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Volume 14, Number 15 | May 19 - May 25, 2022

Emerging from hibernation

Photos by Jane Bachrach A variety of creatures traditionally creep out of their winter digs to take part in the annual Parade of Species and Dandelion Day activities in Sopris Park. This year was no exception, though the isolation wrought by COVID-19 may have exacerbated things. Many diverse species awoke from their two-year slumber and sauntered over to Sopris Park to honor Carbondale’s tenacious town flower: the dandelion.

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OPINION

Mature Content

By Marty Gallagher

Martha Gallagher, MD, a retired anesthesiologist living in the Boston area, is an avid lifelong backpacker, hiker and wannabe skier. Over the years, she has plied the slopes of Aspen and Snowmass, walked the trails of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and visited with her close friend, Judie Blanchard of Carbondale.

My wake-up call these days is no longer an alarm clock, but most often a very full bladder.

I gently roll out of bed. The mornings of leaping from bed are long behind me. As I stand, my creaky right knee voices its usual morning complaint, a reminder of an encounter with a slippery root on a trail a couple of years ago. My left shoulder, another reminder of past misadventures, moans in harmony with my knee. And an overall stiffness sets the scene for these actors on my personal stage.

I trundle toward the bathroom, acknowledging the existence of these

Adjust, accommodate, repeat…

the ability to incorporate these symptoms, but otherwise ignoring attributes into our lives them. I know that soon, with a Acceptance and accommodation are enables us to live more fully coffee, the stiffness and aches and pains will mostly be not only applicable to and essential for and meaningfully.

Acceptance and gone, and I will be able to get successful living at an individual level. accommodation are not on with my day: household Families, organizations, countries, only applicable to and chores, reading, exercising, societies and cultures all struggle with essential for successful engaging with friends, taking or teaching courses at a local and attempt to apply, through a variety living at an individual level. of processes, these powerful adaptive Families, organizations, lifelong learning institute. countries, societies and cultures It may take two days, rather responses we have evolved. all struggle with and attempt than the one it used to take, to clean the house. My exercising before taking to apply, through a variety will involve lighter weights or a step, he reaches for of processes, these powerful fewer reps compared with what his cane, which both helps with his adaptive responses we have I handled a few years ago. And I unpredictable balance and lowers evolved. If nothing else, the past will walk my miles briskly instead the demand on a severely arthritic few years have demonstrated of running them. But I am grateful hip — a hip he refuses to have what can happen in a society for and enjoy what I can do. I have replaced because, “I’ve had enough when its collective members accepted my current status and of hospitals.” He, too, has had to neither have the will nor have found the way to apply on a larger made accommodations for it. accept and accommodate.

Acceptance (in human The attributes of acceptance scale these fundamental tools.

I don’t get out of bed thinking psychology): A person’s assent and accommodation do not to the reality of a situation, magically appear and are not profound thoughts about the sociology and recognizing a process or condition only important in the later years psychology, (often a negative or uncomfortable of living. Our then six-year-old politics of our times. In fact, such one) without attempting to son’s reluctant acknowledgement mornings are very rare. Most days, change or protest it. that he understood he wasn’t my first thoughts are focused on Accommodation (in human allowed to ride a monster roller emptying my aging bladder. But, psychology): The process coaster because of his height when these less prosaic musings by which existing mental was, at the time, an example surface, I marvel that the incredibly structures and behaviors are of acceptance. His verbal mundane activity of getting out of modified to adapt to new comeback, “but can we ride that bed can provide an example of experiences or situations. one and the one over there?” what people are capable of. And I Returning to our bedroom, I demonstrated accommodation. wonder why we humans so often find my husband of over 50 years Achieving the ability to accept have such difficulty extending sitting on the edge of our bed. He and accommodate is a process — to others the acceptance and is going through his own morning often a challenging one. It occurs accommodations that we so ritual before making his way to in fits and starts, often without naturally extend to ourselves. the bathroom. First, he mentally our awareness or conscious effort, prepares himself to stand on feet and is molded by time and the Mature Content is a monthly that have suffered fallout from external and internal experiences feature from the Carbondale AARP chemotherapy. Now standing, but of living. Ultimately, achieving Age-Friendly Community Initiative

Senior Matters adjusts and accommodates By the Senior Matters board Special to The Sopris Sun

Senior Matters has been Carbondale’s nonprofit arm for older adult programming since 2008, when we were designated a sub-committee of the Parks and Recreation Commission and set up shop at the Third Street Center. Senior Matters’ three-year goal was to become a stablyfunded, staffed, multi-room center where older people could regularly gather.

That goal was not achieved and, over the past 14 years, relatively few groups have used Room 33 regularly. Several of the groups that did, moved elsewhere after the pandemic. The founders’ vision, “build it and they will come,” was not realized, while expenses for maintaining the room have increased over the years, currently amounting to between $15-20,000 annually.

Consequently, the Senior Matters’ board has increasingly focused on fundraising, often to the detriment of its primary mission: older adult programming.

Post-pandemic, Senior Matters began regathering its constituents by emphasizing programming over place. Online offerings with Garfield County Public Libraries began in March 2021, followed later by in-person events.

Programs have included pandemic information, Carbondale’s history, attracting and supporting local birds, death and dying, gardening, ageappropriate hiking, painting classes and field trips focusing on local and migrating birds.

Last summer, we also offered weekly drop-

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Three generations work together to plant a tree at Crystal River Elementary School. Kindergarteners, Aspen Tree arborists and seniors all do it together. Photo by Illène Pevec

in afternoons with refreshments, games and conversation. In contrast to content-based programs, these drop-in events generated minimal participation. Post-pandemic, only two small older adult groups have used Room 33 for about 10 hours each week. Although a recent survey of interested seniors indicated that dedicated gathering space was important to respondents, few seniors actually use the space we have.

It seems to the board that today’s wealthier, 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

healthier, more educated and mobile older population would be better served by contentbased programming at multiple locations.

After consulting with the Parks and Recreation Department and other local organizations, the Senior Matters’ board concluded that rather than continue efforts to fund a minimally-utilized brick and mortar space, we can better fulfill our mission by emphasizing relevant programming in continues on page 22

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By Kate Phillips Sopris Sun Correspondent At a time when our society is overwhelmed by rapidlychanging catastrophes, it is easy to fall into feelings of helplessness, or even despair. These feelings are incredibly valid when one considers our immediate access to information and seemingly little resolution.

But, what if we paused for just one moment, and instead of remaining stuck as passive bystanders, we instead harnessed that energy to heed the call to make a difference, no matter how great or small, in someone else’s life?

That is what Jon Amdur did when he saw the impact Vladamir Putin’s invasion had on the Ukrainian people. “What was happening in the Ukraine really affected me,” Amdur said.

“I was really upset by the masses of refugees leaving, and I was moved to do something. It deserved more than just writing a check or complaining about it on Facebook.”

Amdur lives in the Crystal River Valley with his wife, Kelley, and their two daughters, Alice and Abby. He has worked as a consultant for most of his professional life. Now semi-retired, Amdur has enjoyed cooking at Kelley’s former bed and breakfast, the Dandelion Inn, and more recently at Silo, a farmto-table restaurant in Carbondale owned by Lacy Hughes.

“My younger daughter, Abby, started working for Lacy and she helped me get the job,” Amdur said. “I’ve always wanted to cook, and I did cook when we had the Inn, but Lacy got me geared up and showed me the ropes.”

Knowing he was at a point in his life where he could offer meaningful support for refugees, Amdur started reaching out to various organizations around the world. After his first opportunity fell through, due to rising tensions in his assigned area, Kelley discovered World Central Kitchen (WCK).

Since 2010, WCK has provided fresh meals and frontline relief to disaster survivors, while also supporting the establishment of sustainable food systems. The nonprofit has served over 70 million meals worldwide, including 16 million meals to the Ukrainian people.

“They’re doing fantastic work all over the world,” Amdur said. “They’re capable of mobilizing and getting out there to help feed people in need.”

Amdur was placed in Przemyśl, Poland, a city less than 10

miles from the Ukrainian border that has become a safety-net for refugees. “It was shocking to see this mass migration of people leaving a country because of a war,” Amdur said. “Most of them were women, children and elderly folks, who had these dazed, lost looks on their faces.” He added, “The least I could do for them was support their families.”

For 10 days, Amdur cooked familiar Ukrainian meals alongside a team of international chefs consisting of volunteers and WCK employees. “We were doing between 5,000 and 6,000 sandwiches a day, and hundreds of pounds of salad and hot food,” Amdur said. “We were doing probably close to 10,000 meals a day out of that kitchen.”

Amdur noted that on-the-go sandwiches and sit down meals were intentionally designed to increase caloric intake so that refugees had enough energ y to withstand their strenuous journeys. He added that WCK also prepared kosher-friendly and vegetarian options for the many Jewish families fleeing the war.

Emphasizing WCK’s efficiency at gaining and handling donated food items, Amdur said that the vast amount of food was impressive. “We were working in a big warehouse, and there was so much space. We used 20% of the stuff that was in storage any particular day, and they would get new shipments in at night and we would just keep going.”

During his time off, when he was not looking for other ways to help, Amdur gathered the courage to witness another atrocity: Auschwitz. “It was so hard,” Amdur said as he paused to collect himself. “The trip [with WCK] was so positive in so many ways … and then I see this piece of dark, dark history and you want to work to make sure nothing like this happens again, and yet you see things happening in Ukraine that mimic what happened in World War II. We can’t let this happen again,” he emphasized.

Amdur’s experience has made a deep impact on his life, noting that the friendships he made abroad will last a lifetime, and this experience has driven him to redirect his life. Since coming home on May 10, he has already begun making plans to return overseas and hopefully continue to make a difference.

“I learned that there are good people out there,” Amdur said. “The people I worked with were great. Everybody was trying to do their best for someone else, and it was really uplifting for me to see that.”

Local cook plates up hope for Ukrainian refugees

Valley resident Jon Amdur (left) recently traveled to Przemyśl, Poland, to volunteer with World Central Kitchen, providing immediate food relief to Ukrainian refugees. Courtesy photo

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 3

SCUTTLEBUTT

What's the word on the street? Let us know at news@soprissun.com

Documenting restoration

Charge Ahead

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites the public to participate in documenting the restoration of Sutey Ranch. The ranch was acquired by the BLM through a land exchange in 2017 and restoration efforts, including targeted goat grazing and reseeding, are ongoing in the area with the goal of restoring native vegetation for the benefit of the land and wildlife. Anyone visiting Sutey Ranch can take a photo from one of three marked stations and email the photo to the address on the marker. For more information, visit www.chronolog.io

Cemetery cleanup The Carbondale Parks and Recreation Department will conduct a cleanup of the Hillcrest and Evergreen Cemeteries ahead of Memorial Day, May 30. Decorative materials that are not permitted in accordance with the municipal code, such as glass containers and solar lights, will be removed. For more information, email ebrendlinger@carbondaleco.net

Thinking of installing electric vehicle charging stations at your office, apartment complex or other site with public or visitor parking? There’s grant funding for that. The Colorado Energy Office’s Charge Ahead program will be accepting grant applications online (www.cleanairfleets.org) between May 23 and June 24.

CLEER’s Stefan Johnson is the program’s designated “coach” for 14 counties, including Garfield, and he can help with free technical advice and grant support (sjohnson@cleanenergyeconomy.net).

Carbondale old-timers used to say you should wait until you can see the "Angel on Sopris" to plant your potatoes. The angel appears when the snow in the bowl melts away to form the head and the slide areas below resemble wings. Back in the 1940s, when winter snowfall was more plentiful, the angel appeared near the beginning of June.

Nowadays, we're more likely to see it in early to mid-May. But don't be fooled, Carbondale's average last frost is June 10. So maybe wait until the angel disappears (most of the snow melts) before planting those spuds. Photo and text by Sue Gray

Float Fest

For history’s sake The Carbondale Historical Society is seeking volunteers for the summer season. Volunteer opportunities include: tour guide positions at the Thompson House Museum and The Dinkel Mercantile and History Theater in the pioneer cabin on Weant Boulevard; pouring tea at the new History Cafe on Sundays; and pitching in at the Heritage Gardens. For more information, email info@ carbondalehistory.org

Public Lands Day Wilderness Workshop and Defiende Nuestra Tierra host a bilingual, guided hike to Rifle Arch on Saturday, May 21, at 9 a.m. The hike is about 2.9 miles roundtrip and participants will learn about public lands and how to advocate for them. To register, visit www. wildernessworkshop.org

Roaring Fork Conservancy hosts its 16th annual River Float and Festival on June 4. In the morning, people are invited to float the lower Roaring Fork, while learning about the state of local rivers.

