20230517

This Week:

6 ~ WE-cycle

8-9 ~ Calendar

11-13 ~ Español

14 ~ Annual Report

23 ~ Astrology

Carbondale goes to Colleywood!

Mainstreet was packed on May 12 with finely-clad folks in front of the Dinkel Building for back-to-back sold-out shows at the Crystal Theatre. Local celebrity Brain Colley arrived in style for the Carbondale premier of “Paint,” a major movie featuring the local artist’s paintings. During both showings, as well as a third showing on the following day, audience members cheered each time his paintings were shown on screen, and erupted in applause during the ending credits when his name appeared.

Paparazzi were out in droves. View more photos online at www.soprissun.com

Photo on left by Jane Bachrach, above by Mark Burrows, others by Amy Hadden Marsh

Mature Content

By Nicolette Toussaint

“Age-Friendly Carbondale” works to make it possible for people of any age to live here comfortably. This month’s columnist shows that we have a long way to go.

-Ron Kokish, Ed.

It seems contrarian, moving from west to east. The sun and stars rise in the east and set in the west. I always meant to go that way too, but by the time you read this, my husband Mason and I will be living in Longmont, over the Great Divide that bifurcates Colorado.

Our intention was to have our beloved Two Rivers Unitarian Congregation hold a memorial for us when we died and scatter our ashes on Mt. Sopris. Mason, age 92, has had a couple of mini-strokes. I'm 72 with incurable autoimmune liver disease. We're definitely on the grim reaper's list, and with mathematical reason, we figured for years that he'd go first. However, in January, I had a pancreatitis attack that sent me to Valley View Hospital's emergency room. During my recovery, I realized that I could no longer count on coping, much less caring for Mason

LETTERS

Praise for Sinfonia

Missing Essentials and the Great Divide

without the help from what I’ll call Carbondale's “Missing Essentials.” (The waiting list at Sopris Lodge independent living, our only option in Carbondale, is probably longer than my lifespan.)

Missing Essential #1: Handyman. When I got home from the hospital, Mason offered to heat me some frozen French onion soup, but he couldn't do it. He said the oven wasn't working. I thought he'd forgotten how to turn it on. Turned out he was right, but I couldn't get a repairman. I wound up ordering parts from Amazon, watching how-to videos on YouTube, wrestling the oven out from the wall and, over the course of a week, repairing it myself. (Repairing gas and electric devices is way outside this retired editor and art teacher's safety zones!)

Luckily, Matt Harrington saw my plea for help on the “Buy Nada” Facebook group and sent his son Max over to put the oven door back on.

Missing Essential #2: Snow Removal

Person. It snowed and the Town plowed our street. But because of up-anddown temperatures (global warming, expect more), my driveway was a sheet of ice. Someone managed to remove the snowbank between the street and my driveway (a neighbor?) so that Mason could drive to City Market for my prescriptions, but even with my little snowblower, I couldn't manage my doublewidth, north-facing driveway.

On May 4, I was treated to an excellent concert at TACAW by the High Country Sinfonia featuring 16 musicians of the highest quality this valley has to offer. With their theme of “Chopin!” their soloist, pianist Kevin Kaukl, a sensitive musician, performed a chamber arrangement of Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op.11.” In contrast to the full orchestral version, this performance treated the audience to a gossamer-like texture of transparent lines weaving together the orchestra and soloist. What a joy to hear such a contrasted performance.

In addition, the Sinfonia’s cello section performed Tchaikovsky’s “Chorale” from the “1812 Overture.” Again, hearing this piece with four cellists, instead of a whole section, was quite exciting. The Sinfonia was also joined by Charlotte McLain, a lovely harpsichordist, playing C.P.E. Bach’s “Sinfonia No. 2 in B-flat major.” I have often praised this group for their

Driving over snow turns it into more ice. This scared me because my friend Niki Delson had just fallen on ice and was in an ICU in Grand Junction recovering from a skull fracture with brain bleeding. I had been trying for nearly five years to hire someone dependable for snow removal, but no luck. Waiting for a teenager to come on Saturday when I needed the prescription on Wednesday following a Tuesday surgery could have been fatal.

Missing Essential #3: Food Deliveries. Mary Kenyon started Valley Meals and More (VM&M) a few years back, delivering meals to COVID-vulnerable elders and disabled folks. It's been a lifeline, but it relies on volunteers delivering restaurant food, it’s only four lunches a week and there’s no vegetarian option. Still, VM&M and Domino’s are the only food deliverers in Carbondale, so please support Domino’s and donate to VM&M (www. valleymealsandmore.com).

Missing Essential # 4: Places to live. I am happy to say that my house (maybe the last “attainable,” if not affordable, house in Carbondale) was purchased by a local high school teacher and his wife. I was determined to not wreck the neighborhood by selling to second-home owners/ investors who'd barely be here and was stunned by how fast my house sold without

wonderful performances and I will continue to do so always. Make sure to catch their next concerts throughout the Valley.

Deborah Barnekow, musician

El Jebel

Crystal River thanks

I would like to thank the Town of Marble along with the River District and Pitkin and Gunnison counties for hosting the recent community summit on the Future of the Crystal River. The Crystal River is the lifeblood of this incredible valley and most of it, from the headwaters to almost all the way to Carbondale, runs wild — a rare thing for a river in Colorado! The packed firehouse in Marble, with over 100 people in attendance, made it clear that people up and down our small valley care deeply about the future of the Crystal River and are willing to work together to permanently protect it. At the summit, I was reminded that so many of us share

ever being on the market. I saw the teacher’s dad at the “Green Is the New Black” Fashion Show on March 9, and got an offer from his son on March 13. I told my church goodbye on Sunday, March 12, and got 13 calls about my house in two days, all by word of mouth. The house was never listed.

I received great care from Valley View Hospital and had the best primary care doctor ever at Glenwood Medical Associates. It wasn't lack of medical care that sent me east; it was the Missing Essentials and I think #4 is the primary reason the first three are absent. Thanks to everyone who helped fill the vacuum: Susan Proctor, Kim Bock, Larry Bogatz, Jan Quint, Megan Currier, MinTze Wu, Adelaide Wu, Matt Harrington, Max Harrington, Rev. Aaron Norris and so many more. I am weeping as I write this because I'm leaving so many good friends.

Raleigh Burleigh asked me to write one final column after the 40 or so I wrote for The Sopris Sun under the title, “Seeking Higher Ground.” I was grumpy and ill and couldn't manage it when he asked, so Raleigh, consider this my “adieu.” For now, I am only going over the great divide to Boulder County, not yet over that other great divide leading to the final sunset. If my health stabilizes for a while, I hope to be back as a visitor this summer.

Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale.

the same values when it comes to safeguarding this incredible resource, including keeping it free-flowing and preventing outof-watershed diversions while protecting its ecological health and natural beauty.

Soon, a steering committee will be selected who will then present different options for a path forward for the Crystal at another community summit this upcoming fall. As a resident of the Crystal River Valley and an avid whitewater kayaker, I am excited to see the progress being made. As a real estate broker, my experience is that the wild and free-flowing nature of the Crystal makes our valley a more desirable place to live. I encourage my friends, neighbors and all who love the Crystal to stay engaged in this important community conversation. Our beloved Crystal, the prettiest river in Colorado in my opinion, will be better off for it!

Pete Bellande, Carbondale

Editor Raleigh Burleigh 970-510-3003

news@soprissun.com

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You may pass Cottonwood Pass, connecting Missouri Heights to Gypsum, is now open for the summer season. Drivers are urged to use caution, as sections of the road are unpaved and there are many sharp turns and steep drop-offs. Oversized vehicles are prohibited from traveling over Cottonwood Pass without a permit.

Welcome, Lia!

The Town of Carbondale has hired Lia Barskey as its health and wellness and aquatics coordinator. Barksey, originally from Houston, Texas, graduated with a bachelor’s in exercise science from Colorado Mesa University and a master’s in high-altitude exercise physiology from Western Colorado University. Her research on the impacts of COVID-19 on vascular function will be presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s world congresses this summer in Denver.

Rude awakening

Bears are emerging from hibernation with an appetite. Humans are reminded that bird feeders, trash and other attractants will teach the bears to associate people with food, heightening the probability of dangerous interactions. Learn more at cpw.state.co.us

EV demos

The Experience Electric Road Show comes to the Glenwood Springs Rec Center on June 4 from 1 to 5pm. Learn about electric vehicles and bikes, with new and used cars available to test drive and dealer reps on-hand to answer questions. Garfield Clean Energy will teach about electric vehicle ownership, tax credits and rebates with a bilingual presentation at 1pm. Register to attend at www.garfieldcleanenergy.org/ee23

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

Strawberry Days

Glenwood Springs is preparing for the 126th annual Strawberry Days festival, June 16-18 in Two Rivers Park. This year’s theme is “Home Sweet Home” and a variety of musical entertainment is scheduled for each of the three days, with Funkiphino headlining on Friday and Ponder the Albatross on Saturday. Saturday’s parade begins at Glenwood Springs High School at 10am. Register a float and learn more at www.strawberrydays.com

Artist Fellowship Program

Carbondale Arts is offering four $1,000 grants for artists and creatives of any genre seeking to further their career. Two are provided through the Alleghany Meadows Fellowship and the other two through the Carbondale Arts Fellowship. Applications are due by June 12 at 5pm, find more information at www.bit. ly/AFP2023app

Holy Cross election

Eight candidates are running for two seats on the Holy Cross Energy (HCE) board of directors: one for the rural electric cooperative’s Western District and the other for the Northern District. HCE members can vote by mail, online or in-person at the annual meeting on June 15 at TACAW from 5 to 6pm. Read candidate biographies at www.holycross.com/election

Four Mile subdivision

Garfield County approved a rezoning application to allow for a minor subdivision off Four Mile Road (County Road 117) which aims to build six duplexes on 2.5 acres of a 8.77-acre site. The owner and manager, Jason Neuman, told the commissioners that he bought the property, in part, “to guard it and make sure it’s developed appropriately,” with open spaces between structures and the road. “I’m building my own home there and will live next to this, and I do not want the property to be a nuisance,” he added.

Black Hills rates

Black Hills Energy filed a rate review application with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on May 9, requesting an increase of $26.7 million in base rates “to recover the necessary capital infrastructure and operational costs required to enable safe, reliable natural gas service,” according to a press release. If approved, residential customers would see an average increase in their monthly bill of about 6% and small commercial customers would see an increase of 10%. Learn more at www.blackhillsenergy. com/reliableCO

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Gretchen Hofmann (May 18); Peter Frey (May 19); Eloise Clark, Jenny Garcia and Daniel Self (May 20); Tucker Farris and Wesley Niemer (May 21); Arn Menconi, Steve Beckley, Charlie Chacos, Mila Fomina, Frank Markoya and Bonnie Pletcher (May 22); Tai Jacober (May 23); Patti Hall, Hannah Horn, Tom Mercer and Diego Rubio Ureña (May 24).

Join us for a week

June 23-28 3rd Steet Center Carbondale

Learn more at wocdc org

Programs Coming Soon at Basalt Regional

Music at the Library: Baroque & Beyond

Fri, May 19, 5:30-6:30PM

Brighten your spring with a ‘smorgasbord’ concert of chamber music from the baroque period and beyond, performed by Emily Burr, Javier de los Santos, Sarah Graf, and Charlotte McLain.

Library

Nia Dancing at the Library

Wed, May 24, 5:30-6:30PM

An hour of Nia dancing with our friend, Steve Alldredge.

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

Laü Nuñez Alanís served chai made from Canada thistle during a Bee Happy Lands organic stewardship demonstration at the Carbondale Nature Park on May 12. Listen to the archive at www.kdnk.org or on the air this Friday, May 19, from 6 to 7pm.

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

of compassion with the monks of the famed Gaden Shartse Monastery

Redstone braces for flooding and fires

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

Redstone’s community gathered on a rainy night at the fire station north of the Boulevard to discuss flooding preparedness, and a bit about wildfire season too. Pitkin County Emergency Manager Valerie Macdonald presented along with members of the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD).

Accelerated snow melt this spring is possible due to rain on the snow and warmer temperatures. “That’s one of those springtime phenomena that can really give you some rapid runoff,” said Fire Chief Rob Goodwin.

The chief presented a hydrologic outlook for this year’s runoff near Redstone. If and when the river hits 2,508 cubic-feet per second (cfs), that marks the “action” stage, where residents need to prepare for flooding. Flooding occurs at 3149cfs. “Moderate” flooding occurs at 3,877cfs and “major” at 4,694cfs.

“That 2,508cfs mark is the one you really want to pay attention to,” said Goodwin, “because if we haven’t reached peak yet, which we believe will be in mid-June, that’s when you

know, ‘Okay, we’re probably going to have some flooding.’”

Goodwin, along with a few long-time locals reflected on a year when the area did experience serious flooding. The chief recalled patrolling the bridges every night in 1995 and seeing water come up over Highway 133 at the culverts above Hayes Creek. He described it as “ripping.” There were no evacuations in 1995, but the boulevard did flood. This year, “If it keeps going slow, we’re just going to have a long runoff. But if it kicks up and gets hot like it did in ‘95, we’ll have some flooding,” Goodwin stated.

