Because every town needs a park, a library and a newspaper
Carbondale’s weekly
community connector
2020 unmasked
Most of us haven’t had a chance to see many uncovered faces since March, so we thought we’d share a few — all taken from a safe distance or within a pod. Photos by Jane Bachrach, Will Grandbois and Amy Hadden Marsh
Volume 12, Number 47 | Dec. 31, 2020 - Jan. 6, 2021
OPINION
WILL CALL By Will Grandbois
The months since I announced my departure from the paper remind me of graduating high school, with everyone asking what’s next. It’s gratifying that so many people assumed that only something bigger and better could drag me away from The Sun. But it’s really more like a gap year. I understand now why so many people cite “personal reasons” for a departure. It covers all sorts of overlapping situations. But the core truth is that I’ve found myself spread too thin during this pandemic. I need to concentrate on weathering this time with my family, and the paper needs someone who can seize the moment and really run with it. Raleigh Burleigh’s selection as my replacement has rescued me from any fear about the paper’s future. He’s backed by a steller crew, from the board to the staff to contributors. And he’s fresh and full of energy. Honestly, sometimes I think editors would benefit from four-year terms to prevent burnout
LETTERS
Welcoming a new dawn
— probably most jobs would. So I’m left looking back at my tenure and wondering if it was enough. After 2020 in particular, I think it’s good for us all to give some thought to our points of pride. Right off the bat, I added some new features to the paper, and Our Town and Pages of the Past seem consistently well-received by readers. We now have a comic, puzzles and occasional horoscopes. I’ve overseen a complete turnover of the board and staff, recruited new contributors and found new ways to work with the old ones. The printed product itself is physically bigger, on better paper, and in bound volumes for perusal at the Carbondale Branch Library. We have more awards than room to display them. Did I accomplish as much as you’d expect from high school, college or a presidential term? Not on my own. But this is a team effort. Kathryn Camp planted the office garden; I just tended it. Jane Bachrach came up with Parting Shots; I just kept it going. Footsteps designed the website; I just updated it. I think the whole role of the editor is to take what’s been done before and what’s happening now and funnel it into some sort of cohesive whole. If you emerge with a lot of glory for yourself alone, you’re doing it wrong. Even so, Trina Ortega, Terray Sylvester and Lynn Burton all left indelible marks on this paper and, by
Hunter response Dear Editor Pat Hunter wrote a thought provoking letter to the editor on Dec. 17 titled “You ain’t seen nothing yet”. In his letter, Pat expresses concern about the residential housing being built along the Highway 133 corridor and the Town’s Unified Development Code (UDC). Since I see both as generally positive, I thought that I would offer another perspective. During the 1990s and early 2000s, many of us spent countless hours encouraging the Garfield County Commissioners not to fill every field between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs with huge subdivisions and/or shopping centers. The Town of Carbondale and City of Glenwood Springs asserted that they were willing to accept reasonable growth through infill and annexation. Over time, Garfield County became comfortable with that and its current 2020 Comprehensive Plan has goals and policies that reflect their commitment to working with the towns and cities to support growth within municipal boundaries. Locally, I was part of the resistance to previous proposals for the Crystal River Marketplace land. In the course of that I spoke with countless people about what could work there. There was a strong majority for a new City Market and rental housing and/or mixed use on the Main St. end of the property.
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
The bound volumes of The Sopris Sun and Valley Journal are reminders that today's news is tomorrow's history. Photo by Marc Grandbois extension, on this community. Former Valley Journal Editor John Colson has been a mentor and much more. And longtime graphic designer Terri Ritchie will continue to bring some essential institutional knowledge to the board. Don’t expect my byline to disappear entirely. I’m not going anywhere and, while switching
Residents were also tired of the long battles over Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) that started by throwing out the code and negotiating projects without clear ends in mind. That led to the Town updating its Comprehensive Plan. A key goal of the plan was to create a Unified Development Code that would diminish the role of PUDs and provide the community and landowners specific direction on what was acceptable. This included new site reviews, prescribed orientation and massing of buildings, and a move toward mixed uses along Highway 133. There has also been new energy efficiency requirements for homes and businesses rooted in the new direction set by the plan, the Town’s Climate Plan and the UDC. Concurrently, macroeconomic and quality of life forces have led Carbondale to see explosive growth in real estate prices and a subsequent loss of rental housing. Through November, the average sale price of a single family home in Carbondale was $1,279,733 — a stunning number to me and a 26% increase from 2019. The average townhome price was $647,235. Many of the people who are critical to the health and creativity in the community are facing difficult assessments about whether they can afford to stay in town. Three projects along the Highway 133 corridor of which Pat is critical seem useful to me. The small apartments under construction near the new City Market and at the roundabout are part of mixed use developments that will bring much needed rentals to replace some of the lost
careers has a certain allure, my skill set is mostly in journalism. But in the meantime, I’m looking forward to joining the ranks of the readers and watching the next chapter unfold. Thank you for continuing to read and support The Sopris Sun. I hope you all find the good luck and grit you need in the new year.
rental units. The Red Hill Lofts along Dolores Way would be all deed restricted for affordability down to 40% of area median income while the other two projects will have at least 20% of their units deed restricted by income. Combined these projects will help some with the loss of rental housing. In the absence of a public subsidy, the UDC’s support for accessory dwelling units in some situations and mixed uses along Highway 133 are our best options for addressing the loss of rental housing. There will be additional traffic due to these and other developments and there would be additional traffic without them. I/we are addicted to motorized mobility. The electric car revolution will help with emissions, but we can all expect more traffic as long as we all drive more. Eventually, demand management, biking, and walking will have to play an increased role in our mobility. Experience suggests that it will probably have to get worse before we are willing to give up some of our conveniences to reduce driving. Thanks to Pat for furthering the conversation! Bob Schultz Carbondale
Reboot New year brings new hope Put a grim year behind us Into the unknown JM Jesse Glenwood Springs
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 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
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.
Year in review 2020 — a year apart
Although it started before and will continue after, COVID-19 has defined 2020. The relative normalcy of January and February feels distant and alien now, and events that would once have defined the year — such as the Grizzly Creek Fire — seem almost like footnotes. The virus was in the news heading into the new year, but the norovirus outbreak in Mesa County seemed like a more immediate threat. In February, The Sopris Sun staff discussed what to do if the virus made it here, but it seemed like a longshot. In retrospect, it seems likely that had already happened, but we finally opted to go remote once the first cases were confirmed in Aspen. Then, almost overnight, everything began shutting down. Most of our March 12 edition was out of date by the time Friday the 13th rolled around. We had to rethink almost everything, from distribution to deadlines. Now, last-minute changes and cancellations have become the norm. Instead of just scrambling to keep up, The Sun has to play to the strengths of a weekly — going deeper or broader; telling more personal stories. Although everything has been touched by the pandemic, we’ve made a point of balancing hard news with lighter features. It may have sometimes seemed strange to read about death and distance running in the same issue, but life must go on even amid tragedy. Rather than pretend to be apart from it all, we’ve tried to share our own stories of working remotely, receiving awards via Zoom or even getting sick and questioning a negative test. We worried over empty shelves, wondered what would happen to our
favorite businesses and tried to find ways to keep our spirits up. And, thanks to your support, we’re still here with you as an end seems to be within reach. But before we take that journey together, let’s take a look back and see how far we’ve come.
While many of us worked from home — or not at all — essential workers like Chad Knaus were on the frontlines of the pandemic. Photo by Laurel Smith
MARCH
JANUARY Cheers to that
Marble Distilling offers ‘Zero Proof ’
Carbondale Beer Works spearheaded a campaign to pay off Carbondale Middle School students’ lunch debts. Organizers Patrice Fuller and April Spaulding raised $4,300 by January 8, surpassing what was owed and allowing for a bank of money to also pay off future food debts.