Then, Coryell Ranch hosts an afternoon barbecue, where attendees will have the opportunity to try out paddleboards and fly fishing.

For more information, visit www.roaringfork.org/events

Not so fast food Avalanche Outfitters, Pair A Dice Carriages and Slow Groovin BBQ are teaming up to offer a unique Western Colorado experience. Beginning June 5, on Sundays and Mondays with seatings at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., groups of up to 20 will be carried by wagon up Coal Basin Road then down to a meadow for a buffetstyle barbecue dinner. A discounted test dinner will be offered to locals on May 25 and May 26 (email avalancheoutfitters@gmail. com for details). Otherwise, all reservations can be made at www. redstonestables.com

JOIN THE ASPEN SCIENCE CENTER FOR AN EXCITING SUMMER OF SCIENCE. SCIENCE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! ◊ SCIENCE OF MUSIC SERIES ◊ cohosted with Aspen Music Festival and School. ◊ STARGAZING ◊ at the top of Independence Pass

Programs and events for learners of all ages. ◊ Rocket Camp (ages 7-13) ◊ Robotics (ages 7-13) ◊ Girls in STEM (ages 7-13) ◊ Kinder STEM (ages 5-7) ◊ Early STEM (ages 3-5)

Go to AspenScienceCenter.org for dates and locations.

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RVR Annual Community Garage Sale Sat. May 21 from 9am-2pm Don’t miss this HUGE Annual RVR Community Garage Sale Swing by the Ranch House Swim & Tennis Center to pick up a map of participating homes.

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Eighth Street Renovation work has begun on Eighth Street in Carbondale. Tree, fence and pavement removal is underway and parking is not permitted on both sides of the street from the Rio Grande Trail crossing to Village Road, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I Matter Colorado youth will have extended access to six free mental health sessions with a licensed provider through at least June 30, 2023 and possibly into 2024. The bilingual program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, had been set to expire next month, but the passage of House Bill 221243 allocated an additional $6 million toward the state’s “I Matter” program. Already, 2,600 youth have participated in at least one therapy session scheduled via telehealth. To sign up for this service, visit IMatterColorado.org

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: 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 and Frank Markoya (May 22); Tai Jacober (May 23); Patti Hall, Hannah Horn, Tom Mercer and Diego Rubio Ureña (May 24); Sean Connors, Charlie Cook and Paul Dankers (May 25).

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4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

Regional housing coalition carries on Lamont's legacy

By James Steindler Contributing Editor There is no shortage of housing troubles and no limit to the resources and partnerships needed to strive toward an elusive resolution. The recently-formed Greater Roaring Fork Valley Housing Coalition (GRFVHC) aims to connect communities and organizations tackling the housing crisis locally.

David Myler, a local attorney, and the late Bill Lamont, a longtime Carbondale resident and seasoned city planner, “sparked this movement several years ago,” according to GRFVHC organizer Heather Henry.

The two gentlemen traveled up and down the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys meeting with community leaders.

Initially, Lamont’s ambition was for the group to become a multijurisdictional housing authority. “A housing authority has the ability to go to the voters and ask for taxes,” Myer explained to The Sopris Sun. That tax revenue can be used to finance the development of workforce housing and “a nonprofit can’t do that.” Myler referred to housing authorities as “a creature of statute and agreement.

The statute provides the authority to create an authority, but it requires an intergovernmental agreement among

its members.”

When Myler and Lamont were originally canvassing municipal and county governments, “there wasn’t the political will among the local governments in the Valley to take that step.” There are currently three housing authorities operating within the Valley: Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield County Housing Authorities.

GRFVHC registered with the Secretary of State as a nonprofit in the beginning of April this year. One advantage of being a nonprofit, rather than a housing authority, is that fundraising can be more dynamic.

Whereas housing authorities require a vote to boost tax revenue, “the nonprofit allows a bit more flexibility,” began Henry. “You could still create a taxing district that could provide flow-through funds … but we can also more easily go after grants and receive donations.” Ultimately, “you have multiple ways to put money in the nonprofit.”

The group opted not to pursue becoming a housing authority, but agreed that, “at a minimum, we need a coalition of downvalley entities that can start to work together more collaboratively and more constructively,” explained Henry. “It’s really hard to solve the problem of housing within your own boundaries,” she continued, so tackling

the seemingly insurm o unta b l e crisis entails blurring jurisdictional lines.

In April 2019, the Greater Roaring Fork Regional Housing Study was completed, providing a comprehensive understanding to work from and the data to back it up. “We got really close to a memo of understanding as a group at the end of 2019 … and then COVID hit,” lamented Henry.

The group’s various leaders were forced by the emergent situation to place all their efforts back within their own jurisdiction.

“They were just so overwhelmed — it was crazy, obviously, what it did to housing,” she continued. “So, we pretty much went dormant through all of 2020 and 2021.”

“In just three years, things have changed significantly since that [2019] housing study,” said Henry. For instance, “The financial gap analysis has changed significantly because of the increase in housing prices,” and the level of available housing has dwindled.

In 2021, the state created the COVID-19 Regional Resiliency and Recovery Roadmaps Program, partnering with 16 regions throughout Colorado in service of their respective recovery efforts. Pitkin County leads the Roaring Fork Valley Roadmap group — one of the 16. The group's focus became workforce housing.

It worked out nicely when the Roaring Fork Valley Roadmap group became aware of the developing coalition, setting forth an opportunity

Waiting for trails to dry out? Off-season is a great time to catch up on your reading. Stop by and browse at White River Books!

for collaboration. “Everything sort of just coalesced into this one working group that picked up the ball from 2019 and got it over the finish line,” Henry stated, “getting all of the communities signed on to this multijurisdictional housing coalition.”

GRFVHC has sought guidance from the Eagle County Housing Authority and its derivative organization, The Valley Home Store (TVHS). Its programs include down payment assistance, rental assistance, a cash buyer program —“So if someone is being outbid by a cash buyer, TVHS can basically provide the cash for them to compete,” Henry explained — and a buy-down program, which private homeowners can apply for for the homes to become deed restricted once they eventually go back on the market.

GRFVHC consists of eight foundational entities, each of which contributed $10,000 in start-up funding and will have a seat on its board of directors. These include: Pitkin and Eagle counties, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Colorado Mountain College. Henry stressed that other entities, namely Garfield County and its Colorado River municipalities, have also been a part of discussions “and are very excited to see how things unfold and then will hopefully join the coalition.”

In June, the new nonprofit board will convene for a strategic planning session and “from there, the board of directors will have our roadmap,” stated Henry. The coalition hopes to launch some of its programs before the end of

Coalition inspirator and driving force, the late Bill Lamont. Courtesy photo

2022 to take advantage of American Rescue Plan Act funding that should become available through the State of Colorado later this year.

Much like TVHS, “Most of the programs that we’re looking to put in place will be geographically neutral programs,” said Henry. That means, for instance, rather than funding a housing development that would benefit one community, the assistance programs will be available to each participating jurisdiction’s constituents.

“All of the members of the coalition are individually doing an amazing job, but they did see the benefit of a collaborative and coordinated approach toward housing on a regional basis,” said Myler. “We didn’t form this coalition because they weren’t producing housing and participating in strategies … it was that we thought that we could take it to a different level with this coalition.”

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 5

George Weber and Lynn Pulford prepare for life after CRMS

By Will Sardsinky Sopris Sun Correspondent

Over the past 26 years, George Weber and Lynn Pulford have transformed Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) and, in return, it has transformed them. As they wrap up their final semester of teaching before retirement, they reflect on the value of their time there: introducing them to each other, giving them purpose and even preparing them for their lives post-retirement.

Before working for CRMS, Weber spent 10 years getting to know the school through a friend, Bob Campbell, who worked there. When Campbell turned in his own resignation, he left Weber’s resume with it. At that time, Weber was playing vibraphone in a successful, touring Dixieland band.

Years prior, he had visited and played a jazz show on campus.

“I was playing music I didn't think would be listened to much by high school kids, and so I was worried — this may not work. But just the opposite happened. The kids were extremely respectful, warm, welcoming and appreciative of what I did. It blew me away.”

He began teaching music at CRMS in 1996 and has only continued to experience that same supportive community.

One year later, Weber was leading the 10-day backpacking trip that every new student embarks on prior to the academic year, when Lynn Pulford was assigned to the same trip as a wilderness assistant.

Pulford had been teaching at Colorado Mountain College for several years when Meredith Ogilby, a CRMS teacher, took one of her courses. Ogilby was planning to leave CRMS and encouraged Pulford to apply for the job. “It just sounded like one big adventure with all the different things they did there,” Pulford reflected.

While Weber taught music, Pulford taught photography and dove into new arts such as silversmithing. “It was experiential learning at the beginning, because I really didn't have a lot of training. All the kids just stepped up. We all learned together and we melted things and tried again.”

Over the course of four years, working together in the art department, leading trips together, and seeing each other connect with students, a relationship developed between Weber and Pulford. They admired each other’s care for the students.

It wasn’t always easy, though, as Weber explained, “Friction developed based on spending a lot of time in the same place. But, we worked through that and we worked together really well.”

Other faculty sometimes commented how they themselves could never spend that much time with a significant other.

“They’re pretty amazed that we literally have for years done everything together. We've led trips together.”

“We’ve canoed together!” Pulford interjected, laughing.

Weber laughed along, then finished, “Caring for kids is what we do on trips. We're really like-minded around how we want kids to learn and enjoy. Our first goal is a safe environment, then a fun environment and then let's get some skills along the way.

Teaching how to cook, or how to hike safely, or how to boat safely; it all comes from the same place: our heart.”

For Pulford, love of the students has also been a highlight.

She recalled a few weeks back when she and Weber were packing food and gear for all of the week-long trips leaving the following day. They were way behind and worried about finishing when, out of the blue, a group of students showed up to help. “What the students do inspires me. After their experience here, they’re such good people,” she said.

For Weber, the musicianship that he was able to foster also marked his time at CRMS. Under his leadership, the music program grew from kids playing in the dorms during evenings to a full academic program with five classes per semester and several Coffee House concerts per year. “I really, really enjoy being with kids and watching them learn. When I see somebody learn and get as happy as they get at the end of a rehearsal or a concert — they're just jumping up and down, squealing and hugging each other and running around — that is just incredible to watch happen!”

He continued, “A lot of my students get better than me and pass me right up. I get them started and they just kind of

6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

George Weber and Lynn Pulford. Photo by Will Sardinsky

skyrocket past my own skill level sometimes, and it's really incredible to watch kids become really, really good musicians.”

Time with students outside of the classroom has also taught Weber and Pulford new skills and given them a better grasp on what they want to do with their retirement. Not only did they both learn outdoors skills, but they’ve led trips all over the Mountain West. “I learned how to canoe here,” said Weber.

“We both did.” They’re excited to continue exploring the region while checking out new areas like the Pacific Northwest.

When they’re not out canoeing, camping and hiking, they continues on page 22

Get to know RFSD’s new superintendent

Rodríguez visited schools in the district while interviewing for the job. Courtesy photo

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent When Dr. Jesús Rodríguez came to visit the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) in midApril as one of three finalists for the district’s superintendent position, he said, “I hoped that they got to know who I was as a human being."

He grew up in Brighton, located about 25 miles northeast of Denver, where his

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His parents immigrated from Mexico — his mother, the eldest in a family of nine children, arrived at the age of 15 years and his father, the second oldest of nine children, arrived at 21. Rodríguez said his father, who completed sixth grade and his mother, who finished ninth grade, knew the importance of quality education.

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Rodríguez shared that his school experience wasn’t a great one.

Rewind to eighth grade and a math teacher who would become Rodríguez’s mentor. In an independent math studies class, Rodríguez did the required work but nothing beyond that, so “the teacher said to me, ‘You have so much potential, but If you just do the bare minimum, you’re never going to be able to maximize it or live up to it.’” Rodríguez recalled, “even as a teenager, I knew he was right.”

Learning that life lesson stuck with him.

