Sopris Sun THE
VOLUME 1, NUMBER 22 • JULY 9, 2009
Finding Peace
Rebuilding sacred Lakota arbor helps locals heal and grow By Arjuna Ibarra Community Correspondent
Top: Builders from Colorado work on the sacred arbor at Pine Ridge Reservation. Photo by Arjuna Ibarra. Bottom: from left to right; Dan Reed, Arjuna Ibarra, Michael Mooney, Brandon Cohen, Steve Novy and Dennis Powell. Photo by Jane Bachrach
In 1904 President Theodore Roosevelt began implementing a policy of “benevolent assimilation” toward Native Americans and criminalized the Sun Dance Ceremony. He could not have foreseen that in 2009 a fellowship of 20 builders from Carbondale, Colorado, would arrive on the ancestral lands of the Sioux Nation to help build a shelter of peace and renewal for the Lakota People’s most hallowed rite. At the invitation of Lakota-Oglala Chief Steve Dubray, True Nature Healing Arts and Jaywalker Lodge came to Pine Ridge Reservation to help rebuild a shade arbor around a 50-foot sacred tree. Both of the Carbondale-based centers are committed to personal growth and healing in their community and beyond. From May 3-8, on a consecrated campground three miles from the town of Kyle, S.D., the sounds of carpentry teams, skill saws, pneumatic nail guns, hammers, and a 6,000-watt power generator could be heard drifting far into the windswept rolling prairie of South Dakota’s Badlands.
The men from Colorado say they are here to help make possible many more Sun Dance Ceremonies, as they have been practiced for millennia by the first people of the Great Plains of North America. Like the Lakota, many indigenous people around the world — including the Roaring Fork Valley’s Nuche, or Ute Nation — are still awed by the magic of the cosmos and the mystery of life. The Sun Dance is the most important spiritual ceremony of the Sioux Nation and one of the seven sacred rites handed down 18 generations ago by the White Buffalo Calf Woman. The Plains Indians’ high summer ceremony honors the power of renewal in creation, in the sun, earth and human community, and, not least, our inner self. Fire, earth, water and air activate the most profound and human dimension of the universe, which is the conscious celebration of an individual’s intimate relationship with what the Sioux call the holiest spirit of creation, or “Wakan Tanka.” “These builders around the sacred tree are already participating in the Sun Dance,” says
ARBOR page 10
Carbondale Commentary Letters
Changes at the Sun The Sopris Sun is undergoing a few very important changes. After 22 issues – more than five months! – both Editor Trina Ortega and Ad Director Jody Ensign are stepping down. Trina has been the editor of the Sun since it’s first issue. In that time, she’s done much to develop a great newspaper that has seen its circulation grow by 20 percent, to nearly 3,500. Trina’s replacement is Terray Sylvester, a native of the Lake Tahoe region. He recently finished a stint as an intern at High Country News in Paonia. He also wrote for Moonshine Ink, a monthly bilingual newspaper based in Truckee, Calif., and the Tahoe Quarterly. Terray has plenty experience covering exactly the kind of issues that we grapple with here in Carbondale. He can be reached at 618-9112 or terrays@soprissun.com. Without Jody Ensign there would be no Sopris Sun. She was the one who first came knocking at the doors of local businesses asking them to take ads out in the Sun. Within a few weeks, there was a steady flow of advertising to support our start up operations. Jody’s role has been expanded to include two ad representatives, Kristen Algren and Anne Goldberg. Kristen Algren is taking over many of Jody’s accounts. She is a Glenwood Springs native who spent seven years working for the Summit Daily News and the Post Independent in advertising design and sales. Kristen’s skills and experience should prove especially useful in helping clients design their ads. She can be reached at 379-0455 or at kristen@soprissun.com. Anne Goldberg has been selling ads at the Sun for a month now. She has expanded our sales support from Glenwood Springs to Carbondale to Willits. Anne has sales experience from her prior work in California, and currently sells her pottery and Sopris Sun ads in the valley. She can be reached at 379-5050 or at anne@soprissun.com. Thanks to both Jody and Trina, and welcome to Anne, Kristen and Terray.
Addicted to Charles in Charge While digging for a foundation we accidentally cut Comcast’s main cable to Satank, nearly severing our neighbors’ access to America’s force-fed diet of media/entertainment. Speaking of obscure lines, nobody knew the cable was there, including Comcast, but now of course they want an easement through our property to avoid having to rewire around it. And I can’t wait to give it to them, on one condition — free cable TV. We haven’t had television since we lost our one and only channel when the Grand Junction station burned down, so I figure it’s high time we took a little trip to the Darkside. Did you know you can have anything and everything on TV delivered to your home these days, from movies to treadmills to a three week’s supply of tiny meals? The only worry is that I get depressed when I watch too much television. I think it has something to do with the “bubbleheaded bleach-blonde, comes on at 5,” (Don Henley). Those skinny android freaks cause me to spiral downward and I end up holed up on the couch under a blanket watching ’80s movies, eating nothing but bologna and bread. Luckily, I have friends like DK who remind me that the trek is the whole point of the trip, and you can’t trek very far subsisting on bologna sandwiches (even if they are normal-sized). Right now, I get my cable fix at the rec center. I’m in the best shape of my life because of NCIS marathons in the afternoon. This way I get to watch my programs and use the By Jeannie Perry excuse that I’m working out, but if I had cable TV in my home I would be a slave to the Barefoot Contessa; I would wake up early and fall asleep late, planning all my meals around cooking shows. I have the willpower to ride a stationary bike through endless power-scooter commercials but not to cut the cable. Comcast sent employees out to the site the next day to inspect the damage and ascertain the facts. It was like dealing with Dr. Evil, and I actually laughed out loud when they said that we would have to prove they didn’t have an easement since the cable was obviously laid there. An Evil easement? I told them to go ahead and prove that they did have an easement. Then I went inside and Googled Comcast/premium channels just to get a sneak preview of what’s to come. Meanwhile they asked our excavator to tear their cable out of the ground and toss it over the fence, leaving it exposed on the ground, all the while telling him how lucky we were. Normally a project of this nature would only be done at two in the morning, they said, so as not to disturb the cable service. Seriously, you would’ve thought we were talking about water or air supply, not syndicated Charles in Charge episodes. Seeing as I’m only currently a social watcher and not a full-fledged addict, I couldn’t care less if the cable goes out. What’s the worst thing that could happen; everyone in Satank would have to read a book before going to bed? (Do you think people really read in bed anymore or does that only happen on TV?) Now that I know where the source is, I’m thinking of interrupting their programs for an important service announcement. Maybe it’s time to take my column to the masses. I could run a little pirate channel out of my basement (once we have a basement that is) and instead of regurgitating the same baby-food news as the global media, I’d do more of a Daily Show meets Fahrenheit 451 — a continuing story about illiterate zombies who take their instructions from a giant television set. It would actually be kind of a horror show if you think about it; everyone believing everything we see on a little box…
Ps & Qs
2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009
The Sopris Sun welcomes your letters, limited to no more than 400 words. Letters exceeding that length may be edited or returned for revisions. Include your name and residence (for publication) and a contact email and phone number. Submit letters via email to letters@soprissun.com or via snail mail to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623.