Marble Distilling began hosting alcohol-free nights for local teenagers to safely mingle in a mature setting away from the trappings of technology. The first 21-and-under events took place on First Fridays with plans to continue monthly.
Forest Service
Streamin’ Steve’s slips in
The Red Rock Diner, a fixture just north of town since the early '90s, abruptly shuttered in January.
White River National Photo by Will Grandbois Forest revealed plans for the redevelopment of its Aspen-Sopris Ranger District Office on Main Street in Carbondale. Demolition of the current building was slated for spring of 2021 with a temporary “storefront” installed to continue visitor information services during construction. According to Acting Public Affairs Specialist Lore Almazan, “This re-development project will improve the safety, functionality, energy efficiency, and access to the property.”
Marble Distilling's Connie Baker poured "small" batches of hand sanitizer on March 20 because the parts needed for larger quantities were unavailable. Photo by Laurel Smith
Steve Standiford and GrassRoots TV teamed up just in time to offer high-definition video streaming from Carbondale’s staple music venue. The initiative began as an archival effort and also to expand the audience for that increasingly-crowded, intimate listening room. Steve’s Guitars has continued to provide live music throughout the pandemic, including the 1,000th Friday concert in September, thanks to having the cameras and protocols in place.
FEBRUARY Down the rabbit hole Carbondale Trustees reconsidered the Town’s rabbit policy at the request of keeper Matt Kennedy. Trustee Erica Sparhawk’s proposal, based in part on the existing chicken policy, called for a maximum of 15 adults with no more than 30 rabbits total. The previous cap had been three rabbits per household.
Bilingual chamber buds Colombian business-developers John Lopez and Paulina Navas launched the America’s Chamber of Commerce to support any Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valley entrepreneur or business with bilingual resources. The initiative was financed in part by Alpine Bank and appears to have gone quiet at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Families from the school district housing built rockets for an educational learning experience that was social distancing friendly. Photo by Mark Burrows Continued on page 6 THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 3
SCUTTLEBUTT What’s your superpower? Local nonprofit VOICES aims to amplify community voices, empowering participants through a variety of art forms. The organization’s latest achievement features 10 seniors from Bridges High School that produced a short film in collaboration with 5Point Adventure Film Festival. The video is hosted on YouTube with the title “5Point Film VOICES Youth Project.” Business for the Arts Awards Carbondale Clay Center was honored among 12 others by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts. For its “vital role in the Roaring Fork Valley as a supportive and healing place to build community,” the local nonprofit was recognized as having “gone above and beyond to support the arts and creative industries.” All honorees will be celebrated with a virtual banquet on Mar. 9, 2021. Finish what your started Have you earned college credits but have no degree? Colorado Mountain College is offering a new scholarship to help you finish what you started. Students taking 12 credits or more may receive up to $500 per semester. To learn more, schedule an appointment with a CMC counselor at Colorado Mtn.edu/Finish. That bites Due to budget cuts, the Garfield County Sheriff 's office is phasing out its animal control program beginning Dec. 27. The department will continue to handle bites, animal cruelty and other emergencies, but will not deal in lost and found pets, strays or wandering livestock. CO-OP seeks membership The Colorado Outdoor Partnership (CO-OP) will play a leading role in the Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative created by Governor Polis through executive order on Oct. 30. The Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the CO-OP, is tasked with establishing a state-level vision for balancing recreation and conservation and to ensure equitable and sustainable access to outdoor recreation. Organizations wishing to join the CO-OP must apply by Jan. 7. More information is at copartnership.org.
Tanner Rollyson receives support On Dec. 21st, Carbondale-native Tanner Rollyson, 33-year-old son of Sopris Sun photographer Sue Rollyson, suffered a seizure while at work. It was discovered that he has a brain tumor the size of a pingpong ball and, unfortunately, the incident occurred before his date of eligibility for work insurance. The family has nearly reached a fundraising goal of $20,000 to help with the expenses for his surgery on Jan. 8. You can contribute by visiting the “Help Tanner with Medical Costs for Brain Tumor” page at GoFundMe.com, through Venmo to @Rianna-Briggs or PayPal to Rianna.briggs@outlook.com GarCo facility goes solar The Garfield County Road and Bridge building near Cattle Creek is now powered by a new 25-kilowatt rooftop photovoltaic array, providing roughly 95 percent of its electricity for an estimated savings of $12,000 annually. This facility houses the county’s District 1 operations, including maintenance of county roads from South Canyon to Carbondale, as well as storage of equipment and materials. Holy Cross Energy (HCE) and Clean Energy Economy for the Region assisted with the project which will receive an $18,500 rebate from HCE. The Sun Does Shine Colorado Mountain College’s selection for 2021’s Common Reader is “The Sun Does Shine” by Anthony Ray Hinton. Hinton spent 30 years in solitary confinement on death row for crimes he did not commit. His memoir tells of perseverance and triumph over injustice, addressing racial inequality and the need for criminal justice reform. Books are available at local bookstores, libraries, some CMC locations and online. The annual author talk will be streamed through the college’s website on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25. The Heat is On The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up again for New Year’s Eve DUI enforcement. CDOT and Lyft are also working together to offer free or discounted rides. More information is at GiftofLyft.com. Meanwhile, with COVID on the rise, state officials urge people to refrain from gathering with anyone outside of their immediate household.
Aspen residents and businesses were severely impacted by an act of tampering targeting three Black Hills Energy sites. The incident required crews to turn off 3,500 gas meters to make repairs and re-pressurize the system. Aspen Police are soliciting information behind graffiti scrawled at one of the vandalized sites proclaiming "Earth First!" Tips can be called in at 920-5400. Courtesy photo
Cop Shop
From Dec. 4 through 23, Carbondale Police handled 589 calls for service, including the following cases of note: SATURDAY Dec. 5 at 7:27 p.m. Officers took a
MONDAY Dec. 14 at 1:03 p.m. Officers took a
SUNDAY Dec. 6 at 2:06 p.m. A 911 hang-up led to
TUESDAY Dec. 15 at 1:38 p.m. Police were
theft report involving stealing from within a family.
the arrest of 35-year-old for domestic violence, a misdemeanor and other charges.
TUESDAY Dec. 8 at 5:05 p.m. Officers were contacted regarding packages allegedly stolen from a front porch.
THURSDAY Dec. 10 at 12:12 p.m. Responding to
a report of theft from the school district, two kids were summoned for theft and trespassing.
report of child abuse.
called to investigate illegal cutting in a riparian area.
WEDNESDAY Dec. 16 at 1:27 p.m. A business owner accused of tax violation was issued a summons. MONDAY Dec. 21 at 5:51 p.m. Officer responded to a transient complaint at City Market and arrested a man on a warrant. TUESDAY Dec. 22 at 5:55 p.m. Police were
FRIDAY Dec. 11 at 1:41 a.m. A domestic violence
called about a man trespassing. He was issued a summons.
FRIDAY Dec. 11 at 2:06 p.m. A 26-year-old was issued a summons for failure to provide vehicle registration and insurance after a non-injury accident on Satank Road.
WEDNESDAY Dec. 23 12:33 p.m. Snowmass
call led to one party being arrested.
FRIDAY Dec. 11 at 7:46 p.m. A 55-year-old was arrested for domestic violence and taken to Garfield County Jail on multiple charges.
Village Police called for assistance with a theft of three “one-wheel” devices. A man matching the suspect’s description was contacted and was in possession of the items. He provided a fictitious name and was arrested. Numerous fictitious identification and credit cards were found in his possession. He was transported to the Garfield County Jail.
