20 11 26

Because every town needs a park, a library and a newspaper

Carbondale’s weekly

community connector

Volume 12, Number 42 | November 26 - December 2, 2020

Gobble, gobble.

These chubby Missouri Heights turkeys enjoy scampering around their pen, seemingly oblivious to a possible future on a Thanksgiving menu. Photo by Roberta McGowan SoprisLiquor.com 970.963.5880 1026 CO-133 Carbondale CO

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Citizens help decide the outcome with COVID OPINION

Garfield County Commissioners

by Mike Samson, John Martin and Tom Jankovsky

These are certainly trying times we live in. We are seeing increases in COVID-19 cases around the nation and right here at home, but there is a bright spot. We have the power to help contain this pandemic, and it is going to take a lot of cooperation and respect for one another. What it all boils down

to is personal responsibility.

We implore you to take the necessary steps to help keep our community safe. We understand that people are upset, frightened and feeling the fatigue of this pandemic.

Our email inboxes are jampacked with your messages each day, and we are listening.

We all know the everyday steps we can take to slow the spread of this virus: wear a mask, wash your hands often, social distance, limit your travel as much as possible, and above all, stay home if you are ill. These are simple actions that can help protect yourself and the ones you love, as well as keep our community safe and economy open.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an economic analysis of U.S. data showed that if even 15 percent more people wore a mask, we could see a large reduction in cases, ensuring that our businesses remain open and have the ability to thrive.

We think every day about our dedicated medical professionals on the front lines, putting their lives at risk to help others. They are heroes in the truest sense of the word. We must make sure that our hospitals have the capacity to help those that

are ill, not only with COVID, but everyday maladies as well.

Please wear a mask for yourself, please do it for others. We are all in this together and it will take a team effort to beat this virus.

As most of you know, the state has moved Garfield County into the orange, or “high-risk” category on its COVID-19 dial. We feel that being in the yellow, or “concerned” level more accurately matches the situation in our county, but this is the reality we live in.

Garfield County is rich in many resources, our good people being the most prevalent. Together, we must take responsibility to combat this virus for our family, friends and community. No government agency is going to end this pandemic. What it all boils down to is personal responsibility and we must do this together.

Be safe out there.

Dear Editor: A tumultuous 2020 is fading and with the holidays and covid upon us many people are suffering from depression. Sadly, this time of year also sees a spike in suicides.

So, I'd like to share my personal experiences with depression and suicide in hopes that maybe just one person reading this will not make the worst and last bad decision of their life.

A quick background: I was a " smart" young man who quit college at the wise old age of 19 to get married. A few years and a couple of drug busts later, I'd lost my marriage, my daughter, my business and my self respect. After feeding a bad habit via my arm for too long, I wound up living on the streets of LA. My almost last campsite was under a bridge in northern California.

I sat with a rope cinched around my neck, knowing I was the worst mistake God ever created. Leaning back slowly, the rope tightened but just before slipping into unconsciousness, a survival fear kicked in and I didn't die under a bridge that night.

However that was not the first time I'd opted to take the cowards way out.

After my divorce and business failure I tried ending my life by hitting a three foot wide tree, head-on at 60 mph. All I achieved was breaking the little finger on my right hand. Not only was I a failure at life, hell, I was even a failure at death. My slit wrists did get me confined in a funny jacket for a while though.

My life took a 180° turn when I found an angel to love. I stopped putting a needle in my arm when I found I was going to be a father to my first son. For years we went back to a more normal lifestyle until my oldest son's best friend got killed. He was working for me on a highway project in Georgia when a semi ran him over. My guilt, though irrational, was devastating and the demon depression reclaimed me with both

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LETTERS Depression and suicide

Sincerest thanks to our

Mary Lilly

claws. But thanks to strong family support I got through this also.

I have felt that dreadful pang of regret for waking up alive in the mornings. I have lived like a recluse inside my head with no hope or end in sight. Severe depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. You can't just decide to be happy and unafraid. But I survived! And I am ever so thankful for being alive.

If I'd worn that noose just a little longer, I wouldn't be the proud father of three fine, upstanding men and their loving families. I survived and I'm truly enjoying life and am eternally thankful I didn't kill myself.

Do not give up! Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.You are not the Lone Ranger, everyone has their own demons to fight. The trick is to not face these demons alone. People care, ask for help because it's never too late to turn things around. At the moment all you might see is darkness, but I'm living proof there is a dawn.

Life is too precious to waste. I survived and found happiness. So can you. Please, reach out for help, people do care.

Bruno Kirchenwitz Rifle

Support Pathfinders Dear Editor: When you have suffered a significant loss, your whole focus can be just to live in the present moment and survive.

When those who are grieving are willing to accept help, they deserve the help of someone trained in the ways of grief, someone who can walk into that dark place and be comfortable with the agony and desperation felt by someone in grief.

Then the healing can begin.

Pathfinders continues to offer, to anyone experiencing loss, the opportunity to connect to people who do just that, and so

much more.

The benefit to our communities is impossible to measure. The only way, really, is to hear from the people who may have otherwise suffered longer or deeper or worse if it hadn't been for finding their way to a Pathfinders counselor.

If you have been helped from a service offered through Pathfinders, please consider letting us know. Whether or not you can support the work of Pathfinders through end-of-year giving, your words of gratitude or your story of how you were helped will make a difference.

The people who can give, will give more readily and more generously because they will be able to see that their dollars have helped make our community healthier.

Thank you in advance for your help and we at Pathfinder's hope you and your loved ones stay safe.

Sean Jeung Glenwood Springs

FM radio Dear Editor: Scanning the FM radio band, I’m looking for reasons for the massive information divide that is clawing apart the country.

No advertising assures that the news on NPR and dialogue is fact based and informative. In contrast, long, banal advertising runs, expose the stations hosting conservative talk shows. The growling commentators, depress me.

Their monologues hold no informational content, just the unceasing, exaggerated, derogatory debasement and accusation of everything `liberal’.

The inflammatory content struck me as pure incitement, calling for un-civil confrontation, with even the occasional suggestion of armed conflict. How can anyone stay sane listening to this?

John Hoffmann Carbondale

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The community is invited to submit letters up to 500 words to news@soprissun.com. Longer columns are considered on a case-by-case basis. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday.

2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

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P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 520 S. Third Street #32 970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Editor Will Grandbois • 970-510-0540 news@soprissun.com Advertising Todd Chamberlin • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Graphic Designer: Ylice Golden Reporter: Roberta McGowan Delivery: Crystal Tapp Proofreader: Lee Beck Current Board Members Raleigh Burleigh, President Marilyn Murphy, Vice President Linda Criswell, Secretary Klaus Kocher, Treasurer Kay Clarke • Carol Craven • Lee Beck Megan Tackett • Gayle Wells Donna Dayton • Terri Ritchie The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on second Mondays at the Third Street Center.

Contact board@soprissun.com to reach them.

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Local company brings solar stations to the Navajo Nation

By James Steindler Sopris Sun Correspondent

This story reaches for the essence of what the Thanksgiving tradition has been propagated as in the United States: people of North American and European descent coming together. While a union of both cultures is a tale some choose to believe, most agree that was not originally the case. The forthcoming narrative describes an instance where perhaps some merit can be garnered for this centuriesold tradition.

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touched on the lack of water and electricity and what that meant for people living in secluded areas on the reservation.

“I let them know that a niece of mine had passed away in a house fire — she and her husband,” Peshlakai explained, “Their home was heated by a woodstove and their lighting was provided by kerosene.” The couple saved their 3-year-old daughter by pushing her out the window of the burning home but neither was able to escape the inferno themselves.

Jill Steindler watched the television program from her home in Woody Creek, CO and brought it to the attention of her colleagues at Skyhook Solar.

Steindler phoned Peshlakai and told her about Skyhook’s solar stations and how she thought the renewable energy source could help replace the use of kerosene lamps and other gas powered appliances.

Peshlakai's life partner, Glen Peaches, was there every step of the way, learning about the stations so he can teach others.

Photo courtesy of Jill Steindler

Jamescita (or Tina) Peshlakai was born and raised in the Navajo Nation which spans Street Center in Carbondale.

The install more than 27,000 square miles The stations are built to Steindler traveled to Cameron - roughly the size of West withstand serious weather to meet with Peshlakai not long Virginia. It is the largest Native conditions and Delano expects after they’d initially made contact.

American reservation in the the lifespans to last at least 20-30 Peshlakai introduced Steindler to United States. Peshlakai lives in years. several families in remote areas, Skyhook Solar stations her ancestral homeland, “Where For some time he and his four of which agreed to have the Skyhook Solar, a local I grew up herding sheep, taking organization have envisioned solar stations placed near their company, has been on the rise care of the family cattle and bringing these stations to places homes. The little girl whose for the past couple of years. ranching,” she recalled. parents perished in the house fire where there is no electric grid.

Peshlakai also happens to have It’s founder Daniel Delano is lives in one of the households with Skyhook received funding a connection with Carbondale in heeding the planet’s call to fight through donations incurred by her grandparents. that she attended Colorado Rocky global warming one solar station Aspen Global Change Institute The two also met with the Mountain School (CRMS); as at a time.

Tribal leadership in Cameron to for the Navajo Nation project.

“Climate change is real,” said did two of her daughters. She still get permission to go ahead with For one year, the duration of shares a bond with many people Delano. “No doubt about that at the pilot program, Skyhook will the project. After many talks, this point,” he continued, “And from this community. it may have severe effects in our assume responsibility for the Steindler returned home and the Today, Peshlakai is a senator in lives within the next decade; not units and receive feedback from Skyhook crew got to work. the Arizona legislature — a post In the early morning of Nov. only a century from now — we the users. she’s held for three terms. She 14 the company’s squad packed “In the case of the Navajo know that, that’s a scientific fact.” lives on the reservation outside up their equipment and headed What is a solar station? Well, Nation the solar stations will Cameron, AZ not far from where to Cameron.

