20 12 24

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

Carbondale’s weekly

community connector

Volume 12, Number 46 | December 24 - 30, 2020

The winner of the 2020 Spruce up The Sun competition is Marisa McShane, fifth grader at Carbondale Middle School.

For more info contact The Colorado Media Project has selected Todd Chamberlin The Sopris Sun to receive matching grant funds up to $5,000 until Dec. 31st from individual supporters. adsales@soprissun.com The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.

970-510-0246

Schedule your GIFT through Colorado Gives

OPINION

by Todd Chamberlin Executive Director To inform, inspire, and build community... that was a lofty mission in 2008 when a group of Carbondalians founded The Sopris Sun as a nonprofit community paper.

Over a decade later, The Sun continues to strive to fulfill this mission. The past 10+ years would not have been possible without the help and support of our advertisers, contributors, board members, volunteers and of course, you, our readers.

In an era, when many print publications have struggled to survive and many have given up and either folded or gone to a digital only platform, the Sopris Sun continues to thrive, Thanks to you!

Reflecting back on 2020, there was something extra special about waking up on Thursday morning and going in search of a Sopris Sun. It not only has provided a great excuse

The Sun continues to shine because of you to get out of the house and go for a walk, but reading it each week, helped me stay connected to the community and the people I truly miss during these COVID times. Reading and connecting in this way, inspired me during some very rough patches this year.

Through our nonprofit sponsorship program individual donors and companies provided funding that enabled us to provide tens of thousands of dollars of complementary advertising to support struggling businesses and nonprofits in our community. As the ad manager, being able to offer complementary ads to so many struggling businesses and nonprofits this year gave me a huge sense of joy and happiness.

It is a program we truly cherish and hope to continue and expand in 2021.

In the coming year, we look forward to continuing to strengthen and building more bridges between communities.

I'm not just talking about the towns within the Roaring Fork, but the many diverse communities that make up our larger Roaring Fork community.

Having understanding, empathy and compassion for all people and each other, enriches, strengthens

and empowers us all and provides a unique legacy for future generations to build upon.

There is a group of shining stars that are exceptionally special to The Sopris Sun and I would like to give them a very special shout out and a heartfelt Thank You. They are our Honorary Publishers. Honorary Publishers contribute more than $1,000 each year to support our mission and bring the Sopris Sun to you each week.

Without these Honorary Publishers, who provide the reliable foundation we need each year to help fill the gap between our expenses and revenues generated by advertising sales, our quest to inform, inspire and build connections within our community would not be possible.

Beyond the Honorary Publishers, there are many others to thank. The paper you are holding on average costs $1.80 to produce. Advertising only covers about 70 to 80 percent of that cost, the rest is made up of donations and grants. As I previously mentioned, Honorary Publishers provide a critical foundation to our fundraising needs each year, but there is always more need. This fundraising gap is filled by hundreds of readers like you who donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $75 on a monthly basis or as

a one time payment each year.

I can’t understate how much a difference these small donations make each year. So Thank You to all those who have given.

As an organization we try and leverage all donations by getting matching grants. This month we have a matching grant from the Colorado Media Project, which will match the first $5,000 of donations during December. We are more than half way through our fundraising goals. We need your help to close this gap.

If you would like to become a Honorary Publisher or would just like to make a small donation there is still time to help ensure the Sun keeps shining bright for 2021 and for years to come. We realize there are thousands of other worthy causes out there, especially this year, and so any and all support no matter how big or small is immensely appreciated and highly valued.

From all of us here at The Sopris Sun, Happy Holidays! May we all prosper with abundant happiness, good health and greater compassion and empathy for one another in the New Year.

To make a donation visit soprissun.com or mail a check to PO Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623.

LETTERS Colby letter reply Editor: In his letter last week, Ed Colby says he wants Garco commissioners to persuade all the businesses that aren't mask compliant to mend their ways. You see, Ed says John, Tom and Mike already know who the mask scorers are: "the commissioners speak their lingo. They know the secret handshake." He also thinks, "Nonmask compliant business owners are part of the commissioners' loyal political base."

Ed also doesn't agree with complaint-driven outreach, ie. enforcement based on consumers' complaints. No, that would be "tattling," and "tattling is not how we roll” says Ed. (Wow, Ed rolls, but can he rock?).

Since Ed says he's got friends who don't enforce mask protocol, I would think he'd be more persuasive than those nasty Republicans he so obviously disdains. With all those assumptions Ed makes, might I remind Mr. Colby that when we "assume,” we make an ASS out of U and Me. Just saying.

Bruno Kirchenwitz Rifle

Remembering Robin Dear Editor: Many of us have heard about the sad news that Robin Sutherland, who has been dealing with cancer and the treatments that go with it, has gone on his final concert tour on Friday the

15th. I want to offer a glimpse into who Robin was and what a remarkable role he played in both the CRMS and Carbondale communities.

I was teaching at CRMS where I had gone to from ’63 to ’66, when Robin first gave a concert in the Barn. He had a good student friend who arranged to have him come up and perform The Goldberg Variations on a Sunday night.

Watching this 17-year-old kid in hiking boots and jeans play Bach from memory was a truly remarkable experience! Robin kept returning to CRMS to play over the years as his career went from Juilliard to The San Francisco Symphony where he was their principal pianist for around 40 years. He was awarded an honorary diploma making him a student.

Much as Robin embraced the CRMS community, he also fell in love with Carbondale.

He was a fixture at the Mountain Fairs starting in the ‘70s and for years to come as part of the all night Peace Patrol and the Information Booth.

He and the late musician Ray Adams were quite a pair on patrol. You would never know from looking at this long-haired hippy-type that he had a whole other life or two!

Robin, to me, epitomizes what has made both CRMS and Carbondale such unique places. He continually gave both his talent and time without taking any reward for himself except our love and admiration. I feel blessed that I was fortunate to be at both his first concert here and, regrettably, his last: the benefit that he did for The Sun at The Redstone Castle. This was just one of the many

benefits and memorials that he played over the decades.

Many people pass through life and, like a small pebble being tossed into a pond, leave only a few ripples. Robin left behind many ripples that will go on for a long time. He will be missed.

Wick Moses Carbondale

Love thy neighbor Dear Editor: We realize this has been a very frustrating, challenging and trying year for most of us, but for goodness’ sake, please don't take your frustrations out on our Carbondale Post Office employees.

Yes, the customer lines are long. Yes, some packages are missing. Yes, Amazon and UPS have unloaded a ton of new packages and deliveries to our 81623 post office. Yes, many Carbondale postal workers have "called in sick" or just walked off the job at this busiest time of the year. Yes, they handle various questions and concerns in various languages. Yes, these are all challenges our newest Postmaster has faced coming into her new position. At least she doesn't hide in the back of the office, won't return phone calls and could care less about who is out front unlike our previous Postmasters!

Try and remember that these postal employees are also neighbors, parents and friends. It is so saddening to see the rudeness, tirades and verbal abuse that these people encounter every year at Continued on page 16

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 • December 24 - December 30, 2020

Sincerest thanks to our

Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+

Email marilyn@soprissun.com for more information.

Jim Calaway, Honorary Chair Kay Brunnier Scott Gilbert Bob Young – Alpine Bank Peter Gilbert Umbrella Roofing, Inc. Bill Spence and Sue Edelstein Greg and Kathy Feinsinger Carolyn Nelson Jim Noyes True Nature Healing Arts Nicolette Toussaint Jill and Gary Knaus Megan Tackett Ken & Donna Riley Michelle & Ed Buchman CoVenture Lee Beck and John Stickney Deborah and Shane Evans Carly and Frosty Merriott

Legacy Givers

for including us in their final wishes.

Mary Lilly

And all our SunScribers and community members for your support.

It truly takes a village to keep The Sun shining.

Donate by mail or online.

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 Executive Director Todd Chamberlin • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Graphic Designer: Ylice Golden Reporter: Roberta McGowan Delivery: Crystal Tapp Proofreader: Lee Beck Current Board Members

Linda Criswell • Klaus Kocher 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.

Founding Board Members Allyn Harvey • Becky Young Colin Laird • Barbara New • Elizabeth Phillips Peggy DeVilbiss • Russ Criswell

The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.

Meet our next editor Great towns deserve great Internet!

