiento privado.Dado que las propiedades gubernamentales están exentas de impuestos, esta oportunidad

es nada menos que un “cambio en el juego” para una ciudad que lucha por proporcionar viviendas económicas. Carbondale se hizo responsable del costo de las pólizas de seguro del título y de los costos de cierre habituales, estimados en menos de 7,500 dólares.

El tasador del condado de Garfield, por su parte, valora estas propiedades combinadas en cerca de 2.7 millones de dólares.

Cuido médico, dental y mental — todo accesible y en un lugar.

la aportación del público es necesaria para la Redacción de la actualización del plan Exhaustivo como suplemento para el plan Exhaustivo de carbondale del 2013. Todos los materiales serán proporcionados en español y en inglés. comenzando el lunes 24 de enero, usted puede elegir entre estas dos maneras de aportar ideas y comentarios sobre la redacción del plan: 1) lea la redacción de la actualización del Plan exhaustivo en línea y tome la encuesta referente a la redacción del plan, visitando Chartcarbondale.com 2) diríjase a una “sala de lectura”. Visite una de las diez locaciones alrededor del pueblo, lea la actualización del Plan exhaustivo y tome la encuesta, ya sea de manera electrónica o utilizando la versión impresa.

- la lista de locaciones puede encontrarse en chartcarbondale.com o llame al 970.510.1208

Llamé a Mountain Family Health Centers para programar una cita o para encontrar seguro médico accesible y programas de asistencia financiero.

Estamos ubicados en Basalt, Glenwood Springs, Rifle y Edwards además de seis centros de salud basados en escuelas.

- las copias impresas de la redacción del plan se encontrarán disponibles en todas las salas de lectura, junto con un buzón para comentarios y un código QR para tener acceso a la encuesta.

los resultados de las encuestas electrónicas e impresas serán recopilados del 24 de enero al 25 de febrero www.chartcarbondale.com

12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

Por favor, llámenos a 970-945-2840 para hacer una cita o vístenos en www.mountainfamily.org

FOR TOWN TRUSTEE FA I T H , FA M I LY, A N D F R I E N D S !

KEEP A PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) • FINISH STRONG L O V E A N I M A L S especially Golden Retrievers

FA I T H , FA M I LY, A N D F R I E N D S !

KEEP A PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) • FINISH STRONG Lwe O have V EsoA N Inew Mresidents A L S especially Retrievers As many in Town as wellGolden as young people getting involved for the first time, I would like to go over my experience in my debut ad which I think makes me the most qualified candidate for your vote.

Carly and I moved here with our 4-year-old daughter in March of 1998 from Silverthorne. Shiloh attended Roaring Fork High School where she played soccer and built lasting friendships. She attended Louisiana Tech University where she received her nursing degree.

Shiloh is now a Registered Nurse in Denver. She worked two years at St. Anthony’s on the Cardio Floor during the COVID crisis when there was limited PPE. Carly, my sweet wife of 38 years, is Office Manager for J Frost Merriott Inc CPA which is now in its 24th year of operation. We attend the Orchard Church.

Having always been a Community Activist my first public service was on the Town Environmental Board in 1998. As best I remember I served on this Town Board for several years. I served on the first elected River Valley Ranch Executive Board I think in 2005. I was also appointed to the Town Planning and Zoning Commission for 4 years while serving 18 months on the Carbondale Economic Roadmap Group. I gained beneficial knowledge working alongside both Mike Cerise and Michael Hassig as Chairpersons of the P& Z. I was elected (not appointed) in 2008 to complete a vacant twoyear Trustee term. I was elected two more times serving until 2018 when I was term limited. I gained additional valuable experience working beside two outstanding Mayors in Michael Hassig and Stacey Bernot.

The major accomplishments for which I am most proud: • Receiving the Carbondale Police Lifesaver Award for spearheading the use of Narcan Training for CPD (first on Western Slope) resulting in two lives being saved in 2016 and 2017.

famously presented Jimmy Carter, Madeline Albright and Thomas Friedman as just some of their speakers. I also assisted Jim with the Third Street Center, Carbondale Arts and CARE.

• Receiving the Everyday Hero Award from the Colorado Society of CPAs given to those who demonstrate involvement in community activities as well as core values of integrity, competency and objectivity.

• I am currently serving as a member of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and the Town Environmental Board. I also write a monthly column for the Post Independent.