It’s estimated that 2023 will see the sixth highest flow levels in 67 years. Peak flows normally occur between May 25 and June 18. In 2019, which Goodwin described as a comparable wet year, the peak occurred on June 10 at 2810cfs. Last year, the peak was 1770cfs on June 13.

“The water is rising in the Crystal, as you all can see,” said Goodwin. “It’s going to get warmer. We’re going to see an increase, and depending on how the snow melts, and if we get a lot of warming, we can have a rapid rise in the river.”

Prior to the meeting in

Redstone, only CRFPD had provided sand for bagging to the Redstone community. Following the meeting, Pitkin County agreed to send a load as well. The sand is under lock and key to prevent theft — which has occurred in the past when sand was provided for flood prevention. The community is responsible for filling the bags and plans to make a day of it.

According to Macdonald, as of Monday, May 15, the National Weather Service forecasted that the Crystal River at Redstone will not be at the “action stage in the next 10 days.”

However, “Everything I say can change in a heartbeat,” Macdonald told The Sopris Sun, “because it’s all weather dependent.”

Fire precautions

Goodwin said it’s expected that 2023 will be a normal risk year when it comes to wildfires, but cautioned people that more “gnarly” conditions may exist in July, rather than in late June — which is more common. The longer wet season means taller cheatgrass in July, he added.

“An average year is still 5,000 fires in the state,” Macdonald clarified. “So, don’t

let your guard down. This wet weather is just delaying the wildfire season.”

Macdonald said that everyone needs to have an evacuation plan. Whereas with flooding, people may just be told to get to higher ground, “with wildfire evacuations, you’re going to have to leave your home.”

She listed imperative wildfire preparation efforts including: signing up for emergency alerts, knowing your evacuation routes, having a family communication plan (to include an out-of-region contact person family can check in with), knowing where to shelter and pre packing a 72hour emergency kit.

Having visible and easily

readable address signs is important for emergency responders, she added, and especially at night. Pitkin County Addressing recommends a two-sided vertical sign with a black base and white lettering. According to one of the handouts, if requested, Pitkin County will provide residents with a standard address sign at no cost.

“If we can’t see you, we can’t find you,” echoed CRFPD Assistant Chief Pablo Herr. He added that CRFPD will come to your home to evaluate it for wildfire preparedness.

Visit www.pitkinwildfire. com for more advice on how to prepare for wildfire season.

The confluence of Slate Creek and the Crystal River after a recent rain storm. May 20 is set for community sandbagging.

Photo by Lynn "Jake" Burton

Small town rodeo, big time changes this season

By Paula Mayer Sopris Sun Correspondent

After being closed down in 2020 due to the pandemic, the folks at Carbondale’s rodeo expected the 2021 season to be big, and it didn’t disappoint. Fans, participants, tourists, and volunteers came out in droves to celebrate the western way of life at this local rodeo. What was unexpected was how popular the rodeo would remain the following summer. In 2022, with attendance up 25%, it continued breaking box office numbers.

Carbondale Wild West Rodeo (CWWR) is a nonprofit, donating its proceeds to scholarships and the community. Last summer, CWWR donated $7,000 to the Calaway-Young Cancer Center, the largest donation they have made to date. They also awarded a $2,000 student scholarship, the largest sum awarded in a scholarship to date. The CWWR board of directors and broader family is proud of these accomplishments.

However, the increased popularity has necessitated a few updates for this summer’s 18th season. While embracing change can be hard, without it, the rodeo might go the way of the International Harvester, open ranges and family suppers. The CWWR board, Town of Carbondale, police chief and Garfield County sheriff met throughout the winter to tackle the major issues of public safety, parking and alcohol.

Along with eggs and pine nuts, the cost of doing rodeo business has skyrocketed. For the first time in 12 years, the individual ticket price will increase. Expect $15 per person, and the on-site parking fee will be $10 per vehicle.

Parking availability near the arena will be significantly limited. To counter this, free shuttle buses will run between The Orchard at 110 Snowmass Drive and Gus Darien Arena from 6 to 10pm, and later if needed.

By order of the sheriff’s department, no parking is allowed on County Road 100, and new signage is in place on Willow, Daisy and Rose lanes, indicating parking on only

one side of these roads. “We need to maintain proper access for emergency vehicles in the neighborhood and not block private driveways,” stated director Mike Kennedy.

In years past, you have been able to BYOB. Per the sheriff’s department and police department, this is no longer allowed, and alcohol must now be served on-site due to liability and underage drinking. With a wristband indicating 21+, attendees will be able to move around the entire rodeo grounds with alcohol purchased from Aspen Bartending Company, who has been hired for alcohol sales. They will be serving an assortment of beer and cocktails in a can from under a new tent near Slow Groovin BBQ’s food truck. Families may still bring coolers with non-alcoholic beverages and food to consume.

CWWR is joining the modern age and will now offer credit card processing at the fairgrounds. And… drumroll please… you know those coveted parking spaces around the arena that have people sleeping in their trucks Wednesday night to procure? You will now be able to sign up online starting Wednesday at noon for these numbered spots.

For more details on all of this information plus more, visit: www. carbondalerodeo.com and check under the “Latest News” tab.

Back-to-back arrests indicate fentanyl is in Carbondale

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

Fentanyl is here and it can find anyone who is recreationally or habitually using drugs. Two recent arrests made by the Carbondale Police Department (CPD) resulted in the discovery of substances that tested presumptive positive for fentanyl-laced cocaine. The substances were sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for confirmatory testing, the results of which are not yet available.

First Friday

On First Friday, May 5, an individual with an outstanding warrant out of Rifle Municipal Court was recognized and approached by Carbondale police officers outside of Main Street Spirits, after 9pm. The suspect attempted to flee after he was told he was being arrested for the warrant, but the two arresting officers were ultimately able to detain him.

According to the “affidavit in support of warrantless arrest,” the suspect said to the officers, “I’m not going to lie, I have coke,” allegedly referring to cocaine. Indeed, upon searching the suspect, a black ziploc baggie was discovered. At the police station, the contents of the bag tested presumptive positive for cocaine and fentanyl.

According to the affidavit, there were 12 grams of fentanyl-laced cocaine, divided into six separate baggies.

Among other charges, the suspect was charged with unlawful possession with the intent to distribute less than 14 grams of a schedule two narcotic.

Nature Park

On May 5, someone reported on the Roaring Fork Swap Facebook page that their wallet had been stolen from their vehicle. Another commented that they’d received an email from the dog park group, “and apparently there were multiple thefts there.”

On May 8, a different individual reported to the police that his car was broken into. While speaking with CPD, the reporting party received a call from his bank stating

someone was attempting to cash a check at the drive through, noting that the signature did not match what the bank had on record.

The police arrived at the bank, identified the male suspect at the drive through and approached his vehicle. According to a CPD press release, the suspect admitted to entering the vehicle and stealing the check, and furthermore, that he had consumed cocaine. The arresting officers claimed to have seen “in plain view” a white powdery substance in the suspect’s vehicle.

Officers “confiscated approximately six grams of cocaine laced with fentanyl from the vehicle,” the press release continued, as well as “other stolen items from previous thefts at the Nature Park.”

Speaking with CPD

The Sopris Sun had the chance to catch up with CPD Chief Kirk Wilson. First, Wilson stated that the two incidents were with separate individuals and not related.

“Fentanyl is a drug that is becoming more popular in this country every day. It is cheap and easily transported. It is problematic, as it is not produced in a lab environment. Each dose has a different amount of fentanyl in it and therefore the overdose risk is incredibly high,” continued Wilson. “We saw this coming a while ago and that is why CPD is a strong advocate of making Narcan available to all. Narcan saves lives!”

Reportedly, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office made 12 arrests in 2022 that involved fentanyl, and one thus far in 2023. This does not include arrests made by municipal police departments within the county. The Sopris Sun was not able to obtain comparative data from CPD by press time.

Wilson encourages people to contact Maggie Seldeen with High Rockies Harm Reduction (HRHR) for Narcan training and supply. Visit www. highrockiesharmreduction.com for more information.

HRHR also carries fentanyl test strips for people who choose to consume drugs which could be tainted with the deadly additive.

Photo by Paula Mayer

WE-cycle gets rolling

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

Local bike-share nonprofit WE-cycle attended a Carbondale trustees work session on May 16 to give an update about their incoming services. Appropriately, the meeting took place during Bonedale Bike Week and was wellattended by cycling enthusiasts. Trustees approved moving ahead with WE-cycle back in June of 2022.

The free (tax-funded) service operates in close partnership with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority and is primarily intended for locals, not tourists. If a bike is not docked within half an hour, penalties incur for each additional minute of ride-time.

Already, 17 solar-powered stations are being prepared throughout town, focusing on high-density residential areas and areas far outside the circulator bus services. Half of the 80 bicycles will be electric. And, while ridership was previously restricted to persons over the age of 16, this has been dropped to 14 and a station will be placed at Roaring Fork High School specifically to service students.

WE-cycle has procured office and shop space at 695 Buggy Circle and will attempt to maintain

Plan ahead!

Construction at Brush Creek Park & Ride begins May 15

Parking at the Brush Creek Park & Ride will be reduced this summer. Bus service will be unaffected Park either in available parking spots at Brush Creek or park for free at Buttermilk

The construction project, funded in part by the Elected Officials Transportation Committee, will improve lighting and landscaping and double the number of paved parking spots Questions?

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309-3188

bike-share services in Carbondale year-round, which has not been the case for its programs in El Jebel, Willits, Basalt, Snowmass Village and Aspen.

Moreover, in collaboration with Carbondale Arts, artist Bailey Haines will give special flair to Carbondale’s stations and a handful of the electric bikes in Carbondale’s fleet. The partnership has been dubbed “Art in Motion.” Carbondale Arts Executive Director Jamie Abbott explained that funding the commission was made possible through an unexpected $10,000 donation from Alpine Bank to Carbondale Arts — one of five checks given to local nonprofits in January honoring the Carbondale-founded bank’s 50th anniversary.

According to WE-cycle Executive Director Mirte Mallory, the goal is to be operational by August. “We can’t wait to roll with you,” she told the trustees. Sign up now and learn more at www. we-cycle.org

We are delighted to offer you, our community, the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost blood tests By Appointment Only.

June 1 & 2

ASPEN

Aspen Valley Hospital 0401 Castle Creek Road

June 3 & 4 BASALT

El Jebel Community Center 20 Eagle County Dr, El Jebel

Follow this link to book online: aspenhospital.org/health-fair

This map indicates where each of the 17 WE-cycle stations will be located in Carbondale. Courtesy graphic

The stage is set…

Strang Ranch in Missouri Heights serves as the stage on which Border Collies and their handlers perform and compete during the National Sheepdog Finals. Finals will take place this year from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1.

To help raise funds for that event, and the Meeker Classic, a sheepdog trial and clinic were recently held at the Strangs’, April 28 to May 2. It was a sneak preview of sorts, where we got to meet some of the characters and character types that will perform and compete in the finals.

Another opportunity to preview the National Sheepdog Finals is this Saturday, May 20, at Aspen Valley Land Trust’s annual Springfest celebration, from 11am to 2pm. The event will also include live music, horseback riding demos and more. Complimentary shuttles will be provided from downtown Carbondale all day. For tickets, visit www.avlt.org/springfest

Photos and text by Jane Bachrach

Colorado Wild Public Lands celebrates Colorado Public Lands Day, May 20, with a guided, bilingual bird watching event at Sutey Ranch from 7 to 11am (RSVP by emailing coloradowildpubliclands@gmail.com). Participants may spot a western tanager, migrating from the tropics. Their rare and striking orange-red feather color is thought to be derived from a plant pigment transferred from the bugs it eats. Photo by Sue Rollyson

THURSDAY, MAY 18

BONEDALE BIKE WEEK

It’s Bonedale Bike Week! Enjoy free coffee, tea, hot chocolate and breakfast snacks for cyclists at the corner of Fourth and Main in Carbondale today and tomorrow, National Bike to Work Day, from 7 to 9am.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT

Caregivers of people living with cognitive impaired illnesses, such as Alzheimer's, are invited to a support group at the Basalt Library at 10:30am.

BOOK CLUB

The Third Thursday Book Club discusses "One Italian Summer" by Rebecca Serle at the Carbondale Library at 2pm.

PUMP TRACK

The Carbondale Rec Center invites kids to pump track time trials at the North Face Bike Park from 4 to 5:30pm.

SCAVENGER HUNT

Cruise over to Aloha Mountain Cyclery by 5:45pm to register for a bike scavenger hunt around town beginning at 6pm. Teams can include up to six people; helmets and phones are required and costumes are recommended! A post-hunt party at Aloha Mountain Cyclery will include live music, beer and pizza, as well as a raffle.

BREAD BAKE

Bring a dish to share with fresh bread provided at the Carbondale Community Oven, behind the Third Street Center, beginning at 6:30pm.