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By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff You’d be hard-pressed to find someone better equipped to share the communities many stories than Raleigh Burleigh. The 27-year-old Carbondale-native, bilingual world traveler and former KDNK news director takes over as editor of The Sopris Sun at the end of the year.

Burleigh’s roots in the area go back to the ‘80s, when his parents met through Colorado Mountain College (CMC). He grew up in Satank, walking across the then-empty fields to visit friends or check out a movie at Sounds Easy.

“We’ve seen a lot of new growth, but it seems that there is this enduring spirit of Carbondale that I still find very vibrant,” he mused.

Burleigh attended Carbondale Community School (CCS) through eighth grade, then headed to Roaring Fork High School. During his junior year, the Carbondale Rotary Club sponsored him on a trip to Chile, which he said, “really opened my mind to the differences in people’s lives around the world.”

“I think that my approach throughout life has really been to absorb as many different perspectives as possible,” he added. “I’m always interested in learning about new things and seeing things in new ways.”

That led him, by way of CMC, to CU Boulder, where he completed a bachelor’s of International Affairs with a focus on Latin America as well as a certificate in Journalism.

That gave him some formal training in the ethics and dynamics of media.

“I think that’s it’s really important, now more than ever, that we’re very aware of how much and what media we’re consuming, just like we would our daily nutrition,” he observed.

After college, he spent a year exploring Latin America — first visiting the same family he stayed with in high school, then broadening his horizons.

Perhaps ironically, it was in El Bolsón, Argentina that he first got a look at how valuable community radio could be.

Returning to Carbondale with fresh eyes, he spent some time teaching as a paraprofessional at CCS and asked KDNK for an internship.

When Gavin Dahl moved up to station manager, Burleigh took on the news director role.

“It was a lot of new things to learn, but it was very exciting as well,” he recalled. “The support of the community is what made it possible.”

Around the same time, he also joined The Reliable and crazy fast No contracts or Sopris Sun board of directors, giving him hidden fees twice the chance to peek behind the curtain Up to 1000 Mbps of local journalism. He was pleased to see that No caps or limits upload and download the censorship and controversy he worried about on the national stage didn’t seem to be Connects right to Real, human support 24/7 trickling down. your home “There is this real freedom of discretion,” he said. “We’re not ignoring what needs to be reported, but it is in the context of a community.”

Radio, in particular, gave him a chance to play to his theatrical side, and he relished the Why Pre-order? opportunity to harness people’s voices.

“You get all the intimacy of a person’s cadence Pre-orders help Ting determine where to build our — their tonalities — in real time,” he explained.

So even though he enjoyed a stint as fiber Internet network. By pre-ordering today you’ll be programming director, he missed the storytelling casting your vote to help bring fiber Internet to your and decided to shift into more of a part-time town. reporter role this summer while also spending time farming. Then fall came, and he heard that The more pre-orders in your area, the more likely you the editor position would be opening up. are to get Ting Crazy Fast Fiber Internet® so don’t “When this presented itself as a possibility, I forget to share this with your community! felt it to be the right opportunity to move even deeper into storytelling,” he said.

He had just completed his three-year term on the board, and was just joining the KDNK board — a clean swap. Since getting the job offer Pre-orders: last week, he has been enthusiastically immersing Pre-order himself in the day-to-day business of putting out • are refundable for just the paper, so he’ll be ready come January.

“I want to see it continue to be as quality as it • help bring Ting to your area has been,” he said. “I think I’d like to try and reach for stories that are harder to catch when you don’t • get you a free install and $50 speak the language of a lot of people that live here.” toward future bills (a $250 value) He urged anyone with ideas or talents to contribute to contact raleigh@soprissun.com or 510-3003.

“I’m really looking forward to 2021,” he noted. “I feel like 2020 opened a lot of wounds Pre-order at ting.com/roaringfork and that this upcoming year, we have the choice to start to mend some of those and rebuild our sense of community.”

THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 3

9

$

SCUTTLEBUTT Taking flight Local singer-songwriter duo Wild Flight — Emily Jurick and Eric Gross — releases its debut EP titled “Wild Flight” on all major media platforms. The EP features five original songs and can be found on Spotify, iTunes and Amazon. Wild Flight will perform Jan. 2 at the Firefly Club in Aspen Visit wildflightmusic.com for more information.

Chicken run Per mini-mayor edict, Sunlight will serve plates of creamy Chicken Garlic on Sundays beginning in January, with 10 percent of proceeds to be donated to Literacy Outreach. Mini Mayor April Carter, 6, lobbied for the Garlic Chicken Act with support from food and beverage director Allison Rydin, with the Sunlight Executive unanimously voting in favor of the flavor. Her dad’s not-so-secret recipe is also available upon request.

Happy hunting The City of Aspen has partnered with a Denverbased company, Let’s Roam, to host a free scavenger hunt through downtown Aspen called Aspen Skiers on Parade. Working alone or as a team, players will follow clues and gather points while learning unique facts and visiting a few overlooked destinations. To join the hunt, players must download the free Let’s Roam app for Apple or Android then create a login and enter the code: aspen skier. Play began Dec. 22 and is offered through April 1.

All work and play The Roaring Fork Valley is blessed with amazing people and incredible playgrounds, and both have been formally recognized with state-wide awards from the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA). Third-generation valley resident and business leader Robert Hubbell was chosen to receive CPRA’s

Cool Brick Studios

Community Champion Award for his “significant effort to influence and improve the quality of their community through parks, recreation and community service.” Also, the new Crown Mountain Bike Park won CPRA’s Columbine Award for Design. The board and staff of Crown Mountain Parks and Rec District are extremely proud of this recognition.

Pay it forward A fundraising campaign is underway for four locals who lost everything in a Dec. 18 house fire in Missouri Heights. According to their page at gofundme.com/f/ help-missouri-heights-house-fire, they’re in need of basic necessities as they navigate college and jobs in and around Aspen.

Forge ahead In anticipation of the opening of The Contemporary Center for the Performing Arts in the summer of 2021, The Arts Campus at Willits has announced the hiring of Kendall Smith as the Director of Programming. In his new role, Smith will implement the organization’s vision for inspiring artistic acts and compelling intellectual programming at the new performing arts facility.

Red alert The City of Aspen will not be featuring fireworks this New Year’s Eve due to an abundance of caution for the spread of COVID-19. The announcement comes as Pitkin County enters red-level restrictions across most sectors while maintaining operating capacity for restaurants over the next two weeks. Restaurants will continue to operate at 25% occupancy with a 9:30 p.m. last call and 10 p.m. closure but are limited to only seating single households. Personal gathering sizes are reduced to zero, meaning you can only congregate with your own household — those you live or share common space with. No indoor events are allowed, and outdoor events are capped at 25% capacity or 60 people. Retail is limited to 50% capacity, personal services to 25% or 25 people and offices and gyms to 10%.

Local artist James Mason recently agreed to display his sculpture “Amalie’s Gift” inside the Carbondale Branch Library in order to bring a new piece of art to the prized community space. The connection between Mason and the libraries was spurred by his friend and former Library Board Trustee Bill Lamont, who passed away in October.

They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Ember Dahl (Dec. 24); Caitlin Causey, Darryl Fuller and Emma Danciger (Dec. 26); Chip Bishop (Dec. 28); Randy Schutt, Sue Edelstein, Nick Walgren and Mark Gray (Dec. 29) and Beymar Silva (Dec. 30).

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86 S 3rd St. Carbondale, Colorado 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

Every winter, the Mount Sopris Nordic Council depends on annual memberships to keep the Spring Gulch trails groomed and open to the public. Become a member or renew your membership for the 2020/2021 season!

Sign Up or Renew Online at www.springgulch.org

You could score a new Spring Gulch neck gaiter!

The first 200 people to contribute at a membership level of $125 or more will recieve a Spring Gulch topo neck gaiter custom-made by Kind Design. Find out more on our website!

Available while supplies last. Promotion valid for 2020/2021 season only.

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OUR TOWN

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

Duane Raleigh finds his base camp

Tom Mercer Sopris Sun Correspondent Q: Where were you born?

A: I was born in Stilwell, Oklahoma, which is a small town on the Oklahoma and Arkansas border in the Cherokee Nation. The area is impoverished and has the lowest life expectancy in the United States. My father was a college professor, and when I was 9 years old, the family moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma, a small town on the plains in the western part of the state — “Grapes of Wrath� country. I was lucky because Weatherford is near the Wichita and Quartz mountains that have a chain of granite outcrops with good rock climbing. Those mountains were the only relief on the horizon for 200 miles in any direction.

