January 3, 2012

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Sopris Carbondale’s

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Volume 4, Number 47 | January 3, 2013

Carbondale, 2013

It seemed as if more and more folks were talking about what they are grateful for as New Year’s Eve approached this time around. Close proximity to wildlife, such as this great blue heron, topped some people’s list. This picture was taken less than a mile east of town on Blue Heron Lane. Roaring Fork Audubon Society member Mary Harris says the heron is probably part of the Rock Bottom Ranch preserve, which is located along the Rio Grande Trail. Last year, the heron had nine active nests and fledged 22-23 young.

Photo by Jane Bachrach

FIRST FRIDAY: CARBONDALE ON ICE COMMUNITY ICE SKATING DAY: Ice Skating Rink at the corner of 4th Street & Main Street!

Join us at the rink for Free Ice Skating from 12pm to 9pm!

Live music, free hot chocolate and cookies, and a bonfire to keep you warm.

Friday, January 4th from 5-9pm in Historic Carbondale

Carbondale Commentary The views and opinions expressed on the Commentary page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The Sopris Sun invites all members of the community to submit letters to the editor or guest columns. For more information, e-mail editor Lynn Burton at news@soprissun.com, or call 510-3003.

How to write about oil and gas development

By Emily Guerin High Country News There’s nothing new about a natural resource boom and its ugly twin, the bust.

When reporting on how these economic hurricanes blow through communities, writers tend to tell similar narratives.

First, there’s the sepia-toned photo of what the place used to look like, maybe a quote or two from some old-timer at the local diner who remembers when the streets were quiet and everyone knew each other’s name. Then the newcomers show up: the speculators, land men, company men, all rolling through town with their shiny cars and pockets full of investors. They usher in a wave of rapid growth. There’s hastily-constructed housing developments and roads.

Then come even more newcomers, usually young men from somewhere else. Next the story shifts to impacts of the boom: traffic, drugs, violence, high rent and environmental degradation. Finally (wait for it!), the inevitable bust. Prices drop, the man camps empty out and rigs and wells rust away. Locals are left wondering: were we better off with the boom, or without it?

Fortunately, there are journalists out there figuring out how to tell tired energy stories in exciting ways, hooking readers and listeners even though they’ve heard about oil and gas development hundreds of times. It’s important for people to see and feel the effect of their energy consumption — the stuff always comes from someone’s backyard — but if a story is predictable it’s less likely to have an impact. Here are five ways to escape that trap.

1. Focus on how quickly everything changes: That’s what Jan Falstad did in this October piece for The Billings Gazette about Bainville, Mont., which is about to get a fracking sand terminal. The lede (reporterspeak for first sentence) tells you everything you need to know: “The final meeting to change tiny Bainville forever took an hour.”

Falstad then details the scope of the changes

to come: a 350-man camp that will more than double the population of the town, a huge truck stop, a 400-home subdivision and, of course, the rail yard where up to 600 truckloads of sand a day will be offloaded and sent over the border to North Dakota, where it will be combined with unpronounceable chemicals and injected deep underground. Throughout the story, Falstad emphasizes the speed of development. Locals

“The final meeting to change tiny Bainville forever took an hour.”

– The Billings Gazette first heard about the project at the end of September, but by the time they had, construction was already under way. The boom didn’t exactly come as a surprise, though, to residents who had been watching construction crews move along the railroads all summer. Despite this, few asked questions, something area rancher Kirk Panasuk attributed to “apathy and ignorance.”

2. Go undercover in a man camp: I can’t say I liked the tone of this gonzostyle Men’s Journal article, but I appreciated that the author, Stephen Rodrick, put himself in the shoes — or the puddles of urine on the boarding house bathroom floor — of the itinerant workers flocking to Williston, N.D. to work in the Bakken oil fields. Rodrick viscerally introduces us to Williston’s new residents: the dazed truck driver from Maine, watching westerns in his dirty underwear; the 42-year-old with swollen, shaking hands who looks 60 and quits the rig when his Vicodin prescription runs out; two unemployed loggers from Oregon who sleep in a tent outside of town; and the deputy sheriff who likes patrolling the lonely plains. The boom narrative is still there, and Rodrick shows us

how crime, litter, and sprawl now plague this formerly quaint prairie town. Unlike other boom stories, which leave you feeling sorry for the place. This article makes you want to take a shower.

3. Use an innovative platform to deliver your story: StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaboration between local public radio stations and NPR, follows the typical boom narrative when telling the story of Towanda, Penn., a town transformed by natural gas drilling. What’s new here is the presentation: a slick, fullscreen audio slideshow and snazzy website allowing listeners to explore the photos and data behind the boom at their own pace.

Text overlaying some of the photos displays key facts, like how criminal caseloads in Bradford County increased 40 percent from 2009 to 2011, or how rent jumped from $300 for a one bedroom in 2008 to over $1,000 in 2011. There are links to a story on Towanda’s first two booms, in coal and lumber, and an interactive map showing well sites, gas companies’ environmental violations and fines.

4. Pick something wonky and make it accessible: The radio show “This American Life” has a reputation for turning complex stories into great listening. (“The Giant Pool of Money,” a collaboration with National Public Radio that explains the housing crisis, is an excellent example). The second half of their June 2011 show, “Game Changer,” explores the natural gas boom in Pennsylvania by focusing on zoning laws in Mt. Pleasant, where a gas company has leased 95 percent of the township’s land. In the next half hour, reporter Sarah Koenig tells us how a gas company turned citizens against their elected officials and of one town’s fight to have some control over where gas drilling can happen. It speaks to the knowledge, savvy and money mismatch between rural towns and the gas companies that seek to drill them.

Letters

The Sopris Sun welcomes your letters, limited to no more than 400 words. Letters exceeding that length may be edited or returned for revisions. Include your name and residence (for publication) and a contact email and phone number. Submit letters via email to letters@ soprissun.com or via snail mail to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. The deadline to submit letters to the editor is 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Fiscal Cliff Dear Editor: You put your checkbook in They take your checkbook out You put your checkbook in And everybody shouts.

Then they do the hokey pokey And you find yourself without That’s what it’s all about.

Jose Alcantara Carbondale

Einstein says Dear Editor: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013

we were at when we created them.”

Albert Einstein said that.

Keep on thinking, not stinking (as in Washington, D.C. right now).

Doc Philip Carbondale

The Gov.’s disappointing Dear Editor: Governor Hickenlooper’s disappointing proposed oil and gas regulations, released late on New Years Eve, will not bring many Coloradans comfort or joy as they ring in the New Year.

After months of hearing from stakeholders and thousands of citizens across the state who want greater setbacks, the governor's

proposal would still allow heavy industrial activity near our homes and families.

As local governments act to address drilling impacts near communities, these proposed weak regulations raise concerns of the ability and political will of the administration to properly regulate drilling and fracking in our state.

While opposing these weak standards, we will continue to push for meaningful protective buffer zones and strong groundwater testing near drilling and fracking which put the health and welfare of Coloradans and our communities first.

