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7 ~ GarCo Report

10-11 ~ Calendar

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17-18 ~ KDNK

Poop, there it is!

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Correspondent

It’s a sight too familiar — dog waste, bagged and otherwise, littering our favorite trails. As the snow thaws, the problem is especially evident. One might wonder, did this person intend to grab their bag on the way back? Or do they think it’s somebody’s job to ferry poop away?

Not only is it unsightly, smelly and a nuisance to step in, dog poop can spread disease and does not make good fertilizer due to acidic, high-protein pet diets. Seepage can also contaminate waterways with nitrogen and phosphorus causing algae to bloom.

Much like the plastic faces bags left to erode, it’s not an issue that’s going away. This has prompted the Red Hill Council, a nonprofit stewardship group, to raise awareness with an “activation” on Red Hill, one of the Valley’s most popular hiking areas with more than 70,000 annual users.

Hikers, bikers and dog walkers who may otherwise ignore the proliferation of poo will not be able to so easily tune out the presence of over 600 purple flags marking each and every turd volunteers have identified within a quarter mile of the trailhead.

The flags will remain in place for several weeks, overlapping with 5Point Adventure Film Festival, a time of high visitation, and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers work parties in May. Next year, the act will be repeated and the flags counted to measure any change in user behavior.

The idea was inspired by a similar installation performed on Smuggler Mountain Trail in Aspen in 2015. “It’s meant to be provocative and to stimulate discussion in our community,” said Chris Brandt, president of the Red Hill Council. “This is an issue that affects all trails in our Valley.”

Regarding Red Hill specifically, “it's a sensitive space and it's sacred and it should be protected,” Brandt said. Within two years of moving here in 2009, he already noticed degradation occurring on Red Hill and decided to volunteer with the council. A survey they conducted last year, yielding 270 responses, identified trail damage due to use in the muddy season and dog behavior as two main issues affecting the area.

Red Hill Council will partner with Carbondale Tourism to provide responsible visitation education during 5Point’s weekend festivities. The poop-flagging strategy falls directly in line with “Take it Easy, Carbondale,” a new tourism campaign with a destination stewardship ethos.

Officially made public on April 11, this rebranding is the result of a year of strategic planning, “thinking about how we want visitors to perceive Carbondale,” stated Sarah-Jane Johnson with Roadmap Consulting.

Using cell phone data, Carbondale Tourism tracked 162,490 unique visitors to Carbondale in the course of 12 months, with 60% coming from in-state. While recognizing the importance of tourism to Carbondale’s economy, the “Take it Easy” campaign seeks to ease impacts on the town, people and environment.

“Our new approach to tourism recognizes the core values of our residents and local community members,” said Andrea Stewart, Carbondale Chamber and Tourism president and CEO. “Above all, be kind to our community and think about your impact on our environment and interactions.”

Resources for businesses and other partners seeking to promote this message can be found at www.carbondale.com

The Red Hill Council would also like to remind trail users to avoid using trails when they’re muddy and to leash pets so as not to widen impacts on the ecosystem. Learn more at www.RedHillCouncil.org

Photo by Will Sardinsky

GUEST

OPINION

By Elizabeth Key

Lately, I have nightmares of swimming through snow, my omniscient yoga instructor's voice guiding me to take deep, cleansing breaths as my mind spools and the wind whips through my permeable lungs. I wake up gasping. My first thought is, I survived the night; I’m alive. Dying in your sleep has been lauded as the way to go, but I would prefer to be an octogenarian when that occurs. Frankly, I have a lot more adulting to do.

A couple of months ago, I would have died in my sleep if I had neglected to replace the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms when I moved into my new home. I was searing meat for dinner when the first alarm started blaring. Logically, I responded by removing the batteries and cracking the door for the smoke to escape. Food, water and shelter are essential for survival, but I didn’t realize that my house was being hotboxed by a deadly gas, out to smother me. It wasn’t until the second alarm went off that I grabbed my dog, kicked my cat outside, exited the house and called 911. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of poisoning death in the United States.

LETTERS

Protect the Crystal

I am encouraged to see that Gunnison and Pitkin counties, the Town of Marble and the River District are convening a stakeholder process that will look at permanent protection for the Crystal River. Interested and impacted citizens can now participate in the process to accomplish this, starting with a kickoff meeting in the Marble firehouse on Thursday, April 27 at 5pm. I’ve been a longtime supporter of a Wild and Scenic designation for the Crystal and see that as our best chance for keeping the river as it is — free-flowing, undammed and with no out-of-drainage diversions. I’ve spoken with Crystal Valley residents over the years, many of whom support a Wild and Scenic designation for the Crystal, and some who have questions about what that would mean for their property, their water or their future. One thing is clear: we all love the Crystal River and want to keep it as it is.

It’s going to take all of us coming together to listen to each other’s concerns and questions, and seek answers together. The upcoming collaborative process being led by our local communities will be an opportunity for us to listen to each other and learn how we can work together for the benefit of the Crystal River and future generations. I spent my earlier years roaming the Fryingpan valley and I’ve seen all too well what can happen

Over the copious winter, a cornice of snow had developed on the eve of my roof, sporting an abundance of fanglike icicles. I felt relieved when my metal roof released the condensed snow with a satisfying jolt that shook the house.

I was unaware that the fifteen feet of snow piled on the side of my house was blocking my boiler vent. When the fire department arrived, the CO levels in my home were hazardous. They turned off my gas boiler, rendering me without heat or hot water on the frigid winter night. I built a big fire, piled on the comforters, and surrounded myself with my CO alarms before bed.

Pablo Herr, public educator with the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District, warns that carbon monoxide “will sneak up on you. You want to make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm on every floor of your home, including the basement. You want to have these detectors within 10 feet of each bedroom door.” The garage is one of the most common areas of CO poisoning events, and having a CO detector near the garage door can save a life.

Carbon monoxide is virtually undetectable for humans. “It is tasteless, odorless, colorless, gaseous,” Herr said. Produced by the incomplete combustion of fuel, this deadly gas can be the byproduct of everyday amenities such as gas ranges, fireplaces, camping stoves, propane heaters, charcoal grills and automobiles. It is vital to inspect gas appliances for blackening. If the blue flame has turned into an orange flicker, it is a sign that the fuel is not burning completely. Ensure your fireplaces are

to a river if there isn’t a community organized and united against out-ofbasin diversions and river-wide dams. Protecting the Crystal River from dams and out-of-valley diversions is not only important for our generation but for generations decades into the future, where the demands for water will continue to intensify.

Chuck Downey, Redstone

A story from Wick

Many KDNK staff recollections were recorded in the station’s newsletter through the years. Here is a story from the late Wick Moses, KDNK’s first station manager, and early supporter and organizer. “One of my most vivid memories of the early days on the air involved the antenna, as the antenna company sent us an antenna that was designed to work in a very dry climate. The spring of 1983 was extremely wet. We discovered that when it rained, the antenna reflected back into the transmitter, so whenever it looked like weather was coming, I would climb up the tower with garbage bags and put them over the elements. I did this one time when there was a lightning storm headed our way. That’s how I got my permanently curly hair. The antenna company sent us new elements, although we did manage to fry the transmitter, which then had to go back to the factory. We operated off the exciter (10 watts) while the

venting correctly and soot is not falling from the chimney.

Herr explained, “The scientific story is that the carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin. It makes the hemoglobin molecules less able to bind to oxygen. Because of this, the oxygen transports from the blood and the release of the bound oxygen in the tissues is decreased. Then the tissue starts getting damaged from local hypoxia.”

Children, pets, pregnant women and people with coronary artery disease are especially susceptible to CO poisoning. Herr mentioned that heavy smokers can tolerate higher CO levels in their bodies and can even be unknowingly experiencing a poisoning event. Organs with a high oxygen content, like the heart and brain, are especially sensitive to hypoxia. The CO alarm is the most effective way of monitoring this fatal gas.

Herr said, “Nowadays, there are these great [CO alarms] that have 10-year lithium batteries, and they will give you a little alert when they are running low on juice.” He still suggests checking your smoke detectors and CO alarms every daylight savings time change. He said, “Your first defense is going to be early alert. Get a CO detector. If you don’t have one, you can contact me.”

I haunted my friends and family when I relayed that I could have perished in my sleep. After much shoveling and some springtime thaw, my anxiety is starting to subside. I saw my first crocus yesterday and exclaimed, “I survived winter!” To which my friend responded, “Yeah, just barely.”

Contact Pablo Herr at 970-963-2491 or visit carbondalefire.org for more information, or if you need a carbon monoxide detector.

transmitter was fixed.”

Lynn “Jake” Burton, Carbondale

Crown vote

Many citizens in the Crown Mountain Recreation District have received in the mail a ballot for the upcoming election for Board of Directors. As the current president of the board, I would ask for your support in voting for me for another term. I would like to continue my work on the board to complete the Master Plan that is currently in process. We have many great opportunities to enhance the size of the park, and I am always available to visit with anyone regarding future plans and visions.

Most importantly, mail your ballot to the Edwards address or bring the ballot personally to the Crown Mountain Clubhouse on election day, May 2, from 7am to 7pm. If you did not receive a ballot and reside in the boundaries, please come vote on May 2.

Thank you for your support and vote.

Leroy Duroux, Basalt

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Run-off begins

According to the Roaring Fork Conservancy, rivers in the Roaring Fork Watershed were flowing at 129-217% of normal for this time of year last week. As the snowpack gives way to warmer temps, it’s important that people and their pets visiting the rivers are careful not to be swept away by strong currents.

Redstone open space

Equine Infectious Anemia

RJ Paddywacks

Cool Bricks Studio

White River Books

Alpine Animal Hospital

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Nonprofit Partners

Wilderness Workshop

5point Film Festival

Basalt Library

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Carbondale Rotary

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Carbondale Arts

Carbondale Chamber of Commerce

Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner in 2023? Email Todd@ soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (OST) is seeking the public's input regarding updates to the 2010 Redstone Parks and Open Space Management Plan and the 2008 Filoha Meadows Nature Preserve Management Plan. Updated management plans will address these OST properties: Elk Park, Redstone Park, the Coke Ovens Open Space, the Drool Open Space, Redstone Boulders Open Space, Sawmill Hill Open Space and the Filoha Meadows Nature Preserve. Visit www. pitkinostprojects.com for more information and the survey link.

RMI decision

The Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a 2021 Garfield County District Court decision that the county has the authority to enforce special use permit conditions on Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI), regardless of the fact that the company operates the Mid-Continent Quarry on federal land. Following the appellate court’s Feb. 16 opinion, RMI had 14 days to file a petition for a rehearing, which the company forewent. RMI had until March 31 to file a petition of certiorari for review by the Colorado Supreme Court, and having not done that either, the appellate opinion was deemed the final ruling.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture confirmed that a horse residing in Garfield County tested positive for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). The horse was euthanized and other horses on the same property are under quarantine for 60 days. The horse was tested due to being illegally transported across state lines, not having been administered an EIA test (also known as a Coggins test). In the U.S. it’s required that a horse test negative for EIA and have a certificate of veterinary inspection before crossing state borders. Visit www.bit.ly/EIAinformation for more information and resources regarding EIA.

Nature Park burn

If you haven’t noticed already, the Carbondale Nature park is closed between 7am and 3:30pm through the week, April 17-21, due to tentative burns, weather permitting. “Burning underbrush is one of the Town’s mitigation techniques for soil health and weed control at the Nature Park and one of the multipronged strategies identified in the Carbondale Integrated Weed Management Plan for 2023,” a press release from the Town stated.

More burns

The Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit is planning several prescribed burns on federal lands, including up to 500 acres at Avalanche Creek and up to 2,000 acres at Braderich Creek.

Stepping Stones is hiring

Stepping Stones, an organization that cultivates strong mentoring relationships and community

On Friday, April 14, all students at Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) participated in the annual Scholarship Work Day, assisting with 10 projects at ranches, residences and public trails. The tradition began in the early ‘60s, when a young man from Kenya wished to study at CRMS and fellow students worked at ranches to raise funds to bring him stateside. Now, the day helps support the 47% of CRMS students who receive some form of financial aid to attend the school.

Despite the daunting weather, the girls soccer team showed up in full to help rip out old, dilapidated fencing at Coffman Ranch, land acquired by Aspen Valley Land Trust for the public’s benefit.

spaces for youth ages 10 to 24, is hiring a full-time Youth Adult Program Coordinator. Applicants are asked to include a cover letter, current resume and three professional references. Visit www.steppingstones. org/employment for more information.

Pickleball 101

The Roaring Fork Pickleball Association invites anyone — from “beginners, neverever[ers] and the curious” — interested in learning the basics of the sport. Participants can choose up to two lessons offered on May 1, 3, 8, 10, 22 and 24 starting at either 9:30 or 11am, or May 15 and 17 lessons starting at 9 or 11am. Email nettmarkham@

aol.com to register. For more information, visit www. roaringforkpickleball.org, or visit Roaring Fork Pickleball Association on Facebook.

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Julie Bomersback, Jack Bergstrom, Jared Carlson, April Clark and Molly Jacober (April 20); Renae Gustine and Shannon Muse (April 21); Sage Dawson, Fred Malo, Kameron Miranda and Mendo Will (April 22); Rosemary Dewers (April 23); Enrique Abarca, Dick Gibson and Holly Tullar (April 24); Hope Sontag and Stephen Shapiro (April 25); Gayle Embrey and Susan Jordan (April 26).

By asking “How are you, really?” you can show your support and compassion for the mental health of others.

For mental health resources visit AspenStrong.org/GetHelp.

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

What’s up with Midland?

By Will Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

As of mid-April, Old Town Basalt is already well into its Midland Avenue Streetscape Project, an initiative that will not only refurbish underground utilities along Midland Ave but give its pavement a significant facelift. However, not all Basalt residents are keen on the project — especially its timeline.

Although it may feel like a recent development, the Streetscape Project was incorporated into a special municipal election on Nov. 2, 2021. This was part of the Basalt Forward 2030 program, designed to implement the goals and priorities set forth in Basalt’s 2020 Master Plan. Of 1,322 votes received, approximately 71% were in favor of using property taxes to improve Basalt’s streetscape.