“It is a solar generator that is recharge LED lanterns to she grew up. Several families make The installation team, easily deployable to a street replace kerosene lamps,” Delano up a community there which is composed of locals and Skyhook corner or to somewhere way off explained. “Kerosene burned for sparsely spread out over desert grid like the Navajo Nation,” said light is not only unhealthy but has members, assembled four of the terrain. “Housing kind of occurs Delano. People can charge their a significant carbon footprint,” company’s solar kit stations at each in family clusters in these remote electric vehicles, bikes, and a he added, “It’s staggering that of the locations. This particular areas,” Peshlakai explained, “So plethora of other electronics. The the use of kerosene in the world design includes several battery in one homestead area you’ll company has set up several of its for lighting is equivalent to the bricks which can be taken home to find 5-10 individual homes of solar stations throughout the kerosene burned for commercial power electronics and later placed different family members within Valley — including at The Third aviation in the US every year.” back at the station to recharge. a mile of each other.”

“You can keep a charger pack in On top of having to haul your purse while you’re herding water — typically a 60-80 mile sheep in the mountains,” Peshlakai round trip — “A lot of people quipped, “And not have to worry don’t have electricity,” there about your cell phone dying.”

Peshlakai explained, “So homes One of the stations has a Wifi are warmed by woodstoves and connection which makes distance light is provided by kerosene or learning feasible for students while butane lighting.” staying close to home.

With school having “The families feel very transitioned to online learning fortunate,” Peshlakai stated, and students and their parents travel “At the same time they’ve received great distances for an internet something that they need to watch connection and, “A lot of children over and protect as a resource.” have fallen behind,” she explained.

“We need to move past the In July 2020 Peshlakai was kind of sugar coating of history,” interviewed on the Tamron said Peshlakai and at the same Hall Show about the impact of time, “We can’t live or set up our COVID-19 in the Navajo Nation, children and future generations which she said was “Hit hard to always look back on the and the numbers were surpassing negative. With global warming that of New York.” Hall asked Peshlakai shows her Aunt Eleanor how to use a battery brick, which and these huge problems with Peshlakai about the challenges can be taken home to charge devices. climate change we really need to facing the Nation. Peshlakai Photo courtesy of Jill Steindler come together.”

THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 3

SCUTTLEBUTT Snowbound White River National Forest’s winter motor vehicle use season began Nov. 23. During the winter season, all wheeled vehicles, including bikes, are limited to plowed routes or designated routes open through special order. Winter Motor Vehicle Use Maps identify routes and areas designated for “over the snow” motor vehicle travel, such as snowmobiles. The maps are free and available at fs.usda.gov or your local Ranger District Office.

Home base

Glenwood Springs is currently sporting four sets of eye-catching wings tucked away in discrete areas of the downtown core. Chrissy Lee-Manes of Homsted, a natural lifestyle retail store, said she came up with the wings concept to help revitalize and beautify some of the less visited places in the downtown core. Courtesy photo

Skye Skinner has accepted the position of Executive Director at the Art Base, effective immediately. Skinner has been consulting in the areas of fundraising and strategy with the Art Base since 2018, and has filled the leadership role on an interim basis since March 2020. Meanwhile, the Art Base moved forward in purchasing the Three Bears Building in the heart of Old Town Basalt.

Securing a permanent home for the nearly 25-year old arts nonprofit is the realization of long held goal of the organization’s, and reflects the support of dedicated artists and donors.

The heat is on

With holiday excitement growing as Thanksgiving approaches, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies statewide will unite for the Thanksgiving Week high-visibility DUI enforcement period. CDOT encourages all Coloradans to celebrate safely by arranging sober rides and following COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Forest for the trees

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) and White River National Forest are partnering with Sunlight Mountain Resort to help restore the forest, including areas recently burned by the Grizzly Creek Fire. Skiers and riders will be able to add a voluntary $5 donation to their online season pass or lift ticket purchases. The NFF will provide a net $2.50 match on every $5 donated.

Spruce up the Sun

Thanksgiving break is the perfect time for kids to participate in our annual holiday cover design contest! Have ‘em put together an 8 ½ x 11” work of art around the theme of “Holiday Wish.” Bright colors are encouraged and it’s fine if they use a variety of media, but steer away from glitter and three-dimensional elements. Mail submissions to PO Box 399 in Carbondale or use the drop box outside the Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.) by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14. Please write the artist’s name, age, grade, school, and parent contact information legibly on the back. Contest winners will have their artwork printed in the Dec. 24 issue.

Come to Dunsinane

Ghost of Christmas past

The Basalt-based Hudson Reed Ensemble (HRE) will release its film version of “Macbeth” at hudsonreedensemble.org on Saturday, Nov. 28. Shot on location in the Roaring Fork Valley over five months, the film is a major departure from HRE’s 15-year history of live performances of Shakespeare in the Park. The play had been on HRE’s radar for several years and the company felt now was the right time for Shakespeare’s play of unbridled ambition and the consequences that ensue. The two-hour play with a cast of 26 was distilled down to a cast of eight with a running time of 50 minutes.

Thunder River Theatre Company and Fifty fifty producer Hunter Arnold unofficially Applications are due by Dec. 6 for the Valley kicked off the holiday season early by announcing that a special filmed version Visual Arts Show. The 42nd annual event will of Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic open in January and feature 50 works — one per “A Christmas Carol” starring Tony Award artist. The application process is competitive so it is winner Jefferson Mays, will be released a lottery-based entry system. Visit carbondalearts. worldwide on Saturday, Nov. 28. This com for more information. streaming video event will benefit Thunder River Theatre Company as well as other They say it’s your birthday community, amateur, regional theaters across Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Dan Richardson and Hunter Taché the country which have been devastated by (Nov. 26); Richard Fuller and Paul Hassel (Nov. 28); Kat Rich and Naomi Pulver (Nov. 29); Chuck Dorn the pandemic. Visit thunderrivertheatre. (Nov. 30); Marcel Kahhak and Sadie Dickinson (Dec. 1) Elizabeth Robinson, Ted Brochet, Paul Stover com for tickets. and Sierra Palmer (Dec. 2).

The Sopris Sun is hiring!

Do you want to steward community discourse and storytelling in the mid and lower Roaring Fork Valley?

Nestled in Mount Sopris’ shadow, The Sopris Sun is headquartered in Carbondale and serves as the area’s only nonprofit newspaper.

Right now, we’re looking for our next leader at the editorial helm.

If you’re a deadline-driven, newsoriented communicator you may be just who we’re looking for to fill this role.

Responsibilities include: •

Editor in Chief

•

•

•

4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

Editorial - Oversee all editorial content of the weekly paper including editing and composing stories.

Management - Coordinate and supervise freelancers including writers and photographers, as well as collaborate with the Graphic Designer and the advertising department to create the weekly paper.

Community Relations - as the public face of The Sopris Sun the editor cultivates positive relationships with community members including government, businesses and other organizations.

Liaise - The Editor works cooperatively with The Sopris Sun Board Directors.

To Apply: Please provide a copy of your résumé, several samples of your writing, and a cover letter that includes, in any order: • • • •

A statement describing your interest in the position.

A few things you appreciate most about The Sopris Sun. Share your vision of where you would love to see the paper be in a few short years.

Why you feel you are a great candidate.

Send your application materials via email, in Word or PDF format, to: board@soprissun.com by December 4, 2020.

Interviews of qualified candidates will start immediately.

The position will remain open until filled.

Preferred start date: December 14, 2020.

For a full job description, go to soprissun.com/careers-editor/

OUR TOWN

If you know of someone who should be featured in “Our Town,” email news@soprissun.com or call 510-3003.

From Colorado to New Zealand and back again

By James Steindler Sopris Sun Correspondent

Trista Hackett is a neighbor who recently settled in Carbondale after falling in love with the Crystal Valley.

She has a vibrant smile and personality to match. Say hi if you see her around.

Q: Where were you born and where did you grow up?

A: I was born in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. My family lived in Colorado for a bit but I mostly grew up in Arizona. I went to elementary and high school there. Then I moved to Washington (state) after I graduated before moving to New Zealand for college.

Q: Why New Zealand?

A: Well, my aunt married a Kiwi, started a family and she’s been there ever since. My dad, her brother, wanted a change of scenery as well so he got a working class visa and then was able to get residency. The fact that I was able to have residency meant that going to university there would be a lot more feasible financially.

Q: What do you study?

A: I’m studying for a Bachelor of Arts in education. I really enjoy getting to teach people and especially if kids can be excited about what they’re learning.

Q: What is New Zealand like?

A: New Zealand is beautiful. The people are very unique, special and

Trista in the attic window of the barn gazing over what she deems her happy place. Photo by James Steindler very fun to be around. One thing that I always found funny is that you can just go into the grocery store barefoot if you want. They’re just very relaxed.

Everywhere you are in New Zealand you’re a pretty short drive to the beach, so there is a definitely a relaxed beachy vibe. While I was there I learned to surf and I really enjoyed that. It’s just a really

beautiful place with some really great people. It’s colder down south — you know they’re flipped from us.

I think they try to do a really good job of spreading Maori culture and teaching it. I think that’s really cool because it’s a very interesting culture.

Maori is also a really cool language.

Q: Do you know any words in Maori?

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A: I know kia ora which means ‘welcome’ or ‘hello’.

Kai means ‘food’.

Wahine means ‘woman’.

