20230504

17 ~ GarCo Report

20-21

~ Youth

RAMS ON THE RUN!

Photos and text by Sue Rollyson

On a beautiful spring day with music filling the air, every student at Crystal River Elementary School (CRES) spent 30 minutes running laps on an eighth of a mile track laid out in the school field.

This was the 10th annual Rams Run fundraiser, the highest earning fundraiser at the school. Half of the money raised goes directly into physical education programming, providing experiences not typically available to elementary school students. This has allowed students to learn to ice skate on an on-site outdoor skating rink with skates and helmets provided, procured cross country skiing equipment for a course on the baseball field, bought new tumbling mats and more. The other half of the funds go to the Parent Teacher Organization and are filtered into programs like art and music.

There were a record-setting 19 community sponsors this year! Those sponsorships alone raised $8,000, with Alpine Bank as the title sponsor. In addition, each student brought in pledges per lap completed, which are still being calculated.

Students completed up to 24 laps and were joined by teachers, administration, parents and a few siblings both younger and older. The runners received encouragement from middle school track students and other CRES alumni who came to run with them, and of course parents who lined the track cheering them on and offering high fives! The most popular visitor was Ramie, the high school mascot, who attended the entire event (thanks to five different volunteers). He was particularly a hit with the kindergartners and first graders who smothered him with hugs!

There was even a photo booth to photograph the proud students when they were finished. In terms of fun, money raised and benefit to students, this was truly a successful fundraiser!

April showers bring: may there be another Kennedy in the White House! OPINION

Opera House to hear him speak. He was advocating for cleaning up our rivers, specifically concerning the mercury levels in fish. He talked about his family a bit, even referring to his cousin who had been elected as “The Governator” of California.

By Jeannie Perry Ps & Qs

I was driving through a blizzard the other day because, well, springtime in Colorado, when I heard some news on the radio that caused a ray of sunshine to come shining through. Through my mood anyway, it seems as though nothing can actually bring the sun out this year…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his candidacy for president. Such great news! I know, I know, you’re going to say, “but Jeannie, he’s a white male who’s almost 70.” The thing is, the Kennedys are more like the rest of us than the oligarchs who want them dead.

I was in the same room as RFK Jr. once. In fact, I asked him a question. Years ago, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) invited its members to the Wheeler

LETTERS

Highway 133

After he spoke, he stayed on stage for a brief Q&A session. A couple of people bemoaned the state of the planet, and he did his best to honestly appease them. I remember I was sitting between my husband and my uncle, when suddenly my hand went up. I was just as surprised as they were, as though someone else had pulled my arm up into the air. RFK Jr. called on me and magically a question came to my mind (most likely a gift from a dead ancestor who was wittier on the spot than I usually am).

“Is your cousin a member of NRDC?” I asked. There was a smattering of chuckles in the crowd, and he gave me a look as if to say, “Cheeky.” What he said out loud was, “I’ll ask him.” But I think we both knew Arnold was not a member of the progressive organization.

I came away feeling like

There’s been a lot of development along the Highway 133 corridor through town over the last decade. Has it become more attractive, uglier, safer or more dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists? Is it keeping with goal number one in the Town’s newly adopted comprehensive plan, to “actively preserve and protect Carbondale’s small-town character?” Do you think Highway 133 is friendly to people of all ages and abilities?

The Carbondale Age-Friendly Community Initiative wants to know your opinions about this. We want to talk with you about what you think and what experiences you’ve had on the renewed Highway 133. We would also love for you to complete a survey on the subject. After we finish collecting the information, we’re going to summarize and collate it. Then, we’re going to advocate for policies, regulations and projects based on what you tell us.

Look for us from 5 to 8pm on First Friday (May 5) alongside the Bike, Pedestrian and Trails Commission, and at other town events this spring and summer. We will also post relevant links to our social media pages.

Ron Kokish, CAFCI

RFK Jr. was the real deal and in the last — almost — two decades I haven’t seen or heard anything to change my first impression. (I cannot say the same for his out-law cousin; out-law as in former in-law because he is no longer married to Maria Shriver.)

I will vote for RFK Jr. because we align on many issues, but mainly because he can and will stand up to the money. The single biggest issue facing our country right now, besides global humiliation from the likes of Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, is the revolving door of incestual greed happening between corporate stockholders and both political parties. It’s beyond shameful and it has been going on for so long we hardly even care anymore, but a Kennedy is uniquely equipped to hold his own at the trough.

The thing about some of the members of that family is, as blue as their blood may be, they don’t shy away from anything blue collar. They work hard and they play hard, and they seem to understand that in life, once we’ve secured our own footing, it’s time to

Justice Clarence Thomas

The Supreme Court has a serious ethics problem, and the latest revelations about Clarence Thomas should be alarming to every American.

For 20 years, Thomas has accepted high-end, luxury, allexpense-paid vacations around the world from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. And, he never disclosed any of it to the public. What’s more, he also sold three properties to the billionaire and never reported it on his financial disclosures. The vacations are blatantly unethical, and not reporting the real estate sales is potentially illegal.

Supreme Court decisions impact every facet of American life. Because of this, justices must be held to the highest ethical standards. When Americans see news like this about Clarence Thomas — or any other justice — the Court demonstrates that it cannot hold itself accountable and it doesn’t take its responsibilities seriously.

A Court with no legitimacy only hurts the American people. It’s time for Congress to pass a Supreme Court code of ethics to bring legitimacy back to the court.

Barbara O'Connor, Carbondale

look around and see who else could use a hand. I don’t know if it’s the “Pappy was a bootlegger” rumor, the wolf in black sheep’s clothing reputation or simply believing their own Camelot legend. Even for a large wealthy Catholic family, they have seen more than their fair share of tragedy, yet here RFK Jr. is, coming back to court.

JFK was committed to pulling troops out of Vietnam, despite the war profiteers all around him, and it cost him his life, probably RFK’s life too. By all accounts Robert F. Kennedy was planning to carry on with his brother’s agenda and that did not include transporting heroin from Laos — or maybe it did, but not at the cost of so many young men from working class families. This is the difference between the Kennedys and the wannabes. They have the money and the pedigree, but they don’t act like they don’t like to get dirty while playing in the dirt. Their reputation of nondiscriminate beguiling brings a little frankness to the party, a little class, a little ray of sunshine to our long winter of political discontent.

‘Stop! In the name of love’

“Stop! In the name of love, before you break my heart,” is just what I’m thinking when I see this Valley build, build, build. “Think it over, think it over.”

Does this Valley really need thousands upon thousands of more people? Everywhere you look there are new houses and new apartments. The prices to buy and to rent keep going up. People said there are not enough so we should build more, and the prices will come down. How’s that working out?

Why is this happening? Easy answer: this is a nice place to live, with beautiful surroundings and lots to do. Clean air. Good schools.

But hey, this is a narrow valley. The traffic gets worse by the day. Air quality is showing problems now and then. We are facing serious water shortages. Much of what we need and use here has to be brought in by truck, and those supply lines are going to suffer from climate change problems — like fires and rock slides. Local amenities like skiing and hiking are getting used much more. Reservations are a thing. Working people are having to move farther away and with that comes more

continued on page 26

Editor Raleigh Burleigh 970-510-3003

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The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on second Thursdays at the Third Street Center.

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

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Karen & Roger Berliner

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Legacy Givers for including us in their final wishes. Mary Lilly

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Redstone OST survey

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is conducting a survey to gather opinions regarding management plans for Redstone Parks and Open Space and Filoha Meadows. The survey seeks input for both planning efforts and is open through May 15. Visit www.pitkinOSTprojects.com for the survey link and additional information.

Discussing Coal Basin

The Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) is hosting two community discussions regarding the Coal Basin Methane Project, on Monday, May 8 at 6pm at the Third Street Center and Wednesday, May 17 at 6pm at the Church at Redstone. CORE and the project’s lead contractor, Delta Brick and Climate Company, submitted a proposal to the Forest Service to study the methane leaking from the abandoned mines with the intention to eventually develop mitigation strategies. Representatives from each entity will be present at the meetings to explain the plans and take questions from the public.

HCE extends comment period

Holy Cross Energy (HCE) extended the window for members to comment online in regard to its proposed rate restructuring. Originally slated to close on April 30, the online comment period is now open through Monday, May 15. HCE will also host a publiccomment session at 1pm, during its May 24 board of directors meeting. For more information, visit www.holycross.com/rates

Film grants

RJ Paddywacks

Cool Bricks Studio

White River Books

Alpine Animal Hospital

Novus Glass

Nonprofit Partners

Wilderness Workshop

5point Film Festival

Basalt Library

Aspen Strong

Carbondale Rotary

Colorado Animal Rescue

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

At the close of this year’s 5Point Adventure Film Festival a slew of additional grant opportunities were announced including: a $5,000 grant from 5Point; a $10,000 grant from NRS to support a BIPOC filmmaker or “a story that pushes against the boundaries of the traditional paddling film”; and, finally, “The Wading For Change — BIPOC Filmmakers Grant,” provided in partnership with Fat Tire, which will award up to $20,000 to emerging adventure filmmakers within the BIPOC community. For more information and to apply for these grants, visit www.5pointfilm. org/about-5point/film-fund

Starbucks EV chargers

Starbucks, in partnership with Volvo Cars, has installed four electric vehicle (EV) charges at its Grand Avenue location in Glenwood Springs. Eventually, Starbucks plans to install EV charging stations at up to 15 stores, approximately every 100 miles, between Denver and Seattle.

Community Garden space

Looking for a garden plot? Carbondale Community Garden, at the corner of Hen drick Drive and Holland Drive, has an 11-feet by 21-feet plot available. If interested, email 516kware@gmail.com with your name and phone number. The plot is ready to be worked!

Reudi Open

The Reudi Reservoir boat ramp opened on May 3 along with the Reudi Boat Inspection Program. Last year, 14 mussel-fouled boats were identified, mostly arriving from Lake Powell which is infested with quagga mussels. Boat

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is accepting comments about a proposed ban on standup paddle boats (SUPs) at Beaver Lake in Marble, according to published reports. The proposal comes as SUPs have become increasingly popular at the lake, sometimes crowding out anglers and creating parking problems. Colorado Parks and Wildlife acquired Beaver Lake in 1961 with the stipulation it be used for fishing purposes only. To comment, visit www.bit.ly/engageCPWmay before May 24. The proposal is one of several the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will consider at its May meeting. Another proposal would close the Basalt State Wildlife Area from its current Dec. 1 to April 15, to Dec. 1 to July 15. Photo by Lynn “Jake” Burton

ramp hours for 2023 are 8am to 6pm in May, 6am to 8pm in June and 6am to 10pm through August. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is still hiring inspectors for the summer season. For more info, contact. april@rwapa.org or call 970-901-6082.

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Sarah Everill, Mackie Keller, Zoe Kimberly and Aaron Laemmel (May 4); Stan Bell, Frank Betts, Jeremy Heiman, Claudia Prado Zepeda and Sandy Kaplan (May 5); Joe Burleigh, Soozie Lindbloom, Stephen Olson and Maggie Suma (May 6); Amanda Leahy (May 7); Judy Milne, Ricky Ross and Karen Tafejian (May 8); Cheyenne Booher, Jillian Livingston and Karen Crownhart-Nieslanik (May 9); Kay Bell, Chris Perry and Damian Sequichie (May 10).

Programs

Everything

Book

Mon,

Tues, May

5:30-6:30PM

A discussion on the Aspen Words Literary Prize finalist by Angie Cruz.

Potholes happen, but who is responsible for the repairs?

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

The longtime bane of motorists, potholes have gotten especially bad this year with a wet winter and dramatic temperature fluctuations. There are questions among the public about what is being done to remedy the problem and who to report discovered potholes to.

Potholes form from the expansion of water that has slipped through asphalt cracks on the road and into the ground below. When the water freezes and expands, it starts breaking down the foundation of the road to a point that it can no longer support the weight of motor vehicles and begins to crack. This past winter, freezing and thawing cycles severely affected the roads of Western Colorado.

These potholes have been a hot topic on social media in recent weeks. In some cases, alignment and tire damage have burdened unlucky motorists. One concerned citizen of the Roaring Fork Valley, Marty Stouffer, told The Sopris Sun that there are

giant, “man-eating” potholes on County Road (CR) 100, also known as Catherine Store Road. He stated that he got the run around when he attempted to report the problem.

"CDOT [Colorado Department of Transportation] told me that these roads were the responsibility of Garfield County, but when I called Garfield County, they told me that it was the state's responsibility," Stouffer said.

So, who is responsible for the repairs?