AROMATHERAPY

Sheridan Semple offers a new moon ceremony at True Nature from 6 to 7:30pm. Tickets at www. truenaturehealingarts.com

DANCE CLASS

Amadi “Baye” Washington and Sam “Asa” Pratt teach an intermediate dance workshop for adults from 6:15 to 8pm at The Launchpad. Register at www.danceinitiative.org

SOOTHE THE SOUL

Walk and meditate through a labyrinth to the sounds of crystal bowls and more at the Round Room in the Third Street Center at 6:30pm. Visit www. thecenterforhumanflourishing.org for registration and more info.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

“Somewhere in Queens” shows at 7pm. “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” opens on Friday at 7:30pm and continues on Saturday,

Sunday and Thursday. The Sunday show is at 5pm. “Somewhere in Queens” shows at 5pm on Saturday.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

EQUITY SYMPOSIUM

MANAUS hosts The Equity Symposium from 8:30am to 3:30pm at the Third Street Center. Registration is free and includes lunch. Details at www.bit.ly/MANAUSevent

NATURE JOURNALING

Romana Davies leads a class, “Nature Journaling with Words and Drawings,” at the Carbondale Library at 1pm.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

YouthZone offers a bilingual restorative justice training from 2 to 6pm inperson at their office in Rifle and via Zoom. To sign up, email Mary Bess Bolling at mbolling@youthzone.com

BAROQUE AND BEYOND

Listen to musicians perform styles from the baroque period and beyond at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm.

SOUND JOURNEY

Zach Cashin and Conor Johnson lead a vibrational sound journey at the Third Street Center from 7 to 8:30pm. To register, visit www.tcfhf.org

BEYOND BEYOND

Steve’s Guitars hosts Beyond Beyond, a local quartet “focused on a harmony that brings us closer together,” at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

SATURDAY, MAY 20

BILINGUAL BIRD WATCHING

In celebration of Colorado Public Lands Day, Colorado Wild Public Lands and Roaring Fork Audubon guide free bilingual birdwatching at Sutey Ranch from 7 to 11am. Email www.coloradowildpubliclands@ gmail.com to register.

YARN CLUB

The Roaring Fork Yarn Club convenes at Sopris Park at 9am.

CRMS PLANT SALE

Colorado Rocky Mountain School hosts its annual plant sale today and tomorrow from 9am to 3pm.

RUNOFF PARTY

Roaring Fork Conservancy hosts the Runoff Party, teaching river readiness for the summer season, at 22800 Two Rivers Road, Basalt. Learn to tie a fly at 11am, learn best practices for gear at noon and join the casting contest at 1pm! More info at www.roaringfork.org

SPRINGFEST

Aspen Valley Land Trust’s annual Springsfest takes place at the Strang Ranch from 11am to 2pm. Visit www. avlt.org for tickets and more info.

SEED PEACE

Volunteers are invited to help with a mid-May planting at Sunfire Ranch from noon to 4pm, with snacks provided afterwards. To register, email heatherfroelicher@gmail.com

MOTORS AT WILLITS

The Basalt Education Foundation’s annual car show takes place outside TACAW this year due to construction on Midland Avenue. The event will feature over 50 classic and vintage cars, food and drink vendors, live music and activities for children. The fun begins at 4pm, with a performance by the Derek Brown Band at 7pm.

ELK BANQUET

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation hosts a banquet at the Aspen Glen Club from 4:30 to 10pm. Visit www.bit.ly/RMEFbanquet for tickets and more info.

BAYE & ASA

“Baye & Asa,” a dance company from New York City, presents “Suck It Up,” a 20-minute duet “confronting the violent fallout of male insecurity and entitlement” at The Launchpad at 7:30pm. Tickets at www.danceinitiative.org

SUNDAY, MAY 21

SPRING WELLNESS

True Nature hosts “Spring Wellness Elixir,” a day-long retreat with yoga, watercoloring and other nourishment, beginning at 9am. Learn more and register at www. truenaturehealingarts.com

CRAFTERNOON

All ages are welcome to an art activity at The Art Base in Basalt from 10am to noon. No registration required!

GARCO DEMS

Garfield County Democrats hosts its annual party and fundraiser at The Homestead in Carbondale at 2pm with line dancing and more!

CLAPTON

Aspen Film presents “Eric Clapton: Across 24 Nights” at the Isis Theatre at 4pm. Tickets at www.aspenfilm.org

BALLET FOLKLÓRICO

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Baile Folklórico students perform a recital at the Aspen District Theatre at 6pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

MONDAY, MAY 22

AA

The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers “Hole in the Donut AA,” Monday through Saturday, at 6:45am, plus “Daily Reprieve” at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Find a full schedule at www. meetingplacecarbondale.org

SEED PEACE

Seed Peace welcomes volunteers at Sunfire Ranch on Mondays from 8am to noon and on Fridays from noon to 4pm. To RSVP, email heatherfroelicher@gmail.com

PILATES/YOGA

Jen Campbell leads “Pilates/ Yoga Mash-up Class” at the Launchpad at 8:30am on Mondays. Email jencampbell0804@ gmail.com for more info.

VEGAN POTLUCK

Join plant-based food enthusiasts for a very healthy potluck from 6:30 to 8pm at the Third Street Center. For more information, visit www.tcfhf.org

TUESDAY, MAY 23

SOPRIS LODGE

Members of the public are invited to tour Sopris Lodge to learn about the services and amenities available to local seniors from 10 to 11am. To RSVP, call 970-456-6871.

BIKE PROJECT

The Carbondale Bike Project Shop helps people repair their bicycles on Tuesdays from 2 to 6pm and Thursdays and Sundays from noon to 6pm at the Third Street Center.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Great Expectations, formerly Family Visitor Programs, invites the community to a 40th anniversary celebration and open house from 4 to 6pm at 401 23rd Street, Glenwood Springs.

DRAWING CLUB

The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at Bonedale Tattoo at 6:30pm.

‘TOKYO STORIES’

Aspen Film screens the documentary “Tokyo Stories” at the Isis Theatre at 7pm. Visit www.aspenfilm. org for tickets and more info.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

FOAM PARTY

Kids of all ages are invited to enjoy “a top-of-the-line foam cannon” producing clean, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic foam fun at the Carbondale Library at 2pm. For more info, visit www.gcpld.org

LEGO TIME

Kiddos 7 and up are invited to construct with Legos at the Basalt Library at 2:30pm.

VOICES IN OUR VALLEY

The Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist “Voices in our Valley” series continues with Shannon Foster of Pitkin County Library presenting on youth services at the Third Street Center at 6pm.

FIGURE DRAWING

Shawna Miller teaches figure drawing at The Art Base from 6 to 8pm. Register at www.theartbase.org

AUTHOR TALK

Jean Chen Ho, author of “Fiona and Jane,” joins Mitzi Rapkin in conversation at TACAW at 6:30pm. Register at www.aspenwords.org

STURTZ

Steve’s Guitars presents STURTZ, a Boulder band, at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

THURSDAY, MAY 25

AVALANCHE BIRDING

It’s birding season! Join Roaring Fork Audubon exploring Avalanche Road from 7am to 1pm. To register, email smnharris@gmail.com

CODING CLUB

The Aspen Science Center hosts Coding Club at the Carbondale Library at 4pm.

COMMUNITY DINNER

The Redstone General Store hosts a community meal, by donation, from 5 to 8pm with live music by Sweet Root. Reservations are not required.

GOLDEN LIGHT MEDITATION

Lisa McKenzie leads Golden Light Meditation at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8pm. To register, email lmckenzie1light@gmail.com

PEAK PERFORMANCE

Join the Aspen Science Center and ski experts for an exploration of STEM and peak performance at the Aspen Community Church from 6:30 to 8pm. Tickets at www.aspensciencecenter.org

ANNUAL PLANT SALE

Get your garden growing with our extensive selection of:

Tomatoes • Herbs • Veggies • Annual Flowers

Perennials • Seed Potatoes • Onion Plants and More!

All garden starts are organically grown and are well suited to the Roaring Fork Valley Climate. To see a full list of plants available visit: www.crms.org/plantsale

saturday, MAY 20 + sunday, MAY 21

9 AM - 3 PM

CRMS Organic Garden Learning Center 500 Holden Way, Carbondale

Sol del Valle

Conectando comunidades desde 2021

La conexión alimenta la conservación ambiental

Por Vanessa Porras Sol Editora

Cuando los estudiantes de Basalt High School entraron al edificio de la escuela de vuelo en Aspen después del tour del Valle Roaring Fork, sus rostros eran visiblemente diferentes. Los estudiantes inicialmente salieron del edificio algo temerosos e inquietos anticipando subir a la pequeña avioneta con el piloto Gary Kraft para participar en el programa educativo de EcoFlight cuyo propósito es fomentar una ética de gestión medioambiental.

Después de aterrizar, entre risas nerviosas, sus rostros se veían iluminados. Hablaban entre sí sobre lo que habían presenciado desde las alturas. Este tour fue un vuelo de aproximadamente 30 minutos desde el aeropuerto de Aspen, volando rumbo a Thompson Divide y sobre el Crystal River. Antes de hacer el vuelo, Omar Sarabia, Director de Defiende Nuestra Tierra, les enseñó a los estudiantes, muchos originarios de méxico y centroamérica, un mapa que mostraba todas las áreas en el oeste del estado donde habían extracciones de petróleo y habló sobre la importancia y los esfuerzos de proteger Thompson Divide.

Los estudiantes pudieron ver desde otra perspectiva, la naturaleza y la vida silvestre que está en peligro si es que compañías petroleras extraen petróleo en esta área. Montañas que serían marcadas irreparablemente con nuevas carreteras, pinos y árboles que se talarían para crear espacio, fauna que se vería afectada, más todos los efectos ambientales que conlleva la extracción. Para EcoFlight, la avioneta es la plataforma educativa que facilita poder tener conversaciones al conectar a las personas a través de la perspectiva aérea y así poder encontrar puntos en común.

“Volar con estudiantes ha sido una parte importante del trabajo de Ecoflights... los estudiantes de hoy van a ser los líderes conservacionistas del futuro. Es una forma de educarles sobre el mundo natural que les rodea… construyendo esa pertenencia al lugar y esa ética de gestión medioambiental. Nos hizo mucha

ilusión colaborar con el Programa de Desarrollo de la Lengua Inglesa del Instituto de Basalt” dijo Lea Linse, Gerente de Programas de Conservación.

Desde su inicio en 2002, EcoFlight ha colaborado con organizaciones locales y ahora intenta expandir su alcance a la comunidad latina. EcoFlight tiene programado un vuelo con el consejo asesor de Defiende Nuestra Tierra, compuesto de líderes Latinos del Valle, para exponerlos a las tierras públicas y crear conexiones con la naturaleza.

“Desgraciadamente, nosotros como latinos, no tenemos el concepto de tierras públicas tal cual, en nuestros países de origen, la mayoría de las tierras son privadas… Estoy tratando de educar a los jóvenes y adultos qué son las tierras públicas, por qué son importantes para [nuestra] comunidad y para el calentamiento global” dijo Sarabia. Sarabia y Linse comparten el mismo pensamiento en la importancia de educar y crear un sentimiento de propiedad en los jóvenes ya que ellos serán los que tomarán decisiones respecto a las tierras públicas y el medio ambiente en el futuro. Para Sarabia, entre más fuerte sea esa conexión con la naturaleza, más fuerte será el deseo de cuidarla y conservarla.

Para la comunidad latina, de acuerdo a Sarabia, uno de los retos más grandes en crear estas conexiones es la desconfianza por tanto tiempo de invisibilidad y la falta de información accesible en español a pesar de ser aproximadamente el 35.5% de la población en el Valle. Defiende Nuestra Tierra, fue creada con la intención de crear un puente de confianza para invitar a más voces a la mesa y exponer a la comunidad a diversas actividades recreacionales y eventos de restauración de senderos.

Después del vuelo con los jóvenes de Basalt High School, los estudiantes compartieron todo aquello que habían visto. Una alumna expresó que las futuras generaciones merecían apreciar lo bonita que era la naturaleza tal como se encontraba ahora, a lo que su compañero contestó con un tono de resignación, “Pero como siempre, el dinero gana”. Al unísono, todos los

estudiantes estuvieron de acuerdo. Al explicarlo con más detalle, este estudiante expresó que las personas de gran poder y dinero siempre saldrían por encima de aquellos que intentaran cuidar del medio ambiente. Las compañías petroleras se han dado la reputación de crear trabajos a través del país. Hay algo cierto de que la economía se ha beneficiado de este sector laboral y por lo tanto la comunidad latina también. Pero no se escucha mucho del impacto económico que tiene la industria recreativa al aire libre, mejor conocida como Outdoor Recreation Industry. De acuerdo a natcapsolutions.org, en un artículo publicado en el 2019, la industria recreativa produce cuatro veces más empleos que la industria petrolera y minera combinada.

“Las actividades recreativas al aire libre generan 511.000 puestos de trabajo en Colorado, lo que equivale al 18,7 % de la población activa del estado. La recreación al aire libre fue responsable de más del 10% del PIB de Colorado en 2017, [frente a] los 89.000 empleos totales que generan el petróleo y el gas (3% de la población activa) y su contribución del 4% al PIB”. La conservación del medio ambiente mantiene a la industria recreativa viva ya que los paisajes que se acostumbra ver en Colorado y en particular en el Valle, atrae a turistas y también mantiene a los locales disfrutando de las tierras públicas y todas las oportunidades recreacionales que ofrece.

