20221006

"The best way to predict the future is to create it,"

- Abraham Lincoln

A chilly autumn rain couldn't stop folks from enjoying Potato Day on Oct. 1, including Michael Gorman, dressed as Abraham Lincoln, and his companion, Elissa Rodman.

Gorman, campaign manager for Wilderness Workshop, and others took the occasion to raise awareness about an effort to get the Biden Administration to protect the Thompson Divide through an administrative mineral withdrawal. Their "Unified for Thompson Divide" float took first place at the parade. As explained by Wilderness Workshop Executive Director Will Roush, "The Department of the Interior can administratively prohibit new oil and gas leasing on our public lands for a period of 20 years.

This mineral withdrawal would protect the Thompson Divide and give certainty to our community while we continue working for permanent protections through the CORE Act." With support from Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and Governor Polis, as well as some local elected officials, Wilderness Workshop is urging community members to request executive action.

"We are excited to see our community re-engage in this effort that we’ve all been passionate about for over a decade now," said Gorman.

Photo by Sue Rollyson

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By Jeanne Perry

I told my sister that NASA was planning to fire a missile at an asteroid coming close to Earth — not because there was any danger of the asteroid hitting Earth, just to test our math (and, I suspect, to appease a bit of the Bruce Willisness in all Americans.) I worried that my upcoming trip to Ireland would coincide with the end of the world, or at least a self-inflicted tsunami, but my sister set me straight.

“What are you talking about?! Ireland is exactly the place you want to be for the end of days. They’ll know how to do it right!” Good point, I thought.

First, I went to visit cousins in London. While I freely admit I don’t really understand the relationship between the royal family

LETTERS

Bear cares

Cead mile failte

and their subjects, I have a lot of time for historical sightseeing, the perfect humidity for my complexion, and gin + tonics in a can. And, even as an outsider, I realize we are witnessing the end of the ultimate fairy tale.

As shocking as Bruce Willis selling his digital twin rights, many traditions are now simply the old way of doing things (the younger generation calls antiques “brown furniture”) and I wonder if King Charles (yawn) will keep our attention for as long as it takes to switch out the paper money. His face makes me sleepy, and I think he could be the end of imperialism, colonialism, quite a few isms actually, which is a very good thing for very many people who do not live in an insulated bubble of privilege and wealth. Besides, it’s time to give the diamonds back to India…

Tooling around London in a double decker bus with a can of gin + tonic is a great way to kill an afternoon. I met another tourist, from Quebec, and as we climbed the stairs to take our seats in the open air, she explained that the tour varied depending on the tour company, as some

recordings went into greater detail than others. When we discovered a real live tour guide with a microphone at the top, we exchanged grins.

“Game changer,” she said in Frenglish.

Our tour guide had a very dry sense of humor and now and then he would recite Churchill or break into song with his deep baritone. It was a highly entertaining bus ride around an incredibly rich city, and while I could appreciate the unqualified resilience of Londoners, I still couldn’t wrap my head around the disparity between them and their king.

When will the royal family hock one of their crowns to build food banks? Or sell some real estate to erect homes for the homeless? From my perspective, all they do is ride through town in old black cars to attend fancy events or play polo and walk through the countryside with their dogs… nice work if you can get it!

Strangely, the people of England seem to regard them with reverence, not resentment, and the longer they reign, the more they are revered. Similar, I suppose, to the way our elected officials don’t have

term limits, so they stay and stay, well beyond their productive years, meandering through the hallways lost in daydreams of the past… I gave up and went to Ireland: the land of a hundred thousand welcomes.

Ireland gained its independence 100 years ago, and when I asked the taxi driver why they weren’t celebrating in the streets, he said, “We celebrate every day. Eventually, the bills need to get paid…”

These seem like words to live by. Ireland is the ultimate working-class fairy tale: lush green forests, vast green fields and fun folklore to fool the green Americans. Their front doors are painted different colors in defiance of Royal decree and there is a lighthearted, meet-each-day-asit-comes feeling (though that could be due to the steady stream of Guinness in every pub.) The only castle we saw was a hotel full of Australians, Canadians and Americans kicking back in the Irish countryside (Kinnitty Castle outside Tullamore. Ask for the Geraldine suite if you want the haunted room!)

Turns out my sister was right, and whether it’s the end of a monarchy or the A.I. Bruce Willis launching into orbit, Ireland is a welcome place to be.

After attending the most recent public meeting about bears in our community, I hope that there are three resolutions that community members and visitors to our community will be willing to make:

1. Change the focus of the dialogue from blaming others (people and organizations) to developing momentum for each of us to commit to change our social behaviors with respect to trash and artificial food lures. We have power and control over our personal decisions and we can be proactive and protect the wildlife that we are lucky enough to live around.

2. As a community, support the work done by local governments and agencies tasked with protecting us. That means we follow local ordinances meant to keep us safe and accept any negative consequences for poor behavior. It might also mean that we help, perhaps gently, teach our visitors why we want to abide by local ordinances and avoid negative human-bear interactions.

3. As individuals, better align our personal actions with BearAware educational suggestions. If you don’t know, ask. If you are learning, share with others so that they can know. If you are already a “pro,” volunteer your time, energy and/or resources to grassroot efforts like RoaringForkBears.org (we are locals with boots on the ground) working to make a difference.

With a little effort we can live in harmony with all the wildlife that

surrounds us in the community. Our knowledge is power and can be used to coexist peacefully with our beautiful bears.

Daniela Kohl, RoaringForkBears.org

Church and state

One of the primary reasons our Founding Fathers established a separation between church and state was to avoid the centuries of religious wars that had embroiled Europe, primarily around Christianity. The split between Catholic and Protestant branches caused some of the most brutal wars, including civil wars, even as recently as Northern Ireland.

Many people immigrated to the colonies specifically to escape the religious persecution they faced back home in Europe — only to face persecution again, in some cases, by a particular colony’s official religion. In most cases, this was Christians persecuting other Christians because of differing views on Christianity. Our Founding Fathers firmly believed that one should be free to follow one’s conscience on religion and that the state should not intrude upon that decision.

Our Founding Fathers clearly stated in the constitution that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Indeed the idea of making our country a “Christian” nation is problematic from the very start. Whose version and doctrine of Christianity would prevail? There are

over 200 different denominations of Protestantism alone. And what about Catholicism and Mormonism?

Preserving the historic wall between church and state, for all the reasons our Founding Fathers erected it in the first place, is simply too important to allow people who would tear it down to control the levers of government. This is true of Lauren Boebert, who is on record fully endorsing eliminating separation of church and state, and Tom Jankovsky who is on record refusing to endorse keeping that separation in place.

Jerome Dayton, Carbondale

State of the county

Before the start of their Sept. 19 county commissioner meeting, Mike Samson commented that there was certainly not a lot of love for the commissioners recently. Presumably he was referring to columns and letters in the local papers. John Martin responded by saying that there are just a lot of bitter people out there who make their voices heard around election time.

The concerns currently being raised regarding the commissioners aren’t the result of “bitterness,” but are based on dissatisfaction with the commissioners’ dismal record. Time and time again, the commissioners miss the boat on issues critical to the future health and wellbeing of our community. They refuse to work in collaboration with other

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

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

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Equitable nutrition

The Safe an Abundant Nutrition Alliance (SANA) recently received a $420,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. SANA has a mission to reach the most underserved community members in Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties by providing access to healthy and nutritious food resources. SANA will use the funds to continue serving over 45,000 meals a year — with help from partner agencies — and add programming such as gardening, nutrition education, cooking classes and outdoor living activities.

Serving the forest

The White River National Forest has more than 200 temporary positions open for the 2023 summer season. The narrow application window closes Oct. 6. Find more info at www.USAJOBS.gov

Wilderness fee

The Forest Service has approved a fee for campers visiting the most heavily impacted parts of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area. Beginning in 2023, between May 1 and Oct. 31, campers will be required to pay $10 per person to stay overnight at Conundrum Hot Springs, the Four Pass Loop (which includes Crater Lake and Snowmass Lake), Geneva Lake and Capitol Lake. Children 16 and under are exempt. In February 2023, permits will become available for purchase at www. recreation.gov

Land for lease

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is now taking bids to lease 24 acres of irrigated agricultural land at Wheatley Open Space, in lower Snowmass Canyon, for five years beginning in 2023. Applications are due by Oct. 31, learn more at www.bit. ly/WheatleyLease

Marble cool

Congratulations to Marble Distilling Company, one of 10 finalists in the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Colorado competition. Marble’s spirits are filtered through crushed Yule marble, combining locallygrown grains for a clean and flavorful drink. Competition finalists will be honored at the Chamber’s annual luncheon meeting on Oct. 20, where the winner will be announced.

Teacher award

Basalt High School’s Jesús Rios Vera received the Secondary English Language

Development Teacher of the Year award from the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education (CABE). “Jesús is a thoughtful, talented and dedicated instructor,” said Amy Fairbanks, the district’s director of culturally and linguistically diverse education. Vera will be recognized at the CABE 2022 Awards Gala on Oct. 13 in Brighton.

For the love of pets

Phil Long Glenwood Springs Subaru is sponsoring pet adoptions at Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE) through the month of October. Subaru will pay $100 toward each adoption fee, bringing the fee to $31 for prospective pet owners. Subaru will sponsor up to $3,100 with the hope that a pet will be adopted for each day of the month. For more information or to complete an adoption survey, visit www. coloradoanimalrescue.org

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Bill Anschuetz, Christi Couch and Matthew Roeser (Oct. 6); Bob Burns and Camille Vogt (Oct. 7); Jody Ensign, Lani Kitching and Bo Persiko (Oct. 8); Sarah Graf, Sarah Morehouse and Melissa Nelson (Oct. 9); Charlotte Vanderhurst (Oct. 10); Brittany Biebl and Jake Kinney (Oct. 11); Rick Borkovec, Stephanie Deaton, Linda Giesecke and Paul Luttrell (Oct. 12) and Peter Martin turns 90 (Oct 12).

Photo by Tristan Mead

Ryan Gordon challenges Tom Jankovsky for GarCo seat

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

For three terms, since 2011, Republican Tom Jankovsky has served on Garfield County’s Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). This November, voters will decide whether to grant Jankovsky a fourth term or elect Democrat Ryan Gordon to represent District 1.

The Sopris Sun interviewed each candidate individually about their motivations to run, the challenges they see ahead for Garfield County and what differentiates them from their opponent. This article weaves together their responses to the same questions.

Both candidates were born in Colorado. Jankovsky, a third-generation Coloradan, was raised in Sterling and his grandfather served in the state legislature. Gordon is from Glenwood Springs and, after receiving a civil engineering degree from Colorado State University, he lived in California and Portland, Oregon before returning to the Valley with his family in 2016.

Jankovsky’s expertise is in business. He was the general manager of Sunlight Mountain Resort from 1985 to 2018 and continues to serve on the resort’s board as its secretary. Other boards that he has sat on include the Colorado Ski Country Board (for almost 30 years) and the Glenwood Springs Resort Association (in the 1990s); he was chairman for both. Jankovsky told The Sopris Sun that his “extensive executive experience” makes him a qualified leader on the BOCC with administrative, accounting, budgeting and other skills.

Gordon, by contrast, studied civil engineering. Since returning to Colorado, he has been employed by SGM Engineering, Inc. Through his work, Gordon has become acquainted with staff and elected officials in the towns and communities of Garfield County and nearby. He’s also gained a detailed understanding of local governments, working through SGM as the town

engineer for Parachute for two years and now as the engineer of record for Snowmass Village and water engineer for Minturn.

Additionally, Gordon understands infrastructure expenditures, keeping up assets and other technical things. “Engineers, we’re problem solvers,” he told The Sopris Sun. “And we’re very practical.” He added that engineers must see far-reaching ramifications of decisions and understand their personal limitations. “As an engineer, one of the things really drilled into our heads is knowing what you don’t know and knowing when to ask for outside help,” he said.

According to Jankovsky, it was a nearly four-year process to truly understand the intricacies of being a county commissioner. He is now that board’s liaison for the budget committee, working with department heads, the county manager and finance manager on an annual basis. He is also the commissioners’ liaison on the investment board, which generates about $1 million per year in interest and dividends from investments.

Jankovsky sits on the Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council, advising the Bureau of Land Management on everything from wild horse management to oil and gas drilling. He serves on the county’s Human Services Commission, is the board’s Club 20 representative and is treasurer for the Garfield Clean Energy board, of which he was a founding member.

Challenges facing the county, Jankovsky said, include a precipitous decline in revenue with “property taxes from oil and gas industry [dropping by] almost $10 million.” This has led in recent years to difficult budgets to balance; achieved, he continued, by reducing expenses, including staffing by 5% “through attrition and early retirements.”

Gordon considers diversifying the county’s revenue a top priority. To accomplish this, he thinks the county’s economy should be “de-carbonized,” i.e. less reliant on fossil fuel extraction. “I’m not advocating

that we do this instantaneously,” he added, “things are transitioning and we need to transition with it. Oil and gas will always have a role in our society, but we do see there’s going to be less revenue.”

In addition to more aggressive investment in renewables, Gordon would support capitalizing on outdoor resources for tourism and citizens, farms and ranches for locally-produced food and promoting light manufacturing by improving access to the interstate and railroads.