That’s where I started climbing, mainly because I wasn’t keen on football and rodeo.

Q: Do you ever go back to your old hometown?

A: Only to see my parents. My father turns 90 in a few months. I hope to go back for his birthday, but that will depend on whether it is safe with the pandemic.

Q: When did you leave there and where did you go?

A: In 1982, I left and climbed in Yosemite for a couple of years, scraping by and earning some money working with Yosemite Search and Rescue, shoveling snow, and chopping firewood in the winter.

Q: What brought you to the Carbondale area?

A: I moved to Redstone in 1990. I was offered the position of Equipment Editor for Climbing magazine. I liked the area and the climbing opportunities. I’ve lived here for the last thirty years.

Q: What do you think about the changes that have taken place in Carbondale since your arrival?

A: Carbondale was a very quiet ranch town in 1990. You could sleep in the street and not get run over. It’s too bad it’s gotten so expensive to live here, pricing out pretty much anyone without an upper middle-class income.

Q: Do you have family here?

A: Yes. My wife Lisa, who has a consulting business (Lisa Raleigh Unlimited), and my two daughters, Sunni and Belle, who are both attending college — one at Ft. Lewis, and the other at Smith College outside Boston.

Q: Where do you work now and what is your position there?

A: I am the content director for the climbing group within Pocket Outdoor Media.

My primary duty is content management, but I do a bit of everything related to publishing, from building relationships to Photoshopping images for publication.

Q: Can you give our readers a brief synopsis of your career flow from Climbing Magazine, to Rock & Ice, and back to Climbing?

A: I worked for Michael Kennedy at Climbing from 1990 until 1997 when he sold

The Raleigh family. Courtesy photo the magazine to Cowles Enthusiast media.

Cowles then sold it to Primedia, a publicly traded company with over 400 magazines. I went from Equipment Editor, to Editor, to Publisher and Editor in Chief after Michael left.

In 2002, my business partner Quent Williams and I approached Primedia to buy Climbing. We wanted to have our own publishing company and make Climbing

owner-operated again. Primedia laughed at us, so we bought Climbing’s competitor, Rock and Ice, and set up shop in Carbondale.

We also acquired Trail Runner, and added Ascent and Gym Climber magazines.

We tried to buy or merge with Climbing six times. We thought it made sense to consolidate climbing media. We serve a small

Continued on page 14

Beautiful Poinsettias • Wreaths • Garlands & Greens for decking the halls • Unique Ornaments & DÊcor

Get 40% f A Chris as DÊc

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Come see our spectacular lights Take family photos in our festive settings Warm up by the ďŹ re (socially distanced) Take a family wagon ride around the nursery

Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day We are committed to honoring holiday traditions while keeping us all safe.

Give e avorit f r u o y ner a garde RD CA GIFT them t and le spring! of dream

400 GILLESPIE DRIVE, EL JEBEL | 970-963-1173 | EAGLECRESTNURSERY.COM THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 5

Aspen airport exempt from reducing its capacity

By James Steindler Sopris Sun Correspondent Traveling can be stressful in and of itself. Some folks cannot stand the thought of flying while others struggle to leave the house without worrying they’ve forgotten something — like Kevin.

Throw COVID-19 in the mix and many will decide to nix the prospect of traveling altogether.

To a casual observer, on the evening of Dec. 13, the Aspen Airport was pushing the envelope in terms of occupancy — considering COVID-19 — within its terminal.

However, Aspen Airport’s Interim Director Rich Englehart shared, that according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the airport is exempt from dwindling its capacity. “The fact that this is considered a critical service there is no capacity reduction,” he stated.

The secure boarding area, which to those who are familiar is the two gates to the right after passing through security, has a maximum occupancy of 527 people.

Despite passengers expressing their concerns, Director of Operations, Safety & Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Caroline Bonynge maintained that, “There was no point where the capacity was exceeded nor was it a concern that we were going to exceed at any given hour.” The airport’s staff did not respond to a request for the peak number of people inside the terminal that evening.

“On the 13th, we had a little bit of an IROP (Irregular Operations Policy) situation and because of that several flights were delayed,” explained Bonynge, “Which had several passengers within our facility.”

The holdup was due to a “disabled aircraft on the runway,” stated Bonynge. “Which closed the runway for a duration.” This

People continue to travel over the holidays through the Aspen Airport, though they had a hard time adhering to the intermittent advisory announcements to keep their distance from one another. Photo by James Steindler also prevented incoming planes from landing, she explained, and, “Aircrafts that were in route [to Aspen] or in air, held as long as they could and then were redirected to other airports.”

While there is lots of signage encouraging travelers to socially distance, it becomes relatively infeasible as the numbers within the small terminal grow.

“Our biggest challenge right now is the terminal size,” Englehart said, “And with the amount of traffic that comes

through, we are going to have some of these irregular events where capacity does increase.”

“We’ve got a very small terminal for the amount of passengers that go through on a regular basis and it’s been that way for years,” he went on, “One of the recommendations on the common ground approach to this is to start seeking funds to build a new terminal.”

Englehart indicated that he has asked the Transportation Continued on page 14

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6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

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The dark global pandemic cloud may soon be lifting

By Roberta McGowan Sopris Sun Staff

It’s here. After months of fear, worry and anticipation, the highly touted vaccine from Pfizer Inc. has arrived in the valley.

Both Valley View (VVH) and Aspen Valley (AVH) hospitals have reported receiving allocated shipments and have just started vaccinating frontline healthcare staff.

Garfield County Health Specialist Carrie Godes said that 2,400 doses of the BNT162b2, as the vaccine is specifically called, are on their way into the arms of employees and long-term care facility staff and residents, as part of the Phase 1A priority plans issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

Godes also noted, “We trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

Pfizer and Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) jointly developed using the process the companies dubbed Project Lightspeed.

Pfizer Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research and Development Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., said recent studies help illustrate the multiple arms of the immune system that are activated to fight SARSCoV-2.

She added, “We continue to add to the body of scientific evidence supporting BNT162b2 and are pleased to see the consistency in our findings across studies.”

And just recently, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the second COVID-19 vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to battle the pandemic;

the Moderna vaccine which was developed with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine deliveries will be managed by the federal government, using funding from Operation Warp Speed, the program initiated to quickly develop and disseminate COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. While the Pfizer vaccine requires storage at -70 degrees fahrenheit, Moderna’s product can be kept at more normal temperatures.

Moderna uses mRNA medicines, which the company explained on its site, are sets of instructions. And these instructions direct cells in the body to make proteins to prevent or fight disease.

But before taking the injection, experts cautioned, people who have experienced severe allergic reactions to vaccinations, should first consult their physicians.

Garfield County Commissions recently called for removing restaurants and gyms from the recent red level zone as authorized by the state. Under the commissioners’ resolution, each business can decide whether or not to follow the red level restrictions which calls for Coloradans in high-risk populations to stay home.

Also, under the red classification, personal gatherings are not allowed, regardless of size and restaurants must close to indoor dining.

Takeout, curbside and delivery services are still allowed.

Following the distribution of Phase 1A , Phase 1B will kick in to vaccinate moderate-risk health care workers and responders, workers in home health/hospice and dental settings.

Continued on page 14

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COVID-19 TESTING Aspen Valley Hospital is partnering with Pitkin County Public Health to provide COVID-19 testing for our community.

ASPEN

AVH’s Respiratory Evaluation Center

Location: • Aspen Valley Hospital at 0401 Castle Creek Road, Aspen Hours of Operation: • Evaluation of patients with moderate to severe symptoms: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 12 pm • Community symptomatic testing: Monday - Friday, 1 - 5 pm, and weekends 12 pm – 2pm, with a physician referral • Asymptomatic and Antibody testing available by appointment.

Details: • Physician referral required.

• If you do not have a physician, call Aspen Valley Primary Care at 970.279.4111.

• Cost (insured) – Tests will be billed to insurance. There is no out-of-pocket expense to the patient after insurance.

• Cost (uninsured) – PCR testing is free – AVH is committed to cost not being a barrier to testing. Antibody testing $150 – $200.