They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Chris Barlow and Kris Cook (Dec. 31); Ryan Camp, Anne Grice, DJ Hill and Dan Sadowsky ( Jan. 1); Dustin Eli and Eric Rudd ( Jan. 2); Angela Bruno, Patrick Casse, Jay Engstrom, Mark Hamilton, Kerry Honan and Lucas Pulver ( Jan. 3); Bob Albright, Skip Bell, Rick Herrington, Pat Murray, Paul Nieslanik, Brad Palmer and Melinda Schultz ( Jan. 4); Logan Doherty, JP Bauer and Rachel Orosz ( Jan. 5) and Taylor Faczak and Peter Lamort ( Jan. 6).
Best way to warm up after playing in the cold
December’s Special Cranberry-Pomegranate Body Wrap Private Mineral Bath Day pass to Our Historic Vapor Caves “A Day at the Spa” $109
TWIN LABS APPLIANCE REPAIR 970-401-2710
No Walkins Please Call for Appointments
Historic Underground Vapor Caves
For Information & Reservations call 970-945-0667 • yampahspa.com Spa Open 9-9 Salon Open 9-7 • Gift Certificates Available at Our Website 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
When your appliances fail, don't chase your tail - call Twin Labs
Authorized service provider
Carbondale’s Community Supported Weekly Newspaper
Support The Sun in 2021 Become an Annual Advertiser Advertise your business or sponsor ads for a non-profit ... Or combine the two!
Special Advertising Packages and Discounts for: Non-Profits New Businesses and Sole Proprietorships Event Venues such as Restaurants and Theaters Annual Sponsorship - pledge to support the non-profit of your choice Annual Advertisers commit to minimum annual advertising budget — you decide ad size & frequency
Single week ad insertions as low as $25.
Contact Todd Chamberlin
adsales@soprissun.com 970-510-0246
THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 5
Year from page 3
JUNE
APRIL
Marketplace materializes Carbondale’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a plan submitted by Texas-based Builders FirstSource for a lumber yard showroom to be built adjacent to the new City Market. Bob Schultz, representing Crystal River Marketplace, explained that the site will work toward a “barn” architectural theme so that “Everyone driving past on Highway 133 isn’t looking at building materials.”
Tobacco tax approved With incumbents Ben Bohmfalk, Lani Kitching and Marty Silverstein running unopposed for their trustee seats, Carbondale voters approved an increase of four dollars per pack of cigarettes or 40 percent on other tobacco products with funds designated for prevention and treatment of tobacco use and enforcement and education related to risks and regulations. Meanwhile, former Town Manager Bill Kane was elected mayor of Basalt and Sydney Schalit and Gene Schilling were elected to serve three-year terms on the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District board.
Top cop Rifle Police Sgt. Kirk Wilson was selected to lead the Carbondale Police Department as longtime Chief Gene Schilling planned his retirement. The selection process included public and private vetting before social distancing measures took effect.
Marble further isolates Marble and its surroundings were affected by Gunnison County enacting some of the strictest COVID regulations in the state. A portable sign installed on County Road 3 advised passersby that entrance was restricted to residents returning from meeting their essential needs, like grocery shopping. The greatest enforcement challenge involved trailhead activity and nonresident recreationists.
‘Carbondale Collapse Zone’ lives up to its name Angelina Taylor sewing a mask in April. Photo by Mark Burrows
MAY Mask up Two months into the pandemic, Carbondale adopted a mask ordinance requiring face coverings in businesses and public buildings, exempting children under two, people with breathing conditions, offices without public interaction and as necessary for eating and drinking, security purposes or services like dentistry. Mayor Dan Richardson cast the sole dissenting vote on the measure which was met with a mixed reception among Carbondale’s business community.
Valley View faces cuts Pressured by the pandemic, Valley View Hospital laid off 10 percent of its workforce. Additionally, all executive salaries were lowered by 10 percent along with a reduction of non-essential services like valet, childcare and community programs.
Roaring Fork and Bridges High School graduates drove rather than walked into adulthood. With KDNK broadcasting the ceremonies, they stepped out of their cars to turn their tassels and then paraded through downtown. Photo by Laurel Smith
6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
A large sinkhole was filled after collapsing part of Highway 133 south of the intersection with Main Street. The hole measured 15 feet in diameter by 12 feet deep and required 125 tons of road base material to fill. Colorado Department of Transportation employee Tim Bolbrook had been filling a pothole when the small depression cracked open to reveal the cavernous, dark hole. “I thought I was staring down into my tomb and grave,” said Holbrook.
Local swimming holes redesigned Basalt Town Council approved initial plans for the new Arbaney Park Pool Complex, first built in the mid-1990s. Among the highlights: a robot-shaped kids’ pool. Meanwhile, Carbondale’s John M. Fleet Pool is being reimagined by the Park and Recreation Commission with community feedback.
Main Street one-way creates conflict Carbondale Trustees faced a dispute among Main Street businesses over their decision to restrict the 300 block to one-way traffic in order to allow dining in the right of way. After just a few weeks, retail establishments were feeling disadvantaged by the limitation of vehicular traffic. That led to a new solution — slightly narrower dining areas with two-way traffic around the clock, with full closures on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Coffman Ranch preservation makes headway Efforts to conserve the Coffman Ranch made progress as Great Outdoors Colorado awarded a $2.5 million grant to Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) to help purchase the 141-acre property. The project needs a total of $8.5 million to conserve and steward the land with a discounted purchase price of $6.5 million. According to Suzanne Stephens, executive director of AVLT, “We definitely want to provide a space for the community... [and] public access to the river.”
Business as unusual Ever-changing regulations have left shops, restaurants and other services scrambling. Some, like Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli, just pulled up stakes, while the Pour House has opted to just close for the duration. Among the rest, here are a few that stood out in their attempts to keep the door’s open, if only figuratively.
The Beat scrapped its restaurant service for the time being to operate as a pick-up and delivery grocer — with a few housemade options. The Crystal Theatre continues to offer concessions to go with your at-home movie experience. The Black Lives Matter movement came to Carbondale, with weekly demonstrations at the Fourth Street Plaza through the summer. Photo by Will Grandbois
JULY
Support for BLM covered the chalkboard by the library in June. Photo by Marc Bruell
Dos Gringos Burritos offered carside pickup on rollerskates during the initial closures. Habitat for Humanity’s Restore put
Change keeps coming
its inventory online for virtual browsing.
Carbondale Center Place, LLC, site of the Sopris Shopping Center and Sopris Self Storage, pursued rezoning to split the lot with mixed use zoning on the west and commercial transitional to the east. Longterm plans include demolition of the existing shopping center to make way for an expansion of the storage building and addition of a mostly-residential building.
The Hotel Denver provided free housing to evacuees from the Grizzly Creek Fire. The Near New took limited hours and volunteers as an excuse to be open on Saturdays for the first time. The Post Independent reduced its distribution to three days a week, while the Roaring Fork Weekly Journal closed up shop.
501c3 seeks protection for Crystal Mill Crystal Mill Foundation was formed to raise money to buy the property housing its namesake. “It’s about preserving something magical,” explained the new nonprofit’s president Heather Leigh. She considers the Crystal Mill to be “the most iconic structure in the state” and explains that, in her experience, most of the Mill’s many visitors think it’s already under protection.
On Mountain Fair weekend masked cops were wearing the traditional tie dye. Photo by Laurel Smith
Slow Groovin’ BBQ brought its food truck down to the former Red Rock Diner until renovations were complete and it reopened as Honey Butter.
Co l
e o Av ad or
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 • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 7
Year from page 7
The show must go on
SEPTEMBER Redstone Castle for sale
Social distancing hit just in time to postpone (and ultimately cancel) the Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza. At the time, it seemed safe to schedule events for autumn, and 5Point opted to change the date as well. But as it became clear that restrictions would be with us for a while, many event organizers opted to do what they could with the time they had — leading to some interesting solutions.