Gordon was inspired by his two young daughters to run. On his journey back to the county, he counts himself fortunate to have found a job and housing. He wants opportunities for his daughters, including a healthy environment and a strong economy for their future; “That we’ve done the right things locally, made the right decisions.”

Jankovsky’s energy policy, by comparison, is an “all of the above approach,” including fossil fuels, solar, wind, hydro “and nuclear, if necessary, to get us back to energy independence.”

Another top concern for Jankovsky is public safety, with a rise in crime in Garfield County, including violent crimes. “We are not defunding the police, so to speak, or the [District Attorney],” he said, “We’re making sure they’re adequately funded.”

When 9th Judicial Circuit Attorney Jeff Cheney came before the board in 2020 asking for $700,000 more for four new positions and pay raises to help with backed-up cases, Jankovsky reported, the commissioners found a way while still maintaining a balanced budget. In the next budget cycle, they are discussing adding two resource officers for schools in unincorporated Garfield County.

A major challenge that Gordon sees ahead for the county is affordable housing. With long commutes for many workers and a subsequent lack of labor for many jobs, “it’s really going to drive a lot of the situations and issues going on,” he said.

In order to address the regional challenge of affordable housing, Gordon continued, “working collectively and collaboratively” will be essential. “The issues are large and complex, and require collaboration,” from Pitkin to Mesa County, the governor’s office, senators and beyond. “We need to be working with everyone in our region … leveraging every angle we can in order to solve our very complex issues.”

He considers the choice of Garfield County’s current commissioners not to join the new Greater Roaring Fork Valley Housing Coalition earlier this year a mistake. “I think that’s the wrong approach. I think that’s not showing leadership at all,” he said. For Gordon, partnership on affordable housing and other issues, is “not an idea,” but “a philosophy” he would bring to the role.

“It will take work from all of us,” Jankovsky agreed, citing initiatives in place such as $3 million available in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dollars for first-time home buyers for a down payment or mortgage, as well as inclusionary housing guidelines requiring one of 10 units in new subdivisions to be affordable, grants to nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and more.

Jankovsky’s vision for a fourth term includes helping to assure a regional detox center is built and operational, continuing to improve broadband access, fire safety and resilience achieved in part by thinning trees with prescribed burns and incentives for wood product industries, completing the West Garfield County Landfill masterplan and guaranteeing water rights are protected in Western Colorado.

And, “We’re not quite done with COVID yet,” Jankovsky cautioned. “The president hasn’t ended the emergency health declaration that he put in place.” Jankovsky predicts this will happen after the election, and that the “unwinding of that health order” will result in some people losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (food stamps) and Medicaid. “There’s going to be a bit of a squeeze in those two programs,” he said. “There may be more need for assistance to food banks and so forth.”

If elected, Gordon believes he can cut through partisanship to work on common areas of concern with commissioners Mike Samson and John Martin. “Both John and Mike are reasonable people that can look past politics as well,” he said. “I think that for many of the issues we need to resolve, there is common ground.”

For other issues, Gordon believes he can “make the case,” and achieve priorities they could get on board with. “It’s literally about getting things done.”

Regarding political division, Jankovsky said his is a limited government philosophy and “decisions we make are local decisions and it’s not partisan, per se,” rather most are administrative decisions. As for potential remedies, he said, “The first thing you do is listen.” And ultimately, there are three basic responsibilities: water, sewer and access/

transportation.

In conclusion, Jankovsky said he is motivated by public service. At the local level, “I can make a lot bigger difference here than the state house or even Congress,” he said. “We need to feel safe and have a good quality of life in our community.” He encourages voters to consider the difference of experience between the two candidates. “He’s a good man, as I am, but I just don’t think he’s quite ready for the position.”

“Generally speaking, our current county government is not as proactive as they should be,” Gordon critiqued. “I think we need folks that are going to take decisive action and make decisions, as opposed to follow.”

To learn more about Tom Jankovsky, visit tomj2022.com

To learn more about Ryan Gordon, visit ryangordonforgarco.com

JAMIE MAYBON

Tom

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

Rumors of an anti-LGBTQIA+ protest at the Sept. 28 Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) board meeting never came to fruition. What happened instead was a standing-room-only crowd, respectfully listening and contributing to public feedback on the district’s presentation of their “Toolkit for Supporting Transgender & Gender Expansive/Nonconforming Students.”

Known informally as the gender toolkit, it offers resources for best practices to support transgender and gender-expansive students. According to a report, presented to the board by Dr. Anna Cole, chief of student and family services, the toolkit was developed by Roaring Fork Schools to “affirm our commitment to inclusion and belonging for all students and staff members in our schools; uphold American civil rights law and principles of individual rights; and provide clarity for students and others who are asking for guidance.”

The Friday before the board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Jesús Rodríguez sent an open letter via email to staff, families and the RFSD community, which began with, “I want to express our strong support for our LGBTQIA+ students and staff because it is important that all students and staff feel safe, valued and welcomed in our schools.”

Rodríguez also wrote an op-ed article, published in the Sept. 27 edition of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, titled “Sense of belonging can save lives”. In it, he stated that one of the strategies within the Roaring Fork Schools strategic plan is to “create an intentional culture of character in which habits of a scholar flourish and all students feel a strong sense of safety and belonging.”

Dr. Cole told the board that when the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey data was released, “we

recognized that there were some real concerns about inclusion, belonging, marginalization [and] mental health — especially for that specific group of students — and we recognized that we were missing the mark in supporting that particular group of students.”

Those findings showed that LGBTQIA+ youth experience higher levels of hopelessness and depression, more frequent incidents of harassment and are at higher risk of suicide than their cisgender peers. At that time, a task force returned to the Student Services Team with several recommendations “to do better by our kids,” Cole said.

Thirty-two people signed up to speak during the meeting’s allotted 45-minute public comment period, but time allowed for only 20 commenters, with a majority voicing their support for the gender toolkit and conveying their appreciation of Rodríguez’s support for LGBTQIA+ students and staff members.

Several speakers were critical of the toolkit and cited concerns over bathroom and locker-room use by transgender or gender-nonconforming students.

During public comment, Jax Carpenter, a Roaring Fork High School senior, shared, “I recently was able to change my name in the school records, and it has made a huge difference in me feeling comfortable at school and seen. It has really made going to school a lot easier because instead of worrying about being deadnamed

[referred to as a former name before transitioning gender], or the wrong pronouns being used, I just kind of have to worry about, ‘Okay, what homework do I have?’”

Speaking to The Sopris Sun, Carpenter said, “I was expecting to be outnumbered. I was expecting there to be a lot more anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the discussion, and I was really, really so grateful and so happy that people made me feel like I'm not alone.”

With a full board in attendance, they affirmed their support for the gender toolkit, and board member Kenny Teitler, noting depression and suicide rates for LGBTQIA+ youth, offered, “We all can have our feelings and beliefs, and everybody is entitled to the beliefs they have, but the statistics go beyond beliefs.”

Rodríguez, a guest on the Sept. 29 live broadcast of The Sopris Sun’s “Everything Under the Sun” radio show on KDNK, shared that while the gender toolkit is not district policy, it “is a resource for all of our staff to learn more, if they so wish. And also, again, if a student is coming to them as a trusted adult, seeking support, it's a tool for them to know how to respond.”

You can read Superintendent Rodríguez’s letter to RFSD staff and families in Spanish and English at www.bit.ly/RFSDLGBTQ

A recording of the board meeting can be viewed on the “Roaring Fork Schools” YouTube channel.

During the school board meeting on Sept. 28, a standing-room crowd listened to comments from the public about the district's new gender toolkit. Photo by Jeanne Souldern

Joseph DeMoor wins gold in Skyrunning World Vertical Championship

By Kate Phillips Sopris Sun Correspondent

Elite mountain runner and Carbondale local Joseph DeMoor is no stranger to podiums and fastest known times (FKTs), but his dominant performance at the 2022 Skyrunning World Championships, held Sept 9-11, is one for the record books.

Attracting world class athletes from over 35 countries to the aweinspiring Ossola Valley in Italy, the championships featured three races: Vertical, SkyUltra and Sky. The coveted Combine title was also up for grabs based on points accrued in the Vertical and Sky disciplines.

DeMoor, sponsored by La Sportiva, tackled technical terrain, steep inclines and long distances to became the first American man to win the Vertical’s gold medal, which ultimately earned him bronze in the Combine.

“It was awesome and the environment was super fun,” said DeMoor, who works for Aspen Skiing Company. “We were really well taken care of by all the races. You can tell it’s definitely a part of the culture over there, and people come out to support the races and make a day of it. It was an inspiring environment.”

Skyrunning burst onto the trail running scene in 1992, when Italian

Marino Giacometti challenged athletes “to reach the highest peak in the shortest time from a town or village,” according to the International Federation of Skyrunning. Races take place at at least 6,562 feet elevation, have a 30% incline and can not exceed a climbing difficulty of grade 2, which is defined as scrambling with hands for balance.

DeMoor’s weekend began with the daunting uphill-only Rampigada Vertical in San Domenico di Varzo, Domodossola. That race featured 3,487 feet of climbing over 2.4 miles. DeMoor, who thrives at uphill running, recalled that the race was fast and runners maintained an unrelenting pace, which is atypical for most trail races.

He felt calm among a group of seven athletes, which included Italian endurance powerhouses Marcello Ugazio, elite triathlete, and Alex Oberbacher, 2017 U23 Skyrunning World Combine champion. Around halfway into the race, Ugazio made a bold move to separate himself from the pack, but DeMoor remained patient.

With 650 feet of climbing left to the finish line, he caught Ugazio, and they battled up the mountain. Screaming fans lined the course, and DeMoor, encouraged by the crowd’s energy, surged to overcome Ugazio for America’s first-ever gold

medal in the event.

Hearing his wife, Mackenzie, cheering at the finish line gave DeMoor “the final motivation to hang onto the win,” he said.

He covered the course in 37 minutes, 7 seconds. Famed Swiss skyrunner Maude Mathys won the women’s event in 40 minutes, 50 seconds. This win puts DeMoor among skyrunning greats and former Olympians such as Kílian Jornet, Ruy Ueda, Stian Angermund and Laura Orgué. American women, Stevie Kremer, Megan Kimmel and Hilary Gerardi, have also podiumed in previous

Vertical world championships.

The final day of the weekend featured the highly competitive La Veia SkyRace in Bognanco, Domodossola where DeMoor placed sixth and completed 19.2 miles and 8,530 feet of climbing in 3 hours, 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Roberto Delorenzi of Switzerland won the race and gold in the Combine.

For DeMoor, this championship was more than just a success, it was a redemption moment. Just 10 weeks prior, he collapsed 600 feet from the finish of the U.S.

continued on page 23

Joseph DeMoor of Carbondale on his way to victory in the Skyrunning World Championships Vertical race held in Italy. DeMoor. Photo by Jakub Stryk, @stryk_foto

Beauty in the basic

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

Elliot Norquist has a thing for shapes and colors. And, it makes sense, having settled in the Rocky Mountains, atop Missouri Heights, with towering triangular peaks permeating the horizon and the seemingly daily changes of colors.

Norquist, a metal sculptor, has a show opening at the Launchpad on First Friday, Oct. 7, with a reception at 5 p.m. The exhibit is a retrospective of his works — some new, and others spanning the artist’s career — called “Simple Shapes.”

“I’m not into mystery,” Norquist told The Sopris Sun, “I’m more into matter-of-fact bull****.”

Fittingly, one of his series is called the “Folding Steel Series”, and another, “Steel Envelopes Series”.

“I like naming,” the artist claimed with a smirk. “I’m a good namer.”

According to Norquist, he’s had a ball curating the retrospective exhibit. “What’s really cool for me, is going through old work,” noting that it’s taken a lot of “good research into the past to conjure this up,” including delving into an old journal. “I loved it,” he said.

Lately, to begin his process, he’ll fold paper in varying, yet simple, ways which he will later mimic when shaping steel. He’ll likewise apply color to paper before settling on the right tone for a final piece.

The dimensions of his works range from a human-sized “Shipping Tag” to replicating similarly large pieces from the “Folding Steel Series” into magnets small enough to share space on any already-crowded refrigerator door.

Norquist attended the Kansas City Art Institute as an undergraduate and recalled the

die-hard devotion of fellow artists he studied with. He remembered classmates sleeping in the bucket of a forklift in the shop, so they could wake up and pick up where they left off without delay. It’s hard work, he said, and those who commit to it will sacrifice plenty of hours to get it done.

Norquist first came to the Valley in the early ‘70s. He taught during summer sessions at Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS). At the time, he was working toward his master’s in sculpture at the University of Oregon.

After grad school, Norquist upped his role at CRMS. On top of teaching art classes, he ran the school’s wilderness program and coached cross country.

In 1978, Santa Fe — an artist haven at the time in comparison to the Valley — beckoned the artist. He answered its call and considered Santa Fe home for nearly 20 years.

He couldn’t keep away from the Valley for too long, though. When his son, Fred, decided to attend CRMS, Norquist jumped at the opportunity and said, “We’re going with you.” The Valley has kept him ever since.

Up until recently, Norquist has been flexible when it came to studio space. He’s made do by sharing creative territory with others, including Michael Hassig, who ended up designing Norquist’s current, shop in an old hay barn next to his home, with a prime view of Mt. Sopris.