According to Elise Thatcher, the communications manager for CDOT’s Northwestern Region Three, it can depend on precisely where the potholes are found. As for Catherine Store Road, she shared that CDOT is responsible for CR 100 from Highway 82 to the Frontage Road. However, south of the Frontage Road, CR 100 is to be maintained by Garfield County.

"The most important thing is that we need to know exactly where it is … It's important to know whether the roadway is a CDOT roadway, like Highway 82 or Interstate 70 for example. If it's a county, local or city roadway, contact the county or

the city," Thatcher stated. She went on to explain that weather, materials used and the location of a pothole all factor into repairs.

"Weather is a significant factor for patching potholes, because the temperature affects what material we can put down to fix the pothole," she said. "If there are colder temperatures, we're limited to a cold mix material that can stay in the pothole to a certain degree, but it doesn't bond as much to the roadway — and, it doesn't last as long."

Once temperatures are warmer and the weather is drier, CDOT can utilize a different bonding agent that sticks to the roadways better called hot mix.

This year, the state pledged $45 million to restore roads after the harsh winter, according to an April 20 press release. Approximately $25 million will go toward repairs to the most damaged areas of Northwestern Colorado.

"Right now, our superintendents who oversee roadway surface conditions around the state are assessing what area roadways and what

parts of roadways have the worst conditions," Thatcher said. "Once we have a sense of the worst locations, we can decide which of the areas … get that quick repair."

According to another press release from April 27, drivers throughout Colorado should be prepared for traffic delays on state roadways as maintenance crews work to repair potholes. CDOT protocol determines that lane closures can be necessary to ensure safe working conditions for three-person minimum maintenance teams.

On average, it costs $60 per square yard and repairs can take between 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and

depth of the pothole.

"It's best to slow down so you can see the roadway conditions in front of you easily,” Thatcher concluded. “If you are commuting on a section of Highway 82 and you've noticed that potholes have developed, make sure to slow down in that section so you can see where there might be bigger potholes, so that you can safely drive around them."

CDOT will provide more information on repairs as the season progresses. For more information on Northwestern Colorado Region Three and to report road damage, call 970-243-2368.

A pesky pothole. Photo by James Steindler

Crystal River community summit sees massive turnout

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

Lots of people made the haul over to Marble to attend the first in-person public input session of the most recent stakeholder process concerning the fate of the Crystal River. Cars were parked bumper to bumper along West Park Street leading to the fire station, where the community summit took place.

The facilitators, Wendy Lowe with P2 Solutions and Jacob Bornstein with Wellstone Collaborative Strategies, were surprised by the turnout. Lowe noted that they’d expected around 60 people, but the count was tallied at 138.

“Earlier this year, the Collaborative announced the selection of Wellstone Collaborative Strategies and P2 Solutions to facilitate and lead a stakeholder process intended to engage local communities and water users in a public dialogue process to evaluate community interest in pursuing lasting protections for the Crystal River,” a press release read.

The large group was indeed composed of people with varying interests in regard to the Crystal River. But most, if not all, agreed on one thing: preserving the Crystal River. How that’s accomplished is another story.

Upon arrival, people were left to find a seat at a table with a few other

acquaintances, or perhaps complete strangers. Each table was tasked with answering three questions throughout the evening: 1) What is most important or valuable to you about the Crystal River at this time? 2) What are your long-term aspirations for the future of the Crystal River? And, 3) What are your biggest concerns?

The groups were given about 20 minutes to reflect on each question. Each time, they were tasked with writing up to four key words or phrases, which the table had to agree on, using large color-coded sticky notes (green for question one, pink for question two and orange for question three). Like-colored sticky notes were posted together on the walls of the firehouse, and those responses were broken down into categories by Bornstein and Lowe.

What people found most valuable about the state of the Crystal River currently was lumped into 11 categories: free flowing = no dams, the natural character of the river, wildlife, scenery, water quality, water rights, mindful development, recreation, access, local control and the natural hydrology of the river.

The long-term aspirations mimicked what the conglomerate already appreciated about the current state of the river. “Flow and protection” made up the largest category. Water rights and local control made this list as well.

As far as concerns go, dams and diversions were at the top, followed by drought/climate change and overuse/ overdevelopment.

A final question challenged attendees to reflect on the answers of their fellow community members to the three previous questions, now displayed on the walls. “What criteria could be used to reflect what is important to our community when we evaluate management options for protecting the Crystal River going forward?” Responses were marked on blue sticky notes.

Free flowing and dam prevention was once again heavily represented, as well as water rights and local control. Public “buy-in” made up a robust category,

which one blue sticky summarized as, “Informed community consent.”

Personal feedback

The Sopris Sun had the chance to catch up with some attendees during and after the summit. Sam and Dustin Wilkey own and operate Crystal River Jeep Tours and said their most popular tour follows the Crystal River. They said they’d be all for wild and scenic designation, with the expectation that it would not affect standing water rights for longtime farmers and ranchers.

Larry Darien, owner of the Darien Ranch, expressed that he is concerned

continues on page 22

Jacob Bornstein with Wellstone Collaborative Strategies posts pink sticky notes with words and phrases indicative of stakeholders’ long-term aspirations for the Crystal River. Photo by James Steindler

More than just a garden

By Geneviève Villamizar Sopris Sun Correspondent

“It’s been a dream position for me,” says True Nature’s Megan Miller, the Peace Garden manager of seven years.

We’re seated at a sunny cafe table above the Yoga Spiral lawn, discussing her experiences in the Garden and her new role as True Nature’s assistant director.

It’s one of the first truly spring days, so the garden is lively. From the Fire Circle, voices and laughter lift and settle like birds in a forest. Languorous contentment seems to fill passersby. The impact of aliveness and beauty in the gardens is obvious: nature is restorative.

As it is today, the Peace Garden is both a metaphor and symbol of Miller’s own becoming.

“I grew up with my hands in the soil. My mom is a gardener. My aunt is a landscape designer and gardener. It was always the language I felt most comfortable with. When I was a kid, it was my form of play.”

From that fecund genesis, Miller bounced from political science to anthropology, philosophy — each intrinsic to the field she sank her roots in: landscape horticulture and design through Colorado State University.

“I had friends in landscape architecture. I got to know the program, and it was a lot of computer work,” she says. “Horticulture was

much more alluring; more plant focused, more science to it. It was more applicable.”

She loved the history courses, studying the grand gardens that created these two fields. But, she felt the architecture courses were too theoretical.

“My question is always around people and their relationship to the natural world, and on a more intimate level,” she explains. “Design feels like I can impact the way people literally step out their front doors. I get to work with the natural environment; the land is my canvas for creative expression; plants are my palette.

Growing up in Montrose, though, like so many young people from a small town, all she wanted was out. After college, she landed in Telluride, the land of three to four jobs and five to six roommates. Discovering True Nature’s open position in the Peace garden brought Miller to Carbondale, where gardening paired with conscious living has been a life of attunement.

“The way that we walk on this planet, the way we relate to our natural spaces; who are we in that? Those questions have always been there,” she says.

Biodynamics has studied this attunement for a century. As such, Miller attended a workshop for biodynamics preparation BD506 (a compost preparation made from dandelions) her first season

in Carbondale. In biodynamics, growers engage with the sun, the moon and the cosmos, using nine specific preparations to enliven and strengthen soil and plants. The preparations are made from fermented plant parts (blossoms, leaves, bark), animal parts, manure and minerals.

Placing her hands in the dandelion prep that day “was a full body, transportive experience,” she grins. “I flashed back to when I was kid making potions behind the fence at my neighbor's house — I had this little cave! This is the language my soul knows! My bones know — older than time — I was always searching. My connection to the natural world was very, very strong.”

Over the last seven years, Miller feels she and the Peace Garden have grown alongside each other. And, it was all consuming, “Sometimes from dawn until after dark, weeding with my headlamp,” she chuckles. As such, the immaculate, intricate and intimate spaces within the gardens have become a beloved venue for a lot of programming — tea dates between friends, a setting for ceremonies, monthly preschool visits, live music. Garden use, and the events themselves, have often been free and Miller wants these events to continue to be free. Whether it’s sponsoring $100 for 70 preschoolers to drink lemonade each month, or

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Megan Miller is passing the torch as Peace Garden manager to take on new responsibilities as True Nature Healing Arts' assistant director. Photo by Will Sardinsky

Sampling some simple salads

By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Correspondent

Since soup and salad often go together, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ming’s Cafe just pulled off the first repeat victory in our taste test series. The Asian eatery’s coconut chicken soup was a hit with last year’s soup tasting panel, and their house salad was roundly praised in our latest competition.

But first, a bit about our methods. Just as we did with burgers, tacos and chicken soup, The Sun assembled a team of five judges to assess the merits of takeout salads. To try to keep things on reasonably even footing, all the salads had to be under $10 and were the simplest offer at that price point. To ensure freshness, each came from restaurants that are open for dinner.

Phat Thai also has a qualifying salad, but was closed the week of our test — something we found out only after all the other orders were placed. And Dos Gringos Burritos offers a salad wrap at our price point, but only the slightly spendier large size in a bowl.

The businesses weren’t warned, though of course there is a risk of recognition in a small town. Our panel tasted each blind and provided a private score and some public feedback.

First up was New York Pizza’s Side Salad ($6), with a staff-recommended balsamic which judge Jorie DeVilbiss praised as “not too tart; not too sweet.” Although Katie Browne found the greens “fresh and crispy,” her husband, Kris Cooke found it “a little on the straight and narrow” — making it a good baseline.

White House Pizza’s House Salad ($6) put a spin on things with some chickpeas and a house dressing with marinated cheese, which Angus Barber pointed out “kind of warms the whole thing up a little bit.” That fat and flavor was well complimented by the greens, with a finer texture allowing for more variety in each bite. And that’s just the simplest salad — White House boasts no fewer than eight salads under $10, earning it an honorable mention for best overall selection.

It must have been the variety and quality of both the greens and the vegetables that put our winner, Ming’s House Salad ($9), over the top, with Paige Gibbons calling it “a loved salad.” Several judges also cited its gingery dressing as their favorite of the bunch. Added DeVilbiss, “It was aesthetically pleasing, my palate loved it. I could definitely take that home and have enough for me and my mother.”

Carbondale Beer Works’ Simple Side Salad ($6) might have suffered by direct comparison, with a smaller portion at a lower price point. Its

unboxing nevertheless generated some enthusiasm thanks to some stunning and tasty watermelon radishes.

Our runner up, Peppino’s Pizza’s House Salad ($7), was instantly recognizable to the entire panel. The size, greens and veggies all won it high marks, with an astringency to the dressing being the only complaint. But, Browne pointed out, you can always go a little lighter when dressing it yourself — or pair it with something else. “I do think this salad on the side, with a slice of pizza, cuts the cheese perfectly.” Alternatively, add chicken for a generous meal unto itself.

Although it was the last one we tested, Izakaya’s House Organic Greens ($9) was also the last salad we ordered, so there’s probably another explanation for the somewhat wilted greens — shoulder season likely does no favors to organic growers. The variety, preparation and quality of the remaining vegetables was well received, however.

“It’s very pretty,” DeVilbiss noted. “This is the most visually appealing salad.”

So what did this all prove? Well, in addition to the specific salads sampled,

we suspect some of the trends scale up to restaurant’s more specialty offerings.

“I feel like when you get a generously portioned starter salad, you can trust that the rest of the meal will fill you up,” Browne noted.

And the quality and variety was

impressive at the price point — with almost all compostable or recyclable containers, to boot.

“I don’t think we had the same dressing twice, which is a good sign for the culinary scene of Carbondale,” Cooke observed.

Josh Ixtuc of Ming’s crafted our favorite simple salad, just ahead of Peppino’s and White House Pizza. Photo by Will Grandbois

Panelists Jorie Devilbiss, Angus Barber, Paige Gibbons, Katie Browne and Kris Cooke represent front and back of house food service experience as well as a general passion for salads. Visit tinyurl.com/cdalesalad to watch the process.

Photo by Will Grandbois

Helping you build a secure financial future

Forbes has named Hollis among its 2023 “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors.” He helps clients feel confident in their financial decisions and secure about the future.