The project itself is comprehensive. In terms of utilities, it will replace water, sewer, storm sewer and electric lines, and install new broadband infrastructure. The water and sewer lines are the biggest factor in determining the timeline. Because water flows downhill, the phases will move eastward up Midland Avenue so that the newest storm sewers are always at the bottom of construction. Additionally, difficulty with connecting the old and new water lines means that construction is intended to be as continuous as possible to prevent service interruptions.

Currently, Basalt is in Phase 1 — an overhaul of the Midland Spur — set to be completed around late June. Phase 2 will occur from Midland Mall to Xin Yu Massage and will take place from late May through to the fall. This is the period of greatest contention. Phase 3, which is from Xin Yu to Homestead Drive, will not occur until spring of 2024.

In terms of surface changes, the project will widen the north side of the sidewalk to 18 feet, making way

for outdoor seating. The curb will also be flattened to make both sides more ADA accessible. A center flex lane will remain part of Midland Avenue so businesses can receive deliveries, but some islands with greenery will be added at various intervals — including on the sidewalks. Pedestrian crosswalks will also be widened and made more visible using pavers to improve overall walkability in alignment with the Master Plan’s aim to reduce emissions. However, this leaves out one important piece of the puzzle. Where’s everyone going to park?

Technically speaking, the project will not reduce the number of parking spaces around Old Town Basalt. Phase 1 will actually increase the number of parking spaces on the Midland Spur, but Phase 2 will reduce the number of spaces closest to businesses by converting them from diagonal to parallel parking. In the end, the amount of parking will remain the same, but more spaces will be further from most businesses. However, parking will certainly not be improved this summer. During Phase 2, parking will be almost totally unavailable on main Midland. The Town intends to compensate by creating a shuttle service between the middle and elementary schools, as well as increasing the number of WE-cycle bike share stations. In conjunction with the fact that construction will be happening Monday to Friday from 7am to 5pm, Midland businesses fear that this summer will be extremely difficult for them, urging the Town to pause Phase 2.

Many businesses have reiterated in various meetings and letters to the Town that most of their revenue is made during the summer months; in some cases, over triple the amount made during the winter. Still fresh off losses caused during the pandemic, many business owners — along with concerned citizens — have been circulating petitions to pause Phase 2 until the fall, so as to impact traffic as little as possible.

In various meetings and in various documents, the Town of Basalt has emphasized its reticence about pausing. According to documents found on Let’s Talk Basalt, a public engagement website, for a pause to occur, lready dug 10-foot-deep trenches would have to be refilled and repaved, and once construction resumes, they would be rebroken and excavated. This process would increase the cost of construction and lengthen its schedule by a year or more — meaning downtown Midland would appear to be “under construction” until 2025 or later.

During the March 28 Town Council meeting, Town Manager Ryan Mahoney announced that a contract which includes a summer pause will be put out to bid. This will allow the Town to properly estimate the timeline and cost of pausing construction. As of yet, there has been no update on this bid. Additionally, the Town emphasized that the Sunday Market will still be happening on the Spur this summer, and the Basalt River Park will have a bandshell and a robust live music programming to attract visitors in the evening.

To learn more and see renderings of how Midland will look, visit: letstalk.basalt.net

Colorado Rocky Mountain School proudly celebrates the sponsors, students, parent volunteers, faculty, and project partners for helping to support the CRMS financial aid program.

Join us in thanking them for making the 58th Annual Scholarship Work Day a wonderful success!

11 work sites • 190 CRMS volunteers • 686 volunteer hours PATRONS

Elliot & Caroline Norquist

Car Care

Dooley Creek Farm Strang Ranch Crown Mountain Ranch

A rendering of Midland Ave's final look, complete with outdoor seating on the north (left) side, parallel parking and highly-visible crosswalks. Courtesy of Connect One Design

Restaurateurs bring lifelong friendships to new Carbondale venture

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

If you’ve walked past the location of the former Mi Casita restaurant lately, you may have noticed the brown packaging paper that once covered the windows is now peeled back, allowing passersby to peek in and satisfy their natural curiosity.

Located at the corner of Weant Boulevard and Main Street, La Raza hopes to add a little wiggle room to Carbondale’s much-in-demand restaurant scene. The owners promise patrons a full-service restaurant with authentic food and drinks from the Guadalajara and Oaxaca regions of Mexico.

Rigoberto “Rigo” Vasquez, La Raza co-owner and head chef, is no stranger to the area or restaurant business. He has lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for 24 years and worked with current Mi Chola restaurateur Adam Malmberg for 18 years.

Growing up in the city of Guadalajara with his seven brothers and one sister, Vasquez remembers the kitchen as a bustling beehive of activity. Meals for family were cooked in clay pots over a fire, and his mother and grandmother, known for their delectable dishes, catered weddings.

Those beginnings taught Vasquez that anyone with passion can cook. “If you have a tomato and a chicken breast in your house, you can be creative and do anything you want with it… anything,” he said.

Malmberg, Vasquez and their other La Raza partners, Brad Smith and Jordan White, have been good friends and business partners in various restaurant ventures, including Aspen’s Mi Chola and one of the city’s most-missed haunts, the nowclosed Red Onion.

The quartet’s first foray into the Carbondale restaurant scene, they assured that La Raza would feature cuisine unlike any of their other ventures.

Vasquez offered up a couple of his favorite menu items, including cochinita pibil, a dish from Mexico’s Yucatán region made from pork. After the pork has been marinated in spices, it is wrapped in banana leaves and slow cooked. The meat can be eaten with tacos or tortillas, topped with pickled onions and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Another Vasquez specialty is molés, particularly molé negro, a richly-flavored Mexican sauce made with black chilhuacle, a rare chile that grows in the mountain valleys of Oaxaca.

During the remodeling, White explained, the team made every effort to use repurposed materials, including wood from trees killed by mountain pine beetles. The tables and chairs are repurposed from a recently-closed restaurant. White shared, “It’s not only cost-effective, but we also don't need to be the next restaurant crew coming in here and throwing everything in the dump to start from scratch. If it’s usable — we’ve used it.”

The restaurant’s ambiance will include a smattering of art depicting ranching and rodeo life, including Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) and one historical image from a Carbondale rodeo. Malmberg shared, “We're looking at the blend of cultures between ranching and the rodeo and between Carbondale and Mexico.”

Smith, former manager and owner of The Red Onion, who Malmberg called “an amazing chef,” will work alongside Vasquez to put the finishing touches on dishes.

The four friends, with many years of experience in the restaurant industry, have brought that tight-knit bond to their La Raza business venture. They want Carbondale and the surrounding community to embrace La Raza as a place to celebrate quinceañeras, birthdays and

AF

Thurs, Apr. 20, 4-5:30PM

Learn about space during interactive (and maybe even tasty) activities!

¿Buscas Empleo?

Fri, Apr. 21, 1-2PM

¡Te apoyamos con ideas y estrategias para que encuentres una nueva oportunidad!

Let’s Talk About it: Help! My Kids Need Money

Thurs, Apr. 27, 5-6:30PM Disuss ways to plan ahead and meet your goals, needs and wants.

The full schedule of events can be found at basaltlibrary.org/events-calendar

14 Midland Avenue | Basalt Colorado 81621 | 970.927.4311 |

Working Together For Pets And Their People 2801 CR 114 Glenwood Springs, (970)947-9173CO

CARE has 10 dogs and 7 cats available for adoption.

La Raza business partners: (back, left to right) Brad Smith, Adam Malmberg, Jordan White and (front, center) Rigo Vasquez in front of a work-inprogress mural painted by Smith's wife, Jen.

other special occasions.

Vasquez said that the restaurant’s name — La Raza — “has confused people.” He added, “Some people think it’s kind of racist, but I don’t see it from that perspective. When I grew up, it didn't matter your color; it didn't matter your race, it didn't matter where you came from — it was about friendship and community relationship.”

He said the name reflects the idea of being all-in as a community and looking out for and honoring one another. He shared, “‘La raza’ means 100% friendship, community, honesty.

The La Raza family invites you to stop by for dinner and drinks. They will be announcing lunch hours at a later date.

When You Have Unexpected Medical Needs

RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive families, including a “Paws for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount for your new pet.

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Photo by James Steindler

Clear message delivered: ‘No Border Patrol in Our Schools’

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

On April 12, community members filled the room at the Roaring Fork School District’s (RFSD) Board of Education meeting to express their dissatisfaction and concern with the U.S. Border Patrol’s presence with a table at the March 21 career expo held at Glenwood Springs High School (GSHS).

The perceived lack of oversight by the district and school administrators, including Roaring Fork School District Superintendent Jesús Rodríguez and GSHS Principal Paul Freeman, left many within the Latino community reeling.

Local Latino organizations, including Voces Unidas, led by President and CEO Alex Sánchez, and local representatives of a nationwide youth-led nonprofit that focuses on immigrant rights and social justice advocacy, Asociación de Jóvenes Unidos en Acción / Association of Youth United in Action (AJUA), sent out a call for action to the Latino community and allies to make their voices heard at the school board meeting.

Community members in attendance answered the call to action, many with signs stating, “No Border Patrol in Our Schools” and “Protect Our Students.”

Approximately 60% percent of the student population within RFSD is Latino. During the public comment portion of the meeting, many of the speakers expressed concerns about the negative impact the Border Patrol’s

presence might have on Latino students in attendance, some of whom may have family members or friends who have experienced traumatic encounters with immigration officials.

“We expect our leaders to take responsibility, to develop a plan to heal and move forward,” Voces Unidas President and CEO Alex Sánchez told the school board. “You are either with your Latino students, or you are against your Latino students.”

This is not the first go-round for RFSD involving immigration officials.

According to a statement on the Voces Unidas website, from 2011 to 2016, the district had several incidents with “school resource officers working part-time with federal immigration agencies who deported family members of students in the district.”

Those incidents led to the school district board passing the 2016 Safe Haven Resolution (www.bit.ly/ RFSDSafeHaven) that, among its tenets, states that RFSD schools “will remain safe and supportive spaces for students and community members, free from intimidation, hostility, or violence, including threat of deportation,” and that district schools will “not collaborate with immigration enforcement agencies.”

Many think the Border Patrol’s presence at GSHS was in direct violation of the Safe Haven Resolution.

Martha Nila, a 2020 GSHS graduate said during the public comment period, “I knew that students from [GSHS] were

coming, and I wanted to show them that I was once like them in high school, and I will be here to support them even if I'm not in high school.”

A member of AJUA, Nila said the Border Patrol incident was unsettling.

“I was pretty shocked. I went to the [GSHS] Facebook page and saw a photo of a student wearing a Border Patrol vest [while talking with Border Patrol representatives]. I was disappointed and shocked that they were so openly posting a photo like that.”

She added, “But it's not too surprising. When I was in high school, many things were pushed under the rug, so we [AJUA] wanted to make sure that this was not one of those things.”

Voces Unidas called upon

Rodríguez, Freeman and school board members to apologize for “violating the public’s trust.” Rodríguez issued a written apology the day after the incident. A joint letter of apology from Freeman and other RFSD high school principals was shared, and four out of the five school board members have apologized. Maureen Stepp, representing District C, abstained from signing the board’s apology letter. Freeman said publicly that the new vendor organizing the career expo, Carbondale-based nonprofit YouthEntity, had not provided him with a list of presenting organizations in advance, a practice

continues on page 26

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HILARY PORTERFIELD

970.319.5757 | hilary@hilaryporterfield.com roaringfork-homes.com

At the April 12 school board meeting, community members expressed concerns about the U.S. Border Patrol's participation at a recent career expo. Photo by Jeanne Souldern

Study shows bald eagles use Eagle Nest

Buffer Zone at Aspen Glen, lobbyist talks tough about public lands issues

By Amy Hadden Marsh Sopris Sun Correspondent

Bald eagles ruled the roost at Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting. Photos of eaglets in nests, eagles perched in trees, and eagles swooping for fish in the Roaring Fork river accompanied a presentation of the results of a new study by Roaring Fork Audubon of the Eagle Nest Buffer Zone (ENBZ) at Aspen Glen, a highend subdivision between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale.

Bald eagles are no longer listed under the Endangered Species Act but are still protected by the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The local study proves that the raptors still have a home at Aspen Glen, and supports the BOCC’s 2021 decision to maintain the ENBZ as outlined in the 1992 Aspen Glen Planned Unit Development. Aspen Glen Golf Co claimed in 2021 that, since the original “eagle tree” had blown down in a storm, eagles no longer resided in the buffer zone; ergo, the land should be freed up for development. Even the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife said at the time that the eagles had probably moved on.

But, Monday’s presentation proved in stunning detail that not only do eagles roost, nest, perch and forage within the ENBZ, but elk also use it as winter range and mule deer are present year-round. Volunteers noted that ENBZ riparian areas support native bird species, including the great blue heron, turkey vultures, songbirds, corvids, mallard ducks and hawks. Foxes, bobcats and bears were also sighted during the year-long study.

“So, life goes on with the eagles in Aspen Glen,” said

local ecologist and Audubon volunteer Delia Malone, who gave the bulk of Monday’s presentation.

Prior to the ENBZ discussion, the BOCC, absent Chair John Martin, heard from the Rifle Rotary Club, suggesting more Latino participation in Rotary and in community decisions. Commissioners were receptive to the idea. Tom Jankovsky said that the county’s Latino Community Committee (LCC) has not met since November 2022 and would like to see it revived. The board also heard from Garfield County resident Sean Parsons about a portion of County Road 233 as well as updates from Youth Zone, River Bridge Regional Center, Yampah Mountain High School’s Teen Parenting Program, county public health immunizations and EBT/EFT disbursements for March.

Paula Stepp and Morgan Hill of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council provided project updates. They also requested and received $15,000 from the county’s nonprofit general fund for annual support and continued post-Grizzly Creek Fire water quality monitoring.

County landfill director Deb Fiscus told the BOCC that the landfill has reached capacity at the main site. She added that methane is migrating out of the landfill and dissipating into the air per state protocols. Revenues are at $438,422 so far this year. Expenses came in at $285,114.