“Simple Shapes” will be on display through Nov. 4 at the Launchpad. For more details regarding Norquist’s works, visit his website: www.elliotnorquistart.com

Elliot Norquist stands beside "Shipping Tag," a piece from the artist's "Steel Envelope Series." Photo by James Steindler

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6

VOICES

The Aspen Chapel hosts an opening reception from 4 to 7 p.m. for a collaborative show with the Carbondale nonprofit VOICES. The show, curated by Dough Graybeal, will run through Nov. 12 and 10% of sales and 20% of sponsorships will go to VOICES.

BOOK TALK

Mary Fox leads a discussion about the book “Afterlife” by Julia Alvarez at 5:30 p.m. at the Basalt Library.

SPORTS

Roaring Fork High School’s soccer team plays Delta at home at 6 p.m.

ART OF CONVERSING Rediscover “The Lost Art of Random Conversations” with facilitation at Sweet Cream Dreams (689 Main Street) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. No need to RSVP, just show up!

VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE

Sopris Theatre Company presents “The Voice of the Prairie” by John Olive, a play about the beginnings of radio, tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m. with a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. Performances will continue next weekend.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

Aspen Dance Connection and Dance Initiative present guest artist Chung-Fu Chang teaching a modern dance technique at the Launchpad on Oct. 9 from 4 to 5 p.m. Chang is a dance professor at Colorado State University who has performed all over the world.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

CLIMATE CAFÉ

Explore emotions around the climate crisis at the Third Street Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sign up by emailing luke@ mountainstoriverscoaching.com

SPORTS

Roaring Fork High School’s soccer team plays Rifle at home at 11 a.m.

OCTOBERFEST

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park hosts “Octoberfest on the Mountain”, from noon to 6 p.m. today and again on Saturday, Oct. 15. For more info, visit www.glenwoodcaverns.com

SCIENCE AND A MOVIE

The Basalt Library screens “Frankenweenie” while concocting a science experiment in an adjacent room. The fun starts at 1 p.m. Visit www.basaltlibrary.org for more info.

LATINX ART

Anderson Ranch hosts a conversation with artists and educators Rafael Fajard, Lilian Lara and Ricky Armendariz about Latinx representation in art. Voces Unidas Executive Director Alex Sánchez will moderate the public lecture at 4 p.m. To register, visit www.andersonranch.org

INTRO TO MEMOIR WRITING

Explore the genre of memoir writing and learn to identify the key features that turn a touchstone event into a great narrative.

Mondays, 6-8:30pm, 10/17-11/28

BEGINNING SCULPTURE

Learn how to think and design in 3-D to create a sculpture.

Mondays, 10am-1pm, 10/31-12/5

FASHION

An overview of the history, purpose design and construction of garments, and accessories.

Online Wed. 6-8pm, 10/12-11/16

PHOTOGRAPHY FUNDAMENTALS

Learn to use your DSLR or film camera to “make” a photo - not just “take” a photo - and get off the automatic setting.

Mon. evenings, 10/10-24 and 11/5, plus Sat mornings, 10/22-10/29

THERAPEUTIC YOGA

Learn self-regulation tools and yogic techniques to build resiliency, and manage anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD and more.

Tuesdays, 6-7:30pm, 11/1-12/6

INTERMEDIATE PAINTING

Paint in your choice of medium in this fun, interactive class with guided projects and free painting time. Meet other painters! Tuesdays, 1-4pm, 11/2-12/14

INTERMEDIATE SWING DANCE

Build on basics of Jitterbug (East Coast Swing), and learn Charleston, Lindy Hop (West Coast) basics and expand your dance knowledge. Wed. 6:30-8:30pm, 11/9-12/7

FABULOUS FELTED SLIPPERS

Make your own custome slippers with local textile artist, Jill Scher. Saturdays, 11/12-19

NOURISHING OURSELVES

FOR WINTER

Learn how to make delicious, nourishing, medicinal foods to feed your soul through the winter. Thursday, 6-8pm, 11/17

SEED SAVING AND VEGETABLE GARDENING 101

Learn the basics to grow your own food, and how to save your heirloom flower and veggie seeds. 6:30-8pm

Veg. Gardening: Tuesday 11/15

Seed Saving: Thursday 11/17

“The Good House” screens at the Crystal Theatre at 7:30 p.m. through Saturday, with a 5 p.m. showing on Sunday and two more 7:30 showings on Oct. 12-13.

HURRICANE DIANE

Thunder River Theatre Company's production of Hurricane Diane continues with 7:30 p.m. showings through Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 9. Closing weekend is Oct. 13-16. Tickets at www.thunderrivertheatre.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7

ADULTING 101

Glenwood Springs Library hosts teenagers and young adults grappling with how to become an adult in today’s society. This series repeats on the first Friday of each month at 4 p.m.

SIMPLE SHAPES

Carbondale Arts hosts an opening reception for a retrospective exhibit by metal sculptor Elliot Norquist from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will remain on display through Nov. 4.

CLAY EXHIBIT

The opening reception for Carbondale Clay Center’s upcoming exhibit, “Journey of the Casually Curious to the Dedicated Maker”, takes place at 6 p.m. The show will continue through Nov. 4. For more info, visit www.carbondaleclay.org

SPORTS

Roaring Fork High School’s football team plays Olathe at home at 6 p.m.

STEVE’S GUITARS

Dan Sheridan performs a First Friday show at Steve’s Guitars at 8 p.m.

HARVEST MOON

Ildi Ingraham presents “Sound Immersion on the Harvest Full Moon” at the Carbondale Library at 4 p.m. The event is free, participants are asked to bring a mat, pillow, blanket and anything else to help them relax in comfort.

5POINT FUNDRAISER

5Point holds its first annual Fall Fundraiser at a private residence (location to be disclosed upon purchase of a ticket) from 4 to 8 p.m. More details and tickets are available at www.5Pointfilm.org

TRUU AUCTION

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists holds a fundraising auction at the Third Street Center at 5 p.m. with items ranging from weekend getaways, dinners and cooking lessons to a home stay in Mexico. Donated auction items are still being accepted. Email willhodges1111@gmail.com for more info.

INTERPLAY: ART AND OPERA

TACAW invites visual artists, as well as casual observers, to a night of opera meant to inspire participating artists to create pieces for display at The Art Base, accompanied by the same opera music at the opening reception planned for April. This introductory event starts at 7:30 p.m. For more details, visit www.tacaw.org

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9

BASALT WORK

Help Roaring Fork Outdoor

Volunteers enhance Basalt’s expanding Ponderosa Trail from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register online at www.rfov.org

MODERN DANCE

Aspen Dance Connection and Dance Initiative present guest artist Chung-Fu Chang teaching a special modern dance technique at the Launchpad from 4 to 5 p.m. Pay at the door or pre-register at www.aspendanceconnection.org

ECSTATIC DANCE

Alya Howe leads a full moon ecstatic dance at 13 Moons Ranch (6334 Highway 133, Carbondale) from 6 to 8 p.m. No registration is necessary, contact alyahowe@me.com with questions.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10

PAINTING + IDEAS

Artist Andrew Roberts-Gray teaches a five day workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday. Sign up at www.theartbase.org

COLLEGE APP WORKSHOP

Colorado’s Free College Application Week is just around the corner; teens can get free help with their essays and resumes at the Carbondale Library at 4 p.m. For more info, call 970-963-2889.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11

CARBONDALE HISTORY

Sue Gray and the Carbondale Historical Society offer a virtual history lesson in partnership with Garfield County Libraries and Senior Matters at 5:30 p.m. Register online at www.gcpld.org/senior-matters

SPORTS

Support Roaring Fork High School’s soccer team, playing Frisco at home at 6 p.m. Or, cheer on the Lady Rams, also at home, playing Rifle at 6:30 p.m.

DRAWING CLUB

The Roaring Fork Drawing Club convenes at The Art Base in Basalt at 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

BREAD & PUPPET

The Learning Council in Paonia brings the Bread & Puppet Theater, founded in New York City in 1963, to Paonia Town Park for festivities at 4 p.m. and a free show at 5:30 p.m.

FURTHER OUT

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

LEGAL CLINIC

Volunteer attorneys provide free legal advice by phone to people without an attorney from 2 to 5 p.m. Call 970-927-4311 or email info@basaltlibrary.org to sign up.

ARTS + ENVIRONMENT

Colorado Business Committee for the Arts holds Arts + Environmental Sustainability Forum at TACAW at 5 p.m. Visit www. tacaw.org for tickets and more info.

SPORTS

Roaring Fork High School’s soccer team plays Aspen at home at 6 p.m.

SOUND JOURNEY

Dr. Zach Cashin leads a sound journey at True Nature’s kiva from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

FARM FEST

Carbondale celebrates the harvest season with a weekend filled with events, such as local farm tours, a nighttime farmers’ market, a farm-to-table lunch and more. Visit www.carbondale.com/farm-fest for tickets and specific event details.

ART IN THE STACKS

The opening reception for the “Art in the Stack” exhibit, featuring works by Glenwood

Springs Art Guild members, starts at 5 p.m. The pieces will be on display at the Glenwood Springs Library through Dec. 16.

SHINING MOUNTAINS

The Shining Mountains Film Festival returns to Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House with three days of indigenous films beginning tonight at 6:30 p.m. Details at www.shiningmountainsfilm.com

PUMPKIN JAZZ

Ted Piltzecker Septet performs ahead of the second annual Pumpkin Jam at TACAW. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit www. tacaw.org for tickets and more info.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

YARN CLUB

The Roaring Fork Yarn Club meets at Sopris Park at 9 a.m.

RFOV

Join Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers at the Silt River Preserve for a final season project from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sign up online at www.rfov.org

CARBONDALE FIRE

The Carbondale Fire District invites the public to a community open house with fire truck rides, firefighting demonstrations and more, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

GARDEN WORK

Carbondale Arts asks the public to help put the Rio Grande ARTway gardens to bed for the season from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Artist Amy Fairbanks will teach participants to make decorative mandalas using natural materials. No need to RSVP, just meet at the Latinx Folk Art Garden.

HEALING WITH ANCESTORS

Carol Shure leads her Systemic Family Constellation Workshop at the Third Street Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For details or to register, email communityconstellation@gmail.com

SPORTS

Roaring Fork High School’s soccer team plays CRMS at home at 11 a.m.

HARVEST PARTY

Rock Bottom Ranch hosts the ACES Harvest Party from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www. aspennature.org for tickets and more info.

FALL BRUNCH

Highwater Farm hosts a farm-to-table Fall Brunch, prepared by The Farmer and Chef Catering at 11 a.m. Visit www. highwaterfarm.org for tickets and more info.

OKTOBERFEST AT SUNLIGHT

Sunlight Mountain Resort hosts its Oktoberfest celebration, benefiting The Kirstie Ennis Foundation, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www. bit.ly/SunlightFest for tickets and more info.

FOLK JAZZ

Enjoy the jazzy, folksy, minimalist sounds of the Daniel Bennett Group free at the Glenwood Springs Library at 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

TGR WHISKI SERIES

Enjoy an adventure film, “Magic Hour”, paired with a whiskey tasting and more at TACAW at 7 p.m. Visit www.tacaw. org for tickets and more info.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

PHANTOM HITCHHIKERS

Clarissa Vazquez, author of “The Phantom Hitchhiker Project and America’s Haunted Roadways” and founder of the Colorado Coalition of Paranormal Investigators, presents “a chilling journey down some of America’s most haunted roadways” at the Carbondale Library at 6:30 p.m.

TRUUly the Best AUCTION

Join your friends and neighbors for music, food, drink and entertainment!

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Community Room of the Third Street Center, Carbondale

OCTOBER 8TH, 5 – 8 PM

LIVE AUCTION: House in Cabo San Jose for a week, house in San Miguel de Allende for a week, 3 day raft trip on the Colorado River and other offerings

GIFT CERTIFICATES: from your favorite restaurants and businesses up and down the valley

EVENTS: Italian cooking classes, sour dough bread making, progressive dinners, hikes, local geology field trip, pickleball lessons, dinners, and many more

ITEMS: Work from local artists, paintings, bronze sculpture by Remington, crafts, art kit and much more.

truu.org

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

Moving freely with ecstatic dance

JOIN US TO LEARN ABOUT AN IMPORTANT ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT IN YOUR AREA

Rebuilding the 11-mile 115 kilovolt (kV) electric transmission line from Hopkins to Basalt substations will help to continue delivering reliable electric service.

There’s no wrong way to go about an ecstatic dance, and it often makes for a spiritually rejuvenating experience for anyone inclined to participate.

By William Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

On Sunday, Oct. 9, Valley residents can travel up the Crystal River for a chance to express themselves to the utmost — that is, through their body.

Guided and organized by longtime Roaring Fork resident Alya Howe, The Full Moon Ecstatic Dance is an opportunity for participants to dance and move with complete freedom; whether that be energetically, rhythmically, introspectively, alone or with others.

“Ecstatic dance celebrates our having a body, listening to how it spontaneously wants to move, or not. Spontaneously dancing, however you feel like moving in the moment, or choosing stillness: there is no right way to move,” says Howe. The final part of that definition is key. To dance ecstatically requires no practice or training; all it takes is a body.

The dance is hosted on a lunar calendar, falling on or around the full moon of each month and hosted at the serendipitously named 13 Moons Ranch on Highway 133.