“Familias [que] han llegado recientemente de otros países, que quizá no se sientan como en casa, este lugar también es para ellos, es un lugar donde pueden ir a jugar, divertirse y llevar a sus familias, y donde también pueden realizar actividades”, dijo Linse.

Sarabia destaca la importancia de organizarse como comunidad, el llamado a la acción y la importancia de votar si es posible por representantes que les interese el medio ambiente y exigir la protección de nuestras tierras públicas.

Para leer el artículo completo, visite www.soprissun.com/espanol

Volumen 2, Número 12 | 18 de mayo de 2023 - 24 de mayo de 2023

Foto de Vanessa Porras

La madre del Día de las Madres OPINIÓN

celebrar el segundo domingo del mes de mayo, de hecho, se conoce a mayo como el mes de las madres. Sea como sea, esta celebración se ha convertido en una de las ocasiones del año más importantes, especialmente para el comercio.

De acuerdo con Prosper Insights & Analytics, una organización que brinda información de mercado autorizada sobre los consumidores de Estados Unidos, el Día de la Madre representa ventas de más de 25.100 millones de dólares.

Volver a lo Esencial

Para todos es bien sabido que el diez de mayo en México, Guatemala y El Salvador se celebra el Día de las Madres. Es muy común por estos días ver encabezados de artículos como estos: “Cómo envolver sus regalos de día de las madres de una manera creativa”, “Los mejores lugares para ordenar flores en línea este día de las madres”, “Los mejores regalos para darle a mamá” y la lista continúa con sugerencias que van desde tarjetas, chocolates, bolsos, joyería, perfumes, guías de restaurantes, certificados de regalo para spas, hasta sofisticados tratamientos de belleza y un sin fin de ideas, todas ellas acerca de cómo consentir a las madres.

La celebración del día de las madres se ha convertido en algo tan importante en el mundo entero que en realidad son muy pocos los lugares donde no se festeja. Aquí en Estados Unidos se suele

Muchos son los esposos, hijos, nietos y hermanos que tienen muy presente el día, sin embargo, muy poco se conoce acerca de la historia de cómo se originó la costumbre de conmemorar el amor materno en una fecha específica. La oficialización de esa costumbre se inició en el siglo XX en Estados Unidos, por insistencia de una mujer que nunca fue madre, pero decidió homenajear a la suya.

En 1851 durante la guerra civil, en Virginia, la activista Ann Reeves creó una especie de grupos de trabajo para cuidar de los soldados y para trabajar por mejoras en la salud pública.

En 1905 tras su muerte, su hija Ann Jarvis inició una campaña a favor de lo que llamó “Dia de las Madres”, esto a petición de su madre quien en vida expresó, “Espero y rezo para que alguien, un día, reconozca un día en memoria de las madres, para celebrar el

servicio incomparable que prestan a la humanidad en todas las áreas de la vida”, por esa razón, Ann Jarvis se convirtió en una activista por la causa, con tal éxito que en 1914 se adoptó oficialmente que el segundo domingo de mayo se conmemoraría con un día feriado un homenaje a las madres. El deseo de Jarvis se había cumplido y ella se podía enorgullecer de haber sido la "madre" del Día de las Madres.

Muy pronto la fecha conmemorativa se convirtió en un excelente pretexto para los comerciantes que aprovecharon la oportunidad para estimular la compra de regalos. Ann Jarvis nunca quiso que esta festividad se convirtiera en día para dar regalos costosos e incluso llegó a realizar protestas contra las florerías, que aumentaban sus precios en el mes de mayo y amenazó con demandar a muchas empresas que lucraban con la celebración, sin éxito, por cierto.

A cien años de la institución de esta celebración, la costumbre de dar regalos a las madres es imposible de detener o cambiar, y lo más probable es que las mamás no quisieran que eso cambie. Algo que podemos hacer es, preguntar a mamá que es lo que ella realmente quisiera, tal vez sea pasar tiempo de calidad con sus hijos, o tal vez ella prefiera un tiempo a solas.

Como madres, haríamos bien en quitar la mirada de nosotras

mismas, miremos a nuestro alrededor; mostremos amor a esa madre que ha perdido a su hijo, o cuyos hijos se encuentran lejos. No olvidemos a aquella mujer que aún no cumple su deseo de ser madre. Tampoco debemos poner cargas sobre nuestros esposos e hijos acerca de cómo nos deben celebrar, mucho menos ser presas de la competencia silenciosa.

El reto es, no pensar en lo que yo puedo recibir sino en lo que puedo dar, en cómo y a quién puedo servir desinteresadamente.

Al final del día, servir es el llamado supremo que todos tenemos en la vida. Servir es ayudar, compartir, colaborar, contribuir y salir de nuestra área de confort para realizar un acto que no sea de beneficio propio. Como dijo la Madre Teresa de Calcuta “Quien no vive para servir no sirve para vivir”.

Looking for recovery?

MISSION:

To provide a safe and supportive location for meetings, fellowship, educational activities, and social events for people, families, and friends in recovery.

Hosting live, hybrid and online recovery meetings.

Por Triny Rochin

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

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

tu tarjeta hoy mismo!

Arte por Jacquelinne Castro

Festival de la salud OPINIÓN

síntomas para requerir atención médica inmediata.

Hay tres cosas importantes en la vida: Primero es la salud, segunda nuestros seres queridos y la tercera es nuestra misión, el mejor regalo que podemos hacerles a nuestros seres queridos es tener una buena salud.

Las ferias de salud son una gran oportunidad, donde puedes encontrar exámenes de salud a bajo costo, ya que después de los 25 años de edad se recomienda hacer un examen físico mínimo una vez al año, como manera de prevenir cualquier enfermedad a tiempo y poder hacer los cambios necesarios para evitar el desarrollar una enfermedad que en estadios tempranos no da muchos

Este Sábado 27 de mayo de 8:00 de la mañana a 12:00 de la tarde en el 520 S Third Street en Carbondale, será el segundo año que la Clínica del Pueblo se une a diferentes organizaciones para coordinar esfuerzos y traer nuevamente el Festival de salud. Entre ellos están grandes líderes comunitarios como Virginia Ovejero de 365 Health, Brisa Chavez de Salud Pública del Condado de Garfield, Silvia Santana de Mountain Family Health Center, Armando Rangel, Mario Orellana y Carlo Caballero del Centro de Cáncer de la Universidad de Colorado.

CHISME DEL PUEBLO

Simposio de Equidad

MANAUS organiza The Equity Symposium, Simposio de Equidad, el 19 de mayo de 8:30 a.m. a las 3:30 p.m. en Third Street Center. Las inscripciones son gratuitas e incluyen un almuerzo. Para más detalles visite www.bit.ly/MANAUSevent

Observación de aves

En celebración del Día de Tierras Públicas de Colorado, Colorado Public Lands y Roaring Fork Audubon guiarán una sesión gratuita y bilingüe de observación de aves el 20 de mayo en Sutey Ranch de 7 a 11 a.m. Envíe un correo electrónico a www. coloradowildpubliclands@gmail.com para inscribirse.

Justicia restaurativa

YouthZone ofrece un entrenamiento de justicia restaurativa bilingüe el 19 de mayo de 2 a 6 p.m. en persona en su oficina de Rifle y también por medio de Zoom. Para inscribirse, envíe un correo electrónico a Mary Bess Bolling a mbolling@youthzone.com

Puedes pasar

Cottonwood Pass, conectando Missouri Heights con Gypsum, está abierta para la temporada de verano. Los conductores son alentados a pasar con precaución, ya que secciones de la carretera no están pavimentadas y hay varias curvas cerradas y descensos pronunciados. Los vehículos de gran tamaño no están permitidos de viajar a través de Cottonwood Pass sin un permiso.

Brusco despertar

Los osos están emergiendo de su hibernación con un gran apetito. Se le recuerda a las personas que comederos de pájaros, basura y otros atrayentes le enseñan a los osos asociar a las personas con comida, aumentando la probabilidad de interacciones peligrosas. Para saber más visite cpw.state.co.us

Demostración de EV

The Experience Electric Road Show viene al centro recreativo de Glenwood el 4 de junio de 1 a 5 p.m. Entérese más acerca de vehículos y bicicletas eléctricas,

Más de 20 organizaciones sin fines de lucro que ofrecen programas en el valle dirán presente en este evento, uniéndose a grupos de danza, de jóvenes y adolescentes creando una cartera de servicios diversificada que contribuye a fortalecer un enfoque de bienestar más integral y comprensivo para la comunidad.

Este festival de Salud permitirá ofrecer un solo punto al accesos a diferentes servicios que puede requerir la persona, abordando y ofreciendo información que no serían normalmente tratados a profundidad en el contexto de una consulta regular de medicina general como nutrición, y alimentación al seno materno y los recursos disponibles en la comunidad que ayudan en el crecimiento y estabilidad de las familias. Los exámenes de salud que se estarán ofreciendo

serán más de 10 a bajo costo como: recuento sanguíneo completo a $35. Este examen mide los glóbulos sanguíneos conocidos como glóbulos rojos, blancos y plaquetas y son importantes para diagnosticar, anemia, infección, problemas en el sistema de coagulación y los cánceres. Análisis bioquímico de sangre a $46 el cual nos proporciona información sobre el nivel de glucosa, el colesterol, los electrolitos, el hígado y la tiroides entre otros.

Este año con un enfoque especial en cáncer de colon a través del kit de detección de Cáncer de colon será gratuito para las personas mayores de 45 años a 75 años de edad y que no se hayan realizado una colonoscopia en los últimos 10 años. Habrá seguimiento para aquellas personas que sean detectados con pólipos o cáncer de colon. El costo que se ofrece en las ferias de salud usualmente es de $45.

El doctor Feinginger

siempre recomienda ir en ayuno al menos por 6 horas antes de que se tome la muestra sanguínea y nos dice que tomar agua está bien. Este festival de salud es una manera expositiva interactiva que busca la formación y concientización de una comunidad que cada vez debe tomar mayor protagonismo en el cuidado de su propia salud, y pone en marcha un proceso que enfatiza un enfoque proactivo en cuanto a la prevención y promoción de un estilo de vida saludable. En este enlace pueden registrarse y seguir revisando los exámenes de sangre que se ofrecerán y el costo. https://365health. org/health-fairs/ spring/691/index. Si tienes dudas, preguntas o si necesitás ayuda puedes llamar al (970)989-3513 o enviar un mensaje de texto al (720) 297-1550. Ven a Celebrar tu salud con nosotros te esperamos.

Programa de becas para artistas

Carbondale Arts está ofreciendo cuatro becas de $1,000 para los artistas y creadores de cualquier género que busquen expandir su carrera. Dos de las becas serán proporcionadas a través de Alleghany Meadows Fellowship y las otras dos a través de Carbondale Arts Fellowship. Las solicitudes deben ser entregadas el 12 de junio a las 5 p.m. Para más información visite www. bit.ly/AFP2023app

Subdivisión de Four Mile

El condado de Garfield aprobó una solicitud de rezonificación para permitir una subdivisión menor en Four Mile Road (County Road 117) el cual tiene el fin de construir seis dúplex en 2.5 acres de un área de 8.77 acres. El dueño y administrador, Jason Neuman, le dijo al comisionado que él compró la propiedad, en parte “para protegerlo y asegurarse de que sea urbanizado correctamente”, con espacios abiertos entre la estructura de la calle. “Estoy construyendo mi casa ahí y viviré al lado de este proyecto, y no quiero que la propiedad sea una molestia”, añadió.

Elección de Holy Cross

con carros nuevos y usados disponibles para pruebas de conducción y representantes de distribuidoras disponibles para contestar preguntas. Garfield Clean Energy enseñará acerca de la posesión de vehículos eléctricos, créditos de impuestos y reembolsos con una presentación bilingüe a la 1 p.m. Inscríbase para asistir en www.garfieldcleanenergy.org/ee23

Strawberry Days

Glenwood Springs se está preparando para el 126o festival anual Strawberry Days del 16 al 18 de junio en Two Rivers Park. El tema de este año es “Hogar Dulce Hogar” y una variedad de entretenimiento musical está programado para cada uno de los tres días, con Funkiphino como el artista de cabecera el viernes y Ponder the Albatross el sábado. El desfile del sábado comenzará en Glenwood Springs High School a las 10 a.m. Inscríbase para saber más en www. strawberrydays.com

Ocho candidatos se han postulado para dos puestos para la junta directiva de Holy Cross Energy (HCE por sus siglas en inglés): una para el distrito occidental de la cooperativa eléctrica rural y la otra para el distrito del norte. Los miembros de HCE pueden votar por correo, en línea o en persona en la reunión anual el 15 de junio en TACAW de 5 a 6 p.m. Lea las biografías de los candidatos en español en www.holycross.com/election

Precios de Black Hills

Black Hills Energy presentó una solicitud de revisión de precios con el comisionado de servicios públicos de Colorado el 9 de mayo, solicitando un incremento de $26.7 millones en precios básicos “para recuperar la infraestructura capital necesaria y los costos operativos requeridos para habilitar un servicio de gas seguro y confiable”, de acuerdo con el comunicado de prensa. Si es aprobado, los consumidores residenciales podrían ver un incremento promedio en su factura mensual de alrededor de 6% y los consumidores comerciales verían un incremento de 10%. Para saber más visite www. blackhillsenergy.com/reliableCO

Traducción por Jacquelinne Castro

Por Maria Judith Alvarez

Desde la Clínica

"Sincronías" parte 24, por Leonardo Occhipinti

Informe Anual 2022:

El Sol del Valle Te Necesita

Es un honor para nosotros en el Sopris Sun informar, inspirar y conectar a la comunidad cada semana, al mismo tiempo que además alentamos a nuevos periodistas a través de nuestro programa de periodismo juvenil, el Sol del Valle y abrimos la puerta a futuros escritores, fotógrafos e ilustradores de todas las edades y trayectorias. En muchos sentidos, este periódico sin nes de lucro funciona como un modelo de acceso comunitario, similar a nuestra querida radio comunitaria, KDNK.