Rodríguez said, “I knew he cared about me, and he was right — I wanted to do the work.”

However, in high school, not one of his advisors or teachers talked to him about completing FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, or believed that attending college was even on the radar for him.

But, that eighth-grade math teacher would attend Rodríguez's high school graduation.

They talked after the ceremony, and “he asked me, ‘What are you going to do next?’ I answered, ‘I don't know.’”

When asked about college, Rodríguez responded, “I have no idea where to start.” His former teacher replied, ‘Well, I'll pick you up on Monday, and we'll get it figured out.’ And we did.” He drove Rodríguez to the local community college and helped him register for classes.

He also learned about a scholarship opportunity he qualified for because his parents were migrant workers. Such opportunities, Rodríguez said, may elude many Latino students “because they don’t know the scholarship even exists.”

The University of Colorado Boulder’s BUENO Center for Multicultural Education charters the scholarship. Rodríguez recalled,

“As soon as I met the center’s director, Dr. Leonard Baca, and other people like him, I immediately saw a vision for myself because I saw ‘me’ there. And so, pretty early on, I told myself I’m going to get a doctorate someday.”

He and his wife, Elle, first met at a principal preparation program in Denver and began dating after the two were working as principals in Denver public schools.

Currently, Rodríguez and his family live in Dallas. Elle works in education and, after their move, will be able to work remotely, something which factored into his acceptance of the superintendent position. “It’s something that certainly gives us flexibility,” he said. Even better, Elle already has local ties — her uncle and aunt are Steven and Mary Catherine Conger.

They have a two-year-old son named Cosme, “an old family name” and a derivative of the word cosmos. Cozy, as they call him, turned two years old just two days before they came to visit the district.

The Sopris Sun also asked Rodríguez about the family dog. “Well, he’s the sweetest kind,” responded Rodríguez. The seven-and-a-halfyear-old, 100-pound American Bully called Cain is “good pals” with Cozy and, “when they stand next to each other, they’re eye-to-eye.”

Rodríguez and his family expect to be relocated here by July 1. They are excited to be closer to family, including family in the Denver area who will now be able to drive here for visits.

The RFSD superintendency was the first and only superintendent position he had ever applied for. He explained that he wanted to work in a school district where “the strengths and needs of the school district aligned well with my experiences and my background.”

As it turns out, Rodríguez shared, “the Roaring Fork School district was meant to be that place.”

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 7

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Visit soprissun.com to submit events

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The final build day for Red Hill’s new C-Line Trail is on Monday evening, May 23. Register online with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (www.rfov.org). Courtesy photo

THURSDAY, MAY 19 THE ARCTIC Local environmental educator Sarah Johnson will discuss her recent trip to the Arctic at the Basalt Library starting at 5:30 p.m.

Attendees can decorate little boats that will later be deployed in the Arctic Ocean in order to track and observe its current.

More info at www.basaltlibrary.org BONEDALE BIKE WEEK Aloha Mountain Cyclery hosts a scavenger hunt around Carbondale at 6 p.m. for teams of two to six people. All ages are encouraged, phones are needed, helmets are required and costumes are strongly recommended! The after party will include a bike swag raffle.

DISABILITY COALITION Glenwood Springs hosts its first-ever Disability Coalition Forum at the Community Arts Center (601 East Sixth Street) at 6 p.m.

Masks are encouraged but not required.

Sign up or request accommodations at www.bit.ly/DisabilityCoalitionForum FIRE PREPAREDNESS The Carbondale Fire Department (301 Meadowood Drive) hosts a bilingual meeting at 6:30 p.m. to share tips for wildfire preparedness.

May 23rd at 6:00pm at Third Street Center in Carbondale or via Zoom Brought to our community by Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Join Zoom Meeting - https://zoom.us/j/97893023273 Meeting ID: 978 9302 3273 - Passcode: chalice

truu.org

Scan QR Code to Join via Zoom and enter “chalice” 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

FRIDAY, MAY 20 LIBRARY BIRDS Roaring Fork Audubon leads a morning bird walk at the Basalt Library from 7 to 10:30 a.m.

CRMS VISITOR DAY Colorado Rocky Mountain School invites current seventh grade students to tour its campus from 9 to 11 a.m.

To register, visit www.crms.org RIBBON CUTTING Glenwood Springs invites the community to celebrate completion of the new Devereux Trail project at Two Rivers Park with a ceremony at noon.

WORLD MUSIC Valle Musico performs at the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. To register, visit www.basaltlibrary.org CRYSTAL THEATRE “Downton Abbey” shows at the Crystal Theatre at 7:30 p.m. through Monday except at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

ZOË KEATING Composer Zoë Keating performs at The Arts Campus at Willits at 8 p.m.

For tickets, visit www.tacaw.org

SATURDAY, MAY 21 BIRDWATCHING In celebration of Public Lands Day, Colorado Wild Public Lands, English in Action and Roaring Fork Audubon invite you to bilingual guided birdwatching at Glassier Open Space near El Jebel from 7 to 11 a.m. To RSVP, email coloradowildpubliclands@gmail.com COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH Aspen Strong invites the community to a day of free workshops at the Aspen Rec Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LOTUS LANTERNS Learn to make lotus lanterns and celebrate Korean culture at the Carbondale and Glenwood Springs libraries at 1:30 p.m.

Registration at www.gcpld.org CONTRA DANCE All ages and levels are invited to learn a variety of dances, from waltzes to polka, at the Carbondale Community School from 7 to 10 p.m. The Wooden Nickel String Band will provide the tunes. No reservation necessary!

TODD SNIDER Todd Snider performs at The Arts Campus at Willits at 8 p.m. For

tickets, visit www.tacaw.org

SUNDAY, MAY 22 PLANT SALE True Nature hosts Seed Peace for a plant sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and informative talk from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SPRINGFEST Aspen Valley Land Trust invites people to celebrate spring and conservation at the Strang Ranch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. More info at www.avlt.org REAL TIME SCIENCE Sarah R. Johnson of Wild Rose Education, presents about her recent trip to collect weather data on the Arctic Ocean, at the Carbondale Library at 1 p.m. and Glenwood Springs Library at 4 p.m. Participants will receive a small wooden boat to be decorated and deployed for tracking in the Arctic Ocean using satellites. To register, visit www.bit.ly/ArcticEducation OUTLOOK BASICS Learn the ins and outs of your Microsoft Outlook email functions from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Basalt Library. Email agiertz@basaltlibrary.org for more info.

CONTACT IMPROV Contact improvisation is “a conversation between bodies using the language of weight sharing.” Learn more at The Launchpad at 6:30 p.m. For guidelines, visit www.bouldercontactlab.com

MONDAY, MAY 23 AUTHOR TALK Paul Anderson presents his new book, “The Town that said Hell No!” chronicling the people of Crested Butte’s fight against a mining project in the ‘70s. Basalt Library hosts Anderson at 5:30 p.m. To register, visit www.basaltlibrary.org

TUESDAY, MAY 24

TAHITI WELCOME Aspen Polynesia presents Ori Tahiti dances in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage at 2 p.m. at the Carbondale Library and 6 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Library.

MEMORIAL DAY Libraries, schools and government offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day.

MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS “Health is not just about pills and procedures.” La Clínica del Pueblo offers free medical consultations. For details, call Dr. Feinsinger at 970-379-5718.

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

FRIDAY, MAY 27 ESMÉ PATTERSON Indie songwriter Esmé Patterson performs at The Arts Campus At Willits at 8 p.m. For tickets, visit www.tacaw.org

SATURDAY, MAY 28 SPRING BIRD COUNT Assist Roaring Fork Audubon with this 37-year, citizen-science tradition throughout the Valley from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. To register, email smnharris@gmail.com LEAF DROP Through September, the town of Carbondale offers to collect yard waste from residents every other Saturday at Fourth Street and Colorado from 9 a.m. to noon.

PATRONS Elliot & Caroline Norquist

STEWARDS R&A Enterprises

FRIENDS Carbondale Care Care

PROJECT PARTNERS

COMMUNITY CHOIR The Carbondale Community Choir meets at Sopris Park on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

BABY GYM Basalt Library hosts “Indoor Gym” for babies every Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m to 11 a.m.

EL JEBEL BIRDING Roaring Fork Audubon leads a birding trip in El Jebel at 7:30 a.m. To register, email fulcon@comcast.net

EVENT SPONSOR

ONGOING

ASPEN WORDS Aspen Words writer-in-residence Jenn Shapland presents her book, “My Autobiography of Carson McCullers,” at The Arts Campus at Willits at 5:30 p.m.

Registration at www.aspenwords.org

THURSDAY, MAY 26

CRMS BUSINESS PARTNER

MONDAY, MAY 30

STORYTIME AT HOME Every first Tuesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. Garfield County Libraries posts a storytime video to its Youtube page; just search Garfield County Libraries on YouTube.

FURTHER OUT

For making the 57th Annual Scholarship Work Day a smashing success!

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

NEW MOON CEREMONY True Nature Healing Arts hosts a monthly new moon ceremony, utilizing aromatherapy to activate intentions from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Registration at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

AUTHOR TALK Kirk Wallace Johnson will discuss his book “The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century” at the Basalt Library starting at 5 p.m.

Register at www.basaltlibrary.org

CREATIONS & LIBATIONS AspenOUT and The Art Base host the LBGTQIA+ community and allies for an evening of art and socializing beginning at 6 p.m. Register at www.theartbase.org

THANK YOU!

SUNDAY, MAY 29

12 work sites • 135 CRMS volunteers • 810 volunteer hours

In our month of courage, Rev. Norris reflects on the relationship of courage to bravery, community, and resiliency while sharing a bit about his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.

SENIOR LUNCH Every Wednesday at noon, Garfield County Senior Programs provides a nutritious meal for seniors at The Orchard. To reserve a place at the table, call 970-665-0041.

ASK A LAWYER Alpine Legal Services offers a hotline clinic on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Call 970-368-2246 and visit alpinelegalservices.org for the schedule of dates by legal topic.

STORYTIME Children and their parents are invited to storytime at the Carbondale Library on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. More information is at www.gcpld.org UNDER THE SUN Join Sopris Sun correspondents and guests for Everything Under The Sun, airing every Thursday on KDNK at 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 22nd at 10 a.m.

In-Person at Third Street Center in Carbondale or via Zoom

GROUP RUN Independence Run and Hike leads a weekly group run on Thursdays departing from the store’s new location at 6:30 p.m.

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

Join Zoom Meeting - https://zoom.us/j/97893023273 Meeting ID: 978 9302 3273 - Passcode: chalice

truu.org

Scan QR Code to Join via Zoom and enter “chalice”

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 9

Congratulations to graduating athletes at RFHS!

Lacrosse Graduating seniors: Hailey Bledsaw, Alicia Lowe, Yahjairi Castillon, Gracie Pratt and Maddie Mercatoris Soccer Graduating seniors: Sophie Genung, Genesis Quintero, Payton O'Hara, Ashley Torres, Macey Peery, Samira Huezo and Sienna Pargiter-Walker Track Graduating seniors: Cole Pargiter-Walker, Sam Schoon and Noah Bays Baseball Graduating seniors: David Good, Blake Thomas, Nolan Peirson, Henry Richardson, Mason Smith and TJ Metheny

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Competitive salaries, great benefits and more | 970-440-2628 | SoprisLodge.com | 295 Rio Grande Ave., Carbondale | WellAge Managed Community 10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

Sol del

Valle

el

Conectando comunidades desde 2021

Volumen 2, Número 11 |19 de mayo -25 de mayo de 2022

Conoce al nuevo superintendente de RFSD

Rodríguez, su esposa Elle y su hijo de dos años, Cosme, están emocionados por recrear en el Valle y estar más cercanos a familia en Colorado. Foto de cortesía

Por Jeanne Souldern Traducción por Dolores Duarte Cuando el Dr. Jesús Rodríguez vino a visitar el Distrito Escolar de Roaring Fork (RFSD) a mediados de abril, como uno de los tres finalistas para ocupar el puesto de

superintendente del distrito, dijo: "Esperaba que conocieran quién soy como ser humano".

Creció en Brighton, localizado a unas 25 millas al noreste de Denver, donde sus padres eran trabajadores inmigrantes en un invernadero local de flores.