Robert Weidner, lobbyist with the Rural Public Lands County Council, gave his quarterly update remotely on the county’s legislative priorities in Washington, D.C. He stated that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), with whom the BOCC met in February, voiced support for legislation related to historic R.S. 2477 rights-of-way roads.

Weidner is organizing opposition to the proposed Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations that, pursuant to the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act, would add conservation as a land use comparable to livestock grazing, oil and gas drilling, recreation and other uses. The BOCC is against the proposed regulations. Weidner views them as a “mortal threat” to historic multiple use principles.

“The BLM acts as if we are not already conservationminded in every multiple use activity that we do,” he said. “It is already inculcated in every one of us when we go out and we drill and we mine and we grade and we use the public lands for off-road vehicle use. We are conscious of conservation already.”

Commissioner Mike Samson mentioned his disdain for President Biden’s 30 by 30 Initiative to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and fresh water plus 30% of U.S. oceans by 2030. “They want to call it ‘America the Beautiful' and I think that’s sacrilegious,” opined Samson. “The 30/30 land grab is what I call it.”

After further discussion about global natural gas needs and the potential for Garfield County to fill those needs, Weidner mentioned the defunct Jordan Cove liquid natural gas and pipeline project, whose denial

continues on page 26

Navigating the party amid fentanyl boom

By James Steindler

Contributing Editor

Doctor Rob Valuck runs a drug abuse prevention center at the University of Colorado, “The Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention.” Most of the center’s work focuses on prescribed drugs, but not exclusively.

“Virtually my entire career has been spent on, more or less, the opioid crisis and trying to formulate responses to it at different levels,” Valuck told The Sopris Sun.

In the last 15 years he’s focused on policy at the state level and helped spearhead a statewide opioid task force, “The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention.”

There are 10 different work groups, including: public awareness, data, recovery, treatment, harm reduction, safe disposal, affected families and the list goes on.

Anyone who wants to be involved can join the consortium, and all of the meetings are public and held over Zoom. “We probably have 800 or 900 people that participate from across the state,” said Valuck. For more information, visit www. corxconsortium.org

Fentanyl

Fentynal was invented in 1960 and marketed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1968 for

surgical pain management in the operating room, Valuck explained.

“It’s front-of-mind now and has been for some time,” he said, when it comes to the opioid epidemic.

A decade ago, diverting fentanyl from a medical setting was how it made its way onto the street. Today, according to Valuck, drug cartels have figured out how to get the chemical precursors for the drug, and “do the last step of the chemical synthesis in clandestine labs.”

He added that making fentanyl is much cheaper than cultivating poppies for heroin; from having the land to grow poppies to the cumbersomeness of trucking the final product.

“Fentanyl is cheaper, easier and more potent,” he stated. “It’s purely economic.”

When it comes to distributing, quantities can be shipped in a FedEx envelope, and it is often undetectable.

While a major issue is that the drug often taints other recreational drugs, and unknowing users experience an accidental overdose, there is a growing market for fentanyl.

“It’s still the exception, not the rule,” said Valuck, “but it’s not nonexistent either. People are seeking it.”

He added that, like methamphetamine, fentanyl is highly addictive. “It produces a lot of euphoria and up-regulation, when your receptors start to change in your body and it starts to become

physiologically dependent, if you take it repeatedly.”

It doesn’t take long before a regular user’s tolerance goes up and they're no longer getting the same high, and take the drug to prevent getting withdrawals. People might try to up their dose to achieve the same high, but that can have dire consequences.

“People call that ‘chasing the dragon.’ You’re constantly chasing the dragon for the next high that you really can’t get, and if you get close enough to the dragon they breathe fire and they will kill you.”

‘Keep the Party Safe’

Dr. Valuck told The Sopris Sun about one of the consortium’s public outreach initiatives. The “Keep the Party Safe” campaign spreads two messages: awareness that fentanyl can kill and strategies to reduce the risk.

“Fentanyl is here. It’s around you,” Valuck emphasized. “We try to make everyone aware that it’s right here in Colorado.”

There were over two hundred overdose deaths last year in Colorado and more than half of them involved fentanyl, he added.

The campaign encourages having a designated non-user at the party and having Naloxone, an overdose retroactive, handy. Valuck emphasized that Naloxone is incredibly safe, and if someone

Maggie Seldeen of High Rockies Harm Reduction has plenty of life-saving products to bring to the party, from fentanyl test strips to Naloxone and more. Visit www.highrockiesharmreduction. com for more information. Courtesy photo

isn’t in fact experiencing an overdose Naloxone still does no harm.

“You can give Naloxone to an infant and it won’t harm them. The FDA has broad approval for any age group. It’s perfectly safe. It’s a wonderful drug that will save your life,” he said.

Most pharmacies have standing orders for Naloxone, explained Valuck, due to what is essentially a statewide prescription. Someone can ask their local pharmacist for Naloxone and say they would like to

continues on page 26

Making peace with Turtle

Opinion by Will Evans Special to The Sopris Sun

For years, people have gathered at the base of our mountain. Many thousands of years.

Over centuries, a succession of aspen, juniper, pinyon, ponderosa, scrub oak and spruce exchanged places, descending into valleys filled with sage brush and, at the river’s edge, cottonwood thrived. There were trails but no fences, no roads, nor divisions of the land. This region was one living, pulsating, largely undisturbed organism without any sizable human irrigation systems.

We are not as old as the mountain, so we gather for the opportunity to learn and to remember — to be aware.

All stories — like all life, like all water — are deeply interconnected. For the most part, the story here has been a living world story. There are exceptions. Times of tragedy — times of a dying world story.

In recent years, we have enjoyed a relative balance between our watershed and the beings dwelling here. Even at this altitude, with harsh winters, one can feel the balance, vitality, a sane pace of life and respect in our community poised just south of the fast lane and across the Roaring Fork River.

From the living water within us and around Carbondale, we send greetings to the living water within all the children of Carbondale.

In the 1990s, when life was slower, a critical moment occurred; the town budget ran low and they stopped spraying herbicides in the parks. A small, low, yellow flower, a prime target of herbicides, began to reappear. As Doc Philip watched, he was undergoing an inner-change; he was transformed by the beauty and taste of the dandelion. Doc realized every part of dandelion was edible and he particularly enjoyed making dandelion beer.

After an appropriate interval of time, Doc explained what he was observing to the Carbondale Environmental Board. They then went to the Town Trustees and said, “While there was not enough money to spray our parks, our land became organic and we are going to have a celebration.” The people told the Town, we want to keep our parks organic, and their celebration was the birth of Dandelion Day. The Town listened and in 1999 pronounced the dandelion to be the Carbondale Town Flower.

As a result, thousands of people, creatures, plants, acre-feet of water, pollinators and turtles have benefited from Carbondale’s identity and integrity as a “no spray town.” While creatures large and small, seen and unseen, thrive in healthy soil and feast on healthy plants, people sit on the grass, dance barefoot in our local living world story and children play. The quiet western painted turtle family at the pond in the Nature Park has been one of many little noticed

beneficiaries.

As life sped up in the Valley, people took on more than one job to make ends meet. Still, more people came. As the number of cars on the highway increased, we sped up more and drove faster to keep up. We began to forget. We forgot how much is enough. We began to outrun the carrying capacity of our watershed. We forgot to respect ourselves and each other. And waiting at a distance is a sprayer with a list of what he has been told are “noxious weeds.” As we forget our story, he takes a step forward.

This year, a sense of urgency manifested around Canada thistle, a particularly prickly character, a pioneer species which comes in early to heal disturbed soil. Fortunately, we have local farmers skilled at healing soil. Jerome Osentowski and Brook LeVan are acknowledged for their abilities to heal soil in the Town of Carbondale Integrated Weed Management Plan, 9/22/2019, Section V, Resource Directory.

And this current chapter of our story also has a heroine, a woman from Durango named Katrina Blair, who has spent her life with plants. She was inspired by Carbondale’s Dandelion Day and has even written a book, “The Wild Wisdom of Weeds,” which includes a chapter on thistle. She acknowledges and understands plants, she respects them and even knows how to eat thistle.

Over the years, as the beauty and feeling in Carbondale attracted more people, the balance of our community developed a wobble. People began believing a story of disrespect; believing they can do whatever they want without consequences.

On Valentine’s Day, we were informed that Canada thistle “is winning the battle” in our Nature Park and a decision had been made. As a “last resort” the Town Trustees and Environmental Board approved using chemical herbicides beginning this springtime and autumn for three years to “eradicate” thistle.

Although the Town expresses a desire for an alternative to chemical herbicides, they report a lack of success with the strategies utilized. Some solutions which seemed promising are no longer available. As a last resort, Milestone and Opensight are the chemicals selected.

Fortunately, Katrina has been having results working organically in parks for Durango, Mancos, Ophir, Sawpit and Telluride. After the Carbondale Parks Department learned of Katrina’s work and reviewed her proposal, they hired her Bee Happy Lands team to do a training for park staff at the Delaney Nature Park on May 12, the day before Dandelion Day.

This could be a pivotal moment in our story. Because there are two different stories about thistle. Two different ways of measuring reality.

Two different perspectives of what is healthy.

One story understands thistle comes to heal disturbed soil. Humans are great disturbers of soil — we build homes, buildings, stores, roads, ditches, fence lines, golf courses, shopping malls and more. In this story, thistle is an important plant in a watershed.

This time of year, at the transition from the darkness of winter and to

stories."

increasing light in the spring, Brook and Rose LeVan at Sustainable Settings spray biodynamic preparations to stimulate the intelligent life forces of the season. Brook quietly explains, “The intent to heal is about building quality relationships.” He continues, thistle is a living being with a purpose; its job is to come into a disturbed area and hold the soil. As soil heals, the aliveness in the earth increases — thistle retreats and is replaced in a succession of plant species. Timing is important and measuring soil aliveness each year tells us how much the soil is healing. Herbicides deaden the micro-life in soil. Our intention is to heal. We trust that intention. Rose added, “We are committed to a living world, we turned our lives around and came here with an intent to heal the land. This is our story.”

Katrina, alive in her lifelong journey with plants, asks the rhetorical question, “How do we go about maintaining a sense of balance in a given field where thistle has proliferated?” First, we need to accept it; however, thistle will change. Thistles are early succession plants. Their presence acts as a guarding, the prickles keep more disturbance away. After they have had their heyday of glory being at the helm of the field, they will be naturally balanced by nature.

Over time, as the soil heals, we witness a diversity of plants come in. Sometimes berry bushes come or different perennials will start to take hold, and there are ways we can assist that process going a little faster. We start to see the resonance of all species and how important they are. We can amplify the goodness and quality of life for all — even the turtle family.

The second story is about spraying. Staff are trained to identify a “noxious” weed and chemically kill it. Results are immediate: thistle turns brown and dies. If I perceive this to be a battle and the identified enemy, thistle, goes down — I feel like I am winning. What is not immediately visible is the collateral damage.

The spray is toxic and a huge disruption to the life in the soil. After spraying, less aliveness in the soil is measurable. This is the reason people who spray report having difficulty getting native grasses to take root and grow. If the soil is less alive, it is less able to support a native grass seed sprouting this spring. The adverse impact on pollinators and other creatures is only visible to a sensitive eye and more difficult to measure. Spraying prolongs disturbance; healing is delayed or may never return to the soil. In our arrogance, we introduce harm and destruction through our lack of understanding plants and functional watersheds. To my knowledge, we do not know whether these chemicals are endocrine disruptors. Humans are powerful and clever. We can dam and divert water, we can kill and forget the harm and destruction which follows. Water dries up, animals, plants and pollinators disappear.

Early in the 1960s, endocrine disrupting chemicals were identified spiraling down the drain, entering Colorado rivers, and all across America. There are now almost 100 chemicals regulated in Colorado drinking water. As of 2020, I was told we have not added one chemical to the regulatory list in 25 years. Reassurances of low toxicity by manufacturers have been of no benefit to those adversely affected by glyphosate.

We become our stories.

Katrina explains, “When we go out into nature and get immersed, our vitality benefits, whether it is calming our nervous system, or realigning and balancing our hormones, or just providing a source of energy. Being connected to wild lands contributes to health.”

I asked, “Are you telling me the health of nature benefits my personal health?”

“Absolutely, and I think that is something that we probably have all experienced,” Katrina responded.

We share the same source water from the mountain flowing into the Nettle Creek drainage under the same sky, the same sun and moon. We are all in this together with the ptarmigan, ouzel, bighorn, deer and elk.

I had occasion to see a friend this week when there was enough spaciousness to ask him a question I had wanted to ask for a long time.

“What can you tell me about your last name?”

After a pause, he began, “My father was from Northern Ireland, near Belfast, and there are a lot of people there named Turtle. When he was 17 years old my father came to America. When I was young, I hated my last name.”

I sensed he no longer held this resentment and inquired, “You made peace with it?”

“Yes”

“Making peace with Turtle is big medicine,” I said.

With a certainty which comes

"We become our

with maturity, he quietly nodded. Are we aware?

When visiting Turtle Lake Refuge in Durango I was aware of a lovely melody resonating from the farm and people there.

Katrina explained, “Yes, it is a beautiful community of people aligned with the mission on this land. When people come to live here, they actually make a commitment. Basically, we are stewards of this land, students of the wisdom of nature. We commit to the community vision of health for ourselves, each other and the planet.”

I asked her, “Can you tell me more about the feeling of resonance I experience when I visit Turtle Lake Refuge?”

“The main intention is to create this feeling of belonging, belonging to this land, to this place, all the elements, to each other and to our greater community. Our efforts are going toward increasing the quality of life and health of everyone in the community,” Katrina responded.

I asked her, “What effect do toxic sprays have on that sense of

belonging?”

“That is a huge distraction and silencing of the subtle voices of the life in the soil, plants and all the critters. It is a kind of deadening and truly a harmful vibration,” Katrina explained.

I realized, “So this issue of toxic spraying is still a big deal, Rachel Carson wrote about this in her book, “Silent Spring,” about the absence of bird and insect songs in the dawn chorus. That is a story no one wants in their town.”