Downtown Aspen Kiosk

Location: • Lot behind City Hall at 130 South Galena Street, Aspen Testing Hours: • Monday-Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Details: • Appointments encouraged, but not necessary.

Go to curative.com.

• Physician referral not required.

• Cost (insured) – No cost.

• Cost (uninsured) – No insurance necessary. Tests are provided whether or not you have insurance.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 7

Local schools struggle with tough pandemicera semester

By Ken Pletcher Sopris Sun Correspondent

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a level of disruption, uncertainty and hardship unprecedented in our country and the world. This has been especially true for our education system at all levels, which has faced enormous challenges in how to conduct cohesive, sustained and effective instruction at a time when the pandemic has wreaked havoc on our daily lives.

In Carbondale, Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) schools have each addressed the situation in their own way. All have instituted groupings called “cohorts,” which RFSD Public Information Officer Kelsy Been described as units of “students who have close contact with other students [i.e., about 6 feet] for longer than 15 minutes each day.” In that way, if there has been a coronavirus issue with a student, it has been much easier to identify and quarantine students who have had contact with that individual.

At Crystal River Elementary, the cohorts have consisted of standard individual classes with a limited number of students and one homeroom teacher, the advantage being that they have been with the same classmates throughout

the school day. On the downside, however, if one student in that class has a coronavirus issue, the entire class has had to quarantine, and the teacher has had to implement distance learning.

That situation happened recently with third-grade teacher Tina Spiccioli, who, with her 17 students were quarantined for five school days in December. They were planning on returning to in-class instruction the week before winter break (which began Dec. 18) when the decision was made for CRES to finish the semester online.

Spiccioli found the fall term frustrating, lamenting, “It’s been hard to build relationships with the kids. We started [the school year] online, then we were in school.” But with some families opting for online instruction only, she got new kids from other classes. “In November, it was like the first day of school. We were getting in the groove, and then [had to] quarantine.”

At Carbondale Middle School, each grade has been made into one large cohort. Been explained that this has involved, “matching students with classes and teachers that best meet their needs. Students are mixed differently in every class according to their needs in order to create the optimal learning environment

Tina Spiccioli teaches her students remotely from her kitchen table on Dec. 14. She was one of 797 students and staff members in quarantine that day due to being exposed to COVID-19 while at school. "I am always worried about someone getting sick and the uncertainty of never knowing when you will have to switch between in-person and online is very stressful. It is difficult to switch gears and I know it is hard on students and their families too," she said. Photo by Laurel Smith for them. Unfortunately, this also means that it’s not possible to simply quarantine a single teacher’s class, … [meaning] a larger group is impacted when students must quarantine.”

Rhonda Tatham, a special education teacher at CMS, observed that this has been especially difficult for teachers like her with specialneeds students of different grades in the same class. Creating lessons that can be presented in person as well as online, “has been a challenge.”

Tatham is also president of the Roaring Fork Community Education Association, representing RFSD teachers. “Teachers are working extremely hard to make sure that kids quarantined and in person are getting the best education they can.

However, this is not sustainable as many teachers can’t keep up with kids in person and online plus make sure they are taking care of themselves.”

The approach has been different at Roaring Fork High School (RFHS).

There, students have attended classes as they normally would, moving from one subject to the next. The cohorts there have consisted of specific seating charts in each classroom. If one student has a coronavirus-related issue, it has been easy to identify those who were in close proximity, and only they have had to quarantine.

When asked why RFHS chose this method, Been responded, “Our

Continued on page 18

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Mentoring during COVID

By James Steindler Sopris Sun Correspondent

While people await the cumbersome rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, many continuously reel from a sense of separation brought on by the pandemic. A few local organizations not only rely on in-person reunions to perform but also to manifest human connections between individuals.

Throughout the year, mentors and mentees have had to adapt and create meaningful ways to keep the lessons going.

Tutoring adults Sarah Kelly is the program director for English In Action (EIA), a nonprofit based out of El Jebel that brings non-English speakers and volunteer tutors together. “The main goal is English,” Kelly said, “But relationships develop and that’s kind of one of the silver linings and benefits of the program.”

EIA runs three main operations, two of which entail small class sizes while the third involves several groups of two. Pairs in the Individualized Tutoring program are matched up for at least a six-month period but typically culminate in lifelong friendships.

When the virus hit, everything came to a standstill. While a few pairs were able to meet online, many did not have the access to do so.

In March, EIA went into emergency mode to help its participants who were most affected. “About 75 percent of our students lost their jobs or at least had limited work hours,” Kelly said. “And were struggling to pay the bills, rent and for groceries — and just to have their basic needs met.”

“Because at EIA we feel and have experienced that we’re a trusted source of information in the community — within EIA and as well as the immigrant community,” Kelly explained, “Those first couple of months we really focused on reaching

out to students directly to make sure they had what they needed.”

When summer rolled in, the multiperson classes went online, which made it possible for others to attend whose restrictive schedules had prevented them from joining previously.

Meanwhile, EIA is currently conducting a digital literacy survey.

“We’re still finding that many of the students on our waitlist are unable to access technology or just don’t have the digital literacy that they need to fully participate in this kind of new online world,” Kelly stated.“ One thing we saw with our students and tutors was that, even though they weren’t actively meeting and working on English, the relationships they had developed before COVID really helped to see them through.”

This was particularly valuable to non-English speakers for whom “language limitations and isolation already exist,” Kelly explained, “So this shined a big light on that.”

Mentoring youth The Buddy Program (TBP) based out of Carbondale has faced similar challenges. For the first part of the pandemic, pairs were asked not to meet in person at all.

TBP’s Community Program Director Ainhoa Bujan discussed some of the ways that the program has adapted to keep their pairs in touch and interactive.

“Changing and adapting our processes was very, very time consuming,” Bujan said.

The staff sends periodic email updates to buddy pairs with guidance on how they can safely interact with each other. The emails have included various virtual and socially distanced activities. Online games such as Battleship were provided for mentors and mentees to play with one another, albeit separately. Over the summer months, when I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten and children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow I'm dreaming of a white Christmas With every Christmas card I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten and children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow

EIA tutoring matches have done their darndest to keep in touch safely. Part of the program’s philosophy is that community blossoms from each relationship within it. Courtesy photo the COVID meter permitted, pairs were encouraged to get together safely outside and provided props such as kites or water balloons.

With the fluctuation in restrictions and the lack of cohesion between state and county government, TBP has consistently erred on the side of caution. Since Garfield County moved to level red, the TBP administration has followed the state’s more stringent guidelines.

TBP’s staff also reached out to their participating families to check in. The organization has worked with Aspen Family Connections and the Family Resource Center to channel financial aid to their member families in need of assistance.

“The families that were undocumented perhaps struggled the most,” Bujannoted.

“It has been a really challenging time,” said Bujan, “But now looking back on the year we acknowledge that we have risen to the occasion.”

This year was the 8th anniversary of TBP's Gingerbread House Workshop; an event that generally takes place in-person but was sent home this year. Staff put together 150 unique gingerbread house kits for kids to take home. Courtesy photo

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 9

The Sun's superstar artists of 2020

There were many contenders for the 2020 Spruce Up The Sun cover. The votes were super close at all placement levels so we decided to award stars to the brightest little artists.

Blue stars means that they won at their grade level. Yellow stars means they were a contender for the cover.

★ Elektra Perutkova Rand, second grade is awarded second prize.

★ Asher Rand, Kindergarten

★ Lily Maize, first grade

★ Maya Annabel, second grade

Help The Sopris Sun continue to bring the community more family friendly fun in 2021!

For more info contact Schedule your Todd Chamberlin adsales@soprissun.com GIFT through 970-510-0246 Colorado Gives

The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.

10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

★ Atlin Mason, third grade ★

★ Ayla Cuseo, fifth grade ★

Gus Cerrone Parker and Slade King, sixth grade ★

★ Donovan Gutierrez, fourth grade ★

Clover Hansen, fifth grade ★

★ Simona Perutkova Rand, sixth grade

Yaritza Lopez Perez, fifth grade ★

Wesley Serrano, sixth grade

★

THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 11

High Risk at High Altitude sheds light on mental wellness

By Kate Phillips Sopris Sun Correspondent In a valley prone to mental health crisis and high suicide rates, newly appointed Aspen Public Radio (APR) news director Ariel Van Cleave has arrived with a fresh take on mental health support.