After multi-million-dollar renovations requiring years of hearings, permits and infrastructure requirements, the Redstone Castle was put back on the market by owners April and Steve Carver. Operating during the pandemic was determined unsustainable by the 11th owners of the 118-year-old-estate, setting Coldwell Banker real estate company to the task of attracting the regal mansion’s 12th owner/s.
First Friday went virtual thanks to Thunder River Theatre Company’s “ThunderStream” — a system that became central to many online events. TRTC itself used the platform for a play, while Stage of Life Theatre Company opted for a radio adaptation.
Completing the count
Dandelion Day was replaced by a series of pop-up plant sales outside of Mana Foods.
The Grizzly Creek Fire flared up in Glenwood Canyon on Aug. 10, displacing some 200 residents and closing Interstate 70 for nearly two weeks. Ultimately, 32,464 acres were burned, contributing to the smoky atmosphere caused by a record-breaking fire season. The Pine Gulch Fire, north of Grand Junction, burned 139,007 acres. Photo by Christopher Mullen
The Farmer’s Market was one of the few official municipal events to proceed more-or-less as usual, with food distribution classified as essential. Still, social distancing was enforced.
AUGUST
Mountain Fair mixed online and on-air entertainment
with musical acts on a flatbed truck and artisan booths in the fenced-off lot at the corner of Sixth and Main streets.
The 2020 Census Bureau faced pandemicrelated obstacles to completing its total count of people residing in the United States, as mandated by the Constitution. Thankfully, responding online, by telephone or by mail had never been easier. The completion date was pushed back from July 31 to Oct. 31, but that date was revised to Sept. 30 and changed again to Oct. 15. Locally, the Aspen to Parachute Complete Count Committee organized to reach historically undercounted populations living in our area.
CORE Act gains traction The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act headed to the U.S. Senate for review. If passed, 400,000 acres of land in Colorado -including the majority of the Thompson Divide- would gain protection from future oil and gas leases. Existing lease holders would have the option of relinquishing their leases and in turn be compensated for nearly all expenditures, sans legal fees.
Our Town One Table, though officially canceled by
the Town, went bilingual in your own backyard thanks to KDNK.
Potato Day followed a similar model as the fair, with virtual contests, a treasure hunt and a special suffragettethemed farmer’s market.
New City Market opens After decades of resistance and negotiation, property annexed by Carbondale in the early 1970s was successfully developed and generating tax revenue. The land was among 350 acres donated to Colorado Rocky Mountain School founders John and Anne Holden by Harald “Shorty” Pabst in 1953. These 57 acres -sold, annexed and rezoned- were a cause for controversy as developers pursued projects palatable to the local population. The new City Market opened on Wednesday, Aug. 25, with 115 residential units and a building supply store in the pipeline.
Other events — including Festival Las Americas, Bike Week, Mr. Roaring Fork, Art aRound Town walk, rodeo, Bonedale Skate Revival, Independence Day parade, Cowboy Up, Celtic Fest and Oktoberfest — simply didn’t take place this year.
Justin Garrard ran in September to raise awareness for Ascendigo. Photo by Mark Burrows
Staying Home? Try Out Our Delivery Services! Holidays are stressful. Covid-19 amplifies anxiety. Remember: We are here for you! ASPENSTRONG.ORG
We want you and your pets to stay healthy and happy, so we are urging our customers to use our delivery services. All orders over $75 get FREE DELIVERY!
THIS COMMUNITY AD SPACE DONATED BY COOL BRICK STUDIOS
SCAN TO JOIN
KDNK.ORG
970-963-1700 RJPaddywacks.com
Not a KDNK member? Join today! 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
Open 7 Days a week − Mon.-Fri. 9:00-6:30 ~ Sat.-Sun. 10-5pm 400 E. Valley Road # I/J, Next to City Market in El Jebel
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER In-person learning returns
Wolves win by a whisker
Roaring Fork School District schools returned to in-person learning amidst fresh snow and record breaking COVID cases. Distance learning and targeted quarantines remained necessary strategies for keeping students and staff healthy. Pressure to reopen schools had been mounting for months as 20 Roaring Fork Valley pediatricians signed a letter warning of the mental health consequences for students if schools remained closed.
Proposition 114, a ballot initiative mandating the reintroduction of gray wolves into Western Colorado by the end of 2023, was narrowly approved by voters. The narrowness of the result reflects the divisiveness of the issue, pitting ecologists, environmentalists and wildlife biologists against farmers, ranchers and hunters. Strong support for the measure was seen in heavily populated areas along the Front Range and in I-70 ski towns with comparable opposition in rural parts of the state.
Eighth Street gets friendly The Town of Carbondale solicited feedback for improving the Eighth Street corridor. Traffic lanes were narrowed and parking was temporarily prohibited on the east side of the street to allow for two pedestrian/bicycling lanes in addition to the sidewalks. This trial emerged through the Town’s Bike/Pedestrian/Trails Commission and efforts by the Carbondale Age Friendly Community Initiative.
Marble site sees major funding The Town of Marble received a $333,000 Resilient Communities Grant from Great Outdoors Colorado to improve the Marble Mill Site Park. The grant is aimed to alleviate crowding, provide better river access, create an additional park entrance and to protect historic structures.
Garfield County shifts without swapping Garfield County Commissioner incumbents John Martin and Mike Samson were reelected in a close race against Democratic challengers Beatriz Soto and Leslie Robinson. Likewise, Republican incumbents Bob Rankin and Perry Will were reelected to the Colorado General Assembly with Bob Rankin serving Senate District 8 and Perry Will representing House District 57.
Gallagher repeal stabilizes special district funding Voters repealed the Gallagher Amendment allowing special districts like Colorado Mountain College and Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District to collect taxes on revenues that more fully reflect the state’s continuing population growth.
Before the pandemic, this bus stop typically would be used by approximately 20 students grades K-12. On an October morning only four Crystal River Elementary School students bordered the school bus for the first time in seven months. Photo by Laurel Smith
Cool Brick Studios
world-class multimedia studio
City Market denied beer The Town reviewed a municipal ordinance -pulled directly from state law- preventing the new City Market development from selling alcohol due to its proximity to Colorado Rocky Mountain School. After extensive public comment and a recommendation by developer Briston Peterson, the Town opted to maintain that the sale of alcohol for carrying off premises be prohibited. Liquor licenses for restaurants and pubs, however, would be allowed within 500 feet of a school property line.
This paper costs $1.80 to produce. Advertising does not cover the full cost. Donations keep The Sopris Sun shining!
Schedule your GIFT through Colorado Gives
DECEMBER Carbondale grows Trustees approved the annexation of land east of Highway 133 near the town’s north entrance. A new self-storage complex will be built between the tire store and Xcel power substation with improvements expected for public infrastructure.
Dinkel building up for sale The Dinkel building, which makes up the entire north side of the 400 block of Main St., went up for sale for the first time in 30 years. Although the Garfield County Clerk and Assessor’s office stil lists the former owner, a subsequent Facebook thread indicates that a sale was pending, with indications that some businesses — like the Crystal Theatre and Bonfire Coffee – were optimistic about renewing their leases.
Art Base takes root A downtown Basalt fixture has taken a giant leap forward to finally find its forever home with the $1.5 million-purchase of the entire building at 174 Midland Ave. Skye Skinner — appointed Art Base executive director after two years in the interim position — announced the upcoming move to the 4880 sq.ft. Three Bears building from its 1800 sq.ft space in the old Basalt library. “This opportunity simply fell out of the sky,” she enthused. “We just couldn’t pass up the chance to establish ourselves here permanently.”