“No,” Katrina said. “And that is beautiful to remember, that this is not new. We are not backed into this corner for the first time as a human community. This has happened before and we don’t have to take that same pathway and learn the hard way. We are killing the very things we find so precious. Whether it is the songbirds, the butterflies, the bees, the soil or the earthworms. We do not need to find that out after the fact we have already gone down that road and learned, ‘No this is not the way to go.’”

She continued, “It is important to remember and respect those

people in the town government who may have good intentions but actually do not know what to do. When they see more thistles, they may feel afraid. The fact they have hired the Bee Happy Lands team expresses a willingness to learn. When we don’t know what to do, it is better to go slow like the turtle rather than rush into a risky and toxic decision made from feeling cornered. It is okay to wait and watch. Nature goes slow. Healing happens slowly and steadily. Thistle is slowly replaced by other plants. We can help this happen. Trusting the process is part of our essential wisdom and core understanding. Sometimes it is best to be a grateful witness to the unfolding. If we want to participate, we can add to nature’s living story by supporting life enhancing practices. In the long run, these efforts will heal and create abundance.”

We have an inherent “right to be.” There exists within each of us a peaceful, calm, aware state of being

— present right now. Are we aware enough to remember our story and consciously make peace with Turtle?

If we aspire to heal our soil, we will need a healthy connection to our watershed and strength enough to hold our balance with the paradox of these two perspectives of thistle.

Eric Brendlinger, the Town of Carbondale Parks and Recreation Director, reports “we are holding off on the spot spraying of chemicals” and have contracted with Katrina and her team to train the park staff and members of the community in this perspective and organic weed management skills on May 12 at the Nature Park. To attend, email ebrendlinger@coloradoco.net or call 970-510-1271.

On Dandelion Day, May 13, Katrina will also have a table and be teaching at Sopris Park. For our land to become Bee Happy Land, we as a community need to slow down enough to listen, to understand, and to remember we have been gifted a living world story.

A western painted turtle enjoys the sun at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Photo courtesy of Courtney Celley/USFWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

CRMS OPEN HOUSE

Colorado Rocky Mountain School hosts its Spring Open House from 9:30 to 11:30am. Visit www. crms.org for more info.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Connect with fellow caregivers of Alzheimers and cognitively impaired patients and family members at the Basalt Library at 10:30am.

YOUTH FILM

Enjoy films by youth for free at the Carbondale Rec Center from 1 to 3pm, courtesy of 5Point.

BOOK CLUB

The Third Thursday Book Club discusses "The Last Kingdom" by Bernard Cornwell at the Carbondale Library at 2pm.

PALLIATIVE CARE

Dr. Shane Lieberman presents “Understanding Palliative Care” at Sopris Lodge at 3pm. To RSVP, call 970-456-6871 or visit soprislodge.com/events

SPACE DETECTIVES

Ever wonder about what else is out there? Investigate space with fellow detectives at the Basalt Library at 4pm. All ages are welcome. Visit www. basaltlibrary.org for more info.

HARM REDUCTION

High Rockies Harm Reduction provides fentanyl test strips, peer support services and more at The Meeting Place from 4 to 6pm.

5POINT CONCERTS

This year, 5Point offers three free community concerts outside the Carbondale Rec Center. On Thursday, iZCALLi performs latinrock, Brothers of Brass takes the stage on Friday and The Davenports rounds it out on Saturday. All concerts are from 4:30 to 6pm.

EMPOWERED HEALING

Holistic nurse Julie DeVilbiss leads an online conversation about psychedelics and healing at 6pm. Find the Zoom link at www.bit.ly/DEVILBISSAPRIL20

REDSTONE BINGO

Bingo Night at the Redstone Inn begins at 6:30pm.

OPENING NIGHT

The adventure begins with 5Point’s first film program at the Rec Center from 7 to 10pm. The fun continues through Sunday, find tickets and more info at www.5pointfilm.org

GOBLIN & FAY

Kate Goblin and Mugsy Fay perform “a feminist fantasy folk freak frolic” at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

5POINT LAUGHS

5Point’s first “Late Night Laughs” event brings stand-up comedians to the Black Nugget at 10:30pm.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

5POINT YOGA

Today and tomorrow at 8am, 5Point offers free community yoga classes at True Nature.

SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE

CMC’s seventh Sustainability and Ecosystem Science Conference will be virtual this year, from 9am to noon, with Beatriz Soto providing the conference’s keynote address. Learn more at coloradomtn.edu/ sustainabilityconference

JOB SEARCH SUPPORT

Gain strategies and insight to support your job search at the Basalt Library at 1pm. This is a bilingual event.

PRESCHOOL FUNDRAISER

Blue Lake & Little Blue Preschools hosts its “Sip. Savor. Support.” fundraiser at The Orchard in Carbondale from 6 to 10pm. The evening will consist of a silent auction, food, desserts, drinks, dancing and more with childcare available. Tickets at www.bluelakepreschool.org

VAUDEVILLE SPRING SHOW

The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue’s spring Show is underway every Friday and Saturday at 6pm. Tickets and more at www.gvrshow.com

VITA NUOVA

The Center for Human Flourishing presents Italian scholar Andrea Villa introducing Dante’s “Vita Nuova” and love lessons for modernity at the Third Street Center from 7 to 8:30pm. Tickets at www.tcfhf.org

FRANKENSTEIN

Sopris Theatre Company presents “Frankenstein: The Monster/The Man?” at 7pm tonight and tomorrow and on April 23 at 2pm CMC Spring Valley. For tickets visit www. coloradomtn.edu or call 970-947-8177.

HISTORY OF COMEDY

The Reduced Shakespeare Company performs “The Complete History of Comedy (Abridged)” at TACAW at 8pm. Come early for dinner at 6pm. For tickets and more info, visit www.tacaw.org

Beyond Beyond, a band of local legends (left to right) Larry Gotlieb, Ashton Taufer, Frank Martin and Mateo Sandate, will perform an Earth Day concert at the Third Street Center on April 22 at 6:30pm with special guest speakers and performers, including Mayor Ben Bohmfalk and Rocky Mountain Institute CEO Jon Creyts. Donations will be accepted at the door. Courtesy photo

FRETLINERS

The Fretliners play bluegrass at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

5POINT 5K

The 5Point 5k, another first for 5Point, is today! Registration starts at 8am at Independence Run and Hike and the race begins at 8:30am. For more info and to preregister, visit www.5pointfilm.org

LOVE LESSONS

Italian scholar Andrea Villa leads a daylong workshop at the Third Street Center, from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Participants will have had to attend Friday’s introduction. Tickets at www.tcfhf.org

TAPESTRY WEAVING

Lindsay Latva teaches tapestry weaving at The Art Base from 10am to 4pm. Register at www.theartbase.org

EARTH DAY

The Farm Collaborative celebrates Earth Day with festivities for all ages from 10am to 4pm. Register online at www.thefarmcollaborativeblog.org

RESISTANCE CLIMBING

Thunder River Theatre hosts a special 5Point film screening, free to the community. Catch “Resistance Climbing” and meet the filmmakers from 10:30am to noon.

SEEDS OF INTENTION

True Nature hosts an introduction to biodynamic seed bathing and labyrinth walk from 1 to 3pm. To sign up, visit www. truenaturehealingarts.com

A WILD AFTERNOON

The PSS Wildlife Foundation presents about local wildlife, including a tutorial on how to address an injured wild animal, at the Carbondale Library at 2:30pm.

CAPTAIN POW

Captain Pow returns for Earth Day to protect the world from pollution. Catch the comedy show, hinting at a real-world problem, today at 2:30pm. For more info, visit www.tacaw.org

PITCH FEST

Watch adventure filmmakers pitch their ideas for free at the Thunder River Theatre from 3 to 4:30pm.

EARTH DAY CONCERT

Beyond Beyond performs at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8:30pm with special guest speakers and performers. Donations will be accepted at the door.

PRIMORDIAL

Celebrate the new moon with an ecstatic dance and cacao ceremony hosted by The Rhythmystics at 13 Moons Ranch, south of Carbondale, from 6 to 9pm. More info at www. bit.ly/April22Primordial

THE KNOW BODIES

The Know Bodies Band performs “working class music” at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

FAMILY YOGA

True Nature hosts a playful workshop for children 5 and older and their chosen adult, from 9am to 11am.

FAMILY FILM

5Point wraps with a free family film program at the Rec Center from 2 to 3:30pm, followed by an ice cream social.

RANDOM CONVERSATIONS

Carbondale Library hosts

The Lost Art of Random Conversations from 6 to 7:30pm.

AN EVENING OF BROADWAY

The Glenwood Springs Community Concert Association brings Broadway actor Gary Mauer to Glenwood Springs High School’s auditorium at 7pm. Visit www. gsconcertassn.org for more info.

R&B

R&B artist Morgan James performs at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

MONDAY, APRIL 24

LIBRARY WEEK

The Garfield County Public Library District celebrates National Library Week with parties throughout the district, including all day today at the Carbondale branch and at 1pm tomorrow, April 25, at the Glenwood Spring branch. There will be cake!

PLANT�BASED POTLUCK

The Center for Human Flourishing hosts a potluck for vegans at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8pm. Questions? Email info@tcfhf.org

TUESDAY, APRIL 25

TINKERGARTEN TRIAL

“Tinkergarten with Shannon” is every Tuesday beginning May 2, but kiddos and parents can test it out today starting at 10am at Veltus Park in Glenwood Springs. Visit www. getnourishedbynature.com/natureclasses-for-kids for more info.

DÍA DEL NIÑO

Glenwood Springs Library celebrates Día del Niño with a special bilingual storytime at 10:30am. The Carbondale Branch Library will celebrate on May 4 at 10:30am. Visit www.gcpld.org for more information.

MINGLING MENTORS

The Buddy Program invites adults interested in becoming a mentor, or simply learning more about its programming, to La Raza, 580 Main Street, Carbondale, for happy hour, from 5:30 to 7pm.

MINDFULNESS IN RECOVERY

Beginning tonight, John Bruna will lead “Mindfulness in Recovery” every Tuesday at 6pm at The Meeting Place.

FELTING

AspenOUT presents Creations + Libations with an evening of felting from 6 to 8pm. Sign up at www.theartbase.org

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

JUSTICE, WHO CARES?

The Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist “Voices in Our Valley” series kicks off with Bill Kight, director of the Glenwood Springs Historical Society, at the Third Street Center at 6pm. For more info, email TRUU.office@gmail.com

CRYSTAL THEATRE

After a brief hiatus, the Crystal Theatre reopens with “Air” showing today and tomorrow at 7pm.

JONATHAN FOSTER

Steve’s Guitars presents Jonathan Foster performing at 8pm. For tickets, visit www.stevesguitars.net

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

LIBRARIES CLOSURE

All Garfield County Public Libraries are closed for a staff training day.

FINANCIAL WORKSHOP

Coventure hosts an in-person workshop, “Building Your Financial Runway,” from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Learn more by visiting www.coventure. io or calling 970-930-1223.

JUNE STAR

June Star performs at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

APRIL 2023 APRIL 2023

Child Abuse Prevention Month Child Abuse Prevention Month

To learn how to protect the children you care about, visit www.riverbridgerc.org River Bridge is thankful to the following businesses for supporting our 2023 Imagine 8 Fundraiser Gala Presenting and Gold Level Sponsors

never too early to start the conversation about body safety and abuse prevention with your children.

Martha Redbone brings Bone Hill to the Wheeler

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House will be closing out its 2022-2023 “Wheeler Presents” series with the “Bone Hill” story-concert on April 21 at 7pm, featuring the talents of accomplished singer-songwriter, composer and educator Martha Redbone and her husband and collaborator, Aaron Whitby, the musical director for “Bone Hill.”

Redbone is a performing artist who focuses on the stories of America that have not been told in history classes, specifically the stories of indigenous peoples and African American people. She weaves in a cornucopia of musical styles, blending traditional mountain songs, Cherokee Nation songs, blues, folk, country, R&B, soul and rock to inspire audiences to get in touch with their ancestral timelines while connecting with a global community.

“You are who you are wherever you are in the world, and everything that came before you is a part of the person that you are today, you know, the good, the bad and the ugly,” she told The Sopris Sun.

Redbone has been in the music industry as an independent artist for several decades and, in recent years, has gravitated toward theatrical storytelling to share her messages. As an afro-indigenous woman who grew up in the Appalachian hills of Harlan County, Kentucky, and later lived in Brooklyn, New York, “Bone Hill” is a celebration of her life and story as a woman of color. Each place she has lived provided her with inspiration as well as growth.

“I feel very lucky and, in a way, blessed to have been able to be a child in Kentucky. I think it's a beautiful place to be a kid. There were lots of trees and fresh air and that kind of small-town culture,” Redbone said.

She explained that living in New York during her teenage years was also fortunate, since there was a plethora of cultures around every corner, and a variety of arts to explore at her

fingertips. While growing up, she was exposed to other pockets of land, each rich with history. These ranged from the Trail of Tears era of displacement to modern times, as well as before colonization. History is populated with diverse demographics, like Black coal miners, Indigenous peoples and other mountain folks whose art of storytelling is now coming more to the forefront.

“I felt the need to make the story of ‘Bone Hill’ because it makes people reflect on their own identity and their family stories, their histories and their own cultures. I'm hoping that through the story of ‘Bone Hill,’ it's not just to learn about me but it's really for people to reflect on themselves and their individual family stories. That, to me, sparks really beautiful conversations on celebrating the resilience that we all have within each other, and ourselves,” she told us.

“What we try to do is bring it to the mountaintop and all its bells and whistles. We take you to church and then back home again, all warm and fuzzy, and hopefully inspired to look at your own family stories, and have those conversations.”

Before the concert takes place, the Wheeler will host its first official outreach program with Aspen Country Day School, where Redbone and Whitby will share social dances, calland-response songs and students will be invited to participate in a vocal workshop incorporating songs from Redbone’s ancestral homelands.

“We're excited to bring diverse experiences to these schools, and music and art as well,” Malia Machado, talent coordinator at the Wheeler told The Sopris Sun. “We want to inspire kids, and that is why we wanted to program multiple outreach events.”

