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Volume 11, Number 3 | February 28, 2019
Let the games begin! Crossing the bridge to Mah Jongg By Jeanne Souldern Special to The Sopris Sun
The first step is to build your wall, two tiles high. Nancy Peterson (foreground), Sandy Towne (left) and Jon Towne (right) choose from the Mah Jongg tiles to begin their game at the Carbondale Recreation Center. Photo by Erin Danneker
Mah Jongg is a long stretch from my Northwoods Minnesota roots of Buck Euchre, whist, and cribbage, but a good strategy game is never dull and always gets the brain chemistry percolating. The camaraderie and friendly competition of playing board and card games seemed lost, like an ancient relic to some bygone era. I think of the hours, as a kid, playing Clue, Stratego, Monopoly, or just plain old checkers. My father grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota. Playing cards and games were what you did to pass the endless hours of subzero temperatures. Mah Jongg has been on my radar to learn, but I never found the right opportunity to learn how to play it. You can imagine my delight when I met River Valley Ranch (RVR) resident Carol Sherman at The Sopris Sun’s tenth birthday party a few weeks ago, and she asked if I golfed (“No”) or skied (“No”) or played Mah Jongg (“No, but I certainly want to learn!). Sherman learned the game about four years ago as a way of meeting new people. It became an embarrassment of riches as she recalls, “The day after my first visit to RVR’s Ranch House to learn to play, I received three phone calls inviting me to play bridge, hike, and go out to lunch.” Some cite Mah Jongg as taking over in popularity where bridge once reigned supreme. Recently
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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, email editor Will Grandbois at news@soprissun.com, or call 510-3003.
Can’t afford health insurance? By Paige Meredith
I’m sure that we’ve all seen news reports of natural or manmade disasters in which people have lost virtually everything they own, but who declare that the most important thing is that they still have their health. Oh, really? If that were true, wouldn’t those same people take better care of their health and also be willing to give up some of life’s amenities in order to buy health insurance? America has how many self-induced epidemics? Obesity epidemic, opioid epidemic, alcohol, suicide, depression, loneliness, HIV, lung cancer. The administrator of a nursing home told me that half of the people in his facility were there because they smoked. Just weeks ago I saw a wheelchair bound man roll himself out of a local nursing home to a designated smoking area where a woman, apparently an employee there, stood taking her cigarette break as well. And now we add to the list legalized cannibas. “In 2014, people who had diagnosable cannibas disorder, the medical term for marijuana abuse or addiction, made up about 1.5 percent of Americans. But they accounted for 11 percent of all psychosis cases in emergency rooms — 90,000 cases, 250 a day, triple the number in 2016. (Hillsdale College Newsletter Vol. 48 No. 1).” If you were a health insurance executive would you insure such an individual or insure him through his work? Is it any wonder that medical treatment costs what it does? On the other hand, people think that the medical field should be able to fix anything that assails them. Obviously, doctors make mistakes — humans are prone to do that. Result: some doctors pay as much as $300,000 per year for malpractice insurance. So, what can be done to alleviate the financial burden on those who do try to maintain good health but struggle to either afford insurance or pay out of pocket? My family thanks God that there is an answer. About 20 years ago we heard of Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan is a Christian organization that replaces “commercial” insurance with a cost sharing plan which eliminates that “middle man”, but is acceptable under Obamacare. Frighteningly, under the Green New Deal being put forth by potential presidential contenders, all private insurance would be eliminated and replaced by government administered plans. Contrary to claims for this program, no administrative savings will materialize. Government bureaucrats don’t process claims any more efficiently than private sector workers. For
example, Medicare spends more dollars per enrollee on administrative costs than private insurers. What if you or a loved one are waiting for a miracle drug to cure a terrible disease? Government price controls would ruin the incentive to develop such drugs. A University of Mass. study shows that is costs $2.9 billion to bring a new drug to market. Pharmaceutical companies won’t put that kind of money into Research and Development if they can’t make a profit. Need surgery? In the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, one in seven surgeries is canceled right before it is scheduled to happen, often due to staffing or bed shortages (Samaritan Newsletter). Having pointed this out, let me briefly describe Samaritan Ministries. It is a medical cost sharing organization (not “insurance”). in which at present time over 81,000 families are members and pledge to share assigned monthly amounts to others members who are experiencing medical needs. When someone has expenses they simply compile the statements and send them to Samaritan headquarters which acts as a clearing house. If their bills range from $1,500 to $250,000, Samaritan will notify enough participating families to send their share directly to the family in need along with a note of support and prayer on their behalf. Monthly shares range from $100 for a single under 29 years to $400 per month for three or more persons with the oldest one being over 60. The receiving family can pay cash to the hospital and in so doing get quite a reduction in cost because the hospital doesn’t need to hassle with insurance companies and wait forever to get their money. The cost is a fraction of insurance and Samaritan members have peace of mind knowing their dollars are not being used for procedures which they deem illicit. To join Samaritan, you must pledge to abstain from all tobacco products, illegal drugs, use no or minimal amounts of alcohol and abstain from extra marital sex, etc. And guess what! It works! In summary, why should those who try to live healthy lives subsidize those who wreck their health? The worst solution: Let big government do it all. A middling solution: Buy insurance. Best solution: Create a like- minded committed group who look after each other — similar to Samaritan Ministries.