Chris Arend Conservation Colorado Denver

5. Hone in on just one or two impacts of the boom: Rather than giving every impact superficial treatment, Alexandra Fuller focuses on just two of the effects of the natural gas boom in Sublette County, Wyoming, in this 2007 piece in The New Yorker. Fuller wrote the piece just as drilling was starting to boom (back when ‘fracking’ needed an explanation) and tried to capture early signs of change. She focuses on methamphetamine use among gas workers, telling the same stories about workers faking urine tests as Rodrick does, but without any of the foul locker room language. She’s an expert at picking dialogue, like this quote from a former user: “I didn’t feel addicted, I just felt like I wanted more meth.” But what makes the piece stand out is how she connects the social and environmental impacts of the boom. “A place in the throes of an energy boom isn’t so different from a person in the throes of addiction: there’s the denial that things are out of control; there’s the sleeplessness and the moral carelessness, and the fact that you’re doing something that you know isn’t good for you but you just can’t stop.”

So if you’re sick of reading about energy development, I hope these stories will help you see booms, and busts, with fresh eyes.

Emily Guerin is an intern at High Country News.

To inform, inspire and build community Donations accepted online or by mail. For information call 510-3003 Editor/Reporter: Lynn Burton • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Advertising: Bob Albright • 970-927-2175 bob@soprissun.com Linda Fleming • 970-379-5223 linda@soprissun.com Photographer: Jane Bachrach Ad/Page Production: Terri Ritchie Webmaster: Will Grandbois Sopris Sun, LLC Managing Board of Directors: Debbie Bruell • Peggy DeVilbiss David L. Johnson • Colin Laird Laura McCormick • Trina Ortega Jean Perry • Elizabeth Phillips • Frank Zlogar

Sopris Sun, LLC • P.O. Box 399 520 S. Third Street #35 Carbondale, CO 81623

970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Visit us on facebook.com Send us your comments: feedback@soprissun.com The Sopris Sun is an LLC organized under the 501c3 non-profit structure of the Roaring Fork Community Development Corporation.

Crystal River Wild and Scenic discussions return More action expected in 2013

By Brent Gardner-Smith Aspen Journalism Thirty-nine miles of the Crystal River are already “eligible” for designation under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Now four organizations are building local support to determine if much of the river is also “suitable” for protection under the act.

Passed in 1968, the act allows local and regional communities to develop a federally backed management plan designed to preserve and protect a free-flowing river such as the Crystal River, which runs from the back of the Maroon Bells to the lower Roaring Fork River through Crystal, Marble, Redstone and Carbondale.

Wild and Scenic status, which ultimately requires an act of Congress to obtain, prevents a federal agency from approving, or funding, a new dam or reservoir on a Wild and Scenic-designated river.

And that’s one big reason why Pitkin County, the Roaring Fork Conservancy, the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) and American Rivers are exploring Wild and Scenic status for the Crystal — because it would likely block a potential dam and reservoir from being built at Placita, an old coal town between Marble and Redstone.

Potential dam The West Divide Water Conservancy District and the Colorado River District are fighting to retain conditional water rights that could allow for a dam across the Crystal and a 4,000-acre-foot reservoir.

The river district says such a reservoir could put more water in the often-parched lower Crystal River in the fall and could also provide hydropower.

But the county, CVEPA and American Rivers are actively opposing the renewal of the conditional water rights tied to the dam and a 21-day trial in district water court is scheduled for August.

In the meantime those groups, plus the conservancy, are testing local sentiment about seeking Wild and Scenic designation.

“We want to disseminate as much information as possible to the public about the Wild and Scenic program, and then ask the folks in the Crystal River Valley if they think it is a good idea to pursue,” said Pitkin County Attorney John Ely, who leads most of the county’s water-related initiatives.

To that end, the groups held two public meetings in mid-November, one in Redstone attended by 57 people and one in Carbondale with 35 people there.

Four panelists, one from the Forest Service, one from American Rivers, and two from other organizations with experience in designating rivers as Wild and Scenic, made presentations and took questions from the crowd.

The meetings were dominated by questions about what the Wild and Scenic Act does, and maybe more importantly, what it doesn’t do.

Intent of the act The act does not require, although it does allow, the Forest Service to buy land or water rights. It does not necessarily change water rights, but it could potentially lead to the government acquiring a new instreamflow water right. It does not change the underlying zoning on private land nor does it grant public access across private land.

Mike Moody of the Native Fish Society in Oregon, said at the meetings that his experience pursuing Wild and Scenic designation on the Molalla River showed him that the biggest hurdle is people’s misunderstanding of what the law means for private land interests.

The federal government is not going to come in and rezone or take private property under Wild and Scenic Act, Moody said in an interview.

He said landowners should be more concerned about changes in local zoning and land-use regulations than restrictions coming from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Still, the law does give the federal government the right to buy or condemn property in the river corridor, and it recommends that local zoning along the river should comply with the intent of the act.

What the Wild and Scenic Act does do is let the river run — by preventing federal agencies from permitting or funding “any dam, water conduit, reservoir, powerhouse, transmission line or other project,” according to its language.

It would prevent, for example, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from issuing a permit for a hydropower project on the river or along its banks.

“Some rivers need to be left alone,” said David Moryc, senior director of river protection at American Rivers, describing the underlying intent of the law, according to a summary of the meeting prepared by the Roaring Fork Conservancy.

However, the act does allow for projects on a non-designated stretch of a river otherwise protected.

That could mean, perhaps, that a dam could be allowed on the lower Crystal, a stretch the Forest Service did not find to be eligible under the Wild and Scenic Act (but still could). No such dam has ever been seriously proposed.

The law also protects the “outstanding values” in a river corridor, such as scenery, historical structures and recreational opportunities.

Designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act can also bring federal funding for river restoration projects and attract more visitors to an area.

“The intent of the act is to get people to come together to recognize the values of, and to preserve, our last free-flowing rivers,” said Kay Hopkins, a planner with the Forest Service in Glenwood Springs who offered a handout regarding the suitability process at the meetings. “And sometimes designation is the answer, and sometimes there is another tool that emerges.”

When a federal agency such as the Forest Service screens a river for “suitability” under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, it brings together local and regional stakeholders in an extensive review process that

The Crystal River near Marble might not be as wild in the winter as it is in the summer but it sure can be scenic. Pitkin County has taken a leadership role in getting the river designated as Wild and Scenic. Photo by Lynn Burton requires an environmental impact statement be prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act. This means there is typically a range of management alternatives developed.

That’s happening today as the BLM finalizes a suitability study for the Colorado River from Gore Canyon to No Name, on the western end of Glenwood Canyon. One of the alternatives in that study is to manage the river as if it was protected by Wild and Scenic, but not seek formal designation.

“The end result is to protect the river,” Hopkins said.

However it ends, the “suitability” process takes lots of time and money.