Hollis E. Kelley, Jr., AAMS

Financial

Advisor

2700 Gilstrap Court Suite 230

Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 (970) 928-0500

Hollis.Kelley@edwardjones.com

Last week, Aspen Dance Connection brought 17 Colorado State University (CSU) dance students for a “Dynamic Dance Assembly” which was held at several local elementary and middle schools between Rifle and Aspen. The CSU dance majors performed for Carbondale Middle and Crystal River Elementary School students on Friday, April 28. Following the performance, the dancers led a tutorial and the entire audience was up and moving. Photo by James Steindler

THURSDAY, MAY 4

DIA DEL NIÑO

Carbondale Library celebrates Dia del Niño (Children’s Day) with bilingual storytime and crafts for young children and their caregivers at 10:30am. More info at www.gcpld.org

CALLIGRAPHY CLASS

Carbondale Library hosts a calligraphy class and demonstration at 1:30pm. To register, call 970-986-2889.

BRIDGE AT THE LIBRARY

The Library Bridge Club meets at the Basalt Library at 4pm. All levels are welcome.

CMC PORTFOLIO NIGHT

Colorado Mountain College’s (CMC) Isaacson School students will showcase their work at the annual Portfolio Night at CMC’s Spring Valley campus from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

A GUT FEELING

Aspen Strong’s “Root Down to Rise Up” leads a discussion about caring for your gut and how it's connected to the brain at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm. Register at www. aspenstrong.org/event/a-gut-feeling

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

CRYSTAL THEATRE

“Little Richard: I Am Everything” shows at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm tonight, May 5, 6 and 11. Catch an earlier showing on Sunday, May 7 at 5pm. “Air” shows at 4:30pm on Saturday, May 6.

HIGH COUNTRY SINFONIA

High Country Sinfonia presents three free concerts, May 4 at 7pm at TACAW, May 6 at 7pm at the Carbondale Library and May 7 at 4pm at the Aspen Chapel, with selections from Chopin, Bach and Tchaikovsky.

FRIDAY, MAY 5

FAMILY AND PRIDE

The 11th Annual Family Block Party kicks off at Chacos Park, Fourth and Main Street in Carbondale, at 4pm. The Pride Parade will stage at Second and Main Street at 5:15pm, and begin the march down Main at 5:30pm. All are welcome.

FREE BIKE LIGHTS

Carbondale’s Bike Pedestrian and Trails Commission will give away free bike lights to folks that show up with a bike at Fourth and Main Street during First Friday (while supplies last).

PAINT A RAINBOW

TAL-13149B-A-A

In celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Glenwood Springs Library hosts artist Jo Jo Liu for a calligraphy class at 6pm.

The Carbondale Clay Center invites youngsters to paint ceramic rainbows during the First Friday Family Block Party at 4th and Main Street.

FIREBALL DROP

The Carbondale Rotary Club celebrates Cinco de Mayo with its annual Fireball Drop fundraiser in Sopris Park. Some 1,000 ping pong balls will be dropped from a fire truck ladder at 5pm with a grand prize of $5,000 for whomever’s lands the closest to a central target. Donate at www.rotarycarbondale.org

PAIRINGS

Come on down to the Carbondale Clay Center for the annual “Pairings” exhibit, where handmade ceramics and handcrafted beverages converge, from 6 to 8pm.

CONSENSUAL IMPROV

Thunder River Theatre Company hosts Consensual Improv for a comedy show at 8pm. Tickets at www.thunderrivertheatre.com

SATURDAY, MAY 6

GREENHOUSE DESIGN

The Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute hosts a greenhouse design workshop today and forest garden session tomorrow. For details, visit www.crmpi.org

SAFETY FAIR

Valley View presents its annual Kids Safety Fair from 10am to 1pm at the hospital in Glenwood Springs. Events include fire safety demonstrations, fire truck tours, helmet fittings and giveaways and the Kiwanis Bike Rodeo.

MAYFAIRE

The Waldorf School hosts its annual celebration of spring from 10am to 2pm. Visit www. waldorfschoolrf.com for more info.

COMICS FEST

Celebrate Free Comic Book Day with the second annual Comics Festival at Glenwood Springs Library from 11am to 4pm. Cosplay is encouraged!

SPRING RENEWAL

True Nature presents “Spring Renewal: Cleanse the Body and Home,” from 1 to 5pm. Visit www.truenaturehealingarts. com for more info.

KENTUCKY DERBY

WindWalkers and the Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council host a Kentucky Derby party at Spring Creeks Ranch in Carbondale from 2 to 6pm with prizes for the best hats. For tickets, visit www. windwalkers.org or call 817-944-6622.

CONTRA DANCE

The final contra dance of the season with Wooden Nickel String Band is at the Carbondale Community School from 7:30 to 10pm. Singles welcome!

JOHN MCCUTCHEON

John McCutcheon performs at TACAW at 8pm.

SUNDAY, MAY 7

STORM KING CLEAN UP

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers invites people to give the Storm King Trail some love from 9am to 3pm, followed by food and drinks. Visit www. rfov.org to register and for more info.

AA

Focus 164 Group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Saturday at 10 am at the meeting place. Free childcare is provided.

LIMITLESS LIVING

Women's empowerment and confidence expert Joelene Ashker teaches strategies and exercises to manage the busy-ness of life at True Nature at 11am. Visit www.truenaturehealingarts. com for more info.

RELEASE AND RESTORE

True Nature presents “Release and Restore: Myofascial Release for Self Care” at 3pm. Visit www.truenaturehealingarts. com for more info.

MONDAY, MAY 8

JOURNALING 101

Missy Pruden begins a four-part series about daily journaling practices at the Basalt Library each Monday, with the exception of May 29, at 4pm.

TUESDAY, MAY 9

BLOODMOBILE

The Chris Klug Foundation will host the Vitalant Bloodmobile at the Red Brick Center in Aspen from 10:30am to 3pm. Register at www.vitalant.org

RED HILL MAINTENANCE

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers invites people to help with spring maintenance of the Red Hill trails today and Tuesday, May 16 at 4pm. Registration and more info is at www.rfov.org

BOOK TALK

Mary Fox leads discussion about Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalist “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water” by Angie Cruz at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm.

OPEN MIC

Axkawa in Carbondale hosts an open mic night from 6 to 8pm every Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

BRIDGE CLUB

The Carbondale Duplicate Bridge Club invites players to the Third Street Center every Wednesday at 1pm to get some practice in.

SALSA NIGHTS

Mezcla Socials hosts salsa nights on Wednesdays at TACAW at 7:30pm. No experience or partner needed, sign up at www.mezclasocialsdance.com

THURSDAY, MAY 11

COMMISSIONER OPEN HOURS

Eagle County Commissioner

Jeanne McQueeney will be fielding questions at the Basalt Library from 11:30 am to 1:30pm.

LEGAL CLINIC

The Basalt Library hosts a free legal clinic from 2 to 5pm. Call 970-927-4311 or email info@ basaltlibrary.org to sign up.

CODING CLUB

The Aspen Science Center comes to the Carbondale Library to teach about coding in a fun way, today and Thursday, May 25 at 4pm.

ARCTIC SCIENCE

Wild Rose Education and Arctic Outreach Educator Sarah Johnson will discuss her science-based expedition to the Arctic at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm.

WINE AND POTTERY

The Carbondale Clay Center hosts a “Wine Time and Coil Building” workshop at 6pm.

GROUP RUN

Independence Run and Hike leads a weekly group run on Thursdays departing from the store’s location, next to the Carbondale City Market, at 6:30pm.

REDSTONE BINGO

The Redstone Inn hosts bingo night at 6:30pm.

FRIDAY, MAY 12

COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR Carbondale Mayor Ben Bohmfalk posts up at Bonfire every Friday from 8 to 9am and everyone is welcome to stop by to chat.

HAPPY HOUR CRITIQUE

Bring a recent project to get feedback about and have a drink at the Carbondale Clay Center during at 6pm. Visit www. carbondaleclay.org for more info.

GOUACHE PAINTING

Explore this unique and popular water-based paint in a fun and supportive class. No previous painting experience required.

Wednesdays 1-4pm 5/17-6/21

BEGINNING SWING DANCE

Learn the basics of Jitterbug (East Coast) Swing, steps, turns, spin, dips, and other fun moves, and be ready for a party or wedding.

Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm 5/17-6/7

QIGONG

Improve balance, flexibility, muscle tone, relaxation and focus with simple movements in this gentle practice. No experience necessary.

Wednesdays 10:30-11:30am 5/24-7/26

TODDLER AND ME YOGALATES

Combo of yoga and pilates in a playful class where you can exercise with your baby/toddler. (6mo-4yr)

Saturdays 11am-12pm 6/3-6/24

HAND WOVEN BASKETS

Learn the basics of basket weaving in this beginner’s class while creating a functional “Book Tote” basket with leather handles.

Monday 9am-4pm 6/5

MONOTYPE PRINTING

Explore the creative potential of monotype printing - an experimental, spontaneous way to make unique images on paper.

Mondays 6-9pm 6/5-7/17

FREE - CONSCIOUS LIVING

Join True Nature’s Co-founders Deva and Eaden to learn how yoga, lifestyle, and spirituality can support your personal growth and deepen community connections.

Friday 6-7pm 6/9 at True Nature

PHOTOGRAPHY 101 AND BEYOND

Learn to “make” photos not just “take” photos, and get off the automatic settings in this basic class for beginners to intermediate photographers with DSLR camera.

Saturdays & Wednesdays 9am-1pm 6/18-7/5

CREATIVE WRITING

An online class to hone writing skills and expand self-expression with creative writing and/or poetry.

Wednesdays 6-8pm 6/14-7/12

Diana Stough Alcantara

Kelley Amdur

Kathy & Carter Barger

Daniel Benavent

Debbie & Marc Bruell

Meredith Bullock

Kay Clarke

Brian Colley

Barbara Collins

Peter Davidoff

Barbara Dills

Sue Engelhardt 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

Laurie Loeb

Tristan Mead

Trina Ortega

Illene Pevec

Terri & David Ritchie Joel Rittvo

Jessi Rochel

Nancy Roen

Terri Slivka

Wendy Stewart

Danny Stone

Kenny Teitler

Annie Worley

Sol del Valle

El sueño de nuestro presente se fortalece con el logro de nuestros ancestros

OPINIÓN

Espacios Sin Límites

En términos evolutivos, la naturaleza es un mecanismo de cambio constante, nada es sintético ni estático. Para entender muchos de los procesos de evolución y conservación de nuestro Planeta, se consideran diferentes variables en factores que determinan esos patrones. Como por ejemplo, en el medio ambiente existe la adaptación, la genética, el clima y por supuesto otros factores intraespecíficos.

A estas variables se les considera independientes o dependientes y en su conjunto generan ciertos resultados los cuales nos darán características de cada individuo o especie natural en cada ecosistema. Hay que destacar que existen diferentes Ecosistemas y cada uno de ellos tienen características irrepetibles e incomparables en sus patrones determinados por fuerzas fisicoquímicas.

Dejando de lado los conceptos científicos para entender nada más un área o algún patrón evolutivo y de conservación se conceptualiza en esta ocasión la frontera o borderland para comunidades fronterizas. Como su nombre lo explica, en una frontera se define un área determinada de otra, en términos geopolíticos la frontera está determinada por la separación de dos áreas en espacio regional.

Dicha frontera es muy distinguida dentro del diálogo común entre ciudadanos de todo el mundo. Es decir, sabemos que existen fronteras entre territorios Nacionales o Países, por ejemplo, Estados Unidos con México, Ucrania

con Rusia y así podríamos distinguir diferentes fronteras entre diferentes nacionalidades o territorios geoespaciales incluso entre los estados de cada País existen fronteras o límites territoriales.

En cuestión biológica se considera a la Biogeografía, como a los espacios temporales en diferentes áreas determinadas por diferentes factores en su mayoría naturales, como puede ser el clima, la humedad, temperatura, altitud, latitud y en términos simplistas una montaña, el río, arroyos e incluso especies en constante interacción. En si a estas fronteras o barreras naturales les llaman vicarianza conceptualizándose en una barrera que determina directamente o indirectamente el cambio entre ciertos patrones evolutivos dentro de diferentes especies.

Para poner un ejemplo básico, un venado, el cual necesita las condiciones idóneas para alimentarse en una montaña a 18.000 metros de altura ya que es en donde puede encontrar todos los nutrientes que necesita para su supervivencia, necesita cruzar un desierto extremo.

En este caso el desierto es la vicarianza o bien barrera natural en términos geográficos es una frontera. En teoría con el paso del tiempo estos procesos de cruzar el desierto causarán ciertos efectos en el venado, lo cual generará su desarrollo evolutivo o bien algún proceso distinto en caso de que el desierto sea demasiado difícil cada vez que necesita cruzarlo, generando un proceso opuesto a la evolución, en este caso una extinción de cualquier especie que quieran ejemplificar.