OPINION
Mutt & Jeff
Paige Meredith alternates this monthly column with fellow conservative Stan Badgett.
The Sopris Sun welcomes your letters, limited to no more than 500 words via email at news@soprissun.com or 250 words via snail mail at P.O. Box 399, Carbondale CO 81623. Letters exceeding that length may be returned for revision or submission as a guest column; please include your name, town, and contact information. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday.
Warning! Beware!
Dear Editor: Our family was recently reminded of the immensely loving community we live in. We were out for dinner for our daughter’s twelfth birthday. She selected Izakaya because we had not yet eaten there and we decided to make the most of our time. We spent over three hours and indulged in unique and tasty drinks, several savory small plates to share, fantastic entrees, and yummy desserts. When we requested the check, however, our phenomenal server, Kelsie, informed us that someone had already taken care of our bill! Kelsie would not reveal the identity of the party who had paid for our memorable evening, but we wanted to be sure our community knew that we felt loved. Thank you, anonymous, generous and loving friends! Lorri, Chad, Aidan, Izzy and Ellie Knaus Carbondale
Dear Editor: I alert all Garfield County politicos and voters, who want to be free, self-determined, and self-assured and love their pursuit of their happiness, to not become evermore increasingly slaves of the ruthless power hungry and tax money grabbing Pitkin County ruling Chicago-State-of-Illinois Democrat political mob cliques, which includes the Crown family, Mick Ireland’s tattered political machine and John Sapra’s shadow puppet we can call Skippy Miserable. So you Garfield County Democrats and you Garfield County Republicans better wise up and rise up to your Chicago-Illinois Democrat adversaries who use you all as a dumping for their destitute, their workers they don’t want to house in Aspen, and all their other wickednesses they heaped upon you, your families and your communities. Your choice is be free people or become docile poor slaves of those Chicago and State of Illinois Democrat political slicksters.
2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019
for their generous, ongoing commitment of support.
Jim Calaway, Honorary Chair Kay Brunnier Scott Gilbert – Habitat for Humanity RFV 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 Honorary Publishers commit to tax-deductible gifts of $1,000 or more annually. If you’d like to be included please contact Barbara Dills at barbara.dills@gmail.com or 963-5782.
Thank you to our SunScribers and community members for your support! It truly takes a village to keep The Sun shining.
To inform, inspire and build community. Donate online or by mail. 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
Letters
A loving town
Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers
Warning! Beware! Emzy Veazy III Aspen
Darkerness Dear Editor: Overcast, new moon Cloaked in black like Johnny Cash Dark as a Rembrandt JM Jesse Glenwood Springs
Changing the rules Dear Editor: The Californication of Colorado continues. Our Democratic controlled Congress has passed a bill that will give Colorado’s electoral votes to whoever wins the national popular vote. If enough states follow this latest leftist lunacy, all future elections will be decided by the People’s Republic of California and New York. If they can’t win playing by the rules, Democrats just change the rules. Bruno Kirchenwitz Rifle
Advertising: Carol Fabian • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Reporter: Megan Tackett Graphic Designer: Terri Ritchie Delivery: Tom Sands Current Board Members board@soprissun.com Marilyn Murphy, President Raleigh Burleigh, Vice President Linda Criswell, Secretary Klaus Kocher, Treasurer Barbara Dills • Stacey Bernot Nicolette Toussaint • John Colson April Spaulding The Sopris Sun Board meets regularly on the second Monday evening of each month at the Third Street Center.
Founding Board Members Allyn Harvey • Becky Young • Colin Laird Barbara New • Elizabeth Phillips Peggy DeVilbiss • Russ Criswell Send us your comments: feedback@soprissun.com 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.
Carbondale physician takes the helm at Valley View By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff
the way this thing has expanded, I think I have better insight right from day one on how we’re best prepared to handle whatever challenge needs to come next, rather than someone from the outside coming in and taking three to five years just to understand who the players are, where the strong aspects are and the weaknesses if you will,” he said. “I love this place. I was here for four years, got offered this amazing opportunity to go back to the university I trained at, only to decide that this is just too good a place to not be a part of it,” he said.