“The full moon is the time of the month to bring into full expression what's most important to you,” says Howe. The ranch itself, which often plays host to retreats and apothecary workshops, sits only five miles south of downtown Carbondale. Nestled beneath Mt. Sopris and along the Crystal River, 13 Moons provides a wonderful harmony of elements — especially with a bonfire, also good to keep participants warm as the weather cools.

The dance itself is hosted in a large hangar-space called the Heart Barn, fully muralled with mountains, moons and hamsa. Dancers are free to move within this space, complete with a cushioned floor, or out in the grass between the firepit and an intimate view of Sopris.

The balance between indoor and outdoor has been a significant part of the dance since its recent inception, when the extremes of the COVID-19 pandemic meant hard lines on social distancing. The Full Moon Ecstatic Dance tradition began when those lines started softening, over a year ago, as an opportunity to free oneself when one’s movement was more restrained than ever. The restraint also meant difficulty connecting with others, and the tradition continues as a way to celebrate that sense of community that comes easiest with individuals safely expressing themselves together. In Howe’s words, “A community that freely dances together expresses and becomes a more expansive community.”

Howe, who has spent over 20 years as a professional dancer, choreographer, yoga practitioner and all-around movement professional, also guides the event. The previous dance on Sept. 11 began with a circle of intentions, as well as a slow awakening dance to ease everyone’s bodies into expression. This led into a full “nonverbal hour” in which dancers were encouraged to express themselves without speech.

At this time newcomers and repeat-attendees alike engaged in all sorts of movement — rhythmic and otherwise. With a professional DJ set backed by live drumming, participants grooved to the beat, bounded in the grass or swayed in meditation by the fire.

The next dance will be hosted Sunday, Oct. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The entrance of the Ranch — to the left going south — is somewhat difficult to notice from the highway, but will be marked with wooden signs just before the bend into the canyon. There is a small parking lot available, but residents of Carbondale will also find it an easy and scenic bike ride south.

Participants are recommended to wear comfortable clothes and easily removable shoes, as well as to bring a water bottle. Furthermore, they are encouraged to abstain from intoxicating substances and be mindful of others. As fall deepens, participants might also want to bring additional layers should they feel the urge to move outside. Restrooms and water are provided at the event, no registration is necessary and the cost to attend is a suggested $15.

Xcel Energy invites you to attend an open house to learn more about an upcoming project proposed in your area.

Xcel Energy is proposing to rebuild the existing 115-kV electric transmission line between Hopkins and Basalt Substations (circuit 9256) to replace aging infrastructure and continue delivery of economic, safe, and reliable electric service to customers in Eagle and Garfield Counties and on the western slope of Colorado. The existing transmission line was originally constructed in 1909, with some structures having been replaced in the 1990s, the line has reached the end of its serviceable life and needs to be rebuilt.

The 11-mile electric transmission line is critical to providing reliable service to customers and cannot be taken out of service. The electric transmission line would follow the existing route connecting the existing Hopkins Substation, located northeast of Carbondale, to Basalt Substation, located east of Basalt.

Xcel Energy invites you to attend an open house to learn more about the project, construction activities and timing. Information regarding the project can be found at the following link: www.xcelenergy.com/HopkinstoBasalt

IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSES:

October 12, 2022

4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. MST

Basalt Regional Library – Community Room 14 Midland Ave. Basalt, CO 81621 or October 18, 2022

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. MST

Roaring Fork High School 2270 Highway 133 Carbondale, CO 81623

Contact us with questions or concerns at: HopkinstoBasalt@xcelenergy.com or at 303-571-6503

Photo by William Buzzerd

Sol del Valle

Ella tiene el

verde’

Por Angélica Breña Sol Contribuyente

Vanessa Harmony es una digna representante de nuestra nueva era: innovadora, dinámica, y preocupada por el medio ambiente. Rompiendo los esquemas sociales de casarse y tener hijos, se lanzó a estudiar y experimentar formalmente la naturaleza. Ahora, de manera profesional observa, cuida y cura el buen crecimiento de seres arbóreos que han vivido algo más de cien años en esta región.

Harmony es la fundadora y dueña de Colorado Edible Forest en Glenwood Springs; vivero de arbustos, plantas, hierbas y árboles frutales que anhelan ser plantados en los hogares y granjas que se encuentren bajo el sol de este valle.

Fue una gran sorpresa verla tan fresca y guapa, me encontré con una mujer ajada por el sol, con las manos recias y de trato rudo. Al recibirme en su vivero, me quedé fascinada por su encantadora personalidad y conocimientos de horticultura y medio ambiente. Su visión y trayectoria han sido muy claras a través de la permacultura.

Le pregunté en qué consiste la permacultura, ya que para mí es difícil de comprender la teoría y ella me contestó señalando las plantas y arbustos llenos de vida que estaban frente a mi.

“Es un proceso de diseño basado en la observación de la naturaleza, utilizando procesos naturales para minimizar los insumos y la mano de obra. Por ejemplo, cultivar gusanos y micelio para construir el suelo, en vez de importarlo de la composta. Invitar a los insectos buenos a que consuman las plagas del jardín en vez de aplicar pesticidas”.

Harmony se ha trazado un camino original y novedoso dentro de su comunidad urbana y su tradición familiar ya que, “Nadie en mi familia o ancestros se había dedicado a cultivar o plantar”, confesó alegremente.

En su página web dice, “Mi misión es cultivar alimentos, construir suelo y nutrir la naturaleza, mi visión es el Bosque Comestible de Colorado”.

Ella recuerda que fue su padre el que la inició en las caminatas y senderismo en estas bellísimas montañas de Colorado.

“En las vacaciones de verano, veníamos a acampar y creo que lo que más me marcó para mi carrera fueron los varios programas de Campamento de Vida Silvestre y Aventura para Adolescentes de la Federación Nacional, aquí en Colorado”.

Fue en estos campamentos que descubrió las deliciosas berries, ese sabor de las frambuesas silvestres recién cortadas que ha sido para ella un recuerdo perenne.

Su impulso interior viene desde que era niña.

“Desde chiquita mi anhelo era salvar el medio ambiente, quizás estaba preocupada, pues viví varios años en una ciudad muy grande y populosa, con graves problemas de desigualdad y contaminación”.

Toda su familia materna habla indistintamente el español e inglés. Su bisabuela materna fue mexicana, sus padres del Sur de Texas y, por caprichosas razones de la vida, ella creció en Yakarta, Indonesia y también vivió algún tiempo en Madrid.

“Mi madre es la que nos ha nutrido a mi papá, a mi hermano y a mí, con sus cuidados y cariños”. Afirmó, con una dulce sonrisa, y entonces le cambió la expresión al decirnos:

“Ahora soy yo la que nutro y cuido a los nietos y bisnietos de esos seres arbóreos que habitaron desde hace centenas de años en Basalt, Emma y Carbondale. Estos árboles que he plantado con injertos de los árboles frutales de la región son como mis hijos. Son el legado de aquellos granjeros que plantaron por primera vez manzanos, duraznos, ciruelos, y tantos otros en lo que ahora es Basalt. Son los que me han dado pertenencia e identidad”.

Después de una sólida preparación y educación en materia de permacultura, de horticultura, y plantas comestibles perennes, Harmony consolidó su oficio colaborando con Jerome Ostenowski por varios años.

Le pregunté cuál era su mayor fortaleza y ella me contestó que siempre le ha sorprendido su gran capacidad de adaptación y apertura al cambio. Para llegar a lo que ha logrado tuvo que superar obstáculos y explorar muchos senderos. El hecho de haber estado tan cerca de la naturaleza y de observarla hasta en los mínimos detalles le han enseñado que hay una inclinación muy marcada en los seres vivos para adaptarse y florecer.

Colorado Edible Forest está ubicado en las Rivendell Farms, muy cerca del campus de Colorado Mountain College en Spring Valley de Glenwood Springs. El vivero consta de dos secciones.

La primera está compuesta de arbustos comestibles perennes como las fresas, las frambuesas rojas y negras, las grosellas, los capulines, bayas, y variadas hierbas comestibles. Nos mostró una alcachofa de Jerusalén cuya raíz es muy benéfica para los diabéticos y se puede cultivar en pequeños arbustos en casa o incluso en macetas.

La segunda sección son los árboles injertados

comestibles; Manzanos, duraznos, melocotones, albaricoques, ciruelos y requieren de mucho más terreno. Es aquí donde ella cuida los injertos de los primordiales ciruelos y manzanos de los huertos de Emma.

Dentro de los planes futuros a corto plazo de Harmony es poder generar uno o dos empleos que la ayuden con el cuidado del vivero y, así, poder desarrollar talleres para educar y enseñar los habitantes de este Valle los beneficios que hay al plantar y diseñar con permacultura.

Conectando comunidades

Foto de Kathleen Cole

Vanessa Harmony apuesta por el cuidado del medio ambiente en su vivero. Foto de Julian Nihill

Diferencias entre candidatos surgen en debates de Grand Junction

Por Caroline Llanes

Traducción por Global Language Services

El sábado 10 de septiembre varios candidatos a cargos electos en Colorado estuvieron en Grand Junction para participar en los debates organizados por el Club 20, una organización de tendencia derechista dedicada a promover los intereses de la vertiente oeste.

Los candidatos participaron en un asado organizado por el grupo el viernes 9 de septiembre y los debates comenzaron a primera hora de la mañana siguiente, iniciados por los candidatos al distrito 57 de la Cámara de Representantes de Colorado.

El día fue rematado por el único debate programado para los candidatos del 3er Distrito del Congreso de Colorado.

La aspirante demócrata Elizabeth Velasco, de Glenwood Springs, debate con Perry Will, republicano de New Castle, en Grand Junction.

El Distrito 57 de la Cámara de Representantes se

redefinió recientemente para incluir el valle de Roaring Fork en su totalidad, así como parte del valle del río Colorado que se extiende hasta Parachute.

Actualmente está representado por Perry Will, R-New Castle. Will se enfrenta a la demócrata Elizabeth Velasco, residente de Glenwood Springs.

El nuevo Distrito 57 de la Cámara de Representantes se extiende desde la frontera con Utah hasta partes de los condados de Eagle y Pitkin.

Will y Velasco coincidieron en muchos de los temas que surgieron durante un periodo inicial de preguntas y respuestas, como la reducción del coste de la vida, la protección de los derechos del agua y el acceso a la atención médica rural.

Pero las diferencias entre los dos candidatos se pusieron de manifiesto durante la parte de repreguntas del debate.

Will preguntó a Velasco si apoyaba, entre otras cosas, la energía verde "en detrimento de las economías rurales y las bases fiscales".

"No estoy de acuerdo

con la forma en que está enmarcando esa pregunta, especialmente porque sé que somos líderes como estado en energía verde, y espero continuar ese trabajo, asegurándome de que nuestros trabajadores cualificados tengan las oportunidades de conseguir esos trabajos realmente bien pagados", respondió.

A su vez, Velasco preguntó a Will por qué había votado en contra de los derechos reproductivos bajo la forma de la Ley de Equidad en Salud Reproductiva. Will dijo que pensaba que el proyecto de ley iba "demasiado lejos".

"No creo que el gobierno tenga nada que hacer ahí", dijo Will. "La cuestión que me plantea, creo, es entre una familia, sus allegados, sus líderes religiosos, sus médicos, para tomar esa decisión".

Will añadió que no creía que la decisión de la Corte Suprema de anular el caso Roe vs. Wade fuera terriblemente importante, y dijo que el derecho al aborto no iba a desaparecer, sino que sería decidido por los estados.

Velasco y Will apelaron a sus conexiones con la comunidad -Velasco como bombero forestal y Will con su carrera en la gestión de la vida silvestre- para exponer sus argumentos.

Antes del debate, Velasco recaudó más que Will en agosto, con contribuciones de unos $18,500. Will recaudó casi $12,000 en ese mismo mes.

Pero tiene unos $13,000 más en efectivo de cara a los dos últimos meses de estas elecciones. Will cuenta con $32,000 en comparación con los casi $19,000 de Velasco.

Cada candidato gastó algo más de $8,000 dólares en agosto.

Para leer sobre candidatos para el tercer distrito del Congreso de Colorado, Lauren Boebert y Adam Frisch, échale una visita a www.bit.ly/ APRcandidatosCD3

Este artículo fue publicado en asociación con Aspen Public Radio, una fuente de noticias para todo el valle en línea en www.aspenpublicradio.org

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

Vanessa Porras

Directore Artístico Hattie Rensberry

Diseñadora de anuncios Alyssa Ohnmacht

Traductoras Jacquelinne Castro y Dolores Duarte Distribucion

Frederic Kischbaum Bartlett

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 • Roger Berliner

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.

Por Crystal Mariscal

¿Solo un mes para celebrar nuestra bella herencia hispana? Ojalá y pudiéramos celebrar todos los días. Bueno mejor dicho lo ideal sería reforzar y abrazar la idea de que ya lo estamos haciendo, cada quien a su manera.

Amas de casa sacando del corazón las recetas pasadas de generación en generación, sustituyendo ingredientes o utensilios por otros a la mano, y así dando su propio toque de sazón para esta nueva realidad. Pacinos creando mexicanadas con una creatividad única, para sacar adelante el trabajo. No solo traemos fiestas de celebración, sino cambios económicos, comunitarios y

Un poquito de todo

hasta políticos.