One in Colorado Chuck Wanner, a former Fort Collins city council member, said at the meetings that it took 10 years to get sections of the Cache La Poudre River on the Eastern Slope designated under Wild and Scenic.

Today, that’s the only river in the state that carries the designation and no river in the vast Colorado River basin is officially Wild and Scenic.

When asked about that via e-mail, Ely of Pitkin County said he thought Colorado had only one designated river because of the “lack of information as to the benefits and restrictions of the designation, and the

time and dedication it takes to get it through Congress.”

Another reason may be that once a river is designated Wild and Scenic, the federal government becomes a stakeholder on the river and has a chance to review potential changes to it, such as any new water rights.

Some may feel that Colorado water law is complicated enough already.

And then there is the fact that designation eliminates the possibility of federal funding for future water projects, which can dampen the enthusiasm of most cities, counties and water districts.

Whatever the reasons for scarcity in Colorado, Pitkin County is ready to lead a Wild and Scenic process for the Crystal River.

“I think the Crystal has the potential to be a nice clean straightforward effort because there are no out-of-basin uses yet,” Ely wrote. “If there is interest in going forward, we’re happy to be the laboring oar and do that work.”

The county has a property tax in place that generates about $1 million per year for river protection and restoration and is managed by the county’s Healthy Rivers and Streams Board.

Without such encouragement and support from the county, the Forest Service is not slated to review the Crystal River for WILD AND SCENIC page 4 THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013 • 3

Wild and Scenic continued om page 3 suitability until it updates the forest plan for the White River National Forest, which is at least five years away.

There is also a more direct route, which is to go straight to Congress. But it is nearly impossible to pass a designating bill there if there is local organized opposition to Wild and Scenic.

So gauging local public sentiment is important, and so far, so good, at least from the point of view of Sharon Clarke, a conservation specialist at the Roaring Fork Conservancy.

“I thought they were great meetings,” Clarke said, noting that the comments made at the Redstone meeting were “almost 100 percent positive.”

Matt Rice, the director of conservation in Colorado for American Rivers, was also upbeat about the meeting in Redstone.

“We had a good dialogue,” Rice said.

“But certainly there is work to be done by the groups that are exploring the possibility.”

Clarke did note, however, that there were a few questions in Carbondale about the potential value of a dam and reservoir at Placita, as it could put more late-season water into the lower Crystal which suffers today from low flows due to large irrigation diversions that start below Avalanche Creek.

Martha Moore, a public affairs specialist with the Colorado River District, attended the Wild and Scenic meeting in Redstone on Nov. 14, but did not comment.

Jim Pokrandt, a spokesman for River

District, acknowledged that the district would typically be an active stakeholder in a Wild and Scenic process within its jurisdiction.

But he said the ongoing lawsuit over the conditional water rights for the potential Placita dam currently prevents that.

Classification, then values The Forest Service studied the Crystal River for eligibility as part of the 2002 for-

“We had a good dialogue… but certainly there is work to be done by the groups that are exploring the possibility.”

Matt Rice Director of Conservation Colorado for American Rivers est plan for the White River National Forest.

A river needs to be “free-flowing” to be eligible, “without impoundment, diversion, straightening, rip-rapping, or other modifications” of the waterway, according to the act. But the existence of low dams or diversion structures does not automatically disqualify a river from designation.

THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE is currently accepting

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The Crystal is one of the last rivers in Colorado without a dam across it, so it qualified in that regard.

Another task for the Forest Service was to classify sections of the river based on how much land use and development has occurred within a quarter mile of its banks.

Since most of the North Fork of the Crystal runs through the pristine Maroon BellsSnowmass Wilderness, beginning in the lush Fravert Basin, that seven-mile section was appropriate to be classified as “wild.”

According to the law, such a river is “free of impoundments,” “generally inaccessible except by trail,” and “represents vestiges of primitive America.”

One benefit a Wild and Scenic designation could bring to this stretch is a greater level of protection of the water in the river than the current wilderness rules, Hopkins said.

“When it comes to water, it could benefit,” she said.

The land along the South Fork of the Crystal, which begins near Schofield Pass and joins the North Fork at the old town of Crystal, is largely undeveloped with only a few dirt roads.

That 10 miles of river was classified as “scenic,” although the classification is not about the area’s mind-blowing scenery, but about a higher level of development than a “wild” section. Such a river has a watershed that is still “largely primitive” but “accessible in places by roads.”

WILD AND SCENIC page 7

Be Responsible!

Cop Shop The following events are drawn from incident reports of the C’dale Police Dept.

MONDAY Dec. 24 At 10:15 a.m. an officer responded to a call about a goose or swan on the side of the road. The officer determined it was a swan that was not seriously injured and called the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife to pick it up at the police station.

MONDAY Dec. 24 At 10:08 p.m. officers searched for someone shooting fireworks in the vicinity of Cowen Drive and Village Road. They were unable to locate anyone.

THURSDAY Dec. 27 At 10:53 a.m. an officer responded to a report of an accident at the River Valley Ranch Clubhouse. Police found a mini-van with front-end damage and a smashed fence. The driver was given citations for reckless driving, not having a valid driver’s license and failure to provide proof of insurance.

THURSDAY Dec. 27 At 4:40 p.m. police were called about suspicious activity at the faux boulder that covers utilities at Miner’s Park. Upon investigation, officers found two “nearly full” bottles of alcohol under the fake rock and threw them away.

Celtic band FEAST presents an ALL-NEW show

Hot Irish music and amazing step dancing!

For details please visit the Town’s website:

carbondalegov.org

SOPRIS LIQUOR & WINE

Celtic band

FEAST

e showily!

Champion Irish dancers m o s e w a n A e whole fam GLENWOOD SPRINGS for th HIGH SCHOOL Jeannie Miller Auditorium Sunday, Jan. 13, 3:00 PM TICKET OUTLETS: online at

www.JunctionConcerts.com TICKETS:Adults:$24inadvance, $27atthedoor.Kids$9.

Call970-241-4579formoreinfo. specialgueststar

Rosemarie Mientka, ballerina 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013

Trustees get first look at final comprehensive plan

By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff writer Town trustees and the public get their first look at Carbondale’s draft Comprehensive Plan during a public hearing at town hall on Jan. 8.

The process to draft the new plan started in 2011 when trustees hired the Durangobased RPI Consulting, DHM Design, Kendig Collaborative and Lamont Planning Services to help draft the plan, which was last updated in 2000.

Later in 2011, vision verification/key pad polling sessions attracted dozens of residents to town hall. After those results were compiled, the process was handed off to the 14member Working Group, which met through 2011 and into 2012.

The planning and zoning commission held public hearings in December, made some changes to the document then recommended approval later that month.

The town learned a little bit about itself, or the folks who took part in the process anyway, through the vision verification/key pad polling sessions. For example: The preferred mode of transportation is on a bike (55 percent), with feet (23 percent), car (6 percent), pickup truck (3 percent), airplane (3 percent), horse (2 percent), bus (2 percent) and other (5 percent) bringing up the rear.