What does Valley View Hospital (VVH) have in common with the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, the country’s top ranked hospitals by US News and World Report? Once Carbondalian Brian Murphy fully settles in as CEO this summer, they will all boast physician leadership. VVH announced CEO Gary Brewer’s retirement in mid-February. The 67-year-old Glenwood Springs resident served in the role for 21 years. During that time, the hospital added 400,000 square feet in medical and administrative offices that allowed for added services, including neurosurgery, cardiology and cancer care. “They’re big shoes to fill, there’s no doubt about it,” Murphy said. Murphy, for his part, has 18 years invested in VVH as a board-certified urologist with the Rocky Mountain Urology Center. His titles at the hospital have also included chief of staff and chief medical officer — and that’s in addition to his time at his alma mater, Duke University, as associate director of the school’s urology residency program. “To be honest, my biggest struggle was trying to decide, was I ready to give up urology that I’ve worked for 25 years trying to get really good at? When you spend most of your life focused on practicing medicine and becoming as skilled as you can be — although I was very intrigued by the opportunity to become the successor to Gary — it was a really slow, long process for me to get to that point,” Murphy acknowledged, still wearing his scrubs from the operating room. “After lots of reflection and vetting, it’s the right move.” And while the transition will require “giving up” urology, Murphy will always remain a physician at heart, and that’s an identity he feels will serve him — and the hospital — well. “Physicians and people that have been directly in patient care… often command respect and identify with the colleagues and understand down to the physician and nursing level where the obstacles really are, and what we can do to make their care as good as it can be,” he said. “It’s not that the adminis-
Dr. Brian Murphy has more than two decades of experience as a urologist, with several leadership titles punctuating his career. His next role will be CEO of Valley View Hospital, but he’ll always stay true to his care-giving roots. Currently serving as COO, Murphy won’t hang up the scrubs until this summer, when the transition will be official. Courtesy photo
Gary Brewer announced his retirement earlier this month, concluding 21 years as CEO of Valley View Hospital. Courtesy photo
tration can’t do that, but when you’ve done it for 25 years yourself, I can listen to somebody and I know exactly what they’re talking about.” Only about 5 percent of American hospital executives are physicians, according to a 2014 American College of Physician Executives report, but of the 300 most highly ranked by US News and World Report, physician-led hospitals scored about 25 percent higher than their counterparts in overall quality. To be clear, correlation does not mean causation, and Brewer’s legacy is firmly solidified in the community as one that oversaw sweeping expansions that added services and employment in the area, Murphy emphasized. “It’s not just the physical growth; that was the parallel of the service growth. Instead of all those folks having to drive to Grand Junction or drive to Denver to get cardiology or cancer care, to know they have it here in their
Looking ahead
“I love this place. I was here for four years, got offered this amazing opportunity to go back to the university I trained at, only to decide that this is just too good a place to not be a part of it.” – Dr. Brian Murphy backyard, it’s great for the community,” he said. He knows the trajectory well because he was part of it. “When you’re on the ground floor in
When listing off VVH’s strengths, Murphy doesn’t hesitate. “I think our hospital is a fantastic, incredible resource for our community. To be entrusted as the steward of this incredible asset, I’m proud and I’m excited to be a part of it,” he said. “You’ve got to have great physicians and nurses, incredible support staff and get everybody to pull in the same direction. That is leadership. That is getting an integrated, collaborative, engaged work culture so that quality just flows from that.” He’s not worried about cultivating that dynamic, he continued, because he’s already seen it in action. Now, he hopes his colleagues will continue to approach him with their thoughts about the future. “I’m going to tell all the people that I’ve worked with for 20 years... that every time they think that there’s some issue, or something that could be improved upon, that you let me know. You have to be willing to do that,” he said. Of course, he’s keenly aware of some pressing areas for improvement already: mainly, reigning in cost of services without sacrificing quality of care. “And the plans have already started,” he said. “The most recent initiatives for cost containment were for in imaging studies — and part of that was driven out of competition with Compass Peak, but it was also internally a recognition on our part that we needed to be more price competitive.” Compass Peak Imaging is a private operation in West Glenwood opened by VVH veteran Jeff Vichick and Elizabeth Kulwiec specifically in order to “address the rising cost of healthcare and the need for regional, patient-centric imaging services,” according to its website. But Murphy contends that reexamining pricing structures at the hospital goes beyond traditional market competition, noting ballooning rates across the entire healthcare system. “Our surgical pricing has been significantly reduced to be more competitive with surgery centers,” he added. “Those are the first two obvious steps.” Murphy welcomes the challenge, and he stressed that he’s not alone in the crusade for more affordable care. “We have a really, really strong CFO in Charlie [Crevling], and he is helping us get more cost focused. I’ll be honest: as a physician, quality care is always my strongest driver, but we do recognize and there are going to be opportunities to become more cost effective. We have to do that,” he said. “The quality can be done in a more cost-effective manner, and that is going to be, among the first few years, the most challenging and most important part of my leadership.”
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 3
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True Nature Healing Arts has hatched a new plan to help welcome parts of the population that often feel that they don’t belong or fit in. It takes the form of a sticker embracing diversity, designed to be placed in storefronts or cars. Each Carbondale business is invited to pick up one free sticker or get more for $2 each by dropping by True Nature or emailing deva@ truenaturehealingarts.com.