Tickets for “Bone Hill” are on sale at aspenshowtix.com, or by calling the box office at 970-920-5770. For more information and to keep up with Martha Redbone, visit www. martharedbone.com

Martha Redbone performs on-stage. Photo courtesy of OZ Arts Nashville

Sol del Valle

Conectando comunidades desde 2021

Organizaciones de defensoría latinas apoyan la ley HB 1257

Por Heather Sackett Aspen Journalism Traducción por Dolores Duarte

Los legisladores estatales han presentado un proyecto de ley que crearía un programa de análisis de agua en parques de casas móviles, en respuesta a las preocupaciones antiguas de los residentes sobre la calidad del agua.

El proyecto de ley 1257, el cual está respaldado por el Distrito 57 de la representante Elizabeth Velasco, D-Condado de Garfield, requeriría el Departamento de salud pública y medio ambiente de Colorado para crear un programa de análisis de agua que incluye todos los parques de casas móviles en el estado para el año 2028. Si el análisis encuentra un problema de calidad del agua, el propietario del parque debe llegar a un plan de remediación y no pasar el costo de la solución del problema a los residentes.

Los resultados de las pruebas se pondrán a disposición de los residentes de los parques y del público en general en inglés, español y otros idiomas. El proyecto de ley también exigiría a los propietarios de parques identificar la fuente de agua y establecería un programa de subsidios para ayudar a los propietarios de parques a pagar las opciones de remediación, tal como una mejora de la infraestructura.

El proyecto de ley fue presentado el 26 de marzo, y sus otros patrocinadores son el representante Andrew Boesenecker, D-Condado de Larimer, y la senadora Lisa Cutter, D-Condado de Jefferson. Velasco, quien dijo que vivió en parques de casas móviles en su infancia, dijo que ha escuchado quejas de los residentes sobre el agua que mancha la ropa, huele y sabe mal, causa erupciones en la piel, y daña aparatos electrodomésticos. Pero a menudo esas quejas no se atienden porque el agua puede seguir cumpliendo las normas de la ley de agua potable de la agencia de protección ambiental.

“El olor, el sabor y el color son características secundarias del agua, según esta normativa", explica Velasco. "Estos problemas se dan en comunidades de bajos ingresos, en su mayoría gente de color. Estos problemas no afectan a las familias ricas".

Un asunto de justicia ambiental

La calidad del agua en los parques de casas móviles es un problema de justicia ambiental para la comunidad latina. De acuerdo al Colorado Latino Climate Justice Policy Handbook ‘Manual sobre justicia climática’, casi el 20% de las familias latinas viven en casas móviles. Y de acuerdo con los resultados de la encuesta de la Agenda Política Latina de Colorado 2022, el 41% de los residentes de casas móviles dijeron que no confían en el agua de sus casas ni la beben. El ochenta por ciento de los encuestados dijeron que apoyan las nuevas regulaciones que requieren que los parques de casas móviles proporcionen a sus residentes agua potable limpia.

Beatriz Soto es directora ejecutiva de Protégete, una iniciativa ambiental de Conservación de Colorado dirigida por latinos que elaboró el manual sobre justicia climática. Conservación de Colorado apoya el proyecto de ley. Soto, quien también vivió en parques de casas móviles en el valle Roaring Fork, dijo que durante años ha escuchado las mismas quejas que Velasco sobre la calidad del

agua, por lo que sabía que es una prioridad para la comunidad latina. Los resultados de la encuesta confirmaron los relatos.

"No se trata sólo de cosas pequeñas que escuchamos por aquí y por allá en la comunidad; se trata de un problema mayor", dijo Soto. "Cuando tienes dos trabajos y tienes que conducir dos horas para ir a trabajar y vuelves a casa y tienes que ir a una lavandería porque no puedes lavar la ropa en tu hogar, hay un verdadero impacto creciente de vivir bajo esas condiciones".

La región de Aspen a Parachute cuenta con 55 parques, que suman unas 3,000 viviendas y entre 15,000 y 20,000 residentes. Los parques de casas móviles son algunos de los últimos barrios de viviendas accesibles no subsidiadas que quedan en el estado y proporcionan viviendas cruciales para los trabajadores, especialmente en las zonas rurales y turísticas.

Los residentes llevan años quejándose de la calidad del agua de algunos parques, pero los organismos carecen de autoridad normativa para imponer mejoras. Recientemente, residentes de parques cercanos a Durango y del condado de Summit han carecido de agua corriente durante semanas.

Voces Unidas de las Montañas, una organización latina sin fines de lucro con sede en las montañas centrales de Colorado y que trabaja en el valle de Roaring Fork, es una de las organizaciones que lideran Clean Water for All Colorado, un comité que ayudó a elaborar la legislación.

"Muchos de nosotros que crecimos en parques de casas móviles, yo incluido, siempre hemos conocido y normalizado la compra de agua embotellada de la tienda, y es porque no confiamos en nuestra agua", dijo Alex Sánchez, presidente y CEO de Voces Unidas. "Muchos residentes llevan

décadas quejándose y pidiendo que se tomen medidas, y nadie ha atendido su llamado". Sánchez dijo que el proyecto de ley es la prioridad legislativa No. 1 de su organización en esta sesión.

Rocky Mountain Home Association y Colorado Manufactured Housing Coalition se oponen al proyecto de ley. Tawny Peyton, director ejecutivo de Rocky Mountain Home Association, dijo que la industria de parques de casas móviles ha sido bombardeada con cambios radicales en la ley en los últimos años, causando confusión y costos legales y de operación adicionales. Las leyes promulgadas en 2019, 2020 y 2022 otorgaron protecciones adicionales a los residentes de parques de casas móviles.

"Rocky Mountain Home Association está preocupada por todo el proyecto de ley", dijo Peyton en un correo electrónico. "¿Por qué la industria de los parques de casas móviles es el único objetivo de esta legislación? A la industria no se le hizo saber que la calidad del agua de los parques de casas móviles era un tema tan importante como para justificar un proyecto de ley de 23 páginas".

Los defensores del proyecto de ley reconocen que la cuestión puede tardar años en resolverse y que una nueva normativa sería sólo el primer paso para recopilar datos y evaluar el problema.

"Se trata de un primer intento de resolver el problema", afirma Soto. "Se trata de establecer un marco para empezar a hacer pruebas y obtener toda la información y documentar todas las fuentes de agua de los parques de casas móviles para determinar cuál es el problema".

House Bill 1257 está programada para una audiencia por el Comité de transporte, vivienda y gobierno local el miércoles.

Volumen 2, Número 8 | 20 de abril de 2023 - 26 de abril de 2023

Janelle Vega, residente de Apple Tree Park, muestra el color marrón claro y los sedimentos que se depositaron en el fondo de una jarra que contenía agua que fue tomada del grifo de su casa en Apple Tree en marzo de 2022. Foto de Chelsea Self/Post Independiente

¿Cómo mantener tu piel saludable? OPINIÓN

flacidez y áreas pigmentadas llamadas manchas de sol o manchas de la edad. La exposición a los rayos UV también contribuyen a la formación de manchas rojas ásperas precancerosas llamadas queratosis actínica, cánceres de células basales escamosas y el melanoma, un cáncer de piel a menudo mortal.

Por lo tanto es importante comer alimentos con muchos antioxidantes y micronutrientes como las frutas, verduras, legumbres y granos integrales.

protección a las quemaduras del sol y aumenta el riesgo de cáncer de piel.

Muchas personas pueden cambiar el color de su cabello, pero es difícil cambiar el color de su piel. Los estadounidenses gastan miles de millones de dólares cada año en productos anti-envejecimiento para la piel. Las inyecciones de Botox y la cirugía plástica cosmética representan miles de millones más. Sin embargo, el envejecimiento de nuestra piel no es causado por la deficiencia de crema antienvejecimiento para la piel.

Analizaremos algunos factores que debes tener en cuenta si deseas tener una piel saludable y de aspecto joven: La radiación ultravioleta del sol y las cabinas de bronceado provocan un envejecimiento prematuro, incluyendo las arrugas,

A todos nos gusta estar al sol, pero debemos cubrirnos con ropa de protección solar, es decir, manga larga y un sombrero de ala amplia. Aplique un protector de amplio espectro que proteja contra los rayos UVA y UV y con FPS (Factor de Protección Solar) que sea alto en las partes del cuerpo que no puede cubrir, como el dorso de las manos y la parte inferior de la cara. Los protectores solares son mejores y más seguros si contienen óxido de zinc o titanio, que bloquean físicamente el sol en comparación con los protectores solares con productos químicos que pueden absorberse y posiblemente causar daño. Lo que comes también afecta tu piel. Los radicales libres y la oxidación contribuyen al envejecimiento de la piel y el cáncer de piel.

Los estudios han demostrado que las personas que consumen alimentos a base de plantas están protegidas del daño solar en comparación con las personas que comen principalmente productos de origen animal.

Su sistema inmunitario es óptimo, el envejecimiento de la piel se ralentiza y tiene un menor riesgo de queratosis actínica y cáncer de piel, incluido el melanoma. Y se ha demostrado que la nutrición a base de plantas revierte el cáncer temprano, incluyendo el melanoma en algunos casos.

El acné parece ser una enfermedad asociada con la dieta occidental, según expertos como el Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Por ejemplo, el acné es inexistente en Okinawa y otras partes del mundo en donde la población consume una alimentación basada en plantas. En los Estados Unidos, alrededor del 85% de los adolescentes sufren de acné, que a menudo persiste hasta la tercera década de sus vidas. Estudios recientes

muestran una clara correlación entre el acné y los productos lácteos. Un gran porcentaje de la leche proviene de vacas preñadas y el vínculo con el cáncer parece basarse en las hormonas de la leche de vaca. La leche descremada es la peor porque tiene el mayor contenido de estrógeno. La fruta más rica en antioxidantes son los agracejos, arándanos secos, que se pueden encontrar en los mercados de Medio Oriente. En un estudio una cucharadita tres veces al día durante un mes dio como resultado una disminución del 43% en el acné en un estudio. Otro consejo para mantener la piel saludable es evitar fumar. La nicotina y otras sustancias químicas en los cigarrillos dañan el suministro de sangre a la piel. También daña el colágeno y la elastina de tu piel, haciéndola más flacida.

Según el sitio web del Dr. Michael Greger Nutritionfacts.org, el alcohol, en especial en grandes cantidades, contribuye al envejecimiento de la piel. Esto se debe a que los productos de descomposición del alcohol disminuye los antioxidantes carotenoides en la piel, lo que reduce el umbral de

Muchos productos comercializados como anti-envejecimiento tienen un beneficio cuestionable. Sin embargo, los productos antioxidantes como L’dara, aplicados regularmente sobre la piel, pueden reducir las queratosis actínicas precancerosas y otros signos del envejecimiento de la piel.

El Dr. Greg Feinsinger dice que es mejor obtener los antioxidantes de la piel de adentro hacia afuera comiendo alimentos que contengan antioxidantes. Hay un buen libro de cocina a base de plantas llamado Oh She Glows de Angela Liddon, que significa, brillar de adentro hacia afuera. La piel sana y “resplandeciente” tiene un tono ligeramente rosado y amarillento, lo que significa que tiene una gran cantidad de antioxidantes carotenoides. Si estas mucho tiempo expuesto al sol y tienes algunos de los factores que hablamos aquí, y recientemente apareció una mancha o lunar en tu piel hazte revisar por un doctor, Si deseas una cita gratis llama a Isabel Almeida al 970-9481072 con gusto te revisaremos en la Clínica del Pueblo.

Cada vez que usas tu tarjeta de débito Loyalty*, Alpine Bank dona diez centavos a las causas comunitarias que son importantes para ti.

*Las tarjetas de débito de Alpine Bank están disponibles sin cuota anual para personas con una cuenta de cheques de Alpine Bank.

¡Solicita tu tarjeta hoy mismo!

Por Maria Judith Alvarez

Desde La Clínica

Una familia saludable OPINIÓN

y desintegración en los hogares en la actualidad y las familias hispanas en este valle no somos la excepción.

social y espiritual.

Por Triny Rochin

¿Es su familia una familia normal? Si tratáramos de definir lo que una familia normal es, entraríamos en un largo debate y lo más probable es que no todos estaríamos de acuerdo. Independientemente del tipo de familia que uno tenga, ya sea una familia nuclear, monoparental, combinada etc. una cosa es segura y es que, la norma es que cada familia tiene sus propios problemas.

Sin importar como una familia esté estructurada, todas enfrentan diversos conflictos, dificultades, carencias y en algunos casos crisis. Cada vez más, se puede ver un deterioro en la institución llamada familia. Hay una disfuncionalidad

Las diversas problemáticas de las familias pueden ir desde violencia intrafamiliar, abuso de alcohol y otras substancias, con mucha frecuencia vemos adulterio y divorcios, hay muchas familias luchando con las problemáticas propias de los adolescentes, otras familias luchan con problemas de salud. Esto sin tomar en cuenta otros factores que hacen que la vida en el valle sea difícil como el empleo y lo costoso de la vivienda.

Las dificultades son pues una norma en todas las familias es por eso por lo que, en lugar de normalidad, el concepto adecuado debe ser saludable. Dicho esto, permítame preguntarle de esta manera ¿Es su familia una familia saludable?

¿Cómo lo podemos saber? Bueno, empecemos por definir lo que es la salud. Salud no es la ausencia de enfermedad sino el balance armonioso entre el bienestar físico, mental,

Una familia saludable es aquella que no es disfuncional. Hay un conjunto de características que las familias saludables poseen, le daré algunas de ellas de manera breve, estos factores cuando están presentes facilitan la formación de familias saludables.

Las familias saludables viven y transmiten valores espirituales. Las familias saludables tienen una creencia en un orden superior al humano y en valores trascendentes que hacen que para ellos valga la pena luchar para mejorar.