What else... haere rā… I think that means ‘farewell’ (it does). I’m not great at it.

Q: Will you go back?

A: I think I’ll have to go back to finish up my degree, even if that just means taking exams. It’s a little tricky to say because everything is kind of up in the air with COVID. I want to go back because I have family over there and it’s really beautiful. I’m definitely not opposed to going back and visiting.

But I’m getting pretty attached to being here so…

Q: What brought you to the Valley?

A: My brother and his wife live here. They came and visited me in New Zealand. He proposed to her and they talked about the wedding and how it was going to be this past September. I was like, ‘there’s no way i’m missing that.’

It was in March, right when COVID was hitting and everywhere was starting to lock down. My university went online. I was starting to see the writing on the wall and getting worried that I would end up kind of stuck and not make it to my brother’s wedding.

I booked a plane ticket and the next day New Zealand fully shut down and

stopped flights. I made it out in the nick of time.

I was with my mom in Oklahoma for a bit before I came out here. I told my brother, Ridge, ‘I kind of would like to live here, do you think I can find a job?’ Well, I was worried for no reason — it just happened. I started working at Avalanche Ranch and lived in Ridge and Sarah’s camper topper. We put that on top of the hill and I had about a three minute walk to work every day.

And so I was able to be here for the wedding which I wouldn’t have missed for the world because it was the most special wedding ever.

Q: What kept you here?

A: I had an amazing summer and met amazing people. I just fell in love with the valley. Also, I met a really amazing guy named Ben. With everyone here on the ranch, I just feel really lucky to have met the people I have and gotten to feel like I’m part of a little community.

Q: You were due to go back to school after the wedding?

A: Yes. It was kind of a given that I would have to return to New Zealand for my exams. I started the process, moved out of the topper and went to visit a friend in Arizona.

While I was there I got an email that I was going to be able to take the exams here in America.

I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m staying!’

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 5

Nepal Restaurant expands into Glenwood Springs

Nepal Everest Restaurant replaced Thor's Grill in the Glenwood Meadows Shopping Center. Courtesy photo

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Correspondent For over two decades, the Roaring Fork Valley has enjoyed authentic Nepalese cuisine thanks to the cherished restaurant next to Thunder River Market along Highway 82 between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. Although ownership has changed several times, the restaurant remains a consistent choice for local diners since it first opened in 1999.

Contrary to expectations, Nepal Restaurant has experienced an increase in business throughout the pandemic. Manik Sakya, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife Laxmi, attributes their success to the acknowledged health benefits of

Servers diligently practice COVID-19 protocols while serving the mall patrons. Courtesy photo not anticipate that the new location will draw business away from his restaurant on Highway 82. He foresees reaching a new customer base and, so far, business has been good. Compared with the original, this new Nepal Restaurant can also accommodate many more customers at a time once COVID restrictions are relaxed.

The restaurant currently practices the same pandemic precautions that have become the new normal for the industry, like masked servers and reduced capacity with spaced seating. Asked about their plans should Garfield County slide into the “severe risk” red category on the state's COVID-19 dial, Sakya commented on Nov. 20 that their strategy was not yet formalized. He is, however, confident in the new restaurant's ability to weather such circumstances.

That same day, Garfield County was moved to

“high risk” orange by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Meanwhile, fifteen other counties, including neighboring Mesa County, saw the elimination of indoor dining for having reached red, the next category up.

Nepal Everest Restaurant is colorfully adorned with Tibetan prayer flags and according to Sakya, it's the beginning of what will be an even more decorated environment paying homage to the beauty of the Himalayas. The new restaurant is seeking to hire several more employees passionate about the food they serve. For more information, including the extensive menu, visit everestnepalrestaurant.com. The restaurant is open seven days a week beginning at 11am and is located at 35 Market St. in the Glenwood Meadows Shopping Center.

OUR AN NU AL

IT'

S

FOR E M TI

spices traditional to South Asian cuisine.

“To be healthy,” he advises, “Eat healthy and not too much.” Not only do aromatic spices enhance the colors and flavors of a dish, they also support the body's natural defenses. Long celebrated by holistic healing systems like Ayurvedic medicine, Western science is now affirming the positive effects of common spices like coriander, mustard seed, cloves, black pepper, ginger, cardamon, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon.

Originally from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, Manik Sakya has made a career of promoting the nature, culture and cuisine of his home country. After working nearly two decades for a travel agency in Tokyo, Japan, encouraging tourists to visit Nepal, Sakya moved to Texas in 2001. He later acquired our local Nepal Restaurant from his friend Om Lohani in 2015. Sakya counts among his regulars doctors, pilots, hospital staff, and students and staff from Colorado Mountain College with a campus just up the hill.

The propitious boost in business at Nepal Restaurant coincided with the decline of another of Sakya's shared ventures: Thor's Grill in the Glenwood Meadows Shopping Center. This Mexican restaurant was purchased by Sakya and a partner in 2018 and shuttered earlier this year.

Undiscouraged, Sakya launched Nepal Everest Restaurant in the same space on Nov. 1.

The experience of Nepal Restaurant is reinvented to suit a different dynamic at this new location. Whereas diners can expect to sit and enjoy a meal with full service at the original restaurant, Sakya is mindful that mall shoppers are more likely to be in a hurry. Therefore, Nepal Everest Restaurant offers grab-and-go service with many of the same menu items, like steamed dumplings (called momos), naan, saag, dal, korma, vindaloo, curries, and other staples of Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan cuisine.

Despite being just eight miles apart, Sakya does

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6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 7

Have a little art star in your family?

Enter the Spruce Up The Sun holiday cover design contest!

Theme: Holiday Wish Rules:

• Kids of all grades are invited to submit artwork • Paper Size: 8 1/2 x 11” • Feel free to use a variety of media • No glitter • No three-dimensional elements • Bright, bold colors are encouraged • Please write the child’s name, age, grade, school, and parent contact information on the back (not the front) of the entry

Deadline:

5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14

Drop Off:

The Launchpad, 76 S. Fourth St., Carbondale

Mail:

P.O. Box 399, Carbondale CO 81623 For more information contact news@soprissun.com 970-510-0540

Carbondale’s weekly

Holiday Advertising Deadlines

p The Sun U e c u r p S ’s n e r d Chil 4 issue 2 . c e D e th r fo 8 1 Dec. Year in Review 31 issue . c e D r fo , 8 1 . c e D erlin today! b m a h C d d o T t c Conta 70-510-0246 9 | m o .c n u s s ri p adsales@so fications/ /advertise/speci

soprissun.com

Spruce Up T h e Su n

This year’s winner

GU I

DE

community connec tor Volume 11, Numbe r 46

| December 19, 201

9

is…

Our “friends and fam ily” theme was all about com ing together, so it’s fitting that our favorite cov er design was a coll aboration.

Luis Santos Candela and Marcus Trujillo are sixth graders at Carbondale Mid dle School, and according to thei r teacher they came in at lunc h to work on thei r project. The fina l pro duct has wonderf ul dep th, with plenty of deta il in the laye rs. In add ition to being festive, loca l and thematic , it’s, wel l, cute. And that’s precisely what keeps this trad ition going year after year.

Of course, ther e were plenty of other spec tacu lar works of art in the run ning, so we also awarded first plac e in each grade to: Maya Annabe l (first), Morgan Dillard (second ), Lyrah Kreilin g (third), Maielle Maes (fourth) , Simona Perutkov a-R and (fifth) and Emmal ine Warner (sixth).

We also awarded run ners up in each grade and an arra y mentions, includin of honorable g our youngest contestant — 3-year-old Cam ila Cruz — and our oldest — 16-yearold Bro ok-lynn Lowery, who was also the first to submit and assu age our fears of hav ing to cancel the whole thing.

Che ck ‘em all out on pag es 12 and 13. Contest ants who wou ld like to pick up their orig inal artwork can stop by our office at the Third Stre et Center.

We’d like to than k ever yon e who sent in wor k, as wel l as our panel of judg es who were tasked with cho osing amo ng such ama zing entries.

Happy holidays!

a Happy Holiday!

Contest winners will hav e their artw k printed in the December 24, 20 20 issue.

Our holiday issues are super popular every year.

You do NOT want to miss highlighting your business or nonprofit.

Most of all, you can lock in 2020 prices for the coming year.

8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

RE C

Because every tow n needs a park, a libra ry and a newspaper

IN

SI

DE

!

Local businesses making your ‘stuff’ last

By Olivia Emmer Sopris Sun Correspondent

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2018 the U.S. generated 17 million tons of textile waste- just over 100 pounds per person. In that same year, the recycling rate for all textiles was 14.7 percent, and over 11 million tons of textiles were dumped in landfills. The remainder was incinerated. The main source of textile waste is clothing, but it also includes furniture, carpets, linens, and footwear.

This is a rapidly growing category of municipal solid waste (MSW), and accounted for 7.7 percent of landfilled MSW that year. For comparison, the EPA estimates there were 1.76 million tons of textile waste in 1960.

While a lot of this waste is created by fast fashion companies through overproduction, much textile waste is associated with consumer buying (and tossing) habits. Donating unwanted garments is better than tossing them, although according to the Council for Textile Recycling, only 20% of donated clothing is resold in the U.S. Luckily, many businesses exist in the Roaring Fork valley to help you make the most of what you already have.

From furniture to clothing to outdoor gear, there’s likely a small local business ready to help you.

Claire Wright is the owner of Cosecha Textiles, a business which she relocated this year from San Juan Island, Washington, to Carbondale.

Cosecha means “creative bounty”

Sarah Meyer recently took the helm of Mountainside Sewing, a clothing alterations and repair shop in Basalt.