Poetic Endings Dear Editor: Yes, in memorias. Decades ago, Joe Frank taught us the rarer plural of “in memoriam,” and no offense to him, but there just isn’t a whole lot of call for that. Until I read the Sopris Sun of 18 June, that is, those two obituaries jumped off of page 11 with ink as alive as Gail Smith and John Palmer themselves used to be. My old heart staggers under the burden of this sorry news, and for everyone fortunate enough to have been drawn into the orbits of these two remarkable people, a good wish would be one of strength in these days of their gathering up. “When they died, they died so hard It shook the ground in my backyard.” Robin Sutherland San Francisco [Formerly C’dale]
Studio tour a success Dear Editor: The Carbondale Community School would like to thank all those who participated in the sixth annual Roaring Fork Valley Studio Tour this year. Our Friday night kickoff artist reception at the Carbondale Recreation Center was well attended. The Funky Munky and the Thunder Luv started the night off for us, and the Redtones followed and played well into the evening. Those who attended the reception were able to mingle with local artists and had an opportunity to purchase art and bid on generouslydonated silent auction items. CCS students were serving delicious appetizers that were provided by favorite local restaurants from Glenwood to Basalt. It was a busy weekend, but the community pulled together and visited the more than 40 studios that were on the tour. We would like to thank all of our artists for opening up their studios to the community. We would like to thank all our sponsors, silent auction donors, food and beverage donors and, last but not least, our CCS parent volunteers. We realize that this fundraiser would not be possible without your support! Thank you for contributing to the success of the sixth annual Roaring Fork Valley Studio Tour. We look forward to partnering with you again next year! Denise Bruder Carbondale
Investigate Bush/Cheney to fullest Dear Editor: EDITOR’S NOTE: This letter was originally addressed to President Barack Obama. I am 84 years old and have contributed time and money to get progressive individuals elected to local, state and federal offices. I intend to continue to support progressive individuals. Currently, my political status is Unaffiliated. My experience has been that, in general, the Republican agenda is to promote the welfare of big business and the wealthy. Having spent 40 years employed by a major Chicago bank, I must confess that for many years I believed that businessmen would make excellent
congressional members. Sen. Charles Percy proved me wrong on that count. In correspondence in 1999 and 2002 with Sen. Wayne Allard (D-Colo.), a co-sponsor of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, I predicted the debacle we now are experiencing because of insufficient or lax regulation of the financial services industry. I am no financial genius, but since 1984 I have seen how executive greed and avarice at Continental Bank of Chicago affected many of my friends and co-workers. Democrats and Republicans are responsible for this financial mess. The massive economic problems that befell the nation even before you took office require the utmost attention, but not at the sacrifice of an intensive investigation into the attack on civil liberties that the previous administration orchestrated. I had high hopes that your election would be the advent of an era that would eliminate indiscriminate wiretapping, torture of prisoners and the veil of secrecy that hid virtually all activities of the Bush/Cheney years, and of an era that would bring about investigations of the individuals responsible for the many activities that violated our civil liberties and long-held national and international laws and protocols. Congress should create a non-partisan group of individuals to investigate the Bush/Cheney years to the fullest. They should have full subpoena powers. “Hew to the line, let the chips fall where they may!” – whether they fall on Democrats or Republicans. I am generally in accord with the actions you have taken thus far, but I believe crimes have been committed that must be addressed. I urge you to strongly support those in Congress who seek to investigate the actions of the prior administration. Establish responsibility. Show that we are a nation of laws and honor, not a plutocracy. What has truly been accomplished if our economic problems have been solved, but we have lost the honor and respect we were once accorded by most of the world? Sincerely, John L. (Jack) Sebesta Carbondale
Sopris Sun THE
The Sopris Sun is an LLC organized under the 501c3 nonprofit structure of the Roaring Fork Community Development Corporation, P.O. Box 1582, Carbondale, CO 81623. Editor: Trina Ortega • 618-9112 news@soprissun.com Advertising: Kristin Algren 379-0455 Anne Goldberg • 379-5050 Reporter: Jeremy Heiman Jane of All Trades: Jane Bachrach Page Production: Terri Ritchie Ad Production: Barbara New Paper Boys: Russ Criswell, Mark Burrows Sopris Sun, LLC • P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 www.soprissun.com
Thompson House numbers slated for release July 14 By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Correspondent
Carbondale trustees will get their first look at maintenance expense estimates for the Thompson House when the l town planning department releases its study on July 14. “The ballpark appears to be $20,000 to $50,000 (annually),” said Carbondale Community Development Director Doug Dotson. The cost of maintaining the 125-year-old brick structure has been a key question ever since developer Frieda Wallison offered to donate the house to the town as part of an annexation proposal. The two-story house and 10-acre parcel surrounding it are just about all that’s left of the former Thompson ranch, which once ran for about a mile along what is now Highway 133 and covered the present-day River Valley Ranch. Dotson said the report looks at big-ticket items that might be needed to repair or upgrade the house and also annual operating costs associated with keeping the structure in good shape. Various cost scenarios will be based on the level of use the town and Mount Sopris Historical Society have in mind for the house. Wallison has already donated most of the house’s furnishings to the historical society, which hopes to operate the facility as a museum. The house had been in the Thompson family until Wallison bought it a few years ago. It was occupied until the late 1960s. Much of the interior of the house has remained unchanged for decades. Other former residences-turned-museums in Colorado include the Molly Brown House in Denver and the Wheeler-Stallard House in Aspen. The Brown House covers 7,000-square feet and its maintenance costs for 2009 are budgeted at about $4,000, said museum director Annie Levinsky. The annual utility bill, which also covers a carriage house, is about $11,000, she said. Over the past 40 years, the nonprofit group that owns the Brown House has spent thousands of dollars restoring and maintaining it. The last big-ticket item was $15,000 for a furnace. Recently, the nonprofit group obtained a $400,000 grant from the Colorado State Historical Fund
A different era for the Thompson House: A study club gathers at the Thompson residence in August 1938. The now-historic house stands to become public property if the trustees approve a new development surrounding the house. Photo courtesy of the Mt. Sopris Historical Society for restoration and drainage work. Up in Aspen at the Wheeler-Stallard House, which houses the Aspen Historical Society museum, the last major repair/renovation occurred in 2000, and included the installation of fire alarms, a sprinkler system and electrical upgrades. “That was a major project,” said museum archivist Anna Scott. The project was funded through a grant from the Colorado State Historical Fund, which raises its money through the state lottery. Scott said the museum’s maintenance and repair budget for this year is about $5,000. Utilities for the museum’s three facilities — the Wheeler-Stallard House and its carriage house, and the Holden/Marolt barn — is about $23,000 per year.
The Next Step Carbondale Board of Trustees meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14 • Town Hall Public hearing continues on Thompson Park, a proposal for 45-85 residential units on 10 acres located between Hendrick Ranch and RVR, including possible acquisition of the historic Thompson House. The meeting also will be televised on Channel 12.
Like other old houses, the Wheeler-Stallard can be subject to seasonal maintenance problems. “We had a roof leak two years ago (during the winter),” Scott said. “It’s good to have an endowment for maintenance.”