Las familias saludables mantienen estructuras consistentes y flexibles. Es importante que todos los miembros de una familia sepan quien está a cargo, que conozcan las reglas y los límites. Estos elementos serán de gran valor cuando la familia enfrenta una dificultad o crisis. Una familia saludable estructura sus vidas y sus relaciones de manera que contribuyan al bienestar y desarrollo de sus miembros, proveyendo estabilidad y a la misma vez

flexibilidad a los cambios. En una familia funcional, la comunicación es clara, específica y directa. Cuando la comunicación es vaga, confusa o contradictoria lleva a malos entendidos y problemas. Procure siempre el diálogo, los gritos no llevan a ningún lado. En medio de una desacuerdo, clarifique el tema, busque alternativas, no lastime mientras discuten. Los expertos señalan que la claridad, la expresión abierta de los sentimientos y la colaboración en la resolución de conflictos son claves para el óptimo funcionamiento familiar. En las familias saludables hay un clima propicio para el crecimiento de los individuos en todos los aspectos, aun cuando se enfrentan problemas o tensiones. La familia saludable no es una familia sin problemas, sino aquella que en medio de las dificultades mantiene el equilibrio, se adapta y evoluciona. En una familia funcional, no es que no haya diferencias, conflictos o enojos, los hay, pero sus miembros los pueden

afrontar de manera saludable. La familia disfuncional por su parte, es una familia que no funciona efectivamente o que tiene dificultades para hacerlo. De hecho, el Diccionario de la Real Academia Española define la palabra disfunción como un “desarreglo en el funcionamiento de algo o en la función que le corresponde”. La funcionalidad de una familia está determinada por el comportamiento de sus miembros.

Debe ser una prioridad de todos buscar fortalecer los vínculos familiares y procurar tener familias saludables y funcionales. Necesitamos vivir en familias donde el amor, la aceptación y la valoración sean lo normal. Esto no significa que no tendremos problemas, sino que sepamos resolverlos sin herirnos y sin humillarnos. Todos tenemos derecho a ser parte de una familia que goce de salud emocional.

Volver a lo Esencial

"¿Es su familia una familia saludable?"

Día del Niño

Únete junto con las bibliotecas del condado de Garfield para un evento de cuentos especiales para celebrar el Día del Niño. El primer evento comenzará a las 10 a.m. el 21 de abril en la biblioteca de New Castle, seguido de un evento a las 10:30 a.m. el 25 de abril en la biblioteca de Glenwood Springs. Después a las 10:30 a.m el 26 de abril habrá eventos en las bibliotecas de Parachute y Silt. Luego la biblioteca de Rifle presentará su evento a las 10 a.m. el 28 de abril. Finalmente, la biblioteca de Carbondale concluirá la serie de eventos el 4 de mayo. El evento es gratuito y está disponible a todos los niños jóvenes y sus guardianes, visite www. gcpld.org para más información.

Comienza la escorrentía

De acuerdo con Roaring Fork Conservancy, los ríos en las cuencas de Roaring Fork fluyeron al 129-217% de lo normal para esta época del año la semana pasada. A medida que la nieve acumulada le da paso a las temperaturas más cálidas, es importante que las personas y sus mascotas que visiten ríos sean cuidadosos al no ser arrastrados por las fuertes corrientes.

Decisión de RMI

La corte de apelaciones de Colorado confirmó una decisión del 2021 del tribunal del distrito del condado de Garfield que el condado tiene la autoridad de hacer cumplir las condiciones del permiso de uso especial a Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI por sus siglas en inglés), a pesar de que la compañía opera la mina del medio continente en terreno federal. A consecuencia

de la opinión del 16 de febrero del tribunal de apelaciones, RMI tuvo 14 días para presentar una petición para una audiencia, la cual la compañía desaprovechó. RMI tuvo hasta el 31 de marzo para presentar la petición de avocación para una revisión por la Corte Suprema de Colorado, y al no haber hecho eso tampoco, la opinión de apelación fue considerada la sentencia definitiva.

Conciertos de 5Point

Este año, 5Point ofrece tres conciertos comunitarios gratuitos fuera del centro recreativo de Carbondale. El jueves, iZCALLI se presentará con música de rock latino, Brother of Brass tomará el escenario el viernes y Davenports finalizará el sábado. Todos los conciertos serán de 4:30 a 6 p.m.

Anemia Infecciosa Equina

El Departamento de Agricultura de Colorado confirmó que un caballo residiendo en el condado de Garfield probó positivo a Anemia Infecciosa Equina (EIA por sus siglas en inglés). El caballo fue sacrificado y los otros caballos en la misma propiedad están bajo cuarentena por 60 días. El caballo fue examinado debido a ser ilegalmente trasladado a través de fronteras estatales, y no ser administrado a un examen de EIA (también conocido como prueba Coggins). En EE.UU, es requerido que un caballo pruebe negativo a EIA y tenga un certificado de inspección de un veterinario antes de viajar por fronteras estatales. Visite www.bit.ly/EIAinformation para más información y recursos con respecto a EIA.

Quemas en Nature Park

Si no lo han notado todavía, Carbondale Nature Park está cerrado entre las 7 a.m. y las 3:30 p.m. durante la semana del 17 al 21 de abril, debido a incendios controlados, si el clima lo permite. “Quemando la maleza es una de las técnicas de mitigación del pueblo para la salud de la tierra

y control de maleza en Nature Park y una de las estrategias polifacéticas identificadas en el plan de administración de maleza de Carbondale del 2023,” dijo el comunicado de prensa del pueblo.

Más quemas

La Unidad Interinstitucional de Administración de Incendios de la parte superior del Río Colorado está planificando varios incendios controlados en terrenos federales, incluyendo hasta 500 acres en Avalanche Creek y hasta 2,000 acres en Braderich Creek.

LIMPIEZA DE PRIMAVERA Y EVENTO DE RECICLAJE

29 de ABRIL, 8AM-2PM

Entrada: Calles 4ª y Colorado en Carbondale

Residuos domésticos y de montaña:

Cuota de entrada por carga:

Ciudad de Carbondale (residente) $10 No residente $30

Carga con remolque (residente) $20 No residente $60

Reciclaje de colchones: $10/Colchón (pagado por el cliente en la entrada)

Basura de montaña:

• Basura doméstica general (muebles/madera/cercas, etc.)

• Reciclaje de metales

• Reciclaje de textiles (deben estar en bolsas para su reciclaje)

• Reciclaje de colchones ($10/colchón pagado por el cliente)

UBICADO EN EL ESTACIONAMIENTO DE LAS CALLES 4ª Y COLORADO

ARTÍCULOS NO ACEPTADOS:

Residuos peligrosos, como: aceite, pintura, líquidos de limpieza /recipientes, líquidos para automóviles, cilindros de propano. Los residuos de jardinería y ramas NO serán aceptados en este evento. Los desechos de jardinería y ramas de 2 pulgadas o menos de diámetro serán aceptados en los eventos de temporada de desechos de jardinería que comienzan el 6 de mayo de 2023, y cada otro fin de semana hasta septiembre. Este evento está localizado en las calles 4ª y Colorado, 9am a mediodía. Residentes de la ciudad solamente.

Información

• Los equipos a cargo alternarán los almuerzos entre el mediodía y la una de la tarde. La descarga puede llevar más tiempo durante este periodo. Le pedimos que lo tenga en cuenta.

• Se acepta cheque, efectivo y tarjeta de débito/crédito.

• Se requiere prueba de residencia en el pueblo de Carbondale para la exención de cuotas hasta que se haya alcanzado el subsidio para cada vendedor.

• El sitio web de la ciudad y "Town of Carbondale, CO Public Works" página de Facebook tendrá actualizaciones.

Vendedores especiales de reciclaje:

La entrega de artículos por parte de los residentes de la ciudad de Carbondale a los proveedores que se indicarán a continuación es GRATUITA (hasta que se haya alcanzado el subsidio de la ciudad).

La entrega de artículos por parte de residentes de fuera de la ciudad a los proveedores que se indicarán a continuación NO ES GRATUITA y se cobrarán las cuotas correspondientes.

Blue Star Recyclers http://www.bluestarrecyclers.org

• Residuos electrónicos: Televisores, monitores, impresoras, microondas, portátiles, fotocopiadoras, cables y suministros de energía eléctrica, cámaras, equipos de grabación, radios, routers, hubs, tablets, ipads, teclados, ratones, reproductores de DVR/DVD/CD, equipos de televisión por satélite, PlayStations.

UBICADO EN EL ESTACIONAMIENTO DETRÁS DEL AYUNTAMIENTO

Reciclaje de bombillas (focos) Brite Ideas

• Pilas (de coche/teléfono/todas las pilas), bombillas (focos) (fluores centes/CLF/HID/ lámparas UV/ letreros de neón/ balastos PCB/ termostatos de mercurio).

• A los refrigeradores y otros artículos con freón se les cobrará una tasa http://www.coloradobulbrecycling.com

UBICADO EN EL ESTACIONAMIENTO DETRÁS DEL AYUNTAMIENTO

Llantas JLM

• Sin cargo para los residentes de la ciudad por las primeras 100 llantas, hasta 18 pulgadas sin aros (rines).

• Hay un límite de 8 llantas por cliente.

• Un cargo de $8 por llanta será pagado por el cliente después del límite.

UBICADO EN EL ESTACIONAMIENTO DETRÁS DEL AYUNTAMIENTO

Traducción por Jacquelinne Castro

"Sincronías" parte 20, por Leonardo Occhipinti

Let’s talk about love

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

How do you approach what you love? This question is central to Andrea Villa’s work, which seeks to rescue modernity from oppressive rationalism. How? By reclaiming a medieval romanticism present in the writings of poet Dante Alighieri, “the Shakespeare of Italian,” according to Villa.

This weekend, April 21-22, in partnership with The Center for Human Flourishing, Villa will teach a workshop about erotic love informed by Dante’s “La Vita Nuova.”

Villa was born and raised in Italy. As a young man, he traveled to India and later to the United States. A student of spiritual teachers Malidoma Somé and Martín Prechtel, Villa became particularly interested in West African and Native American traditions of initiation. He now lives in Boulder where he works as a life coach and labors away to complete his first book, "The Erotic Code of Men and the Blessing of Gender."

The book began more than a decade ago, when Villa “fell in love with a woman I knew I shouldn’t have an affair with,” he stated. However shortlived, the romance sent him “down a rabbit hole of deep reflection,” an experience which Villa said, “made me realize that in this day and culture, nobody talks about love.”

By comparison, “if you take the words ‘love’ and ‘god’ out of the Middle Ages, you wouldn’t be able to understand it culturally … that world would probably collapse without those words.” During Dante’s life, “Eros was speaking much louder, and the poets heard him most clearly.”

Villa connects the word “erotic” directly back to Eros, a Greek god more associated with transcendence than sex. He defines it as “the impact of beauty on the mind; the capacity to remain in the sensation of beauty.”

Dante Alighieri, best-known for “The Divine Comedy” and particularly “Inferno,” wrote about his love for Beatrice in “La Vita Nuova,” a book that Andrea Villa has studied. Courtesy graphic

In “La Vita Nuova,” a young Dante is stirred by his love for Beatrice and begins a journey into the origins of beauty. In the Medieval concept, Villa informed, “intimacy is a learning process and women are the teachers.” He continued, “This is sacred work. In the Middle Ages, they knew it and treated it as such.”

Villa admitted that his experience is that of a heterosexual male, and therefore his teachings focus primarily on a man’s relationship with the divine

feminine. “We are a beauty-dependent species, and we’ve forgotten this,” he said. “Men and women are utterly necessary for each other's development, and if we don’t understand what we bring to the table, this development doesn’t happen.”

Although he speaks from a heterosexual perspective, “Anybody who wants to engage with the grief of love is welcome,” Villa said. It is necessary, however, for participants to attend Friday’s introduction if they wish to join on Saturday. Or, interested persons can attend only on Friday for a taste of Villa’s teachings.

“A lot of this workshop is about how we have moved away from our erotic intelligence, which is what governs life,” he told The Sopris Sun. His philosophy is that our intimate relationships serve as a gateway to the divine, and through loving one another we feed the beauty that sustains life. “Erotic love is not about pleasure, it is about longing and service,” he said.

“The erotic for me is a way to save our asses from environmental disaster … How we approach what we love relates directly to nature. So how do we approach nature so we get what we need without destroying everything in the process? That’s the issue of modernity.”

Obstacles to love, by Villa’s estimation, are often cultural. He hopes to “rescue a vocabulary of the spiritual possibilities of relationships,” and return “valor” as an evolutionary principle that our relationships offer. “How do I approach you so that we can create something beautiful together, beauty that resonates with life? That’s the non-transactional amor.”

Tickets for the 7-8:30pm introduction on April 21, and the 9:30am to 4:30pm workshop on April 22 are available at www.tcfhf.org

On May 27, Villa will return for a more active workshop, specifically for men, taking place at Sustainable Settings. Tickets are not yet available.

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Virginia Squier, one of KDNK's first station managers, shared a few stories from the community radio's especially wild days.

We are delighted to offer you, our community, the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost blood tests. Take charge of your health and save the date! By Appointment Only.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023 @ 1PM Carbondale Rec Center

Tickets: www.5pointfilm.org

Photos by Raleigh Burleigh

Bruce Stollbach (left), Amy Hadden Marsh (center) and Lee Swidler (right) have known KDNK from the very beginning. Here they posed in the photo booth.

Artist Chris Hassig fashioned a symbolic mortgage to burn at the party, celebrating that the building at 76 South Second Street is now fully paid off and owned by the station.

KDNK Music Director Cody Lee transformed a corner of the Third Street Center into a record store in the Calaway Room lounge for partygoers to peruse.

Si deja una huella, ¡Regrese, por favor!

Los senderos de Red Hill reciben más de 70.000 usuarios cada año.

Por favor, respeta nuestros senderos este primavera, cuando caminas o ciclas:

• No use senderos lodosos

• Manténgase en los senderos designados

• Recoge el popo de tu perro

Más etiqueta de senderos

@red_hill_council

Red Hill Council es una organización sin fines de lucro de la comunidad de voluntarios dedicado a preservar y mantener los pintorescos senderos de Red Hill y Mushroom Rock para el beneficio público.

DJ Susie Darrow, host of "The Frog Princess," sported a classic KDNK t-shirt.

Former music director Skip Naft skipped over from Paonia and posed here with Cami Britt for a photo.