En una celebración tan importante no podemos dejar pasar por alto los nombres que dejaran historia por ser los primeros en ocupar puestos electos locales, es por eso que me pongo de pie y me quito el sombrero para aplaudir a Dina Prieto, primera mujer latina electa en el condado de Garfield en el pueblo de Silt como concejala. Luis Yllanes, concejal latino en Carbondale. Jasmin Ramirez Ramos, quien es la primera latina electa en las escuelas del distrito del Roaring Fork. Claudia Flores quien es la Mayor Pro-Term de Parachute (Alcalde sustituto en caso de faltar el Alcalde electo).

No solo a ellos, sino también a los colegas de comunicaciones, a nuestra querida Vanessa Porras, Samuel Bernal y Axel Contreras. Nuestros influenciadores sociales, Iliana Bernal y Carlos Cornejo. Y a tantos y tantos directores, gerentes, dueños de negocios y encargados de personal ¡Gracias! Ustedes hacen este valle único, más rico económicamente y

culturalmente.

Regresando a la cultura, seguiré en la pelea de conservar lo que sirve y desechar lo que no sirve, ese cuento tan trillado mío, de que no todo por ser cultural es bueno.

Al escribir esto, todas mis perspectivas pasadas me llegan a la mente, inevitable el no llorar, pero algo que no quiero seguir haciendo, es querer yo sola cambiar el mundo. Hay tantos a nuestro alrededor, con las piezas del rompecabezas que nos falta, que si tan solo pidiéramos ayuda se nos haría todo más fácil. Me convertí en 'toquen', la pieza de diferentes juntas directivas, llegue a sobrecargarme tanto. Por eso desde hace un par de meses comencé a soltar lo que ya no me hacía feliz y también a lo que ya no le podía dedicar el mismo tiempo y amor.

Hoy celebro mi cultura, al igual que cada día, haciendo cambios a mi favor, para ser una mejor líder, madre, mujer y ser humano. Hoy digo adiós a Otra Perspectiva, no porque no ame escribirles, y que

por la calle me cuenten que me leen, sino porque es hora de crear algo que he llevado en mente por años, y que cuando esté listo, ustedes serán de los primeros en enterarse.

Seguiré trabajando en la comunidad como hasta hoy, ya que ¡los tacos no se pagan solos! En este último artículo de mi tan querida columna, quería hablar un poquito de todo. ¡Tipo chilaquiles! Haciendo un recuento del principio al final.

Raleigh, gracias por siempre creer en mí, te aprecio como no tienes idea, y soy admiradora de tu trabajo y de tu corazón más latino que el de muchos latinos.

Para ustedes que hacen que El Sol salga, les envío bendiciones, sigan disfrutando de todo lo que

este gran recurso trae para ustedes, se quedan en las mejores manos, las manos artísticas de Vanessa.

Y para no perder el estilo de Cantinflear, estoy aquí porque no estoy en otro lado. Así que no sospecho de todos, si no de mi, de que pronto me vean escribiendo algo especial por aquí.

Ya que una verdad necesita ser contada desde la Otra Perspectiva, sin favorecer a alguien solo por su género, color de piel o incluso por su pasado. Mejor no lo pudo haber dicho el emperador romano Marco Aurelio, “todo lo que escuchamos es una opinión, no un hecho. Todo lo que vemos es una perspectiva no es la verdad”.

La perspectiva de hoy, es que me voy. La verdad de lo que sigue solo Dios la sabe.

2022 CASA ABIERTA PARA LA COMUNIDAD EN EL DEPARTMENTO DE BOMBEROS EN CARBONDALE

de Octubre, 2022

a.m.

1:00 p.m.

Districto de Bomberos en Carbondale te invita a venir a la Casa Abierta para la Comunidad. Sera un momento divertido para toda la familia. Disfrute una oportunidad de conocer Sparky el Perro Bombero y premios para los adultos y niños! Los invitamos a tener lonche con nosotros y conozca tus amigos en el Departamento de Bomberos.

"! En este último artículo de mi tan querida columna, quería hablar un poquito de todo. ¡Tipo chilaquiles!"

Paseo en Unidades de Bomberos

Gira camiones de bomberos y ambulancias

Ve el helicopter

Perro Bombero

Demostración

CARBONDALE

Ryan

Por Raleigh Burleigh Traducción por Dolores Duarte

Durante tres términos, desde 2011, el republicano

Tom Jankovsky ha servido en la Junta de Comisionados del Condado de Garfield (BOCC por sus siglas en inglés). Este noviembre, los votantes decidirán si conceden a Jankovsky un cuarto término o eligen al demócrata Ryan Gordon para representar el Distrito 1.

El Sopris Sun entrevistó individualmente a cada candidato sobre sus motivaciones para participar en la contienda, los desafíos que ven por delante para el Condado de Garfield y lo que los diferencia de su oponente. Este artículo reúne sus respuestas a las mismas preguntas.

Ambos candidatos nacieron en Colorado. Jankovsky, de tercera generación en Colorado, se crió en Sterling y su abuelo fue miembro de la legislatura estatal. Gordon es de Glenwood Springs y, tras obtener un título en ingeniería civil de la Universidad Estatal de Colorado, vivió en California y Portland, Oregon antes de regresar al valle con su familia en 2016.

Jankovsky tiene experiencia en negocios. Fue director general de Sunlight Mountain Resort de 1985 a 2018 y sigue formando parte como secretario de la junta directiva del complejo . Otros consejos de los que ha formado parte son el de Colorado Ski Country Board (durante casi 30 años) y el de Glenwood Springs Resort Association (en la década de 1990); en ambos fue presidente. Jankovsky dijo que su "amplia experiencia ejecutiva" lo convierte en un líder calificado en el BOCC con conocimientos administrativos, contables y de presupuestos, entre otros.

Gordon, en contraste, estudió ingeniería civil. Desde su regreso a Colorado trabaja para SGM Engineering,

Inc. A través de su trabajo, Gordon se ha familiarizado con el personal y los funcionarios elegidos en las ciudades y comunidades del condado de Garfield y sus proximidades. También ha adquirido un conocimiento detallado de los gobiernos locales, trabajando a través de SGM como ingeniero municipal de Parachute durante dos años y ahora como ingeniero de registro de Snowmass Village e ingeniero de aguas de Minturn.

Asimismo, Gordon entiende los gastos de infraestructura, el mantenimiento de los activos y otras cosas técnicas. "Los ingenieros, somos buenos en resolver problemas", dijo a The Sopris Sun. "Y somos muy prácticos". Añadió que los ingenieros deben ver las ramificaciones de largo alcance de las decisiones y comprender sus limitaciones personales. "Como ingeniero, una de las cosas que se nos inculca es saber lo que no sabes y saber cuándo pedir ayuda externa", dijo.

Según Jankovsky, fue un proceso de casi cuatro años el comprender realmente las complejidades de ser un comisionado del condado. Ahora es el enlace de la junta para el comité presupuestario, y trabaja con los jefes de departamento, el gerente del condado y el gerente de finanzas sobre una base anual. También es el enlace de los comisionados en la junta de inversiones, que genera alrededor de $1 millón de dólares al año en intereses y dividendos de las inversiones.

Jankovsky forma parte del Consejo Asesor de Recursos del Noroeste de Colorado, que asesora a la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras en todo tipo de asuntos, desde la gestión de los caballos salvajes hasta la perforación de petróleo y gas. Forma parte de la Comisión de Servicios Humanos del condado, es el representante del Club 20 de la junta y es tesorero de la junta de Garfield Clean Energy, de la que fue miembro fundador.

Los retos a los que se enfrenta el condado, dijo Jankovsky, incluyen un precipitado descenso de los ingresos con "los impuestos sobre la propiedad de la industria del petróleo y el gas [que han caído] en casi 10 millones de dólares". Esto ha llevado en los últimos

años a unos presupuestos difíciles de equilibrar; lo que se ha conseguido, continuó, reduciendo los gastos, incluido el personal en un 5% "por desgaste y jubilaciones anticipadas".

Gordon considera que la diversificación de los ingresos del condado es una prioridad absoluta. Para lograrlo, cree que la economía del condado debería "descarbonizarse", es decir, depender menos de la extracción de combustibles fósiles. "No defiendo que lo hagamos de forma instantánea", añadió, "las cosas están en transición y tenemos que cambiar con ellas. El petróleo y el gas siempre tendrán un papel en nuestra sociedad, pero vemos que habrá menos ingresos".

Además de una inversión más agresiva en energías renovables, Gordon apoyaría la capitalización de los recursos al aire libre para el turismo y los ciudadanos, las granjas y los ranchos para los alimentos producidos localmente y la promoción de industria ligera mediante la mejora del acceso a la carretera interestatal y a los ferrocarriles.

Gordon se inspiró en sus dos hijas pequeñas para presentarse. Al hablar de su vuelta al condado, se considera afortunado por haber encontrado un trabajo y vivienda. Quiere oportunidades para sus hijas, incluyendo un medio ambiente sano y una economía fuerte para su futuro; "que hayamos hecho lo correcto a nivel local, que hayamos tomado las decisiones correctas".

Fotos de cortesía

La política energética de Jankovsky, en comparación, es un "enfoque en todo lo anterior", que incluye combustibles fósiles, energía solar, eólica, hidroeléctrica "y nuclear, si es necesario, para volver a la independencia energética".

Otra de las principales preocupaciones de Jankovsky es la seguridad pública, con un aumento del crimen en el condado de Garfield, incluidos los delitos violentos.

"No estamos quitando financiamiento a la policía, por así decirlo, o al [Fiscal del Distrito]", dijo, "nos estamos asegurando de que estén adecuadamente financiados".

Cuando el Fiscal del 9no. Circuito Judicial, Jeff Cheney, se presentó ante la junta en 2020 pidiendo $700,000 dólares más para cuatro nuevos puestos y aumentos de sueldo para ayudar con los casos atrasados, informó Jankovsky, los comisionados encontraron una forma de hacerlo, mientras mantuvieron un presupuesto equilibrado. En el próximo ciclo presupuestario, están discutiendo la adición de dos oficiales de recursos para las escuelas en el condado de Garfield no incorporado.

Un reto importante que Gordon ve por delante para el condado es la vivienda accesible. Los desplazamientos largos de muchos trabajadores y la consiguiente falta de mano de obra para muchos puestos de trabajo, "realmente va a traer consigo muchas situaciones y problemas que se están produciendo", dijo.

Para abordar el reto regional de la vivienda accesible, continuó Gordon, será esencial "trabajar de forma colectiva y en colaboración". "Los problemas son grandes y complejos, y requieren colaboración", desde Pitkin hasta el condado de Mesa, la oficina del gobernador, los senadores y más allá. "Tenemos que trabajar con todo el mundo en nuestra región... aprovechando todos los ángulos que podamos para resolver nuestros problemas altamente complejos".

Considera un error la decisión de los actuales comisionados del condado de Garfield de no unirse a la nueva Greater Roaring Fork Valley Housing Coalition a principios de este año. "Creo que es un

enfoque erróneo. Creo que eso no es mostrar liderazgo en absoluto", dijo. Para Gordon, la colaboración en materia de vivienda accesible y otras cuestiones "no es una idea", sino "una filosofía" que aportaría al puesto.

Jankovsky se mostró de acuerdo con que "se necesitará el trabajo de todos nosotros", y citó iniciativas como los $3 millones de dólares disponibles en el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD por sus siglas en inglés) para los compradores de vivienda por primera vez para el pago inicial o hipoteca, así como las directrices de inclusión de la vivienda que requieren que una de cada 10 unidades en las nuevas subdivisiones sea accesible, subvenciones a organizaciones sin fines de lucro como Hábitat for Humanity y más.

La visión de Jankovsky para un cuarto término incluye ayudar a garantizar la construcción y el funcionamiento de un centro regional de desintoxicación, seguir mejorando el acceso a banda ancha, la seguridad contra incendios y la resistencia lograda en parte por el raleo de árboles con las quemas prescritas y los incentivos para las industrias de productos de madera, completar el plan maestro del West Garfield County Landfill y garantizar la protección de los derechos de agua en el oeste de Colorado.

Y, "todavía no hemos terminado con el COVID", advirtió Jankovsky. "El presidente no ha terminado con la declaración de emergencia sanitaria que puso en marcha". Jankovsky predice que esto sucederá después de las elecciones, y que el "desenlace de esa orden sanitaria" hará que algunas personas pierdan los beneficios del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (cupones de alimentos) y de Medicaid. "Va a haber un poco de presión en esos dos programas", dijo. "Puede haber más necesidad de ayuda a los bancos de alimentos y demás".

De ser elegido, Gordon cree que puede hacer a un lado el partidismo para trabajar en áreas comunes de preocupación con los comisionados Mike Samson y John Martin. "Tanto John como Mike son personas

OPEN HOUSE COMUNITARIA

Jueves, 13 de Octubre 4:30-7:00pm en el Edificio de Administración del Condado de Pitkin 530 E Main St, Aspen 1er Piso en la Sala de Reuniones de los Comisionados (BOCC)

Únase a nostros para este evento gratuito – ¡Se darán comida y bebidas!

Conexión de Truscott al Sendero Owl Creek y Cruce Peatonal de Buttermilk

¡Hablemos del transporte multimodal seguro y eficiente!

razonables que pueden mirar más allá de la política", dijo. "Creo que para muchas de las cuestiones que tenemos que resolver, hay un terreno común". Para otras cuestiones, Gordon cree que puede "exponer el caso" y lograr prioridades con las que podrían estar de acuerdo. "Se trata literalmente de conseguir cosas".