Carbondale to boost efficiency with energy-tracking system By Jeremy Heiman
Carbondale will move closer to the goals set in the town’s A pilot program for a national energy efficiency track- 2005 Energy and Climate Protection Plan, said Alice Laird, ing project — using computer software to monitor energy former town trustee and current director of the local nonuse in large buildings — could make Carbondale one of profit, Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER). the first energy-smart communities in the United States. “The idea is to start with the town and the schools, get Public schools will be the first Carboneverything running smoothly with the software, and then build from there,” she dale buildings to employ the software prosaid. vided by Grand Junction-based New Energy Technology. Laird said that once public buildings At Roaring Fork High, Carbondale Midget going and gain experience with the dle and Crystal River Elementary schools, software, it would make sense for the private sector to get involved, including resmeters installed last week will send a signal to the utility company every 15 minutes, idential users. Though never before used in a townrecording real-time energy use in each buildwide project, the system has an estabing. The information gathered will be mainlished track record. It has been in use for tained in a database, and the Roaring Fork several years by the retail giant JC Penney, School District will be able to see how much said Charles Haupt, president of the software provider New Energy Technology. energy is used by the day, or at any time throughout any day, rather than monthly JC Penney earned the “Energy Star when the bill arrives. With that data in Partner of the Year” designation for its enhand, the district will be able to determine Charles Haupt, ergy management initiatives, and Haupt how much energy is used during each phase said he believes Carbondale can follow JC of a building’s operation, and determine New Energy Technology Penney’s proven model of energy conserwhere the greatest improvements can be vation. Laird said one of the largest school districts in Oregon made at the least cost. The school district spends more than $1 million annually on utility bills, so the potential savings achieved excellent savings through use of the New Energy are significant. Technology system. The Gresham-Barlow School District Energy tracking will be set up next in the Gordon scored 30 percent savings across its entire portfolio of buildCooper Library and town of Carbondale buildings. ings, and increased savings to more than 48 percent during the By tracking energy use in large, public buildings and 2007-2008 school year, according to an Energy Star web site. making corresponding adjustments to improve efficiency, “We’re learning from successful models used else-
What we’re hoping to set up in Carbondale is the first energy-smart community in the country.”
where,” she said. Haupt said his company is setting up the system in Carbondale for no charge, initially, because it’s the first time the software will have been used in a full community setting. “After reviewing Carbondale’s advancements, we said we’ll set up our energy system in Carbondale on our dime, and if they like it, they can keep it, and they’ll begin paying after three or four months,” Haupt said. “It’s a real learning situation,” he continued. “What we’re hoping to set up in Carbondale is the first energysmart community in the country.” Carbondale Town Manager Tom Baker confirmed that Carbondale will be able to take advantage of this system at no immediate cost, though the town did put up $30,000 in matching funds last year, to help attract grant money from the Governor’s Energy Office. The project is part of the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative, funded by a $1.6 million grant secured by CLEER from the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office. The grant is intended to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects throughout Garfield County. Charlton Haupt, an energy manager with New Energy Technology, said the system empowers building managers to make certain their automatic heating and cooling systems are working properly overnight and at other times when no one is present. It also allows them to understand the savings that come as conservation measures are put in place. CLEER stands for Clean Energy Economy for the Region. It is a nonprofit that works to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, increase energy independence and reduce impacts of climate change for communities in Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009 • 3
Still no decision from Pitkin County on Sutey Ranch land swap By Terray Sylvester
Pitkin County Commissioners first reviewed the proposal three months ago, but they still haven’t come to a decision on a land swap that would secure the Sutey Ranch parcel on the backside of Red Hill from future development. Of the jurisdictions involved, only Pitkin County has yet to declare its support for the project. But that may change later this month. With the commissioners slated to discuss the swap again on July 21, local recreation groups and Western Land Group, Inc., the consulting firm orchestrating the deal, are working to organize fresh support for the swap. “We need your urgent input to the Pitkin County Commissioners,” announced a recent press release from the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association. “We need them to endorse this project now, not delay it further.” “We’ve been going a little more public lately,” said Davis Farrar, an outspoken advocate of the swap and president of the Red Hill Council. And on July 12, Western Land Group, Inc., will host a public barbeque on the Sutey Ranch Parcel to educate residents and mobilize them to push for the exchange. Under the proposal, retail magnate Leslie Wexner, founder of the Limited Group, would trade his 520-acre Sutey Ranch parcel north of Carbondale for a 1,240-acre strip of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that divides property he owns on the north slope of Mount Sopris. The Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Board first considered the swap in February. Pitkin County Commissioners took it up in April and have discussed it a handful of times since. Their reluctance to endorse the project is in part due to the fact that the county will lose public lands over the deal, and concerns over the financial fairness of the proposed swap, according to county officials. The exchange has garnered local support from moun-
tain bikers and hikers because its location on the backside of Red Hill offers the potential for expansion of the trail network. But if the Sutey Ranch parcel ends up in the hands of the Bureau of Land Management, there’s no guarantee that it would be managed for recreation. However, according to Farrar, the Red Hill Council is less concerned with eventual management plans for the parcel than with the opportunity to prevent it from being developed. Under Garfield County’s zoning regulations, as many as 200 houses could end up on the land. That would impact the pristine, wilderness feel of the existing trails on the north side of Red Hill. So far, Garfield, Eagle and Gunnison counties, and the towns of Carbondale and Marble, have expressed support for the land deal. But without the endorsement of Pitkin County, Colorado’s congressional delegation will be less likely to support the federal legislation that must accompany any trade of federal lands. “Everyone has endorsed this except for Pitkin and we’re just totally puzzled (as to why Pitkin hasn’t),” said Andy Wiessner of Western Land Group.
Save Sutey Ranch Barbecue and Informational Party Hosted by Western Land Group, Inc. 5-7 p.m. Sunday, July 12 Sutey Ranch House, 2343 County Road 112, Carbondale Bring family and friends and, if you’d like, a salad or dessert. Western Land Group will supply the drinks and main dishes. RSVP: patz@sopris.net; 927-6521 Pitkin County Work Session 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21 Plaza One Meeting Room (behind the County Clerk & Recorder’s office)
With the endorsement of Pitkin County Commissioners, the original Sutey homestead cabin is expected to be preserved as a historic site. Photo by Jeremy Heiman
Carbondale
Volunteer Opportunities
SōL Energy commends the Town of Carbondale for reducing their Carbon Footprint
Tree Board Public Arts Commission Environmental Board Board of Adjustment & Appeals Parks & Recreation Commission Historic Preservation Commission Planning & Zoning Commission Applications & details: www.carbondalegov.org or Town Hall 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale 963-2733 ext 1212; community@carbondaleco.net Deadline to apply: July 31, 2009
4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009
Solar Design, Installation and Financing for Homes, Businesses and Towns • Professional and Certified • Experience and Expertise
970-963-1060 • www.sol-energy.us
Carbondale Recreation Center
Carbondale in full glory for Independence Day Community members showed their color and their flavor for Carbondale’s annual Fourth of July celebration. The festivities included the packed children’s parade down Main Street, the everpopular free watermelon, live music at the park and a traditional fireworks display at the end of the night. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The town’s fireworks display in full glory. Photo by Will Grandbois. Aphrodesia vocalist Lara Maykovich gets the crowd in the groove, and Roaring Fork Rams students (l-r), Omar Rubio, Wily Salinas and Alex Alvarado engaged the crowd with their “History of Dance” performance. Photos by Jane Bachrach. Volunteer Ryan Jennings serves free watermelon, a community favorite, after the parade. Natalie Smythe opts for hula hooping in the parade down Main Street. Photos by Trina Ortega. Children reach for Old Glory on their ride through town. Photo by Jim Ryan
THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009 • 5
Scuttlebutt Sopris Park. The wedding and party took place on Sunday and a river trip with at least 60 people kicked off on Monday. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Speaking of wearing white…
The long and muddy road The road to the altar was caked with mud and dark clouds partially hiding one of nature’s most awesome breasts, endearingly referred to as “Sopris.” But those moisture-filled clouds held off spilling their tears of joy for not only the ceremony, but for the entire wedding celebration that took place last Sunday in Missouri Heights. Carbondalians Amy Kimberly and Bill Laemmel wrote and exchanged their vows and rings early Sunday afternoon as friends and family, all dressed in white, gathered around. In distinct contrast, the bride wore a long, slinky red dress and the groom wore a bright, elegant yellow cowboy shirt. The wedding extravaganza began last Thursday when 80 friends and family arrived from out of town, and continued Friday with a Mexican dinner following a First Fridays tour of Carbondale. The partying commenced on Saturday with a Fourth of July potluck celebration with local guests at the Aphrodesia concert in
We believe that wedding guest and KDNK program director Luke Nestler won’t wait till the last minute to shop for his outfit next time the occasion arises. Luke had to go all the way to Target in west Glenwood Springs to find his white because Misers, the Near New store and every other store in ‘Bonedale was sold out of white by the time he decided to shop.