Growing up in rural Illinois, Van Cleave was aware of the increased risks for mental health crises rural communities often experience. However, when she moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in October 2020, she was shocked at how prevalent the mental health crisis is here.

“Being here is different. It’s a little more isolating because of the location, and you really have to mean it to come here,” Van Cleave said.

When she started talking with her colleagues at the station about the impact of the pandemic and how people were starting to build up their “life-kits” to survive the dark days of winter, she started to wonder if the station could provide a service to those in need.

Within a matter of weeks, High Risk at High Altitude (HRHA) was created.

HRHA is APR’s newest bi-monthly special programming that launched on Dec. 1. The premise of the program is to discuss different mental health stories and topics with experts in the Valley.

Already, the program has featured Michelle Muething, executive director of the Aspen Hope Center, and Sonjia Linman, a behavioral intervention specialist for the Roaring Fork School District, who discussed the lack of control people are feeling right now and the pandemic’s impact on young people in the Valley respectively.

Future topics, according to Van Cleave, include substance use disorders, how to manage when you are a single person and feeling lonely, service workers and the pressures they are experiencing right now, and highlighting how the outdoors can be therapeutic.

“We’re trying to figure out ways to show that these problems

are diverse throughout the Valley and that we can all connect to them,” Van Cleave said. “We also want to show that we are all people and it doesn’t need to feel so disconnected and disjointed.”

With pandemic depression still looming, Van Cleave noted that this holiday season is going to be more difficult than in years’ past which is why the program is also encouraging listener engagement. By sharing prompts regarding future episodes on social media, Van Cleave hopes that listeners can start to dictate the direction of the conversation so it benefits the greater community.

“Anybody is welcome to submit any questions, or comments, or concerns they have,” Van Cleave said. “We’ve had pretty good engagement, but I could always take more because it helps shape the conversations. I don’t want to be the person making all the decisions. I would much rather hear from people because then I would know what they want to talk about.” Of course, content submitted can be kept anonymous, Van Cleave noted.

A wealth of support Despite the amount of resources currently offered in the valley, there is still a stigma associated with receiving mental health services.

“For years I didn’t want to go to therapy,” Van Cleave said.

“I decided that it was not for me, and it took a very long time before realizing that it doesn’t have to be so scary. It could just be someone telling me something that maybe I already know I just need to hear somebody else say it.”

Van Cleave hopes that through HRHA, individuals who are curious about mental wellness, but have yet to take action, can find some comfort in the sense that they are not alone, and have the confidence to reach out when they need support.

For Van Cleave, her biggest goal is to ensure that everyone feels connected and it is okay to not feel so good all the time. Struggling is normal and reaching out for help is an option, she said.

While all these additional resources are wonderful, she said that it can be overwhelming, and she hopes that HRHA can offer

Ariel Van Cleave, news director at APR, launched High Risk at High Altitude on Dec. 1 - a program dedicated to discussing mental wellness in the Roaring Fork Valley. Photo Credit: Lauri Jackson of APR a low-key form of support that inspires individuals rather than turn them away.

“I bet people are overwhelmed,” she said. “People could be wondering what’s the right resource, or who’s the right person? I think that’s the other part of this that can be tough to navigate, and I think offering up a different array of people and talking about different things people can hear the voice of the therapist and hear how they offer advice and if it clicks then maybe someone will start with them first.”

Therapy is a process, according to Van Cleave, and she hopes that HRHA will be the first step in a long and healthy mental health experience. Looking toward the future, APR intends to make it a long-term program. Considering the prevalence of mental health challenges in the Valley and the stark reality that these challenges do not simply disappear, Van Cleave is excited for the chance to make even a small impact on the community.

You can catch the next episode of High Risk at High Altitude on Dec. 29 and every other Tuesday on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Recordings and transcripts are also posted on aspenpublicradio.org the same day the episode airs.

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12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

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More older adults seeking meal delivery

By Olivia Emmer Sopris Sun correspondent

As 2020 have dragged on, many people are feeling the strain of prolonged isolation to protect family and community from COVID-19.

One group particularly affected is older adults, who are at higher risk for bad outcomes from a coronavirus infection, and may already face factors that restrict their community engagement, like physical limitations or driving constraints.

Mary Kenyon noticed a gap in meal services for older adults and founded a program in early 2020, before the pandemic really hit. Now, nine months later, that program — Valley Meals and More — has seen massive growth. What started with seven meals delivered twice a week, is now a five-day-a-week delivery service providing almost 90 meals per day.

By the end of 2020, Kenyon expects to have provided over 14,500 meals, delivered straight to the doors of participants (who must be over 60 years old) throughout unincorporated Garfield County and Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and El Jebel. What sets the program apart from other food services in the community is that they are free, delivered, and the meals are fully prepared and ready to eat.

The program has raised over $225,000 this year with support from individuals, community foundations,

government grants, and private grants. Both Garfield County and the Town of Carbondale are financial supporters. Prior to this program’s existence, free meals for older adults generally had to be picked up by the recipient at a central location, prohibitive for many would-be participants. Kenyon estimates there are about 3,600 residents eligible for this program.

More than 20 volunteers make the weekly delivery routes possible, and the program is always recruiting more. Kenyon hopes the program is also a win-win for local restaurants.

Money she raises gets paid to restaurants who prepare the meals on behalf of Valley Meals and More.

The current line up of food providers includes Homestead Bar and Grill, Whole Foods, Rivers Restaurant, Slow Groovin’, The Village Smithy and Peppino’s Pizza.

Other local restaurants that are sometimes involved include White House Pizza, Honey Butter and Jimmy John’s.

On the day the paper interviewed Kenyon, a snowy Friday morning, the day’s meal was being cooked by Homestead and consisted of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, salad, and a fresh orange for dessert. Each restaurant prepares the meal and individually wraps servings so they are ready for a safe delivery. The program is able to accommodate common dietary restrictions.

In addition to providing warm,

Valley Meals and More volunteers Steve Schumacher & Bartlett at Crystal Meadows Senior Housing in Carbondale. More than 50 residents participate in the program. Courtesy photo prepared meals, the program has provided other services on an asneeded basis, from grocery deliveries to rides to doctor's appointments.

Kenyon stressed that she sees her program as more than a warm meal.

“It's not about the meals, it's about the connection to the community.

And that's what we've really proven here.” Kenyon continued, “Some of these recipients, this is their one thing that happens every day.

Otherwise, they're by themselves.”

Valley Meals and More is also

ferrying letters between older adults in the program and students at both Roaring Fork and Aspen high schools. That penpal exchange began with the Thanksgiving meal delivery.

Growth in the program has mostly occurred through word of mouth.

Some participants call and sign up, others may get introduced by family members or neighbors. Occasionally a doctor’s office will refer someone who they are concerned isn’t getting proper nutrition.

Kenyon founded the program

under the umbrella of Senior Matters in Carbondale. Due to the growth of the program and the desire to see it continue sustainably, she has embarked on the paperwork to establish the program as its own nonprofit. She hopes that process will be complete in February of 2021.

For anyone interested in volunteering or supporting this work, or seeking to sign up or refer a friend, visit the program’s Facebook page, Valley Meals and More, or call 404-1193.

This paper costs $1.80 to produce.

Advertising does not cover the full cost.

Donations keep The Sopris Sun shining!

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Donations to The Sopris Sun are fully tax deductible.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 13

Our Town from page 5

• for our businesses • for our schools • for our families We are United to Stop the Spread of COVID-19. Show personal responsibility by taking these critical public health recommendations seriously and encourage your friends, neighbors and family to do the same.

• Limit in-person gatherings, shrink your bubble • Wear a mask • Wash your hands frequently • Keep your distance 6 feet apart • Stay home if you are sick

market and it would be beneficial to have one magazine rather than two splitting it. This year we were approached by Pocket Outdoor Media about merging Climbing and Rock and Ice. It was a logical and beneficial move, so we did it.

Q: What form of climbing do you most enjoy?

A: I used to do nearly everything: big walls, bouldering, trad, sport, and ice, but now I only ice and rock climb. I climb mostly local stuff.

Q: Where do you most enjoy going to climb?

A: It is great to climb in Colorado’s semialpine environment. There are snow-capped peaks and clear water, and if you go to the right places, no one else is there.