Sus padres emigraron de México: su madre, la mayor de una familia de nueve hijos, llegó a los 15 años y su padre, el segundo de nueve hijos, llegó a los 21. Rodríguez dijo que su padre, quien terminó el sexto grado, y su madre, quien completó el noveno, reconocían la importancia de una educación de calidad.

Rodríguez compartió que su experiencia escolar no fue muy buena.

Retrocediendo hasta el octavo grado y a un profesor de matemáticas quien se convertiría en el mentor de Rodríguez. En una clase independiente de estudios de matemáticas, Rodríguez hizo el trabajo requerido, pero nada más, así que "el profesor me dijo: 'Tienes mucho potencial, pero si te limitas a hacer lo mínimo, nunca vas a poder maximizarlo ni estar a la altura'".

Rodríguez recuerda que "incluso siendo un adolescente, sabía que él

tenía razón".

Aprendió esa lección de vida y se le quedó grabada. Rodríguez dijo: "Sabía que se preocupaba por mí, y él tenía razón: quería hacer el trabajo".

Sin embargo, en high school, ninguno de sus asesores o profesores le habló de completar las solicitudes de FAFSA, ayuda financiera para estudios, o creyó que asistir a la universidad estaba siquiera para él en el radar.

Pero, ese profesor de matemáticas de octavo grado asistió a la graduación de Rodríguez de high school.

Conversaron después de la ceremonia y "me preguntó: '¿Qué vas a hacer después? Le contesté: 'No lo sé'".

Cuando se le preguntó por estudios de college, Rodríguez respondió: "No tengo ni idea de por dónde empezar". Su antiguo profesor le contestó: "Bueno, paso por tí el lunes y lo resolveremos".

Y así lo hicimos. El profesor llevó a Rodríguez al college comunitario local y le ayudó a inscribirse en las clases.

También se enteró de una oportunidad de beca a la que podía aplicar porque sus padres eran trabajadores inmigrantes. Tales oportunidades, dijo Rodríguez, se les puede escapar a muchos estudiantes

latinos "porque no saben siquiera que la beca existe".

El Centro BUENO para la educación multicultural de la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder es quien otorga la beca. Rodríguez recordó: "En cuanto conocí al director del centro, el Dr. Leonard Baca, y a otras personas como él, inmediatamente tuve una visión, porque me vi allí mismo. Y así, muy pronto, me dije que algún día obtendría un doctorado". Él y su esposa, Elle, se conocieron por primera vez en un programa de preparación para directores en Denver y empezaron una relación después de que ambos estaban trabajando como directores en las escuelas públicas de Denver.

Actualmente, Rodríguez y su familia viven en Dallas, Texas. Elle trabaja en el sector de la educación y, tras su traslado, podrá trabajar a distancia, algo que influyó en su aceptación al puesto de superintendente. "Es algo que sin duda nos da flexibilidad", dijo. Y lo que es mejor, Elle ya tiene vínculos locales: sus tíos son Steven y Mary Catherine Conger.

Tienen un hijo de dos años llamado Cosme, "un antiguo nombre de familia" y derivado de la palabra “cosmos”. Cozy, así le llaman, cumplió dos años justo dos días antes de que vinieran a visitar el distrito.

The Sopris Sun también preguntó a Rodríguez por el perro de la familia.

"Bueno, es del tipo más dulce", respondió Rodríguez. Es un American Bully de siete años y medio y 100 libras de peso, llamado Cain, es "buen amigo" de Cozy y, "cuando se ponen uno al lado del otro, están ojo con ojo".

Rodríguez y su familia esperan ser reubicados aquí el 1 de julio. Están entusiasmados por estar más cerca de la familia, incluida la familia en el área de Denver que ahora podrá manejar hasta aquí para visitar.

La superintendencia de RFSD fue el primer y único puesto de superintendente al que ha aplicado.

Explicó que quería trabajar en un distrito escolar en el que "los puntos fuertes y las necesidades del distrito escolar se alinearan bien con mis experiencias y mi formación".

Resulta que, comparte Rodríguez, "el distrito escolar de Roaring Fork estaba destinado a ser ese lugar".

¡Celebremos el Día de las Tierras Públicas de Colorado!

Por Omar Sarabia Director de Defiende Nuestra Tierra En mayo de 2016, Colorado se convirtió en el primer estado de la nación en establecer un feriado estatal para nuestras tierras públicas cuando la Asamblea General de Colorado aprobó un proyecto de ley que establece cada tercer sábado de mayo como el "Día de las Tierras Públicas de Colorado". ¡Este año, el 21 de mayo, celebraremos el 7.º aniversario del Día de las Tierras Públicas de Colorado con una caminata bilingüe al icónico Rifle Arch! Los detalles están a continuación, pero primero, aprendamos un poco más sobre las tierras públicas.

Las tierras y aguas públicas son propiedad del gobierno federal y nos pertenecen a todos.

Son administrados por diferentes partes del gobierno y hay una gran variedad cada uno con diferentes metas y objetivos. En el oeste de los EE. UU., las tierras públicas son una parte importante de la economía y parte de por qué muchas personas encuentran tan atractivo vivir aquí. La tierra pública es diferente de la tierra privada, que es propiedad de un individuo, una empresa u otro tipo de organización no gubernamental.

En el oeste de Colorado, la mayoría de nuestras tierras públicas son administradas por dos agencias federales diferentes: el Servicio Forestal de EE. UU. y la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM). En Wilderness Workshop y Defiende Nuestra Tierra, nuestro trabajo se enfoca en proteger las tierras y aguas administradas por estas agencias. Siempre estamos abogando por nuevas protecciones y luchando por detener proyectos

que tendrían un impacto negativo en las tierras públicas y la vida silvestre y las personas que dependen de ellas y las usan.

Colorado tiene 24 millones de acres de tierras públicas, ¡y la mayoría está aquí en el Western Slope! Quizás se esté preguntando acerca de los diferentes tipos de terrenos públicos; he resaltado algunos de los más comunes que encontramos aquí en Colorado.

Parques Nacionales: Suelen ser grandes extensiones de tierra que protegen una variedad de recursos, incluyendo características naturales e históricas. Los Parques Nacionales sólo pueden ser creados por el Congreso y son administrados por el Servicio de Parques Nacionales. Colorado tiene cuatro parques nacionales: el más cercano a nosotros es el Parque Nacional Black Canyon of the Gunnison, cerca de Montrose.

Bosques Nacionales: Los Parques Nacionales suelen ser los más conocidos, pero los bosques nacionales tienen paisajes igualmente notables y brindan increíbles oportunidades para la recreación. El Servicio Forestal de los EE. UU. administra los bosques nacionales bajo un enfoque de "usos múltiples", lo que significa que estas tierras no se protegen automáticamente y, en muchos casos, están abiertas al desarrollo de los intereses de la tala, la minería, la recreación y el petróleo y el gas. La participación ciudadana y la defensa son clave para proteger las tierras del servicio forestal y BLM a nivel local y en todo nuestro país.

Tierras de la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM, por sus siglas en inglés): las tierras de la BLM, como National Forest, brindan algunas de nuestras mejores oportunidades recreativas locales y también son susceptibles a

la presión del desarrollo. A nivel local, las tierras de BLM ofrecen excelentes caminatas y otras oportunidades, como en Red Hill en las afueras de Carbondale y Rifle Arch (ver más abajo) cerca de Rifle. En todo el país, la BLM también administra un sistema de tierras de conservación para proteger sus valores científicos, culturales, históricos y recreativos. Áreas Silvestres: Las Áreas Silvestres son el estándar de oro de la protección de tierras públicas y se pueden encontrar como parte de Parques Nacionales, Bosques Nacionales o tierras BLM. La Ley de Áreas Silvestres de 1964 permite al Congreso proteger las Áreas Silvestres para garantizar que estos lugares especiales no se desarrollen y permanezcan silvestres para las generaciones futuras. Hay más de 680 áreas silvestres que protegen más de 106 millones de acres en todo nuestro país; Las áreas silvestres brindan la oportunidad de oportunidades recreativas increíbles y más primitivas, que incluyen caza, pesca, mochileros, caminatas, esquí en el interior del condado y rafting. Nuestro destino local más famoso es Maroon BellsSnowmass. ¡El Día de las Tierras Públicas de Colorado es una gran oportunidad para celebrar los muchos tipos de tierras públicas que tenemos en Colorado! Defiende Nuestra Tierra organizará una caminata bilingüe especial el 21 de mayo de 9 a.m. a 12:30 p.m. en el icónico Rifle Arch en las tierras de BLM. El Rifle Arch Trail está justo al norte de Rifle: tiene aproximadamente 2.9 millas de ida y vuelta y es una caminata de fácil a moderada. Después de cruzar los matorrales del desierto, subiremos a una plataforma con vista a Roan Plateau y

Defiende Nuestra Tierra te invita a celebrar el Día de las Tierras Públicas de Colorado con una caminata bilingüe al icónico Rifle Arch.

Foto de Grant Stevens

Battlement Mesa, y finalmente treparemos hasta el impresionante Rifle Arch. Las vistas son fabulosas desde esta parte de la caminata y la pendiente rocosa revela maravillosas formaciones rocosas y majestuosos acantilados.

Pasaremos un tiempo en el Arco aprendiendo un poco más sobre las tierras públicas y cómo puedes ayudar a protegerlas.

Puede registrarse para el evento en nuestra página de Facebook o buscando a Defiende en WhatsApp. ¡Invite a su pareja, amigos o vecinos a unirse a nosotros y celebrar las tierras públicas de Colorado!

OPINIÓN

Revisemos resultados de la Feria de Salud

Esta Columna explica los valores más comunes que la gente recibe en sus resultados de laboratorio.

pulmonar o apnea del sueño.

El MCV (Volumen Corpuscular Medio) se refiere al tamaño de tus glóbulos rojos; el tamaño grande ocurre cuando hay deficiencia de vitamina B12 o en el abuso de alcohol.

Las plaquetas son células pequeñas que ayudan con la coagulación cuando sangras.

Se deben investigar los niveles altos y bajos.

CBC (conteo sanguíneo completo)

En el panel de química sanguínea

Desde La Clínica Por Maria Judith Alvarez

Pensamos en una infección cuando tú conteo de glóbulos blancos (WBC) es alto, o en leucemia cuando el conteo es extremadamente alto. Si está en el lado bajo,es bueno y generalmente significa que no tienes inflamación a menos que esté por debajo de 3.5 puede significar qué hay supresión de la médula ósea y necesitas ver a tu proveedor médico.

El hematocrito y la hemoglobina son tu recuento de glóbulos rojos; si es bajo, tienes anemia lo que debe investigarse.

Los niveles más altos de lo normal a menudo significan niveles bajos de oxígeno debido a una enfermedad

En la glucosa, el doctor Feinsinger mi mentor, siempre está buscando prediabetes, diabetes y consideran que la glucosa en ayunas deben estar entre 70 y 80, siendo 90 el valor más alto que es aceptable. El “BUN” (nitrógeno ureico) se usa para evaluar la función renal pero este a menudo se eleva cuando estás deshidratado debido a un ayuno nocturno cuando te vas a realizar exámenes. Una indicación más importante de la función renal anormal es la creatinina y la tasa de filtración glomerular (GFR). Si la creatinina está elevada y/o la GFR es menor a 60, podría indicar una enfermedad renal crónica.

ALT y AST nos ayudan a medir la salud del hígado: si tienes sobrepeso con una elevación leve en una o ambas de estas pruebas, lo más probable es que tengas hígado graso, aunque es necesario descartar hepatitis crónica, tumores y abuso de alcohol.

La bilirrubina marcador de la salud del hígado, muchas personas normales tienen una elevación leve, lo que no es motivo de preocupación siempre y cuando las otras pruebas hepáticas estén normales.

La fosfatasa alcalina es otra prueba hepática, si se encuentra elevada es necesario hacer una investigación adicional.

El ácido úrico elevado significa una mayor probabilidad de gota y cálculos renales.

Calcio si el nivel es bajo o alto, es probable que haya un problema de las paratiroides que son pequeñas glándulas en la tiroides que regula el metabolismo del calcio.

Panel de lípidos Las pautas dicen que el colesterol total debe ser menor a 200; las HDL (Colesterol bueno mayor a 40 en hombres o en mujer posmenopausica, mayor a 50 en una mujer premenopáusica; y

12 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 19 de mayo - 25 de mayo de 2022

triglicéridos menor a 150;LDL (colesterol malo) entre 30 y 40.