• Testifying before the Senate and House Committee in the Colorado Legislature on House Bill 1238 the Wildlife Crossings Bill carried by Senator Gail Schwartz and Representative Kathleen Curry and signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter. An important byproduct of this bill was the wildlife fencing that is now all over the State and has saved multiple lives.

More to come: • Next week I intend to present some of the issues we face as a community and my ideas about how to deal with them. I want to keep Carbondale the special, even spiritual place it is. As Sam Mamet head of Colorado Municipal League remarked while I was on the Board “Carbondale is the envy of the Western Slope”.

• Participated and strongly supported Carbondale being the first • I will give you a hint I don’t want Carbondale to be known for Town on the Western Slope with Residential Green Building long as Willits 2.0 Codes and the updates of the Comprehensive Plan, the Climate • I called for a one year ‘Targeted Moratorium’ on Highway 133 Action Plan, and our Commercial Green Building Code. in an OpEd in January 2021 because of traffic, the fear I have • Cowrote the Town Environmental Bill of Rights (EBOR) from we are overbuilding our infrastructure and we are not providing the Town Mission Statement which was passed unanimously housing for our key work force. I believe that every policeman, by the current Board of Trustees with multiple public meetings fireman, teacher, town employee, and City Market employee and signed as a Town Resolution in late 2017 by Mayor Dan who works here should be able to afford to live here.

Richardson.

• I am self-funding my campaign for Town Trustee.

• I served as Town Liaison to the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Ex Board, Garfield Clean Energy, the Tree Board and Parks and Recreation and served on Carbondale Arts Planning Committee.

• I assisted my close friend Jim Calaway in raising money for the construction of the Thunder River Theatre as well as being a charter member of Roaring Fork Cultural Council which

FA I T H , FA M I LY, A N D F R I E N D S !

KEEP A PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) • FINISH STRONG L O V E A N I M A L S especially Golden Retrievers

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 13

Aspen Strong offers much-needed ‘Time to Talk’

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

Aspen Strong’s mental health peer support group, “Time to Talk,” began in December 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by “providing people with a space to come, connect and talk about whatever they’re going through. To find a space where they could share their stories openly and find the resources that they needed,” explained Executive Director Angilina Taylor. Lawrence Altman, Aspen Strong co-founder, and Andy Godfrey, board vice-president, developed the “Time to Talk” concept. It began, Godfrey said, when Altman was “going through a tough period in his life.”

They shared their personal stories and then asked, “Wouldn’t it be great to do something like that in more of a casual environment?”

“But, we were stuck. It was the fall of 2020, and we were stuck in COVID, so we decided to start it in an online Zoom format,” Godfrey explained.

After a little more than a year online, Godfrey shared, “It’s been going great.

The main thing we want people to know is that it’s a safe and confidential environment, where people can come in and either share their stories or just listen to other people share — there’s absolutely no pressure to speak.”

Last fall, Godfrey explored ways to expand participation. He contacted the folks at Decentraland, a large “metaverse,” online platform, and

A "Time to Talk" meeting, with Angilina Taylor and Andy Godfrey on Zoom and metaverse participants, represented by avatars, in the virtual movie theatre. Courtesy photo found them “very enthusiastic about helping support us.”

In October 2021, the mental health advocacy group streamed its first “Time to Talk” call and recently, Godfrey shared, some participants have chosen to create digital avatars and join the session in a virtual movie theater, into which the Zoom call is streamed.

“We can take their questions, and so it’s been very interesting and satisfying,” he said.

Taylor explained that when you join the Zoom meeting, you can choose not to turn on your camera, allowing you to speak anonymously.

She said, “Still, many times, once they hear other people talking, they are inspired to turn their cameras on and want to talk as well, which has been really cool to see because a lot of times they may have been like, ‘I just thought I’d come here and listen, but wow, I am feeling like I’m connecting with the people here,’ — it’s a moving experience.”

Currently, the group is exploring ways to bring in experts on subjects like parenting or eating disorders to address specific topics of interest to participants.

Another Aspen Strong programming initiative, “For You By

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You,” is described as “a workshop to raise awareness and support youth mental well-being.”

The program is designed for students in eighth grade and high school. Aspen Strong will select 12 students from a recent application process that includes youth from Aspen to Rifle.

Then, on Feb. 10, they will participate in an all-day workshop where, Taylor said, “we’re creating a safe space where they can be comfortable to share their experiences.”