Inspirado en los 40 años de éxito de KDNK con un modelo de suscripción, el Sopris Sun busca ahora aumentar su base de "SUNscriptores", personas que donen $10 dólares o más cada mes para asegurar que podamos pagar nuestras facturas y mantener el equipo completo.

La verdad es que necesitamos tu apoyo. El costo de todo está subiendo y nos enfrentamos a una amenaza existencial no muy diferente a la recesión de 2008/2009 que acabó con nuestro anterior periódico, el Valley Journal. Afortunadamente, la comunidad de Carbondale estaba decidida a tener un periódico dedicado, y así nació el Sopris Sun, uno de los primeros periódicos sin nes de lucro que existen en el país.

Más allá de los bene cios obvios para nuestros lectores, el Sopris Sun está forjando un nuevo modelo a seguir por otros periódicos: más sólido y directamente conectado con la comunidad a la que sirve.

¿Qué más nos distingue de otros periódicos gratuitos del valle? Somos siempre locales y siempre originales. Carbondale y sus alrededores tienen un periódico fresco cada semana que ofrece cobertura bilingüe de eventos, negocios, deportes de high school, reuniones municipales, reuniones de la junta escolar, reuniones del condado y mucho más, todo ello mientras avivamos el espíritu creativo con nuestra página de cción Works in Progress (proyectos creativos en proceso) y nuestro compromiso de imprimir arte local.

La realidad es que semejante empresa no es barata. La producción de este periódico nos cuesta unos $10,000 dólares semanales. Es una cifra intimidante que nuestro director ejecutivo, Todd Chamberlin, se esfuerza por alcanzar con la ayuda de un apasionado consejo administrativo. Ese costo incluye la impresión (unos $1,300 dólares semanales), reparto, alquiler, cuotas, salarios, programas informáticos, seguro contra la difamación, licencias de contenido de nuestros escritores, fotógrafos y artistas...la gama completa. Nuestros empleados trabajan sin seguro, aceptando salarios modestos, y nuestros colaboradores independientes entienden que ofrecemos las mejores tarifas posibles, aunque nos gustaría que fueran más altas.

Al trabajar para una organización sin nes de lucro, creemos fervientemente en el valor de lo que hace y representa el Sopris Sun. Desde cada uno de nuestros corazones, vemos la relevancia crucial de una prensa local para mantener una comunidad vibrante y próspera.

Ahora, unas muy merecidas palabras de gratitud para nuestros eles anunciantes/patrocinadores. La fuente tradicional de ingresos para un periódico gratuito como el nuestro - actualmente cubren el 70% de nuestros costos y a cambio comparten un mensaje dentro de nuestras páginas.

Nos sentimos honrados de que nos elijan como medio para llegar a la gente, y ciertamente no podríamos existir sin su apoyo.

No podremos mantener nuestra capacidad actual dependiendo únicamente de los anunciantes y de unos cuantos esfuerzos de recaudación de fondos cada año. El Sopris Sun necesita una fuente de ingresos más estable y able para continuar e incluso ampliar su presencia. Sin ello, inevitablemente tendremos que empezar a hacer recortes ante la realidad nanciera.

Cada semana se recogen más de 2,500 periódicos gratuitos. ¿Vale la pena para tí pagar 2 dólares cada semana? Si es así, por favor, dona $10 dólares mensuales para consolidarnos y fortalecernos. Como medios de comunicación comunitarios, existimos en relación con nuestra comunidad.

Si aprecias nuestra cobertura del condado de Gar eld, de los gobiernos de Carbondale y Basalt, nuestras caricaturas y rompecabezas, conocer de nuevos negocios, opiniones de invitados locales, el Sol del Valle, eventos, deportes, nuestras ediciones del día de las madres, etc.debes saber que dependemos de tu apoyo para continuar con esto como tu esperarías. Si hay más (o menos) de un tipo particular de cobertura que te gustaría ver, debes saber que siempre estamos abiertos a escuchar a los lectores en news@soprissun.com.

Periódicos más grandes, nuevos tipos de historias, reportajes más profundos, contenido más dinámico... todo ello dependerá de las donaciones. Ayuda a el Sopris Sun a seguir siendo una fuente de noticias comunitaria y sin nes de lucro. Ayúdanos a modernizar nuestra presencia en Internet y a ser más e caces en la difusión de contenidos digitales. Ayúdanos a crear asociaciones y ampliar los límites de lo posible, para convertirnos en un modelo para que otras comunidades pequeñas tengan un periódico oreciente.

En las últimas semanas habrás observado que al nal de nuestras páginas aparece una lista cada vez mayor de "SUNscriptores". Nuestro objetivo es llegar a los 250 suscriptores. El miércoles 21 de junio celebraremos la esta del solsticio en el parque Bonnie Fischer, en el exterior del ird Street Center, con comida y juegos de patio, para celebrar cualquier éxito alcanzado.

Debes saber que el Sol siempre saldrá, pero tu apoyo directo en forma de donaciones mensuales nos hace más fuertes, más brillantes y de mayor alcance.

Consigue una calcomanía de SUNscriptor donando mensualmente en soprissun.com/donate o llamando al 970-510-0246. También aceptamos donativos por cualquier cantidad y en cualquier momento, en línea o por correo postal en PO Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Si estás interesado en dejar un legado como donativo para el periodismo de la comunidad en los años venideros, ponte en contacto con nuestro director ejecutivo, Todd Chamberlin, al 970-510-0246 o en Todd@SoprisSun.com.

El voluntariado es otra forma de apoyar a el Sun. Para ayudar en eventos, entregas, investigación u otras áreas de interés, ponte en contacto con news@soprissun.com.

2022 Annual Report:

The Sopris Sun Needs You

It is our honor at e Sopris Sun to inform, inspire and connect community each and every week, while also fostering new journalists through our youth journalism program, el Sol del Valle and by opening the door to prospective writers, photographers and illustrators of all ages and backgrounds. In many ways, this nonpro t newspaper functions as a community-access model, similar to our beloved community radio station, KDNK.

Inspired by KDNK's 40 years of succeeding with a membership model, e Sopris Sun now seeks to grow its base of sustaining “SUNscribers,” people who give $10 or more each month to assure we can pay our bills and keep the team whole.

e truth is, we need your support. e cost of everything is rising and we face an existential threat not unlike the 2008/2009 recession which ended our former newspaper, the Valley Journal. ankfully, Carbondale's community was determined to have a dedicated newspaper, and e Sopris Sun was born — among the rst nonpro t newspapers to exist in the country.

Beyond the obvious bene ts to our readers, e Sopris Sun is forging a new model for other newspapers to follow — more resilient and directly connected to the community in service.

What else distinguishes us from other free papers in the Valley? We are always local and always original. Carbondale and its surroundings have a fresh newspaper every week supplying bilingual coverage of events, businesses, high school sports, municipal meetings, school board meetings, county meetings and more, all while stoking the creative spirit with our Works in Progress ction page and commitment to printing local art.

e reality is, such an endeavor does not come cheap. is paper costs us around $10,000 each week to produce. It's an intimidating gure that our executive director, Todd Chamberlin, rises to meet with help from a passionate board of directors. at cost includes printing (around $1,300 per week), delivery, rent, dues, salaries, software, libel insurance, licensing content from our writers, photographers and artists — the whole gamut. Our employees work without insurance, accepting modest salaries, and our freelancers understand we o er the best rates possible though we'd like for them to be higher.

Working for a nonpro t, we fervently believe in the value of what e Sopris Sun does and represents. From each of our hearts, we see the crucial relevance of a local press for maintaining a vibrant and thriving community.

Now, a much-deserved word of gratitude for our faithful advertisers/sponsors. e traditional source of revenue for a free paper like ours — they currently cover 70% of our costs and in exchange share a message within our pages. We are honored to be chosen as a means of reaching people, and we certainly could not exist without their support.

We will not be able to maintain our current capacity relying solely on advertisers and a few fundraising pushes each year. e Sopris Sun needs a more steady, reliable source of revenue to continue and even expand its presence. Without this, we will inevitably have to start cutting back in the face of nancial realities.

More than 2,500 free papers are picked up each week. Is it worth $2 each week to you? If so, please give $10 monthly to assure and strengthen us. As community media, we exist in relationship with our community.

If you appreciate our coverage of Gar eld County, the governments of Carbondale and Basalt, our cartoons and puzzles, new businesses spotlights, guest opinions by locals, el Sol del Valle, events, sports, our Mother’s Day editions, etc. — know that we depend on your support to continue these things as you've come to expect. If there's more (or less) of a particular type of coverage you'd like to see, know we are always open to hearing from readers at news@soprissun.com

Bigger papers, new kinds of stories, deeper reporting, more dynamic content... all of this will depend on donations. Help e Sopris Sun lead as a nonpro t, community-based news source. Help us modernize our web presence and become more e ective at delivering digital content. Help us grow partnerships and stretch the bounds of what is possible, to become a model for other small communities to have a ourishing newspaper.

You may have noticed a growing list of “SUNscribers” appearing on our back pages in recent weeks. Our goal is to bring the total up to 250. en, look forward to a solstice party on Wednesday, June 21, outside the ird Street Center at Bonnie Fischer Park — with a potluck and yard games — as we celebrate whatever success is achieved.

Know e Sun will always rise, but your direct support in the form of monthly giving makes us stronger, brighter and further-reaching. Volunteering is another way to support e Sun. To help with events, deliveries, research or other areas of interest, contact news@soprissun.com

Score a SUNscriber sticker

by giving monthly at soprissun.com/donate or calling 970-510-0246. We also accept donations of any size at any time, online or by mail at PO Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623 . If you’re interested in leaving a legacy gift, providing community journalism for years to come, contact our executive director, Todd Chamberlin, at 970-510-0246 or Todd@SoprisSun.com

Mental health agency cites social media, isolation as #1 threats for youth

By Amy Hadden Marsh Sopris Sun Correspondent

Connecting with others on social media is not the same as connecting in-person, according to Sarah Fedishen, program director for the Aspen Hope Center (AHC). AHC was one of three mental health agencies presenting updates at Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting. “Oxytocin doesn’t happen on social media,” she said.

Oxytocin is a hormone linked to positive interactions with humans and animals. According to Endocrine.web, there are medical reasons for the release of oxytocin, but feelings of love and connection are the most common release triggers. Studies about the effects of social media on oxytocin are mixed but, basically, the hormone is usually released during physical activities and being in the real world with pets, friends and sunshine. In essence, doing things, not sitting in a dark room alone with a smartphone.

Ferdishan said that the combination of social media and electronics use plus pandemic lockdowns contributed to feelings of isolation and hopelessness in young people. She said it comes down to a lack of connection. “You think that ‘oh being on my phone and having this many friends or this many interactions is connection,’” she said. “But what we know is that it’s really being one-onone with a person.”

She added that parents are having trouble understanding and setting boundaries around social media use. “We as parents really feel behind because we didn’t have this,” she explained, adding

that the parents she works with are doing the best they can. “Kids really see their phones as a lifeline, so how [does a parent] honor that?” she said. She told the BOCC that not every child she works with is struggling. “We have kids that are really finding some resiliency through this and doing fine,” she said. “And then we have kids that aren't.”

Commissioner Mike Samson voiced his concerns. “There’s so many factors in our modern world [that are] tearing the family apart — social injustices, sexual matters, drugs and just on and on,” he said. “Our nation is suffering because of these things,” he added. “It’s hard because there are so many evil forces in the world doing the wrong things.”

“I'm not sure what will happen if we can’t overcome our phones,” said Commission Chair John Martin, adding that he believes artificial intelligence will be the next addiction.

Other updates came from Mind Springs Health, Aspen Strong and A Way Out, a Carbondalebased substance abuse treatment program. Hans Lutgring, Mind Springs Health program director, told the BOCC, among other things, that the new, medically-supported detox, or withdrawal management facility, is expected to open in Glenwood Springs later this year.

The BOCC approved a request for a letter to the state Department of Transportation to help with transportation needs in western Garfield County. The Board also approved the weekly consent agenda and various county human services needs, including intergovernmental agreements with surrounding counties and the state for Community Block Grant Funds and joint cooperation for child

welfare substance abuse and mental health care. County Department of Human Services’ EFT/EBT disbursements totaled $902,824 for April 2023, down from $1,281,788 for April 2022.

In other news, Commission Chair John Martin voted against a resolution designating limited signatory authority to the director of the county Department of Human Services. “It really is not following the Open Meetings and Records Act in reference to dispersing of money,” he said. Commissioners Jankovsky and Samson voted to approve the resolution.