Hemoglobina glicosilada o A1c La A1c nos dice cuál ha sido tu nivel promedio de azúcar o glucosa durante los 3 meses anteriores ( los últimos 3 meses). El valor normal es menor de 5.7. Los niveles de 5.7 a 6.4 significan prediabetes. 6.5 o más indican diabetes.

THS (hormona estimulante de la tiroides) TSH está alto, Significa que tu tiroides está “lenta o baja” y a esto se le llama hipotiroidismo. Un resultado de la TSH bajo se relaciona con una tiroides hiperactiva, y esto se le llama Hipertiroidismo. Si la TSH es anormal, consulta a tu proveedor médico para una evaluación adicional.

PSA (antigenico specifico prostatico) Si el nivel es mayor a 4.0 o si hay un aumento de 1 punto o más durante un año, nos preocupamos por el cáncer de próstata, aunque la infección de la próstata también puede causar elevación del PSA. La Clínica del Pueblo ofrece consultas médicas gratuitas donde podremos revisar tus resultados y ayudarte a cuidar tu salud. Para una cita llaman a Isabel al 970-984-1072. ¡La salud no solo es cuestión de pastillas y procedimientos quirúrgicos!

Donaciones por correo o en línea P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Editor Raleigh Burleigh • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Editora Contribuyente Crystal Mariscal Directore Artístico Hattie Rensberry Diseñadora de anuncios Alyssa Ohnmacht Traductoras Jacquelinne Castro y Dolores Duarte Distribucion Frederic Kischbaum Executive Director Todd Chamberlin • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Miembros de la Mesa Directiva Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke Lee Beck • Megan Tackett Gayle Wells • Donna Dayton Terri Ritchie • Eric Smith el Sol del Valle agradece por su apoyo a: MANUAS, FirstBank y Alpine Bank The Sopris Sun, Inc. es una 501(c)(3) organización benéfica sin fines de lucro.

Contribuciones financieras son deducibles de impuestos. ¡ESCRÍBENOS! Para contribuir ideas y contenido al Sol del Valle, escribiéndonos a: sol@soprissun.com Para comprar espacio publicitario en español, inglés, o ambos, mándanos un correo electrónico a:

adsales@soprissun.com

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

OPINIÓN

Volver a lo Esencial Por Triny Rochin

Como ya se ha mencionado en este espacio, es nuestra intención volver las familias a la práctica de los principales valores fundamentales. Cada uno de nosotros tiene su propia escala de valores, esto significa que cada uno actuará de manera diferente antes las situaciones de la vida de acuerdo con lo que para esa persona sea importante o de valor. Los seres humanos tenemos un valor intrínseco, absoluto.

Cada persona tiene un valor especial y hemos de tratarlas con el debido respeto, en realidad, debemos actuar respetuosamente, aunque sintamos poca o ninguna admiración por otra persona u objeto. ¿A qué exactamente nos referimos cuando hablamos del respeto? De acuerdo con el Diccionario de la Real Academia

Respetar es honrar Española “El respeto está relacionado con la veneración o el acatamiento que se hace a alguien”. Respetar es honrar, considerar y ser amables o corteses principalmente con las personas, pero también con lugares, con las costumbres o tradiciones, así como con instituciones y los oficios de las personas. Si el respeto es modelado y enseñado como un valor en la familia, tendremos individuos respetuosos en los campos de trabajo, en las escuelas y la sociedad como tal se verá beneficiada ya que la conducta respetuosa fomenta relaciones armoniosas y hace que las situaciones ásperas o difíciles de la vida sean más fáciles de manejar.

Debemos respetar a todas las personas, desde nuestros padres, cónyuge, hijos y ancianos. Así como a todas las personas puestas en autoridad sobre nosotros, como lo son gobernantes, toda persona que representa autoridad en el trabajo, en las escuelas e iglesias. En fin, a toda persona sin distinción de sexo, color, nacionalidad, credo o clase social. Debemos incluso respetar nuestros cuerpos, respetar las propiedades ajenas, la reputación y las opiniones de otras personas, así como sus derechos.

Hay diferentes maneras de

mostrar el respeto, en todas las culturas de todos los tiempos ha habido diferentes formas de hacerlo. Algunos ejemplos de esto son, quitarse el sombrero ante una persona o ponerse de pie al cantar el himno de una nación.

Así también en la familia hay muchas maneras de mostrarles a nuestros seres queridos que les valoramos por medio del respeto que les damos. Nuestra familia debe saberse no sólo amada sino respetada, esto les hará sentirse valorados y afirmados en su identidad.

En la familia, las muestras de respeto pueden ir desde lo más sencillo hasta lo más complejo, algunas de estas son: el recordar y estar presentes en fechas y eventos importantes para otros miembros de la familia, cuando estamos presentes les estamos dando un valor y un respeto, les estamos dejando saber que tan importantes son para nosotros.

La manera en la que miramos es otra manera de dar o faltar al respeto a alguien, hay miradas que pueden ser despectivas, o simplemente el no voltear a mirar, es común hoy en día que mientras alguien nos habla uno continúe con su mirada puesta en su celular o algún otro dispositivo electrónico negando así su atención y faltando al respeto a la otra persona.

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"Hay diferentes maneras de mostrar el respeto, en todas las culturas de todos los tiempos ha habido diferentes formas de hacerlo".

Lo que decimos y cómo lo decimos puede también ser una manera de mostrarnos respetuosos o irrespetuosos, debemos cuidar el tono de nuestra voz, y evitar a toda costa el sarcasmo o las palabras que puedan herir o dañar los sentimientos de nuestros seres queridos. Hay ocasiones en que nos abstenemos de decir las cosas, pero lastimamos de otras maneras, como con nuestras expresiones faciales o corporales, estas deben siempre ser las apropiadas, realmente debemos estar dispuestos a cambiar toda actitud o comportamiento que pueda hacer daño a quienes más amamos, a nuestra familia.

Aunque es importante saberse divertir en familia, la risa no debe ser a cuesta de los sentimientos de nuestros seres queridos, debemos entender que las personas, algunas

cosas o temas simplemente no son los adecuados para bromear, la burla puede ser muy dañina, evitemosla.

Finalmente, es de vital importancia que el matrimonio se trate con amor y respeto entre sí, esto causará un impacto en los hijos, en el caso contrario el impacto será negativo. Sin respeto uno tiende a responder con un comportamiento inapropiado.

Ahora, le invito a meditar en su propia situación familiar, tal vez pueda recordar algún momento cuando alguien en la familia se sintió irrespetado, ¿cómo manejo la situación? Recuerde, tanto padres como hijos necesitamos sentirnos amados y respetados. Si usted desea profundizar en este tema o recibir ayuda, contáctenos, estaremos felices de conectarlo a expertos en consejería familiar.

Reunión Comunitaria de Prevenciones para Incendios Forestales

FOMENTAR UN PERIODISMO LOCAL, INDEPENDIENTE Y DIVERSO PARA HOY Y PARA LAS FUTURAS GENERACIONES $250 ayudan a proveer una reserva de fondos para apoyar a nuestros colaboradores locales por el increíble trabajo que hacen cada semana.

OFRECER INSTRUCCIÓN Y EXPERIENCIAS DE CRECIMIENTO A PERIODISTAS EN DESARROLLO $500 financian un semestre entero para un estudiante de nuestro nuevo programa de periodismo en la escuela secundaria.

PROPORCIONAR COBERTURA A COMUNIDADES DESATENDIDAS $1,000 dólares proveen recursos para ampliar la redacción y distribución de la sección en español.

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El Sopris Sun es una plataforma 501c3 impulsada por la comunidad. Tus donaciones son deducibles de impuestos.

SE ACERCA LA TEMPORADA DE INCENDIOS FORESTALES Reúnase con profesionales de incendios forestales De los Bomberos de Carbondale protegerse a sí mismo y su hogar JUEVES, 19 DE MAYO DE 2022 • 6:30 P.M. 301 Meadowood Drive Edificio de Bomberos de Carbondale

EL SOL DEL VALLE • Conector de comunidad • 19 de mayo - 25 de mayo de 2022 • 13

Por Jeanne Souldern Traducción por Dolores Duarte La cantautora, multiinstrumentista y profesora de música de Carbondale, Natalie Spears, ofrece un campamento de verano de composición para jóvenes de 10 a 13 años en dos sesiones: Del 18 al 22 de julio y del 25 al 29 de julio en The Launchpad de Carbondale.

Spears espera "seguir capacitando a los niños para que encuentren su voz creativa" en su segundo año de campamento de composición.

Dice que el proceso de composición no tiene por qué ser intimidante.

"Algunos niños son compositores y músicos experimentados, y otros sienten curiosidad por el proceso de composición. El año pasado, los alumnos más experimentados nos ayudaron a dar cuerpo a las partes musicales".

Una de las actividades de los estudiantes — la recolección de semillas de canciones — consiste en recoger fragmentos de inspiración para componer canciones mientras pasean por Carbondale. Los estudiantes reúnen sonidos — pájaros, coches, pasos o ideas líricas — plasmándolos en un cuaderno o en un dispositivo de grabación.

En conjunto, comparten sus hallazgos, que son el punto de partida para escribir una canción. Spears explica: "Si alguien escucha pájaros, podemos idear cómo hacer esos sonidos en el piano, que se convierten en notas de una melodía. Puede que nos desviemos mucho de los sonidos originales, pero a través de ese proceso,

Jóvenes encuentran su voz en un campamento de composición

Natalie Spears, acá con su mascota, Jazz, ofrecerá un campamento de composición con otros músicos del Valle. Foto de cortesía

empezamos a escribir canciones".

Algunos estudiantes hacen un taller con sus canciones durante el grupo o se unen con otros estudiantes. Spears explica: "A veces vienen sólo con la letra y no saben cómo ponerle música.

Pero tenemos algunos estudiantes que tocan instrumentos, que nos ayudan a ver cómo añadir acordes".

Spears cuenta que el año pasado, un estudiante, al que le gusta la ciencia, dijo que no se le ocurría un tema para una canción. "Así que empezamos a hablar y le pregunté: '¿Qué es algo que te gusta?'. Me contestó: 'Bueno, en este

momento, ¡me encantan las abejas!”.

Entonces tomó notas mientras el compartía sus conocimientos sobre las abejas. Al repasar la lista, empezaron a rimar juntos datos relacionados con las abejas. Al poco tiempo, habían escrito una canción sobre ellas. "Este chico era tímido delante de la gente, pero tenía la música y las ideas por dentro".

El taller puede ofrecer becas completas a estudiantes que lo necesitan gracias a la generosidad de Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS). Esto le permitirá a Spears disponer de los recursos que necesita y, al mismo

tiempo, ofrecerá oportunidades a un grupo más amplio de jóvenes del valle de Roaring Fork.

La vicepresidenta principal de JAS, Andrea Beard, explicó que, desde 1991, la organización ha invertido 8 millones de dólares en programas escolares, desde Aspen hasta Parachute.

También ofrecen campamentos musicales de verano para jóvenes, pero con un enfoque en instrumentación.

Hace unos dos años, JAS inició un concurso de compositores en todo el valle, abierto a estudiantes de quinto a doceavo grado.

A principios de este año, dijo Beard, "Natalie nos pidió que nos asociáramos en el campamento. Le pregunté por las necesidades, y me dijo que la mayoría eran para becas, así que nos pareció lo más razonable poder ofrecer becas a los estudiantes, porque es algo que queremos ver crecer en el valle, a través de nuestro concurso y con diferentes eventos".

Spears invita a un músico del valle de Roaring Fork a cada clase para que comparta su experiencia de cómo llegó a la composición de canciones. Muchos de ellos tienen historias similares, como la de "algunos chicos que leen poemas o palabras y luego inventan melodías instintivamente.

Otros pueden empezar a escribir canciones y no parar nunca. O si se les dice en algún momento, que es una canción tonta, entonces les da vergüenza y dejan de hacerlo".

El campamento está abierto a los jóvenes que viven en el valle de Roaring Fork. El costo es de $350 dólares, con planes de pago disponibles.

La organización sin fines de lucro Stepping Stones, sede en Carbondale, proporcionará pases de autobús gratuitos del RFTA. La inscripción está abierta en www.nataliespears.com.