Para entender un poco más sobre por que es muy importante los procesos de migración, consideren de ejemplo la barrera fronteriza entre México y estados Unidos, esta es una vicarianza artificial o barrera la cual implica que ciertos patrones naturales de migración entre las especies del reino animal se vean limitadas, ya que para algunos ejemplares es imposible

escalar o sobrepasar la pared metálica de considerable altura entre los dos Países.

Es importante tener en cuenta este conocimiento ya que si profundizan en la historia Latinoamericana existen diferentes asemejamientos históricos por así decirlo. Estos han influenciado en costumbres y tradiciones, ahora es muy importante tener en cuenta el medio natural para la

conservación del planeta distinguiéndose en una de las principales preocupaciones globales y sobre todo de concientización humana.

Pero no solamente le corresponde a la gente entender el problema que se está causando respecto a la conservación del Planeta.

También es importante saber que ya hemos pasado por cambios antropogénicos como sociedad y de igual manera

con extinciones masivas entre las especiales dando como resultado lo que ven ahora en el presente. Dicen que para cambiar el futuro necesitamos conocer nuestra historia, es por ello que la historia de nuestros ancestros debe ser contada, así como la de nuestro presente.

Ellos no pasaron las fronteras, la frontera los delimitaron a ellos como individuos.

Volumen 2, Número 10 | 4 de mayo de 2023 - 10 de mayo de 2023

Conectando comunidades desde 2021

Por Victor Zamora

El Puente Peatonal Internacional Santa Fe, entre El Paso, TX y Ciudad Juárez, MX. En la delimitación fronteriza entre los dos Países se puede observar el puente negro usado para exportar mercancía por vía férrea, algunos militares del Gobierno de USA con una nueva maya ciclónica y al fondo parte de Ciudad Juarez, Zona Centro en conjunto con El Rio Bravo con muy poca agua. Esta situación explica una vicarianza o barrera artificial y natural convergente. Foto por Víctor Zamora

Celebrando el primer "Día de esquí latino" OPINIÓN

años, residentes de Silt, CO. Mientras subíamos juntos en la góndola, hablamos sobre por qué Mayra y Rafael no habían podido esquiar en casi 20 años de haber habitado este valle. Esa mañana en particular, sus hijos no estaban muy emocionados por ir a esquiar, era algo totalmente nuevo para ellos y no se sentían cómodos ni seguros.

Por Omar Sarabia

¡Gracias a una colaboración entre Aspen Snowmass (SkiCo) y el programa Defiende Nuestra Tierra en Wilderness Workshop, me enorgullece compartir que celebramos el primer "Día de esquí latino" el 15 de abril en Snowmass! Más de 20 adultos y niños (de cinco a 67 años) se subieron a las pistas por primera vez, ayudados por instructores profesionales y con equipos gratuitos proporcionados a cada participante por SkiCo. Permítanme contarles acerca de una de las familias que participaron.

Mayra Rodelas y su esposo Rafael Mendoza, y sus hijos Melanie 15, Ian 12, Abraham 10 y Mariana cinco

Pero luego de que Mayra les explicara de que no debían tener miedo ya que iban a ir con instructores profesionales, los niños parecían estar dispuestos a por lo menos intentarlo. Mayra y Rafael me dijeron que había pasado mucho tiempo desde que fueron a esquiar por varias razones, una de las más importantes fue el costo. Otra razón fue no tener el equipo correcto, ¡especialmente desafiante cuando sus hijos son pequeños y están creciendo!

En lo alto de la góndola de Elk Camp, nos encontramos con nuestros instructores de esquí profesionales, quienes nos recibieron con una gran sonrisa antes de dividirnos en grupos más pequeños. Nos enseñaron

los conceptos básicos y la información de seguridad importante antes de que comenzáramos a hacer nuestras primeras vueltas por la montaña, ganando confianza cada vez. Muy pronto comencé a notar menos gente con cara de preocupación o miedo, y aunque algunos nos caímos más de un par de veces, las sonrisas y la alegría era lo que más abundaban. ¡Algunos de los niños incluso querían subirse a las pendientes más empinadas de inmediato!

¡De repente escuché mi nombre! Era Mayra, seguida de sus hijos, bajando como una profesional con una sonrisa de oreja a oreja. “Omar!! Esto es increíble." me dijo mientras esquiaba hasta detenerse sobre sus esquís. Más tarde compartimos el almuerzo con los instructores de esquí, donde hablamos sobre la importancia de la economía recreativa para nuestro Valle y el papel importante de nuestras tierras públicas, especialmente en lugares como los centros de esquí.

Después de unas horas más en la montaña,

comenzamos a regresar a Snowmass para devolver el equipo de alquiler mientras Rafael me decía: "Sabes, siempre he estado trabajando o en la construcción de estos lugares o en el mantenimiento de estos edificios, y yo hasta hoy nunca me había sentido parte de esto.”

Mientras reflexiono, pensando en ver a familias y niños sonriendo, eso es lo que me anima a mí y a Defiende a continuar con este tipo de eventos que nos conectan con nuestra madre tierra y nuestras tierras públicas. Sabemos que existen barreras significativas que impiden que todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad disfruten de la naturaleza y de nuestras tierras públicas (ya sea en un área de esquí o en un sendero), incluido el costo, el riesgo de lesiones y la falta de seguro médico, las oportunidades que tuvimos durante la infancia y modelos a seguir. Si bien el Día de Esquí Latino fue solo un pequeño paso, estoy seguro de que crecerá con el tiempo y habrá más y más miembros de nuestra

comunidad que participarán en actividades como esta. También creo que oportunidades como esta, la de pasar tiempo con nuestras familias en nuestras tierras públicas, tienen un impacto mucho mayor. Construyen una comunidad y una conexión con el aire libre, los cuales son bases clave para el activismo y el trabajo para proteger nuestras tierras públicas. Al trabajar para garantizar que todos en nuestra comunidad sepan que pertenecen a los espacios al aire libre, creo que todos nos sentiremos involucrados en su administración y protección.

¡Los animo a seguir a Defiende en nuestras redes sociales (Facebook, Instagram y WhatsApp) donde pronto anunciaremos nuestro calendario de eventos de verano, incluida nuestra celebración anual de la Semana de la Conservación Latina! Reserve la fecha - 22 de julio - donde una vez más tendremos actividades como el rafting y la fiesta en Two Rivers Park en Glenwood Springs.

¡Espero verte pronto afuera!

Defiende Nuestra Tierra

Aspen y el condado de Pitkin comparten las luchas por el cuidado de los niños

Por Caroline Llanes Aspen Public Radio

Tanto el ayuntamiento de Aspen como los comisionados del condado de Pitkin recibieron información actualizada sobre las guarderías en la última semana de abril. Al igual que gran parte de Colorado, el valle Roaring Fork está teniendo problemas para proporcionar servicios de guardería debido al aumento de los costes de las matrículas, los bajos salarios de los profesores y el abandono del sector por parte de éstos.

El ayuntamiento de Aspen se fijó el año pasado el objetivo de aumentar la capacidad de guarderías. El 24 de abril recibió una actualización de sus esfuerzos por parte de la oficina Kids First. Ese es el centro de recursos para la primera infancia de la ciudad de Aspen, que proporciona desde subvenciones a los proveedores hasta ayuda financiera a las familias.

Uno de los programas que la ciudad implementó para aumentar fue el dinero para mejoras salariales. Se han distribuido más de 100.000 dólares entre 38 maestros que trabajan en programas dentro de los límites de la ciudad de Aspen.

La codirectora de Kids First, Megan Monaghan, dio ejemplos de lo que los maestros pudieron hacer con los fondos, incluyendo un maestro que destinó el dinero a la compra de una casa.

"Otra persona dijo: 'Mi hijo se está recuperando de una operación de espalda y la mejora salarial le ha ayudado a pagar las facturas médicas'", relató Monaghan. "Otra persona dijo que su deuda de préstamos estudiantiles ha sido una carga enorme, y ahora la mejora salarial le está ayudando a pagarla".

Dijo que un factor que marca la diferencia para los proveedores de servicios de guardería es la exención del pago del alquiler para los proveedores de servicios de guardería que utilizan el edificio Yellow Brick desde hace un año. Eso libera fondos para apoyar a los educadores de otras maneras.

"Aspen Mountain Tots utiliza el dinero ahorrado para proporcionar seguro médico a su personal", dijo. "Ajax Cubs, alquila una o dos casas para su personal, y utiliza parte del dinero ahorrado en el alquiler del Yellow Brick para pagar las casas, por lo que su personal tiene su vivienda subvencionada".

Monaghan dijo que Ajax Cubs también utiliza parte del dinero del alquiler que se han ahorrado en clases de inglés para sus proveedores, muchos de los cuales tienen una lengua materna distinta del inglés. También está estudiando la compra de bicicletas para el programa, para que los profesores que toman el autobús para ir a trabajar puedan desplazarse por la ciudad durante el día.

A 10 de abril, había 460 niños menores de cinco años en lista de espera de proveedores en el condado de Pitkin. Monaghan dijo que para poder tener capacidad para cada niño que necesita guardería, necesitarían duplicar su capacidad.

El condado de Pitkin recibió unos 3.4 millones de dólares en fondos federales de ayuda COVID, la mitad de los cuales se destinan a guarderías.

De esa cantidad, 1.5 millones se destinan a un programa de estipendios para profesores, que proporciona fondos directamente a los profesores hasta 2025. Los profesores a tiempo completo reciben 6,000 dólares al año, y el personal a tiempo parcial, 4,000 dólares.

Eso deja unos 150,000 dólares aún disponibles para el cuidado de los niños que deben gastarse antes de finales de 2026, según los requisitos federales.

Ashley Perl es la gestora de resiliencia comunitaria del condado de Pitkin.

Dijo que ese dinero podría utilizarse para un programa de subvenciones de mantenimiento único para pequeñas mejoras como pintura, alfombras, ventanas y puertas a prueba de osos.

"El otro reto es que el personal llega a estos espacios en los que es realmente difícil llevar a cabo un programa, trabajar, porque no se mantienen tan bien, no se mantienen, y eso tira de los presupuestos", dijo. "Así que para mí, esto podría llenar realmente un pequeño hueco".

Los comisionados apoyaron la idea y también sugirieron que la Oficina Comunitaria para la Eficiencia de los Recursos, o CORE, realice evaluaciones energéticas de los programas de guarderías para ayudarles también a ahorrar en las facturas de servicios públicos.

El comisario Greg Poschman dijo que le preocupaba que se expidiera un cheque en blanco para que los programas de cuidado de niños hicieran lo que quisieran.

Perl respondió que muchas de las reparaciones, aunque menores, tendrían efectos positivos inmediatos en el personal.

"El lugar que necesita nuevas puertas y ventanas es en realidad porque no son a prueba de osos, y el personal llega por la mañana y tiene que limpiar un enorme desorden porque los osos se meten en todo tipo de cosas, por lo que tienen que llegar incluso antes de lo que lo harían normalmente", dijo Perl.

Los otros 1.8 millones de dólares de los fondos de la Ley del Plan de Rescate Americano se han destinado a viviendas, algo que el personal reconoce que es difícil debido al tiempo que se tarda en construirlas y a en qué se pueden gastar los fondos.

En Dirección Opuesta: El labor de parto OPINIÓN

siglas en inglés), por cada 100.000 nacimientos, ocurren 18.2 muertes entre mujeres Hispanas a diferencia de la estadística previa de 12.6 en el 2019.

Así es el caso de Mora Brindisi, mi compañera de trabajo, argentina residenciada al sur de la Florida, arquitecta y madre primeriza. Brindisi pone al descubierto su experiencia como mujer inmigrante, latina, y madre en este país.

En recientes años, la idea de un sistema médico el cual se base en las igualdades de acceso para todos se ha convertido en un tema politizado y extremista. Aún más, si este acceso se ve afectado por el simple hecho de ser latina.

Las consecuencias que conlleva ser madre en los EE.UU., por falta de asistencia de parte del sector público y privado, es el mayor de los inconvenientes al momento de hacer familia. De acuerdo a un artículo publicado por la Asociación de Infartos al Corazón y Síntomas de Embolia, “La estadística de mortalidad materna en mujeres latinas aumentó escalando en el 2020 con cifras del 44% comparado al año pasado”.

De acuerdo al Centro de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC por sus

“Elegí de obstetra a mi ginecologa que es con la que ya me atendía, que igualmente a diferencia de lo que yo estaba acostumbrada en argentina, aca mi ginecóloga la había visto una vez al año… por lo cual cruce pocas palabras”. Brindisi describe su experiencia de paciente a doctor como, “prácticamente nula”, alejada de la interrelación humana.