Q: What is the worst climbing-related situation you’ve ever been in, and how did you get out of it?

A: I don’t know if there’s been a single worst experience. When I was 21, I soloed a big ice face in the Alps and got caught in a storm about 500 feet from the top. I couldn’t see, and had to stand, holding onto ice tools for a day and a night until the snow slacked off enough for me to be able to see again.

Aspen from page 6

Security Administration (TSA) if they could give people the option of waiting outside after checking into the terminal. “TSA said that’s just an absolute ‘no no,’” he stated.

Although, Bonynge later added that, “Once passengers have been screened they may leave the boarding area but would be required to be re-screened by TSA in order to reenter.” While this option was not offered freely on the evening in question, it may be something to keep in mind for any travelers caught in a similar situation in the coming months.

The Aspen Airport partakes in a practice called “line management” where the airport regularly communicates with airlines in order to monitor the number of passengers coming and going. According to Bonynge, this is a voluntary practice which only a few airports participate in and is helpful in terms of keeping within capacity.

As for the evening of Dec. 13, Bonynge said that, “At that hour we may not have been

Vaccines from page 7

Emergency Medical Services staff, firefighters, police, correctional workers, dispatchers, funeral services, other first responders, and COVID-19 response personnel.

Phase 2, expected in the spring, include people age 65 or older and those of any age with major severe medical issues such as diabetes, cancer or are immunocompromised.

Phase 3 in the summer includes general public ages 18-64 without high risk conditions.

In Eagle County, Director of Communications Kris Waldeck reported, “Our first shipment arrived on time on Tuesday, and we started vaccinating on Wednesday. Between Vail Health and Castle Peak Senior Life and Rehabilitation, somewhere between 200-300 vaccines were administered yesterday. “

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14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

Q: How does “luck” factor into your life?

A: My luckiest experience was meeting my wife, Lisa. We were set up on a blind date and I almost didn’t show up because I was supposed to go climbing. That was one of the few times — maybe the only time — that I blew off climbing.

Q: What is the funniest thing you’ve ever witnessed?

A: My oldest daughter, Sunni, beat Lisa repeatedly in a Skull (card game) over Thanksgiving. I’ve never heard anyone laugh so hard as Sunni.

Q: What are some of the traits or characteristics that are most common to climbers?

A: It’s a mix. Thirty years ago, climbers were renegades, basically societal outcasts who did their own thing off the grid. They were oddballs and risk-takers who lived to climb.

Some are still like that, but overall, climbers today are more regular people with jobs and families - and they finish school.

Q: Do you have any general “life advice” you’d like to share with Sopris Sun readers?

A: Stay out of debt, exercise, and read every day.

conducting line management in full because the flight loads that were expected to come in or depart would not have come close to exceeding our capacity.”

“The airlines set the schedules and manage delays,” explained Engelhart, “And we provide that line management to try and provide the best separation and safety that we can.”

Other than being left to work within a small space without having to reduce capacity, the airport has made many efforts to try and keep people safe. There are hand sanitizing stations, masking is mandatory, extra masks are available and messaging is pervasive throughout the airport.

“I feel confident that we’re doing all we can to try and keep people safe and healthy during events like this,” Englehart said, adding that “every time we have an event like this, in my opinion, it’s a learning experience of what we can do differently and how we approach things.”

And added as soon as possible “The vaccine will be delivered to our health care providers in the Roaring Fork Valley for their staff.”

Eagle County has just launched eaglecountycovid.org, a new comprehensive website to streamline information and resources related to the local effects of the pandemic. Posted in English and Spanish, the site also links to the Eagle County Community COVID-19 Monitoring dashboard site with regularly updated data.

Eagle County is presently designated as Level Orange which includes limiting gatherings to no more than 10 from no more than two households for levels blue, yellow and orange. Also in this level businesses must adhere to 25 percent of posted occupancy limits or 50 people, whichever is fewer.

Help The Sun shine in 2020!

Schedule your GIFT through Colorado Gives For more info contact Todd Chamberlin adsales@soprissun.com | 970-510-0246 The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.

OPINION

Sun Signs

By Whitney Will Saturn and Jupiter met up at the same degree of the zodiac, known to astrologers as a “conjunction,” on Monday’s winter solstice in the first degree of Aquarius. The conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter, known as “the Great Conjunction,” occur every 20 years, making it a significant astrological phenomena, but not a “once in a lifetime” astronomical event.

What is more significant is that these conjunctions take place in signs of the same element (air, fire, water, earth) for two hundred year periods at a time. For the last two hundred years or so, their conjunctions have taken place in the earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), but as of Monday’s solstice conjunction, we have moved into a new epoch of their conjunctions in the air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) that will see us through until the year 2219.

Solstice conjunction heralds air epoch Earth signs have to do with material, with money, with the physical world and how we interact with it. Since entering into the earth epoch with a Jan. 26, 1842 conjunction at 8°54’ Capricorn, humanity’s relationship with our environment has changed in staggering ways.

Mining, fossil fuels, and the industrialization of the world plundered the earth and natural resources. We are now able to create and move commodities around the globe with record speed. And the wealthiest people now are the wealthiest in the history of our world.

Vast swaths of wilderness were fought over and became “owned” during this period, while innovations in farming allowed us to grow a human population of over 7 billion.

Our mastery over the earth element has transformed our world, and tipped many ecological systems into devastation. Just this past week, in an article for The New Yorker, Bill McKibben drew our attention to research out of the Weizmann Institute of Science which concluded that the year 2020 was the year that man-made “stuff ” came to outweigh all the biomass on the planet — including all the humans. While the weight of biomass remains fairly static, the weight of stuff we create has been doubling every (coincidentally?) 20 years.

So is all of the “technology” going to save us? Air signs are about

ideas, they are inherently social and communal, Aquarius even boasts “humanitarian” as one of its monikers.

They rule technology and innovation, especially as it relates to the mind and the community. Where earth signs build physical boundaries, air signs soar between them.

But the switch from earth to air is not so much an upgrade as a lateral move, from the vicissitudes of one element to the many facets of another. The last air epoch lasted from 1226 until 1405 — two centuries whose headlines are dominated by crusades, Ghengis Khan, Marco Polo, the decline of the Islamic Golden Age, and the first full English translation of the Bible. The Italian Renaissance began, and the black death claimed an estimated 25 million lives. As the world became more connected, some exchanges brought disaster, while others new influxes of ideas and goods.

We have already had a taste of this shift into air. The hand-off between elements does not happen so cleanly. The past 40 years have been somewhat of an overlap between the two eras. The first air conjunction happened in the early 1980s in the sign of Libra, but the conjunction on May 28, 2000 returned to Taurus. If the acceleration of the development of new technology is any guess, our sense of reality will undergo massive transformations at ever decreasing intervals.

Grand Conjunction viewers with a telescope or long lens got to check out Saturn's rings and some of Jupiter's moons all at once. Photo by Travis Newcomb Wild speculations aside, the Great Conjunction has left astronomers and astrologers alike pondering its historical significance. In 1603, astronomer Johannes Kepler was the first to theorize that the Christmas Star that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus may have been formed by a conjunction of these two planets. In mid-December of that year, he witnessed them approach a conjunction and marveled at the brightness of their combined light.

In terms of the subtleties of personal astrology, what this conjunction means in a personal way depends on the specifics of the birth chart. The uniting of the primary forces for expansion (Jupiter) with contraction or limitation (Saturn) offers either

the steady growth of a system properly balanced or the wobbling and fumbling of yielding to both extremes.

The middle road is the promising one, so try to stay clear of temptations to go all in or completely refrain. Life is messy, what with the sacred and profane so inextricably mixed.

In any case, their conjunction on the solstice, their brightness on the longest night in the northern hemisphere, is a balm of brightness after a difficult year.

Whitney Will is a professional astrologer, writer, and teacher.

Visit starhearthastrology.com for courses and readings.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 24 - December 30, 2020 • 15

LETTERS

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

`CROSS-COUNTRY

SKI LESSONS AT SPRING GULCH Classic and Skate Styles for all levels on various days/times starting soon Get some great pointers and practice at Carbondale’s own worldclass cross-country ski trail system. Class size has been reduced to 4 students. NOTE: CMC campuses will be closed for the holidays. Plan ahead to make sure you are able to register for your class(es).