Sopris Sun changes Todd Chamberlin, Sopris Sun advertising director, was appointed to the top spot and will be heading up business development, fundraising, distribution and sales for the organization. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Carbondale-native, bilingual world traveler and former KDNK news director Raleigh Burleigh is ready to take over as editor in 2021.
Re Energize GARFIELD COUNTY
Clean Energy for Economic Recovery
SAVE ENERGY. SAVE MONEY!
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.
photography • film • video 360° virtual tours
CLEER and the Town of Carbondale want to boost your business – and the local recovery – through investments in energy efficiency.
Your Story, Digitized
FREE professional building walk-through
Craft your online narrative
Recommendations on bestbang-for-the-buck energy upgrades
Beautiful Website Design Effective Email Campaigns
Rebates can provide up to 50% of project costs!
Best in Social Media Tactics
Audio and visual excellence all under one roof !
CoolBrickStudios.com
86 S 3rd St. Carbondale, Colorado
Compelling Search Marketing
GET STARTED TODAY! info@CleanEnergyEconomy.net (970) 704-9200
970.510.5233
/
FootStepsMarketing.com
/
Carbondale, CO
THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 9
Great towns deserve great Internet!
Town of Ruedi submerged by reservoir, but not by history
Help us bring Ting Internet to the Roaring Fork Valley
Ting offers the latest technology—Crazy Fast Fiber Internet® direct to your home—for just $89 a month.
Reliable and crazy fast Up to 1000 Mbps upload and download Connects right to your home
No contracts or hidden fees No caps or limits Real, human support 24/7
Why Pre-order? Pre-orders help Ting determine where to build our fiber Internet network. By pre-ordering today you’ll be casting your vote to help bring fiber Internet to your town. The more pre-orders in your area, the more likely you are to get Ting Crazy Fast Fiber Internet® so don’t forget to share this with your community!
Pre-order for just
9
$
Pre-orders: • are refundable • help bring Ting to your area • get you a free install and $50 toward future bills (a $250 value)
Pre-order at ting.com/roaringfork 10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
The Midland Railroad train station in Ruedi, Colorado, circa 1910-15. The town was established in the high mountain valley when the railroad came through in 1887. Ranching continued in the area until Ruedi Dam and Reservoir, which secured political support for the massive Fry-Ark water diversion project, was built beginning in 1964. Photo courtesy of Aspen Historical Society, Margaret Reckling collection By Tim Cooney Aspen Journalism Many know the Ruedi Reservoir on the Fryingpan River 14 miles above Basalt as a fun place to camp, fish, water ski or sail. But few people realize that the water storage there flooded the onetime little town of Ruedi. Long before the multifaceted FryingpanArkansas water diversion project flooded the hamlet and spurred the construction of Ruedi Reservoir in the 1960s, small logging, mining and ranching settlements populated the Fryingpan River Valley in the 1880s. The namesake of the underwater town, and the reservoir, is John Ruedi, a feisty Swiss bachelor who homesteaded what became known as Ruedi and “established the first post office in 1887,” according to the Sept. 25, 1941, edition of The Aspen Times. Ruedi’s ranch bordered the Midland Railway route, which first brought trains in 1887 up to Leadville from Denver, over Hagerman Pass, down the Fryingpan River Valley to Basalt, and then up to Aspen. Before homesteading there, Ruedi lived in Aspen, had mining interests in Ashcroft and made the papers numerous times. In 1892, the Glenwood Avalanche-Echo wrote that Ruedi had “120 head of young cattle and 20 of ponies.” He also built fish ponds and sold trout to the Midland Railway chefs. In a separate fish deal gone bad with the Parker meat market in Aspen over fish quality and nonpayment, Ruedi took the market to court. The March 7, 1885, edition of the Rocky Mountain Sun reported that he once assaulted a county commissioner over a disputed 40 acres and was fined $3 and court costs. The Basalt Journal in April 22, 1899, reported a $7,000 cost for the first wagon road from Basalt to Ruedi, with Ruedi as the “road delegate.” Life in Ruedi could be stark, if not fateful on the edge of the frontier, as evidenced by acrime of passion that disturbed the valley. “Cold Lead Flew Thick and Fast for a Few Moments But Without Fatal Results … A Woman in the Case,” the Rocky Mountain Sun read on July 3, 1897, preceded by the headline, “A RUEDI SHOOTING.” A dispute involving a widow, her young stepson, her brother-in-law and a neighbor escalated into a gun fight, when Ruedi rancher Robert Bridenthal became impassioned after the widow of his late brother, John Bridenthal, moved in with a neighbor, woodcutter Frank Estes, along with her 9-year-old stepson. The woman and boy had been living with
Bridenthal since his brother died. Tensions boiled over and Bridenthal “armed himself with a Winchester and started after the boy.” After confronting Estes, “hot words passed between the two men” and Estes opened fire on Bridenthal, firing four shots. Bridenthal returned fire. One bullet lodged in Bridenthal’s thigh. They exchanged “11 shots at close range,” and “Bridenthal came off second best,” the Sun concluded. Bridenthal then managed “to bound up his wound” and hop a freight train at the Ruedi train station bound for Aspen, where physicians removed the bullet from his thigh at the Citizens’ Hospital. Ruedi sold his ranch along the Fryingpan River in 1906 to “Mr. Brown of Colorado Springs for $6,700,” according to that year’s Sept. 30 edition of The Aspen Times. He then moved to Baggs, Wyo., a wild intersection of Indians, outlaws and horse thieves and where Butch Cassidy had a hideout. The Eagle County Blade noted on Jan. 10, 1907, that Ruedi died suddenly in Craig, Colorado, about 40 miles from Baggs.
Roots of diversion Years later, Ruedi’s legacy would be flooded as part of the Fry-Ark Project, one of the most complex transmountain water-diversion plans in Colorado. The diversion of water through tunnels from west of the Continental Divide to the east side in Colorado — which ultimately led to submerging the town of Ruedi — has roots in the 19th century when settlers needed more irrigation for arid-land farming along the state’s Front Range and Eastern Plains. By the 1930s, Arkansas River Valley farmers had tapped the headwaters of the Roaring Fork with the Independence Pass collection system feeding into Twin Lakes. The Fry-Ark grew out of post-World War II optimism when government championed big projects and environmentalism was a seedling. The planning and debate for the water-redistribution system that now straddles both sides of the Divide played out between the 1950s and 1960s. The construction of its multiple parts took from 1964 to the early 1980s. Industrial and agricultural interests centered in Pueblo, and Arkansas River Valley pressed their case for more water from the Western Slope in the early 1950s. In 1958, the Southeast Colorado Water Conservancy District (SCWCD) was formed for the purpose of developing and administering the Fry-Ark Project, which it still does to the present. Today the rearrangement of native water by the Fry-Ark Project from the Roaring Fork and
REAL ESTATE FOR YOU!