The BOCC also approved Caleb Waller of Silt for a position on the county planning commission and Cole Buerger of Glenwood Springs as an associate. Longtime planning commission member Greg McKennis is retiring. In the afternoon, the BOCC approved a three-lot subdivision at 10889 County Road 320, southwest of the City of Rifle.

Hot topics at RFSD: Health curriculum and superintendent housing

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

On May 9, a discussion over the proposed adoption of a comprehensive health and human sexuality curriculum brought community members to Carbondale’s district offices to voice both concerns and support to the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Board of Education.

Over a dozen speakers voiced concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting, and another 70-plus people submitted written public comments to the district.

Anna Cole, RFSD chief of students and family services, presented the curriculum to the board and community members attending the meeting and those watching via the “Roaring Fork Schools” YouTube channel.

In a staff memo to the board, Cole stated, “In response to questions and recommendations from the board, the curriculum adoption team is returning to share additional information about the Comprehensive Health curriculum adoption process, including an overview of the implementation timeline and process.”

Some of those commenting publicly took issue with what they suggest is a sudden introduction of the curriculum, stating that there needs to be more time allotted for further review and input by community members.

The memo also included a timeline of curriculum adoption team activities, beginning with a staff newsletter distributed on Oct. 28 and listing multiple task force meetings. A Feb. 6 parent newsletter solicited input on the comprehensive health education resources, which includes “Comprehensive Health Skills” by Catherine Sanderson et al. (2021) for teaching skills-based health education, and research-based K-12 curriculum called “Overcoming Obstacles.” The timeline also references parents being asked to review the curriculum materials and give feedback via an online survey.

Some of those speaking during the public comment period said they do not want LGBTQ-inclusive health curriculum taught to students.

An RFSD employee, Melissa McCann, addressed the board during public comment, saying, “I know there is a lot

of negativity around these topics; there's also a lot of misinformation and fear. School is more than just math, science and reading — we are teaching children how to exist and live in society. LGBTQ people exist in society and are not a danger to kids; they are your kids. They are also your teachers, coaches, doctors, librarians, social workers, babysitters and entertainers. Ignoring someone's existence doesn't make them not exist; it just makes them feel alone.”

McCann also addressed remarks from several parents who said they preferred to teach sex education to their children in their homes. “While I believe some people will put in the work and talk through these things [with their children], I believe most won't have the time, and then we are left with children searching the internet for answers to their questions and using unreliable sources to feed their curiosity,” she said.

Jill Wilson, a district teacher, parent and licensed health educator, said she “taught the required health classes at Glenwood Springs High School” and asked the board to reconsider the proposed curriculum.

“Parents were allowed to comment on the curriculum through a very vague survey that was embedded in the district newsletter. Dr. Cole told the board not many parents completed the survey. Community members have also told the board that they didn't feel they were notified clearly or sufficiently.

Frankly, the school district survey regarding snow days asked for more input than the health curriculum survey did,” Wilson shared. She urged the board to allow teachers to opt out of teaching the curriculum if they believe it violates their personal convictions. Wilson said, “Finally, I'd ask you to build options into this adoption plan to allow teachers to opt out of teaching any health curriculum that goes against their personal values or that they believe is damaging to children in their care.”

Cole and the curriculum adoption team requested that they share with the board, at their next regularly-scheduled meeting on May 24, a draft of the initial comprehensive human sexuality scope and sequence, along with a formal calendar of the District Wellness Committee.

The board is scheduled to vote on the proposal at the May 24 meeting, to be held at the district office at 400 Sopris Avenue in Carbondale.

Housing task force

The Board of Education created a housing task force to explore potential solutions to the ongoing affordable housing issues faced by the current or future RFSD superintendents. The concern is that, as the cost of housing rises in the district, “maintaining and retaining” a superintendent will become increasingly untenable.

board saying, "I realized one of the fundamental problems that we have is just the idea that our schools are going to determine our kids' Bill of Rights. At what point have you crossed over your authority?”

The 22 task force members are joined by RFSD board members and Chief Financial Officer Nathan Markham. To date, meetings have been held on May 4 and 11.

Board President Kathryn Kuhlenberg and Board Vice President Jasmin Ramirez spent a portion of the meeting reiterating the board’s statutory authority to evaluate, hire or dismiss a superintendent. No other district employee comes under the board’s purview.

The two remaining housing task force meetings are scheduled for May 18 and 23, from 5 to 8pm, and can be viewed on the “Roaring Fork Schools” YouTube channel along with previous task force and school board meetings.

About 40 community members attended the May 9 school board meeting. Most of those who spoke during the public comment section oppose the proposed curriculum. Photo by Jeanne Souldern

Pastor Jim Tarr of Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt addressed the

Photo by Jeanne Souldern

HILARY PORTERFIELD

Sandie Gardner 11/4/1942 to 9/18/22

Her Life’s Celebration and Reception

May 27, 2023 3PM to 6PM The Orchard Church 110 Snowmass Drive, Carbondale

A ‘Scholarship for KIDS Fund’ was created in Sandie’s honor by the Carbondale Clay Center [a 501c3]

Sandie’s Spirit would be joyful for a donation of any amount to this fund. C ontribut ions can be made by sen d i n g a c hec k payable to the Carbondale Clay Center [e arm ark ed for Sandie]

tre et, Carbondale, CO 81623

SAY HELLO, GOODBYE OR ALOHA

to one of the Roaring Fork Valley’s longest-serving journalists!

Post Independent Managing Editor

JOHN STROUD

stepping away from daily journalism after over three decades reporting, editing and everything else news-related in the Roaring Fork Valley.

is stepping away from daily journalism after over three decades in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Roc Doc Film Camp turns it up to eleven

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

For two weeks, beginning July 24, Roaring Fork Valley teens, age 12 to 16, will gain first-hand experience as documentary filmmakers. Better yet, the film’s subject matter focuses on Roaring Fork Rock and Roll Academy students rehearsing, preparing backstage and live in concert.

Although this scenario might seem reminiscent of the plot of the 1984 mockumentary, “This Is Spinal Tap,” this is a serious collaboration between Aspen Film, The Art Base, Colorado Film School, Red Brick Center for the Arts and Roaring Fork Rock and Roll Academy.

In its third year of film camp offerings, Aspen Film wanted to expand its programming to teens who live midto downvalley. The Art Base, located in downtown Basalt, proved to be a central location.

This is the first year that The Art Base is partnering with Aspen Film on one of its summer film camps. Aspen Film’s track record of two successful years creating filmmaking opportunities for teens left Lisa DeLosso, The Art Base’s executive director, eager to join.

“I think Aspen Film is a great partner, because they have proof of concept that this camp really works for teens. It's engaging,” DeLosso shared.

Erin McVoy, Aspen Film’s operations and production director, said the idea for this summer’s film camp came about last fall when she had a conversation with Kriss Harrison, executive director and lead instructor of Roaring Fork Rock and Roll Academy.

To see him off into a summer of adventures, we’re getting together for KARAOKE from 5-9 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at GLENWOOD VAUDEVILLE REVUE 915 Grand Ave, downtown Glenwood Springs. Sandman is hosting Karaoke and snacks are provided. Bar will be open for drink orders.

We’re getting together for KARAOKE from 5-9 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at GLENWOOD VAUDEVILLE REVUE 915 Grand Ave, downtown Glenwood Springs. Sandman is hosting Karaoke and snacks are provided. Bar will be open for drink orders.

Please RSVP by 3 p.m. THURSDAY, MAY 18 by emailing Aly Ackley at aackley@postindependent.com.

Please RSVP by 3 p.m. THURSDAY, MAY 18 by emailing Aly Ackley at aackley@postindependent.com.

Harrison has assisted Aspen Film with a few audio-video projects. Last fall, he and McVoy were talking about his work with students at the Rock and Roll Academy.

“While we were chatting, the recollection that several film camp participants had previously told me they would like to make a music video popped into my head,” McVoy recalled. “The idea to have Aspen Film campers record and interact with the young rock ‘n’ rollers sparked naturally from there.”

Two filmmaking instructors from the Denver-based Colorado Film School will be returning this year. McVoy said

Students, their families and friends are invited to Movieland 7 for an August 4 screening of the rock documentary film, which will be followed by a Q&A session with student filmmakers.

the pair actively work as professionals in the industry and have created awardwinning programming for PBS and other outlets.

“The caliber of the instructors is top-notch. They bring a wealth of knowledge, as well as the latest equipment and a wide variety of professional skills with them,” said McVoy. “This breadth of experience allows them to keep up to date with the most cutting-edge technology and share relevant industry best practices with our film camp participants."

Film camp students will gain hands-on experience of what it is like to film on location in a fast-paced, everchanging environment. They will learn techniques to set and steady cameras, maximize the use of available light and record sound while there is ambient background noise.

In addition to the technical skills of filmmaking, “they will build teamwork and problem solving skills, which are often the real keys to success when recording in complex environments,” McVoy said.

While the primary focus of film camp is to produce a short documentary film, students will also experience making a standalone music video of a Rock and Roll Academy performance.

The camp culminates in a screening of the documentary at Movieland 7 in El Jebel on Aug. 4.

DeLosso said the opportunity for The Art Base to collaborate with Aspen Film and to host students is exhilarating. There is the potential for students to light a creative spark within themselves.

“Students can explore filmmaking as a possible hobby, or a career. There's just so much great energy based around this camp, and we're really excited to be a part of it,” DeLosso concluded.

The Roc Doc Film Camp runs July 24 to 28 and July 31 to Aug. 4. Students must attend both weeks. Instruction is available in English and Spanish. Tuition is $940 with scholarships available.

For more information, go to www. aspenfilm.org/roc-doc-camp-2023

Courtesy photo

Kelsy Been leaves RFSD for new role

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

On May 5, a press release from the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) announced that its chief of staff and public information officer (PIO), Kelsy Been, had accepted a position as PIO with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). Been’s last day with RFSD is May 26.

In my interview with Been, I realized that I’ve only known her as a go-to contact for all things Roaring Fork schools, and that I know little about her life outside of that role. She conceded, “I'm usually talking, just not about myself.”

CAIC is a program within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, which, among other things, “strives to help the people who live, work, visit and play in the Colorado mountains” avoid avalanches.

After learning that Been is an avid backcountry skier, the move to CAIC makes perfect sense. She grew up in Naturita, located in the San Miguel River Valley, where her grandmother, Carolyn “Cookie” Been, served as mayor.

She started skiing at the age of six and pursued powder every chance she could. “We had a program where buses took us to the ski slopes every weekend,” and at very little cost compared to the pricing at ski resorts today.

As a teenager, Been moved to Rifle, where she attended high school and her mother still lives. She earned a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Amherst College and a Master's in public administration from the University of Wyoming.

She and her husband, Josh Vogt, volunteer with West Elk Mountain Rescue, serving Gunnison County from Marble to Hotchkiss.

The couple lives in Marble with their “fur baby,” Chester, a 12-yearold, part-Irish wolfhound. Been refers to Chester as “a super mutt,” who now, at his advanced age, is retired from traversing the slopes alongside Been and Vogt, but remains “the best dog.”

Been said, she respects the work done by CAIC, and part of her PIO role will include creating public education campaigns about avalanches. Marble has seen two recent fatalities due to avalanches, one this year and one last, which underscores the critical nature of CAIC’s message.

“I know many people who recreate and don't have any understanding or knowledge of snow science or avalanches, or that they’re predictable,” Been explained. “It's not something you learn in school. There's an awareness gap for many people who live or play in the mountains.”

Time well spent at RFSD

In August 2016, Been was hired by Rob Stein, shortly after he became RFSD’s superintendent. She created a new PIO position, the first time the district had an internal public relations staffer.

In 2021, Been added chief of staff to her title, working alongside the superintendent, helping to manage relationships with the school board and other partners of the district.

Her primary responsibility has been providing accurate and timely information to the district, its 5,600 students and their families.

RFSD has had non-stop activity during her tenure, including two superintendencies and a superintendent search. There was a capital campaign which involved 20 major construction projects, including the opening of the Riverview School, south of Glenwood Springs. There were logistics to communicate to people impacted by the Grand Avenue bridge closure and construction project, and the successful passage of a mill levy override to implement the largest staff salary increase in the district’s history.

Last but certainly not least, Been provided updates during the COVID pandemic, arguably when clear communication was vital throughout our school community.

One of Been’s proudest accomplishments is creating a bilingual communications position,

The first things you notice when you walk into Kelsy Been's office are her vast tea collection and walls adorned with her husband's landscape photography.

by Jeanne Souldern

developed with the assistance of former Superintendent Rob Stein and then Senior Project Manager Angie Davlyn. That position is currently held by Cristina Vargas, who studied Communications at the University of Lima in Peru.

She shared that over these last seven years, “While we've gotten so much done, we haven't been able to check every box … I'll be excited to see how the next person takes everything and moves it forward. I know it'll still happen.”

One aspect of the CAIC position is that Been can telecommute from her home in Marble, so you’ll still see her enjoying some time on the local slopes.

Photo

Agriculture specialists just a phone call away

By Olivia Emmer Sopris Sun correspondent

As temperatures warm and the growing season approaches, local farmers and gardeners can connect with regional agriculture experts for support. Colorado State University (CSU) Agriculture Extension agents can help with things like testing soil nutrients, offering irrigation expertise and consulting on pest management.