Para Spears, la belleza del campamento de composición es que "algunos estudiantes llegan al campamento llenos de música y canciones" en busca de una vía de expresión, un lugar en donde a sus canciones se les da voz.

Divertirse nunca es fuera de estilo.

Pitkin County Senior Services apoya y aboga para adultos mayores y sus familias.

Ofrecemos un espacio acogedor para que la comunidad se reúna y disfrute de comida sana, ejercicio y clases educativas.

Venga a visitarnos, ¡y traiga un amigo!

(970) 920-5432 pitkinseniors.com

Cada vez que usas tu tarjeta de débito Loyalty*, Alpine Bank dona diez centavos a las causas comunitarias que son importantes para ti. ¡Solicita tu tarjeta hoy mismo! *Las tarjetas de débito de Alpine Bank están disponibles sin cuota anual para personas con una cuenta de cheques de Alpine Bank.

INDEPENDENCIA • COMUNIDAD • COMPASIÓN • INTEGRIDAD • LEALTAD ES.ALPINEBANK.COM • MEMBER FDIC

14 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 19 de mayo - 25 de mayo de 2022

(970) 920-5432 pitkinseniors.com

CHISME DEL PUEBLO Traducción por Jacquelinne Castro

(www.cleanairfleets.org) entre el 23 de mayo y el 24 de junio. El entrenador designado de 14 distritos del programa de CLEER es Stefan Johnson, y él puede ayudarle con consejos técnicos y apoyo con la subvención gratuita (sjohnson@cleanenergyeconomy.net).

Restauración de documentación La Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM) invita al público a participar en documentar la restauración de Sutey Ranch.

El rancho fue adquirido por BLM por medio del intercambio de tierras en el 2017 y los esfuerzos de restauración, incluyendo el pastoreo y la siembra, están en curso en el área con la meta de restaurar la vegetación nativa para el beneficio de la tierra y la vida salvaje. Cualquier persona que visite Sutey Ranch puede tomar una foto en alguna de las tres ubicaciones marcadas y enviar la foto por correo electrónico a la dirección marcada. Para más información, visite www.chronolog.io

Calle Ocho La construcción para la renovación ha comenzado en la Calle Ocho de Carbondale. La eliminación de árboles, cercas y acera ya está en marcha y el estacionamiento estará cerrado en ambos lados de la calle al lado contrario del cruce entre Rio Grande Trail y Village Road, de lunes a viernes de 7 a.m. a 5 p.m.

Consultas médicas “La salud no es solamente pastillas y procedimientos” La Clínica de Nuestro Pueblo ofrece consultas médicas gratis. Para más detalles, llame a Isabel al 970-984-1072.

Limpieza de cementerio

Roaring Fork Conservancy presenta su 16o River Float and Festival el 4 de junio. En la mañana, las personas están invitadas a flotar a lo largo de la parte baja de Roaring Fork mientras aprenden acerca del estado de los ríos locales. Después, Coryell Ranch anfitriona una tarde de parrilla donde los asistentes tendrán la oportunidad de probar navegar en ríos con tabla y pesca. Para más información, visite www.roaringfork.org/events

Comida no tan rápida Avalanche Outfitters, Pair A Dice y Slow Groovin BBQ se han unido para ofrecer una experiencia única del oeste. Comenzando el 5 de junio, los domingos y lunes con asientos a las 5 p.m. y 7 p.m., grupos de hasta 20 personas serán llevadas en un vagón hacia Coal Basin Road y luego a un prado para disfrutar de una parrilla. Una cena de prueba con descuento a los locales será ofrecida el 25 de mayo

"Se levantan sus hijos y la llaman bienaventurada; Y su marido también la alaba: Muchas mujeres hicieron el bien; Más tú sobrepasas a todas". -Proverbios 31:28-29 Sin duda esta mujer ha sobrepasado a muchas. Celia Prieto de Silt es una madre abnegada, sin egoísmo, dispuesta a no solo hacer el bien por su familia, si no por cualquier necesitado. De parte de sus hijos que la amamos, respetamos y llamamos bienaventurada. Foto de cortesía

y el 26 de mayo. (envíe un correo electrónico a avalancheoutfitters@ gmail.com para más detalles). Por lo contrario, todas las reservaciones pueden ser hechas en www.redstonestables.com

Carga más adelante ¿Ha pensado en instalar estaciones de carga de vehículos en su oficina, complejo de apartamentos o algún otro sitio con estacionamiento público o de visitante? Hay una subvención disponible para eso. El programa Charge Ahead de la Oficina de Energía de Colorado estará aceptando solicitudes en línea

La biblioteca de Basalt está buscando contratar a un coordinador de enlace. La persona en este puesto debe ser bilingüe en español e inglés. Este puesto es responsable de conectar la biblioteca con personas hispanohablantes en nuestra área para servir mejor a nuestra comunidad. Encuentra más información en www. basaltlibrary.org/jobs

Observación de aves En celebración del Día de Tierras Públicas, a Colorado Wild Public Lands, English in Action y Roaring Fork Audubon les gustaría invitarte a una observación de aves bilingüe en Glassier Open Space cerca de El Jebel desde las 7 a.m. hasta las 11 a.m. el 21 de mayo. Para confirmar tu asistencia, envíe un correo electrónico a coloradowildpubliclands@gmail.com

¡Síguenos en Facebook! ¡No te pierdas ninguna novedad! Sigue a “Sol del Valle” en Facebook para estar al tanto de nuestras historias, columnas y chismes más recientes, incluyendo contenido no incluido en la versión impresa.

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15 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 19 de mayo - 25 de mayo de 2022

POST-RIDE PARTY

barbecue and raffle at the winter gate immediately following the Ride (weather and COVID-dependent).

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El Departamento de Parques y Recreación de Carbondale llevará a cabo una limpieza en los cementerios Hillcrest y Evergreen antes del Día de los Caídos el 30 de mayo. Materiales decorativos que no estén permitidos de acuerdo con el código municipal, así como contenedores de vidrio y luces solares, serán removidos. Para más información envíe un correo electrónico a ebrendlinger@ carbondaleco.net

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Constellation work offers ancestral healing

By James Steindler Contributing Editor Many acknowledge that there are forces which exist outside our conscious understanding, forces that affect and influence our experience. In that vein, there is a new type of therapy taking hold that entails delving into one’s ancestral trauma to bring about change in their own life.

Constellation work, a method founded by Bert Hellinger, explores the relationship between one’s mental health and the experience of their ancestors. Carol Shure is leading this therapeutic approach locally.

Shure, like many Carbondale inductees, moved to the area to attend Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS). “It was life-changing for me … the connection to the land and the people … I think that was the first time in my teenage years that I belonged somewhere,” she recalled.

After that rewarding experience at CRMS, Shure moved back to Illinois and began a rigorous regimen of introspective therapy — a search for internal peace.

Eventually, however, she found herself back in Carbondale, raising a family and embracing the local community. In fact, Shure started the Artist Collective on Main Street.

“I had this business that was doing well. I had my children and this beautiful home and partner, and I was miserable,” she recounted. “I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I had everything that people said would make me happy.” Fundamentally, however, “I was really, really miserable. I was at a place in my life where I just felt like I was being called all the time to something,” but she didn’t know what that was exactly.

She likened this condition with Joseph Campbell’s teachings in “The Hero’s Journey,” stating, “If you’re being called … you’ll continually be called until you answer it.”

In 2002, Shure followed the call to Eugene, Oregon, selling her store and home in Carbondale. Within a year, she met her Systemic Family Constellation teacher.

Carol Shure. Courtesy photo

Constellation work “All of our families have been impacted by the World Wars, pandemics,” etcetera, Shure explained. That trauma our ancestors endured, she said, can affect our own physical and mental being.

There are three levels of trauma, according to Shure.

“There’s our own personal trauma … ancestral — which is transgenerational — and then there’s the collective level.”

She continued, “If we don’t address the unhealed wounds of our ancestors — or our own unhealed wounds — then we pass it on.”

Through constellation work, that trauma can be brought to the surface of consciousness and then worked through.

“If we don’t make those things conscious, then they’re still

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alive in us,” she stated.

“If we can tend to that trauma within ourselves and our lineage, then it doesn’t have to be an unconscious process anymore … because unconscious energy is destiny, but conscious energy has a choice,” she explained.

However, bringing about that awareness entails an awakening. Shure uses a guided systemic constellation process to that end. Each constellation workshop addresses one person’s trauma; however, several others participate to bring that individual’s and their ancestors’ baggage to the surface. The outside participants are arranged into “morphogenetic fields,” a concept and term coined by biologist Rupert Sheldrake. The person in the “hot seat” then connects with elements or figures from their ancestral lineage.

“It’s kind of a full body experience,” Shure began to explain. “You have to use all of your senses and you get better and better at it.” The process is an emotional one and the generational trauma can manifest in many tears and sometimes laughter.

What excites Shure is that the endeavor has the power to shift embedded, inherited trauma.

“I never imagined myself working with ancestors,” Shure told The Sopris Sun. However, “The realm of the ancestors in every indigenous culture is very real — just as real as the physical reality we are in,” she noted.

While Shure recognizes that the work is only beginning to take hold in the United States, for instance, there is a new Netflix series called “Sex, Love and Goop” that highlights the practice, she explained that the form of therapy is widely accepted in Europe.

“I think there is so much hope in this work and our ability to create a life of peace and contentment,” she concluded.

Shure is grateful to Rita Marsh and the Center for Human Flourishing for supporting her work. The next constellation workshop takes place at the Third Street Center on May 21, starting at 10 a.m. For more information or to register, visit www.carolshure.com

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By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent Carbondale singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music teacher Natalie Spears is offering a summer songwriting camp for youth ages 10 to 13 in two sessions: July 18 through July 22 and July 25 through 29 at The Launchpad in Carbondale.

Spears hopes to “continue to empower kids to find their creative voice” in her second year of songwriting camp.

She said the songwriting process needs not be an intimidating one. “Some kids are experienced songwriters and musicians, and others are curious about the songwriting process. Last year, the more experienced student musicians helped us flesh out the musical parts.”

One student activity — song seed collecting — involves scooping up snippets of songwriting inspiration while strolling through Carbondale.

Students gather sounds — birds, cars, footsteps or lyrical ideas — by collecting them in a notebook or on a recording device.

As a group, they share their findings, which become the launching place for writing a song.

Spears explained, “If someone hears birds, we might figure out how to make those sounds on the piano, which becomes notes in a melody. We might deviate far from the original sounds, but through that process, we start writing songs.”

Some students workshop their songs in the group or pair up with

Youth find voice with songwriting camp

other students. Spears explained, “Sometimes they come with only lyrics, and they don't know how to put music to it. But we have some students, who play instruments, who help us figure out how to add chords.”

Spears said that last year, a student, who loves science, said he couldn’t think of a subject for a song. “So we started chatting, and I asked, ‘What

do you love?’ He said, ‘Well, right now, I love bees!’ She then took notes as he shared his knowledge about bees. Going through that list, they started rhyming bee facts together.

Before long, they had written a song about bees. “This kid was shy in front of people but had the music and ideas in him.”

The workshop is able to offer full

scholarships for students in need thanks to the generosity of Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS). This will afford her with the resources she needs while also bringing opportunity to a broader group of Roaring Fork Valley youth.

JAS Senior Vice President Andrea Beard explained that, since 1991, the organization has put $8 million into

Spears said her summer youth songwriting camp will help “connect the dots” with JAS songwriting programming. From last year's camp, (left to right) Natalie Spears, Griffin Didier, Jack Dahl, Maya Rose Lindbloom, Hazel Lazar and Jenny Hill. Courtesy photo

school programming, from Aspen to Parachute. They also offer summer youth music camps, but with a focus on instrumentation. About two years ago, JAS began a Valley-wide songwriter's competition, open to students in grades five through 12.

Earlier this year, Beard said, “Natalie asked us about partnering on the camp. I asked about needs, and she said most were for scholarships, so it seemed like a no-brainer for us to be able to provide scholarships for students, because it's something we want to see grow in the Valley — through our competition and different events.”

Spears invites a fellow Roaring Fork Valley musician to each class to share their experience of how they came to songwriting. Many of them have similar stories, like “some kids who read poems or words, and then they make up melodies instinctually.