New Listing - New Castle 351 RIO GRANDE AVENUE Coryell Addition — $420,500
Two people sitting in an old car parked on the side of a dirt road along a river. On the back of the 1920 photo, the location is identified as the Frying Pan Valley, about where Ruedi Dam is now. Photo courtesy of Aspen Historical Society Fryingpan rivers requires “six storage dams; 17 diversion dams and structures; hundreds of miles of combined canals, conduits, tunnels, and transmission lines; and two powerplants, switchyards, and substations,” according to Jedediah Rogers’ “The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project,” a 2006 Bureau of Reclamation document. On the western side of the Divide, a halfmoon-shaped, north-south collection system corrals percentages of water from both the upper Fryingpan and Roaring Fork river basins. The Roaring Fork headwater is diverted from the Hunter Creek drainage above Aspen — tapping multiple creeks along the way — into a plumbing junction with the system’s northern arm, which reaches the North Fork of the Fryingpan River. From the intersection point near the Frying Pan Lakes trailhead, the water drains eastward through the 5.4-mile Boustead Tunnel under the Divide. The Boustead Tunnel fills Turquoise Reservoir west of Leadville (east of the Divide). Water is then fed via an 11-mile conduit to another repository — the Mount Elbert Forebay — and into a hydroelectric power plant, where it is recirculated several times down and up via pumps to wring out more electricity. From there the water flows into Twin Lakes, into the Arkansas River and down to Pueblo Reservoir for municipal and agricultural distribution. Turquoise Reservoir was expanded and Pueblo Reservoir was built during the multiyear Fry-Ark construction period, while Twin Lakes was enlarged in the 1930s, and again in the 1970s. Plans are on the drawing board to enlarge the 129,000 acrefoot Turquoise Reservoir by 19,000 acre-feet and the 357,000 acre-foot Pueblo Reservoir by 54,000 acre-feet, but Congress would need to authorize a feasibility study for the projects to proceed, according to the SCWCD website. From 1982 to 2012, an average of 57,000 acrefeet of water each year passed east through the Boustead, but the system could take more. According to the Fry-Ark’s operating principles established in 1950, up to 120,000 acre-feet may be diverted in one year with the right combination of snowpack, runoff and precipitation, but diversions must not exceed 2.35 million acre-feet over a rolling 34-year period, which comes to an annual average of 69,200 acre-feet. Ruedi Reservoir itself does not play a direct role in physically diverting water from the Fryingpan River basin. Instead it stores water to be released down the Fryingpan to its confluence with the Roaring Fork River in Basalt, and then down to the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs. The Bureau of Reclamation-owned reservoir plays a critical role in how the basin manages its water supply, while water shareholders there include the Ute Water Conservancy District in Grand Junction, the Colorado River District, Exxon Mobil Corp., and the cities of Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Rifle, New Castle and Silt.
A carrot for the Western Slope? Federal approval for the Fry-Ark Project languished in Congress for years, but Ruedi Reservoir, which can store 102,373 acre-feet of water, was the lynchpin to getting the deal done. The prospect of Ruedi Reservoir assuaged Western Slope Democratic Congressmen Wayne Aspinall — a lion of western water-management between 1949 and 1973 and who straddled Western Slope water-retentionists and federally backed Eastern Slope water-opportunists — to sign on with the Fry-Ark Project. Local raconteur and historian Tony Vagneur recollects there was “a lot of irate talk among western Coloradans during the 1960s (about) how Wayne Aspinall sold us down the river.” Many western Coloradans resented losing “their” water, saying it should be left for Western Slope growth and industry — such as oil shale, coal and uranium — at a time when Colorado growth was the holy grail. Aspinall also rebuked the budding environmentalist movement as “over-indulged zealots,” while he preached how the national value of the Fry-Ark Project wedded well with the compensatory carrot of Ruedi Reservoir, built to repay Western Slope users for their lost volume. Meanwhile, in southeastern Colorado, Republican Congressman J. Edgar Chenowith, best known for bringing multiple defense projects to his district and the U.S. Air Force Academy to Colorado Springs, trumpeted the Arkansas River Valley’s need for more agricultural water coupled with the need to hydrate military installations. In 1958, Aspinall and Chenowith consolidated factions to finally agree on Fry-Ark, heralding a statewide consensus. Yet the congressional sausage factory took another four years to pass the bill, which President Kennedy signed on August 16, 1962, in Pueblo. Before Ruedi Reservoir made it onto a blueprint, the anticipated compensatory storage vehicle was the potential Aspen Reservoir. Conceived as a payback for the skeletal flow of water between August and October in the Roaring Fork, caused by the 1930s-era Twin Lakes diversion through the Independence Pass tunnel, the reservoir would have stored 28,000 acre-feet for Roaring Fork and Western Slope replenishment, according to a story headlined “Dream Pending” in the June 13, 1954, edition of The Denver Post. On July 21, 1949, The Aspen Times reported that a drilling rig from Denver had arrived in Aspen to core-sample ground for a dam site east of town, for what was then the shoot-for-the-moon antecedent of the Fry-Ark, the defunct GunnisonArkansas project. First aiming to divert between 600,000 and 800,000 acre-feet from the Gunnison and Roaring Fork watersheds for the Arkansas River Valley, the Bureau of Reclamation and Congress backed off after monster opposition. They then floated
Home Sweet Home! Two Story Townhome — Built in 2000 One owner — Terrific condition
MLS # 167669 Well maintained, 3 bedroom and 2 1/2 baths Fenced in backyard patio area, complete with shade trees
0295 Badger Rd. Carbondale, CO | 970-309-6200 | www.trudiwj.com
1/8/21
TO
9 AM-4 PM
The 36th Annual
SKIER APPRECIATION DAY
BENEFITTING
GET YOUR TICKETS AT SUNLIGHTMTN.COM ONLINE RAFFLE & AUCTION AT UNITEDWAYBB.ORG
$20
lift tickets
Casino-themed costume contest
On-mountain, outdoor games
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Follow Sunlight Mountain Resort on Facebook for event updates.
Continued on page 12 THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 11
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.
BASALT
Aspen Valley Primary Care’s Drive-Thru Testing Center
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.
Location: • Parking lot next to the Midvalley Health Institute at 1460 East Valley Road, Basalt Testing Hours: • Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm
Details: • Appointment 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.
More detailed testing information is available on our website at aspenhospital.org.
0401 Castle Creek Road, Aspen, CO 81611 | 970.925.1120 aspenhospital.org |
AspenValleyHospital
A 1977 protest in Aspen against the completion of infrastructure for the Fry-Ark Project, which diverts water east of the Continental Divide. This protest was related to coming dams and pipelines that take water from three creeks in the Hunter Creek basin above Aspen, which were among the last aspects of the project to be constructed. Photo courtesy of Aspen Historical Society, Aspen Times Collection the lesser, more palatable Fry-Ark idea, which would only take water from the Hunter Creek basin above Aspen and the headwaters of the Fryingpan, and not water from the Gunnison River basin. Still, Western Slope opponents warned that if Fry-Ark flew, more diversion could follow. They cited Bureau of Reclamation speculation that targeted Castle, Maroon, Snowmass and Taylor creeks, as well as the Crystal River, for dams and diversions, which included punching a tunnel through the Divide near Salida to deliver that water into the Arkansas, according to a story in the June 7, 1951, edition of The Aspen Times. At 650 acres, according to The Denver Post, Aspen Reservoir — about a third the size of Ruedi — would have inundated today’s Difficult Campground and the 175-acre North Star Nature Preserve, while lapping at the edges of a rerouted Highway 82. The $8 million dam was to be 88 feet high and stand at the western end of the nature preserve. Aspen would have been an alternate reality with a recreational reservoir at the choke point of its eastern doorway, and no Ruedi Reservoir above Basalt. Instead of a mere paddleboarder plague on North Star waters now, Aspen could be dealing with a traffic-clogged marina and boat trailers stuck on Independence Pass.