The Forest Service and the City of Glenwood Springs have awarded H2O Ventures the contract for the highly anticipated Hanging Lake Shuttle service, set to launch on May 1. The price for a peak-season reservation will be $12 per person, and will be available at visitglenwood.com/ hanginglake beginning April 1 or at the Hanging Lake Welcome Center at 110 Wulfsohn Rd. in Glenwood Springs when it opens in May. The parking area in Glenwood Canyon will be closed to personal vehicles May 1 to October 31 when the shuttle service is in operation. Those wishing to bike to the trailhead and hike to Hanging Lake still need to secure a reservation in advance.
Shari shares Shari Billger, international teacher of many energy modalities, returns to the Third Street Center with three workshops: Vibrational Sound Bath & Group/ Individual Healing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 28; DNA Merkaba Flower of Life Workshop – From The Heart Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 2 and Acupressure Points For Detoxification with and without Tuning Forks from 1 to 4 p.m. March 3. Find out more at davinikent.com or email shari1551@aol.com to register.
It’s happening! If you’re not in the habit of checking the Town Report, it’s worth a peek this week, as stuff is starting to happen in earnest on the Marketplace property behind 7-11. In particular, Rockford Ditch relocation is expected to
The process of having 20 local teens create an original show was nearing completion this week as students rehearsed for “Void of the Darkness, Eat the Light” at the Third Street Center, with shows at 7:30 p.m. March 1 and 2 and 3 p.m. March 3. Photo by Will Grandbois impact West Main Street for the next month — more on page 12.
Take care The Sopris 100 Who Care group met again last week, with enough attendance to raise $10,000. Each woman who participated gave $100 and suggested a cause, with three selected randomly for a pitch. The final beneficiary was Patrick’s Place, a planned facility in El Jebel to support local youth.
Coffee comparisons
Best of the West Works from four local artists are on display as part of the Rockies West National show: “Peace Like a River” by Judy Chapman, “Lily” by Betty McKinney, “Pint and Half Pint” by Dani Tupper and “In a Strange Land” by Mary Bollig. They will hang from Feb. 26 through March 30 at the Art Center in Grand Junction with a 6:30 to 9 p.m. reception on March 1.
Bonfire Coffee is offering a community education series, beginning with an exploration of the differences between light and dark roasts from 3 to 4 p.m. March 1. The event is free and open to the community, which the first ten attendees receiving a complimentary 4 oz bag of the coffees being sampled — in this case, the Mocha Java and Garage blends.
Ice, ice baby As winter winds down, time is running out to see Dillon’s Ice Castles. Created by a Utah-based com-
pany as one of six such attractions, the experience opened on Dec. 21 and will close on March 9.
In for a dollar The big “store closing” sale on the Family Dollar building is a misnomer. According to a representative, the big blow-out sale will continue for a few more weeks before the store closes for an undefined period and reopens as a Dollar Tree.
Moving up Poss Architecture + Planning and Interior Design, a 44-year-old firm with a staff of 36 in offices in Aspen and Carbondale, recently announced a slate of promotions. Kevin Morley was named as a new Ppartner, while Mike Hamberg, Kevin Laut, and Dave Ritchie were named new principals. Promoted to Senior associate were Phillippe Beauregard, Joseph Edwards, and Rachel Guest; Tony Major, Oscar Carlson, William Lewis, Marc Winkler, Carlos Fernandez and Justyna Zack were named associates.
They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another year of life this week include: Sean Jeffries (March 2); Bella Frisbie (March 3); Kurt Trede, Jr. (March 4); Amy Hadden Marsh and Meg Plumb (March 5) Gwen Garcelon and Bobby Mason (March 6).
Class of 2019 Capstone Presentations Open to the Public! March 7: Readings at Bookbinders in Willits @ 6pm March 14: Demo of Learning at Roaring Fork High @ 6-7pm March 15: Film Screening/Coffee House at 3rd Street Center in Carbondale @ 7pm March 18: Demo of Learning at Basalt High School during the day March 18: Demo of Learning at Glenwood Springs High @ 5-7pm
Visit soltheatrecompany.org to sign up! 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019
Learn more about Capstones at https://www.roaringforkcapstones.com/ For more info call 970-384-7987
A cooperative solution for a coop co-op By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff The physical foundations may be poured sometime this week, but the philosophical foundations are already deep. The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is in the process of building employee housing on a small lot donated by longtime Carbondalian Kim Stacey. While no money changed hands when papers were signed at the end of last year, there is at least one condition: the perpetual maintenance of the cooperative garden and chicken coop that Stacey and her husband, John Hoffmann, have run for decades. The pair purchased the property next door in 1973 and started building the following year. The folks who owned the parcel lived elsewhere, so neighbors co-opted it as a garden, then a chicken coop. “I’m into both of those things, so I just helped out and eventually it became mine,” Stacey said. “Since we were using it, I thought it would be nice to own it.” The offer to buy in the early ‘90s came just as Stacey received an inheritance. “It’s just pure luck that we bought everything when we did,” she said. “I probably couldn’t afford to buy that lot now.”