Courtesy photo in Spanish and is an homage to her education at the University of New Mexico. When asked about her work, Wright shared that “the vast majority is in doing reupholstery. It makes me happy to know that there are so many folks out there that see the value in fine craftsmanship, and see the potential in an old piece of furniture to become more modern or new or reusable.”

Claire also teaches workshops and hosts monthly DIY sessions at her studio, to share her craft and repair skills with the community.

The cost of reupholstering furniture varies based on the age of the piece, overall quality, and the material you choose. Claire made clear that her overall mission is to make furniture last. “I really want to be accessible to all people. So if you're the type of

person that isn't scared and wants to try something, I'm an open book. I'm super happy to give pointers, to provide material at a very low cost, and to help guide you in the right direction.”

There are several local businesses that provide clothing alterations and repair. Just this year, Sarah Meyer, a painter and former teacher at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School, took over Mountainside Sewing, a thirty-year old business started by Peg Chain.

According to Sarah, “we do lots of repairs: patching jeans, fixing zippers, replacing zippers… We're able to custom fit people to clothes that either they've thrifted, which is really cool, or that they've purchased online.”

One challenge Sarah has faced is the relatively cheap price of new goods.

“How do you make [repair] affordable and also convince someone that it’s actually worth it because we're keeping [clothes] out of the landfill?

Rather than just purchasing a new jacket that maybe would cost the same as it would for me to repair it for you, you're also paying someone here in the U.S. a living wage to do that. So, it's an interesting dilemma that people face when they decide if they want to have their stuff repaired.”

Common jobs include hemming ($25 to $35) and zipper repair (starting at $35).

For heavy-duty jobs, Sarah likes to refer customers to Rachel’s Sewing Repair. Based in El Jebel and run by Rachel Marble for over 20 years, Rachel likes to say, “If it’s been sewn before, I

Help our Valley’s native birds survive the winter.

can probably sew it again.”

While a large part of her business is maintaining horse blankets, Rachel also specializes in repairing camping gear, chaps, tack, outdoor fabrics, and fasteners. Common repairs include replacing webbing, buckles, velcro, and hardware. Over the years Rachel has repaired airplane covers, grill covers, trampolines, duckies, dry bags, boat covers, waders, bike panniers, hunting tents, harnesses, dog gear, sailboat sails, badminton nets, bags and purses, and more.

Again, Claire Wright: “If there's any opportunity that we can see to reuse, or recycle or buy secondhand or to pay craftspeople to do real craftwork, whether it be making furniture, or making your clothing, or to support a true artisan, then those choices do make a really big difference.”

A sampling of businesses offering repair services

Upholstery and cushions Cosecha Textiles (505) 702-6796 Clothing repair and tailoring Mountainside Sewing (774) 245-2768 Heavy-duty repairs Rachel’s Sewing Repair, (970) 704-1553 Shoe repair Glenwood Shoe Service (970) 945-8969

Claire Wright of Cosecha Textiles offers reupholstery services in the Carbondale area. Photo by Sue Rollyson

R.J. Paddywacks hosts the 8th Annual Benefit Seed Sale in support of the

Starting Saturday, November 7th, 20% of all proceeds from wild bird sales will be donated directly to the Roaring Fork Audubon.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 9

Health alliance brings new insurance option

By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff Before your insurance plan auto renews at the end of the month, it’s worth taking a look at some new options. Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), is now offering coverage to compete with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

It’s a development Valley Health Alliance (VHA) — a collaboration of area employers and health care providers — has been working toward for years. Board member Jim Laing explained the efforts in an Oct. 15 webinar, which is still accessible on the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.

“We have higher than average healthcare costs and many fewer options,” he observed. “Our goal is to control our collective destiny.”

To that end, VHA reached out to RMHP about expanding into Garfield and Pitkin counties, Associate Vice President Michelle Walker explained, resulting in the creation of a suite of “Rocky Mountain Valley” products.

“We are so excited to share these new plans with you that are going to be affordable and just bring more choice,” she said. “We want access to your primary-care doctor to be as accessible and easy

for you as possible.”

The plans are also available in parts of Eagle County, Gunnison County and numerous other Western Slope counties that previously had only one provider.

Contracts are also in place with providers in Grand Junction and on the Front Range.

Spokesperson Leanne Hart shared how the company worked its way up: “Rocky Mountain Health Plans was founded by physicians and community leaders in Western Colorado to offer access to innovative, quality health care. It's been more than 45 years since we first started providing health insurance to Coloradans, and we are now proud to be part of the United Healthcare family of plans,” she said. “Although many things have changed, one thing has remained consistent our dedication and commitment to do the right thing for our communities and neighbors.

Staying true to this value, along with our strong partnerships with providers, drives our sustainability in an evolving health care market.”

The market has fluctuated several times since the Affordable Care Act launched in 2014, she pointed out, but the trend seems to be toward more options.

“We know that sustainable,

affordable care is possible only when we work together with providers and community leaders to deliver value to our members,” she said. Our plans provide coverage people can count on, with access to one of the largest network of providers on both the Western Slope and the Front Range. We've also expanded benefits like telehealth coverage so that people can maintain their health while staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Asked for comment on the added competition, Colin Manning, Anthem’s VP of Regional and State Public Relations noted that, “Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is proud to be offering plans in Garfield and Pitkin counties, as well as the 62 other counties in Colorado, as part of our continuing commitment to improve lives and communities.

And we’ll continue to look for opportunities to serve more Coloradans, providing access to care that is quality and affordable.”

Families and individuals looking for new coverage must make a choice by Dec. 15 for coverage to start on Jan. 1. Find out more about your insurance options by visiting connectforhealthco. com or visiting your local broker.

Level Orange

The state has moved Garfield County to Level Orange: High Risk. High risk popuplations are strongly advised to stay home, new variances are not allowed, personal gatherings are limited to 10 people from no more than two households; gyms, places of worship and restaurants are limited to 25% capacity or 50 people; last call takes place at 10 p.m. and working from home is strongly encouraged. Visit covid19.colorado.gov for more information.

Wave to

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( be ready to sing and light up your house!)

500 locally made goodie bags with pollinator Hot chocolate & other fun surprises Are Available to Pick up december 1-4 at Carbondale Rec Center, The Launchpad or First bank.

Enjoy the season and a stroll around to the many shops, restaurants & art galleries. Please Remember to Mask up & keep a distance while sharing holiday cheer! Full details on carbondalearts.com or carbondalerec.com

199 Main Street CARBONDALE 970.963.7190 www.HarmonyScott.com 10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 11

Degrees of warming How a thirstier atmosphere wreaks havoc on water supplies

Marble Town Manager Ron Leach is looking for ways to augment the town’s water supply, which comes from the Crystal River aquifer. In 2018, that supply was threatened when the river was running too low to satisfy all water-rights holders. Photo by Catherine Lutz

By Catherine Lutz Aspen Journalism

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12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

In November 2018, Marble Town Manager Ron Leach received a letter that he said was a wake-up call.

The letter was a notice from the Colorado Division of Water Resources that the town’s water rights had been “out of priority” for four weeks the previous August and September because of a call placed by a senior water-rights holder downstream on the Crystal River.

During drought years — and 2018 was an extreme one, with the Crystal running at less than 5% of average after peaking in May, several weeks earlier than usual — junior water-rights holders may have to curtail their water usage until the senior call is satisfied.

“Drought and water supply have been on people’s minds for a long time around here, but we’ve never gotten a letter like that,” Leach said.

The letter urged the Marble Water Company — the private nonprofit entity that delivers water to the town’s approximately 150 residents and a handful of businesses — to create a plan of augmentation, which is an alternate source of water such as a storage pond. Without augmentation, the letter warned, a call could subject Marble to a cease-and-desist order on its municipal water wells.

Several other neighborhoods that get their water from the Crystal also narrowly dodged a bullet that August. The same call put more than 40 homes in Carbondale at risk of not having water, according to Town Manger Jay Harrington.

“Firefighting capability was an issue, too,” Harrington said. “That’s where we had to scramble.”

Carbondale officials were able to make an emergency arrangement with another senior water-rights holder on the Crystal to temporarily borrow water to supply the homes. And they quickly set in motion plans to avoid the situation in the future. In essence,

the town is shifting the supply for some of its water needs from the heavily irrigated Crystal to the more reliable Roaring Fork, as the town has three wells that draw from the Roaring Fork aquifer, and has the option to develop more wells. The town also owns 500 acre-feet of water in Ruedi Reservoir it can use to offset its well depletions from the Roaring Fork aquifer.

Up in Marble, Leach doesn’t have multiple, redundant water supplies to serve his constituents. Noting that Marble’s water supply barely exceeds peak summer demand, an engineering firm’s preliminary recommendation was for an 11-acre-foot reservoir, which would require 3 to 4 acres of flat ground.

“The town of Marble doesn’t have cash to do anything like that,” said Leach, who added that space in the constrained mountain valley might also be a hurdle. “There’s no easy solution.”

Still, Leach is confident something will get figured out — a state-funded water study of the Crystal was recently approved, he said — but a very dry 2020 has underscored that the water issue is not going away anytime soon. During what’s now widely accepted as a two-decade-long drought in the Colorado River basin, temperatures have risen, summer rains can’t be relied on and streamflows have dropped, with earlier peak flows sometimes leaving little water in streams by late summer.

The state’s letter to Marble noted that “it is reasonable to assume that this administration scenario could happen more frequently in the future.”

To those who deal with water day to day, there’s no question climate change is here and its impacts are being increasingly felt in the summer.

“It all starts with climate change — that’s the big picture,” said Leach. “What’s happening in Marble, this is the micro-example.”