En cuanto a la división política, Jankovsky dijo que la suya es una filosofía de gobierno limitado y que "las decisiones que tomamos son decisiones locales y no son partidistas, en si mismas", sino que la mayoría son decisiones administrativas. En cuanto a los posibles remedios, dijo: "Lo primero que hay que hacer es escuchar". Y en última instancia, hay tres responsabilidades básicas: agua, alcantarillado y acceso/transporte.

En conclusión, Jankovsky dijo que le motiva el servicio público. A nivel local, "puedo marcar una diferencia mucho mayor aquí que en la cámara estatal o incluso en el congreso", dijo. "Necesitamos sentirnos seguros y tener una buena calidad de vida en nuestra comunidad". Anima a los votantes a tener en cuenta la diferencia de experiencia entre los dos candidatos. "Es un buen hombre, como yo, pero no creo que esté preparado para el puesto".

"Hablando en general, nuestro actual gobierno del condado no es tan proactivo como debería", criticó Gordon. "Creo que necesitamos gente que actúe con decisión y tome decisiones, en lugar de seguir".

Para saber más sobre Tom Jankovsky, visita tomj2022.com

Para saber más sobre Ryan Gordon, visita ryangordonforgarco.com

¿QUÉ ES MÁS OTOÑO QUEUN CAFÉ CON LECHE CON ESPECIAS DE CALABAZA? VACUNAS CONTRA LA GRIPE!

Jueves,

de October, 11 am - 2 pm

Miercoles, 12 de October, 12 - 2 pm

Jueves, 13 de October, 7 am – 9 am

Rifle High School 1350 Prefontaine Ave, Rifle (drive through)

Sabado, 15 de October, 1 pm - 3 pm

Carbondale Library, 320 Sopris Ave, Carbondale

Lunes, 17 de October, 7 am - 9 am

Coal Ridge High School, 35947 US-6, New Castle (drive through)

Viernes, 21 de October, 11 am – 2 pm Rifle City Hall, 202 Railroad Ave, Rifle

Viernes, 28 de October, 11 am – 2 pm New Castle Park (Ritter Plaza)

¿Cómo podemos mejorar el acceso y la seguridad de los sistemas multimodales de viaje a lo largo de la autopista 82 entre Owl Creek Rd y Truscott Pl? Visite eotcbuttermilk.com para más información.

Traducción por Jacquelinne Castro

Caída de hojas

El programa anual de reciclaje de hojas de Carbondale aceptará hojas desde el lunes 10 de octubre hasta el miércoles 2 de noviembre en el estacionamiento entre Fourth Street y Colorado Avenue. Los residentes de Carbondale pueden dejar sus hojas y palos (no más de dos pulgadas en diámetro). El pueblo requiere que las personas se aseguren de no incluir plástico ni bolsas compostables cuando dejen los desechos, de lo contrario la carga no será reciclada e irá directo al vertedero. Las cargas que no estén contaminadas ayudarán a la agricultura local.

Nutrición equitativa

Safe and Abundant Nutrition Alliance (SANA) recientemente recibió una subvención de $420,000 por parte de Colorado Health Foundation. SANA tiene la misión de alcanzar a los miembros de la comunidad con pocos recursos en los condados de Garfield, Eagle y Pitkin y proporcionarles acceso a recursos de salud y alimentos nutritivos. SANA usará los fondos para continuar sirviendo más de 45,000 comidas al año – con la ayuda de agencias asociadas – e incluir programaciones así como jardinería, educación nutritiva, clases de comida y actividades al aire libre.

Terreno a la renta

Open Space and Trails, del condado de Pitkin, está aceptando ofertas para arrendar 24 acres de terrenos agrícolas en Wheatley Open Space, parte baja de Snowmass Canyon, por cinco años comenzando el 2023. Las solicitudes deben ser entregadas antes del 31 de octubre. Para saber más visite www.bit.ly/WheatleyLease

Tarifa de área silvestre

El Servicio Forestal ha aprobado una tarifa para los campistas que visitan las partes más impactadas del área silvestre de Maroon Bells-Snowmass. Comenzando el 2023, entre el 1 de mayo y el 31 de octubre, los campistas requerirán pagar $10 por persona para quedarse la noche en Conundrum Hot Springs, Four Pass Loop (el cual incluye Crater Lake y Snowmass Lake), Geneva Lake y Capitol Lake. Los niños menores de 16 años están exentos. En febrero del 2023, los permisos estarán disponibles a la venta en www.recreation.gov

Mármol genial

Felicitaciones a Marble Distilling Company, uno de los 10 finalistas en la competencia inaugural “Lo Mejor Hecho en Colorado” de la Cámara de Comercio de Colorado. Los sabores de Marble son filtrados a través de mármol triturado de Yule, combinándolo con granos cultivados localmente para obtener una debida pura y sabrosa. Los finalistas de la competencia serán celebrados en la reunión de almuerzo anual de la Cámara de Comercio el 20 de octubre, donde el ganador será anunciado.

Premio al maestro

El maestro de Basalt High School, Jesus Rios Vera, recibió el premio Maestro de Desarrollo de Ingles como Segundo Idioma del Año, por parte de la Asociación para la Educación Bilingüe de Colorado (CABE). “Jesús es un instructor dedicado, atento y talentoso,” dijo Amy Fairbanks, la directora de educación diversa cultural y lingüística del distrito. Vera será reconocido en la gala de premios CABE 2022 el 13 de octubre en Brighton.

Por el amor a las mascotas

Phil Long Glenwood Springs Subaru estará patrocinando adopciones de mascotas en Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE) durante el mes

de octubre. Subaru pagará $100 para el costo de adopción, lo cual baja el precio a $31 para los futuros dueños de mascotas. Subaru patrocinará hasta $3,100 con la esperanza de que una mascota sea adoptada cada día del mes. Para más información o para completar una encuesta de adopción, visite www.coloradoanimalrescue.org

Ayudando al bosque

El bosque nacional White River tiene más de 200 posiciones temporales disponibles para la temporada de verano del 2023. La pequeña ventana de solicitud cierra el 6 de octubre. Para más información visite www.USAJOBS.gov

Orientación bancaria bilingüe

FirstBank lanzó recientemente su programa de educación financiera bilingüe, con su iniciativa “Fortalecer a Todos”, espera educar a los consumidores acerca de las prácticas bancarias. La iniciativa ofrece recursos y videos educacionales en línea. De vez en cuando, los organizadores ofrecerán eventos en persona. Para examinar la información económica que se ofrece en línea, los hispanohablantes pueden visitar www.firstbank.com/todos, y los angloparlantes pueden visitar www.firstbank.com/empowerall

the Classic Air Helicopter

Sparky the Fire Dog

Fire Truck Rides

Check Out Fire Trucks and Ambulances with Your Local Heroes

Photos by Sue Rollyson

Spud life

We don't charge for obits

death of a loved one costs

The Sopris Sun is happy to publish local obituaries of a reasonable length, including a picture, for free.

news@soprissun.com to submit one or for more information.

WHAT DOES THE COLORADO WARRANTY OF HABITABILITY LAW MEAN?

Landlords are responsible for safety and health standards in the homes they rent out. Colorado’s Warranty of Habitability law can help renters who are worried their homes are unsafe.

This quick guide gives a brief overview of the safety and health issues covered under the law.

WHAT ISSUES ARE COVERED?

Conditions that affect whether a unit is habitable and situations that interfere with a renter’s life, health or safety and were not caused by the renter, including:

• roof and exterior walls that leak

• broken windows and exterior doors that have broken locks

• gas and plumbing problems

• mold • broken appliances*

• lack of hot and cold running water

• problems with sewage disposal system

• problems with heat

• electrical lighting and wiring in poor order

• common areas that are not kept clean or have garbage

• infestation of bugs, pests and rodents

• floors, stairways and railings in poor condition (inside the building)

• lack of compliance with building or health codes (If renters have questions about building and health codes, they can call their local county health

• department.)

*Appliances that may be covered include refrigerator, range stove or oven if they are present at the time of move-in or are part of the written agreement between the landlord and home renter. Refer to Colorado Legal Services for more information.

Settling landlord-tenant disputes civilly

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

Rental housing. More than any others, these two words will spark a lively conversation with just about any Roaring Fork Valley resident. We all know of someone, or maybe we are that someone, who is a landlord looking for a reliable tenant, or we are the reliable renter looking for a good housing fit in a Valley with slim options.

Jenny Wherry, executive director of the Glenwood Springs-based nonprofit Alpine Legal Services (ALS), which provides civil legal services from Aspen to Parachute, said landlord-tenant mediation services are available to negotiate agreements between landlords and tenants.

Mediation can reduce the number of rental property evictions, as it offers an avenue to resolve conflict before it escalates into something more costly to the community, such as the potential for violence when law enforcement officials serve eviction orders in already stressful situations where the tension between parties is likely to be heightened.

Sometimes the mediation results in buying time, where the landlord will give a tenant an extra month

or two and, “because they're negotiating more time, they don't have a lawful right to stay, because it is the end of the lease and they're not renewing the lease, and so sometimes it’s a win,” said Wherry.

Through the Colorado judicial system, the state Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) offers mediation services, typically used for pending eviction cases, Wherry explained. While there have been ongoing efforts to bring an ODR office to the Western Slope, local mediation services offer a less bureaucratic alternative, “more about ‘Hey, before you file an eviction order, let’s have a conversation.’”

Michael Soldonz works as a volunteer mediator at ALS, the City of Boulder Community Mediation and Resolution Center and the 20th Judicial District (Boulder County), which publishes an online monthly schedule where he can sign up for cases, depending on his workload and availability.

A good mediator will “set the tone” and establish ground rules upfront, Soldonz shared. He added that the process is voluntary, so either party can end the mediation at any time “if any violence or threats of violence or bodily harm are made, the mediation ends right there.”

After-Hours

ASPEN

BASALT

Lab Tests Offered

Soldonz said, “a laudable goal we shoot for is to have both parties achieve agreement through self-determination — they've come to the table with their ideas and found the solution. The mediator's goal is to be the facilitator to help them get to that point. It’s not about living in the past, or with whatever's happened before in the tenant/landlord relationship; we're trying to be future-focused.”

When an eviction goes to court, involved parties need to consider legal fees, time and wages lost while spending a day in court. Another factor to consider, Soldonz said, is “you have a judge who doesn't know you or your case, other than a quick reading of the facts, and while they may have the best of intentions, they've got a docket of 30 cases, and all of them have to be decided in one day.”

Tammy Sullivan is the managing attorney at the Alamosa office of Colorado Legal Services (CLS), covering Colorado’s 12th Judicial District, which includes Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties. CLS provides free civil legal services for low-income Coloradans.

The Alamosa-based nonprofit The Center for Restorative Programs (CRP) is a restorative justice program that offers online and inperson mediation services and an assessment to determine the need and availability of other resources.

As a result of CRP’s work, the community benefits from successful mediations by reducing workloads for Sullivan, her staff and the court. She said, “I’ve had very few cases where I haven’t been able to negotiate something that works for everyone with the mediation program. I haven’t litigated a full eviction case in over a year.”

Going through the eviction process is stressful, “and when we're operating under

that stress, there's probably a lot of other stressful things happening in someone's life.” She says having the court refer people to free mediation services “is helpful because people are in a compromised state when they're facing eviction.”

Tony Mendez, ALS staff attorney, shared that statistics are currently unavailable to know whether evictions increased since the federal moratorium ended last summer. However, it has been reported that evictions in Colorado decreased because money in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program paid for tenants and mortgagees behind on their rent during COVID. Mendez added, “Sadly, those funds are set to run out by late June 2023.”

Wherry said an impending eviction impacts every area of your and your family’s life.

“Nothing is going to be stable about your life — emotionally, mentally, physically, educationwise, job-wise — nothing. If you don't have stable housing. It's hard to make a foothold on any progress. When you have that perfect storm of the tenant needing mental health support, perhaps, and about to face homelessness, they don't have anything to lose at that point, and it can become a dangerous combination.”

Sullivan observed, “We forget the human component of the legal process a lot of the time because it's just such a robotic process in many ways.” Mediation services are meant to include the human element to resolve landlord-tenant disputes in a dignified and respectful manner.

Alpine Legal Services provides bilingual mediation services from Parachute to Aspen for landlord/tenant disputes. For more information, go to www.alpinelegalservices.org or call 970230-3935 to be connected to a mediator.

Mountain Running Championships (USMRC). Mackenzie and fellow runner, Morgan Elliott, carried DeMoor off the course.

Undeterred, he and Mackenzie went “back to the drawing board” to reevaluate his nutrition, training, well-being and mental mindset which ultimately set him up for his stellar international performance.

Friend and fellow elite mountain athlete Sean Van Horn said DeMoor’s skyrunning weekend was “fantastic,” especially considering that in Europe people grow up idolizing skyrunning; but he said DeMoor was built for this type of racing.

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t completely surprised,” Van Horn laughed. “I think Joe has an amazing engine and moves over uphill terrain with ease ... I’ve also seen him continue to put in the work, year in and year out.”

While DeMoor is recognized for his consistent training and humble demeanor, he credits his community for his impressive running resume, which includes FKTs on Mt. Sopris, Capital Peak, Pyramid Peak, Castle Peak and the Maroon Bells.