Over the years, it became a public service as much as a personal calling, not unlike the adjacent right-of-way several neighbors lease but keep public. “People really enjoy the chickens,” Stacey said. It’s a lot of work, however. They once had to rebuild the coop after a fire. Predators — from the proverbial fox to skunks and raccoons to redtail hawks and even people — are always a problem, though less than they used to be. And while others helped out (a requirement for the Town to allow more than six chickens in one place), the brunt of the burden still fell on them. “We really can’t go anywhere for a long period of time,” Stacey observed. “Leaving the garden is one thing, but the chickens are another. You really have to have someone who’s responsible for it.” Still, Stacey wasn’t ready to just sell the property. For one thing, the next owner could easily fill the small lot with a large house. “If you sell it you don’t get to have what you want. It’s got potential with someone energetic,” she said. “The town went through that infill stage, but I really think people need open space. Carbondale has been a good home, and we have enough.” So she set out to find an organization that might be willing to
Kim Stacey is still taking care of the coop for now, but soon it will be someone else’s job to look for eggs. Photo by Will Grandbois take over stewardship. “We happened to go out to Rock Bottom Ranch one day and I wondered if they’d be interested,” she said. They were. It took three years, but with plenty of pro bono help from lawyer Thomas Adkison, a formal agreement is being put into action. Katie Schwoerer, Finance and Operations Director for ACES, is quick to credit Stacey. “Kim is just such an amazing person with a beautiful community vision. It’s such an honor that she would choose ACES for her very special garden and chicken coop and land,” she said. “It really fits within our environmental mission. Educating the public about where there food comes from lets
“Kim is just such an amazing person with a beautiful community vision.” them make better decisions.” While the agreement with Stacey is unique in many ways, it’s not without precedent. Most ACES employees are already living in company spaces. “ACES had a lot of foresight decades ago to create housing,” Schwoerer said. “It allows us to provide our extensive programming in a valley with extraordinarily high housing costs.”
A four bedroom home designed by Greenline Architects with a balance of energy and cost efficiency is beginning construction and should be done by late summer in time for some of ACES’ education team to move in. “Our reach is continuing to move down the valley, so it’s the perfect location,” Schwoerer said. The organization has about a year to fully take over maintenance of the property, so some of the specifics are still being discussed. Meanwhile, Stacey is thrilled to be providing a housing opportunity and doesn’t expect to be sitting still much with plenty to do around the remaining property. Still, she said, “I can’t wait to sit on my front porch and watch someone else work.”
Please join us for our 2019 Spring Concerts! All concerts are free and family friendly
SPRING 2019 EVENTS
Sunday, March 3 5:30 PM
Edlis Neeson Hall, Aspen
Tuesday, March 5 5:30 PM
Third Street Center, Carbondale The RFYO provides student musicians in the Roaring Fork Valley region the opportunity to play in a string or full orchestra from kindergarten through high school. Need-based tuition and private lesson scholarships are available. The RFYO is a program of the local nonprofit, Roaring Fork Music Society.
Sunday, April 28 5:30 PM
Third Street Center, Carbondale
RFYO.org
THIS COMMUNITY AD SPACE DONATED BY COOL BRICK STUDIOS.
MARCH SPEAKERS: Mar. 13 – Brion After Owner Independence Run & Hike
“SERVICE ABOVE SELF”
Mar. 20 – Gary Schalla Dir. of Development Mountain Family Health Centers Mar. 27 – Club Members Club Meeting
Looking to have fun and give back? Come join us at Rotary every Weds. at 7 a.m. at the Carbondale Fire Station - All are welcome! RSVP to Ed Queenan at (401) 465-4276 or queenan.edward@gmail.com! The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 5
Through the decades – a legacy of blacksmithing were visiting to learn from some of the best, sometimes staying and passing it on down the line. As Whitaker was getting I knew that Carbondale had a history older, he was looking for someone to pass of blacksmithing. But I couldn’t believe along his shop to. It was moved down to it when Franz Froelicher, of Blue Heron the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Forge, said that at the turn of the millenni- 1989, where the learning and craft continum, 35 independent forges were counted ues through the extracurricular programin the Roaring Fork Valley. ming offered to students. I had passed a handful on wandering Other forges came and went throughout drives or on errands around town and Carbondale before and since. Of course, had heard about others up in Marble the Village Smithy used to be a blacksmithor back in Missouri Heights, but 35? It ing forge, and there used to be one across turns out that many the street from the Pour closed up or relocated House. The long red barn when the 2008 finanbehind Peppino’s was John cial crash hit, with only Hoffman’s first blackthree or so of the area’s smithing forge in the ‘70s, forges staying alive on before starting the Roaring the other side. But I Forge, a blacksmiths’ colknew that there were lective, on Buggy Circle. more than three now. I still couldn’t imagine Something had drawn what would sustain thirtythe forges back to the five independent forges Roaring Fork Valley in this small valley, but I since the crash. was assured that there was “Back in the day, a enough work for everyone. lot of the ranches in the “Everyone wants cusarea had their own little tom chandeliers, rails, forge,” said Will Perry, gates, lights,” Froelicher local blacksmith, but it said. “They want it to was all for repair, shoelook like it’s been there ing horses, and making for hundreds of years, – Franz Froelicher the occasional simple and they’ve been great paBlue Heron Forge gate or railing. The trons. I’ll take a gate like Mid-Continent Mine this up to Aspen to install in Coal Basin and the mine up Thompson it, and they want to see welding certificaCreek were off-loading coking coal, the tions and bluebook regulations for it,” type of coal used in a typical blacksmith- Froelicher told me as we looked