Taylor said the application process alone revealed mental health issues facing youth, their families and friends.

“A lot of the questions we asked were about mental health issues that they’ve experienced, or that loved ones have experienced, and what are some of the common stressors that they’re feeling right now. It was pretty amazing how many kids checked so many of the boxes,” she shared.

Students will discuss what they see as the most prevalent mental health issues within their schools and communities.

“And we’re going to allow them the space to come up with what some solutions could be,” Taylor explained.

The second half of the workshop involves creating a project. “Some type of output from the day, whether that’s a video or t-shirts, or whatever the thing is, they will come up with some kind of a campaign to share with the community,” Taylor said.

In a public panel discussion on March 3, the students will present their projects at Here House in Aspen.

Taylor said, “We’ll have different community leaders in the room, so they can hear [the students’] perspectives.”

The goal is that attendees will walk away with a foundational knowledge of emotional and trauma literacy.

“Time to Talk” meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month, from 6 to 7 p.m. Registration is through Eventbrite, allowing you to sign up for multiple sessions. The next meeting is on Feb. 10. To register, or for more information about Aspen Strong, visit www.aspenstrong.org

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14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

For pets’ sake, partnerships save lives

By Cathi Basler Special to The Sopris Sun

A litter of puppies from the Navajo Nation cared for by Underdog Rescue in Moab, Utah. Courtesy photo

Betty and Neo are two abandoned dogs that arrived at C.A.R.E. from the White Mountain Apache reservation in Arizona. Thanks to the help of a Four Corners rescue group, For Pet's Sake, and two Colorado residents who found these dogs living on the side of a highway, this sweet and friendly mother and son are available for adoption at C.A.R.E. Courtesy photos

A couple of weeks ago, Colorado Animal Rescue (C.A.R.E)’s Strategic Planning Committee met.

We did what all committees like us do.

We talked about and, frankly, worried about the future of our communities and, of course, animal welfare.

Collaboration and partnerships floated to the top of our discussions as we explored 2021 challenges and successes.

How can we, as one animal shelter, better serve our animal communities and their people?

The definition of a partnership is: a collaborative relationship between organizations or individuals. The purpose of a partnership is to work toward shared goals through a division of labor that all parties believe in. Partnerships can provide practical solutions to societal and community needs.

As we pondered this definition, one of our committee members described a recent collaboration with an organization known as Underdog Animal Rescue and Rehab (Underdog).

Underdog is among a group of collaborators made up of dedicated people in the Four Corners region, where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet. Underdog serves the Navajo Nation and surrounding Native American reservations including the Hopi, Zuni and Ute. By partnering with Underdog for a spay and neuter clinic, animal lovers work together cleaning dog crates, walking

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dogs and helping owners get their pets checked in and discharged for vaccines and spaying or neutering procedures.

Originally, the Navajo Nation vet clinics could only be provided by Underdog six times per year.

With more partners joining, these clinics are now held monthly. At a threeday clinic in November, C.A.R.E.’s contributions helped 214 dogs and cats get spayed or neutered, and 381 animals receive vaccinations.

To help create space and further support these animals, C.A.R.E. transferred 68 dogs from the Underdog shelter to Colorado for adoption in 2021.

It is estimated by animal organizations there are at least 250,000 stray dogs within the Navajo Nation borders.

There are no counts for the other reservations in the Four Corners area, but estimates go as high as 400,000.

The life expectancy of a reservation dog is about two years due to lack of food and water, the harsh elements, predators and life-threatening injuries.

The four animal shelters that serve the Navajo Nation have a euthanasia rate of 93%.

The remaining 7% survival rate is due to organizations and rescues collaborating in other parts of Colorado to find homes for the lucky dogs.

Life for a “rez dog” is harsh, but as the definition says, partnerships can provide practical solutions to societal and community needs. It is happening now, one shared goal at a time.

Over Thanksgiving, Steve and Kathy Underwood were en route to visit family in Tucson when they took a pit stop just south of Show Low, Arizona, on the White Mountain Apache reservation.

While letting their four dogs out to pee, they heard some unusual barking.

There, in the dark and moonless night, miles from anywhere, a young female dog and her puppy approached them.

The momma dog was friendly and sweet and the young pup was friendly but very shy. As heartbroken as they were, Steve and Kathy were unable to take the dogs in their car.

They left food and water and vowed to find help. In the coming days, they contacted animal shelters and rescue groups in the area to go pick up the dogs.