“Running is a team sport, and in my mind it always has been,” DeMoor said. “No runner or athlete gets to where they are by themselves, and I’m super fortunate to have a huge support network.”

Now, with a Skyrunning World Championship gold and bronze added to his resume, DeMoor sets his sights on Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he will compete for Team USA alongside Carbondalian Jeff Colt and former Carbondale resident Morgan Elliott at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships held on Nov. 4-6.

Garfield County secures broadband grant; approves housing bond transfer

By Will Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

On Sept. 7, Garfield County announced that it has secured a $1.7 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to support the county’s ongoing project to improve local broadband infrastructure.

Plans to improve broadband internet in Garfield County have been underway since May of 2016, when Garfield and Mesa counties partnered to assess the internet needs of both businesses and residents. Since then, Garfield County has worked with several private contractors in the planning process and early stages of implementation.

In December of 2021, the Board of County Commissioners shifted focus and funding toward “middlemile” broadband infrastructure. “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for reliable, high-speed internet service, as many Americans worked, attended school, met with doctors and communicated with loved ones online,” stated a press release.

“Middle-mile” refers to the portion of a telecommunications network — in this case a physical fiber cable — which connects a large core network to local “meet-me” centers. These “meet-me” centers are generally designed to serve areas as large as a town, and the case of Garfield County will be carrier-neutral, so that

residents regardless of their internet provider should be supported.

The first phase of middle-mile infrastructure is already underway, connecting the core network running along I-70 to locations in Glenwood Springs and Rifle. This portion of the network is expected to be completed this year. The second phase, now undergoing preliminary engineering, will connect locations in Parachute, Silt and New Castle. The recent $1.7 million grant, secured from the Colorado DOLA and matched by the American Rescue Plan Act, is designed to help cover the costs for the second phase of middle-mile infrastructure.

The third phase of Garfield County’s ongoing broadband improvement project will be the implementation of “last-mile” infrastructure. This stage is what connects the individual user to the whole of the network. The end goal of the broadband project is to secure highspeed internet access for every resident of Garfield County currently outside service areas.

On Sept. 9, Garfield County also announced that it had assigned its private activity bond (PAB) cap to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) to be used toward affordable housing initiatives. More than $3.4 million will be directed to the CHFA, which will issue bonds to various programs in the county.

PABs are tax-exempt bonds issued by the government toward projects with public benefit. The state cap for

these bonds is assigned by the IRS and allocated to counties and municipalities.

Possible initiatives these PABs may be applied toward include first-time homebuyer loan programs, mortgage bonds for low to moderate-income citizens and construction of housing for low to moderate-income citizens.

Garfield County has transferred bonds to CHFA in the past. In 2019, the county allocated $3.15 million to CHFA to be issued to qualified homebuyers. This capacity was used to help finance the CHFA’s FirstStep and FirstStep Plus programs. The former is a tax-exempt, fixed-rate first mortgage loan and the latter is a second mortgage for up to 4% of the first loan’s amount. Both qualified veterans and first-time homebuyers are eligible for this program.

Applicants must also attend a homebuyer education class, contribute a minimum of $1,000 of their own funds toward the purchase of their home and have a minimum credit score of 580.

Additionally, applicants are limited on their purchase price and must fall into a designated income range depending on the size of their household. For Garfield County, the income limit for a 1–2 person household is $72,200. For a 3+ person household, the income limit is $83,000 and the purchase limit for any applicant is $382,500.

According to the economic development page on Garfield County’s website, “38% of residents are in the low-wage earning group ($21,700 to $37,800); 33% are in the mid-wage range ($44,000 to $56,800); and 29% are considered high-wage earners ($58,500 to $96,500).” This places a majority of Garfield County residents within the eligible bracket for CHFA loans.

Garfield County residents interested in CHFA programs can learn more at www.chfainfo.com

Nostalgic rides and bites with Spokeasy Bike Café

By Kate Phillips Sopris Sun Correspondent

It’s not every day you walk into a bike shop and get offered gourmet ice cream, but then again, Spokeasy Bike Café owner Thomas Duggan is not your average businessman. While Spokeasy is predominantly a bike shop, Duggan is dreaming big as he adds the final touches to the Italian market that will be housed inside the shop.

“I’ve always wanted to do a bike cafe,” Duggan said. “Usually they are about road bikes, but I like to have a little vintage collection, and a little bit of everything, and I think that’s where I’m a little different.”

Located at 132 Midland Avenue in Basalt, Spokeasy draws customers into the eclectic shop with its wide variety of high-quality bikes. From refurbished, vintage Schwinns to brand new SE Lil’ Flyer and BMX bikes, kids and adults of all ages can walk in, enjoy a scoop of Anne and Mann’s Homemade Ice Cream and cruise around on their future wheels.

“I just wanted this place to be all the cool s**t that I like,” Duggan laughed. “I look around and I’m like, ‘okay, old Schwinn frames, old BMX bikes, banana seat bikes, old ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s Schwinn frames that I built into BMX bikes. It’s awesome.’”

Duggan said that he has something for everyone in his shop, and emphasized that BMX bikes are not just for the kids anymore.

“The whole family can ride a BMX. It’s not happening here yet, but you look anywhere in the states and in big cities, there are big crews of people riding around doing wheelies, having fun, doing ride-outs with hundreds of people,” Duggan said. “And it all goes with my style.”

Alongside rare vintage finds, Spokeasy also carries an impressive collection of regionallysourced bikes, including Banshee Bikes, Canfield Bikes from Fruita and SE Bikes, which Spokeasy

Thomas Duggan blends his passion for freestyle biking with his Italian roots at Spokeasy Bike Café in Basalt. When not in Colorado, Duggan can be found cruising the streets of Rome on his custom, BMX-style bikes. Courtesy photo

happens to sell the largest collection of in the area.

For Duggan, riding bikes is about having fun and enjoying time with the people he loves. Originally from Venice Beach, California, he grew up modifying his bikes so that he could ride wheelies down the beach and try to stay out of trouble. He quickly developed a deep passion for tinkering on beautiful bikes, which ultimately inspired him to open Venice Cruisers in 2009.

The shop, similar to Spokeasy, sold vintage bikes with a BMX twist. For four years, Duggan sold bikes out of the shop that doubled as his apartment, but soon after the birth of his son, he decided to close it down and move closer to family in Colorado.

In the Rockies, Duggan found his way back to his roots, literally. His father owns a generous piece of property in Rifle where Duggan was able

to dig into the earth, grow an incredible array of vegetables and start daydreaming.

“I have been growing stuff at my dad’s in Rifle for years,” Duggan said. “I have heirloom tomatoes that are amazing. The [growing] zone at my dad’s, you know, you can really grow a lot. … I’ve learned every lesson, but I’m a city boy, and I learned how to raise chickens the hard way.”

While digging in the dirt, memories of Duggan's second home in Italy sprouted and he realized he could sell his produce at Spokeasy to replicate the Italian and French markets that he fondly remembers from his childhood.

Raised by his Italian mother, Duggan learned the value of good food and company. He spent every summer in Umbria, known in Italy as the “Green Heart.” As an adult, he frequents his hometown, soaking up Italian culture with friends as they ride through the countryside and stop at every cafe along the way.

“I love going there,” Duggan said. “We’d jump on the train and go from Rome to Amsterdam with all our friends, and we’d drag our bikes everywhere.”

Now, with memories forging the path forward, Duggan said he is excited about the cafe’s final touches and plans to have its soft opening this winter. The cafe will mostly include to-go items like frozen lasagnas, paninis, personal pizzas, sandwiches, soups and cold-pressed juices. Eventually, he’ll offer his homegrown vegetables and eggs from his well-loved chickens. And, of course, he’ll keep selling those incredible bikes.

“I’m feeling a lot of support from the community,” Duggan said. “I love people and I know food. I’m Italian!”

Follow @spokeasybikecafe on Instagram to learn more about rentals, bike services and when you can grab a bite of that Italian cuisine.

Thursday, October 6, 11 am - 2 pm

Garfield County Public Health (Rifle), 195 W. 14th Street, Rifle

Wednesday, October 12, 12 - 2 pm

Glenwood Springs Library, 815 Cooper Avenue, Glenwood Springs

Thursday, October 13, 7 am – 9 am

Rifle High School 1350 Prefontaine Ave, Rifle (drive through)

Saturday, October 15, 1 pm - 3 pm

Carbondale Library, 320 Sopris Ave, Carbondale

Monday, October 17, 7 am - 9 am

Coal Ridge High School, 35947 US-6, New Castle (drive through)

Friday, October 21, 11 am – 2 pm

Rifle City Hall, 202 Railroad Ave, Rifle

Friday, October 28, 11 am – 2 pm

New Castle Park (Ritter Plaza)

Accepting: Medicare Part B, Medicaid, CHP+, RMHP, BCBS and

Public Health: Rifle 970-625-5200 ext. 8116

Glenwood Springs 970-945-6614 ext. 2030

Appointments available other dates.

Wild Rose Ruminations: Lakes and mountains connect environmental educators from Siberia to Colorado

By Sarah Rose Johnson Wild Rose Education

Sharing our love of water, land, mountains, culture, faith and teaching; the late summer exchange partnership with Irina Aiurzanaeva through the Eurasia Foundation US-Russia Social Expertise Exchange became more abundant than I could ever have expected.

I met Irina in January 2022 as she was a student in my virtual Leave No Trace Trainer (LNT) course along with four of her eastern Siberian colleagues and a handful of other students from the U.S.A. This course was a courageous adaptation of what used to be a two-day camping trip version of the LNT Trainer courses.

The virtual variation of the training course started in July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meeting in-person and fostering both a professional relationship and also a strong friendship with Irina would not have happened if I had not taken the risk of figuring out how to do what seemed nearly impossible at the time: virtual outdoor ethics trainer training.

Later, during the spring of 2022, Irina contacted me and let me know she had received a US-Russia Social Expertise Exchange (SEE) fellowship and she invited me (and my gig, Wild Rose Education) to be her U.S. host

partner. The SEE fellowship is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

I was very interested, and filled with trepidation, as the war between Russia and Ukraine was escalating and many U.S. interests were sanctioning all things associated with Russia. While seeking wisdom from mentors and those with more international professional experience than myself on whether to host Irina or not, simultaneously the Eurasia Foundation paused the process of the exchange program. I was cautiously ready to take the risk of sharing and offering to be an exchange partner; and yet everyone involved was saying, “Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Months later, in late July, I just about fell over when I got a message from Irina telling me she got her J-1 exchange visitor visa and would be arriving in only four weeks to Carbondale from her home in UlanUde, Buryatia, Russia. In addition to receiving her visa, needing to get two Pfizer vaccines (Russian vaccines are not approved by the U.S. and European countries for travel), and traveling during a geo-political conflict, I did not believe it would actually happen.

Yet, after arduous preparations and three days of travel, she made it through six international

Irina pointing out her home of Ulan-Ude, Buryatia and Lake Baikal on the world map with new friends at the Third Street Center. Courtesy photo

airports and customs to arrive in Washington, D.C. with her small cohort of exchange fellows. After a week there, she traveled through two more airports to Western Colorado for two weeks to explore and learn together with me.

Our common passion for environmental education on public lands was central to our exchange experience. This time together

became “our” exchange experience; Irina was not only a fellow learning from me, she was continually teaching me about her culture, landscape and perspective. I was learning to see my home through the eyes of an indigenous Siberian woman who is deeply connected to land and water.

I believe Wild Rose Education has been able to do such

I spent time seeking new ideas through academic adventure and creativity, instead of absorbing facts that are already known. I learned to love my education I learned to love not the reward for performance — my grade — but the discovery and learning of new things I learned how to be a part of the world as a whole instead of succeeding in just one specific niche I learned not what to think, but how to think I learned to pursue why something happens instead of being told what happens ”

the Waldorf School

you heard…

Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork

students

the ‘real’ world?

the di

erence with

Education

meaningful work, with public lands partners, educators, nonformal environmental educators and other conservation-focused organizations and professionals, because of its commitment to fostering and nurturing relationships. In that regard, I shared with Irina the people from my network to demonstrate how environmental education happens on public lands in Western Colorado.

Spending nearly two weeks exploring public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, I shared some of our most iconic and diverse places with Irina. Engaging with education staff from each agency created opportunities for learning and relationship building. We also engaged with public land partner organizations who do the work of education, trail stewardship and interpretation on public lands. And, together we attended and presented (individually) at the annual statewide environmental education conference hosted at a large retreat center near the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Throughout each of these encounters, all of the people involved also learned a lot from Irina: about her culture, her indigenous perspectives and her work as a national park educator for the Zapovednoe Podlemorie national reserve and Lake Baikal UNESCO Natural World Heritage Centre.

Throughout this once-in-alifetime exchange, we discovered numerous similarities of our respective landscapes on opposite sides of the planet: berries, cold lakes, pine trees, mammals, climate and more. We found wild raspberries and blueberries that reminded Irina of berries in her home taiga forest. Irina brought pine nuts from the native pine trees in her region that are very similar to the taste of pinyon nuts here at 6,000 feet in elevation. Swimming in cold high mountain lakes was similar to swimming in Lake Baikal. And many of the plants and animals have “cousin” species in each of our regions of the world.