Other Roaring Fork municipalities are also grappling with climate-caused water supply issues. The city of Aspen, which

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This graph shows the range of average maximum temperature increases projected for Carbondale under both and high and low emissions scenario. Graphic courtesy of The Climate Explorer/NOAA provides municipal water from free-flowing Maroon and Castle creeks and has seen Stage 2 water restrictions enacted two of the past three summers, is creating a 50-year water plan — driven in part by climate-change impacts — that may include expanded water storage. In Basalt, the 2018 Lake Christine Fire came close to cutting power supplies, which could have caused the failure of pump stations that deliver water to users. And after one of Glenwood Springs’ water sources was temporarily shut down during this summer’s Grizzly Creek Fire. Debris, ash, mudslides and fire retardant pose lingering hazards.

“We need to continually work on our water systems as we continue to adapt to climate change,” said Harrington. “We are going to have to figure out how to slow it down, but in the meantime, we need to take climate change into our planning.”

The heat is on Warming temperatures, linked to increased global greenhouse-gas emissions, are the catalyst that impact other key conditions in the mountains, including lower snowpacks and streamflows; earlier snowmelt and runoff peaks; more precipitation in the form of rain than snow; more frost-free days; and lower soil moisture.

As average temperatures rise in all seasons, heat waves like the one that gripped Colorado during the summer of 2020 are becoming more common. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), average temperatures from May to October in Pitkin and Garfield counties have risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1950s. Some months are warming faster than others. In Pitkin County, June, July and September have warmed by nearly 3 degrees since 1950, while in Garfield County, June and September are 3.5 degrees warmer.

A 2019 report prepared for the town of Carbondale hints that warming has accelerated in the 21st century, with three of the five warmest years on record over the past decade. Also, this past August was the hottest on record for Colorado. In Aspen, the average temperature of 66.9 degrees in August was 5.6 degrees above normal.

The Roaring Fork Valley sits on the eastern edge of the largest hot spot in the Lower 48, according to a Washington Post project that analyzed data to identify areas that have warmed by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) — double the global average — since the industrial revolution.

Noting that 12 of the hottest 14 years in Western Colorado have occurred in the past 18 years, Colorado River Water Conservation District general manager Andy Mueller said at a recent conference that “the biggest change in temperatures has been occurring within our district and eastern Utah, which is a real problem when you look at the fact that we’re the area that produces the most-significant amount of water in the entire rivershed.”

Scientists are in broad agreement that as long as greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise —

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or even level off — temperatures will follow suit.

Projections for the region range depending on emissions scenarios, but nearly all of them forecast at least another rise of average temperatures of 3 degrees Fahrenheit by mid-century and a rise of approximately another 10 degrees by the end of the 21st century. To put this into perspective, a warming Aspen could have the climate of Carbondale or Glenwood Springs, while Glenwood would look and feel like Grand Junction in a few decades.

The atmosphere taketh away Local summer precipitation trends are less clear. Monsoon rains — or the lack thereof — drive great swings year to year in summer precipitation, which is usually dwarfed, in terms of volume, by winter precipitation in the form of snow. Historical data shows no clear trends. A report prepared for the town of Carbondale says that average precipitation in the 20th century and since 2000 are about the same.

Still, the summer of 2020 capped a decade of multiple dry summers. Colorado this year saw its third-driest April-July period, according to the National Weather Service, and the 2.5 inches of precipitation Aspen had from June through August was nearly 2 inches below normal. It was the fourth summer in a row with below-average precipitation and the driest in that stretch — even the summer of 2018 saw more rain.

Precipitation projections are also not very clear — although some experts suggest that precipitation could decrease in the summer and increase in the winter. But whether there’s a little more or a little less rain and snow in the future — and the latest models show a long-term decline in the Colorado River Basin — scientists say it doesn’t matter.

“There’s more uncertainty in how much precipitation is going to change and less uncertainty about how much temperature is going to change,” said hydrology expert Julie Vano, who is research director at Aspen Global Change Institute. “And the effect of just having warmer temperatures means more water is leaving the system.”

Jeff Lukas, a researcher on NOAA’s Western Water Assessment team, put it this way: “A warming atmosphere is a thirstier atmosphere.” In the Roaring Fork Valley, he said, only about a third of all precipitation makes it into streams and rivers; the other twothirds is reclaimed by evapotranspiration, which is the combination of evaporation from surfaces and what plants absorb then release. Since evapotranspiration is driven in large part by temperature, as temperatures rise, the amount of water in rivers declines.

“The atmosphere giveth and the atmosphere taketh most of it away,” said Lukas. “Warming is the factor — across all seasons and all water-cycle processes — that draws moisture away from the land surface before becoming runoff.”

Continued on page 14

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 13

Warming from page 13

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The Crystal River runs low outside of Carbondale on Sept. 1. With average temperatures warming in summer months by as much as 3.5 degrees since the 1950s in Garfield County, streamflows are trending down as peak runoff comes earlier and more water is sucked up by evaporation and dry soils, stressing available water supplies in late summer and fall. Photo by Dan Bayer

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14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

After more than a century of diversions, dams, storage projects and other stream manipulations, it’s complicated to calculate trends in natural streamflow, the term for the amount of water in a river. But streamflow, also called runoff, has perhaps the most direct effect on water availability. And trends are not looking good.

Since 2000, according to a recent report, the average annual volume of water in the upper Colorado River basin, from its headwaters to Lees Ferry (just below Lake Powell in Arizona), has dropped 15% below the long-term average from 1906 to 2019.

Published last April, the Western Water Assessment’s “Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology State of the Science” report synthesizes all of the recent studies and data on this massive topic. The report’s authors compiled ever-increasing evidence about how rising temperatures are contributing to less water in the Colorado River, which supplies the needs of 40 million people. Although precipitation is still an important factor, some research shows that warming accounts for up to half of the water loss. One study calculated that every 1 degree Fahrenheit of warming decreases runoff by 7.5%.

Declining streamflows are also found up the Colorado’s tributaries. Taking into account water that would’ve been in the stream if it weren’t for diversions and ditches, Lukas calculated that between 2000 and 2018, the Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs had 13% less water than the 20thcentury average. Analyzing data on the Crystal River near Redstone, he calculated a 5% drop in annual mean streamflow since 2000, compared with the latter half of the 20th century, but a 10% decline during drier years.

In that same analysis of the Crystal, Lukas found that the date of peak streamflow had shifted one week earlier since 2000: from reliably arriving in June to sometimes coming in May. Multiple studies across the Colorado basin have similarly calculated a one to fourweek earlier runoff — which means that high-country snowpacks are melting earlier, so that the highest volume of snowmelt rushing down those streams is coming earlier in the spring.

But an above-average snowpack doesn’t

mean an equivalent runoff, as this past year has shown. After a good winter followed by a warm, dry spring and summer, just 55% of the upper Colorado’s runoff made it into Lake Powell.

“The expectation that this amount of snow leads to this amount of runoff — we’re just not seeing as much as we did in the past,” said Vano, the hydrology expert.

Earlier peak runoff and lower flows mean less water (especially in drought years) in late summer and early fall, a critical time for irrigation, recreation and natural systems.

From late July through October, the Crystal River upstream from Carbondale has been flowing below half of average, lower than the instream flow water right held by the state for that stretch of river — but since irrigation rights are senior to the conservation right, there’s often no recourse. For example, that is what happened in August on another tributary of the Roaring Fork, when the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which holds 1,700 instream-flow rights throughout the state, requested administration of its instream rights on Hunter Creek, acknowledging that it would likely be “a futile call.”

“A river is not a river without water in it,” said Heather Tattersall Lewin, science and policy director for the Roaring Fork Conservancy.

As with higher temperatures, declining streamflows and earlier runoff are certain into the future, but how much will depend on emissions. A 2006 report by the Aspen Global Change Institute calculated that by 2030, peak runoff for the Roaring Fork River at Woody Creek will occur in May rather than June. And by 2100, the lingering snowpack we see on the high peaks in June will no longer exist, which means less water in the stream all summer. Add in increased demand from growth and diversions, and future Roaring Fork River flows through Aspen could go below required instreamflow levels for nine months of the year.

Downstream in Glenwood Springs, the Roaring Fork’s late summer flows could decline by 30% to 50% by 2070, according to a 2018 analysis by Lukas.

“Changes to water will touch nearly everything,” he said. “All the risk is on the dry side.”

The underlying factor Another important factor to consider is one we don’t really see: soil moisture.

One of the metrics used to calculate drought severity, soil moisture has been studied locally by the Aspen Global Change Institute since 2013. This short period of record may preclude discerning any trends about whether local soils are getting drier, but the data does show how moisture levels can have a domino effect season to season.

Elise Osenga, community science manager for the institute, likens the soil to a sponge. A dry sponge, like dry soil, absorbs more water than when it’s wet, while a wet sponge, like saturated soil, lets the excess run off. The water that the soil doesn’t absorb goes into streams.

“Climate change is more likely to dry soils in the spring,” said Osenga, who explained that peak snowmelt and peak soil saturation happen around the same time in the mountains. “When that happens, we’ll see soils dry earlier in the summer and become more dependent on summer rain — which is problematic when we don’t get those rains.”

Each of the past three years, soil moisture in Pitkin County has dipped well under the 2013-2017 average for most of the summer.

The drought year of 2018 saw an early snowmelt and soil drying, but fall rains helped soils recover, auguring well for the next year. Most remember the record snows of late winter and spring of 2019, but the lack of rain that summer dried things up.

And 2020 largely mirrored 2018, although 2020 saw slightly better soil moisture until late summer.

This year, things may have cooled off since August, but drought conditions have worsened, with all of Colorado, as of Oct. 22, in some form of drought and 78% of the state in extreme or exceptional drought. This

doesn’t bode well for spring.