`TAI CHI AND QIGONG INTERNALS Online Mon/Wed, 4:30-5:45pm, 1/4-2/24 Emphasizes the internal principles that are rarely shared in typical TaiChi/Qigong classes. Create deeper levels of awareness, increased flexibility, balance and development of internal energy (Ch’i) with Standing Meditation, Qigong postures, and Yang Style Tai Chi 10 form.

`PILATES AND ZEN BARRE Online Mon/Wed & Tues/Thurs starting 1/4/21 These classes are live online and recorded so students can watch and workout on their own schedule. Try a pre-recorded class for FREE to see if you like it!

`PHOTOGRAPHY

FUNDAMENTALS Online Tues/Thurs, 6-7:30pm, 1/12-2/4 A basic photography class for beginning as well as intermediate photographers who want to get off the automatic setting. Students must have a DSLR or film camera that can be taken off automatic settings.

`NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE Online Mondays, 7-8:30pm, 1/18-2/22 Explore Native American literature that highlights the themes of historical context, reservation life, and current cultural conflict through the writings of well-known Native American authors from various tribes.

`ANXIETY MANAGEMENT IN TIMES OF CHANGE Online Thursdays, 6:30-8pm, 1/21-2/4 Anxiety, grief, and change together can create some strong emotional reactions. Learn how to be pro-active with stress management skills that help when you are feeling overwhelmed.

`FILM STUDIES Online Wednesday, 6-8pm, 1/27-3/3 Five curated films and a group of shorts will be watched and discussed. Examine some literary and technical terms specific to the art form, as well as preface some social issues that can help guide discussions.

`HISTORY OF TEXTILES Online Mondays, 6-8pm, 2/1-3/8 Review the history of textiles from 1500 BC as humankind went from adornment to function through the ice age to now. Topics include the Silk Road and shipping routes, the invention of mechanical looms and the industrial revolution, and textiles used today and into the future.

Search and Register at coloradomtn.edu/ community-education/classes/ 16 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

this holiday time. And especially this year, just because there is a plastic shield between you and the window employee, does not make anyone immune to unkind words or actions.

And just like that basket of candy on the post office counter is kindness, so is a smile and a "thank you" to these Carbondale postal employees.

Who knows -it might make your day and theirs too.

Janet and Arvid Johnson Carbondale

Take care Dear Editor: I have been asking myself why Great Nature is making viruses like the coronavirus.

Recently, while reading The Sun Magazine, I had an epiphany of sorts.

In this month’s issue, I was reading the interview with Eileen Crist, “On the Consequences of Human Plunder,” in which she posits that our human inability to face up to the environmental crisis is terminal, as in “that’s it for the Earth.”

And there I had my answer: if we can’t modify how we occupy and care for the Earth, then Great Nature, way smarter than Pfizer or Moderna, will simply wipe us clean from the Earth. The dinosaurs didn’t work, so Great Nature got rid of them. It took time, but Great Nature has plenty of time.

They say that the coronavirus is very infectious and… very clever. But, just you wait: something even more clever will appear.

At some point life appeared — as if by magic.

Either we take care of the Earth, or the Earth will take care of us. Until a wiser species appears, the universe is infinitely patient. I am 83 years old, optimistic and looking forward to getting either my Pfizer or my Moderna immunization.

Either we give up eating meat, using oil for heat and transportation and overpopulating the Earth, or we vanish. It’s au revoir or adieu.

James Breasted Carbondale

YouthZone continues to receive support Editor: In November, Glenwood Springs Ford and Steve Nilsson invited YouthZone to join them in their Community Partnership campaign which resulted in a $3,250 donation. We also earned $18,725 from those of you who graciously supported us on Colorado Gives Day. Later in December, Krista Klees hosted the Lucky Chances Luncheon where donations made to YouthZone were matched

by Slifer, Smith and Frampton totaling $9,610.

In the face of such an unprecedented year, you have stepped up to give our community the services it needs to be healthy and supported. YouthZone continues to receive calls, letters, and drop-ins from individuals who still want to give back and help our youth move forward. It is humbling to be a part of a community that has the motivation to give even when there is so much uncertainty in our day-to-day lives.

YouthZone thanks you for your continued kindness and support this year. We will continue to offer life-changing services to the youth of our valley, and your gifts are what will keep us doing just that. We hope to see you -in person- in the coming year to celebrate the amazing community we are building together.

Many thanks and warmest regards this holiday season.

Carol S. Wolff YouthZone Development Director

Continued from page 2

The influence of social media Dear Editor: Social media has always been a huge part of our lives and will continue to be.

Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to media until around 8th grade, when I got my first phone. I remember being frustrated with my parents’ choice of waiting to get me a phone so late. It made me feel out of place; I wasn’t grouped in with the majority of the public. Everyone around me was snapchatting and talking about things they had seen on Instagram and I felt excluded from that.

Now that I have social media and it has become a part of my everyday life, I have a better understanding and comparison to what social media can do to a person. At that time, however, I was frustrated. Now, reflecting on the direction my parents choose, I am unconditionally grateful.

I took Political Science this semester with CU, which in itself has intrigued and educated me in a variety of ways. Presently, growing up is not only a struggle due to the pandemic, but a challenge because of the influence that social media has on adolescence.

In taking Political Science, we were required to watch “The Social Dilemma,” a documentary about social media and its impact and powerful influence. The documentary was accurate and alarming based on research done behind the scenes for different apps. By the end, I wanted to delete social media, buy a flip phone, and go against the norms of society. But I didn't, and here's why.

Being a high school student at RFHS, I believe I have a good understanding of how social media affects my generation. There is a certain need to feel included, to post that one picture you think makes you look good, to show the world how great your life is. In reality, we are just living through our phones, lacking creativity, and obsessed with what the world thinks of us.

We have become so prone to measuring our self worth in the amount of likes or views we get on a post. No matter how much anyone says it doesn’t affect them, it does. We have become so addicted that deleting an app, such as Snapchat, seems like the scariest decision of our lives. We have found comfort in our phones. It may fill that awkward silence, but it’s also heartbreaking that these apps control our lives.

I’m not saying go off the grid. I’m saying find a balance. Leave your phone at home or in your car and direct your full attention to the world and people around you. Take the time to notice little things, have a meaningful conversation and give that person your undivided attention.

Those snapchats will still be there when you get back. Although it may be hard, limit yourself.

People have lived hundreds of years without the technology we have today, so find the power in yourself to overcome the temptations and break the norms of society to rediscover the things that really matter.

Kathrynn Noll RFHS student

Choose the longer line Dear Editor: I grab the keys off the kitchen counter, trying to make as little noise as possible to not disrupt my sleeping parents. I walk toward the garage door and slowly open it. A loud creak from the door sends shockwaves through my spine.

It is entirely silent. I dash into the garage, softly closing the door behind me, and jump into my car. Promptly starting the ignition, I pull out of the driveway and pick up my friend who is standing on my street corner.

We are heading to our state capital, a fourhour drive, to protest against police brutality Continued on page 18

SUZOKU

By Suzie Brady

Help The Sun continue the fun in 2021!

Schedule your GIFT through Colorado Gives For more info contact Todd Chamberlin adsales@soprissun.com | 970-510-0246 The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.

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18 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 24 - December 30, 2020

instructional team researched several models for returning to in-person learning during a pandemic over the summer, including a block schedule. Ultimately, we stuck with a typical schedule due to staffing and other scheduling logistics.”

This has meant that, when RFHS has been able to have in-school instruction, if one or more students is quarantined, the teacher must conduct simultaneous in-person and online instruction. Denise Wright, who teaches ninthand 10th-grade English, noted that this has posed a significant challenge for developing lesson plans. She continued, “For a subject like mine, [in-class and online instruction] works pretty well.” But for a science teacher, if just one student is quarantined, his or her lab “just got blown up.”

Wright added, “One of the biggest challenges is the lack of substitutes.”

She recently had firsthand experience when she had to quarantine herself for two school

days. Indeed, Been noted that both CRE and RFHS transitioned to distance learning before winter break, largely as a result of “diminished staffing capacity because of quarantine.”

As of the start of winter break, per the RFSD COVID Dashboard, 692 students, 47 faculty and staff, and 29 cohorts were under quarantine throughout the system. Perhaps the good news was that only 31 students and staff had actually tested positive for the coronavirus to date, and none had contracted it at school. Been also noted, “We have had 12 staff leave because of COVID since the pandemic started.”