What’s New(s)? Conrad and Terray, that’s what’s news. We consider ourselves lucky ‘cause now we have a news “team” in our small town. Our new editor, Terray, just moved to Carbondale from Paonia and his new roommate is Conrad Wilson, KDNK news director. The new roommates hardly know one each other yet but watch out… those of us who know both of them believe there will be some interesting stories coming from this 10th Street team.
Bulb-outs not blow outs Fourth of July proved to be a great party in Carbondale, with a Kiddy Parade and great music and dancing in Sopris Park. The weather, after an early afternoon squall, even cooperated. Everyone was thrilled to see another
great fireworks show again this year. In recent years, Carbondale’s show has outshot and outshined Aspen’s famous Fourth of July show; quite a feat considering the city of Aspen’s 2009 budget is $78 million while the town of Carbondale’s is a measly $6 million. So imagine the surprise among the local populace at the lack of a finale this year. People waited and waited for the BIG END to the BIG SHOW. But it never came. “Great show, but not a great climax,” remarked one person who waited just a little too long. “Maybe they spent the money on those bulb-outs on Main Street, instead.”
cancer. Ryan grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley, spending much of his childhood in Carbondale. The yard sale is being organized by the Beta Zeta Chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. Many families are donating items. This is your chance to support a great cause; all proceeds benefit Ryan’s recovery! Contact Dee Warwick, 379-5717. Yard sale is Saturday, July 11, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 750 Cleveland Ave.
He doesn’t look his age Happy belated birthday to Carbondale’s “triathlon man,” David Clark. The man who never physically ages turned 50 on Monday, July 6.
This is a fish story But not a tall tale. Using fly tackle, noted local angler Tony Fotopulos, who also happens to run the fly-casting competition at Mountain Fair, was recently named “fisherman of the day” at a major Tarpaulin fishing tourney in Florida. Tony Fotopulos was a shark, who earned his award by catching more Tarpaulin than anyone else that day. We heard, through reliable sources, that the other competitors in the area, who saw Tony reeling them in left and right, grew discouraged and moved their boats to other locations. Way to go Tony!
Yard sale with a purpose Ten local women are organizing a yard sale to support Ryan Kriz’ recovery from
What lies beneath? Tall grass turding conditions still exist at the Delaney dog park. Although smart dog walkers are doing their best to encourage their hounds to do do their business at the south end of the park where the grass is much shorter, it doesn’t always work. You can lead a dog to short grass… but you can’t make ‘em poop. So, if you can’t find your dog’s turd, we suggest that you pick up any turd you can find. It’s good karma, and, after all, one dog turd is as good as another.
NOW OPEN FOR DINNER
WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY 5:00 P.M. TO 9:00 P.M. Flat Iron Steak Baby-back Ribs Light Pastas PLUS…
Breakfast and Lunch items!
THE
VILLAGE SMITHY
3rd Street & Main • Carbondale • 970-963-9990
6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009
Art bus turns heads, brings smiles By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Correspondent Ken Kesey must be smiling down on Carbondale these days. Not only are three local women keeping his painted bus tradition alive by doing one of their own, they paid tribute by painting “Further more” across the top of the bus windshield. Some of you who remember the 1960s might recall that Kesey’s bus, made famous in Tom Wolfe’s non-fiction book “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” had “Further” painted on the bus’ destination placard above the windshield. “People who know about ‘Further’ get it,” said bus co-owner Marta Parker. “And people who don’t will know it now.” Parker, along with Ro Mead and Teri Bruna, bought the nine-passenger Chevy bus from Yampa Mountain High School in December. “Everybody needs a school bus,” said Mead, director of the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities. “We thought we could use it for camping, traveling, that sort of thing.” The bus took a turn for the art last April, when CCAH presented its “Wild Wheels” show, and the trio decided the bus’ basic yellow paint job was a little middle of the road for their tastes. At first, the owners of “Further more” thought they’d paint the bus like a basket of fruit, in homage to its Yampa nickname “The Banana Bus.” When that idea failed to gain traction among the three, they really got into gear and started brainstorming. One idea was to paint the bus like a piece of luggage, with travel stickers scattered about. They later thought a circus motif might be nice, but decided it was too contrived and lacked spontaneity. The final idea was to treat the bus like a canvas and invite friends over to help paint whatever they wanted. “That worked out best,” said Parker, an administrative assistant at Yampa Mountain High School who has lived in every town from Aspen to New Castle during the past 25 years. “I’ve lived in Carbondale, this time, for eight years.” Most of the painting sessions took place in Parker’s driveway on Main Court, just south of White House Pizza. “The neighbors were great about it,” Parker said. “One
Carbondale school children get a higher view of Main Street from atop the “Art Bus” during the Fourth of July parade. Photo by Trina Ortega helped us paint.” Others fulfilled their artistic urges by commenting on the bus’ progress. “They enjoyed watching us.” One artist, 75-year-old Renick Stevenson of Glenwood Springs, contributed a quote from Jan Kerouac’s book “Trainsong” that flows below the luggage rack from front to back, and says, “There is sweet comfort in being guided by odd-ball angels.” A parallel quote, on the other side of the bus, was lifted from a bumper sticker and says “Art Saves Lives.” Other high-profile elements on the bus include an elephant’s rear end and tail on the emergency exit door with a peace symbol in the center, and a stern-looking Che Guevera above the door with Buddhist “Om” symbols on each side. Elsewhere on the bus are slithering snakes with tongues a-flicking, a chicken, the flute-playing Kokopelli, flower petals bursting out from reflectors, clouds and birds and red hearts floating above windows, a happy face on the backside of one rearview mirror, a multi-colored diamond-like geometric panel above the “Further more” inscription and more. The base coat is comprised of stacked stripes in blue, orange, yellow, green and red, extending on each side of the bus from front to back. The artists used acrylic and house paint. The bus is often parked at the CCAH office on Main Street. The public got an even better look at the bus when it rolled down Main Street as part of Saturday’s Fourth of July parade. Several small kids waved flags
from atop the bus on the luggage rack as a very tall parent walked along side. “Kids love the bus,” Parker said. “They were so thrilled to ride on top and had so much fun.” As for the bus’ future, the three owners bought it with functionality in mind. “It could serve as a base camp when we go camping, or a place for our bikes or dogs,” Parker said. She’s thinking the maiden voyage might be the back way to Crested Butte via Kebler Pass.
Getting back to the art end, the original Kesey bus, which the Smithsonian reportedly wanted but Kesey wouldn’t give up, was also painted on the inside. “Not yet,” Parker replied when asked whether the inside is painted. There’s also still room for more paint on the outside. “One side needs a little more work,” Parker said. Added Mead: “This bus is still evolving.… It’ll probably never be finished.”