Vision verification/key pad polling participants were also given 33 statements based upon feedback up to that point, to which they could respond: I like it, I can live with it, close but needs some changes, I don’t like it and I don’t have an opinion on this. Most of the statements recorded an “I like it” response in the 60-80 percent range, except this one, which came in at the lowest with 48 percent: “Town officials and residents honor the importance of private property rights and respect applicable provisions of the Colorado and United States Constitutions.” Twenty percent of the respondents said they could live with the statement.

To the statement: “Local agriculture and local food markets make us more self-sufficient and are important sources of food and livelihoods for residents and businesses,” 75 percent responded “I like it.” Eight percent said they didn’t like the statement, with 17 percent in between.

The trustees plan to use the new comprehensive plan to draft new zoning codes this year.

Non-profit highlight

ROTARY CORNER

ROTARY CLUB OF CARBONDALE

Not just another face in the crowd, this snow profile in Marble on Saturday appeared to be naturally occurring … but it was hard to tell. Photo by Lynn Burton

Is Your Walkway Icy?

January with Carbondale Rotary Club “SERVICE ABOVE SELF”

Recipient, 2011-12 DD Monroe Award for Rotary District 5470 Recognized for outstanding growth in club membership

2012-13 Rotary International Theme

“Peace Through Service” Sakuji Tanaka, President Yashio, Saitama, Japan Practicing Service Above Self, at home and around the world …

Purple Star petition The Carbondale Rotary Club has challenged its membership to achieve 100 percent participation in signing an online petition sponsored by Purple Star Veterans and Families, encouraging the U.S. Military and elected leaders to provide an adequate safety net for veterans upon their return from active combat duty. The club hosted local veteran Adam McCabe for a special Veterans Day program in November to talk about the organization’s efforts to ensure veterans and their families receive proper support and mentoring, including: • Homecoming preparedness training for veterans and family members.

• Comprehensive health, wellness and decompression resources.

• A post-separation plan and follow-up with the nearest VA hospital.

• Education and employment assistance.

Statistics show that a U.S. Military veteran dies from suicide every 80 minutes, and more veterans die from suicide each year than all U.S. Military killed in action since 9/11, combined.

Resolutions supporting the effort will also come before local city and town councils in the coming weeks.

For more information about Purple Star Veterans and Families, and to sign the petition, visit www.purplestarfamilies.org.

The Carbondale Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. on Wednesdays at the Carbondale Firehouse. Visitors are welcome to come enjoy our weekly program and learn about the wonderful work Rotary does in the community and around the world.

JANUARY SPEAKERS: Jan. 9 – Jack Lanning, Symphony in the Valley Jan. 16 – Dick Durrance, Dream Like a Champion Jan. 23 & 30 – TBA * For program suggestions, contact Ken Neubecker at eagleriver@sopris.net

For membership and other Rotary club information, visit www.rotarycarbondale.org

of Carbondale www.CarbondaleAce.com

(970) 963-6663

Escape Winter’s Cold

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For Information & Reservations call 970-945-0667 `HTWHOZWH JVT 6WLU +HPS` HT WT 4HQVY *YLKP[ *HYKZ .PM[ *LY[PÄJH[LZ (]HPSHISL THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013 • 5

Scuttlebutt

Send your scuttlebutt to news@SoprisSun.com.

Gulch holds tracks Here’s what’s going on at the Spring Gulch Nordic trail system west of town this week, according to Katie Soden.

The hardy groomers report that all trails are open and in good shape, with cold temperatures holding the tracks well. The sunny weather predicted for this weekend should make for some glorious skiing. The groomers are also reminding everyone that it’s not too early to mark their calendars for the Mount Sopris Nordic Council’s primary fund-raiser — Ski for Sisu. The skiathon will be take place on Sunday, Feb. 3. Proceeds benefit Spring Gulch.

Streeters hit road (upvalley) The Red Brick Center for the Arts is showing the work of Third Street Center tenants Dave Durrance, Jill Scher, Lisa Singer, George Stranahan and Pat Winger. There’ll be a reception for those folks from 5 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 3. The Red Brick Center is located at 110 E. Hallam (north of Main Street a couple of blocks).

Weiss heads to Paonia

The Motet (singer shown here) and Euforquestra packed PAC3 with a dancing crowd on Dec. 29. It was a return visit to Carbondale for both of the Front Range bands.

Photo by Mark Burrows/RFVPhoto.com

Solar Energy International founder Johnny Weiss, and his family, are moving to Paonia. Weiss, 61, recently stepped down as the non-profit organization’s executive director.

Weiss told the Post Independent he moved to Colorado from New Jersey 1972 and worked for several years as a carpenter and homebuilder. In 1980, Ken Olson, Steve McCarney and Weiss created a solar energy education program at Colorado Mountain College. When CMC discontinued the program, Weiss and Olson started Solar Technology Instate, which later became the non-proďŹ t Solar Energy International. Through the years, SEI trained

more than 16,000 people in solar energy technology.

Most of SEI’s operations have since moved to Paonia, where Weiss said he will continue as an advisor and consultant. He is also retaining his SEI e-mail address at johnny@solarenergy.org.

Cool According to an e-mail that’s going around, one of Barclay Lottimer’s sons, Garrett, worked with ďŹ lm maker Roger Brown on a piece for Rocky Mountain PBS titled “Vail, The Rise of America’s Iconic Ski Resort.â€? The ďŹ lm will air at 9 p.m. on Jan. 3. Barclay is an owner of Roadside Gallery in downtown Carbondale.

A good idea?

John Tripp Sr. dropped an interesting idea on the Sopris Sun’s delivery man a week or two ago when he was stuffing newspapers into the stand in front of Carbondale Beer Works. Tripp said lots of folks could use ski poles for getting around in the winter. There are also plenty of old ski poles all over town. So, why doesn’t someone come up with a way to make them available for folks to use as needed? One idea would be to leave the poles at various locations downtown, like the town’s bike-share program in the 1990s. The question now is whether someone will take this idea and run with it or maybe trot it out for further consideration.

They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating their birthday the week of Jan. 3-9 include: Paul Nieslanik, Skip Bell, Melinda Schultz and Dr. Rick Herrington (Jan. 4); Peter Lamort and Taylor Faczak (Jan. 6); Stephen Paul (Jan. 8); and Kay Jacobson, Jim Mitton, Anne Hillmuth and Rick Holt (Jan. 9).

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Wild and Scenic continued om page 4 And finally, the 20-mile stretch of the river from above Marble to about 5 miles below Redstone, was classified as “recreational.”

Again, the classification is not because there are quality recreational opportunities along that stretch — although there are — but to signify that the river corridor is more highly developed than a “scenic” area.

Rivers classified as “recreational” can be “readily accessible by road or railroad,” and “may have some development along their shorelines.”

Highway 133 runs right along the Crystal River throughout most of this section, which also includes a number of riverside homes.