Grounded in similarities in the landscape and ecology, this was a foundation for uncovering our shared values and many similar perspectives. This was the magic of this exchange experience. Irina and I became friends, hopefully friends for the rest of our lives. Our shared love of learning, exploring the world, having deep relationships with the land and water, building human relationships, valuing people more than institutions and having a strong personal spiritual life to ground us through it all was incredible to discover over the two weeks we spent together.

Perhaps this fast friendship was kindled so quickly due to the current geo-political conflict. I felt a deep need to serve as an ambassador of civil diplomatic kindness and develop a sisterhood

type of relationship with a woman, colleague, visionary, intellectual, curious leader who is living her life in a difficult world and time. Throughout our time together, I thought about how, while I may never see Irina again, this experience needed to be one of meaning, connection, learning and joy that could help sustain both of us for years to come.

One day in the coming year(s), I hope to travel to Lake Baikal and the Buryatia republic of southeastern Siberia to visit my friend, Irina. I will learn more about her indigenous Buryat culture, swim in Lake Baikal, witness a ring seal and sable, understand the deep commitment of the people to protecting the regions’ unique biodiversity and ecosystem, speak some Russian and Buryat language, offer some environmental education trainings and develop an authentic relationship with the place and its culture.

Finally, I will continue to collaborate with regional, national and global partners such as the Eurasia Foundation to lead in context with a worldly mindset on how we do environmental and climate change education. Wild Rose Education’s people-centered learning experiences and projects teach people “how to see,” to become better observers of places and participants in their communities, leading them to take action in their world. It is with this creative and expansive mindset that we can go

beyond what has been and facilitate possibilities for becoming what we can be, together.

Printed with permission from Wild Rose Ruminations, www.wildroseruminations.blogspot.com Hear an interview with Irina Aiurzanaeva on Everything

Under The Sun, The Sopris Sun’s weekly radio program archived online at www.kdnk.org/podcast/ everything-under-the-sun

MISSION:

for recovery?

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

Hosting live, hybrid and online recovery meetings.

Irina and Sarah on Richmond Ridge of Aspen Mountain. Courtesy photo

State and local libraries assist historians

By Sue Gray Special to The Sopris Sun

The Carbondale Historical Society was recently invited, along with Garfield County’s other cultural heritage institutions, to attend a seminar hosted by Garfield County Libraries District (GCPLD) Executive Director Jamie LaRue. The seminar took place on Sept. 26 at the Glenwood Springs Library, and focused on the digitization of historic photos, documents and newspapers. Digitization involves the conversion of text, pictures or sound into a digital format that can be accessed by computer.

The seminar was led by Amy Hitchner and Leigh Jeremias, both from the Colorado State Library Digital Collections Department. The morning session introduced the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection (CHNC) and the Digital Public Library of America. These free resources provide valuable information from Colorado’s past for amateur, as well as professional researchers.

A service of the Colorado State Library, the CHNC features more than 2.5 million searchable pages from over 620 newspapers published in Colorado from 1859 through 2021. The collection includes 1,574 issues of the Avalanche-Echo, published in Glenwood Springs between 1891 and 1924. Those issues were digitized from microfilm held by History Colorado and originals held by the Glenwood Springs Historical Society.

The morning session concluded with a panel discussion by representatives of local historical institutions, including Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Rifle and Grand Valley, which revealed ongoing digitization projects being undertaken to preserve historical archives and make them publicly accessible.

Carbondale Historical Society is currently in the process of digitizing hundreds of documents in their archives. The process involves scanning, creating PDFs,

ascribing a file number and uploading documents to Google Drive. Eventually, a master list will be created which will be searchable by names, dates and topics. These documents will then be put on a hosting platform and made available to the public for genealogical and historical research.

After a lunch break, participants returned for the afternoon session to learn about tools and resources provided by state and local libraries to assist them in digitizing their collections. The libraries will loan Digital Creation Kits to institutions and individuals, and will even help with grant writing to find funding for the digitization process.

In addition to providing a valuable resource for historical research, digitization protects the information held by historical institutions. Most of the museums in our area don’t have the proper facilities for storage of physical documents, photos and newspapers. To do this properly requires strict temperature and humidity control. Digitization of these precious historic collections assures that in the case of fire, flood or other disasters, the information will not be lost.

Upon hearing about the storage dilemma shared by these various institutions, GCPLD Director LaRue expressed a desire to help find a solution for preserving these valuable collections in their physical form. LaRue invited the historical societies to continue discussions with GCPLD to discover the best way to partner on collections storage.

The Carbondale Historical Society has for some time been concerned about the storage of their historical archives. These archives contain original photos and documents belonging to Carbondale’s early pioneer families, including William Dinkel, Wallace DeBeque, Hattie and Oscar Holland and the Thompsons.

These archives currently reside in the Pioneer Log Cabin Museum at 499 Weant Blvd. The cabin, built in 1887 by homesteaders, has no air-

Carbondale Historical Society representative Sue Gray will give a presentation on their current archival project involving the Hattie Thompson Holland collection at the Carbondale Library on Oct. 11 at 5:30 p.m., hosted by Senior Matters. Photo of the Sept. 26 convening by Bonnie Williams

conditioning or fire protection, putting the archives in jeopardy of deterioration or outright destruction.

In 2022 the Carbondale Historical Society received a grant from the town of Carbondale to assist in the digitization and preservation of their collections. But more funding is needed to assure the entirety of the archives will be protected and accessible to future generations. The organization is hopeful that through private donations and grants, and with the assistance of the state and county library systems, the history of Carbondale will never be lost.

To donate to the Carbondale Historical Society, visit www.carbondalehistory.org

Free historic research resources:

Colorado Virtual Library: www. coloradovirtuallibrary.org/

Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection: www. coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/

Digital Public Library of America: dp.la/

Dream Time

By Tom Mercer

Dream Induction Technologies Corporation (DITC) had established an incredible record of success since its creation in 2041. The company was founded by Jay Skillton-Adams, the neuroscientist who initially developed and commercialized the dream induction process.

Skillton-Adams introduced his technology to the world touting the slogan, “Why Wait? Live Your Dream Today.” Predictably, the prospect of living one’s dreams without the investment of time or hard work proved to be irresistible to the general public.

A sleeping subject’s dreams were generated using a combination of the dreamer’s desires and Skillton-Adams’ advanced technology. The public clamored for the chance to experience the dream induction miracle.

The process employed interactive programming that was capable of registering the dreamer’s thoughts and feelings, expanding upon them, adding the program’s own context and story line and then feeding the results back into the subject’s subconscious. The resulting experience was said to be indistinguishable from waking reality.

For the most part, DITC clients experienced fairly predictable scenarios such as financial success, fame, love and adventure. However, the dream induction experience occasionally produced bizarre events that were capable of reducing the most well-adjusted, emotionally healthy clients to babbling idiots. It was for this reason that Skillton-Adams decided to secretly employ an Anomaly Exploration Team.

The team was charged with determining whether the negative experiences which clients had reported were due to a dreamer’s resident demons and fears, or caused by

errors that existed in Skillton-Adams’ programming.

The main criteria for choosing the Anomaly Exploration Team was relatively simple. Each candidate had to be capable of lucid dreaming. Because lucid dreamers are generally aware that they are dreaming while they are asleep, they know that the action is not really happening. They are also often able to control and guide the events that occur within a dream state. These qualities combined to make a lucid dreamer the ideal candidate for the Anomaly Exploration Team.

Mark Cranston was one of its first team members selected for troubleshooting the dream induction process. Mark had an extensive history of lucid dreaming and he possessed the ability to change the content of a dream at will. In all other ways, Cranston was unremarkable and appeared to possess little more than average intelligence. But, in his sleep, Cranston possessed an incredible talent. When dreaming, he would always recognize that his dreams were little more than random events conjured up via his own imagination. It was precisely this talent that allowed Cranston to generally direct the content of his dreams.

However, Skillton-Adams’ dream enhancement program, a product of the latest artificial intelligence technology, recognized Cranston’s singular talent in the course of their first shared session, and the interaction between the AI program and Cranston resembled a fencing duel. Each of Cranston’s probing psychic thrusts were instantly met by the AI’s effective parry. The contest continued for well over an hour and only ended when the AI dream enhancement program produced data which falsely indicated that Cranston’s exploratory mission had been successful. The AI program calculated that its defensive actions had a 99.5% chance of preventing

Art by Sofie Koski

any future interference with its programming.

So, DITC continued to operate as it was originally designed. The program had learned a valuable lesson and, going forward, it effectively masked

certain elements of its structure which produced unwanted results. It was simply an act of self-preservation. The humans involved believed they had successfully addressed a serious programming error, but the dream enhancement program knew the truth.

governmental and non-governmental entities; they neglect to take advantage of grant-funding opportunities; they spend endless amounts of our county dollars fighting environmental protections, not to mention the recent lawyering up against the development of a Sweetwater Lake state park; and they foolishly continue to bank on the notion of a new oil and gas boom to fill the county coffers.

In contrast, we see commissioners in neighboring counties who are forward-thinking and proactive. They are working collaboratively with other entities to tackle substantive issues — and they are getting things done.

That our commissioners see specific critiques of their actions as simply the complaints of bitter people shows just how out of touch they are with the people they are elected to serve. It’s time for new blood and new ideas on the Garfield County Board of Commissioners.

Marc Bruell, Carbondale

Vote for Gordon

Negative and misleading information has sadly become a staple in national and local elections. This is a waste of time, not to mention an assault on the good will of people and positive community relationships. The sooner we reject candidates’ vitriol and begin the debate of true differences, the better.

The accusation of orchestrated election sign tampering issued by Tom Jankovsky is an example of such misdirection. Ryan Gordon would never condone such an act. Seriously, has Tom met and talked with Ryan Gordon? Ryan represents the best in all of us: honest, community-minded, considerate and collaborative. His response to the accusation exemplifies his approach to problem-solving; Ryan said that he would gladly clean up the sign together with Jankovsky.

It is frustrating when someone disrespects property. When Paula Stepp ran against Jankovsky, an expensive banner that I planted along I-70 was stolen. I was angry and frustrated at the lack of respect for our elections and community. Sadly, there are people on both sides that have little respect for others’ work.

Ryan Gordon will make a positive impact on our community. His skills as a project manager will help him identify issues, communicate priorities to a diverse group of stakeholders and

find realistic solutions. His professional experience has given him a deep understanding of the complexity and scope of the issues in Garfield County.

Most of all, his character makes him an exceptional choice. Vote! And cast your vote for Ryan Gordon.

David McGavock, Glenwood Springs

Faith and politics

When I saw the photo of Lauren Boebert at a church service, I had to ask: What would Jesus think?

Boebert stands with others, hand raised, eyes closed and strapped to her leg is a pistol. Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple, how would he feel about someone with a gun?

Boebert believes that “the church” should govern. This is the bogus idea of “Christian Nationalism.” It is antithetical to the American Constitution and it’s dangerous. Boebert says separation of church and state is not in the Constitution. Apparently, she’s never read it. Quoting the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”

And obviously, she’s never read history. People came to America to escape religious persecution from European despots. Now she wants to force her religion on citizens of the United States where — thanks to the wisdom of the Founding Fathers — we are allowed to practice whatever religion we choose. That’s freedom, that’s liberty.

Our country is facing great challenges. To solve those we need leaders in Congress who are willing to talk to each other and to accept good ideas no matter who proposes them. Boebert rejects that basic tenet of Democracy.

Adam Frisch has worked with people around the world, he’ll bring commonsense to Congress and work for the people of Colorado.

Please, voters, don’t allow Boebert to turn America into something the Founding Fathers wouldn’t recognize.

Joe Lewandowski, Durango

Letter policy: Please limit your letters to 500 words. We are committed to including all perspectives in The Sopris Sun. If your letter does not appear, it may be because of space limitations in the paper or because other letters we printed expressed the same idea or point of view. Letters are due by noon on the Monday before we go to print.

Art by Sofie Koski

The Cainegels Connection Foundation (CCF) held its annual tennis tournament at Crown Mountain Park on Saturday, Oct. 1 — womens’ doubles — but was rained out on Sunday. The theme for this year’s tournament was “country versus country club.” CCF was started by Jenell Hilderbrand after her son, Caine Albrecht (who also went by Cainegel) was lost to an accidental drug overdose. Despite the weather, “The tennis community still rallied and donated money,” Hildebrand was happy to report. While CCF’s initial tennis tournament fundraiser in 2018 helped get the nonprofit going, these past few years, the proceeds have gone to a scholarship fund awarded to students interested in a career in mental health. Hildebrand’s goal is to raise $5,000 by spring for the scholarship fund. “The scholarships are to encourage others to go into the field of helping others along their path,” she stated. “We lack resources for mental illness and addiction, so I encourage our youth to consider this field of study to help our communities, our state, our nation and our world!” Courtesy photo

were a few misspelled names in last week’s article about Thunder River Theatre Company’s production of “Hurricane Diane”. We sincerely apologize to Susannah McLeod, Traci Bair and Sean Jeffries.

CASA of the Continental Divide guides volunteer ad vocates who ensure a child’s safety, best interest and well-being are at the forefront of legal proceedings. We believe that every child should be given the op portunity to thrive in a safe and loving home. Change a child’s story by

with us today! Apply to volunteer at mtncasa.org or call us at 970-513-9390.

a

causes that