News Briefs Carbondale awarded $50k for business loan fund
Construction to start on Crystal Valley bike path
Carbondale town officials announced Tuesday that the town has been awarded a $50,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant from USDA Rural Development for the purpose of adding to the Town’s Local Business Revolving Loan Fund. USDA Rural Development representatives will present the grant to town officials on July 24 at Carbondale Town Hall. The community is invited to the celebration along with Colorado and U.S. legislators, Chamber of Commerce and the Roaring Fork Business Resource Center (RFBRC). Carbondale is contracting with the RFBRC to administer the town’s loan fund. The center also will provide business workshops, online courses and mentoring to local businesses interested in starting up or expanding. The Loan Fund will have a minimum of $100,000 available to Carbondale for-profit businesses, and additional funds available to Carbondale nonprofit businesses. The Loan Committee is finalizing the guidelines for the fund and will advertise in the next few weeks when applications are being accepted. Carbondale businesses wishing to apply for a loan should call the Roaring Fork Business Resource Center at 945-5158. The Carbondale Loan Fund is for businesses and nonprofits located within the Carbondale town boundaries.
Construction on the first leg of a paved bike path up the Crystal River is now scheduled to start Monday, July 13. The 5.3-mile trail segment will be built on the east side of Highway 133, along the Crystal River from near the Carbondale Fire Station to the BRB Campground. Trail construction is expected to have minimal impact on traffic throughout most of the summer but will require lane closures when bridges are installed over the Crystal River and Thompson Creek during the late summer and fall. “We are thrilled to be building the bike trail at long last,” said Open Space and Trails Land Steward Gary Tennenbaum. Trail construction is running a little behind earlier plans, which called for construction to start in mid-June. The asphalt paved trail will be 8 feet wide, with 4 feet of soft surface for hikers and runners at the side, where there is room for the full width. Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is putting up the largest portion of the $3 million project with help from a $1 million Great Outdoors Colorado Grant. The Town of Carbondale has contributed nearly $400,000 to the project. Garfield County kicked in another $200,000. A $50,000 contribution from the Jelinek family, neighbors of the trail, will also go toward the Garfield County portion of the trail. THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009 • 7
Community Calendar To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted.
THURSDAY, July 9 GREEN DRINKS • SCoR, the Sustainability Center of the Rockies, is reviving the ever-popular Green Drinks from 5-7 p.m. starting July 9 and continuing every second Thursday of the month throughout the year. The July gathering is co-hosted by The Eco Goddess Restaurant at 335 Main St. P&Z MEETS • Carbondale Planning & Zoning Commission meets at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. RODEO • The Carbondale Wild West Rodeo is ongoing through Aug. 20. For more about the rodeo, visit www.carbondalerodeo.com. SNOWMASS MUSIC • The Snowmass Summer of Free Music runs Thursdays on Fanny Hill. For more information go to www.snowmassvillage.com or call (800) SNOWMASS.
FRIDAY, July 10 GLENWOOD ARTS • The Glenwood Center for the Arts has classes for young and old alike throughout the summer, including Art & Dance Camp for kids, and ballroom dance lessons and guitar classes for teens and up. Call 945-2414 or visit www.glenwoodarts.org for more information. MOVIES • Showing at 8 p.m. Friday through Thursday, July 10-16, at the Crystal Theatre: “Away We Go” (R). Also showing at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, July 11: “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” (R). ART OPENING • An opening for the solo show of Dasa Bausova at the CMC Aspen Art Gallery will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday. To find out more about the exhibition visit dasabausova.com.
SATURDAY, July 11 WEED CLEAN-UP • An Invasive Weed Pull Party at the Carbondale Nature Park, also known as the Delaney Parcel, will be from 9-11 a.m. July 11. The pull party is sponsored by the Carbondale Environmental Board, the Town of Carbondale and the Colorado Agriculture Department. For more information: Call Lynn Ruoff: 3199434, lynnruoff@gmail.com. NOXIOUS WEED TOUR • Learn to identify noxious plants that have escaped cultivated gardens and are invading native plant
play, the Gordon Cooper Branch Library hosts a Space Craft Workshop for middle school students at 4 p.m. July 14. For more information and a full list of ongoing events, visit www.garfieldlibraries.org or call 963-2889.
communities at the Pitkin County Noxious Ornamental Weed Tour. Free lunch, games, and prizes. All ages and physical abilities welcome. Tour departs Snowmass Village Rodeo Lot at 10 a.m. July 11. Free. TRAIL WORK • Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers will hold a trail work day on Smuggler Mountain in Aspen. RFOV promotes stewardship of public lands by creating volunteer opportunities for trail work and conservation projects. Register online at www.rfov.org or by calling 9278241.
STORY ART • Pitkin County Library presents Story Art for 4- to 6-year olds on Tuesdays through Aug. 4 at the Pitkin County Library. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at 429-1900 or visit www.pitcolib.org.
SKATEBOARD EVENT • The first SkateMass Skateboard Event in Snowmass Village will begin at 9 a.m. July 11. Divisions include Beginner ($25), Intermediate ($30) and Advanced ($40) Skateboarders. Pre registration encouraged. Registration on the day begins at 8 a.m. with a $5 late fee. Free for spectators. Call 922-2240 for information.
SURVIVOR SUPPORT • A new chapter of HEARTBEAT – Support for Survivors After Suicide – for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Glenwood Springs. Use the Bethel Chapel entrance of the church located at 824 Cooper Street. For more information, call or email Pam Szedelyi at 945-1398 or pamsz@sopris.net.
GREENHOUSE WORKSHOP • Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute will host a Solar Greenhouse Design and Management Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11 at the institute in Basalt. Cost is $50 (includes lunch and course materials). To register and for more information, contact Jerome Osentowski at 927-4158 or jerome@crmpi.org. HORSESHOE TOURNEY BENEFIT • The American Legion Post 100 will host a horseshoe tournament and barbecue for Mariane Maynard, who was injured in a sledding accident and hospitalized with a head injury. Funds will help with Mariane’s hospital bills. Dragonfly Studio will take family portraits from noon to 4 p.m. Barbecue and horseshoes begin at 5 p.m. Cost is $10 adults, $5 kids under 10 and $5 to enter the tournament. Call JoEllen Maynard at 945-0604 for more information. LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars presents John Gorka at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Visit www.stevesguitars.net for more info.
The Infamous Stringdusters at 7 p.m. Sunday at Sopris Park. The band plays bluegrass, rock, country, blues, folk and jazz. Visit www.thestringdusters.com for more about the musicians. SUMMERFILMS • Aspen Film and the Aspen Music Festival and School present the 11th annual SummerFILMS through Aug. 16 at Paepcke Auditorium. For full details, visit www.aspenfilm.org.
MONDAY, July 13 YOUTH RADIO • English students from Glenwood Springs High School broadcast their essays “This I Believe” at 4:15 p.m. Mondays on KDNK, 88.1, 88.3, 88.5 FM. DANCE CLASSES • Learn African and Caribbean dances with live drummers and fun rhythms. All ages and abilities welcome. $10. Monday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Carbondale Community School, 1505 Satank Road. Call Steve at 379-8422 with questions. OPEN STUDIO • The Third Street Artists host an open studio (all media) from 4-7 p.m. Mondays at Carbondale’s new Third Street Center. Walk-in fee is $10; four consecutive sessions is $20. Bring all materials. Casual critique during the last half hour. Call 963-2122 or 963-8275 for more info.
CANCER WORKSHOP • Aspen Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure will host a free Cure Leader workshop from 4:30-6:30 p.m. July 14 at the Dance Progressions Studio, 403 Aspen Business Center. Call (970) 544-9771 for more details. TRUSTEES MEETING • The Carbondale Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. LIVE JAZZ • The Tuesday night Live Jazz Series takes place from 7-9 p.m. second and fourth Tuesdays at Steve’s Guitars.