Local elders John Stickney, Art Ackerman (oldest DJ on the air) and Sondie Reiff enjoyed the outdoor bonfire after dinner.

Mike Speer revealed an early attempt for call letters, before "KDNK" was procured from the FCC. "KUBU" would signify "you be you," and was thought of by Lee Swidler.

Annie Flynn gave a heartfelt speech honoring the late Wick Moses, followed by a toast.

Local archivist and Wholly Bozo Terry Glasenapp also spoke to KDNK's history.

comes

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Marble Charter School Players recently performed an original play called “The Middle World,” based on a novel by the same name written by Redstone author Nicole “Nikki” Beinstein, who also teaches at the charter school. On April 14-15, The Redstone Inn premiered the show in its Lady Bountiful Room. The goal of Marble Charter School is to have this be a mainstage production sometime soon. This semi-musical featured the talents of fifth through eighth graders singing original music by Jessa Young and some student performers taking on multiple roles. It ran for roughly two hours and had a 15-minute intermission. Not only were students performing, all the crew responsible for lights and sound effects were also Marble Charter students.

Beinstein met with the Sopris Sun a week before the production to discuss the players involved, her goals and the talents of the students who brought her novel to life. She moved to Redstone in 2007 from New York with her thenhusband and 1-year-old daughter. They lived in a neighborhood across from the

Redstone Castle.

Looking back on her time creating the story for “The Middle World,” Beinstein said she felt a strong connection to the energy of John Osgood’s second wife, Alma Shelgram, more famously referred to as “Lady Bountiful.”

“I was fascinated by her story, then her voice came through to me. I started to write about the story of Redstone from her perspective. At some point, these other characters who are fictional, came to mind and they connected with the spirits of the past here,” she stated.

“The Middle World” tells the story of two 12-year-olds who reside in Redstone, Rose and Kenai, who discover that they can communicate with the spirits of the village’s past. They begin to uncover mysteries behind the Redstone Castle, once called “Cleveholm,” with the help of a new friend, Manuele. The book, written for children ages 9-12, perfectly blends the genres of fantasy and mystery with historic truth, breathing new life into the local lore of Redstone and the Roaring Fork Valley. The story also explores the healing of past tragedies while dealing with modern-day struggles through the eyes and power of children’s clear and innocent outlook.

“I wrote ‘The Middle World’ book and self published it in 2016. Since then, I have gotten a lot of positive feedback and have always wanted to make it into a play,” Beinstein said. “There is always that risk of creating something new, but when you start seeing the pieces come together, it is very exciting, and that's

where we are now.”

Fortunately, she got in touch with Oriana Moebius of 13 Moons Ranch who commissioned her book to be turned into a play and would later collaborate with scriptwriter Alexandria Bastow to make the vision come to life. Beinstein later edited the script with her students as work toward the dream was set in motion.

Although it was not a full-scale traditional stage production, the radiostyle stage reading was still something that packed a powerful punch.

“There are some mature topics that we do address in the show that the students are notably more than capable of addressing. They have an incredible amount of insight to provide us when it comes to these questions of love and death. They think about these issues as much, if not more than we do. Yet we often don't allow them to express those things,” she said.

The night of April 15 was a packed

show with standing-room only. While the students were a tad nervous, they had amazing chemistry and a way of bringing depth to the characters.

Debuting the play in its early stages at The Redstone Inn added a layer of honoring the history of those who founded Redstone — a perfect beginning for turning the show into a full production. Dialogue among the canonically young characters was quick-witted, sharp, engaging and entertaining.

The way topics like death and divorce were portrayed was touching, tragic and yet digestible enough for younger audience members. The story is informative and interesting spoken aloud, but the true depths of the stories will become much more clear when the show makes its full-scale stage debut.

Marble Charter School will have more updates on “The Middle World” soon. Learn more at marblecharter. gunnisonschools.net

Nikki Beinstein celebrates the first reading of her play with Marble Charter School students at the Redstone Inn. Photo by Katie Manz

Frankenstein leaves audience pondering

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

“Frankenstein: The Man/The Monster?” performed by the Sopris Theatre Company at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) is a thought-provoking retelling of the 1818 classic horror tale, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,” penned by an 18-yearold Mary Godwin, later known by her married name, Mary Shelley.

An original musical, “Frankenstein: The Man/The Monster?” was first published in book form by author and award-winning composer Carol Weiss. Brad Moore, theater operations manager at CMC, directs this production.

The play’s backstory originates with the historic 1815 volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora, located in presentday Indonesia. The volcano’s ash debris and toxic gas caused the deaths of an estimated 10,000 people. Its aftermath created a volcanic winter that led to drastic temperature drops in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer of 1816, known as the Year Without a Summer. It led to a worldwide spread of disease and famine caused by failed crops.

The play opens in that rainy and unforgivably cold summer, with Mary and her younger stepsister, Claire,

vacationing at the Villa Diodati estate as guests of Lord Byron, one of the leading figures in the English Romantic movement.

When Mary wrote her horror masterpiece, Tambora’s environmental disaster weighed heavy on her mind. Audience members can draw parallels to Weiss’ warning that today’s climate change is partly the result of manmade materials which threaten our habitat.

The estate in the Swiss Alps near Lake Geneva includes other house guests, like Percy Bysshe Shelley, a celebrated English Romantic poet portrayed by well-established Roaring Fork Valley actor Travis Wilson. In dual roles, Wilson also portrays the fictional amateur scientist Victor Frankenstein.

Wilson brings a believable and nuanced portrayal of Victor, an eager science enthusiast striving to make a name for himself amongst worldrenowned scientists by embarking on the dangerous path of becoming godlike by giving life to a creature stitched together from corpses.

Byron’s personal physician, Dr. John Polidori, played by Otto “Mitch” Kucera, accompanies Byron on his European travels. Kucera also portrays Victor’s confidant, Henry.

In a triumphant display of her acting

range, Hattie Rensberry portrays Mary, the savvy and vivacious world traveler who rises to the challenge posed by Lord Byron to four dinner companions, “to create the most haunting tale.” She then transitions into the demure and faithful Elizabeth, Victor’s fiancée, who patiently awaits the return of her beloved Victor, consumed with his medical experiments.

Comedic relief is provided by Mrs. Chesterton, played by Bostyn Elswick, the production’s associate choreographer, and her three young daughters, played by Jess Bowler, Ashley Sprenger and Peyton “Pax” Wild. Mama Chesterton is obsessed with eager, yet futile, attempts to marry off her daughters to the first available, and somewhat unwilling, suitors.

Set designer Thomas Ward uses a minimalist and craggy facade to represent the Swiss Alps, colored a dreary gray to reveal the foreboding

cloud that hangs over Victor, Frankenstein and the panicked and armed villagers.

Gerald DeLisser plays the misunderstood Creature, who later takes the name of the man who gave him life: Frankenstein.

DeLisser modulates his vocal performance to portray the emotionally wounded and, at times, vengeful Creature Frankenstein. He skillfully conveys an empathetic understanding that the Creature has been dealt the ultimate bad hand — he is the grotesque, patched-together invention, given life by the naive and irresponsible Victor.

Morgan Walsh portrays The Blind Woman who cannot see the Creature’s hideous form and, therefore, is not repulsed by him. Not understanding the source of the villager’s fears, she

continues on page 23

Playwright Carol Weiss (center-left) accompanied the Sopris Theatre Company production of her play during its first weekend. The show lost one weekend due to COVID-19, so theater-goers are encouraged to catch the final performances this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Courtesy photo

Sopris Sun interns gain cultural insight from Shortfest filmmakers

Youth Correspondents

Recently, three of The Sopris Sun youth journalism interns, Yesenia Benavides, Antoinette Brasier and Dominic Furer, had the chance to interview two directors whose films were featured at Aspen Film’s Shortsfest this year: Julia Elihu, director of “In the Garden of Tulips,” and Noam Argov, director of “Sulam.” Below are but a few highlights from the interviews.

‘In the Garden of the Tulips’ This film takes place during the IranIraq war and is about a young Iranian Jewish girl whose father is attempting to help her escape the country.

Dominic: As a Jewish American, I wondered about your symbolic use of the Shema [a Jewish prayer] in the film?

Julia: I came across that rendition of singing the Shema a couple of years ago on YouTube. It really touched my heart because I’m an Iranian Jew myself. We’re the Mizrahi Jews, which is a smaller community that a lot of people don’t know about. The reason I love the way this Mizrahi Rabbi sang the prayer is because you can really hear the roots of the Middle East in the way he’s singing the Shema. It reminded me a lot of this Yeminite cantor I had growing up who would sing the prayer in a very similar way.

We chose to not have any music in the film except for the Shema at the very end to symbolize that now she’s going toward freedom, and is one step closer

By Antoinette Brasier Youth Correspondent

The month of April is often associated with Easter, the end of ski season and sporadic spring weather. April is also considered National Donate Life Month, promoting organ transplant awareness and encouraging people to become donors. This reporter wanted to learn more, so I reached out to a local organization involved in the field to see why organ donation is so important.

The Sopris Sun interviewed Jessi Rochel, the executive director of the Chris Klug Foundation (CKF), and to start off asked what the CKF does and what its goals are.

“We are passionate advocates for donation and transplantation, as well as staunch supporters for past, present and future donors and recipients,” she replied. “CKF uses the stories of organ donors, transplant candidates and transplant recipients to inspire, alongside events, school courses and webinars to educate.”

The end goal, according to Rochel, is to encourage “individuals to give the gift of life and register as organ donors. However,” she added, “We still understand and respect a person's right to make the decision that is best for them when it comes to registering as a donor.”

The executive director shared how the foundation began. The founder of the organization, Chris Klug, “was 21-years-old when he discovered he

to being able to sing her prayers freely and loudly.

Yesenia: What do you hope U.S. audiences will take away from the film?

Julia: I want to highlight a group of people and a culture that most people don’t know about. Growing up as an Iranian Jew in San Diego, everyone was kind of confused by that and what that meant. I am trying to showcase my culture and my people and the significant moments that happened to them, and not too long ago, which affected my generation. I also want people to see this young teenage girl from the other side of the world and realize, “Oh she’s not so different from me.”

‘Sulam’

This film sheds light on the experience of an Israeli mother and daughter who immigrated to the U.S. and the stresses of navigating everyday life in a new country.

Antoinette: Why was the girl so embarrassed that her mom didn’t speak English?

Noam: It’s based on feelings that I had growing up with a mom who didn’t speak English. I think sometimes the way Americans react to that can be negative. I would get the feeling that people didn’t want to understand what my mom was saying or take the time to work with her accent.

I think she just really wants her mom to be American — to fit in. And, that’s just never going to happen for them.

needed a transplant,” Rochel said. “He spent almost six years on the waitlist before receiving his transplant.” Eighteen months after surgery, he won a Bronze Medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Later, he started the CKF to promote lifesaving organ, eye and tissue donation; as well as to improve the quality of life for those touched by transplantation, she explained.

The CKF is partnering with Donor Alliance, a nonprofit organization based out of Denver, to host awareness events and campaigns to educate prospective donors. Rochel says that the CKF believes it “is vital to educate kids [and adults too, of course] about organ, eye and tissue donation so that they are able to make educated and informed decisions about registering as donors.”

Jessi went on to explain that when teenagers register to get their driver’s permit or license, they often don’t know what to do when asked if they’d like to be an organ donor. For that very reason, the CKF educates children about organ donation so that they “know what their answer is going to be before they even set foot in the door” of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Rochel stated.

Rochel shared that 96% of Americans support the cause, but only 54% of them are actually registered as organ donors. “Donation and transplantation suffer from several myths and misconceptions” she continued, and that can deter people from registering. But, the CKF “works to dispel” those myths and educate people

I think that’s the tension there: this desire versus learning to appreciate the situation that they’re in and dealing with the reality of who her family is.

Yesenia: How old were you when you immigrated to the U.S.?

Noam: I was three. We immigrated to a rural area of Central Florida where, in the ‘90s, there weren’t a lot of immigrants at the time, and there definitely weren’t a lot of Jews. So, my parents and I were isolated. There was also this strange experience where the small Jewish community there also didn’t really accept us because of the language barrier.

I grew up in this bubble in a way, speaking Hebrew, and reading and

writing it — that was really important to my parents. Over the years they did assimilate but it took them a really long time to kind of integrate into the community.

To learn more about Noam Argov’s films, visit www.noamargov.com, as for Julia Elihu’s, visit www.juliaelihu. com

“In the Garden of the Tulips” will screen at the Crystal Theatre on Saturday, April 29, as part of Shortsfest 2023 Award Winners Program Two, at 5pm. Program One begins at 7pm on April 28, also at the Crystal Theatre. Visit www.bit.ly/ShortsfestWinners for tickets and more information.

with factual information.

One such myth is that a person can be too old or too young to be a donor. This is what Rochel had to say about that: “The youngest organ donor in the world was only 74-minutes-old when her parents donated her liver cells and kidneys. And, the oldest tissue donor in the world was 107 when she donated her corneas.”

It does not matter what somebody’s sexual orientation, gender identity (or

expression), race, ethnicity, income or social status is, they are all eligible to be organ donors and recipients. Another concern some people have before signing up to be an organ donor is past illnesses or sexually transmitted diseases — specifically HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).

The HOPE (HIV Organ Policy Equity) Act made organ donation and transplantation possible between a

continues on page 26

Julia Elihu (left) and Ava Lalezarzadeh, screenwriter and cast member, embrace after winning the Youth Jury Award for “In the Garden of the Tulips,” which had its world premiere at Shortsfest. Photo courtesy of Daniel Bayer

CKF affirms anyone can save a life

(Left to right) Marie Herr, Beverly Fox, Carol Crum and Jessi Rochel rejoice at a recent DLM event, “You're Never Too Old to Donate," at Sopris Lodge. CKF will be at 5Point Film Festival on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23. On top of that, the organization will kick off the 2023 CKF Webinar Series with "Life Post Transplant," which will be available by the end of the month. Courtesy photo

Frankenstein continued from page 21

attempts to come to Frankenstein’s aid as other villagers attack him.