After classifying the various sections of the Crystal, the Forest Service then identified the “outstanding resource values” in the overall river basin, with an emphasis on the values also recognized by other entities.

For example, the Redstone Castle is on the National Register of Historic Places and the marble quarries in Marble are of historical importance, so it was determined there are outstanding historical values in the area.

Highway 133 is a state Scenic Byway, and the scenic values in most of the beautiful area are obvious.

And there is a long list of recreational options along the river, including some of the most intense whitewater boating in Colorado.

Today, the Forest Service is required to manage its land along the Crystal in a manner that does not detract from any of these “resource values.”

But without formal designation under the Wild and Scenic Act, at some point that administrative posture could change.

That’s why Pitkin County and the three other groups are exploring designation today.

Clarke, of the Roaring Fork Conservancy, said a conference call with other organizers would be held soon to determine the next steps in the local process.

“We will keep beating the bushes to find out what people’s concerns may be, but until there is some reason not to go forward, we will keep going,” she said.

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The Sopris Sun is looking for a part-time, volunteer intern to handle various writing assignments. We’ll tailor the job to the intern’s goals and abilities.

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This is not the first time an effort has been made to obtain Wild and Scenic status for the Crystal River.

The Bureau of Land Management prepared a feasibility study in 1982 and in 1986 members of the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) held meetings to advance the idea.

However, there was fierce opposition from local ranchers in the Crystal River Valley.

Gregory Durrett of Redstone, a member of CVEPA, remembers some “brutal” meetings on the topic at the Carbondale library where local ranchers spoke out in fierce opposition to the idea, saying it would amount to a taking of private land.

“The effort collapsed under that barrage,” Durrett said.

He said that the late rancher Bob Perry was perhaps the most opposed, but that there was also opposition from ranchers in Gunnison County, where Marble is located.

Bill Jochems, another member of CVEPA, said that if you take the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act at face value, it “authorizes all sorts of federal controls over land use, and so it looked pretty darn scary” to some people.

“But we never had anyone come here and tell us about the various ways it can be enacted or applied,” Jochems said.

Today, he said people have a better understanding that the designation can be tailored to meet the desires of local communities.

“They were just worn out by determined opposition, but this was without the benefit of what we know today,” Jochems said about the earlier effort.

Durrett said today people in the Crystal might well look differently at the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. “Most people in the Crystal River Valley took for granted tourism in the past, and now they are scratching for something that will help,” he said.

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Community Calendar THURSDAY Jan. 3 ROTARY • Mt. Sopris Rotary meets at Mi Casita every Thursday at noon.

FRIDAY Jan. 4 MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre presents “Hitchcockâ€? (PG-13) at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4-10 and “Searching for Sugar Manâ€? (PG-13) at 5:30 p.m. Jan 5-6.

ICE SKATING PARTY • The town of Carbondale hosts a community ice-skating party at the Fourth Street rink from 5 to 9 p.m. Besides the skating, there’ll be live music, free hot chocolate, cookies and a bonďŹ re. It’s free. Info: 963-1890.

LIVE PAINTING • Majid Kahhak will be

To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is noon on Monday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted. For up-to-the-minute valley-wide event listings, check out the Community Calendar online at soprissun.com. View events online at soprissun.com/calendar.

painting live at Kahhak Fine Art, 411 Main St., starting at 6pm. The painting will be winter themed. Info: 963-5901.

LIVE MUSIC • Mile Markers return to Carbondale Beer Works on Main Street; 8 to 11 p.m. No cover.

LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the old part of the Dinkel Building presents live music every Friday night.

LIVE MUSIC • Rivers restau-

rant in Glenwood Springs presents Porch Lights (acoustic bluegrass and rock); 9 p.m. to midnight. No cover.

SATURDAY Jan. 5 LIVE MUSIC • Carbondale Beer Works on Main Street presents the Smuggler Mountain Boys; 6 to 9 p.m. No cover.

CONTRA DANCE • There’ll be another contra dance at the Third Street Center promptly at

7:30 p.m. John Unger will call; Slidewhistle will play. The cost is $8.

TUESDAY Jan. 8 ART DEMO • Dara Barth gives a presentation on painting oils on a wood panel at Good Shepherd Lutheran church (1630 Grand Ave.) at 7 p.m. A meeting follows at 8 p.m. The public is invited.

Info: 404-1208.

WEDNESDAY Jan. 9 ROTARY • The Rotary Club of Carbondale presents Jack Lanning (Symphony of the Valley) at the ďŹ rehouse at 7 a.m. Info: eagleriver@sopris.net.

Further Out THURSDAY Jan. 10 LIVE MUSIC • The Basalt Regional Library presents All the Pretty Horses and the Glenwood Springs High School jazz band at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Info: 927-4311.

THURS.-SUN. Jan. 10-13 THEATRE • Theatre Aspen School presents the Winter Teen Conservatory production of the Tony award-winning musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperoneâ€? at the Aspen School District Theatre at 7 p.m. on Jan. 1012 and 2 p.m. on Jan. 13. The story centers on a die-hard musical theatre fan that plays

his favorite cast album on his record player, and the musical springs to life in his living room. “This show is a new favorite for many people,� said play director Graham Northrup.

Tickets are $20 adults/$12 students and are available at 920-5770 or aspenshowtix.com.

SUNDAY Jan. 13 CELTIC RHAPSODY • The Celtic band Feast presents an all new show with step dancing, champion Irish dancers and ballerina Rosemarie Mientka at Glenwood Springs High School at 3 p.m. Tickets for this family show are $24 in advance and $27 at the door;

kids are $9. Info: junctionconcerts.com or 970-241-4579.

THURS.-FRI. Jan. 17 LIVE MUSIC • Singer/songwriter Leon Joseph Littlebird will weave his native and pioneer roots in two January performances in the Jim Calaway Honors Series at Colorado Mountain College. Blending Native American ute, guitar and vocals, Littlebird’s music speaks of Colorado’s rich history. His stories of pioneer life are inuenced by his greatgrandfather, one of the original settlers in Blackhawk, and he connects to his ancestral

roots of the indigenous Navajo people of northern New Mexico with ancient ute music. Littlebird has released four albums.

The Jan. 17 concert takes place at the New Space Theatre on the Spring Valley Campus at 7:30 p.m., and the Jan. 18 concert at CMC in Rie (3695 Airport Road) at 7:30 p.m.

Both concerts feature a reception at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for full-time CMC students and children up to 17 years.

Advance tickets are available at 947-8367.

The Thursday concert will honor George and Patti Stranahan and the Friday concert will honor the late Marvelle Couey.

CALENDAR page 9

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8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013

Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar Choreography by Sophie Ledingham * Musical Direction by Terry Lee Directed by Graham Northrup

Starring: Anna Ashmore * Ben Belinski * Jack Dresser * Kidd Duhe Solomon Julia Foran * Nakiri Gallagher-Cave * Kiki Glah * Lyon Hamill Flynn Holman * T.J. Kaiser * Sophie Ledingham * Emery Major Marissa McKinney * Sage O’Reilly * Luke Ryan * Luke Wampler

Jan. 10, 11, and 12 at 7pm Jan. 13 at 2pm at the Aspen District Theatre $20 Adults/$12 Students aspenshowtix.com or 920-5770

For information about Theatre Aspen School’s theatre education programs, please visit www.theatreaspen.org/education.