Four days later, on their way home to Colorado, the dogs were still there, living on the side of the road.

In the same predicament as a few days prior, the Underwoods still couldn’t take the dogs in their car and were forced to drive home. They spent another week contacting every animal agency in the area, but none could help, saying that even if they did — the dogs would be euthanized.

With options exhausted, Steve then drove back to Show Low and was relieved to find the dogs, over a week later, still alive and waiting for help. He took them home.

Thanks to the Underwoods and a four corners rescue group called For Pet’s Sake, these two dogs arrived at C.A.R.E. Now named Betty and Neo, they are happy, healthy and looking for a loving home.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 15

Input sought for Sweetwater management Cultural significance

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

Although it’s over the hill and through the woods, Sweetwater Lake is still part of Garfield County and of particular interest to outdoor enthusiasts.

For decades, the acreage has fluctuated between private landowners but was recently sold, yet again, to the most attractive bidder: the federal government.

The 488 acre purchase was financed by the federal Water and Land Conservation Fund and the acquisition did not come easy. Eagle Valley Land Trust (EVLT), the Conservation Fund and the U.S. Forest Service led a “Save the Lake” campaign for years before closing the deal in August 2021.

The Conservation Fund transferred the land to the Forest Service to be added into the White River National Forest.

This public park will be the first of its kind to be owned by the federal government but managed by the state of Colorado. Governor Jared Polis announced in September 2021 that it will become an official Colorado State Park.

EVLT, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the Forest Service are now partnering to create a suitable management plan for the lake and surrounding area. These agencies

Sweetwater Lake is to become Colorado's newest state park. Photo by Eagle Valley Wild are inviting the public to chime in on the process, online or in-person.

Two of three scheduled community open houses took place in Gypsum on Jan. 25 and Feb. 2.

Folks on this side of Glenwood Canyon will get their chance to partake in the discussion, in-person, on Feb. 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Library.

“We have kind of an unprecedented opportunity to give this place a refresh and make a really valuable asset for our entire community,” explained EVLT

Deputy Director Bergen Tjossem.

“We want to interface directly with the public and better understand how we can make that happen.”

The deputy director emphasized that the easiest and most effective way for a member of the public to pass along their thoughts is by completing the survey, which can be found at www.evlt.org/sweetwater “The more people that take that,” said Tjossem, “the better idea we have of how we can best serve our community and make sure that Sweetwater Lake is an asset for our

Make time for your HEART

community going forward.” He added, “We also hope that people join us for the next open house.”

According to Tjossem, the area is somewhat of a “hidden gem” and hasn’t been too negatively impacted by recreationalists in the past. “There will be some increase in traffic, but we’re looking at ways to mitigate those impacts,” he said.

Currently, there are no services on the property. In the future, they will likely enhance the boat dock, bring the existing structures up to code and add trash and bathroom services.

One paramount concern is the preservation of a cultural site significant to the Utes who inhabited the region prior to their forced relocation in the early 1880s, Tjossem explained. He mentioned that there will be short-term management measures in place to protect the site in the immediate future. “Cultural resource specialists from the Forest Service and CPW are working on that right now,” he assured. “We’re in this sensitive transition and we want to make sure it’s protected before people start going there,” said Tjossem.

In the long-term, Tjossem estimated that the management plan will include public access and viewing of the archeological find, noting its educational significance.

Glenwood Springs Historical Society Director Bill Kight told The Sopris Sun, the thing people need to remember is that this land was their home, he said of the Utes.

The Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 prohibits the defacing or altering in any way of cultural inheritance sites. According to the National Parks Service’s website, “For a felony offense, firsttime offenders can be fined up to $20,000 and imprisoned for up to one year. Second-time felony offenders can be fined up to $100,000 and imprisoned for up to five years.”

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16 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

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Due by 4:00 pm, Friday, February 25, 2022

Writers

on the Range

By Wayne Hare It’s February — the month we celebrate the achievements and history of Black Americans. You can be sure we’ll hear about the brave souls that risked or even gave their lives to achieve rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence.

We’ll hear about great Black jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and about barrier-breaking athletes like Jackie Robinson. Most have become household names. There will be quotes galore from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But there are forgotten and fascinating people we also ought to learn about, such as Bass Reeves, one of the first U.S. marshals appointed to the Indian Territories. He served for 32 years in that capacity, making over 3,000 felony arrests and killing 14 men in the process.