The Sopris Sun recently caught up with Pitkin County’s CSU Agriculture Extension Agent, Drew Walters. Walters, according to Pitkin County, “is the first consistent Extension presence in Pitkin County in a decade.”

Walters splits his time, with 20% dedicated to his agriculture Extension agent work and 80% dedicated to his role at Pitkin County Open Space and Trails as

their agriculture specialist. Walters, originally from Glenwood Springs, has a Biology degree from Fort Lewis College and a masters in Agricultural Studies from Colorado State University.

Walters credits his passion for agriculture to his mom, who got him started gardening at an early age. Walters worked in ranching and then as a greenhouse manager in the cannabis industry before pursuing his goal of working as an Extension agent. Walters recently served as the Extension agent for Garfield County before transitioning over to Pitkin County about a year ago.

According to CSU, their Extension program has been serving Colorado for over 100 years, connecting university agriculture research to producers around the state. To access the resources of an Extension agent, individuals and farmers should reach out to their nearest county Extension office or agent. In

Garfield County it’s Amy Hauver and in Eagle County it’s Denyse Schrenker. In addition to agriculture specialists, Extension also offers expertise in horticulture, range, forestry, water, health promotion, financial literacy, business management, community development and 4-H.

The questions Walters receives can run the gamut, from taking soil samples to test nutrients on a farm to helping a gardener diagnose an ailing elderberry bush. Walters says that one of his favorite things about the job is the variety. “Throughout this past year I've been able to make approximately 40 visits to properties around the county and every visit is different,” he said.

Eagle County: denyse.schrenker@eaglecounty.us

Garfield County: Amy.Hauver@colostate.edu

Pitkin County: drew.walters@pitkincounty.com

CARE has 10 dogs and 7 cats available for adoption.

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

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

RADAR wants to climb Sopris with you this summer! Not even two years old, this energetic and trainable fella is up for any mountain adventure you’d like to throw at him. He dreams of being your constant companion, whether you’re trail running and playing fetch or just chilling at home. Already have another dog? Good, because Radar adores playing with canine pals too! Radar might be just the friend you’ve been waiting for, so check our website for details!

Walters is Pitkin County’s CSU Agriculture Extension Agent, supporting farmers, ranchers and gardeners around the county. Photo by Olivia Emmer

Drew Walters demonstrates scraping back the bark on a fruit tree branch to test if the branch is alive, part of a recent fruit tree pruning workshop he co hosted in Carbondale. Photo by Olivia Emmer

Land restoration resides in healthy relating

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

Groundwork, a nonprofit focusing on the intersection of climate change, environmental issues and culture, will host a series of multi-day events this summer focused on Western Slope ecology. The first event was May 4-7 in Paonia, and there are five more opportunities with the final one on Aug. 6-12 near Grand Junction. Each session dives into ecology, botany, medicinal plant identification and relationshipminded conservation.

Instructors Kelly Moody and Nikki Hill lead the series, called "Human and Nature Ecologies of Colorado." Participants spend up to a week at a time exploring the landscape, cultivating relationships with one another and the more-than-human world and uncovering ecological nuances of our region.

Groundwork was founded in 2008 by Executive Director Jeff Wagner after he worked as an “educator by trade” abroad in Asia for six years. During his travels, he noticed a stark contrast between climate change conversations in the U.S. and other countries.

"I saw a lot of debate in the U.S., and technology was framed as the only solution to climate change," he said. "It is often seen as a solar panel and electric car deficit in our society. While I think those technologies have a good place in society, I also think that's just a pretty incomplete way of looking at it."

He based the organization on wisdom he received from mentors overseas, with a goal to bring different perspectives to the climate change debate by focusing on individuals’ relationships with the lands where they reside. This is accomplished through cultural sensitivity, drawn from the examples set by Indigenous peoples.

"In Colorado, I've noticed a tendency to view the land we live on as a backdrop for adventure, which is how I was taught to see it growing up,” Wagner said.

“The programs we're offering this summer will focus on getting people to build a deeper relationship with our home, to see the land as a place they're actively involved with.”

Moody and Hill's courses will be immersive, with participants getting their hands dirty as they develop the skills to read landscapes and practice belonging. Moody is an ecologist who has traveled and studied plant life throughout the U.S. for the past 15 years. She is also the host of “The Ground Shots Podcast.” In her courses, she hopes to encourage participants to slow down and observe their landscapes.

"I know Colorado has a big recreation culture, and that's wonderful. So many people love to get out on the land. However, in my experience on the Colorado Trail, many want to go and go fast and often don't pay attention to what's happening on the land," Moody stated. "I just want to cue people in to slow down and see what's beautiful."

She said her classes will help participants build connections with landscapes and advocate for them. A typical day during a course will involve some teaching, sharpening hands-on outdoor skills, observing plants and soil and periods of reflection with reading and

continues on page 24

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Euclid Alley & Crystal Circle Sewer Improvements

Issue Date: 5/8/2023 | Closing Date: 5/30/2023

Public Works Department Town of Carbondale 511 Colorado Ave Carbondale, CO 81623

Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference: 5/16/2023 @ 2 PM at Project Site

Sealed bids for the construction of the Euclid Alley & Crystal Circle Sewer Improvements will be received from invited Bidders by the Town of Carbondale (“OWNER”) at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO 81623, until 1:00 PM on May 30, 2023, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. The project consists of two sewer main improvements, one in Euclid Alley and the other in Crystal Circle. The Euclid Alley Sewer Main Replacement consists of the installation approximately 750 LF of new sewer pipe and manholes, reconnecting existing sewer services, and abandoning existing manholes. The Crystal Circle Sewer Main Repair consists of a sewer main pipe repair, water service line replacement and associated pavement repair. Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. The prime Contract will be split into two phases to cover two separate sewer replacement and repair projects, with the first in Euclid Alley and the second in Crystal Circle. Bids shall be on a unit price basis as indicated in the Bid Form. All bids shall include pricing to meet Buy American/AIS and Davis Bacon wages requirements per Federal regulations. Bidding Documents will be provided to prospective Bidders as electronic PDF files.

The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Roaring Fork Engineering (RFE), 592 Hwy 133, Carbondale, CO, 81623 (Contact: Anthony Alfini, PE (970) 618-7073, AnthonyA@rfeng.biz).

Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below.

Bidding Documents are available as electronic portable document format (PDF) files. Alternatively, printed Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing Office via in-person pick-up, for a nonrefundable charge of $25 per set. Checks for Bidding Documents shall be payable to Roaring Fork Engineering. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing Office will be considered the date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 2:00 PM on May 16, 2023 at the west side of Sopris Park (in Carbondale, CO) near the restroom building. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is highly encouraged but is not mandatory. A 5% bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bidders shall submit proof of qualifications to perform the Work as described in the Instructions to Bidders.

Public Works Department Town of Carbondale

Art by Sofie Koski

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More than just a general store…

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

The Redstone General Store is entering its third year under the ownership and management of Oriana Bier-Moebius and Rochelle Norwood. Their vision from the beginning has been to re-store that space as a community hub after its closure in 2020.

The store has a notable focus on health and quality. “We’re invested in ideals,” said Bier-Moebius. “Because we’re offering the value of things, so that everyone gets paid through the cycle of life of a product, we tend to be a little bit more expensive.”

Bier-Moebius, who grew up in the Crystal River Valley, has noticed a trend of commercial-residential spaces along the boulevard being converted to purely residential. Her desire is to see a thriving business community continue in the village. “The sale of the castle will draw new folks,” she said, “it’s important to hold onto the roots of Redstone and this area.”

“The town has a charm, a timelessness,” added Norwood. “You come to Redstone and time stops, and you become present in the moment.”

Beyond selling groceries, generous servings of home-style meals, coffee, ice cream, gifts, liquor and essentials, the Redstone General Store intentionally functions as a community hub. On the final Thursday of each month, anyone and everyone is invited to a special meal and music beginning at 5pm. Sweet Root will serenade the May 23 community meal. Find other events posted at www. redstonegeneralstore.com

The store also serves as a visitor center for locals and visitors alike to organize and network. A bulletin board near the front door connects people’s needs and offerings under a variety of topics, an idea that artist Sarah Uhl brought to fruition. Since the beginning, Norwood has dreamed of building a stage in the green space behind the store for musical and theatrical productions. Soon, the park across the boulevard will be fully renovated with a new gazebo and open to the public.

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Since opening the store, BierMoebius acquired a neighboring building which she’s informally calling “The Village Within the Village.” This space is intended to function as a community cultural center. So far, it has been activated for yoga and art classes and is available to rent. Gina Tassinari, Norwood’s mother, can be contacted at the General Store for a tour and scheduling. “Don’t call or email us, come up and visit us and we’ll share it with you,” said Norwood enthusiastically.

“For me, growing up here, I didn’t see the community as any different than my family,” commented Bier-Moebius. “I was born on our waters and my ashes will probably be spread on our waters.”

The seasonal nature of Redstone, with its greatest visitation during the summer months, has made it difficult to maintain employees year-round. Bier-Moebius and Norwood are looking at innovative solutions, like involving more

have managed the Redstone General Store for two full years and are beginning their third.

volunteers and possibly falling under a nonprofit umbrella similar to MANA Foods in Carbondale.

As reported by National Public Radio in April, 76 counties nationwide are without a single grocery store. Examples like the Rural Grocery Initiative, started in Kansas, are cropping up, helping local grocery stores survive under cooperatives, public-private partnerships, nonprofits and even as school-run initiatives.

“It’s neat to see other general stores are transitioning to new models,” stated Norwood. “I think we’re both humanitarians,” she said about herself and Bier-Moebius, “with our root in humanity, in helping to be a beacon of light and hub for what we feel we want and the community we want to be surrounded by, which encompasses everyone.”

About general stores, Norwood added, “in America, the business model has been eliminating them. But a general store is so much more than buying your groceries, it’s a holistic feeling.”

“It’s an extension of home,” BierMoebius added.

The closure of Highway 133 between Somerset and Paonia has produce runners traveling a long route and delivering to MANA Foods where the Redstone General Store then picks up their goods. “I love this idea that we’re running similar businesses in the same river valley,” said Bier-Moebius, who has known MANA Foods manager Sotantar Anderson since childhood. “I have so much respect for what she’s doing and appreciate the help she’s offering.”

Choosing convening over convenience, the Redstone General Store is open every day from 8am to 6pm, serving breakfast, lunch and love.

Rochelle Norwood and Oriana Bier-Moebius

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

By Whitney Will

In his poem, “Sweet Darkness,” the poet David Whyte wrote, “When your eyes are tired, the world is tired also. When your vision has gone, no part of the world can find you.” Here he described the phenomena wherein your participation in the world, or lack thereof, is reflected back to you, the cosmic wink of “as within, so without.” When we pay attention, there is much to pay attention to — this whole place is a parade of happenings.

Jupiter is the astrological correlate of this principle. He’s known as a bringer of good things, a kind of Santa Claus of the planets, offering opportunities and gifts. But there is a caveat. You have to take the chain off the door. You have to answer when

Jupiter in Taurus: The power of attention

opportunity knocks. You have to be paying attention. Jupiter is a kind of cosmic flashlight — as we follow his light, we grow in both perception and understanding. For those with untired eyes, Jupiter is the scent trail for the bloodhound of the mind. On May 16, we follow him into Taurus for a year of illumined materialism.

Taurus is nature, baggage, money and matter. The Bull’s sign follows Aries’ creative spark. After we get here, the next step is acquiring the physical things we need to survive. It is our connection to the “stuff” that makes us feel safe. Taurus is concerned with the practical and the tangible, unconcerned with hypotheticals and abstractions.

Taurus is the most steady sign of the Zodiac and the most averse to change. We need our material needs provided for and steadily so before we can devote ourselves to other things. However, Taurus has been anything but stable over the last five years. In May of 2018, Uranus — the planet of surprises, disruption and instability — entered the sign. Since November of

2021, eclipses have created turbulence there every six months.

Individually, this means that the place in each of our charts and lives we prefer the most constant has been quite unstable for the last half-decade. Collectively, you can see the disruption in supply chain issues, volatility of currency and escalating environmental disasters. Uranus will remain in Taurus until the summer of 2025, so the story is far from over. Enter Jupiter.

Jupiter asks about the new opportunities provided by Uranus’ brave new world. Jupiter asks what can be planted in the fertile earth freshly plowed by recent eclipses. Jupiter brings optimism and enthusiasm; in earthy Taurus, these are concrete solutions to material problems. There is a possibility to increase our feelings of security if we take the time to pay attention to what is happening.

It is a great time to check in and ask yourself — what do I actually need? Is my attachment to my stuff serving me? How can I

provide more stability for myself? Where in my life could less be more? Where am I trapped in a scarcity mindset? Conversely, where do I deny myself support, and how would my life look different if I allowed that support?

In my therapy practice, I often remind clients that “support precedes change.” The support comes first, and then the change. If we really want to be effective at changing ourselves and our relationships, how could we make it feel easier and more wonderful to change than to stay the same? Jupiter in Taurus offers support if we are open-minded enough to look for it, and have enough

faith to open the door and receive it. In the face of the all too common habit of forcing or shaming ourselves and our partners into changing, asking how we can provide support before expecting change is a radical act.