With soil moisture, said Osenga, “what happens in September and October is actually really interesting, because it plays a big role in determining whether we start the next spring already at risk of a drought versus in better shape.”

With multiple dry years over the past two decades, some scientists are wondering if we’re entering a period of megadrought, which hasn’t been seen in several hundred years.

“It might be a combination of natural variability plus climate change — a double whammy,” said Vano.

No single drought is evidence of climate change, Lukas said, but “what we’re seeing since 2000 is that climate change is stacking the deck. We’re more prone to the deep droughts, the ones that sneak out of left field like in 2020.”

And even with good planning, that’s sure to make water managers in Marble and Carbondale and throughout the Colorado River basin nervous.

“We do see changing conditions, whether attributable to increased demand/ development by water users, drought or longterm climate change,” wrote Colorado water commissioner Jake DeWolfe in an email. “Any of them leads to the same problem: a shortage of water. We are involved in planning for the future likelihood that we will need to limit, if not curtail, uses in Colorado to meet the needs of downstream states.”

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https://tinyurl.com/yxdpn5ly The Aspen Global Change Institute has been tracking local soil moisture since 2013. In each of the past three years, soil moisture has dipped well under the 2013-2017 average for most of the summer.

Graphic by Elise Osenga

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TOWN REPORT

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A TRUSTEE MEETING took place on the evening of Nov. 24, after The Sun’s holiday print deadline. We’ll update you on any developments in the Eastwood 133 LLC annexation hearing, Main Street Marketplace Development Improvement Agreement deadline extension and the 2021 budget review in an upcoming edition.

GIANINETTI PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENTS — including a new spinner element, new activity sensory panels, climber access challenges and an ADA compatible swing set — have been completed and are open to the public. This project was funded by the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease mini-grant program.

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH are Damian Gloves, Genevieve Vickers, Andy McMichael. Angie Aguilar, Jesus (Sammy) Gonzalez Rea and Josie Jolgren.

AQUATICS FACILITY planning continued with neighbor feedback sought for two potential alternate locations.

After vetting the sites at a work session, trusteed agreed that the existing site by Sopris Park is best suited to the purpose. Following a future funding analysis, the master plan is well on its way to being finalized.

A COMPOST RECEPTACLE has been installed in front of Town Hall to allow folks to dispose of compostable containers and leftover food waste in anticipation of increased restaurant takeout.

REC. CENTER RULES are being clarified with the health threat change from yellow to orange. The facility is closed for Thanksgiving but will be open Friday and Saturday for normal hours.

AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT in the basement of a singlefamily home was approved by the planning commission.

EXTRA CANDY from Halloween was sent overseas for the troops to enjoy.

THE FINAL BUDGET review is slated for Dec. 8.

DITCH LINING in Carbondale is on track for spring 2021.

TURKEY TROT registration is effectively full.

GUS DARIEN RODEO GROUNDS backfilling is taking place as part of the electric project.

The seasonal ice rink liner will be installed soon, as well.

From Nov. 6 through 19, Carbondale Police handled 435 calls for service.

During that period, officers investigated the following cases of note: SATURDAY Nov. 7 at 1:27 p.m. Police took photographs of graffiti in white paint at the intersection of Fourth and Main.

FRIDAY Nov. 13 at 8:41 a.m. A fight between two atrisk assisted living patients was reported to police.

SATURDAY Nov. 7 at 6:10 p.m.

Following a juvenile complaint, a girl was referred to YouthZone.

FRIDAY Nov. 13 at 9:39 p.m. Following a suspicious call, a 39-year-old was arrested on a warrant.

SUNDAY Nov. 8 at 12:44 p.m.

Police took a report of a missing bike.

MONDAY Nov. 9 at 12:51 p.m.

No suspects were found in a hitand-run accident.

MONDAY Nov. 9 at 2:21 p.m.

A mother spoke to police about a possible sex assault on her son.

Meet Maria Farias, the new ordinance officer. Photo by Sheija Binshaban RED HILL TR AILHEAD planned amenities included an informational kiosk, bike racks, trash and recycle bins and an enclosure for an ADA Porta Potty. Aspen Valley Land Trust has received a grant through the Resilient Communities program that will add a picnic shade shelter/outdoor classroom.

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MONDAY Nov. 9 at 5:02 p.m.

Two vehicles were towed and citations were issued after an accident.

MONDAY Nov. 9 at 9:30 p.m.

A welfare check at the Cowen Center led to a 28-year-old’s arrest for trespass, false reporting, violation of a restraining order and past warrants.

THURSDAY Nov. 12 at 1:53 p.m. Officers took a report of a cold case sex assault.

SATURDAY Nov. 14 at 11:20 a.m. A kid found what appeared to be a gun buried near the bike trail behind Crystal River Elementary School — but it turned out to be a toy.

SUNDAY Nov. 15 at 12:48 a.m. Following a domestic violence call, a man was released on a summons and a woman was lodged at Garfield County Jail.

SUNDAY Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. Officers took a report of a sexual assault.

MONDAY Nov. 17 at 7:17 p.m. A man was arrested on three felony warrants.

MONDAY Nov. 17 at 7:55 p.m. Police found a backpack with drugs in it.

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16 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

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Local and county officials urge pandemic compliance

Roberta McGowan Sopris Sun Staff

As Garfield County struggles to contain the pandemic, both the public health department and the Carbondale Police are determined to convince everyone to respect the ordinances and guidelines now in place.

Police Chief Kirk Wilson said, “We respond to calls about violations, but our goal is compliance, not just writing tickets.”

Wilson, who serves on the Carbondale Emergency Task Force (CETF) noted “Everyone is really worried. Especially now when people are staying indoors because of the cold.”

CETF is made up of local volunteers and organizations including Carbondale Police, Mayor Dan Richardson, Town Manager Jay Harrington, Chamber and Tourism (TCC), Carbondale Arts and Carbondale Mutual Aid Group. Go to carbondalegov.org for task force details.

Carbondale ordinances require people to wear masks when indoors and outdoors. People need to maintain a six-foot social distance perimeter at all times. Most government buildings remain closed to the public.

Restaurants and most other businesses must limit occupancy to 25 percent of maximum occupancy.

Private gatherings are limited to 10 people from no more than two different households.

Garfield County Public Health orders now limit to 25 percent the number of workers in office locations

with remote work encouraged. Fines of $50 or more can be levied against violators for a first offense, and increase for continued violations.Go to garfieldcounty.com/public-health for the list of current regulations or call 970-9456614 for assistance.

So, what does the police do if someone reports a violation?

“It has happened a few times,” Wilson said. “We go to the business and remind employees about what Carbondale ordinance requires.”

“Ninety-nine percent of businesses say, ‘Thanks for the reminder.’ Most Carbondale store owners ‘get it.’”

He reminded residents the department will go back to an involved business several times before escalating the situation to the county.

But, if a business doesn’t comply, the department can call the Garfield County Department of Public Health, which Wilson explained,” has a lot of leverage.” Including, Wilson said, the ability to shut down a business.

Fortunately, Wilson said, “We have not had to do that.”

When responding to the question of what should people do if they run into belligerent individuals, Wilson stressed, ”Let it go. Don’t confront someone.”

Colorado law permits county attorneys to bring a civil or criminal action if requested by the local public health department.

Public Health Specialist Carrie Goodes reported case investigators are now beyond their capabilities with over 50 cases per day.

As part of the Carbondale Police Department’s emphasis on community engagement, Officer Cameron Herrera takes time while on foot patrol to chat with locals Peg and K.C. Nau and their pups. Photo by Roberta McGowan “We are now prioritizing case investigations based on age and occupation (if known) and potential outbreaks (if known), schools and childcare,” she emphasized.

Goodes underscored the department cares about the health and welfare of all residents, and Garco maintains a rotation of 13 contract tracers through the Garfield County Consumer Protection Team with four on call 24/7.

In an emergency, Wilson reminded

residents to call 911.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has recently moved Garfield County to the high-risk, orange category after a spike in cases. Currently the state reported 188,566 total confirmed cases with deaths attributed to the virus reaching 2,355 in total.

CDPHE officials announced that cases are skyrocketing and shutdowns could be looming. The health department urged people who

have been exposed to the virus to selfquarantine four 14 days and wait five to seven days prior to being tested.

People who have tested positive and have mild symptoms including fever or chills, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting should isolate themselves for 14 days.

Also, they should wait until their symptoms are lessening and have had no fever for at least 24 hours (without using medicine that reduces fevers) before ending their isolation.

JOHN FROST MERRIOT Certified Public Accountant

I miss my mom, I miss my dad, I miss the road, I miss my band Givin’ hugs and shakin’ hands It’s a mystery, I suppose Just how long this thing goes But there’ll be crowds and there’ll be shows And there will be a light after dark Someday when we aren’t six feet apart. ~Luke Combs

Find your Blessings whatever they are and be thankful for them!

For us its Faith Family and Friends.

Happy Thanksgiving, Carly, Shiloh and Frosty Merriott 970-704-1101 | frostycpa.com | frosty@frostycpa.com | 1101 Village Road, Unit LL2A, Carbondale THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 17

Thanksgiving with a Latin twist

OPINION

Bits & Pieces

by Judith Ritschard

There’s an old adage my mamá always said: “Pansa llena, corazón contento,” or full belly, happy heart.

It’s a pearl of wisdom that I fully live by, and come to think of it, maybe that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much. It’s like carte blanche to eat all the calories, cook all the food, and let my foodie freak flag fly (say that five times!).

I’m pretty sure I never had a choice in belonging to this gluttonous tribe.