Produced by special arrangement with Music Theatre International.

Community Calendar

continued from page 8

Ongoing ZINGERS • Betsy Schenck leads the Senior Matters Zingers sing-along group at Heritage Park Care Center on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Info: 963-2167.

KOROLOGOS SHOW CONTINUES • Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt continues its “Winter Welcome!” show, featuring Carbondale artist Andy Taylor and more than two dozen western regional artists. Info: 927-9668.

APRÈS SKI • DJ RasGis spins roots rock reggae during après ski every Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Burger Bar & Fish, located in Snowmass Base Village across from the Elk Camp gondola.

SNOWSHOE TOURS • The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies offers Elk Camp Meadows nighttime snowshoe tours Fridays through March 29. The one-hour tours start at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola at the Snowmass ski area and conclude with dinner or a nightcap at the new Elk Camp restaurant.

The cost is $35, which includes gondola ride, snowshoes and naturalist guide. Tours leave from the top of the gondola 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at any Aspen/Snowmass lift ticket office.

BILINGUAL STORY TIME • Gordon Cooper Library presents a bilingual story time for kids 1-5 years old Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Info: 963-2889.

MAYOR’S COFFEE HOUR • Chat with Carbondale Mayor Stacey Bernot on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Village Smithy on Third Street.

BEER RUN • Independence Run & Hike stages a four-mile beer run Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and a group run Saturdays at 8:15 a.m.

Info: 704-0909.

STORY TIME • The Gordon Cooper Library presents Storytime with Sue at 6 p.m. every Monday. Info: 963-2889.

JAM SESSION • Carbondale Beer Works on Main Street hosts an old-time jam session with Dana Wilson from 7 to 9 p.m. every

Monday. All abilities are welcome.

TAI CHI • Senior Matters in the Third Street Center offers tai chi with instructor John Norton at 9 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The cost is $40 per month or $7 per drop in.

Info: 274-1010.

PHOTO SHOW • The Colorado Mountain College gallery on Grand Avenue continues showing Gayle Waterman’s abstract photography through Jan. 25.

SUPPORT GROUP • Hospice of the Valley presents a grief and loss support group in Basalt the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.

Hold the presses DAY OF INFAMY RETURNS • The 21st annual Day of Infamy Snowshoe Race takes place at Sunlight Mountain Resort on Jan. 6. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the race starts at 10 a.m. This 8K race winds through Babbish Gulch, which will be packed before the race. Preregistration takes place at Summit Canyon Mountaineering in Glenwood and Independence Run and Hike in Carbondale. Day-of-race registration is $22. Proceeds benefit Colorado Animal Rescue, Valley Dog Rescue and the Rifle Animal Shelter. The race was originally scheduled for December.

CONTRADANCE RETURNS • There’ll be another contradance at the Third Street Center at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 5. The caller will be John Unger from Montrose. Beginner’s instruction is offered for folks who show up early. Admission is $8. Info: Dana at puragusta@hotmail.com.

HEARTBEAT MEETS IN GLENWOOD • The Glenwood Springs Chapter of HEARTBEAT (support for survivors after suicide) meets at the First United Methodist Church (824

Cooper St.) at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. Use the Bethel Chapel entrance of the church located at 824 Cooper Street. Info: 945-1398 or pamz@sopris.net.

GORDO PRESENTS STORY ART • Kids in grades K-5 are invited to the Gordon Cooper Branch Library for Story Art with an Aspen Art Museum instructor at 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 8.

The program includes a story time with an art activity. Info: 963-2889, sschnitzer@gcpld.org, or go to gcpld.org/calendar. This program is offered the first Tuesday of every month. Also at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library, Paws to Read takes place at 4 p.m. on Jan. 15. Kids in grades K-5 are invited to read to a dog from Heeling Partners of the Roaring Fork Valley. To register for a 15 minute slot, e-mail sschnitzer@gcpld.org.

CONSIDERING PIONEER POINT • The Garfield County commissioners consider a request for a preliminary plan review for Pioneer Point subdivision during their afternoon session on Jan. 7. The proposed subdivision is located approximately six miles northeast of Carbondale.

We never stop working to keep your airport safe.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport It’s your airport

ASSISTANT AVIATION DIRECTOR DUSTIN HAVEL N O N - S T O P C H I C A G O D E N V E R L O S A N G E L E S S A N F R A N C I S C O H O U S T O N D A L L A S / F T. W O R T H

A SPEN A IR PORT.C OM

THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013 • 9

Community Briefs Clay Center classes begin

The Carbondale Clay Center is offering a 10-week winter session of three new ceramics classes for adults starting the week of Jan. 7. Kid’s classes start on Jan. 22. For details, call 963-CLAY, e-mail info@carbondaleclay.org or go to the center’s Facebook page. The Carbondale Clay Center is located at 135 Main St.

Working your Nook Did you receive a Kindle or Nook for Christmas but are not sure what do to next? Bring your digital device to the Gordon Cooper Library at 6 p.m. on Jan. 7 and Jan. 9, and learn how to get started. Library and staff will be on hand to help you download free library e-books, music and audio

Please submit your community briefs to news@soprissun.com by noon on Monday.

books. Please bring your device charged, your library card and your login information for Amazon or Barnes & Noble. For details, call 963-2889. The Gordon Cooper Library is located at 76 S. Second St.

Catch some hoops There’s nothing like a warm gym on a cold winter night with girls and boys hustling and sweating on the basketball court. It’s even better when the stands are packed with screaming fans. So, here is the January portion of Roaring Fork’s basketball schedule:

BOYS Jan. 11 (Home) – Roaring Fork vs.

Gunnison, 7 p.m.

Jan. 18 (Away) – Roaring Fork vs. Aspen, 7 p.m.

Jan. 19 (Home) – Roaring Fork vs.

Basalt, 4 p.m.

Jan. 22 (Home) – Roaming Fork vs. Coal Ridge, 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 (Away) – Roaring Fork vs.

Cedaredge, 7 p.m.

GIRLS Jan. 11 (Home) – Roaring Fork vs.

Gunnison, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 18 (Away) – Roaring Fork vs. Aspen, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 19 (Home) – Roaring Fork vs.

Basalt, 2:30 p.m.

Jan. 22 (Home) – Roaring Fork vs. Coal Ridge, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 25 (Away) – Roaring Fork vs.

Cedaredge, 5:30 p.m.

Cabin fever bust out If you’re already planning a cabin fever bust out, here’s an upvalley opportunity.