Parte de la práctica médica general y de su experiencia personal, Brindisi comentó que se subdividen las tareas. Está la gineco-obstetra de cabecera, la que realiza el ultrasonido, y luego la que lee los resultados. Haciendo el proceso de relacionamiento de paciente a doctor, aún más ausente y al mismo tiempo, causando conflicto de información.

Brindisi describió su embarazo como tranquilo,

sin mayores complicaciones. El único inconveniente fue después de regresar de un viaje a la Argentina en diciembre del 2021 en el cual contrajo COVID-19. Al llegar la semana 36, Brindisi se vio en la necesidad de hacerse chequeos semanales, como de costumbre. La médico gineco-obstetra de cabecera le comento que le tocaba hacer una inducción ya que era posible que tuviera envejecimiento de placenta, posiblemente producido por el COVID-19.

La placenta es un órgano que se forma en la concepción y dura hasta ser expulsado en el parto, sin embargo, en algunas ocasiones cuando se supera la fecha prevista de parto puede darse el riesgo de placenta vieja, y el órgano no puede cumplir sus funciones, afectando al bebe.

Brindisi tratando de planificar la fecha de inducción, le preguntó a su doctora que hacer. El mayor problema que encontró en este punto fue que dado a la pandemia, se vio limitado el acceso de planificación de parto por no haber suficientes camas dispuestas para los pacientes, dándole prioridad a las personas afectadas por el COVID.

La doctora de cabecera de

Brindisi le comento que ella tenía un equipo de 5 ginecoobstetras que se turnaban diariamente y que a ella le tocaba el turno del Domingo. Brindisi nerviosa de no estar con su médico de cabecera le pregunto a la doctora cuales alternativas tenía, a lo que ella le respondió diciéndole que entrara por emergencias y dijera que no estaba sintiendo al bebe y así le llamarían directamente a ella; su médico principal.

El sistema tiene un quiebre y los mismos que se suponen deben mejorarlo y procurar de mantener el sistema, terminan quebrantandolo.

La misma noche de lo que sería el último control de Brindisi, fue llevada a emergencias por su esposo, con contracciones. En ese momento, Brindisi no estaba clara de todo lo que estaba sucediendo. Su marido recurrió a la recepción para buscar asistencia, pero le respondieron que tendría que esperar porque no había ningún médico en el staff. Nadie podía decirles dónde estaban los profesionales de turno. Pasaron más de 30 minutos, y aun confiando en la posible asistencia médica, el esposo de Brindisi decidió nuevamente hablar con recepción y hacerles ver que si

no podían atender a su mujer, que se la llevaría a otro hospital. Brindisi fue llevada a la sala de parto y su gineco-obstetra de cabecera, hasta donde Brindisi tiene conocimiento, no fue contactada. La obstetra de turno tomó control, y la bebe de Brindisi nació en la madrugada. Cinco días después, la médico de cabecera de Brindisi seguía sin haber sido contactada por su equipo médico sobre el estatus de una de sus pacientes y pensaba que aún tenían que poner fecha para la inducción. A pesar de todo, el caso de Brindisi tiene mucha fortuna. La realidad es que el sistema médico de este país tiene muchas fallas. Y no hablo de fallas superficiales ni pequeñas, hablo de un sistema que utiliza la mentira para otorgar un servicio básico a la necesidad de un paciente. Un sistema en donde la comunicación es fundamental y a la misma vez nula. Donde la relación de paciente a doctor es vista como un sistema numérico. Pero por encima de todo, donde la distribución del servicio médico adecuado, está reservada para aquellos con privilegios económicos que sobrepasan al común denominador.

Por Geraldine E. Pichardo En Movimiento

CHISME DEL PUEBLO

Traducción por Jacqui Castro

HCE comentarios

Holy Cross Energy (HCE por sus siglas en inglés) extendió la ventana para que los miembros puedan hacer comentarios en línea en respecto a la propuesta de marcha de reestructuración. Originalmente programado para cerrar el 30 de abril, el periodo de comentarios en línea ahora está abierto hasta el lunes 15 de mayo. HCE también organizará una sesión de comentarios públicos a la 1 p.m, durante su reunión de junta directiva del 24 de mayo.

Se aceptan solicitudes

“Para Mi Madre” es una exposición con jurado que se inaugura este otoño en Carbondale Arts y que invita a artistas latinos a crear una representación visual de una carta de amor o una oda al concepto de la madre. Como latinos, la madre está entretejida en las fibras de nuestro tapiz cultural, nuestro sarape por así decirlo. La madre es la madre tierra, la madre patria, la representación arquetípica, religiosa y mística de madres como la Virgen de Guadalupe y la Llorona. La madre son nuestras madres biológicas

y las abuelitas y las tías que a veces llenaban el espacio vacío. Invitamos a los artistas a que se conviertan en cuentacuentos y a través de sus obras de arte, narren una historia de amor. Las solicitudes se cierran 11 de agosto.

Becas de cine

Al finalizar del festival de cine de este año 5Point Adventure Film Festival, varias oportunidades adicionales de subvenciones fueron anunciadas incluyendo: una beca de $5,000 de 5Point; una beca de $10,000 de NRS para apoyar a algún cineasta que sea una persona de color o “una historia que empuje contra los límites de cine tradicional”, y finalmente, “The Wadding For Change – BIPOC Filmmakers Grant”, proporcionada por Flat Tire, el cual premiara hasta $20,000 para cineastas aventureros dentro de la comunidad BIPOC. Para más información y para inscribirse en estas becas, visite www.5pointfilm.org/about5point/film-fund

Cargadores de Starbucks

Starbucks, en asociación

con Volvo Cars, ha instalado cuatro estaciones de carga para vehículos eléctricos (VE) en su ubicación de Grand Avenue en Glenwood Springs. Eventualmente, Starbucks planificará en instalar estaciones de carga para vehículos eléctricos en 15 tiendas, aproximadamente cada 100 millas entre Denver y Seattle.

Reparaciones de baches

Con el clima más cálido, se espera que los equipos del departamento de transporte de Colorado reparen los baches en carreteras estatales. “Con cantidades de nieve arriba de lo normal y con temperaturas bajo del promedio en el invierno, se creó baches adicionales en varias áreas del estado, incluyendo la ladera occidental”, dijo el comunicado de prensa. Los automovilistas deben contar con cierres de un carril y posibles retrasos. Para reportar un bache en su carretera estatal, llame al 970-243-2368. CDOT no es responsable de carreteras no estatales.

Espacios de jardín comunitario

¿Buscando alguna

parcela de jardín? El jardín comunitario de Carbondale, en la esquina de Hendrick Drive y Holland Drive, tiene un espacio disponible de 11 pies por 21 pies. Si está

interesado, envíe un correo electrónico a 516kware@ gmail.com con su nombre y número de teléfono. ¡La parcela ya está lista para comenzar el trabajo!

Si deja una huella, ¡Regrese,

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.

"Sincronías" parte 22, por Leonardo Occhipinti

New Castle hosts bear safety conversation series

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Town of New Castle hosted the third in a series of community conversations on April 19, “Living with Bears.” Previous conversations were held on March 1 and March 22, and the next event will take place fully in Spanish at the New Castle Community Center on May 17.

The first three conversations focused on educating the community about black bears, what good and bad food years look like and how climate change is affecting human-bear interactions. These included an introduction where community members discussed their experiences with bears, a slideshow from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers and time for questions.

"What we now need is to have conversations with Colorado Parks and Wildlife that focus on educating our community on bears, what prevention looks like and what it looks like if you run into a bear," New Castle Town Councilor Caitlin Carey told The Sopris Sun.

Carey got the ball rolling for the series with CPW, Town Council, Brenda Lee of the Colorado Bear Coalition and Spanish translator Astrid Recinos after numerous bear encounters in New Castle's residential areas last summer and fall. CPW was represented by area wildlife manager Kurt Oldham and officers Jake Stanton and Travis Bybee.

"I didn't want there to be any barriers. I wanted it to be just as open a conversation in English as Spanish, in Martian and whatever language we need to have this in because it includes everyone," Carey explained regarding the emphasis on translation.

One human-bear incident involved

a New Castle woman whose arm was lacerated by a sow that tried to open her hot tub. That tragically led to the sow and one of her three cubs being euthanized. CPW later rehabilitated the remaining cubs at the Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation near Silt.

"We took the kids to school that day [after the attack],” said Carey. “We were told to deliver our children in-person or via vehicle … As I began to talk with my neighbors, I realized how traumatized we all were by this."

A second bear incident happened in the early fall when a New Castle man escaped a potential mauling after a bear knocked him down in his backyard. He scared it off with gunfire. Though these events were traumatic for the community, they were catalysts of Carey to get organized to ensure the community is better informed.

"I began thinking it through and chewed on what it needed to look like,” she said. “I had this feeling that it needed to be in the round. No tables, no podiums, and everybody is in chairs. Nobody is standing up unless they're going to get coffee or something.”

The Town of New Castle is now working on a wildlife ordinance to aid the community. Carey shared her vision for a hotline where neighbors can call upon their fellow community members to take care of their trash if they are sick, injured, or out of town.

"The beauty of smaller communities is that we can work together to take care of each other," she said. "Not only would it be beneficial, but it would also build a sense of community."

Carey considers it her duty as a public servant to engage the community on topics that are not always comfortable, including the sometimes dangerous realities of living with wildlife. During the third conversation, CPW officers spent about 45 minutes speaking on bear safety, what to do when encountering a bear, encouraging the use of bear spray when hiking and camping, and safe ways to haze a bear away.

For example, if you find yourself in the presence of a black bear, do not turn your back on them but walk away slowly while loudly but calmly acknowledging it. Do not make sudden movements, run away, approach the animals or climb a tree to escape. It is advised that hikers not wear perfume or scented lotions on trails and ensure all food and toiletries are in a safe and locked container. CPW also advised that you should not use bear spray around the parameters of a campsite, as the smell will — ironically — attract them.

For more information on bear safety, visit cpw.state.co.us or the Town of New Castle’s wildlife safety page on their official website: www.newcastlecolorado.org

New Castle lleva a cabo una serie de charlas sobre la seguridad con osos

Por Myki Jones Traducción por Dolores Duarte

Esta foto fue tomada en New Castle el año pasado poco antes de que una osa y un cachorro fueran trágicamente eutanasiados tras atacar a una mujer. Foto de Jamin

Heady-Smith

La ciudad de New Castle presentó el 19 de abril la tercera de una serie de charlas comunitarias, "Viviendo con osos". Los eventos anteriores se celebraron el 1 de marzo y el 22 de marzo, y el próximo evento tendrá lugar completamente en español en el centro comunitario de New Castle el 17 de mayo.

Las tres primeras charlas se centraron en educar a la comunidad sobre los osos negros, el significado de cómo son los años buenos y malos para su comida y cómo el cambio climático está afectando las interacciones entre humanos y osos. Incluyeron una introducción en la que los miembros de la comunidad hablaron de sus experiencias con osos, una presentación de diapositivas de los funcionarios de Colorado parques y vida silvestre (CPW por sus siglas en inglés) y un espacio para preguntas.

"Lo que ahora necesitamos es mantener conversaciones con Colorado parques y vida silvestre que se centren en educar a nuestra comunidad sobre los osos, cómo es la prevención y cómo es si te encuentras con un oso", dijo Caitlin Carey, concejal de New Castle, a The Sopris Sun. Carey puso en marcha la serie con CPW, el ayuntamiento, Brenda Lee de la Coalición del Oso de Colorado y la intérprete de inglés-español Astrid Recinos después de numerosos encuentros con osos en las zonas residenciales de New Castle el pasado verano y otoño. CPW estuvo representado por el gerente de vida silvestre de la zona Kurt Oldham y los oficiales Jake Stanton y Travis Bybee.

"No quería que hubiera barreras. Quería que fuera una conversación abierta tanto en inglés como en español, en marciano y en cualquier idioma en que necesitáramos tenerla porque incluye a todo el mundo", explicó Carey en relación al énfasis en la interpretación.

Uno de los incidentes entre humanos y osos involucró a una mujer de New Castle cuyo brazo fue lacerado por una osa con cachorros que intentó abrir su bañera de hidromasaje. Por desgracia, la osa y uno de sus tres oseznos fueron

sacrificados. CPW rehabilitó posteriormente a los cachorros restantes en la Fundación Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife, cerca de Silt.