Others may start writing songs and never stop. Or if they're told, at some point, that it's a silly song, then they get shy about it and stop.”

Camp is open to youth living in the Roaring Fork Valley. Tuition is $350, with payment plans available.

Carbondale-based mentoring nonprofit Stepping Stones will provide free RFTA bus passes.

Registration is open at www. nataliespears.com For Spears, the beauty of songwriting camp is that “some students come into camp full of music and song” looking for an avenue for expression — a place where their songs are given a voice.

Community Wildfire Prevention Meeting

WILDFIRE SEASON IS COMING Meet with wildfire professionals from Carbondale Fire and learn and what you can do to protect yourself and your home Thursday, May 19, 2022 • 6:30 p.m.

301 Meadowood Drive Carbondale Fire Headquarters Building 17 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

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AVLT strives to protect 50,000 acres by 2032 Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) has recently published a 10-year strategic plan which lays out the organization’s ambitious goal of conserving 40,000-50,000 acres in the next 10 years.

AVLT was the first land trust in Colorado and, in its 55 years, has helped conserve 69 square miles of land from De Beque to Aspen. The nonprofit also helped to form Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, which has become a key partner with a common mission.

Conservation easements are “a tool that land trusts use to protect land while also allowing for continued private ownership and management,” explains a brochure. These non-governmental, voluntary agreements between a land trust and land owner restrict

how a property is used into perpetuity. If sold or transferred, the legally-binding agreement, once established, runs with the land title.

Property owners negotiate parameters that allow for certain uses, like agriculture, while essentially preventing the land from being subdivided and developed. “Land conservation is meant to keep treasured places open and natural and to protect our region’s land, water, wildlife and culture,” reads the same brochure.

With land prices soaring, AVLT recognizes that human habitat often coincides with the most fertile lands for agriculture and biodiversity. While clarifying that they are not “anti-development,” and work in strategic partnership with municipalities for “smart growth,” AVLT sees a dire need to preserve open space.

To incentivize protecting land with public values, like food production, recreation and

The red areas on this courtesy map indicate land protected by AVLT.

Opening

habitat, the state and federal governments treat a conservation easement as a charitable gift and offer tax credits. In the state of Colorado, this tax credit is 90% of the value of the land prior to conservation subtracted by the assessed value once conserved. The federal government, meanwhile, offers a nontransferable tax deduction.

In order to cash out on the state tax credit, it may be sold at a discount (typically around 85% of its value) and transferred. Erickson called this opportunity a “tangible lifeline to farmers and ranchers” who may invest the capital back into their operation.

AVLT is part of a larger movement of land trusts around the state and country. Early in 2021, the Biden Administration announced its goal of conserving 30% of the country’s land and water by 2030, doubling the amount of protected private land within a decade.

Already, protected private land constitutes 61 million acres in the United States, more than all the national parks combined.

Statewide, the movement has been dubbed “Keep It Colorado” by land trusts and partners (including Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Trinchera Blanca Foundation and the Gates Family Foundation). The collaboration acknowledges that 60% of land in Colorado is privately-owned. In AVLT’s service area, 35% of the land is private, surrounded by public lands, national forests and wilderness.

AVLT’s 10-year strategic plan is based on three years of outreach. The nonprofit is sensitive to the need for housing and not competing with growth and development.

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between communities. Within the context of a changing climate, local food production contributes to community resilience, while wildlife corridors allow animals to migrate unimpeded in response to environmental shifts.

As land trusts, alongside other facets of society, reconcile with systemic inequality, the focus on improving access to natural resources for all people is given priority along with landscape-scale conservation within the selection approach for projects. Communityenhancing projects are also eligible for state funding, in the form of Great Outdoors Colorado grants provided through lottery tax revenue, for example.

In regards to community-driven conservation, Stewardship Director Dave Erickson referred to AVLT’s humble beginnings. The organization was founded in 1967 to save pocket parks from development in Aspen, beginning with Freddie Fisher Park at .13 acres (see the humble park’s musical namesake in action as Colonel Corn at www. bit.ly/FreddieFisher).

The recently-acquired, 141-acre Coffman Ranch will serve as AVLT’s “ambassador land,” a working ranch owned by the organization with elements of habitat restoration and new public access to the Roaring Fork River. A master plan detailing how the property will serve for outreach is currently in process.

Upcoming opportunities to engage with Aspen Valley Land Trust: Springfest, May 22, BBQ picnic at Strang Ranch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cocktails at Coffman Ranch, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, and again on August 18.

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Valley Folk: Shoota Baby

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent It’s no secret that the Roaring Fork Valley is brimming with a wide variety of artists, ranging from painters to performers. The live events span many genres, including country/bluegrass, folk, punk and rock. The Valley is not, however, known especially for hip-hop and rap music. This may change, thanks to an ambitious young independent lyricist that goes by the name of Shoota Baby.

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Shoota Baby journeyed west several years ago after the passing of his grandmother. He “stumbled upon” Glenwood Springs by chance, after getting lost on his way here, and started working at a fast food restaurant.

He is set to perform several shows this summer, including a private party in Aspen, he told The Sopris Sun, where he will open for a world-renowned rapper, Flo Rida. He is also excited to announce that he has a brand new EP which will be released on all streaming platforms this summer.

“I moved here for a new life and a different experience,” said Shoota Baby. “I wanted to see mountains and stuff, because where I am from, everything is flat. So, I wanted a different environment.”

He said that he was inspired by his mother to pursue a career in rap. She had a career producing music before changing her creative profession to poetry. Shoota Baby was also influenced by other big names in the genre, such as Coolio and Lil Wayne. “I was like, ‘Okay, I like this.’ But when I started listening to Lil Wayne, I was like, ‘I like the way this dude raps, I love it,’ and I thought I wanted to do the same thing as him. That is one of my biggest influences, Lil Wayne.”

Like many local independent artists, Shoota Baby has faced ups and downs.

He told The Sopris Sun that his biggest personal struggle has been promoting his music on a large scale. He found that sharing music within his interpersonal circle keeps him motivated.

“It is really paying off, because my music is distributed through DistroKid, and I actually get all the money back.

They don’t take anything out from me. So,

LETTERS

OBITUARY

Galen Christopher Bittel November 20, 1980 - December 17, 2021

Originally from New Orleans, Shoota Baby brings a passion for rap and hip-hop to Glenwood Springs. Courtesy photo

whatever I send out, per stream/per listen all comes back to me. I just send it out and, hopefully, they buy or stream it, and then boom!”

When asked about highlights from his time in the Valley, he spoke about the shows that he has performed and shared a memory of freestyle rapping on the stage at the 2020 X Games with Swae Lee, Slim Jxmmi and Rae Sremmurd. A booking agent that saw the performance asked him to open the following year, which was unfortunately halted due to COVID-19.

“The crowd knew who I was. I was in the front row and one of my friends was like, ‘dude, you should totally freestyle on the mic,’ so everyone just started chanting my name and Swae Lee says to the crowd, ‘This guy here wants to freestyle, what do you think?’ and the crowd went wild.

He hands me the mic and I just started rapping. That was one of my biggest accomplishments, so far,” Shoota Baby recounted.

While hopeful for a record deal in the future, he said that he’s happy to continue building his career independently and looks forward to performing more shows with the release of his EP. To keep up with Shoota Baby, find him on Instagram, @ shoota__baby

Thanks RFOV!

Coincidence or correlation?

The Carbondale Age-Friendly Community Initiative — CAFCI — would like to offer our appreciation to Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) for designing their media with “all ages, abilities and backgrounds in mind.”

Take a look at their website and their activities. All of their events are described with the following six characteristics: physically easwwy, physically moderate, physically difficult, family-friendly, accessible-to-all and overnight.

Each designation has a colorcoded icon, enabling everyone to plan their day and support RFOV stewardship. We hope other organizations will follow their lead and help make Carbondale even more friendly to all.

Niki Delson, CAFCI

Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. What do these states have in common? Each of them has passed “trigger” laws, such that, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion automatically becomes illegal in that state. What else do the states have in common? Each of them was a slave state.

I’m no statistician, but something suggests to me that this is not pure coincidence, that perhaps some correlation exists.

And so, in search of where the overlap may lie, I contemplate the overriding ethos of the antiabortion platform: “the right to life.” But try as I may, I cannot find any logical coherence with the idea of a right to life and the practice of owning other human beings and

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness." Courtesy photo

Galen, age 41, passed away at his home in Glenwood Springs with his mother at his side and his sister Candy on Facetime. He fought valiantly against the pain of tongue and mouth cancer. The pain is now gone and he is at peace.

Galen was born at home to Elizabeth A. Starvish and Donald J. Bittel in Lakewood. He spent his youth in Critchell on a small farm near the then-small community of Conifer. During those years, he belonged to the Pleasant Park and Trail Dusters 4-H Club and the US Pony Club with his sister, Kayla. Galen rode his pony "Topper" on many fishing and camping trips to the National Forests with his dad, who taught him the wonders of exploring the backcountry.

Unfortunately, in 1991, his father died of liver cancer.

In 1993, he moved to the Western Slope and New Castle with his mother, Beth, and sister, Kayla, and all five horses and two dogs. Through his teenage years, they lived in Silt, Meeker, Parachute and Rifle. After he received his GED in 1998, he pursued the building trades and carpentry became his passion.

In 2000, he moved to Carbondale. Galen was an excellent carpenter who took pride in his work on fine houses in the Roaring Fork Valley.

He loved to point out the many beautiful homes he helped to build.

Galen is survived by his mother, Beth Bittel (New Castle/Hotchkiss); his sister, Candace (Scott) Littlejohn, and children, Austin and

their offspring. Perhaps someone better versed in the philosophy of enslavement could enlighten me.

In the meantime, what else might these eight states have in common? They all went for Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020.

Now, anyone who observes Trump, probably including a 15-week-old fetus, would easily conclude that the man cares about no one but himself, and certainly not about the unborn.

So what explains the link between Trump states and trigger states?

The overriding ethos of the Trump movement is “Make America Great Again.” If we look here, things begin to fall into place. That word “Again” points us backward, into the past, perhaps as far as the 1860s.

Could it be that what masquerades as support for “the right to life” is really a smokescreen to support white

Allie (Paonia); niece, Stephanie Alexandra Bittel (Sean) Burrows, and sons Landon and Declan (Parker); brother-in-law, Timothy Terry, sons Brendan and Joseph (New Castle); aunt, Mary (Ron) Lies (Denver).

Galen was hard-working and also artistic.

He made some beautiful epoxy countertops and had just set up a new business, Over The Top Epoxy. He helped and made the countertops for Stepping Stones remodel in Carbondale.

Galen loved to go fishing and hiking the mountains with his best friend, Aaron Koch.

He did a lot of photography on those trips and especially on adventures in his CJ7 Jeep. He always anticipated the winter elk hunting season, loved to Snowmobile up in the Meadow Lake areas and was a member of the Sunlight Ski Patrol, the first snowboarder to join that team, he said.

He is preceded in death by his father, Donald Bittel; sister, Kayla Ann (Bittel) Terry; "Nana," Catherine Starvish; uncle, Harold Bittel.

There will be a celebration of life for Galen at Veltus Park in Glenwood Springs on Saturday, May 21, from 2 to 6 p.m. It is a potluck with a service at 3 p.m. There will be another celebration of life at Gregory Park in Glenwood Springs on Sunday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a service at 1 p.m.

Contributions in his memory can be made to The Beljanski Foundation for cancer research.

supremacy? Could it be that voter support for right to life candidates is actually support for a white supremacist agenda, without the voter having to admit to others, or, more importantly, themselves, that they want a white supremacist future?

Clearly, there are people (like my brother, an evangelical pastor who earned his doctorate of divinity in homiletics as practiced in the Black church) who hold deeply spiritual beliefs about the sanctity of life, while at the same time wanting a multicultural and diverse future for America. But Donald Trump is so clearly not one of those people, nor are many of his supporters.

This is something we have to be honest about. Otherwise, the great America that awaits us might be one in which Black

people are not people at all, women are only half-people and only white men and fetuses are full people.

Tony Alcántara, Carbondale

Gratitude to TRUU I am grateful to Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist (TRUU) for the gracious opportunity for me to share some thoughts on my journey in environmentalism at Sunday’s service.

TRUU’s Social Justice Committee is intention in motion.

In their deeds, the TRUU congregation manifests their benevolent thoughts into actions.

The Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) thanks TRUU for their generous donation toward the environmental defense of our valley.

John Armstrong, CVEPA

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 20

Your source for showcasing local fiction, poetry and more!

Send your creative pieces to: fiction@soprissun.com

Bunky Cat

By Sheila Markowitz Glenwood Springs “Who’s that?” I asked as I passed by a very large black and white cat looking straight at me from inside a cage at the Midvalley Animal Shelter. I was there looking for a female kitten to adopt, but this cat caught my eye. I stopped to take a second look.

“Oh, that’s Bridger,” the employee said. “He’s been here for about six weeks.”

He was found under a bridge in Eagle, hence his name. It was 1997. We had been without a cat for several years. My husband and I thought it was time to have one in our home. I felt something and couldn’t just pass this cat by. I asked her to open the cage, which she did.

I kneeled down and immediately Bridger jumped into my lap and sat down. That was that.

This was the animal I would be taking home. So, instead of a female kitten, I ended up adopting an 18-pound male cat estimated to be about four to six years old.

A surprise for my husband, but there was something about that cat that endeared us both to him. We didn’t care for the name Bridger and remembered a movie we had seen recently entitled “The Pope of Greenwich Village.” The mother of one of the characters said her deceased

son was named Walter, but everyone called him Bunky. We thought that was funny, and so we told everyone who wondered what we named our new cat, that his real name was Walter, but we call him Bunky.

It didn’t take long for Bunky to become part of our family. My past experience with cats was that you could leave a dish of dry food out and they would only eat some when hungry. Well, probably because of Bunky’s time being alone under the bridge, he was always hungry. After being in our home a few days, he started waddling and had difficulty walking, so we took him to our vet.

The vet said his x-ray showed he was loaded with undigested dry food and we should leave him overnight to be “cleaned out.” She suggested that we only leave him a small dish of food at home each day, limiting his supply, so this would not happen again. We were starting to learn about our new companion.

If we didn’t give him some attention in the morning, Bunky would jump in our bed and whack us on the head with his paw.

He was allowed outdoors and loved to roam around close to home and got to know our neighbors. We later found out that he would visit some, entering their homes, if allowed, even taking a nap on their bed, and of course, eating any food they kindly put out for him!

Twice, he made the front page of the Post Independent, the local newspaper, as they saw him walking through the flowers growing in our front yard.

Bunky was an integral part of our family for over 10 years. We shared many happy times together. He started to show signs of kidney failure and because he was having trouble using the cat box, we sadly decided to keep him in the two rooms in the back part of our house instead of letting him roam around everywhere as he always had. It was a big decision for us, but we were not ready to put him down, as the vet had suggested we do.

We knew during the coming spring, summer and fall months, he would enjoy being out much of the time, and he did. As winter approached, he was inside more and we knew he missed sharing more of our home with us.

I felt sad about this, also knowing that some time in the near future we would need to put him down.

One afternoon, as I was in the kitchen having just returned home from work, I heard Bunky meowing loudly at me from the back room. I called to him, saying I would be there shortly to spend some time with him. As I was removing my shoes, I heard a loud moan from the room and rushed in to see that Bunky was in pain. I sat down by him, put him in my lap and held on to

him.

He moaned and died in my arms several minutes later. I’m thankful I was with him, able to hold him and comfort him before he died.

It always reminds me of the first time we got together at the shelter, more than 10 years before, when I knew he would be coming home with me.

Across the world, people were treated to a full lunar eclipse on Sunday, May 15. Sue Rollyson captured this photo from her home in the Crystal Valley, where the moon appeared over the horizon already glowing orange beneath the earth's shadow.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 21

Senior Matters adjusts and accommodates collaboration with other organizations in venues appropriate to each program.

With this in mind, the board decided to vacate Room 33 effective June 1. We are already working with Parks and Recreation and other organizations to integrate our older-adult focused programs with theirs. On Arbor Day, thanks to the generosity of several older individuals, Aspen Tree Services and Susila Dharma, we arranged for and participated in the planting of nine trees at Crystal River Elementary School. We intend to continue bringing generations together and bringing meaningful programs to Carbondale’s older population. As our community evolves, so has Senior Matters. We trust you will join us in this work.

Sign up for the Senior Matters newsletter at www. valleyseniormatters.org

What can we do?

By Illène Pevec Special to The Sopris Sun In Colorado and around the world, devastating fires have burned, are burning, will burn. Droughts dry, high-speed winds blow. Sea levels rise around the globe, threatening entire island nations and our own coasts! What can we do to mitigate these challenges?

We can plant trees! Trees absorb carbon, provide shade, hope, beauty and even fruit! Trees properly placed to shade west windows in summer can cool your home and decrease your electric bill.

Trees respire water that returns to us as rain.

Facts: (1) The evaporation from a single tree can produce the cooling effect of 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. (2)You can improve the efficiency of a heat pump by shading it with a tree. (3) Deciduous trees block sunlight in the summer, but allow sunlight to reach and warm your home in the winter — place deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your home or business. (4) Trees can shade hard surface areas,

continued from page 2

such as driveways, patios, buildings and sidewalks, thus minimizing landscape heat load — a build up of heat during the day that is radiated at night resulting in warmer temperatures. Ideally, 50% of the total paved surface should be shaded.

How do we decide what tree to plant and where to plant it? Native trees suit our climate and provide habitat for our critters. Blue spruce, Douglas-fir, bristlecone pine, ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, plains cottonwood and Gambel oak all occur naturally here and can thrive in our yards and around businesses and public spaces.

If you want a non-native shade tree, check what its watering and soil needs are before you plant it. We have alkaline soil and dry conditions.

Notice what fruit trees are thriving in your area.

Our cold springs mean that quite often the fruit flowers freeze and we don’t get fruit, but some years we get bumper crops.

Don’t put an evergreen on the south side of your house or it will block the benefits of winter sun. Evergreens can keep your house warmer by blocking winter winds, but they can also make sidewalks icy with their dense shade if you plant them on the north side of your home too close to the sidewalk.

It’s hard to imagine a small young tree reaching its full height, but you need to do that imagining when you plant a tree so that it has enough room to grow and not cause unforeseen problems. A cottonwood drops a lot of branches in high wind so it needs to be placed away from your house.

Tree planting can be a family event to honor a birth, a death, a birthday! Trees can be a community event to bring together nonprofits, individuals and companies with schools! Senior Matters in Carbondale just partnered with Aspen Tree Service to plant nine trees at Crystal River Elementary School. What a joy to see the children plant a tree with adults and share what they are learning about trees. What can we do? We can plant trees!

LEGALS NOTICE PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO

NOTICE PURSUANT TO THE LAWS OF COLORADO

MRBL2, LLC Dba MARBLE BAR 150 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623 HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT NEW LIQUOR LICENSE TO SELL MALT, VINOUS, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISES AT 150 MAIN STREET, CARBONDALE, CO

LOVA CARBONDALE HAS REQUESTED THE LICENSING OFFICIALS OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A NEW RETAIL MARIJUANA STORE LICENSE TO SELL RETAIL MARIJUANA PRODUCTS AT LOVA CARBONDALE 1337-106 COUNTY ROAD CARBONDALE, CO 81623

HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL, 511 COLORADO AVENUE, CARBONDALE, COLORADO AND VIA ZOOM

HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO AND VIA ZOOM

DATE AND TIME: MAY 31, 2022 AT 6:00 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: APRIL 22, 2022

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

DATE AND TIME: JULY 12 AT 6:00 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: APRIL 11, 2022

BY ORDER OF: BEN BOHMFALK, MAYOR APPLICANT: MICHAEL SHIFFRIN Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstrance’s may be filed with the Town Clerk, Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Commission for the purpose of considering an amendment to the Major Site Plan Review located at 900 Highway 133 and 920 Highway 133 (Lot 1, Carbondale Center Place) in order to allow construction of carports.

The applicant/owner is Carbondale Center Place LLC. Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 7:00 p.m. on June 9, 2022. You may also participate via Zoom.

The Zoom link will be available on the June 9, 2022 P&Z meeting agenda.

You may watch a live streaming of the meeting on YouTube. Search Town of Carbondale June 9, 2022 meeting. Please be aware that you will experience a 15-30 second delay.

Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined by interested persons during regular working hours, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The application may also be reviewed on the Town’s website at www.carbondalegov.org Janet Buck, Planner

Weber & Pulford after CRMS are excited to live in their home in Paonia, grow a garden and continue to pursue their crafts. Weber will have time to complete half-written songs and wants to try filming and editing videos of himself playing music.

Pulford is excited to revitalize her own photography and silversmithing practices while also diving into new crafts. She wants to carry forward a student’s willingness to try anything.

“They don't even second guess some things! I love 22 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

continued from page 6 that, so I'm hoping to take that from them and say, yeah, I'm just going to get out there and give it a shot.”

Reflecting on his last semester teaching, Weber said, “I don’t want to leave here, but it’s time to stop.” He paused. “Not time, but we can.

I want to sleep more, read more, eat slower, take longer walks and chill a little bit. We have a place to live. We still have energy. We want to save some of our selves for ourselves.”

PARTING SHOT

WINDSHIELD

An anonymous bunny walks to the "Bans Off Our Bodies" march organized in Carbondale in association with the Women's March Foundation. Proponents of bodily autonomy and medical freedom walked up and down Highway 133 before joining Dandelion Day festivities in Sopris Park. Photos by Raleigh Burleigh

REPAIR & SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENT

WINDSHIELD REPAIR & AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENTMo

970-963-3891 970-963-3891

Mobile Service Available

Practicing minimal contact check-in.

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Locally Owned by David Zamansky

Locally owned bybyJake Zamansky Locally Owned David Zamansky

500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO 500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO 289 MAIN STREET | (970) 963-2826 | CARBONDALEAH@GMAIL.COM

Correction:

We mistakenly claimed that “Flashback” was to have its Roaring Fork Valley debut on May 18 at the Crystal Theatre. In fact, the Crystal Theatre showed that film when it was released back in 1990. In the Basalt Report, it was stated that the Midland streetscape project will cost $20.9 million. In fact, that figure is the full cost of Basalt Forward’s projects approved by voters. The Midland project component will cost $12.8 million.

Finally, the name of poet Tony Alcántara’s book is “The Bitten World” and his friend’s name is Matt Daly.

HAVING FUN NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE.

Monthly Housing Stipend, Sign-On Bonus & Relocation Support Offered!

Pitkin County Senior Services supports and advocates for older adults and their families.

We provide a welcoming place for the community to gather and enjoy healthy food, fitness and educational classes and much more.

Come and visit us, and bring a friend!

Certified Veterinary Technician or Experienced Veterinary Assistant

Aspen Animal Hospital is a busy four-doctor practice with an excellent highend clientele. We are currently becoming an AAHA accredited hospital, and our in-house offerings include advanced ultrasound, endoscopy, laparoscopic surgery, and orthopedics.

As a Licensed Veterinary Technician, you are a leader within the hospital. We are seeking someone who has a true passion for the industry and desires to expand skills and knowledge while providing robust support for both our doctors and staff. Solid technical skills will include patient restraint, phlebotomy, and anesthesia.

Full-time benefits start within 30 days! • Hourly $30-$40 DOE

(970) 920-5432 pitkinseniors.com

Contact Ryan Hart at ryan.hart@wellhaven.com Visit www.wellhaven.com THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • May 19 - May 25, 2022 • 23

º

It’s Time to Advertise Your Business in the 51st Annual 2022 Mountain Fair Program!

AD RATES

PREMIUM FULL PAGE (6.75” x 9.34”) (Limited to 4 advertisers)

$1,095 Early Bird $900

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1/4 PAGE

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PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION

Inserted in The Sopris Sun, Thursday, July 28 Given directly to Mountain Fair guests Available online at www.soprissun.com

PRODUCED BY AND

24 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 19 - May 25, 2022

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE Friday, June 10th by noon AD SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINE Friday, July 8th by noon CAMERA-READY DEADLINE Monday, July 11 by noon AD SPEC DETAILS

Camera Ready Ads need to be PDF ONLY at 300 DPI, CMYK US Web Coated (SWOP) V2, exported to standard PDF/X-1a:2001] with no marks, and no bleeds. Design services available at no charge.

CONTACT Todd Chamberlin fairguide@soprissun.com 970-510-0246