at an oring forge, and you could just drive up and nate iron piece he had constructed, swirls shovel it into the back of your truck. of metal running downwards. “When I tell “It was all quite industrial. It was them there isn’t a weld in it, there are no Francis Whitaker who brought the archi- regulations, no certifications, they’re baftectural component,” said Perry. Francis fled. But that’s what blacksmithing is. It’s Whitaker was a master blacksmith who craft, not construction.” moved his shop from Carmel, California Work created in this valley is shipped to Aspen in 1963. He saw the boom of the internationally and to the coasts, but it’s ski town and the housing market as a way also installed right in our backyard. The to thrive in his craft, bringing art to what Rocky Mountain Blacksmithing Conferwas once the simple get-it-done work to ence is held at CRMS each summer, where create things for around the house and on students and faculty heat up the forge the ranch. Blacksmithing conferences and throughout the school year, making pieces workshops began to thrive throughout for around campus or creating art for the the country. Rio Grande Artway, bringing out passions Other blacksmiths followed Whitaker’s for this ancient craft that seems to teach example, learning you could make a living both precision and playfulness. Patrons and bring artistic excellence to your craft near and far still come to the blacksmiths in this valley. You don’t run into a master of this valley for high quality art. The legblacksmith everyday, and so apprentices acy continues. By Jon Nicolodi Sopris Sun Correspondent
“When I tell them there isn’t a weld in it, there are no regulations, no certifications, they’re baffled. But that’s what blacksmithing is. It’s craft, not construction.”
Ken Riley is one of five smiths at Roaring Forge, a collective on Buggy Circle. Photos by Jon Nicolodi
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CoVenture hosts First Friday opening By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff It’s more than a name change. It’s a new space with new backers and new vision. “GlenX was basically a beta test for what became CoVenture,” explained parttime Director of Operations Evan Zislis. “When we started pulling all these public and private partners into the mix, the new name just sort of percolated to the surface.” CoVenture, a 501c3 nonprofit devoted to business development, is offering a free public preview of its 201 Main St. location from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 1 — with food from Mi Castia, A Way Home and Suzie Jimenez and beverages provided by Roaring Fork Beer Company, Marble Distilling and Sopris Liquor & Wine. The most prominent feature of the new space is the first-floor coworking space. There, folks can drop in and get high-speed internet and a place to sit on first-comefirst-served basis for $20 a day. Folks who want a little more consistency can reserve a designated desk for $350 a month. In some ways, it’s like an entrepreneurial version of the Third Street Center, where it all got started. Board President and Landlord Tyler Moebius has moved his own company, FastG8, right next door, and while there are a few existing tenants completely unrelated to CoVenture, most tie in in some way. There’s a hub of software companies upstairs, as well as offices for partner businesses or supporters. The Town of Carbondale and Garfield County have both backed the project, and
the list of partners is ever expanding, from Roaring Fork Technologists to Aspen Entrepreneurs to Colorado Lending Source. “When you get everyone under the same roof, you just give people an opportunity to communicate and collaborate,” Zislis observed. Also upstairs are conference rooms and phone booths, not to mention the “party patio.” Folks who opt for a private office also gain all the benefits of CoVenture membership. “We’re trying to provide flexible space for a variety of users to engage the community around business development,” Zislis explained. “Some of the spaces are a little funkier than others, but we’re working with what we’ve got to provide something for everyone.” CoVenture’s programming is similarly tiered, from monthly ideation — “business basics for beginners,” explained Zislis, who will teach the next retreat from 11 to 3 p.m. March 2 — to deep dive incubation on a quarterly basis and immersive acceleration annually. Another pitchfest — which last year facilitated $1.25 million in grants — is planned for April 12. There’s also the day-to-day culture of social justice, environmental sustainability and leadership that CoVenture is working to support, with partnerships with Evergreen Zero Waste and Conscious Capitalism of the Valley. And the downtown location opens up potential connections with Colorado Mountain College and True Nature Healing Arts, to say nothing of the opportunities for a
Brian Soby (left) and Jeremy Cerise take advantage of CoVenture’s coworking space on a February afternoon. Photo by Will Grandbois lunch break or midday workout. And while all that is attractive to Brian Soby, founder of security management platform AppOmni, it’s really the mission itself that sold him. “It’s a great space and they’re doing a great job of setting it up. If people are taking risks to build something like this, we want to support it,” he said. “It helps keep everyone motivated.” If CoVenture helps a few small businesses succeed, he said, that’s a net gain for the community. AppOmni itself is split between Carbondale, San Francisco and a handful of remote workers, which has turned out better than just sticking to Bay Area. “We’ve found it easier to find top quality people here than there. As a small company, you can’t pay what Google or Uber are pay-
ing,” Soby said. “And frankly, I didn’t want to live in San Francisco. I wanted to be here.” Soby suspects some folks who moved to the Front Range expecting the mountain life might be getting sick of heading West every weekend. Carbondale could become a home base for a few of those — though it will never compete with the big city. And that’s not the point, anyway. “So much of what keeps communities economically resilient is the diversity,” Zislis said. “We’re really hoping to have this rich programming that allows people with a wide mix of expertise to come out to play then stay and work. I wish that I had this kind of professional support when I was first getting started.” For more information, visit coventure.io.