"Llevamos a los niños a la escuela ese día [después del ataque]", dijo Carey. "Nos dijeron que lleváramos a nuestros hijos en persona o en vehículo... Cuando hablé con mis vecinos, me di cuenta de lo traumatizados que estábamos todos por esto".

Un segundo incidente con osos ocurrió a principios de otoño, cuando un hombre de New Castle escapó de un posible ataque después de que un oso lo derribara en su patio. Lo ahuyentó con disparos. Aunque estos sucesos fueron traumáticos para la comunidad, sirvieron de catalizadores para que Carey se organizara para garantizar que la comunidad estuviera mejor informada.

"Empecé a darle vueltas al asunto y cómo debía ser", dijo. "Tenía la sensación de que tenía que estar muy cerca. Sin mesas, sin podios, y todo el mundo en sillas. Nadie se levanta a menos que vaya a por café o algo así".

La ciudad de New Castle trabaja ahora en una ordenanza sobre fauna salvaje para ayudar a la comunidad. Carey compartió su visión de una línea directa en la que los vecinos puedan llamar a sus compañeros de la comunidad para que se hagan cargo de su basura en caso de estar enfermos, heridos o fuera de la ciudad.

"Lo bueno de las comunidades más pequeñas es que podemos trabajar juntos para cuidarnos unos a otros", dijo. "No sólo sería benéfico, sino que también crearía un sentido de comunidad".

Carey considera que su deber como servidora pública es involucrar a la comunidad en temas que no siempre son cómodos, incluyendo las realidades a veces peligrosas de vivir con la vida silvestre. Durante la tercera conversación, los agentes de CPW dedicaron unos 45 minutos a hablar sobre la seguridad frente a los osos, qué hacer en caso de encontrarse con uno, cómo fomentar el uso de espray para osos en excursiones y acampadas, y formas seguras de ahuyentar a un oso.

Por ejemplo, si se encuentra en presencia de un oso negro, no le dé la espalda sino aléjese lentamente mientras lo reconoce en voz alta pero con calma. No haga movimientos bruscos, no huya, no se acerque a los animales ni se suba a un árbol para escapar. Se aconseja a los excursionistas que no lleven perfumes ni lociones perfumadas en los senderos y que se aseguren de que todos los alimentos y artículos de aseo estén en un recipiente seguro y cerrado con llave. CPW también aconseja no utilizar espray para osos cerca de los parámetros de un campamento, ya que el olor -irónicamente- los atraerá. Para más información sobre la seguridad de los osos, visite cpw.state.co.us o la página de seguridad de la fauna silvestre de la ciudad

New Castle en su sitio web oficial: www.newcastlecolorado.org

de

This photo was taken in New Castle last year shortly before the sow and one cub were tragically euthanized after attacking a woman. Photo by Jamin Heady-Smith

By Amy Hadden Marsh Sopris Sun Correspondent

Garfield County Commissioners

(BOCC) on Monday approved a zoning change for a planned unit development (PUD) on 4 Mile Road about three miles south of Glenwood Springs. Developer Jason Newmann of Sunlight Parkway LLC requested the change to build six duplexes on 8.7 acres at 2808 County Road 117, once the site of a wastewater treatment plant.

Prior to Monday’s meeting, Garfield County planning staff had approved the zoning change from rural to PUD with conditions, including working with the Fire Protection District. Several conditions had been resolved by the time the proposal was in front of the BOCC, including Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) decision to remove a recommendation that construction not occur between Dec. 1 and June 1.

In a letter to the BOCC dated February 2023, CPW stated that the proposed PUD is “within elk winter range, mule deer winter range, mule deer severe winter range, concentration area and migration corridor for both mule deer and elk, overall range for black bear and turkey.” The agency recommended avoiding construction from Dec. 1 to May 15 “to limit impact on wintering wildlife.”

But, at Monday’s meeting, Neumann and County Planner Glenn Hartman told the BOCC that CPW had withdrawn the recommendation. ”[CPW] asked us to not do any construction there, regardless of what was approved, between Dec. 1 and May 15, which we had a little bit of a struggle understanding,” explained Neumann. “They've since pulled that, based on the same type of surrounding construction and the fact that this was already a developed piece of property with all the infrastructure in place.”

CPW’s Sami Canetti told The Sopris Sun in an email that previous development has already displaced animals in the area. “Adding the Sunlight PUD would have minimal impact on the wildlife,” she said.

Other CPW recommendations during PUD construction include hauling food-related trash off-site or using bear-proof bins, and no pets onsite. The agency asks that new fencing is in compliance with agency wildlife standards and discourages landscaping with fruit, berry or nut trees.

A handful of 4 Mile residents spoke up against the proposed PUD, citing density and traffic concerns and increased water demands. Sunlight Water and Wastewater Company will provide water to the PUD. Commission

Chair John Martin said the water agreements have been in place since the Sunlight View II PUD was approved. (According to archived Garfield County BOCC minutes, that development was approved in October 2000.) Neumann added Monday that those agreements accounted for a certain number of users and that the proposed duplexes would fall into that range. “We’re not adding any new taps that don’t exist,” he said.

There was no mention of changes, if any, in the PUD’s water supply over the past 23 years. The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University’s April 25, 2023 report shows that, even though conditions have improved, close to 56% of the state is still under drought.

At the BOCC meeting on Feb. 27, 2023, Martin cast the sole dissenting vote on a new, albeit small, subdivision on Missouri Heights, stating “We’re going to have to stop developing as much as we are simply because we’re not going to have the natural resources.”

But, on Monday, that did not seem to be much of a concern. Commissioner Mike Samson noted that water was a big problem, but added “I guess it is what it is and it'll have to deal with itself.” More hearings are expected before the PUD can move forward.

Zoning change for Sunlight Parkway PUD approved LIFE

During the morning session, the BOCC approved several tax abatements, the consent agenda, which included a contract increase for lobbyist Robert Weidner, a water use agreement with Ruedi Reservoir, a resolution to rezone 488 acres near Sweetwater Lake from rural to public lands, and other items. Commissioners also heard budget requests for the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, the Glenwood Springs Youth Hockey Association, the New Ute Theatre Society, CMC’s summer STEM camp, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Garfield County and more. Request decisions will be made on May 8.

The Board appointed Daniel Adams of New Castle to the county planning commission and heard from the Colorado State Forest Service’s plans to set up shop in Garfield County to work with the county extension service.

Valley View is proud to announce the opening of After Hours Urgent Care. From nasal congestion to a sprained ankle, our walk-in clinic is here to treat you. Thanks to its convenient location inside Valley View next to the Emergency Department, you get to decide the right level of care for you at the right price.

Open evenings and weekends for same-day, walk-in care in Glenwood Springs. Learn more at vvh.org/urgentcare or call 970.384.7315.

PeopleCare. That’s Valley View.

TACAW presents John

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

Critically acclaimed and seasoned folk singersongwriter John McCutcheon will be performing at The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) on Saturday, May 6 at 7pm.

The six-time Grammynominated artist discussed his upcoming performance with The Sopris Sun, what’s next for him and provided some insight into the long career he has cultivated through a series of community-building endeavors, hard work and creative adventures.

McCutcheon has been releasing music for 51 years, which includes 43 albums, and is currently working on the production of his latest. He shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

“All my contemporaries are retiring, and I'm thinking, ‘Why in the world would I retire from such a great job?,'” he queried.

His sound is richly influenced from his childhood in Wausau, Wisconsin when there was a revival of folk music and civil rights movements were on the rise. He was introduced to folk music while watching the March on Washington D.C.

at age 11 with his mother. He watched folk legends like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mahalia Jackson and his future friend and mentor, Pete Seeger, use their music to advocate for a cause they believed in.

McCutheon pestered his parents for a guitar over the next three years after falling in love with the music that accompanied such a powerful movement in history.

Finally, “On my 14th birthday, I got it and I've never looked back. I was hungry to learn about this music.

I just put on my shoes and started playing in front of people. Simultaneously, I kept learning,” he stated.

This hunger to learn has stayed with him. While at college, he asked his advisor about doing a three-month independent study where he would hitchhike around the Appalachians to meet banjo players, as that was the instrument he was interested in at the time.

“That three-month independent study is something I am still on 51 years later,” in a way, McCutcheon continued. “So, in the ensuing period, I have been lucky enough to travel the world where I have picked up a dozen or so

different instruments based on the context and experiences that I’ve had.”

During that hitchhiking trip, he witnessed the role musicians often played in those rural communities. These performers acted as a connective tissue to bring people together in times of mourning, celebration and sometimes for fundraising.

“I quickly learned I was interested in how that sort of cultural glue happened and how the musicians figured into that. Every day since then, there's been this curiosity and excitement about learning… It's what has kept me going,” he shared. McCutcheon said that his music has evolved. The eras of his music reflect periods of interest or changes in his personal life. Of his discography, eight albums are children's records; his original, “Howjadoo,” was released in 1983 as a firstbirthday gift to his eldest son.

The creation of this album, and others to follow, came from his desire to create children's music for the whole family to enjoy; perhaps preemptively settling arguments about what to listen to on long road trips.

Along with creating music in that realm, his songwriting repertoire includes political satire, union songs for children, tributes and more. Once, he put out four separate albums in a single year, celebrating the four seasons, in collaboration with Si Kahn, McCutcheon feels lucky to have a career that simply requires time to perfect his craft, from writing music and practicing various instruments, all while being able to continue to perform.

He expressed excitement about his TACAW performance, as this will

be his first concert in the Roaring Fork Valley.

McCutcheon hopes the audience comes away thinking “they had a great time and maybe heard some songs that touched them or made them laugh — or maybe pissed them off from time to time — but they went on an entertaining ride and that they were glad they were there,” he said. For more information and updates on McCutcheon, visit his website at www.folkmusic.com

Tickets for McCutcheon’s performance are available at www.tacaw.org

When You Have Unexpected Medical Needs

John McCutcheon, photo by Eric Petersen

‘Baye & Asa’ refine dance in the RFV

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

Since childhood, growing up in New York City, Amadi “Baye” Washington and Sam “Asa” Pratt have danced together. As adults, they formed a dance company, “Baye & Asa,” to continue exploring the edges of possibility in movement. This month, May 12-20, they will be in residency with Dance Initiative, developing choreography and teaching classes.

The two became familiar with Dance Initiative’s residency through their dance community in New York City and contacted Executive Director Megan Janssen last year. “A lot of people find out about the residency program mostly through wordof-mouth,” she explained. “We don't do a lot of marketing.” This creates a familial-like relationship between the local nonprofit and visiting dancers.

During their residency, and first visit to the Roaring Fork Valley, Baye and Asa will be shaping work for a 2024 Baryshnikov Art Center commission as well as an upcoming commission at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“It's always a transformative experience to step away in order to work on something in a more immersive way,” said Asa, riffing with Baye in conversation with The Sun over Zoom. They joined from a well-lit studio in the Baryshnikov Art Center.

As is customary, while the artists spend concerted time working each day, they will also grace the community with special classes and end with a demonstration. Their style defies genres, though hip hop and African dance languages are at the foundation of their technique and rhythms.

“We find putting ourselves in this style box or that technique box is most limiting to our development,” said Baye. “So we are allergic to

categorization.” Theirs is an accumulation of forms established over years of immersion.

One community offering, “Taste & Smell” on the morning of May 13, will incorporate theatrical games to explore expression and courageous movement.

“Taste and smell are not senses we tend to engage with [in dance],” Baye explained. “We think about our sight, our hearing, our touch. Engaging with taste and smell allows us to tap into a primal instinct we try to hone in on as professional

dancers.” By opening their nostrils and gritting their teeth, participants will be challenged to establish “a visceral communication with the space” finding more presence in each movement.

“All for a more dynamic experience for the performer,” Asa continued. “Using taste and smell, something we all have, to make the dance experience more layered and richer.”

The class, though open to all, will be physically challenging for people at any level, said Baye. “It is

Amadi "Baye" Washington and Sam "Asa" Pratt will spend a week in Carbondale working on correography and teaching classes. Photo by Richard Termine

Youth-run skate company holds strong

By Yesenia Benevides Youth Correspondent

HAVOC Skate Company is a studentoperated skateboard business based out of Yampah Mountain High School. The company got its start in 2017, and is still going strong.

Back when he was a Yampah student himself, Jono Moreau, the founder of HAVOC, looked out for his fellow skaters.

In 2006, the skatepark in Glenwood Springs was very deficient, according to Moreau. It had cheap metal and the overall structure had been affected by weather over the years. This led Moreau and his friends, and really any skateboarders, to skate in places where they were not allowed — like outside local businesses — which then led to them getting into trouble.