Theatre Aspen’s annual Costume Gala takes place at a location to be announced on Feb. 23. The evening will feature dinner, DJ music, silent and live auctions, games and dancing — and of course, overthe-top costumes. The event raises funds for the organization’s award-winning summer repertory theatre and extensive year-round education program. For details, call 925-9313, ext. 205, e-mail beth@theatreaspen.org or visit theatreaspen.org.

Shopping | Dining | Culture | Recreation

VISIT BASALT & EL JEBEL At the confluence of Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers TOWN OF BASALT

PROSECUTOR The Town of Basalt is seeking a Prosecutor to represent the Town at its municipal court. This is a contract position. Service may include ordinance review, writing of ordinances, and advice to the police department. Court is held the first Friday of each month at 8:00 AM. The number of hours vary, but averages about 5 hours per month.

Basalt library goes nightclubbing in January Sopris Sun Staff Report The Basalt Regional Library will be transformed into a nightclub atmosphere with“Live Jazz at the Library on Jan. 17.

Also on tap: “Musical Mix and Match” (rock/country/jazz) on Jan. 10.

Jan. 10, the library presents All the Pretty Horses and the Glenwood Springs High School jazz band at 5:30 p.m. All the Pretty Horses is an American musical melting pot, according to the library’s website. “With twang voices, a jazz-trained rhythm section plus steel guitar and mandolin, the resulting sounds will delight your ears. The band was born to explore

Submit resume, letter of interest, and wage requirements by 5:00 PM

Become an eco bag lady Now accepting winter items

Thursday, January 3, 2013, to: TOWN OF BASALT - PROSECUTOR POSITION, 101 Midland Avenue, Basalt, CO, 81621.

970-927-4384 144 Midland Avenue Basalt, Colorado 81621

For Information email townhall@basalt.net

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We are now offering Large $41 Animal Feed and wild bird seed

Call us today to place your order, discuss your needs or for more information 963-1700

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Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5 Sun 11-4 Down the Block from Big O Tires, Basalt 970.927.6488 "Non-Profit Supporting Local Sustainable Food Efforts" Choose from a Vast Array of Long Coats, Leathers and Sweaters All on Sale for $5 or $10 Each!!

Open seven days a week Next to City Market in El Jebel, 400 E Valley Rd. Ste I/J 963.1700 | Open M-F 10-6:30pm | Sat/Sun 11-5pm

10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013

the music of Bob Dylan, the sounds of Bill Frisell, and traditional music from our country’s rough beginnings. All the members of the group enjoy sharing their passion for music with audiences both small and large. The honor Glenwood Springs High School jazz band was formed in September 2012. It is directed by Chris Bank, with assistance by Robb Merritt (trumpet) and Chris Harrison (saxophone). The band is supported by Jazz Aspen.

“Live Jazz at the Library” on Jan. 17 features the Intervention Band with Bob Levely and Tim Fox, and guests Michelle and Dennis Woodrich. The night’s program will include a jazz performance of “The Fiddler on the Roof.” The band’s CD, “Homey,” was well received by Jazz Review magazine.

••• Also at the Basalt Regional Library, new books include: “The Racketeer,” by John Grishman; “Back to Blood,” by Tom Wolfe; “The Sins of the Mother,” by Daniele Steele; “Hell is Empty,” by Craig Johnson; “Sutton,” by J.R. Moehringer; and “Oh, No!”, a children’s book by Candace Fleming.

••• The online 24-hour Library includes: Newspaper Source, featuring 40 U.S. and international newspapers, plus selective text for 389 regional newspapers; Universal Class offers more than 500 free, online, selfpaced, non-credit personal and professional classes.

+

Mt. Sopris Historical Society brings community together Sopris Sun Staff Report “Brave, clean and reverent” are words that typically describe your everyday Boy Scout. You wouldn’t expect to find one hanging out in the town jail for weeks at a time. But when Michael Wampler, Roaring Fork High School student and Eagle Scout candidate, first looked at the tiny red brick “lockup” he saw many things that could use some attention. The windows were cracked and leaking. The rusty steel ceiling was half gone and some serious weatherizing was in order.

The Mt Sopris Historical Society was hoping to fix up the jail and use it for events and education, but they lacked the manpower to complete the task. With Michael Wampler, Boy Scout Troop 235, and some local businesses and volunteers, the manpower showed up in force.

A big part of Michael’s job was to assemble a team of collaborators to contribute to the project. This involved outreach, scheduling, contracts and donations. To Beth White, new director of the Mount Sopris Historical Society, the jail renovation was a living example of the community spirit for which Carbondale is famous.

“Every project and event I’ve seen since I came on board is the result of community collaboration,” said White. “The old jail building is a perfect example.”

Michael coordinated goods and labor donated by a number of local individuals

and businesses, creating a genuine old-time hangout where folks can swap stories around an antique wood stove. Ironwork for the project was provided by the blacksmiths at Roaring Forge. Sopris Glass donated new windows and installed them. John Hoffmann, the MSHS board liaison for the project, told the Scouts about the day the decorative window grilles were made in Sopris Park, at a demonstration led by a master blacksmith — the late Francis Whitaker.

The old jail opened to the public recently for a cozy Christmas party. Again, the community was on hand to help with it all. Jeff Groom Outfitters ran a horse-drawn carriage between the museum/jail property and The Pour House, where folks boarded the rig for the short ride in the snow. Once at the old jail, visitors admired posters showing scenes of Carbondale in earlier days, provided by Main Street Gallery.

White proudly points to other examples of collaboration spearheaded by MSHS in recent years. She is particularly proud of the store front history display project on Main Street. Noting the existence of unoccupied store fronts, MSHS worked with a number of property owners to install poster-sized photographs of old Carbondale in the windows of vacant properties.

“Enhancing the look of Main Street buildings can contribute to their rentability,” White said. It should be noted that the

Carbondale’s original jail was moved from Second and Main streets to its present resting place at Weant Boulevard and Highway 133 several years ago. Recently, Roaring Fork High School student Michael Wampler organized a team to upgrade and partially restore the brick building.

Photo by Lynn Burton

Looking back

two vacant spaces where the art hung most recently are now occupied by businesses.

Another exciting partnership blossomed when MSHS and Walter Gallacher of “Immigrant Stories” began working together on an oral history project with support from Garfield County.

And reaching far beyond Carbondale, a soon-to-be-released color brochure about Carbondale’s cultural treasures — things like the Thompson House Museum, historic Main Street and the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo — was the result of the collaboration between MSHS and Northwest Colorado Cultural Heritage, a statewide program.

White, a photographer, worked closely with the team to produce a piece that will be used to promote heritage tourism here.

As the snow fell heavier on the old jail the night of its opening, Christmas carols broke out. Tiny colored lights twinkled against the brick walls. Folks pulled rocking chairs up to the warm stove and a few of them told stories. But the high point of the evening was when Michael Wampler arrived with his family to take a look at the results of his hard work.