If we let ourselves slow to Taurus’ steady gate, Jupiter’s buoyant conversation will delight and inspire us until May of 2024. Be grateful for what you have, notice how it supports you, and offer it to others.

For more astrological insight or to book personal readings, please visit starhearthastrology.com

Cyclists of all ages, including 2-year-old Dylan Rose Emmer, enjoyed Bonedale Bike Week, May 15-19. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

Scott Bowie

With full hearts, we celebrate the life of Scott Bowie. Scott was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1949. After college, he set out to conquer all of Colorado’s 14ers. Upon arriving in Aspen, he stopped and never left. It’s where he met and married Betsy Thaete and began his career with Mollica and Associates — now the Aspen Appraisal Group — and strengthened his passion for the mountains and his community as a volunteer with Aspen Mountain Rescue.

In 1982, he moved to Carbondale into a log home he and Betsy built together, raised two sons and where — on the afternoon of May 9, 2023 — he passed away. Throughout his life, he loved playing golf, training dogs, researching the Civil War and wearing his collar popped at every opportunity. He also always insisted on being early

to everything including death. Scott is survived by his wife Betsy, his sons, Erik and Soren, and four grandchildren. In his memory, please consider donating to Compassion and Choices: www. compassionandchoices.org

Alan Dean Joyner

Barbara O’Neil Ross

Barbara O’Neil Ross was born in 1931 in New York City to Viola (née Dotterer) and Henry Eli O’Neil. From Greenwich, Connecticut, the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Barbara attended the wonderful John Burroughs School, which nurtured her talent for art. She spent two years at Vassar College before transferring to Stanford University, graduating in 1953.

Barbara taught in schools across three states, including the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale. In 1967, Barbara married John Ross, a gregarious yankee with a passion for furniture-making and sailing. They lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts for many years, where Barbara was active in the Cambridge Art Association. Her artwork and photographs frequently featured people and places in Colorado, where they spent summers living in the “Mod Lodge,” a trailer set on a parcel of land they acquired near Ruedi Dam.

Shortly after John died in 2002, Barbara moved to the Vi senior community in Palo Alto, California. She joined a singing group and led a vibrant community of talented artists. Barbara organized art exhibitions, had several solo shows, learned to use acrylics, and was honored with a retrospective of her own work. In 2020, she

published the award-winning surreal art book, “Fooling with Mother Nature (A Small Book with Big Ideas)” to educate children about environmental concerns.

Barbara was predeceased by her parents, her husband and her older sister, Patricia O’Neil Fender (Bill) and is survived by her sister Anne O’Neil Dauer (Art), nephews Willie Fender and Christopher Dauer, nieces Susan Handwerk and Lesley Dauer, step-children Edie Parker and Caleb Ross and many loving step-grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews. Barbara was adored for her art projects with younger relatives, kindness, charm, whimsical imagination and quirky sense of humor.

A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held in the early summer.

enjoyed fishing, hunting and the great outdoors.

Alan Dean Joyner, 63, of Grand Junction, passed away May 8 at Saint Mary's hospital with his family by his side. Alan was born on Feb. 9, 1960 in Rangely to Bill and Shirley (Nightingale) Joyner. He spent his childhood in Northglenn, and his high school years in Carbondale. He was a graduate from Roaring Fork High School, where he proudly played football. His football team won the state championship his senior year.

Alan worked as a hard rock miner and construction worker in 27 of the lower 48 states and Hawaii. He

Alan is survived by his parents, Bill and Shirley Joyner of Grand Junction; sons, Richard (Lisa) Joyner of Grand Junction and George Joyner of Falon, Nevada; granddaughters, Alexis Joyner of Rolla, Montana, and Amanda Joyner of Seattle, Washington; brother, David (Sandy) Joyner of Glenwood Springs; nephews, David Jr. and Derek Joyner; an aunt, an uncle and numerous cousins.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Barry Joyner.

Alan will be buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Paonia.

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.

Groundwork continued from page 21

writing.

"It takes a lot for people to take a week to get out there, but once you're out, it feels like it hasn't been enough time," she said. "What I pulled together is all these multilayered lenses that we use to look at land through, while getting geeky about botany, wild-tending, ecological awareness and landscape awareness."

Hill has studied ecology for 18 years and worked in wild-tending, creating and maintaining wild plant populations, and studying plants outside of agriculture for the past decade. She met Wagner three years ago and is now collaborating more indepth with Groundwork.

"What I'm hoping happens is, I introduce people to different realms, approaching ecology from a place of relationship," Hill said. "So, [it’s] not just about what makes a habitat or what places should look like, but what it does to enter into a relationship

outside of those ideas."

She also hopes to introduce skills and knowledge for wild tending, helping participants to identify patterns beginning with the plants at their feet, and how everything is interconnected.

"Plants are showing us all the fingerprints of relationships that have happened over many years. Modern fingerprints, older ones, they're all here at the same time," Hill stated. "If we're hoping to have restoration, understanding or a different life … those pathways are in the fingerprints of the plants, showing the way to what is possible." Registration

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

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

Glamour Girl: Beauty of Brevity

Jan. 3, 2020

Rosemary Burkholder

Like many a typical morning, I took my cup of black coffee to the back patio, situated where the sound of traffic from a nearby highway is muffled, for a peaceful welcoming to a new day.

It was late spring, and I settled back into the wooden Adirondack chair that sat on a loosely paved, flagstone patio which allowed for certain plants to survive. My Akita, aka Kage, found her position next to me as we absorbed the warmth of the early morning sun.

In the quietness of that morning, we heard a tiny plop and looked to see a husk from an Oriental Poppy that had fallen onto the flagstone. My eyes were immediately drawn to a fat bud that was elevated by a thin green stem.

I gazed in amazement as I watched the second, then the third husk fall to the earth. As it might appear through a time lapse, I observed the petals unfold into a brilliant, scarlet-orange flower, the kind that we made in elementary school with colorful crepe paper.

The silky, crinkled blossom opened wide, exposing the striking but mysterious reproductive organs, a whorl of dark purple, almost black, stamens surrounding a large seed capsule. A gentle breeze gracefully moved the large petals, like silk fabric blowing in the wind.

Mesmerized by the beauty just witnessed, I closed my eyes, and extended thanks to my higher spirit for giving me the ability to have experienced this occurrence. The short-lived Oriental Poppy blossom that overwhelmed my soul for a short moment in time, justified how I might forward this identical “joy” to others, in my own way, for an everlasting memory.

This flower, native to Caucasus, an herbaceous perennial admired around the world, popularized by the 20th century modernist, Georgia O’Keeffe, blooms early, and all too briefly, and is known as the “Glamour Girl” of the garden.

To see her is to want her.

How Much Do I Need?

Jampa

Carbondale

Early morning light Shines through the pansies’ petals Perfect! Just this is enough.

There Was an Old Woman Who Died in a Shoe

By Deborah Holt Williams

There was an old woman who rewired her shoe, And died by electrocution.

All her grown children didn’t know what to do Regarding estate distribution.

Sell the leather on-line? Recycle the heel? Finally they found a solution.

They kept the home whole, then (God rest her sole) Gave a playground their mom’s contribution.

Photo by Jeanne Souldern

LETTERS

Dear Town of Carbondale,

Thank you for graciously and respectfully receiving Katrina Blair and the Bee Happy Lands team to share their perspective of healthy, organic weed management this Dandelion Day.

With appreciation,

Will Evans, Carbondale

Bee aware

Dandelion Day has come and gone, and every child's favorite flower carpets our yards and farmlands. Aren't you glad?

Dandelions are not only lovely to behold, they provide a critical source of both nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) for honeybees and our native pollinators. Deer and elk like to eat them. Without dandelions, honeybees can and do starve. Bees emerge from winter with their honey stores largely depleted. They need to make more. Since they don't make honey in cool weather, snow or rain or cold during the dandelion bloom can spell trouble for the little darlings.

The more dandelions, the better. Gardeners, dandelions are not your enemies. They're your friends — useful plants that are easy to grow. You can do your part by refraining from poisoning them or digging them up or mowing them. Why does your yard or garden have to look like the centerfold in one of those stupid garden magazines? Relax! Instead of obsessing over how to get rid of dandelions, help Mother Earth and leave them alone.

Ed Colby, New Castle

Seat belt safety

“We see the tragic consequences of motorists not wearing their seat belts every day,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “No matter how safe you are behind the wheel, you can't control drivers and conditions around you. Buckling up not only is the law, but it's also a proven way to reduce injuries and save lives in the event of a crash.”

Consider: race car drivers drive for a living and they wear seat belts. Perhaps we should take this task as seriously as they do?

Take A Minute, think about it and Slow Down in Towns

Diane Reynolds, Glenwood Springs

Ross Montessori

Choosing the right school for your child is challenging. As the head of the public charter Ross Montessori, I understand the impact of early childhood education and how that sets your child up for success into the future.

We value the potential of every child and recognize that each child requires an individual path of learning. Our mission is to prepare compassionate life-long learners while embracing the joy of discovery, dedication to mastery, and compassion.

The Montessori Method emphasizes collaboration, communication, self-direction, and risk-taking. Students are encouraged to take chances, fail, and keep going to get to mastery. We intimately know our students. We follow their needs and respond to them.

In her book, “Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills

Every Child Needs,” Ellen Galinsky found that children with strong executive functioning skills become young adults who have higher selfesteem, less drug use, higher overall educational level, better reports about how they are doing in their early 30s, more success in academic goal achievement, better better selfcontrol, and positive interpersonal relationships.

We offer transportation around the Valley. Our students have a range of abilities, and we provide programming and support for each of them. We see our students as individuals and offer counseling, Spanish-speaking teachers, special education, and gifted student services. Our students regularly go on field trips into the community, plan and participate in annual camping trips, and learn about gardening, sustainability and art, and experience therapeutic horseback riding.

We invite you to please come and see us! We have scheduled tours each week. You can learn more at www. rossmontessori.org

I look forward to sharing more with you about our fabulous school and community of students, teachers, and parents.

Sonya

Hemmen,

Head of School Holy Cross election

Shortly, customers of Holy Cross Energy will receive a mailin ballot for the upcoming board election. Thanks to the current board and staff, over the last 15 years, Holy Cross has undergone an amazing transformation, becoming one of the greenest utilities in the county, with a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030, and high percentages achieved long before that. This all occurred while delivering a reliable and affordable power supply. To keep this trend going, I’m urging you to vote for two candidates with proven track records. Alex DeGolia, in the Western District, has served on the board for the last four years and has helped steward this transition.

Kim Schlaepfer, in the Northern District, has been working in the field of climate action, and in cooperation with Holy Cross, for many years. Because there are so many candidates running, I’m asking for you to vote for Alex and Kim specifically, even if other candidates support the same goals. That’s because a split election could hand a seat to candidates for whom climate and affordable clean energy are lesser priorities.

Auden Schendler, Basalt

ORDINANCE NO. 3

Series of 2023

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO APPROVING AN APPLICATION BY THE ROARING FORK SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR A MINOR PLAT AMENDMENT TO ADJUST THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN LOT 2A AND LOT 28, NORTH FACE BASE CAMP SUBDIVISION, TO REZONE LOT 2A, AS AMENDED, TO RESIDENTIAL HIGH DENSITY (R/HD), FOR MAJOR SITE PLAN REVIEW OF A PROPOSED MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING PROJECT TO BE LOCATED UPON LOT 2A, AS AMENDED, AND FOR ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REGARDING PRIVATE OUTDOOR SPACE, STREET LANDSCAPING, AND PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH PROJECT

NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on May 9, 2023.

This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during normal business hours.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission for the purpose of considering an application for a Condominium Subdivisions Exemption to condominiumize a building into three units.

Project Description: Applicant is proposing to condominiumize the building that has been constructed on Lot 4. Specifically, Applicant proposes to condominiumize the building on Lot 4 into three units. All three of the proposed units will be deed-restricted for affordable housing. This application would not change what was already approved during the 2018 Major Site Plan Review for Thompson Park or the subdivision review in 2021.

Property Location: Lot 4, Thompson Park Subdivision Phase 3, according to the final plat thereof recorded August 13, 2021, as Reception No. 973510, Garfield County, Colorado, consisting, collectively, of approximately 8,125 square feet.

Applicant/Owner: Thompson Park, LLC

Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 7:00 p.m. on June 8, 2023.

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 jbarnes@carbondaleco.net by 5:00 pm on June 7, 2023. The comments will be entered into the record. If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Jared Barnes, Planning Director, 970-510-1208.

Dandelion Day photo by Jane Bacharach

Left: Some of Bonedale Ballet's youngest dancers performed at Dandelion Day! Right: And the African dancers and drummers, organized by Rochelle Norwood pictured in foreground with Erica Lazarus, led the Parade of Species into Sopris Park. Photos by Lynn "Jake" Burton

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Diana Stough Alcantara

Kelley Amdur

Kathy & Carter Barger

Debbie & Marc Bruell

Meredith Bullock

Todd Chamberlin

Kay Clarke

Brian Colley

Cathy Cooney

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

Andrew Travers