Looking past winter break, Been said, “We are providing Roaring Fork Schools Online High School, a fully remote option for those who need to choose that option during spring semester. As much as possible, in-person and remote learning will be separate, but because high school schedules are so complex, there might be a few exceptions: Some classes will continue to be taught by an in-person teacher.”

LETTERS

Continued from page 16

and violence against black people. My heart races and my body gushes with adrenaline. I yearn to speak up against the killing of innocent people. I put my foot on the gas and drive away.

My head buzzes with thoughts, and I cannot help but wonder, how did I get here?

Growing up, I was very shy and timid. I rarely spoke up during class for fear of going against others’ opinions or being wrong. I continually stayed quiet, rarely sharing my point of view and always concurring, whether I agreed or not.

An example of this was during my sophomore year of high school, where I was chosen as a test subject in a psychology experiment. I was asked to complete a clerical duty for the teacher, as he drew two lines of varying lengths on the whiteboard. Without my knowledge, the rest of the class was instructed to say the shorter line was longer.

When I arrived back, the teacher asked the class to say which line they thought was longer.

Everyone claimed it was the shorter line. When it was my turn to answer, I quickly agreed with everyone else's opinion, even though I knew it was wrong. When I learned that I had been the subject of a psychology experiment on conformity, I was embarrassed. I knew what I wanted to say, yet I continued to remain on the fence, too shy to jump to one side or the other.

It wasn’t until my junior year that I found my confidence in myself and my voice. While completing an English research project, I chose to study the environmental impacts of the meat and dairy industry. I always considered myself an environmentalist. However, I never voiced it

as it was perceived as “nerdy” within my social circle. While learning about the disastrous effects of this industry, I became enraged. A fire lit within. I felt compelled to help make a change for the betterment of the environment.

I decided I needed to take action, for I could no longer watch the planet and those on it diminish. The following week, I swiftly joined my school’s Energy Club and switched to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Since then, I have become more driven to live by my morals and values. Over time, I have learned that words are empty without action.

I now take initiative on issues I believe are paramount. Whether that is protesting against police brutality at my state capital, joining my school’s energy club to help create a more sustainable world, speaking up during class, or presenting ideas in front of the whole school as Student Body President.

I have finally found my voice and I refuse to be a bystander. I will continue to use my passion to voice my beliefs to achieve a sustainable and equitable planet even if there is discord from others.

Do not get me wrong, it is not simple. I still get jittery and nervous before I speak my mind or take action but I no longer let it suppress me. I have stopped standing idly by for fear of contradicting others' opinions. I no longer conform. I now leap off the fence onto one side or the other and choose the longer line.

Sydney Schramer RFHS student

The Gift We gather, we laugh, we dance and we sing We each have a present to give to our King Now, it’s not something you buy in a store It’s so much more costly ’cause He deserves more He deserves much more than money can buy Although He’d be pleased with a shirt and a tie He deserves all that we ever could give He paid the price so forever we’d live With Him forever, for eternity, with Him for always That’s His plan for us, you see?

What is this one thing to Him you could give, that because of your gift many others might live?

With Him forever in eternity, with Him for always, that’s his plan for you and me This gift we can give was to us first given Until we let go really keeps us from livin’ You won’t find it in a window, in a case or on a shelf This gift lies inside of you, so please give Him yourself

Jim DeBerge So what is this gift that is fit for a King?

What is more precious to Him than anything? Carbondale

PARTING SHOTS

LEGALS

Make-A-Wish Foundation put a big smile on 6 year old Addy Moss' face when they teamed up with Camping World in Golden to grant her wish of a camper trailer. "Addy loves being outdoors and going places with her family", says mom Jen Moss. "We are all looking forward to travel and adventure next summer." Visit teamaddy.com to follow Addy's adventures. Photos by Paula Mayer

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PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Thompson Park, LLC ("Applicant") has submitted an application for approval of a preliminary and final subdivision application ("Application"), for the property legally described as Parcel 3 and Parcel 4, THOMPSON PARK SUBDIVISION, according to the MASTER PLAT thereof filed May 19, 2015, as Reception No. 862909, Garfield County, Colorado ("Property"), with Parcel 3 comprising .46 acres and Parcel 4 comprising .98 acres. Thompson Park, LLC is the owner of the Property.

Applicant is proposing to (a) subdivide Parcel 3 into 4 lots and build 6 residential units thereon and (b) subdivide Parcel 4 into 7 lots and build 7 residential units thereon. One condominiumized structure containing a total of three units will be constructed on one of the lots on Parcel 3, and all three of those units will be deed-restricted for affordable housing. The remaining lots on Parcel 3 will be developed as townhomes, and all lots on Parcel 4 will be developed as single-family dwellings. This Application will not change what was already approved during the Major Site Plan Review for the Property. It would simply divide the property into lots to allow for individual dwelling units which can be sold.

The Town of Carbondale Planning & Zoning Commission, Garfield County, State of Colorado, will conduct a public hearing to consider the Application on January 14, 2021, at 7:00 PM, at Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, Colorado.

You may watch a live streaming of the meeting on You Tube. Search Town of Carbondale January 14, 2021 meeting. Please be aware that you will experience a 15-30 second delay.

If you would like to submit comments regarding this application, email your comments or letter to msikes@carbondaleco. net by 4:00 pm on January 14, 2021. This email or letter will be entered into the record.

If you would like to comment during the meeting, email msikes@ carbondaleco.net with your full name and address by 4:00 pm on January 14, 2021. You will receive instructions on joining the meeting online prior to 7:00 p.m.

Also, you may contact msikes@ carbondaleco.net to get a phone number to listen to the meeting, however, you will be unable to make comments. Wifi will be available in the lobby of Town Hall and a phone will also be available in the lobby for the public to listen to the meeting.

Please email Janet Buck at jbuck@ carbondaleco.net or call 970/4563036 by 4:00 p.m. the date of the public hearing if special accommodations are necessary to participate in the meeting.

Copies of the proposed application are available on the Town's website at www.carbondalegov.org. Please contact msikes@carbondaleco.

net if you are unable to view the application on the Town's website and would like to request an alternate method of review.

Janet Buck, Town Planner PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission for the purpose of considering a Subdivision Exemption to create Lot B1 and Lot B2 of the Melton/ Bair Subdivision Exemption and to correct the application process and survey data concerning the Needham Minor Plat Amendment.

The property is located in the Residential/Medium Density zone district.

The property is located at 734 Garfield Avenue, Section 34, Township 7, Range 88 Lot: B of the Melton/Bair Subdivision Exemption, a resubdivision of Lots 5,6,7, And the West 22.5' Of Lot 4, Block 23, Original Townsite, Carbondale 10109 Sq Ft. The Applicant is Dominique Needham.

The owner is Dominique Needham.

You may watch a live streaming of the meeting on You Tube at 7:00 p.m. on January 14, 2021. Search for Town of Carbondale Planning Commission January 14, 2021 meeting. Please be aware that you will experience a 15-30 second delay while viewing the meeting.

If you would like to submit comments regarding this application, email your comments or letter to msikes@carbondaleco. net<mailto:msikes@ carbondaleco.net> by 4:00 pm on January 14, 2021. This email or letter will be entered into the record.

If you would like to comment during the meeting, email msikes@ carbondaleco.net with your full name and address by 4:00 pm on January 14, 2021. You will receive instructions on joining the meeting online prior to 7:00 p.m.

Also, you may contact msikes@ carbondaleco.net to get a phone number to listen to the meeting, however, you will be unable to make comments. Wi-Fi will be available in the lobby of Town Hall and a phone will also be available in the lobby for the public to listen to the meeting.

Please email Janet Buck at jbuck@ carbondaleco.net or call 970/4563036 by 4:00 p.m. the date of the public hearing if special accommodations are necessary to participate in the meeting.

Copies of the proposed application are available on the Town's website at www.carbondalegov.org Please contact msikes@carbondaleco. net if you are unable to view the application on the Town's website and would like to request an alternate method of review.

John Leybourne, Planner PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that KDNK's Board of Directors will host a special meeting on December 30th, 2020 at 5:45 pm.

The agenda is posted at KDNK.org

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