“The twinkle in his eye was brighter than any Christmas light,” said one of the carolers. “He knew he helped make it happen.”

our future is bright with

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WHEN THURS 7 - 8 am 9 to 10.30 Kindness Hot Series WHEN Tues & Thurs 6 - 7.15pm Align & Refine Contact: alyahowe@aol.com yoga with Alya tel: 970 309 2582 for private classes THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013 • 11

GarCo librarians: helping patrons is what they’re about

By Mollie Honan

What do librarians actually do?

Librarians are often portrayed as grayhaired, be-speckled scrooges, shushing the slightest sound. Even those with a more enlightened view rarely understand what it is we do. The GarďŹ eld County Library District is made of six library branches, stretching from Parachute to Carbondale, and includes administrative ofďŹ ces located in the Rie Branch Library. The district employs 34 full-time and 27 part-time library staff members. So what exactly do these employees do every day? “Every day is different ‌ but mostly I help our awesome patrons in any way that I can!â€? says Karen Klink, a library assistant at the Parachute Branch. There are books to repair, DVDs to clean, story times to plan, reviews to read, books to order, courier to unload, books to shelve, money to count, holds to place, technology to learn, schedules to make, forms to ďŹ le, publicity to create. And that is just the beginning.

While all employees are trained in the basics, we all have our specialties: Cassyashton Porter is “the repairer� at the New Castle Branch Library. Brenda Buchanan from the Gordon Cooper Branch declares, “I police the bulletin board.� Kelsy Been, grant coordinator, in addition to her fundraising efforts helps to coordinate district programming such as the upcoming Big Read.

Sometimes, though, programs are more

spontaneous. Barb Miller, from Glenwood Springs, orchestrated a duct tape program for teens.“They had a great time!� she said.

With four new buildings and two more on the way, the library district has been able to expand one of its biggest resources: providing free access to the Internet. Melissa Colasinski from the Silt Branch Library notices she is spending more and more time helping patrons “set up e-mail and Facebook pages as well as how to use Microsoft Word.�

The library district recognizes – Brenda Buchanan, that technology Gordon Cooper library assistance is an important part of the service we provide and have begun incorporating more programs to meet that need.

While librarians have risen to the technology, we still are still in the book business.

Stephen Tafoya, the Fifth Element project coordinator in Rie says, “I'm always searching for the next awesome YA book that I can share and recommend!â€? Karol Sacca, Parachute branch manager, says, “I know where the scary books are! I know where the best love stories are too.â€? While books and technology comprise a large part of our work, we strive to be an invaluable part of each community we serve.

This community aspect means every day

Service Directory Office 970-704-1101

J. FROST MERRIOTT

Fax 970-704-9101 Email frosty@sopris.net Web frostycpa.com

HAPPY

Certified Public Accountant

2013!

“I police the bulletin board.�

is different. “Problem solving is fun!â€? says Dan Mickelson, Silt Branch manager. Librarians quickly learn to constantly adapt, taking on the role of investigator trying to track down books, or technician ďŹ xing library equipment, or guru answering the numerous reference questions we receive.

Carol Foreman, Rie branch manager, ďŹ nds this constant change exciting: “Lucky me. My job is to give my staff the freedom, skills and time to help patrons ďŹ nd the answers, information and skills they want or need to make their lives more meaningful.â€?

Marilyn Murphy, Gordon Cooper branch manager, has her own approach: “I respond to whatever comes my way from patrons or coworkers and if everyone is happy then I am happy.�

Essentially, librarians are about diversity. Some focus on the book aspect, while others focus on programs for kids, still others deal with the necessary administrative elements. But what it all comes down to is fulďŹ lling our mission statement: “The GarďŹ eld County Public Library District seeks to create, promote and provide an environment of literacy, education, information and entertainment for everyone in our communities.â€?

We are about serving our local community and we hope that 2013 will be our best attempt yet.

Mollie Honan is circulation coordinator at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library.

LLA2 81623

! h s a W r a Fre e C XJUI &WFSZ XJUI &WFSZ 'VMM 4FS WJDF 'VMM 4FS WJDF 0JM $IBOHF

745 Buggy Circle in Carbondale www.sunburstcarcare.com

See Thundercat at

CARBONDALE ANIMAL HOSPITAL 234 Main Street

(970) 963-2826 www.carbondaleanimalhospital.com

Dr. Benjamin Mackin Mon., Tues., Thurs., Friday 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday 10:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m.

THE Children’s Store of the Roaring Fork Valley

SAWYER’S CLOSET

The GarďŹ eld County Library District features John Steinbeck’s Dust Bowl classic “The Grapes of Wrathâ€? in February.

There’ll be book discussions, lectures, movie screenings and performing art events related to the Great Depression, current recession and other topics related to the book.

The GarďŹ eld County Library District’s website states: “John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is not merely a great American novel. It is also a signiďŹ cant event in our national history. Capturing the plight of millions of Americans whose lives had been crushed by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, Steinbeck awakened the nation’s comprehension and compassion.Written in a style of peculiarly democratic majesty, The Grapes of Wrath evokes quintessentially American themes of hard work, self-determination, and reasoned dissent. It speaks from assumptions common to most Americans whether their ancestors came over on the Mayower, in steerage, or in a truck.â€?

Also in February, Roaring Fork High School black and white photography students will show work inspired by Steinbeck’s book and the Great Depression; and Alejandra Rico, a librarian and native Spanish speaker, will lead a book discussion of “The Grapes of Wrath� in Spanish at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through the month.

Unclassifieds

970 963 8800 1101 Village Road C a r b o n d a l e , C o l o ra d o

Coming in February: î‚Še Big Read

Submit Unclassifieds to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by 12 p.m. on Monday. $15 for up to 30 words, $20 for 31-50 words.

LAMB FOR SALE - Local, grass fed, no hormones. Cut to your specs, frozen, wrapped - $285 (approx $4.00/pound, hanging weight) whole or half lamb. Available early January. Small breed live lamb - $50 available now FOB Strang Ranch 970-963-2319 mkstrang@earthlink.net.

GET THE WORD OUT IN UNCLASSIFIEDS! Rates start at $15. Email unclassiďŹ eds@soprissun.com *Credit card payment information should be emailed to unclassifieds@soprissun.com or call 948-6563. Checks may be dropped off at our office at the Third Street Center or mailed to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Call 618-9112 for more info.

Help for families in need.

WINDSHIELD REPAIR AUTO GLASS REPLACEMENT

970-963-3891

Headlight Restoration Auto Glass & Side Mirrors

500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO DAVID ZAMANSKY – Owner Operated

Food is available at LIFT-UP’s seven area food pantries, made possible by support from our caring community.

Mid-Valley Food Pantries Carbondale: Third Street Center, 520 South 3rd Street, #35 Mon, Wed & Fri: 10am-12:30pm • 963-1778 Basalt: Basalt Community United Methodist Church 167 Holland Hills Rd. • Wed & Thur: 11am-1pm • 279-1492

Learn more at www.liftup.org and join us on facebook!

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10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

319 Main Street in Carbondale 970-963-0258 | sawyerscloset.com

12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JANUARY 3, 2013

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