Everyone from my parents to my siblings, cousins and beyond just happen to get really excited about good food. In our tribe no one has to look at the calendar to have an excuse for a feast. For us, eating big meals together is exalted the way la familia in Latino culture is exalted.

Big meals are like the glue to keeping us connected to friends and family.

Like I was saying, Thanksgiving is an American tradition that I

thoroughly enjoy, and one that my family was more than happy to adopt early. My mamá added her own twist with flavors that she was familiar with. She’d use achiote, a thick paste made of garlic and chilies.

She’d rub it all over the gargantuan bird before it went in the oven.

I recall this rub also had hints of cumin, coriander, oregano, and clove that would tantalize us as it wafted through the house. The bird would come out the same color as tacos al pastor, a bright reddish-orange. It certainly would look out of place in a Norman Rockwell painting, but I’ll tell you what, it was pretty tasty and every year I felt proud that my little Mexican mamá truly delighted in cooking up a turkey for a group of immigrants that looked nothing like those on the Mayflower, but no doubt understood fully why those early settlers had sacrificed so much to make the journey. Furthermore, even though I didn’t realize it then, looking back I think her efforts helped us feel just a little more like we belonged.

Early on, we knew little about what the traditional Thanksgiving menu entailed. Some things were easy enough to figure out because what fool doesn't know how to mash potatoes? But, when it came to those tart little red cranberries, we were a bit at a loss. We quickly learned that we needed a copious amount of sugar to make them edible. One year my

Leftover Chipotle Turkey Soup

by Judith Ritschard

mom added fresh pineapple to her cranberry sauce, an inspiration from the tropics she left behind.

As I grew older I started helping with the Thanksgiving meal, and one year I was determined to make pumpkin pie, something I had tasted at school and just had to share with my family. The pies turned out great and I thought I was some sort of child culinary genius after my dad, who didn’t care much for dessert, went in for seconds. There were some snafus along the way too. Getting the stuffing to not turn out gummy or too dry took us a few years. And the green bean casserole, with all it’s canned ingredients, just turned into a soggy travesty that we nixed for good.

These days I share the pleasures of this holiday with my husband, who for the record is even crazier about, er... I mean committed to the Thanksgiving menu. You may have seen him perusing the meat aisle lately, just waiting for those holiday turkeys to go on sale. Every year I have to remind him to settle down and not overwhelm our deep freezer with too many birds. I’m starting to think he may need some help and check him into Turkeys Anonymous.

Regardless if you come from a family that never had to “figure out” Thanksgiving, or you are newer to this holiday like my family was, I’d like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

May your bellies be llenos, and your corazones contentos.

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Here is a Mexican-inspired tortilla soup that I look forward to after the traditional fare.

What makes this soup muy deliciosa is the smokiness that comes from the chipotle en adobo, which is nothing fancy- just a can of smoked jalapeños in a sauce and can be found at every City Market in this valley.

You will not need the entire can so save the rest in the fridge for future use in sauces, soups or to brush on quesadillas. A nice touch that will further deepen the flavors is toasted whole cumin ground in a mortar and pestle.

Some years we make our own stock using the entire roasted turkey carcass, adding onions and garlic or whatever scraps you have to make a stock more complex. Making your own stock is time consuming, but it does something to this dish that will make any abuela proud. If you do make your own stock, don’t make the mistake I did once and forget to remove bits of rosemary or sage, two herbs that don’t marry well with Mexican flavors.

Ingredients

Toppings

1.5 TBSP oil like avocado or vegetable oil 1 yellow or white onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp dried oregano 1-2 bay leaves 1 tsp. ground cumin Salt to taste 1 14oz. can chopped fire roasted tomatoes 1-3 TBSP of diced chipotle peppers in adobo (found by the jarred salsas) 3-4 cups turkey or chicken stock 3 cups shredded cooked turkey 1 can of kidney or black beans 1-2 cups corn kernels

Chopped cilantro Crumbled queso fresco (Mexican cheese) Avocado Fried corn tortilla strips, or broken up tostadas (corn chips get too soggy) A squeeze of lime

Instructions Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 min. Add garlic and sauté making sure your garlic does not burn or it will turn bitter. Season with salt, dried oregano, and cumin.

Add fire-roasted tomatoes and turkey or chicken stock. When simmering, add shredded turkey, bay leaf, beans, corn, minced chipotle peppers or just the adobo sauce if you like it less spicy.

Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Don’t forget to serve with toppings.

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18 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

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OPINION

CVEPA Views

By John Armstrong So often in environmental defense it is necessary to be critical or take the offensive.

The Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) is so pleased to pen a letter of thanks and commendation. Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for the day to day safety of highway travel in the Crystal River Corridor, come sunshine or blizzard.

CDOT plans to do some very proactive and expensive geo-hazard mitigation on our highway. In the summer of 2021 CDOT plans to scale five different sites that endanger the highway from above.

“Scaling” is the act of removing specific, unstable rocks from an overhead slope.

Often implementing a high-tech remote control drone helicopter and sophisticated video equipment, CDOT can map the most dangerous rocks and target them for removal. Removal can come in the

Grateful to CDOT

form of men with hand or power tools, sometimes working from hydraulic lifts.

Heavy equipment can be used if it can reach the culprit rocks but explosives are widely used.

We are aware that our state is full of unstable slopes that threaten our roadways and we are grateful to have CDOT focus on the Crystal River Valley.

CDOT was preoccupied for months this summer due to the fire in the Glenwood Canyon. When finally released from the Canyon the highway crew completed a tall berm around the McClure Horseshoe Dump Site. This site is designated for mudslide debris and rockfall. CDOT works closely with the U.S. Forest Service as the site is on federal land. The berm shields the debris dump from view along the East Elk Scenic Byway. The Horseshoe is an integral part of the rock scaling disposal plan.

There is an active rock slide directly across from Penny Hot Springs.

Concurrent with the improvements to the Hot Springs parking area, CDOT has a major slope stabilization project planned across the road . The toe of the rock slide borders approximately 150 meters of Highway 133. CDOT plans a 16 foot tall wall to stop the loose rock.

At its base the wall is approximately eight feet thick. If it sounds unsightly be assured that CDOT has sensitively designed the color and texture of the wall to fit into the surrounding appearance of the Hellgate area geology. (Hellgate is the historic name for the towering cliffs defining the Crystal River Narrows.) A meeting of concerned and active stakeholders was

held this summer to determine the type of rock retention system and the appearance of the finished product. Along with a cadre of engineers and CDOT personnel were Forest Service staff, our CVEPA delegate and a Pitkin County Open Space and Trails officer.

The project will no doubt generate traffic delays along the route and travelers will need to be patient knowing that the wait will pay safety dividends in the end.

Most people don’t know about the project CDOT completed on the McClure Pass roadcut about 6 years ago. With a tremendous investment, the highway department stabilized much of the fractured strata of the roadcut. They used new technology implementing pressurized polyurethane injections into the cracks which hardens and glues loose rock together. This system could only be done in the warmest summer months due to temperature differentials. After “gluing” the strata CDOT then hung a lengthy system of metal mesh netting anchored at the top of the cliffs. Choosing a color which best blended with the existing shale rock, CDOT draped the mesh over the cliff face in order to catch the rock before it landed on the roadway. In the upper Crystal Valley we have had several fatalities attributed to rock fall in the past decades.

These efforts by CDOT have made traveling Highway 133 safer for everyone in all kinds of weather. Locals, tourists and travelers are grateful to CDOT for their work and foresight.

Visit cvepa.org to learn more about the CVEPA mission and support our work.

PAGES OF THE PAST From the archives of the Valley Journal and Sopris Sun

Nov. 26, 1980

Nov. 23, 2000

A Carbondale man was arrested at the Aspen Airport Business Center after allegedly attempting to sell a pound of cocaine to members of the Colorado Organized Crime Strike Force. With an estimated street value around $300,000 (almost $1 million adjusted for inflation), the contraband represented a potential two-year prison term. The undercover operation had been ongoing since September, and more arrests were anticipated.

In other news… Basalt’s traffic code was approved by the state, allowing police to begin issuing tickets for speeding and such.

The Valley Journal was among six papers acquired by Swift Newspapers’ buy-out of Morris Communications. The acquisition also resulted in the merger of the venerable Glenwood Post and upstart Glenwood Independent.

In the process, nearly 40 area employees were laid off — mostly at the Glenwood Post. Other purchased properties included the Roaring Fork Sunday, Snowmass Village Sun, Rifle Citizen Telegram, Eagle Valley Enterprise and Bargain Hunter.

In other news… The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority was considering locations for a new park-and-ride in Carbondale.

Nov. 29, 1990 Gordon Cooper Library caved to criticism and removed several artistic nudes from a photo exhibit.

The 3-D images by Ray Hannisian had been mounted behind the desk and revealed “a plethora of primary and secondary sexual characteristics.”

While librarian Barbara Snobble didn’t find them obscene personally, she had originally pushed for them to be posted in the back room, which is where they ultimately ended up.

In other news… Scientists from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans projected less snowfall and increased forest fires in the Roaring Fork Valley due to climate change.

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Nov. 25, 2010 Around 100 students, teachers and concerned citizens gathered in Sayre Park to voice their support for the DREAM Act. The then-proposed legislation sought to grant citizenship to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before they were 16 (and ultimately passed — though not without pushback).

In other news… After defecting from the Democratic Party and losing her re-election bid for state representative as a write-in independent by just 300 votes, Kathleen Curry was eying her next move.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 19

Gemini and Sagittarius eclipses close out a tumultuous 2020 OPINION

Sun Signs

By Whitney Will A penumbral lunar eclipse of the Gemini full moon reddens the sky on Nov. 30. This is the first eclipse in the sign of Gemini since the nodes of the moon ingressed into Gemini/ Sagittarius in May, setting in motion a series of eclipses that will take place every six months through the next year.