Moreau knew there was a need for an updated skatepark and decided to bring it up to his adviser at Yampah. He later presented a proposal to the Glenwood Springs City Council, and was backed by tons of people who showed up at the meeting in support. The request was approved and $60,000 was allocated for the project. They got the new skatepark built within the next few years, and before Moreau graduated.

Eventually, Moreau became a chaperon on some Yampah trips, as a

side job. Later on, he started working at the school as a faculty member. HAVOC started when Moreau and Michael Lowe, another Yampah faculty member and currently a member of EPIC’s (Educational Pathways to Innovative Careers) core planning team, wanted to create a practical business class, and one that would be appealing to the students.

At first it was a pretty small class. But, once everything got worked out, it became the popular class to go to. It took some time to come up with a name for the skateboard business, but they liked the idea of using an acronym. The team decided on HAVOC, which stands for Handmade Art Valley’s Only Custom Skateboard. The name stuck.

The class helps students learn everything from marketing to business management. It helps them build their resumes and gives them experience with sales.

The team creates custom designs, unique from other skateboard companies. And, all for a fair price.

For $30 someone can get a deck and grip tape, each with customized graphics. People can place an order through HAVOC’s Instagram account (its handle is HAVOC_skate_co). The skateboard company also sells shirts, hats and hoodies designed by students. Plus, the young entrepreneurs are starting to use a three-dimensional

printer to create things like miniature skateboards, HAVOC dog tags and more.

HAVOC has gained traction and people from across the continent are asking about it. In fact, one of Moreau’s friends sent him a picture of a HAVOC sticker on a poll in Buga, Colombia. As Moreau likes to say, “As much as it is a skateboard business, it's also a movement.”

Moreau has a lot of passion for skateboarding and supporting young people who share in that passion. This allows him to connect with the students and be a role model.

HAVOC is open to sponsoring local events, and, as a matter-of-fact, is one of the sponsors of the 2023 Rollin' Rendezvous Skate, Scooter and BMX Competition to be held at the Rifle Skatepark on May 6, starting at 9am.

Blank skateboard decks won't be that way for long, once HAVOC Skate Company slaps on some custom graphics. People can follow @Havoc_skate_co on Instagram. Courtesy photo

By Gus Richardson Youth Correspondent

Over the weekend, I went to see “A Sage VOICES Theater Project: Precious and Endless” at the Thunder River Theatre. The biggest reason why I went is because my brother, Iggy, wanted to go. He will be put on the record saying, in a sarcastic manner, “Who comes to the third show?” after my query of where our friend’s parents were.

I came to the third show, brother. It’s reporting night! To get back to the main point, I loved the show. It was amazingly heartfelt and genuine, with an incredible amount of charm and a surprisingly great sense of humor. If you don’t know, “Precious and Endless” is a show that shares the stories of both elders and youth, showing the similarities and differences of the generations.

To take a short detour, I have to applaud guest pianist Clay Boland’s incredible playing. At many points throughout the night, I made a note of how well he was playing. His beautiful piano playing added so much to the show. But the main attraction was no doubt the stories of the actors.

Throughout the whole night, I was shocked at the honesty of the stories. Many times, I felt as though I was having an intimate conversation with a grandparent as I asked them about their past. It was real.

At times it was so solemn, and at other times so joyous. The whole show had a bit of a feeling of solemn optimism. Every story had a feeling of nostalgia and bittersweetness, a bit of sadness of the fleetingness of our lives, followed by a great amount of joy that it happened, and hope that

there will be more great experiences in the future. The whole show expertly displayed a love for a life lived coupled with a desire to keep going. And the comedy! There were points in the show where I was laughing out loud for entire scenes. For an example of the show’s incredible sense of humor, there’s a scene where one of the sages, William D. Jochems, is explaining the first time he built a sailboat. He’s explaining how he hired a naval engineer to help him build it, and he says, “We had several conversations where I told him what I wanted, and he told me what was possible.” It was hilarious, and the whole theater erupted in laughter.

The singing portions were also so good! It was an amazing experience, and I loved that I was able to see it. I was able to interview the

director, Cassidy Willey, after the show. When asked how long this whole process took, she responded: “We’ve met over 12 weeks, however that’s pretty misleading, because we only met once a week for the majority of it. So we had very few rehearsals to create this original work from scratch.”

She went on to say that “all of it was from the stories … of the people here … we didn’t have a script when we started, we didn’t even have a theme or a name of the production. All of that was created as an ensemble.” No wonder I felt as though an intimate story was being told. This was all these people’s lives; these people’s stories. It was an unforgettable experience, and I'm honored to have been allowed to be a part of it. Even if it was the third show.

An intergenerational cast brought personal stories to life during the inaugural Sage VOICES Project last weekend.

Photo by Jem Moore

underwriting the Summer Music Series so True Nature can staff the front desk to keep the bathrooms open, so performers can be paid and have a place to lay their heads afterwards. As assistant director, Miller now has dedicated time to seek funding for Peace Garden functions.

Conversely, watching the community come together and connect on intimate levels in the gardens is beyond monetary value to Miller.

“The value of the Peace Garden cannot be put on a balance sheet. The person who walks in and visits the labyrinth and mourns their grandmother, that’s invaluable. The Peace Garden will never generate revenue to cover itself. It’s so much bigger than that.”

Want to discover aspects of your own true nature while learning a bit more about the True Nature Peace Garden? Join Megan Miller and newly promoted Peace Garden Manager, Sarah Lucy for Volunteer Spring Clean Up Days Wednesday, May 17 and Saturday, May 20, from 8am to noon.

still advanced level movement.” For more experienced dancers, they will also offer an intermediate class on May 18, from 6:15 to 8pm.

“Teaching is a big part of a lot of dancers' careers and it's very important to us,” said Asa. “As artists, sometimes it's the way you have the most measurable impact,” compared with giving a performance. “It's a unique part of our careers and a part that we cherish, teaching children and teaching adults.”

They will also teach a hip hop class for ages 10 to 13 on May 16, from 4 to 5pm. Growing up with dance as part of their curriculum, Baye and Asa came to appreciate approaching dance with academic rigor, “which is different from people's more traditional experience,” said Baye. More classical training came later, in college. “We look at dance teaching from the perspective of how to not make dance something that is esoteric or just replicating steps but something that is practically explainable so we can go from a brain place and not just a body place,” he continued.

Janssen compared that early dance education to the nonprofit's outreach programs in local schools, offering classes with guest teachers to all students. “We're working with all of the kids,” said Janssen. “That presents a lot of opportunities and specific challenges.” She hopes there will be some overlap for students to have a deeper experience with Baye and Asa's visit.

“It should not always be about teaching a codified dance technique or different steps or doing something that looks physically impressive,” said Asa. Rather to understand “how the body and mind symbiotically inform each other.” Also, using dance not only to create energy and effort but “meaning in space with your physical form,” said Asa.

The studio performance and talkback will take place on May 20 at 6:30pm at The Launchpad. This will be the community's opportunity to witness what Baye and Asa have been developing during their residency, and may involve excerpts of past choreography.

More specifically, it will touch on their commission for the Baryshnikov Art Center. The finished piece, to be performed in May 2024, will have eight performers: five young to middle aged adults, two youth and one elder. Asa explained that that work is interested in the intergenerational nature of our climate problem, hence using three generations of performers.

Learn more about “Baye & Asa” and their upcoming residency at www.danceinitiative.org

with the federal government having more control, and worries that wild and scenic designation would invite that. All the same, he wishes to see the Crystal River preserved and dam free, but believes there are other options.

Local rancher Bill Fales later told The Sopris Sun that he needs more information before making an informed decision about whether or not to support designation.

Fales questioned the need because he doesn’t think it would be geographically feasible to divert water from the headwaters of the Crystal to some place like the Front Range. He added that wild and scenic designation could result in even more people coming to visit the pristine Crystal Valley. Lastly, he conceded that he, like most, doesn’t like to see the Crystal River dry up in the fall, and wonders if wild and scenic designation would dispose of possible solutions to address depletion in the future.

“A dam might be a way to prevent that. If we get more and more people, more and more demand on the river, how are we to manage it?” he questioned. “It’d be kind of crazy to take all of the tools away.”

Next steps

At the conclusion of the three-hour summit, the organizers summarized the next steps. The Collaborative co-chairs are to select steering committee members from the people who expressed interest. The steering committee is intended to be representative of the diverse types of user groups on the Crystal River.

“The steering committee will meet to discuss what they heard from the broader community and prepare presentations on management options for a second community summit in September for further public input,” a press release summarized.

According to www.rivers.gov, “Colorado has approximately 107,403 miles of river, of which 76 miles, or one river, are designated as wild and scenic — less than a tenth of 1% of the state's river miles.” The Cache la Poudre River is the one river currently designated as wild and scenic in Colorado.

In its second year, Garfield County libraries are celebrating Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) with a comics festival, to be held on May 6 at the Glenwood Springs Library from 11am to 6pm.

Alex Garcia, education and events manager for the Garfield County Public Library District, has worked in libraries for about 17 years. While working at a library in Arizona, he helped create a comics festival which included handing out free comics in conjunction with FCBD, a national event which is celebrated on the first Saturday in May. He also facilitated games for the library’s teen groups and other comic-related activities. What started out as small later grew into a large annual event.

When Garcia moved to the Garfield County Public Library District, he brought the idea of the comics festival with him and helped create last May’s event.

Events like FCBD and comics conventions attract “geeks” who celebrate “geek culture.” Garcia defined geeks and geek culture as “anyone who is a fan of anything related to a fictional world of fantasy, science fiction, horror, video game culture and characters.”

For example, a fan of Harry Potter or any other kind of created universe, might delve into writing a fan fiction about their favorite fictional characters,

or dress up as a character, known as cosplay, when attending a comics festival.

Garcia shared that last year’s inaugural event in Glenwood Springs had no local organizational partners, yet still garnered about 400 attendees throughout the day. Those numbers proved that there is a public eager to support a comics festival, so this year, Garfield County libraries have partnered with local organizations, including Raising A Reader, Bristlecone Arts Collaborative, Glenwood Arts Center and the Aspen Science Center.

“These are partners that we've already been working with for the last couple of years that help us in our regular programming, so it was a chance to invite partners and give them an opportunity to present and to share their programs and resources as well,” Garcia said.

It’s also an opportunity for the libraries to showcase their “pretty sizable comic book collection,” Garcia explained.

While FCBD is typically hosted by comic book stores, Garfield County’s one and only comic book store, Tesseract Comic and Games in Glenwood Springs closed its doors in August 2022. With the closing of Tesseract, “the library is the place for comic books now and this [event] is really just celebrating that,” Garcia shared.

One highlight this year is the art contest. At the end of Saturday’s activities, the Glenwood Art Center will be judging contest entries. Garcia said the contest is open to all ages and the artwork doesn’t have to be new art, but “we ask that the art is themed after superheroes, comic books, or any geek culture or fandom.” Artwork will be on display on the Glenwood Springs Library’s art wall for the remainder of May.

Art contest prizes are offered courtesy of the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, providing Glenwood Gold Community Currency, a year-round “buy local” program with participating Glenwood Springs businesses. The first place prize is a $75 Glenwood Gold gift card, and second

and third place prizes are $50 and $25 respectively.

Comics festival activities include games and crafts like button-making, 3D printer demonstrations, drones and other tech toys. You can work with the library staff to design your own comics festival t-shirt, or come dressed as your favorite superhero (or supervillain) to enter the cosplay raffle. You can also learn how to become a superhero by volunteering in your community.

In 2022, the creative crafting activities were the most popular with attendees, so, Garcia said, “we're giving people more of that.” He shared that the goal is to make the comics festival an annual event and to strive to make it “better if not bigger.”

For a complete schedule of the day’s events, go to www.bit.ly/GCPLDcomics

Art by Sofie Koski

GarCo Library board denies book ban appeal

By Lynn “Jake” Burton Sopris Sun Correspondent

In a special meeting on April 24, the Garfield County library board voted 7-0 to retain three books that a library district resident had challenged earlier in the year, according to Garfield County Libraries Director Jamie LaRue.

The books were:

• “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe;

• “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson;

• And, “Let’s Talk About it: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nola.

The books are available at all six branch libraries.

The library district ran a legal notice for the special meeting on radio station KMTS. LaRue said the board did not take any comments from the public during the meeting, held over Zoom.

On a related note, a March 3 Scripps News service article on book bans and challenges in libraries and schools began with quotes from LaRue.