Upon his death in 1910, he received a backhanded tribute in

When will Black history become part of American history? the Muskogee Phoenix: “And it is lamentable that we as white people must go to this poor, simple old negro to learn a lesson in courage, honesty and faithfulness to official duty.”

Another person to learn about is Matthew Henson, a courageous Black American who dragged an ailing Robert Peary across the finish line on a sled, making Henson technically the first human ever to reach the North Pole. Yet it was Peary who was lauded and promoted to rear admiral, while Henson was given an honorary burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Then there’s Mary Eliza Mahoney, who, in 1879, became the first Black American to earn a professional nursing license. Unable to get a job in public nursing because of discrimination, she worked as a private nurse, and in 1908, co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses.

You will find Black people threaded throughout our complex history, and that is what bothers me about Black History Month. Why does America need a special month to acknowledge that Black Americans are truly a part of our story? Why, in many colleges and high schools, might Black history be taught as its own course, yet when it comes to courses in “American history,” Black involvement is mostly confined to the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement? Don’t we belong here?

Maybe Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was just confused recently when, after Senate Democrats

failed to pass a voting rights act, he said, “African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans.” McConnell said he made an inadvertent mistake.

I look forward to a time when we celebrate Black Americans’ full inclusion in the American Dream of democracy and nation building, even if that history includes painful episodes that make us cringe today.

We have had a long fight for rights that we still do not enjoy, like full, unrestricted voting privileges. The recent move of some states to decrease access to the polls seems a throwback to the Jim Crow wave of discrimination that followed the Civil War. If I seem grouchy, I plead guilty.

But what I reckon when I read about the past is that it’s been 157 years since the end of the war that freed Black slaves, 68 years after Brown vs.

Board of Education mandated equal education for Blacks, 58 years after the Civil Rights Act assured all people equal rights under the law, and 57 years after Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which assured everyone the right to vote. Yet here we are, still on the margins of acceptance.

I want us to acknowledge that Black Americans are a part of the American story, along with its villains and heroes, its quirky individuals and its ordinary and often conflicted citizens. Black Americans should be woven into the narrative because, in fact, Black Americans helped

Valley of Love

shape the American story, fighting in world wars, pressing for basic rights and working every job they could get in the face of discrimination.

When that’s finally accepted, we can let February find something else to tell stories about.

Wayne Hare is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org.

He is a retired backcountry ranger, current wildland fire manager, journalist and founding director of the civilconversationsproject.org.

With the onslaught of COVID, indie bookstores have been hard hit. Last summer, cartoonist Larry Day was invited to join a group of illustrators to create something original for bookstores. When someone bought a picture book at one of these indie stores, an original drawing would be included. The campaign steered people to keep shopping for picture books during tough times. Larry Day's inspiration for this series was to highlight books about Black Americans.

Let someone know how grateful you are, propose marriage, share your love for our beautiful valley or simply tell someone that you miss seeing them!

Full on Love (Full page) - $400 Big Hearted Hug (1/2 page) - $225 Wild Heart (1/4 page) - $125 Puppy Love (1/8 page) - $65 Soft Spot (1/6th page) - $25 Individuals and businesses can take part in this sweet deal by calling Todd 970-510-0246, or by email: adsales@soprissun.com

SHARE YOUR LOVE IN THE UPCOMING VALENTINE'S ISSUE OF THE SOPRIS SUN!

And since we love you so much too, we will design your love note for free!

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 17

RECCOMENDED READING

A book about cooking… in space

By Daniel Messer Glenwood Branch Manager

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS 8th Street Improvements

Issue Date: 1/24/2022 | Closing Date: 2/14/2022 Non‐Mandatory Pre‐Bid Conference: 2/1/22 @ 2 PM at Project Site Sealed bids for the construction of the 8th St Improvements Project will be received from invited Bidders by the Town of Carbondale (“OWNER”) at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO 81623, until 2:00 PM on February 14, 2022, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. The project consists of constructing approximately 260 SY of full depth asphalt replacement; raised crosswalk; 1200 LF of curb, gutter and sidewalk; curb extensions; drainage structures; and other street improvements.

Bids will be received for a single prime Contract.

Bids shall be on a unit price basis as indicated in the Bid Form. Bidding Documents will be provided to prospective Bidders as electronic PDF files.