AIRPORT PARKING ALERT 2 WAY 8 D HIGH BOUN Y 82 A NORTH W H D HIG BOUN SOUTH
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Airport Terminal Curbside Parking: EFFECTIVE MONDAY MARCH 4, 2019, unattended vehicles parked in front of the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport terminal will be towed at the owner’s expense. This is a federally-mandated TSA regulation at ALL commercial airports. Beginning 03/04/2019, your vehicle will be towed off site to an impound lot. A storage and towing fee will be assessed to recover your vehicle. $180 Hookup Fee $3.80/Mile up to 14 miles Towing Fee $30/Day Storage Fee We appreciate your understanding and compliance for the safety of all. For more information
970-379-6507 The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 7
Mah Jongg
continued from page 1
actress Julia Roberts appeared on a late night talk show and said she plays with her friends once a week to relax. It is becoming more mainstream and more popular with younger adults. Sherman explains, “This is a game that my mother, grandmother, and aunts used to play,” She adds, “It was considered an older woman’s game. Not anymore.” One place to learn the basics is at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10:30. There you will find players pondering a pile of tiles strewn in the middle of a card table. Each tile has a decorative Chinese symbol etched into it. The suit names are dots, bams, and craks, with tiles numbered one through nine. Other tiles consist of dragons, flowers, the four winds, and jokers. Margaret Donnelly, Health and Wellness Coordinator at the Carbondale Recreation Center, said about a year ago recreation center member Lucy Hahn contacted her saying she had a couple of people interested in playing Mah Jongg. A flyer was posted asking for those interested to contact Hahn. About a month of instruction from Hahn on the basics of how to play was underway. For Donnelly, the interest was encouraging, because “it’s a great activity and I want to see the community aspect of getting together and playing, so I’d like to see it grow.” Donnelly talks about the benefits of playing the game, explaining, “Wellness is more than physical; it’s also mental and social.” After that initial phase, Donnelly said it was listed in the Rec Center’s brochure
and described as “a group designed to help newcomers learn how to play.” Donnelly is happy to report Mah Jongg will continue through this summer at the Rec Center. The Rec Center group may be four to seven players on any given day. This particular Monday it is a group of four players; Marjorie DeLuca, Nancy Peterson, Sandy and Jon Towne. The group plays for 90 minutes, which usually translates to three games. They can accommodate “learn-as-you-go” players. The atmosphere is relaxed and there is playful banter among them. Periods of concentrated tile studying, broken up by bits of laughter. If you make a mistake in the order of passing, for example, no problem. They discuss, correct it, and move onward. The novice is as at home as is the more experienced player. Mah Jongg is played with four people but may be played with three, if necessary. Depending on how many people show up on any given day, one or two game tables are set up. The game’s beginnings are the subject of some debate. Popular opinion believes it started in China, possibly Shanghai, in the mid to late 1800s and was brought over to the United States in the 1920s by wealthy world travelers. Some steps were Americanized and it was played at a more leisurely pace than its original counterpart. The National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) is responsible for publishing the American version of the Official Standard Hands and Rules Cards. New cards, with slight hand variations, are published each year. These are the hands you are working to achieve. An example would be attempt-
Adverteyes in The Sun
A player stacks tiles on the rack, arranging similar groups to determine the best hand to play. Photo by Erin Danneker ing to obtain a hand in the consecutive run category, consisting of four flowers, any two consecutive numbers, and two dragons, with all tiles being of the same suit. Confused yet? I certainly was. Did I mention you will also do the Charleston? American Mah Jongg, with its 1920s origins, incorporated the then-popular dance craze of the Charleston. It is the name given to the practice of passing tiles from one player to another. The Charleston is passing tiles to the right, across the table, then to the left. This play is supposed to mimic the dance’s moves. In the process of learning the tiles, I am brought back to being a kid again, learning hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs, aces, face cards, and, yes, even those games with jokers. After a while, those terms become second nature. Mah Jongg is the same. You learn the terminology and basic rules first. It is important not to be intimidated by it. As Sherman observes, “When learning don’t concern yourself with strategy or defense.