WEDNESDAY, July 15 READ ALOUDS • Gordon Cooper Branch Library hosts Summer Read Alouds with teachers from Crystal River Elementary School at 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 5. Bring a bag lunch. For more information, call 963-2889.
HIKE SERIES • The Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign hike series continues July 12 at Basalt Mountain. All hikes are free; advance registration required at www.whiteriverwild.org.
TUESDAY, July 14 LIBRARY PROGRAMS • Gordon Cooper Library hosts programs and workshops as part of its Summer of Reading series.
FARMER’S MARKET • The Carbondale Farmer’s Market is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday through Sept. 30 at the corner of Fourth and Main streets. Fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese, bread, coffee, wine, flowers, prepared foods, crafts and more. Free entertainment.
PARK CONCERT • The Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities presents
REACH FOR THE STARS • In conjunction with its “Visions of the Universe” dis-
OPEN MIC NIGHT • White House Pizza hosts live music from 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays.
SUNDAY, July 12
HEY MOE!
( *LU[LY MVY /LHSPUN HUK -LLS .VVK MVY V]LY `LHYZ
Try a Hawaiian Luau Pig Spud Sub Super Slow Roasted Pork, Grilled Crispy Topped with Fresh Papaya Chutney and a Hawaiian BBQ Sauce on Homemade Pretzel Bread…YUM!
$6 BUCKS
Includes a Side Salad or Fruit...YEH! WoWoWoWoWoWoWoWo…Certainly!!! For SUB Emergencies Call JEREMY
963-U812
1\S`»Z :WLJPHS ( 4PU[ )VK` >YHW H -\SS )VK` 4HZZHNL HUK H +H` 7HZZ [V [OL 6YPNPUHS =HWVY *H]LZ (SS MVY
Translation: “YOU ATE ONE TOO” Located at The Front Door to The Back Door Consignment Store Open 10:32 a.m. to 3:04 p.m. NO Sundays
8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009
The Original Rocky Mountain Spa 1932
NIKKI
For Information & Reservations call 970-945-0667 `HTWHOZWH JVT 6WLU +HPS` HT WT 4HQVY *YLKP[ *HYKZ .PM[ *LY[PÄJH[LZ (]HPSHISL
John Gorka — In it for the music By Steve Standiford John Gorka is the consummate musical troubadour. His love for acoustic folk music began back in the ’70s where he lived in the basement of a popular music venue called Godfrey Daniels. He even became the house MC and he may have even gone around hanging up posters. This is where he began his lifelong commitment to the craft of songwriting and performing. He probably had no idea that his songs and his guitar would lead him to music venues all over this country and Europe. Winning the New Folk Award at the Kerrville Folk Festival back in 1984 put Gorka on the musical map and that’s where he has stayed since then. His first album was released by Red House Records in 1987 to popular and critical acclaim. Gorka was soon doing 150 shows a year and touring all over the country with his original music. He changed labels to Windham Hill’s High Street Records, which resulted in five fine albums in the next seven years. In the late late ’90s, Gorka made some major changes in his life. First, he fell in love and got married. The following year, he had a baby boy named, Bocephus Mahatma Sinatra Gorka. As if this wasn’t enough change, he made a switch back to his first label, Red House Records. Gorka felt that the “business” of making music was taking precedence over the integrity of the music. That didn’t sit well with this life-long folk singer so he made the change saying: “Red House is in it first for the music and so am I. It’s a good place to be.” Gorka is continuing the long-standing tradition of the traveling folk
singer ala Woody Guthrie, of which, he is a big fan. This love of tradition resulted in a concert on World Cafe in Philadelphia where Gorka and a host of other great folk singers paid tribute to Woody in a performance of “In Woody’s Words.” Being a big fan of the Western stories of Louis L’Amour, Gorka must love touring the “new” wild west. In Carbondale, he gets to sing in front of the vault of the first bank in Carbondale. Back in the 1890s, the bank guards would sit in the room where Gorka will play his songs this Friday Night. Over the years, Gorka has played with a long and impressive list of musicians in a variety of venues. He has entertained many a fan with his “stunningly soulful baritone voice.” And, his songs are “rich and multi-faceted, full of depth, beauty and emotion.” Gorka performs at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at Steve’s Guitars, N. Fourth St. Visit www.stevesguitars.net for more information.
July at Steve’s July 11 — John Gorka
CCAH Summer of Music
July 17 — Shannon McNally
The three-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award-winning band The Infamous Stringdusters performs at Sopris Park on Sunday, July 12, as part of the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities Summer of Music concert series. The band is Andy Hall (dobro), Andy Falco (guitar), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), and Travis Book (upright bass). The show begins at 6 p.m.
July 18 — Truckstop Honeymoon July 20 — Kaiser Cartel July 22 — John Oates July 23 — Slaid Cleaves July 24 — Tony Furtado Band
NOW OPEN
Custom Built Homes
Coldest beer in town!
POP S LIQUORS 990 Cowen Drive • 970-963-2771
Spectacular – Spacious & Serene
Spectacular Views
3 bedroom, 3 bath, 3,873 sq. ft. Views from Aspen to Ski Sunlight – $1,139,000
4,946 sq. ft. home nestled on 2 acres in Fox Run 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 3-car garage – $1,530,000
Fully Furnished in River Valley Ranch 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 4,491 sq. ft. Fully furnished and appointed – $2,250,000
Crystal Valley Views 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 3,850 sq. ft. Nestled on a 21,555 sq. ft. lot – $999,000
Located next to Cowen Center/Diamond Shamrock
Bring in this ad and receive 10% off Offer good until 7-22-09
970.963.5155 lynnk@rof.net 711 Main Street, Carbondale, CO 970.963.5155 www.amorerealty.com
THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009 • 9
Co-creating our Native American heritage
continued from page 1
Dubray. “Rituals are important. They concentrate the mind on the implications of our actions and recognize our need for food from the spirit world,” continues the Lakota chief. With the support of the entire tribe, dancers fast and abstain from drinking water for four days while dancing on a hot and dry prairie that often reaches triple digit temperatures during the summer months. From sunrise to sunset — to the sounds of drums and singing, in fellowship with all beings — prayers are offered to all of creation while dancing around the the sacred tree, known as the Tree of Life. The Sioux’s spiritual traditions begin somewhere in the Paleolithic era of history, and according to Wikipedia “covers roughly 99 percent of human history.” Dancing in loving devotion with Wakan Tanka is an expression of feeling and longing for connection with the mystery of creation. The Plains Indians believe that through the individual enactment of prayer, offerings and dance, the communal and cosmic consciousness of the Universe is also activated to participate in the four-day Dance, as well.
A personal journey “My best day in two years,” says one Jaywalker client about the day’s work while sharing with other colleagues the warmth and light of a bonfire under South Dakota’s night sky. The men from Jaywalker Lodge are also undergoing their own personal journey of healing and transformation; each story is different but all belong in the all-time classic genre, the Heroic Quest. “We are a band of brothers exploring for quite a bit more than just the recovery that will keep us from jail, a mental hospital, or the cemetery,” says one 43-year-old client who has been sober for more than a year. He relates a personal battle with alcohol as a two-year, ongoing life-and-death struggle filled with loss, sorrow and pain. Jaywalker Lodge sees itself as a community of recovering people healing together. The pathology of addiction is seen by this rehabilitation center as not only a mental ailment but, more significantly, as an obstacle of consciousness or awareness. “Addiction can be overcome when the narrow and obsessive mental horizons of a person can expand outward and break out through other interests, through service or in contact with the natural world, for example,” explains Dan Reed, clinical director of the 12 Steps in Action program at Jaywalker Lodge. “In our recovery program we stress two determining factors: personal accountability and community service. When Steve and Branden [of True Nature] called, we were looking for something to do,” sums up Reed. Branden Cohen is the founder and director of True Nature Healing Arts, a holistic organization that combines the teaching of yoga with a return to a fundamental intimacy with our natural heritage. Like the Lakota, Cohen believes that through the exploration of our place in a universe that is alive and interconnected, wilderness can help nurture individual and communal integration.