The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is Roaring Fork Engineering (RFE), 592 Hwy 133, Carbondale, CO, 81623 (Contact: Anthony Alfini, PE (970) 618‐7073, AnthonyA@rfeng.biz). Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below.

Bidding Documents are available as electronic portable document format (PDF) files. Alternatively, printed Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing Office via in‐person pick‐up, for a nonrefundable charge of $75 per set. Checks for Bidding Documents shall be payable to Roaring Fork Engineering. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing Office will be considered the date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office.

A pre‐bid conference will be held at 2:00 PM on February 1, 2022 at the intersection of 8th St and the Rio Grande Trail in Carbondale, CO. Attendance at the pre‐bid conference is highly encouraged but is not mandatory.

A 5% bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bidders shall submit proof of qualifications to perform the Work as described in the Instructions to Bidders.

Public Works Department Town of Carbondale 18 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • Feb. 3-Feb. 9, 2022

Where to start with Cat Rambo’s latest book? Their humor misses its mark and the characters and setting were full of tropes and cliches. However, it works wonderfully. The tropes and cliches serve their purpose as shorthand, allowing us to get to the heart of the story faster and delve deeper into the grand space opera they are trying to tell.

And, while the idea of a space captain turned restaurateur and forced back into the captain’s chair seems absurdist at face value, Cat Rambo does a wonderful job of ensuring that the situation stays serious and the cooking is actually relevant to the plot. The humor largely stems from the juxtaposition of culinary arts, politics and trying to understand another being far removed from yourself, while still accepting them for what and who they are. Whether it be the former admiral, Niko, the sergeant-turned-chef, Dabry, Princess Atlanta, squid-like Skidoo, or the space mystic, Lassite, the cast of characters is highly engaging and interesting and goes well beyond the tropes.

While I personally think the humor missed its mark, the setting is still engaging. We are taken from a backwater space station to an organic spaceship that forms almost everything from its own tissue, then to a third destination that I can’t say without spoiling too much.

The book starts off slow at Twicefar Station where we are introduced to the crew at Last Chance Restaurant and the story’s initial conflict: the Nikkelin Orb, equivalent to a Michelin Star and the Holy Hive Mind. Through a series of events, the crew at Last Chance end up on a BioShip called “You Sexy Thing,” destined for a prison planet. They are also joined by an heir of the Pexian Empire and a famous food critic.

Things really get going when a sudden destination change brings Captain Niko on a collision course with a dangerous enemy and former flame.The cast of characters, while diverse and occasionally falling into wish fulfillment territory, still manage to intrigue. You want Captain Nico to succeed, you want You Sexy Thing to grow and want to know more about Lassite’s Spiral of Destiny and Golden Path.

Despite its flaws “You Sexy Thing” is a great read and well worth your time. It isn’t going to win the Nobel Prize, but it might just win a prized slot on your winter reading list. As for me, I am interested in what Cat Rambo will do with this cast of characters going forward. They have teased a potential sequel and I want to know if we will see more of Captain Niko.

“Recommended Reading” is a collaboration between The Sopris Sun and the Garfield County Public Libraries District.

PARTING SHOT

LEGALS A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS (NOTICE BY PUBLICATION OF) §1-13.5-501, 1-13.5-1102(3), 32-1-905(2), C.R.S. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the electors of the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District of Garfield, Pitkin, and Gunnison Counties, Colorado.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on the 3rd day of May, 2022, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, 3 directors will be elected to serve 3-year terms.

Eligible electors of the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District interested in serving on the board of directors may obtain a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form from the District Designated Election Official (DEO): Jenny Cutright 301 Meadowood Drive Carbondale, CO 81623 970-963-2491) cutright@carbondalefire.org The Office of the DEO is open on the following days: Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The deadline to submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance is close of business 4:30 on February 25, 2022 (not less than 67 days before the election).

Affidavit of Intent To Be A Write-In-Candidate forms must be submitted to the office of the designated election official by the close of business on Monday, February 28, 2022 (the sixty-fourth day before the election).

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, an application for an absentee ballot shall be filed with the designated election official no later than the close of business on Tuesday preceding the election, April 26, 2022.