Fighting the diversionists
RIFLE: IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO WORLDCLASS RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
HIKING, FISHING, MOUNTAIN BIKING .... AND SO MUCH MORE
S O M E T H I N G F O R E V E RYO N E EXPERIENCE RIFLE: FOUR SEASONS OF ADVENTURE ON COLORADO'S WESTERN SLOPE
FOLLOW US
#RealWesternAdventure @VisitRifle
www.RealWesternAdventure.com
12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
As Mark Twain observed, “There’s nothing to be learned by a second kick of a mule.” Having already been stung by the earlier Independence Pass diversion, the scrappy town of Aspen would have none of it. In 1951, citizens formed the Pitkin County Water Protection Association to fight the FryArk and “Aspen dam,” or “Aspen reservoir” as it was alternately known. Opinion pieces called the Colorado Arkansas Valley water interests “diversionists” and “Arkansasers.” In a letter published in the Aug. 16, 1951, edition of The Aspen Times, Mayor Gene Robinson and County Commissioner Chairman Orest Gerbaz penned objections to the “Bureau of ‘Wrecklamation,’” calling the dam “menacing to the town of Aspen.” They maintained that the potentially unstable construction to be built on a foundation of 200 feet of loose sand over “alluvial and rockslide sediment” would seep into countless mining tunnels and shafts below the dam site, and into town. Yet Ted and Lillian Cooper, who ran the Rocky Mt Lodge near today’s Difficult Campground entrance, which would have been shoreside to the new lake, favored the reservoir. In a letter published in the Sept. 3, 1953, edition of The Aspen Times, they wrote how the lake would provide “recreation, fishing, and an asset to scenery” because “nature is often at her best when aided by the skillful ‘artificial hand’ of man.”
In a rebuttal days later, Delbert Gerbaz — a tireless Aspen advocate for western water rights, a historical train enthusiast and a one-time lift operator on Aspen Mountain — countered that “anyone with a sense of natural beauty considers the Grizzly Reservoir (570 acre-feet) on Lincoln Creek an eyesore” and “any accident of nature wouldn’t hurt the Coopers … their establishment is above the reservoir site.” The June 7, 1951, edition of The Aspen Times recounted a turbulent meeting at the Pitkin County courthouse, where attorney Frank Delaney, representing the Colorado Water Conservation Board, explained that Colorado’s water allotment in the bedrock 1922 Colorado River Compact — an agreement among seven U.S. states in the greater basin of the Colorado River designed to head off future controversies — could be used anywhere in the state, which included the eastern side of the Divide. Old and established water law allowed moving water from creek to creek, river to river and basin to basin. But that still didn’t sit well with some Aspenites. On May 31, 1951, The Aspen Times characterized Fry-Ark as “a Water Grab.” Strong opposition persisted as versions of the Fry-Ark bill occupied statewide and national dialogue. Many argued that the U.S. already had a government-subsidized national surplus of agricultural products stored in warehouses. The Denver Post on June 15, 1954, contrasted views that the price tag was a waste of taxpayers’ money versus how Fry-Ark “can make dreams come true for the long-suffering Arkansas Valley, a contributor to the nation’s food basket, a potential defense mineral arsenal, and industrial powerhouse.” “The Fryingpan Arkansas Project: A Political, Economic and Environmental History,” a 2005 University of Montana thesis by Brian D. Peterson, cited wide-ranging opposition to FryArk. In 1957, the Western Slope County Commissioners Association, which included members from 24 western Colorado counties — a third of all Colorado counties — opposed the bill; and Rifle farmer Gordon Graham, representing a “farmers’ union,” pledged to Rep. Aspinall: “We will fight till hell freezes over for the water rights of the Western Slope.” But Fry-Ark advocates pounded home that the shared benefits of agriculture and national defense outweighed Western Slope objections. The apple-pie marketing of the final congressional bill, as outlined in Peterson’s thesis, says the Fry-Ark was approved for “irrigation, municipal, domestic and industrial use, hydroelectric power, controlling floods … recreation, conservation and development of fish and wildlife.” And the sentiment that the native water’s flow west from the Divide ought not be reversed eastward to satisfy a larger population cluster
— thereby creating a water deficit in western Colorado — came to zilch, vis-à-vis water law. So, Ruedi Reservoir, with its tourist dollars and partial water-deficit replacement formula, became a showcase for post-war innovation.
Rear-guard action But before Ruedi Reservoir could be built, the little town of Ruedi had to perish. Numerous stories published between 1887 and the early 1940s in The Aspen Times, Eagle Valley Enterprise and Glenwood Avalanche-Echo frame a story of the forgotten town. The Aug. 21, 1897, edition of The Aspen Times published a story with the headline “Monster SilverTip King in Gulch near Ruedi,” in which it reported a grizzly bear in the canyon narrows “feeding on (service) berries that refuses to give up the path to bipeds.” One hunter “shouldering his Winchester” came face to face with the bear and dropped his gun in retreat, recounting how the erect bear stood 14 feet and weighed a ton, with a “terrible snarl and paws extended.” Earlier, another grizzly had been shot and skinned thereabouts. In the late 1930s to early 1940s, “Mrs. Ethyl Williams” wrote a “Frying Pan” column in The Aspen Times, which documents the original spelling of “Frying Pan River,” before usage became “Fryingpan.” Williams’ column detailed the comings and goings of Ruedi residents and visitors. A column in the Feb. 16, 1939, edition of The Aspen Times noted “Mr. and Mrs. Trump were in Ruedi on Monday.” Turns out a man named Harold Trump had a home there. That same column reported a “ski party” at the “Bowles ski course” (a hill by their house) and that “Loyd Hurtgen hurt his knee quite badly,” and “the Lumsden children have a pet deer named Rather, which follows them three miles to school and likes to eat pie when he can find one set out to cool.” In other columns, Williams recounted school mistress Peg Meredith with six pupils; Jesse Williams working at the Sanders’ Diamond G Dude Ranch; Howard Dearhammer excavating for a new store in Ruedi; the Sloss brothers’ ice cutting business; the Ruedi Ladies Club meetings at the Vanderventer home to knit for the Red Cross; and electricity reaching town in 1941. The town of Ruedi’s train-stop heydays waned after the Midland Railway quit running in 1918. Between the 1920s and 1950s, a small community held strong. Ranching in the valley continued until dam construction began in the spring of 1964. The last holdouts were scattered residents. Chief among them were Mr. and Mrs. Fredric Mclaughlin, according to a story in the Nov. 8, 1962, edition of the Eagle Valley Enterprise. Both were former state representatives and owners of the 1,000-acre Mclaughlin Ranch — which incorporated the onetime Sanders’ Diamond G. With the slated Ruedi Reservoir, the southern part of their ranch would be underwater. At a meeting in Washington, D.C., the Mclaughlins maintained that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) judged the proposed dam site too porous and that the reservoir wouldn’t hold water because its beaver ponds, fed by Pond Creek, emptied into a sinkhole they dubbed “Glory Hole.” And in a story headlined “Fry-Ark’s Ruedi Dam May Not Hold Water,” the Nov. 2, 1962, edition of The Aspen Times warned that excessive salt deposits would over-salinate the Fryingpan River and kill the fish. In his “Devil’s Advocate” column earlier in The Aspen Times, “KNCB Moore” cited the USGS “Mallory Report,” by William Mallory and submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation, as substantiating those claims. The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists agreed. Converted Fry-Ark promoter Rep. Aspinall scoffed at the Mclaughlins as “the McFish interest in this,” while Rep. Chenoweth dismissed objections as “essentially rear-guard
action,” the July 26, 1963, edition of The Aspen Times reported. Earlier, the June 13, 1963, edition of the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported the dam site was still undecided. After Aspen Reservoir had been scrapped, the Bureau of Reclamation looked at damming the Eagle River below Camp Hale near Leadville, before settling on Ruedi. The newspaper said that because of gypsum and dolomite found in test drilling, the Ruedi dam might leak “excessively.” Aspinall countered — in Washington, D.C., speak — that “there is no substantial question as to the water holding of the reservoir site,” the Eagle Valley Enterprise wrote three days later. The Bureau of Reclamation then checked a site a half-mile downstream nearer to Basalt but returned to the original, where Ruedi dam now stands at 285 feet above the streambed and 1,042 feet across. The Nov. 29, 1963, edition of The Aspen Times chronicled head Fry-Ark engineer James Ogilvie telling an Aspen audience that W.A. Smith Construction Co. of Kansas City lowbid the $13 million dam and reservoir. Concerned about an influx of workers and trailer courts springing up in unzoned Pitkin and Garfield counties — such as the El Jebel trailer court — the sparse crowd who showed up on the same day as President Kennedy’s assassination learned of the projected $1.4 million-per-year payroll to be spent in the valley between 1964 and 1972, with the employment of 150 men. This included Jim Hayes, the late Aspen renaissance man, maker of archetype silverAspen-leaf belt buckles, and driver of a giant Euclid earth-moving scraper on the Ruedi Reservoir construction site.