A ‘natural’ collaboration Cohen’s connection with the Red Road and Pine Ridge Reservation goes back two decades. The construction of the arbor is sponsored by his nonprofit yoga center. “The collaboration between the 12 Step program and the way of the Red Road seems natural to me. The two paths teach how to see oneself as a vehicle or a channel of consciousness and life,” says Cohen. “This is also the great unifying theme that I find in all the different spiritual approaches toward developing inner harmony with ourselves and the environment. Through different paths, most spiritual traditions in all eras explore the same fundamental human problem: how to become transparent to transcendence,” reflects Cohen. “Becoming transparent to transcendence,” as Cohen puts it, is also a major theme in the medicine tradition of Holy Man Frank Fools Crow, who lived from 1890-1989. Dubray’s Sun Dance form stems from this renowned healer who taught the followers of the Red Road to be a “hollow 10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009
Top: sunrise and arbor laid out at the beginning of the building project as Colorado’s finest begin the building process. Right; Brandon Cohen finishes nailing down the top rafters of the sacred arbor. Photos by Arjuna Ibarra bone,” and to be humble so that Wakan Tanka can express its own divine being through one’s own inner being. “Lower than a blade of grass” is how Chief Dubray explains Fools Crow’s interpretation of the humility needed to practice the “hollow bone” approach to Sun Dancing — or any other personal transformation.
The shade arbor The shade arbor being raised, with its entrance facing the rising sun, is nestled inside a westerly curving slope of prairie. The design was a collaborative effort between Cohen and Steve Novy and Dennis Powell from Green Line Architecture in Carbondale. Its circumference is approximately 360 feet with a diameter of 140 feet. It is skeletal, like vertebrae bursting forth into living structures, representing the inner energies of life, or wings in flight. But at a different hour of the day, when the light wanes and glows softly through the sky’s horizon, like a whisper from the vanishing sun, its taut and curving tension moving through the wood eases, and could connote a mother and a child in an embrace, or just shared adoration. Clearly, the functional aspect of the structure goes beyond providing shade and protection from the sun’s rays at the peak of the northern plains summer solstice. It’s a simple execution. But, somehow, the simplicity of the design also manages to integrate a reaching out to a higher plane, just beyond the outstretched arms of the structure itself. From where the 50-foot cottonwood sacred tree lives, the energy flows outward from the interior and center of the design to its arbor, and then keeps flowing outward, as in flight, to the sky.
‘Our’ Native American heritage Perhaps there is no greater indication of the endurance and relevance of our Native American heritage to our world today than this live cottonwood. The carpentry squad that is building the tree’s sacred circle are varied in age and cultural backgrounds — an evangelical Christian who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; a Roman Catholic from Flat Bush, Brooklyn; a Buddhist from Encinitas, Calif.; all are far from exceptional occurrences on Fools Crow’s path of the Red Road. Fools Crow, who was a friend of all races, once remarked: “The ones who complain and talk the most about giving away Medicine Secrets are always those who know the least.”
The bison may no longer roam as they once did, but the values of their traditional hunters are the same as when they thrived: The land is sacred, the animals and plants are our relatives, and it is the duty of all people to ensure that they are defended for the next generations. And while some new aspects are incorporated into tradition — dancing around a living tree, as opposed to one that has been ritually cut down, is an unprecedented development in the Sun Dance Ceremony of the Plains Indians — there is a greater hope. “We don’t wish to cut down trees. Grandmother Earth seems to be asking all tribes and nations to not only heal as one people, but also to accept greater responsibility for the sake of future generations, including our one-legged relatives,” says Dubray. Sometimes, accepting greater responsibility can mean not reading a newspaper or even caring to find out what time it is. For five days, camping and building on sacred Lakota-Oglala territory, the natural rhythms of South Dakota’s Badlands had their way with Carbondale’s fellowship of peace. The world of dawn and sunset and glittering stars in the dark heavens; wind and rain; prairie grass and flowers; horses galloping through camp in the sleep of night — all seemed to say these men had returned to their native place.
Guest Commentary
Why wait? Invite the Nuche home to the Roaring Fork Valley By Bill Kight Human beings seem to have an innate ability to operate under absolute moral imperatives that in turn give us a sense of moral superiority. We have even come up with a strange justification of such behavior by saying, “Might makes right.� I would like to briefly view how historically the United States exemplified this doctrine in our treatment of its indigenous people, specifically Colorado’s first people — the Nuche. We call Colorado’s aboriginal inhabitants “Ute� Indians for reasons that are not relevant to our present discussion. Before we take this journey together allow me to ask that we agree on one thing. Let’s depart from the dangerous ground of morals and view what I am about to say with a different lens. If we come from our own belief system of what is or was right or wrong we will find no common ground simply because our value systems are different. As unique individuals we all operate from a different point of view. The question I wish to address instead is what constitutes appropriate behavior? We are not here today to argue right and wrong. We need first to realize that the absolute moral imperative of manifest destiny is the reason the United States divided and conquered the Nuche. We believed it was our moral imperative to do so. That much is indisputable. It is history. But it is history from the point of view of the conqueror. The 25 years I have had the privilege of working with the Nuche has taught me that there is a powerful untold story that we should hear. Let’s start with asking ourselves a few questions, “Where are the Nuche today and why are they not living in their original homeland?� The original inhabitants of Colorado lived in bands rather than clans. They were ultimately re-settled into three reservations that still exist today: The Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Ignacio, Colo., the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in Towaoc, Colo., and the Uintah-Ouray Ute Indian Reservation in Ft. Duchesne, Utah.
“The Utes Must Go!â€? was echoed in newspaper headlines, in Colorado homes and in public places that reached deep into the governor’s mansion in the late 1800s. Go they did, at the point of a bayonet. History written by those who are not Colorado’s first people would have you believe that the ultimate forced exodus of the Nuche was a peaceful exercise of military might. This was not the case. The Northern Nuche bands were literally driven at gunpoint from our valley more than 200 miles to Ft. Duchesne. Those who fell behind and could not keep up were shot on the spot and left for dead‌ men, women, children. Those who survived and made it to their present reservation handed down this “Nuche Trail of Tearsâ€? story to their descendents who in turn shared it with me. I am hopeful that the Nuche will some day write their history to tell the story of what really happened. I ask you, is this appropriate behavior of one sovereign nation over another? No, it is not. I use this one powerful example over literally thousands of other stories across our land as to how we treated our indigenous people. It is time for this nation, through our president, to apologize to the Nuche, to all our first Americans if we are to ever heal the still-present and deep wounds that have been inflicted. That would be appropriate. That would bring real peace to our own nation. There is precedent from both Australia and Canada. Each nation offered a formal apology to its indigenous people in 2008. But why wait for the United States government? Our communities in the Roaring Fork Valley could lead the way of how to offer an appropriate apology to the Nuche. Invite the Nuche back to their homeland as only people to people can do who truly desire appropriate peaceful co-existence. Bill Kight’s career spans 30 years of working with indigenous tribes in the Southwest. He currently is leading the effort to host the second annual Smoking River Pow Wow in Meeker, Colo., Sept. 25-26.