“My whole belief is the purpose of the public library is to be a place to investigate the world … In the last 15 to 20 years we’ve started to see new voices, people of color, LGBTQ, different perspectives and experiences. And, as those voices start to rise, our society starts to change.”

LaRue, with more than 25 years of experience in libraries, explained most libraries have policies in place where people can challenge books to either have them removed or placed in a different section of the library.

University of Denver an archivist Dave Fasman said, “You’re starting to see cases immediately jump from ‘There is a book on the shelf’ to ‘We’re going to stop this,’ instead of, ‘There is a book on a shelf, let’s talk to a librarian about it…”

When asked, LaRue said it’s on the parents to communicate with their children. “Talk to your child. Tell them that you don’t want them to read it. The article concludes with LaRue saying he believes that in America today, besides all of the noise and polarization that goes on, “I believe we have a deep thirst for meaningful conversation. We want to figure out what matters, what’s important.”

In other news…

At its meeting at the Parachute branch on May 4, the board was scheduled to discuss a $21,000 proposal from Planning Solutions (of Englewood, Colorado) for space planning and furniture selection for the New Castle, Silt and Parachute libraries. Among other things, the proposal addresses:

• In New Castle, the lobby and service area, the history room, the staff break room and lounge seating;

• In Silt, expansion of study rooms, lounge seating;

• In Parachute, the entry lobby and study rooms, adding shelving in the children’s area.

The library district is extending its Newsbank database to a larger collection that will include more than 3,700 U.S. news sources, “U.S. News and World Report,” “Hispanic Life in America” (which includes 700 Spanish language newspapers and

RECOMMENDED READING

By Daniel Messer Glenwood Springs Library

I picked up the first volume of “Blitz” by Cédric Biscay in order to participate in Garfield County Public Library District’s Winter Reading Challenge. For the challenge, I had to read a graphic novel, and, as a chess player, the idea of a manga about chess appealed to me.

A few things about this manga really impressed me. The first is that it actually teaches you about the game of chess. The second is that it uses the stages of real games and the correct terminology. And, finally, for the fact that it features the most famous grandmaster of all time as both a character and key figure.

Biscay teaches you the basics of chess in a series of panels and explains tournament rules — like having to move a piece after touching it. He teaches you the name and role of each piece in order of importance: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. He even explains the origin of the names. For example, rook is derived from “rukh,”

the Persian word for chariot. Biscay provides visuals to explain how each piece moves, and also describes the patterns in writing. He explains the entire process from setting up the board to a player’s objective of leaving the opposing king in checkmate. And, he uses a humorous description, which references Dragon Ball Z, to explain how a pawn can be promoted. There is also a visual explanation of the chess clock and he expounds upon its importance for high-level play.

The state of actual games are shown throughout the manga in two ways. First, all of the states of play drawn in the manga can be reached through normal play. Secondly, real games are referenced.

For instance, the manga opens with Garry Kasparov facing a computer called “Kaiju 1996.” This is an obvious reference to the game between Kasparov and “Deep Blue,” played in 1996, which Kasparov won, 4-2. The next year, however, Kasparov lost, and it was the first time in history a computer became the best chess player in the world.

Garfield County libraries recently received 450 Spanish-language books ordered at the Guadalajara International Book Fair several months ago. The titles include fiction, non-fiction and other genres for all ages. A staff memo said the books will help the library district move toward its goal of increasing the Spanish-language collection by 1% this year. Photo by Lynn “Jake” Burton

periodicals) and “Heritage Hub” (which produces access to hundreds of years of obituaries and death notices across the U.S.). This info comes from a recent report by Technical Services Director Jenn Cook.

The Garfield County library board is appointed by the Garfield County commissioners. The board members are:

• Jocelyn Durrance (Carbondale), term expires 12/31/24;

• Michelle Foster (Parachute), term expires 12/31/25;

• John Mallonee (at large), term expires 12/31/26;

• Crystal Mariscal (New Castle), term expires 12/31/25;

• Adrian Rippy-Sheehy (Silt), term expires 12/31/23;

• Carolyn Tucker (Rifle), term expires 12/31/25;

• Susan Use (Glenwood Springs), term expires 12/31/24.

Carbondale branch trivia

• The library changed its name from the Gordon Cooper library to the Carbondale library when the new building was constructed several years ago. Cooper was one of the original seven U.S. astronauts. He was raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma, but his mother moved to Carbondale.

• The three long benches in front of the Carbondale library are made of spruce trees that were removed when the new library was built.

I mention computers specifically because an accident involving a virtual reality chess set is what puts the manga’s hero, Tom, on a path to superstardom in the world of chess.

What is a story without its characters? The most important characters in “Blitz, Volume 1” are Tom, the protagonist, Harmony, the love interest, Laurent, the rival, Jean-Marc, the mentor, and Garry Kasparov.

The arc begins with the aforementioned match against “Kaiju 96,” and then jumps to our main setting: an international school in Japan. Here we meet Harmony, the best chess player in the school, Tom, a slacker, and Laurent, Tom’s rival for Harmony’s attention. We then meet Jean-Marc at his pancake house where Tom is trying to learn chess. The first volume ends with Garry Kasparov, who has been mentioned as a chess player everyone admires, announcing a global youth tournament in order to find a protege.

I would recommend this manga not just to fans of sports manga, but to people interested in learning about chess and to regular players of the game. I went in expecting to be

entertained, but I wasn’t expecting to find a series to look forward to. I found it engaging and endlessly fascinating. I am looking forward to the second volume and hope that you will join me in reading “Blitz, Volume 1.”

By the way, I run a popular chess club at the Glenwood Springs Library once a month. So, come join us some time. We meet every third Thursday, from 4 to 5pm.

‘Blitz, Volume 1’

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

Having Arrived at the Stone Age

Poem and photo by Tony Alcantara Carbondale(ish)

If I must have a heart of stone, then let it be made of these stones each one broken stranded on a mountainside above a dry valley yet drawn together in a dance of concentric curves

the emptiness diminishing between each successive iteration until, at the center, one solid mass that beats more slowly than time can measure.

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

LETTERS

commuting.

All of the new living spaces lead to an increase in population. More people require more services. Services from daycare, to health care, to a myriad of other basic needs must be expanded. Still more growth.

“I’ve tried so hard, hard to be patient; hoping you’ll stop this infatuation.” Well, we all know what this song is getting to: communication. We really need to talk, before too many of us get that broken heart.

Patrick Hunter, Carbondale

Holy Cross

At the risk of being canceled by my friends in the solar business, I’ll say I generally support Holy Cross Energy’s (HCE) new rate proposal. For new solar photovoltaic (PV) owners, it encourages energy storage and self-consumption, which are needed to further reduce fossil-based, greenhouse gas polluting backup generation. Existing solar owners get a break, and all customers are encouraged to electrify heating and vehicles. When I was a solar thermal installer in the ‘80s we had to install storage; we could not send hot water back into the grid. I installed an off-grid solar system for a buddy in 1995 and we had to put in primitive batteries.

In another article, Colorado Solar and Storage Association Chief Executive Officer Mike Kruger was quoted saying, “Holy Cross is solving a problem that’s a decade off.” The “problem” being over-generation by renewables at certain times. Based on recent hourly Colorado generation and consumption, that problem is here. Just last week, the Energy Information Administration’s hourly grid monitor for Public Service Company (PSCo)/Xcel showed renewable generation at 7080% of consumption during much of Thursday and Friday. PSCo/Xcel had to sell off 15% to neighboring utilities because it could not further turn down its boiler-based coal and gas generators.

This was never the case 15 years ago when the net-metering law was enacted. There are also many periods when only 20% is from wind and solar, and a few dark calm hours with almost none. In other locations with similar solar or wind shares, their electric rates are changing, often more dramatically than what HCE is proposing.

We need to adapt to this new reality, and HCE’s new rates encourage that. I just had my southwest roof filled with PV panels. But, to minimize fossil fuel backup from the grid, perhaps I should have installed fewer panels and some batteries, which were offered by my solar installer. To make up for my oversight, I just geeked out by scheduling the car charger, water heater and a space heater during off-peak hours and periods with high solar or wind

production. Given the number of apps to be coordinated, a teenager might have been helpful. Supposedly climate-concerned teens feel powerless about emission reductions. Here’s a job for them. Homes without solar or electric vehicles can participate. First, turn off the roof and gutter heaters.

“Concerns” about resources for renewables, in particular for batteries, are being exaggerated right now. Lithium mines, cobalt, nickel and energy inputs should be considered. However, substitutions are available or are just over the horizon. Lithium-ferrous (iron) batteries have been taking market share for years, eliminating cobalt and nickel. Heat storage, iron and zinc chemistry and flow batteries are being deployed. Twenty giant factories are under construction for sodium-ion batteries and the first cars using them are rolling off the lines in China. The best source of that sodium: the trona mines of southern Wyoming.

Fred W. Porter, Carbondale

Holy Cross 2.0

Pertaining to Holy Cross Energy’s rate restructuring, higher electrical distribution expenses have been more than offset by rising electricity revenues for the period 2019 to 2021 (per IRS form 990). Two of the biggest expense increases have been executive compensation which has gone from $3.8 million in 2019 to $4.8 million in 2021.

Also, investment management expenses have gone from unreported in 2019 to $6.7 million in 2021. To justify a rate restructuring increase based on rising executive compensation and an exponential investment management fee increase, hardly seems justified to a population that is just struggling to stay living in Holy Cross’ service area. It may be at some point down the road that a small upward adjustment in the electrical distribution charge can be justified, but that point has not yet arrived.

Mike Meehan, Eagle County

Down with development

Finally, some smart folks in Rifle have stood up to the dirt pushers of development in our fair valleys. Rifle said no to annexing a piece of Garfield County for yet another subdivision.

The old song says, "Paved paradise to put up a parking lot." But we haven't been satisfied with only cement carpets, no, we cover up our skies with tall ticky-tacky tenements to be. Heck, developers have even hidden views of Mt. Sopris from the center of Carbondale.

Nancy Reagan's "just say no" solution to drugs didn't work too well, but it's the perfect answer for devious developers' dubious dreams.

Bruno Kirchenwitz, Rifle

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission for the purpose of considering a combined application for an Administrative Site Plan Review, Subdivision Exemption, Special Use Permit and Rezoning to allow the expansion of an existing large daycare facility dba Little Blue Preschool.

Project Description: The Little Blue Preschool proposes to expand their facility from 2,507 square feet to 4,691 square feet and to increase capacity from 36 to 70 children. The project includes merging two lots, rezoning the lots from C/T (Commercial/ Transitional) and R/MD (Residential Mixed Density) to HCC (Historic Commercial Core) and making improvements to the 7th Street right-of-way.

Property Location: 55 N 7th Street; Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Block 21 of the Original Townsite and the southern 15 feet of Lots 1-5 in Block 7 of the Weavers Addition.

Applicant: Angela Loughry, Confluence Architecture

Owner: Blue Lake Preschool, Inc. Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 7:00 p.m. on May 25, 2023. Note: this project was supposed to heard on April 27, 2023, but has been rescheduled to the above date.

Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The application may also be viewed on the Town’s website at: https://carbondalegov. org/departments/planning/current_land_use_ applications.php

If you would like to submit comments regarding this application please send them via email to kamdur@carbondaleco. net by 5:00 pm on May 24, 2023. The comments will be entered into the record. If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Kelley Amdur, Planner, at 970-510-1212.

Just like Magnolia Marchand and her horse fly over this jump during the horse show that took place at Strang Ranch on Saturday, April 29, we're reminded that time also flies. It's already May and our Annual Mother's Day issue comes out next Thursday, so don't miss it!

SERVICE DIRECTORY

We don't charge for obits

The death of a loved one costs enough. The Sopris Sun is happy to publish local obituaries of a reasonable length, including a picture, for free.

Email

submit one or for more information.

Photo by Jane Bachrach

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2023!

Wherever life takes you next, we hope you’ll take us with you. When you use your Alpine Bank Loyalty Debit Card*, you help Colorado communities continue to shine. Learn more at alpinebank.com/50YearsYoung.

DOWN TO RISE

WORKSHOPS

May 4th

5:30 - 7PM

Basalt Regional Library

A GUT FEELING

Come learn and chat about how your gut health affects your mood with medical nutritionist, Shari Havourd

A free event discussing Gut basics, The microbiome and its bacteria, Gut-brain connection and conditions that are associated with your gut health, Signs and symptoms of an unhealthy gut, and how to feed and maintain a healthy gut. Registration is required as space is limited.

Down to Rise offers innovative, fun, activitybased workshops that offer different avenues/modalities to address and support mental health issues.

Workshops are designed for participants ages 14 +

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