For an astronomical description of how eclipses work in relation to the nodes, see tinyurl.com/sunsignseclipses for my previous article.

In astrological terms, eclipses signal a rebalancing of two polar energies.

Eclipses destabilize through sudden beginnings and endings, and as shifts occur in life and culture, there is progress and reorganization, both for the society and the1-4 individual.

Post Holiday Show.qxp_Layout 1 With the nodal shift earlier in

the year we are due for a tumultuous review of the Gemini/Sagittarius axis.

This axis represents knowledge and consciousness, the power of ideas, how they spread, and to whom they belong.

The south node in Sagittarius signifies a shedding of material in that sign, whereas the north node in Gemini leans into a deeper thirst for the Gemini end of the spectrum. Sagittarius is the specialist, expert, and guru – Gemini the generalist, critic, storyteller. Sagittarius rules places of higher learning, religious creed, dogma, and ideology. Sagittarius is the ivory tower, the holy mountain, the missionary, and the world traveler.

Gemini has the hive-mind, periodicals of all kinds, gossip, and the neighborhood.

Gemini is the small-town newspaper, the journalist, quick-witted and nimble.

Sagittarius is knowledge condensed into belief, Gemini is raw perception.

Under the joint purview of these signs are the topics of education and travel. Seen any sudden changes in those lately? With the travel industry stunted

by COVID-19 restrictions and all levels of education wrestling with restructuring of accessibility due to the ongoing pandemic, the Nov. 30 eclipse and the following solar eclipse in Sagittarius on Dec. 14 herald further developments as the hive-mind of Youtube replaces the inflated costs of the college degree and we cancel holiday travel to pace our living rooms in service to vulnerable members of the community.

Nov. 30’s lunar eclipse will offer a culmination of the Gemini ethos, seeded by the new in Gemini last May. 11/23/20 2:16moon PM Page 1 The social unrest of the early summer

North America gets a front row seat for a prenumbral lunar eclipse at the end of November — though not for the solar eclipse next month. NASA graphic protests has not been healed, though the election results sway the balance of power.

The truth is, as a nation we remain deeply divided. The south node dissolves, and its time in Sagittarius will expose the shadow of sacrificing our humanity to the creed of any political faction. We will be offered the opportunity to turn back in areas where our opinions have robbed us of our empathy, or we will be blindsided by the limitations of our own mental models.

The Gemini-Sagittarius eclipse cycle will not help unify us if we as citizens and political groups choose to double-down on our hardline ideologies. It is by the dissolution of dogmatic party lines that we will find the power of democracy in honoring the sovereignty of each point of view.

The redistribution of knowledge

Holiday Show Now Open!!

that belongs to the few (Sagittarius) being released to the eyes of the many (Gemini) is another possible outcome of these eclipses and can be seen in the controversial case of Ed Snowden, who breached confidentiality with the National Security Agency to expose the extent to which the government of the United States was spying on their own citizens without the knowledge or consent of the latter. He rejected the protected knowledge afforded to him by high-security clearances and felt it his duty as an American to expose the covert data collection to the individuals of the collective for their judgment. Snowden was born with the south node in Sagittarius and the north node in Gemini.

Another whistleblower, Karen Silkwood, also has this natal chart placement and her whistleblowing

incident occurred during a transit of the nodes through these signs. She worked as a chemical technician in a nuclear facility and began raising concerns about health and safety practices. On a November evening in 1974, on her way to meet with a New York Times reporter to go public with her concerns, she died in a mysterious car crash.

It does not stop there either. The whistleblower nature of the north node in Gemini goes all the way back to the founding fathers. The first Whistleblower Act was put into law by the Continental Congress on July 30, 1778, while the north node was transiting Gemini.

If history is any precedent, the next year of eclipses should hold quite a few striking revelations, as we wrestle with the ideas that divide the nation.

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OR .

K N KD

G

OUR OR Y F U K YO RT !

THAN & SUPPO LO V E

NOV 30th - DEC 4th

Your Big Backyard X

Down 2. An area of relatively level high ground.

3. One kind of equity.

4. Another name for elk.

5. Several local climbers have ascended this 3,000' rock in Yosemite (2 words).

6. Answering.

8. Vocal ensemble.

10. Pot for cooking stew.

12. Rappel (German).

13. Bat manure.

15. ____ Creek. Its county seat is Georgetown.

Across - 1. APES; 5. ELECTRIC; 7. WEASEL; 9. STRATIGRAPHY; 10. KINNIKINNICK; 11. BUTTE; 14. NUCLA; 16. BELLY UP; 17. DELORISRIVER

Across 1. Mimics.

5. The highest named pass accessible by trail in Colorado.

Near Cathedral Lake.

7. Another name for ermine.

9. The study of rock strata.

10. Ground cover with glossy leaves.

11. Crested ____ , a popular ski resort.

14. Tiny town in western Colorado, established by socialists, where every household is required to own a gun.

16. Live music venue in Aspen.

17. Dramatic canyon west of Naturita (2 words).

Down - 2. PLATEAU; 3. SWEAT; 4. WAPITT; 5. ELCAPITAN; 6.

REPLYING; 8. CHOIR; 10. KETTLE; 12. ABSEIL; 13. GUANO; 15. CLEAR

Co l

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Sopris Lodge at Carbondale

Tru He e Nat alin ur gA e rts

Main St

Gra

nd

eT rail

N 2nd St

N 3rd St

Welcome Center

Rio

Main St

Elevated Senior Living is Coming to Carbondale Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living is a lifestyle community offering independent living, assisted living and memory care for the Roaring Fork Valley. We support resident wellness, choice, and healthy living, allowing you to live well, age well.

• Easy access to the Rio Grande Trail and downtown Carbondale

• Fitness Center

• Wellness programs and life enrichment activities

• Outdoor patio with hot tub

• Delicious chef-prepare meals

• Gardening beds and greenhouse

• Concierge and transportation services

• Greenhouse

• Bistro, library, Internet café, and theater

• Pet-friendly community

• Technology for safety, security and entertainment

….and much more

Visit our Welcome Center Today!

265 Main Street, Carbondale, Colorado | 970-440-2628 | SoprisLodge.com Independent Living | Assisted Living | Memory Care | Managed by THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 21

CARBONDALE //

265 MAIN STREET // 970.930.4663

Loyalty // Vision // Motivation A lifelong resident of Carbondale, Lindsay has witnessed the growth and evolution of the Roaring Fork Valley for over three decades. Lindsay literally grew up immersed in real estate, as her mother was a long-time broker in the valley, and her father was a residential developer, leading her to a unique perspective and knowledge of the market.

M: 970.379.2750 E: Lindsay.Cheney@evrealestate.com W: LindsayCheney.evrealestate.com

As a real estate professional with vision and motivation, she is deeply committed to assisting her clients in all of their real estate needs, whether they are new to the area, are seasoned locals looking for a change or income property, or just seeking information about current market trends. Establishing longterm relationships with her clients is of the utmost importance as she realizes that trust and loyalty are essential when advising a client on one of their most important investments. Lindsay is truly passionate about this valley and all it has to offer. Let her show you how her knowledge of the community can benefit you in accomplishing your real estate needs.

L I F E LO N G LO CA L W I T H G LO B A L R E AC H .

22 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • November 26 - December 2, 2020

PARTING SHOTS

SERVICE DIRECTORY $100 per month for 4 SMALL $200 per month for 4 LARGE Contact Todd Chamberlin adsales@soprissun.com 970-510-0246

Thinking about selling your home?

Contact me today for a free market analysis!

Ingrid Wussow 970.404.5105

cbmasonmorse.com

We Sell Tires!

Come to Sunburst for your Winter tire changeover!

We are open Monday through Saturday from 8am-5pm and Sunday’s 9am-4pm (car washes only).

970-963-8800 745 Buggy Circle in Carbondale w w w. s u n b u r s t c a r c a r e . c o m

You’re not alone if you’re feeling life’s challenges are overwhelming right now.

In-person and tele-health (Zoom) appointments available to treat Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma.

WINDSHIE REPAIR AUTO GLA REPLACEM WINDSHIELD

Ericka Anderson, MA LPC

208 Midland Avenue, Basalt | (970) 309-7549 erickaanderson812@gmail.com | thehealinggrove.com

REPAIR & AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENTMo

970-963-3891 970-963-3891

Mobile Service Available

bil Servic Availab

Locally Owned by David Zamansky

Locally owned bybyJake Zamansky Locally Owned David Zamansky

500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, C 500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO

Carbondale Acupuncture Center Serving the valley since 1997 Acupuncture Massage Therapy  Herbal Medicine  

Gift certificates available!

Downtown by Sopris Park | 704-1310

Practicing minimal contact check-in.

With the December First Friday taking a different form than usual, expect to see the lights come on around town whenever crews wrap up their efforts. Photos by Will Grandbois

289 MAIN STREET | (970) 963-2826 | CARBONDALEAH@GMAIL.COM THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • November 26 - December 2, 2020 • 23

FRI 11/27-TUE 12/1 | 10AM – 5PM | WE ARE OPEN ON SUNDAY! THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS

Judith & Gregory Friedman

Ruth & Ted Edmonds

Shop in person 10am-5pm or online 24/7 | HabitatRFV.org *50% off on items in tent available in person only. **30% off on donated items only. Online sale ends at 11:59pm on Tuesday, 12/1/20.

For your safety, and the safety of our team, we are following all state and local social distancing guidelines. To learn more, visit HabitatRFV.org