NOTICE PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO DOWNTOWN LIQUORS ON MAIN, LLP 389 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623 HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A TRANSFER OF A RETAIL LIQUOR LICENSE TO SELL MALT, VINOUS, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION OFF PREMISES AT 389 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623

HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO AND VIA ZOOM DATE AND TIME: MARCH 8, 2022 AT 6:00 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: JANUARY 26, 2022

BY ORDER OF: DAN RICHARDSON, MAYOR APPLICANT: JUANA SAENZ Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstrance’s may be filed with the Town Clerk Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623 NOTICE PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO TINY PINE, LLC 968 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623 HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A TRANSFER OF A LIQUOR LICENSE TO SELL MALT, VINOUS, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISE AT 968 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623 HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO AND VIA ZOOM DATE AND TIME: MARCH 8, 2022 AT 6:00 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: JANUARY 25, 2022

BY ORDER OF: DAN RICHARDSON, MAYOR APPLICANT: LESLIE LAMONT Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstrance’s may be filed with the Town Clerk Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623

Start your engines!

On Jan. 30, upwards of 60 participants got a little grip and speed at the Roaring Fork Snow Time Trial, an event run in association with Sports Car Club of America. On land, and using equipment owned by Ace Lane, drivers raced against the clock on a groomed snow track. Overall fastest lap for the weekend was posted by Josh Tenge at 59.75 seconds in an Audi TTRS, shown above.

Photo by Paula Mayer

LETTERS

SERVICE DIRECTORY Practicing minimal contact check-in.

Continued from page 2

Communities intact A big thank-you to the anonymous donor for the land in Carbondale. As a town, we are growing and changing fast!

And these properties will buy us time to keep our community — plus all the people who keep it real — intact.

Let’s make sure the powers that be (town council/staff ) don’t get cartoon dollar signs in their eyes and build more stuff we don’t need, like antiquated shopping malls or parttime residences.

P.S. please check out Mana’s great new spot next to Tortilleria La Roca.

Jeannie Perry Satank

WINDSHIE REPAIR 289 MAIN STREET | (970) 963-2826 | CARBONDALEAH@GMAIL.COM AUTO GLA REPLACEM WINDSHIELD REPAIR & AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENTMo

970-963-3891 970-963-3891

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Locally Owned by David Zamansky

Locally owned byby Jake Zamansky Locally Owned David Zamansky

500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, C 500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO

Ambuscade Cat crouched in shadows Shiny eyes and pointy ears Poised to ambush me JM Jesse Glenwood Springs

Correction Our calculation of the total acreage donated to the town was off by one (not insignificant) decimal point. The town government has graciously received more than 1.6 acres. The Sopris Sun, meanwhile, will more vigorously math check in the future to avoid such blunders.

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2022 • 19

Share the love with your community!

Give back with the Alpine Bank Loyalty Debit Card Every time you use your Loyalty Debit Card*, Alpine Bank donates a dime to community causes that are important to you.

*Alpine Bank debit cards are available with no annual fee to individuals with an Alpine Bank checking account.

ALPINEBANK.COM • MEMBER FDIC

SHOW ROARING FORK HIGH SCHOOL SOME LOVE!!

Ski For SISU

30th Annual

Our Graduation Closet is being put to good use, but we could use more donations for the Class of 2022!

Please consider making a monetary donation to purchase more gowns, caps, and stoles. Or donate your RFHS gown, cap, or stole!

This year, we have over a quarter of our students hoping to borrow from the Graduation Closet, but we don’t have enough of each item.

Feb. 5 - 13, 2022

SISU (Finnish): Demonstrating extraordinary determination and grit in the face of adversity.

FUNDRAISER FOR SPRING GULCH All proceeds benefit the Mount Sopris Nordic Council for the Spring Gulch Nordic trail system.

Questions: Contact Lorri: lknaus@rfschools.com or 970.384.5750 Make checks payable to RFHS & write Grad Closet in the memo line.

TAKE THE 9-DAY CHALLENGE

1) Sign up on our website. $30 per adult, $20 per youth to participate.

2) Gather sponsorships to multiply your contribution!

3) Between 2/5 and 2/13, ski anytime of day, as often as you like, on our marked 3.5k, 10k, and 12.5k courses -OR- take advantage of our new virtual option to ski remotely on a trail near you.

4) Report your distance(s) skied via our website (honor system). most KMs skied, most Prizes! For pledges raised, & more!

Sign-up and pledge online:

www.springgulch.org Many thanks to our generous SISU sponsors!

Celebrate SISU - 2/13 Join us for a celebration of SISU’s 30th year! Stay tuned for details.

- Weather permitting -

Cold Mountain Ranch

Alpine Bank is proud to support these nonprofit organizations' advertisements.