Groundbreaking to celebration The July 18, 1964, edition of the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported on the Ruedi Reservoir groundbreaking ceremony, planned for the next day, punctuated by a symbolic dynamite explosion. Interior Secretary Stuart Udall, U.S. Sens. Gordon Allcott and Peter Dominick, U.S. Reps. Aspinall and Chenowith, and Colorado Gov. John Love attended. After a citizens bus tour of the future dam site, the ceremony kicked off at 1:30 p.m. with speeches, followed by the 101st Army Band and a barbecue hosted by the town of Basalt and the Masons and Eastern Stars of Carbondale. As Ruedi neared completion, the $17.2 million “heart of the Fry-Ark” — the 5.4-mile Boustead Tunnel — proceeded. The tunnel, completed in 1972, now pours into Turquoise Reservoir, which spills overflow down the conduit stem to the Mount Elbert hydroelectric forebay, then flowing into Twin Lakes and on to Pueblo Reservoir. Unlike the Independence Pass diversion tunnel to Twin Lakes, which was bored in the mid-1930s by hard-rock miners who handset dynamite, the Boustead Tunnel was the first in the United States that was machine-bored through solid granite, according to Rogers’ “The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project” report for the Bureau of Reclamation. A new Wirth-Erkelenz boring machine from Germany — a rock-chewing colossus “30 feet long, 10 feet in diameter, and hydraulically powered by three 200-horsepower motors that drilled through rock with 33,500 psi” — gained that distinction. Six years later, Interior Secretary Rogers Morton and Gov. Love arrived in a chopper from Denver for the east portal dedication in “a tree-studded glen,” according to the June 29, 1972, edition of the Golden Transcript. The Golden newspaper tallied the Fry-Ark project’s cost to date then at $275 million, and the dignitaries watched the bounty from the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan river basins gush eastward.
I support The Sopris Sun! I love the Sopris Sun — and not just due to their tag line, “ Every Town needs a park, a library and a newspaper!” The dedicated board members and staff of The Sopris Sun are making sure they are holding up their end of that mission. Please remember to play in your parks, get a good book from your library and support your local nonprofit newspaper!
How YOU can help:
GIVE
Eric Brendlinger
TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS SPONSORSHIP ONLINE: where you soprissun.com or coloradogives.org Dec
Sponsor the cost of advertising for your favorite nonprofit or a struggling local business.
MAIL A CHECK: DONATE TO P.O. Box 399, Carbondale CO 81623
CONTACT: Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 adsales@soprssun.com
LIVE
8th
The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun fully tax deductible. ON are COLORADO GIVES DAY and make your donation go further
Now a member of
AFTER-HOURS MEDICAL CARE ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL
When you have unexpected medical needs, After-Hours Medical Care is here for you. We are staffed with doctors and nurses to answer your medical questions and treat minor injuries and illnesses, including: sprains, simple fractures, lacerations, UTIs ...and more. If you have respiratory symptoms, fever, sore throat, or flu/COVID-19-like symptoms, we can arrange a telemedicine consult for you by calling 970.544.1250.
970.544.1250
234 Cody Lane, Basalt Monday - Friday 3:00 – 11:00 pm Saturday & Sunday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm aspenhospital.org |
AspenValleyHospital
THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 13
20 The Year 20M etallum
su tt a R r a e Y se e in Ch le a d n o b r a C f o le p o e p A poem by the
We started the year In our own dear town Between rivers that flow Mountains all around Not expecting the tumult, Frustration and tension That would bruise our community And sprain our connection. Travel plans left pending Without leaving our rooms We learned to call on Each other with zoom. Homes became schools And offices to boot. Flexibility was crucial So was the button to mute. Solitude and worry took Its toll on the brain Knowing the importance Of staying safe and sane. Sharing harvests and baked goods
With neighbors next door Helped us to quiet Some of loneliness’ roar. Exhausted and scared through Weeks filled with blursdays Hugging furry friends Chased some blues away. We stockpiled supplies Against days ever so dire. We watched orange flames Blaze from the canyon fire. Cries of injustice Rang out so clear Calling for a reckoning Whose time was here. Even an election So strange and divisive Set up opportunity For emotional crisis. The spread of the virus, That roller coaster ride,
Cut off jobs and security And patients’ lives. Andonwent the journey, The peregrination, Of the year’s metal rat With determination. With its wit and strength It scrabbled through The muck and the dread Towards a hope that was new. Now we end this time In our own dear town Grateful for the care Of all those around. We can quest for a future That’s released from fear, And a blessed recovery From this fateful year.
14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021
PARTING SHOT
While virtual events like Streamin' Steve's aren't quite the same, even Shannon O'Gara Standiford has enjoyed watching from home — or up in the hills. Indeed, we've never been more thankful for our outdoors.
2020 was a year of great loss for many. Listed here are some of the people that will be sorely missed.
Roy Altman Kevin Armstrong George Austin-Martin Patricia Bailey Richard Stephen Berry Jennifer Ann Boland Martha Bracegirdle Terri Chacos Richard Carlton Compton Arthur Cordova Eugene Covello Mary L. Davis Don Ensign
Harvey B. Federman Betty Henderson Joseph Robert Herrera Wesley Pate Horner Amanda Katherine Hunt Edward Joseph Kennedy Joe Kline William Lamont, Jr. Dr. Bruce Lippman II Glenna Marie Lusk Mabel Macdonald Carolyn Nelson Robert Raymond Nieslanik
SERVICE
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
Silvia Rodríguez repairs and alters clothing, including designer brands, suits, and wedding dresses. No Appointment Necessary
Open Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm
Located in La Fontana Plaza
600 2nd Floor HWY 133, Carbondale
We dо 't charge r obits
Penelope A. Pappas Howard Raley, Jr. Eva Winifred Richardson Harry Moul Ritchie Ed Rosenberg John Robin Sutherland Linda Swanson Kimberly Louise Terry Robert Edward Tucker Rosamond Turnbull Bob Wedemeyer William Zanko
The death of a loved one costs enough. The Sopris Sun is happy to publish local obituaries of a reasonable length, including a picture, free of charge.
Send submissions to news@soprissun.com
WINDSHIELD REPAIR & DIRECTORY AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD REPAIR & AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENTMo
970-963-3891 970-963-3891
Mobile Service Available
Thinking about selling your home? Contact me today for a free market analysis!
bile Service AvailablIngrid e Wussow 970.404.5105
Locally Owned by David Zamansky
Locally owned bybyJake Zamansky Locally Owned David Zamansky
500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO cbmasonmorse.com 500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO
Carbondale Acupuncture Center Serving the valley since 1997
Practicing minimal contact check-in.
Acupuncture Massage Therapy Herbal Medicine
Gift certificates available! Downtown by Sopris Park | 704-1310
289 MAIN STREET | (970) 963-2826 | CARBONDALEAH@GMAIL.COM THE SOPRIS SUN • Carbondale’s weekly community connector • December 31 2020 - January 6, 2021 • 15