Rounding out the cast are Michael Banks, Courtney Lindgren, Jay Edmonds, Lindsey Hamilton, Lydia Mitchell, Christopher Wheatley and Ben Williams.

In her third STC production as dramaturg, Lily Wymer asks us a moral question. “Weiss’ ‘Monster or Man?’

stitches together Mary’s timeless novel with the unusual circumstances of its conception to drive the audience to a single question: who is to be feared, truly, the creator or his creation?”

The remaining performances are on April 21 and 22 at 7 pm and April 23 at 2 pm. The April 21 performance will be livestreamed as well. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors, CMC students and employees, and can be purchased at www.coloradomtn.edu or by calling the box office at 970-947-8177.

Jonathan Foster comes to Steve's Guitars on April 26

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

Award-winning folkAmericana singer-songwriter

Jonathan Foster is making a tour stop at Steve’s Guitars on April 26.

Foster, originally from Cranberry Lake, New York, is currently cranking out music in Redding, California. He has been crafting tunes for old souls for over a decade. In that time, he has released five independent studio albums and played over 300 shows in the U.S. His 2021 album, titled "Lantern Shade,” is packed with musical residuals from the past year of reflective moments during uncertain days.

“The great thing about my style of music is they are story songs,” Foster told The Sopris Sun, “meaning they can be somewhat left up to the listener for interpretation.”

Foster said he often does not write his setlist until he's physically at the venue, feeling the atmosphere, season and geography “to build a relationship with the audience.”

His current project, which has the working title of "Roadside Attraction,” draws

inspiration from traveling while on tour. “There is such a difference between all these different places I go to,” he said. “This new album will have little snippets of the Southwest, Rocky Mountains and the Northeast, where I originally come from, and a little bit of everywhere else in between.”

Needless to say, he’s excited to visit Carbondale for the first time. “There's always this little bit of extra anxiety and intrigue when I go to a new place,” he said. “Every inch and turn of the music industry can be quite challenging at times, and a lot of it stems from how to make a living as a working musician.”

While struggles may face independent artists at every turn, “I always feel like I have the greatest job on earth when I'm on tour,” Foster stated.

“When there are good things to do outdoors, I can mix music and do other types of traveling, my cup is full.”

For aspiring artists, he said there’s no time like now to find yourself and run with it.

“It's easy to emulate others and it's hard to find ourselves through our art. The only way I see the most successful

people take those next steps into their professions is by throwing that spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks and makes you feel good.”

Learn more about Foster's music and tour at jfmusic.net

For tickets to the performance at Steve’s, visit www.stevesguitars.net

•

•

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Jonathan Foster, photo by Keli Tims

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

From a young age, Jack Holden Raife wanted to learn to fly airplanes. Sadly, he was just 18-years-old when he passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, April 2, explained his obituary, found on the opening page of the leaflet passed out at the young man’s memorial on Saturday, April 15.

The memorial was held on the beautiful back patio and lawn of the Aspen Glen Clubhouse, with friends and family facing the majestic Mt. Sopris. There was an immeasurable amount of support and love present for Jack, and not nearly enough seats.

His mother, Kathy Potter, spoke poignantly of watching her son struggle with mental health, and his family doing everything in their power to ease his strife. Heartbreakingly, in the end, Jack took his own life.

“When he was good, he was great. When he wasn’t well, he could be very unwell,” Potter stated. “We, his family, did everything we possibly could to support and help him. We literally did not leave a single stone unturned.”

Jack came out as gay to his family when he was in the seventh grade, according to his sister, Makena Raife. The siblings were less than two years apart, and Makena added that they were best friends.

In fact, there’s a chance you’ve seen the two perform together, as they

were in a band with a couple of friends growing up. They even played at Belly Up Aspen in January 2020. Makena referred to her brother as a piano prodigy, a sentiment echoed by others during the memorial.

Though he was struggling himself, Jack took other young members of the LGBTQ+ community under his wing, lending them emotional support and advice, Potter proudly pointed out.

His mother shared that while recently grieving with loved ones it occurred to her, and she let the group know, “We are going to turn our collective pain into power. That’s what Jack would want,” she repeated to the mourners during the memorial. “Turn our pain into power; that has become my personal mission.” It’s a mission her daughter is committed to as well.

From there, the duo set out to create a memorial fund in Jack’s name to benefit LGBTQ+ youth.

“In 2022, Jack graduated from Telos Academy a semester early. He then started an accelerated college career at the University of Colorado Boulder,” the fundraising webpage reads. Jack had a bright future by the looks of things.

“His witty and creative mind will forever be remembered,” it continues, “but his impact on the world is just beginning.”

As of press time, the Jack Raife Memorial Fund at AspenOUT had raised more than $90,000. Donations will be used to fund long-term mental health services for queer youth.

The webpage also references a 2022 national survey conducted by the Trevor Project which indicated that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth considered attempting suicide in the past year.

People who wish to contribute to Jack’s memorial fund, can visit www. givebutter.com/JackRaife

PFlag Roaring Fork Valley provides a plethora of resources, including counseling and crisis lines, for LGBTQ+ youth and adults experiencing mental health struggles. Visit www.pflagrfv.org for more information.

“I believe he was just too good for this world,” Jack’s sister shared. And, perhaps she’s right. After all, he did get his wings.

Jack’s mother, Kathy Potter, spoke passionately about her son and the mental well-being of all LGBTQ+ youth. Photo by James Steindler

Biodegradable balloons were cast into the air by mourners to symbolize Jack’s goal to be a pilot one day. Fly high, Jack.

Photo by James Steindler

Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com

Cerulean; blue that sings memories of sea and surf, of ocean and whales

By Nancy Bo Flood

Blue is this evening’s horizon, brushed wet with blue, blue, blue. Saturated, whole sky spilling blueness.

Violet, indigo soon shimmer beneath the sky vault of blue

Once an ocean here

Blueness now blankets snowy fields

Snowflakes swim earthward

Bold branches, bare limbs, reach through cobalt sky

As their slender shadows stretch across waves of white

Telling calligraphy tales of spring to come

But tonight

Winter rules

Hush

Hush

One small brown thrush

Feathers puffed

Head tucked

Waits.

To the right, Flood shares her unedited thought process in writing the poem above. Her books are available for purchase at White River Books.

Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com

I began with watching the sky, the fields of smooth snow and writing down anything that came to mind. Here is some of it.

Snow fields sheen, simmer, sparkle

First hint of moon shine snow fields smooth creamy blue undulating

Blue is a horizon brushed wet with blue saturated sky dripping blueness

Marked by long tree shadows stretched like indigo skeletons, arms?

Black boughs reach up through blueness

Hush rest sunset one small thrush trills goodnight

Head bowed fluff under piney boughs

Blanketing the fields silver snowflakes waltzing earthward

My mouth is full of winter: cold, clean, quiet

Velvet cobalt curtains close the day

I looked up the names of the different shades of blue:

Aqua, violet cerulean cobalt aqua turquoise sapphire

Share your writing no matter how messy. Have fun with it. Play with it. Let the words roll around in your mouth, your ears.

Enjoy this day. I am enjoying our gathering and sharing so much, thank you.

SPRING CLEAN-UP & RECYCLING EVENT

APRIL 29th, 8AM-2PM

Entry Gate: 4th & Colorado in Carbondale

Household Waste and Mountain Waste:

Entry Fees per Load:

Town of Carbondale (resident) $10 Non-resident $30

Load with trailer (resident) $20 Non-resident $60

Mattress recycling: $10/Mattress (paid by customer @ the entry gate)

Mountain Waste:

• General household trash (furniture/wood/fencing, etc.)

• Metal recycling

• Textile recycling (must be in bags for recycling)

• Mattress recycling ($10/mattress paid by customer)

LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT AT 4TH & COLORADO

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED:

propane bottles.

• Yard waste and branches will NOT be accepted at this event. Yard waste and branches 2” or less in diameter will be accepted at the seasonal Yard Waste events which begin on May 06, 2023, and every-other weekend through September This event is located at 4th & Colorado, 9am-Noon. Town residents only.

• Crews will alternate lunches between noon and 1pm. Unloading may take additional time during this time-frame Please plan accordingly

• Check, cash, debit/credit card accepted.

• Proof of Town of Carbondale residency required for waiver of fees until the subsidy has been met for each vendor.

• The Town website and “ Town of Carbondale, CO Public Works” Facebook page will have current updates.

Special Recycling Vendors:

Town of Carbondale resident drop-off items for the vendors listed below are FREE (until the Town subsidy has been met) Out-of-Town resident drop-off items for the vendors listed below are NOT FREE and applicable fees will be charged.

Blue Star Recyclers

• Electronic Waste: TVs, monitors, printers, microwaves, laptops, copiers, cords, and power supplies, cameras, recording equipment, radios, routers, hubs, tablets, ipads, keyboards, mice, DVR/DVD/CD players, cameras, satellite TV equipment, PlayStations

http://www.bluestarrecyclers.org

LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT BEHIND TOWN HALL

Brite Ideas Bulb Recycling

• Batteries (car/phone/all batteries), light bulbs (fluorescents/CLF/HID /UV lamps/ neon signs/PCB ballasts/mercury thermostats).

• Refrigerators and other freon items will be charged a fee

http://www.coloradobulbrecycling.com

LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT BEHIND TOWN HALL

JLM Tires:

• There is a limit of 8 tires per customer

• A fee of $8 per tire will be paid by customer after the limit.

LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT AT 4TH & COLORADO

Border Patrol at GSHS continued from page 6

that had been in place with the previous career expo organizer.

However, Nila does not accept Freeman’s initial explanation. She said, “He is the principal of the school, so he should have had good enough communication to know what's going on in his school. It just doesn't make sense.”

The career expo incident garnered media attention on the Front Range with news reports by the CBS News Denver TV network and in the Denver Westword newspaper.

Nila told The Sopris Sun, “I appreciate the apologies, but I believe this incident shows what has been ignored for years. It's clear that some adults don't have proper education on Latino concerns.”

Sánchez and others within the Latino community want to see the Safe Haven Resolution enacted into district policy, with hopes that in doing so, the district supports its Latino students.

Fentanyl continued from page 7

use the standing order. Most insurers cover it, including Medicaid.

People can download the OpiRescue App which connects them to resources in their area and provides information such as how to recognize an overdose.

“If you get Naloxone and download OpiRescue, now you’re equipped,” Valuck concluded.

Keep the Party Safe is currently working with music festival and concert organizers, primarily in the Denver area at this point, to help spread their messaging. The group hopes to make an official announcement on May 9, National Fentanyl Awareness Day.

Visit www.keepthepartysafe.org to learn more about Keep the Party Safe.

GarCo Report continued from page 7

by the State of Oregon was upheld by the federal government in 2021. Weidner did not seem to know much about the project or its status. Samson said that efforts are now focused on a pipeline to Mexico, blaming the urban politics of Portland for the demise of Jordan Cove.

Weidner said he met last week with Democratic Congresswoman Val Hoyle, who represents Coos Bay, Oregon, which would have been home to the Jordan Cove liquid natural gas plant. He asked the BOCC if they thought it would be worth it to talk to Hoyle about reversing the Jordan Cove decision. “I'd love to talk to her personally,” gushed Samson. “I still, in the heart of my hearts, would love to see the [Jordan Cove project] go forward,” adding that it would be a win-win for the West, Japan, Germany and other foreign markets.

Organ Donation

continued from page 22

donor and recipient who both are HIV-positive, Rochel explained, debunking the notion that an HIV-positive person wouldn’t have the opportunity to be a donor.

Seven-thousand children and adults die each year while awaiting an organ transplant. Rochel went on to explain that every nine-minutes someone is added to the organ transplant wait list, and that adds up to 160 people each day. During Donate Life Month, these staggering facts are being passed onto Colorado residents, to encourage people of all ages, histories and identities to register to become donors.

As someone who is about to get their driver's license in the next few months, this reporter feels ready to answer the DMV when asked about being an organ donor.

The CKF is committed to sharing stories and experiences so that more lives might be saved. Visit www.chrisklugfoundation.org for more information.

The Carbondale Community School's 25th annual Big Event, an all-school original play, was performed on April 18-19. This year's theme was "rivers" and among the skits, John Wesley Powell (portrayed by Teagan Hageland) met his great-greatgreat-great-great nephew (Louis DeFrancisco), a developer looking to turn water into money. Addy Moss portrayed a frog, observing from the shore.

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

The Roaring Fork Girls Lacrosse Team celebrated a historic 10-9 win against their Aspen rivals on Monday, April 10. The team is enjoying a 6-1 overall winning streak and remains undefeated within the 4A Mountain East League. So far, they lost to Castle Valley in a nonleague game. On April 21 they will face Eagle Valley in Gypsum, then Steamboat Springs on April 25 and Summit on April 28. Their next home game is against Thompson Valley (Loveland) on April 29 at 9am. Find the full schedule for lacrosse and other high school sports at www.maxpreps.com

by Sue Rollyson

Volunteers Needed!

CASA of the Continental Divide guides volunteer advocates who ensure a child’s safety, best interest and well-being are at the forefront of legal proceedings. We believe that every child should be given the opportunity to thrive in a safe and loving home. Change a child’s story by volunteering with us today! Apply to volunteer at mtncasa.org or call us at 970-513-9390.

Photos

THANK

Diana Stough Alcantara

Kelley Amdur

Kathy & Carter Barger

Debbie & Marc Bruell

Meredith Bullock

Kay Clarke

Brian Colley

Barbara Collins

Peter Davidoff

Barbara Dills

Sue Engelhardt Christina Flynn

Christina Flynn

Denise Fogerty

Walter Gallacher

Will Grandbois

Mary Groome

Heather Henry

Eilene Ish

Leslie & Patrick Johnson

Nancy Johnson

Susan Jordan

Sarah Klingelheber Colin & Alice Laird Megan Larsen

Colin & Alice Laird

Laurie Loeb

Tristan Mead

Trina Ortega

Illene Pevec

Terri & David Ritchie Joel Rittvo

Joel Rittvo

Jessi Rochel

Nancy Roen

Terri Slivka

Wendy Stewart

Danny Sone

Kenny Teitler

Annie Worley

Megan Larsen