what’s cooking? AT W I L L I T S TOW N C E N T E R , 8 4 0 E . VA L L E Y R D. , BAS A LT
A L L - C L A D S S . 1 0 - P I E C E SE T # 5 0 1 8 5 3 $ 6 9 9 . 9 9
NOW OPEN
The Aspen AfďŹ liate of Susan G. Komen for the CureÂŽ invites all
Breast Cancer Survivors and their Families to its three summer events:
Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo Thursday, July 16, 6:30pm Gus Darien Riding Arena, Carbondale Complimentary dinner for survivors RSVP by July 9th: 920-0250 or info@komenaspen.org Sponsored by:
Komen Aspen Race for the CureŽ Saturday, July 18, 7:30am Rio Grande Park, Aspen $30 Registration: komenaspen.org ’ 5K Run/Walk ’ ;WZS 4O[WZg 4c\ EOZY ’ ;WZS >/EA 4]` bVS 1c`S— 2]U EOZY
Mon – Sat 10-6 Sun 12-5
Aspen Cancer Conference Monday, July 20, 3-6pm Sponsored by:
970.273.0400
www.kitchencollage.com
Breast Cancer: Prevention, Diagnosis and Therapy Paepcke Auditorium, Aspen 4@33 and open to the public
www.komenaspen.org
|
970.920.0250
THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009 • 11
Community Briefs Carbondale looking for board members Do you have a concern about how parks are managed? Would you like to see different kinds of art in Carbondale’s public spaces? Are you worried that historic places in Carbondale will be lost? Here’s an opportunity for you. As terms come to an end on town volunteer boards and commissions, new openings become available to those who wish to participate. In some cases, members whose terms are ending will re-apply to continue their service. However, all citizens are encouraged to participate. The town has openings on seven of its boards and commissions: the Tree Board, the Public Arts Commission, the Environmental Board, the Board of Adjustment & Appeals, the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning & Zoning Commission If you’d like to serve on a board, submit an application to Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave. or via e-mail to community@carbondaleco.net by 5 p.m. July 31. Applications are available at Town Hall and on the town Web site www.carbondalegov.org under “Community Governance.�
Pitch in for a neighbor in need On Saturday, July 11, the American Legion in Carbondale will host a benefit for Mariane Maynard. Maynard, a 2002 graduate of Roaring Fork High School, suffered a major concussion and some memory loss after a sledding accident in February. With no insurance coverage, she is struggling to pay for her hospital stay. Stop by the Legion building at 97 Third St. to give her a hand. From noon to 4 p.m. Dragonfly Studios will be offering family and individual portraits for $35 donations. At 5 p.m. a barbecue and horseshoe tournament — replete with prizes — will kick off. Adults will be asked to donate $10 for the barbecue, children under 10 are $5. Another $5 donation will get you a spot in the horseshoe tournament. For more information, call JoEllen at 945-0604.
Volunteers needed for assault on weeds The Carbondale Environmental Board is organizing a weed-pulling and education event at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at Delaney Park, otherwise known as the Carbondale Nature Park or the dog park. The Carbondale event is one of many taking place in communities across the state Saturday, part of a project called “Pulling for Colorado,� said E-Board member Steve Hessl. Pulling for Colorado is intended to educate the public, to familiarize people with problem weeds, and to focus on removal, he said. Delaney was chosen, Hessl said, because that location has a problem with an invasive species called oxeye daisy. But
WINDSHIELD REPAIR AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENT
DAVID ZAMANSKY – Owner Operated License & Insured
970-963-3891 500 Buggy Circle Carbondale, CO.
Auto Glass & Side Mirrors
Switch gears to State Farm and save
WITH DISCOUNTS UP TO 40%. Find out why more people trust State Farm for car insurance. See me about our many discounts and find out how much you can save.
Todd Fugate, Agent 590 Hwy 133 #ARBONDALE #/ "US TODD FUGATE G KU STATEFARM COM P050127 03/05
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company 3TATE &ARM )NDEMNITY #OMPANY s "LOOMINGTON ), s STATEFARM COMÂŽ
12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 9, 2009
Marty Treadway rides the single-track through lupine-filled Hay Park Meadow between Carbondale and Snowmass on Saturday. Photo by Greg Williams other species are common at Delaney Park, as well. Participants will be supplied with work gloves and bags for weeds. Refreshments will be provided. Illustrated spiralbound weed guides will also be given out to participants. Hessl said weed pullers are advised to wear long pants, substantial shoes, hats and sunscreen and to bring rain gear and water bottles. Weed experts Rob Comey, RFTA’s chief forester, and Larry Ballenger, Carbondale’s public works director, will brief volunteers on identifying weeds and how to combat them.
Rx Pot The medical marijuana dispensary in Carbondale is set to open on Friday, July 10. The dispensary is located off Highway 133 on Village Road, and although it’s open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the operators would like patients to call first and make an appointment so that they can be sure to accommodate them. The number for patients to call is (970) 306-3231 and patients must bring their medical marijuana license with them.
Busy days for Permaculture Institute Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute will present a greenhouse design and management workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at its facility in Basalt. The workshop will cover site selection, design, and construction principles and solar heating and cooling systems. Participants will tour several greenhouses on
the CRMPI site and discuss the unique solar strategies they employ. The price for the workshop is $50, and includes lunch and course materials. To register and get directions, call 927-4158 or email info@crmpi.org. On Monday, July 13, the Institute will host a public informational meeting about the Edible Schoolyard project planned for Roaring Fork High School from 7-8:30 p.m. at the school. This is the first chance for the public to take a look at the proposed design, which includes a dome greenhouse surrounded by a mandala-shaped garden. The Institute will also present plans for a community supported agriculture (CSA) school, another endeavor planned for the high school grounds that will consist of a 1.5-acre garden. For more information on the meeting, log on to www.rfhsgreenhouse.ning.com.
Way Out Wednesdays at the library Upper elementary and middle school students are invited to explore outer space and win awards every Wednesday between July 15 and August 26 at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library. Each week, participants will be given the opportunity to delve into a different astronomical website, computer game or simulation. They’ll be asked a question about outer space after each session. Those who find the correct answer will be entered into a prize drawing. Way Out Wednesdays are being presented in conjunction with the “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discover� exhibit currently on display at the library. For more information call 963-2889.
Legal Notices NOTICE PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO FESTIVAL LAS AMERICAS C/O JULIAN HARDAKER 1000 DOLORES WAY, SUITE B CARBONDALE, CO 81623 HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A SPECIAL EVENTS LIQUOR LICENSE TO SELL MALT, VINOUS, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISE AT SOPRIS PARK CARBONDALE, CO 81623
Unclassifieds
HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO
EXECUTIVE OFFICE RENTAL Main Street Carbondale, fully furnished, reception, internet, easy access, parking. 379-4766.
DATE AND TIME: JULY 28, 2009, AT 6:30 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: JUNE 24, 2009 DATE OF EVENT: AUGUST 15, 2009 BY ORDER OF: MICHAEL HASSIG, MAYOR
MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY opening in Mid-July in Carbondale. Delivery Available immediately. Must have proof of eligibility. Call C.M.D. 970-306-3231.
APPLICANT: JULIAN HARDAKER Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or RemonstranceĘźs may be filed with the Town Clerk Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623
MULTI-FAMILIY YARD SALES, all proceeds benefit Ryan Kriz’ recovery from cancer. 750 Cleveland Ave., Saturday, July 11, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. JUST REDUCED! 2BD/2.5BA house, RVR, free club membership, 2-car gar, pets, office nook, $1950+ utils 970-963-6334