In the beginning, just familiarize yourself with the rules of the game and identifying the tiles.” Some people who play say they do so to keep their mind sharp and limber. A type of yoga for the brain’s neuropathways. That is one of the reasons Jon says he plays. Plus he enjoys a game he can play with his wife, Sandy. “Of all the card games, rummy, bridge, this works well as a couple.” Many times there is betting. A winning hand can yield the player between 25 to 50 cents, paid to them by the losing players. Sherman explains, “Some people may feel intimidated by playing for money, even though it is only quarters and our game sets a limit of $5 in losses in one sitting.” “When playing in my home, I insist that we play for M&Ms which makes for a much more relaxed setting.” However, Sherman adds a word of caution, “There is only one rule - Don’t eat your profits!” Something tells me I could really like this game. If it’s a high stakes game for M&Ms, count me in.
CONGRATULATIONS to Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District on their new website! We’re so happy to work with you and we can’t think of a more deserving team to have a site that showcases all of the incredible things that you do for our community.
www.carbondalefire.org
We deliver 4,000 papers every Thursday to 100 locations from West Glenwood to
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For more information contact Carol Fabian adsales@soprissun.com or 970-510-0246 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019
(970) 510-5800 | Carbondale, CO | FootstepsMarketing.com
RFHS student takes the fight against trafficking to Nepal through martial arts By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff One of the perks of winning the geographical lottery — such as being born in the Roaring Fork Valley — is that you’re afforded the opportunity to study the rest of the world’s underbelly from a safe distance. But Ruthie Brown is going out of her way to use her local experiences as a means to be a more informed guest in her future travels, and she’s not shying away from tough topics. “I’m in AP English Language, and we have to write a 20-page research paper,” the Roaring Fork High School senior said. “So I’m writing mine on sex trafficking in Nepal so I will have background before I leave.” Brown, with an already booked April 1 departure, will be spending most of her time at her aunt’s yoga center in Pokhara, about 125 miles from Kathmandu — but instead of breathing through downward dog, she’ll be teaching girls from a local children’s house martial arts. It’s the natural extension of the three-class series she led in Carbondale to complete her black belt last December, she explained. “For your black belt, you have to do a project. I pay a lot of attention to the media and what’s happening around the world and U.S., so I came up with the idea of Women Fight Back, which is a self-defense class for women,” she said. Her sensei, Carbondalian and Rising Crane Training Center proprietor Karen Bradshaw, helped her
SoL
Theatre Company
organize the classes. “We advertised it through Facebook, and she helped me plan it and teach it. It was one of the biggest classes we’ve ever had for people just showing up,” Brown recalled. “It was 20+ people in each class, and for martial arts, those are pretty big numbers.” From there, she was hooked. “I got to be a part of something that was a little bigger than myself,” she said. Word had spread, and soon Brown was receiving inquiries from organizations in Paonia, Glenwood Springs and Aspen. None of those calls materialized into actual classes, but they got her thinking about the possibility of future programs. “My aunt heard about it and was like, ‘You should come to Nepal because we have high levels of sex trafficking.’ So I looked in to it, and it turns out they really, really do,” she said. She had started Women Fight Back in response to the pervasiveness of general violence against women in society; this was a sophisticated, opaque system that swallows the most vulnerable in a given population. “A big part of this project is not only bringing knowledge to them but also awareness to the community around me because it is an epidemic and needs to be faced. In Nepal especially, many of these people face it,” Brown said, adding that illiteracy and poverty keep people especially vulnerable. “Girls don’t know that sex trafficking is a thing. It’s not something they learn about,
we’re off to see the Wizard
Ruthie Brown addresses a class in her Women Fight Back martial arts series, which she designed as part of earning her black belt in Cuong Nhu. Courtesy photo so it makes them [more easily] lured into these traps and then sold and brought to these brothels in India.” In addition to partnering with the Namaste Children’s House — which offers lodging and schooling to 39 abandoned, homeless or orphaned children aged 5 to 18 in Pokhara — to offer self defense training, Brown wants to contribute to the larger fight. Through her research, she has identified Maiti Nepal as a worthy opponent to traffickers. Just earlier this month, the organization reported the successful rescue of 179 victims, according to the Himalayan Times. “They have been a big name in all of my research, and I think what they’re doing is really incredible, so I want to help,” she said. To that end, Brown set up a fundraiser through Facebook (tinyurl.com/ RuthieToNepal). “I will be using the money to pay for air-
line tickets for my sister and [me]. We only have to raise $500 more until that cost is covered, and the rest will be split between the orphanage and Maiti,” she said, adding that in addition to her sister, her grandfather and his girlfriend will be joining. “My parents were very wary about sending me across the planet without anyone.” Along with her martial arts training and research, Brown’s aptitude for language will further arm her in her efforts abroad: she’s been using Duolingo to learn some Nepalese (she’s already used the app to further her Japanese and Spanish fluencies) — though body language is universal, she noted. “I love new cultures; I love diversity, so I’m really excited to be immersed in a new country,” she said. “But also… maybe I can bring body confidence and positivity. Personally, martial arts has helped me with my body, so I hope to inspire that in them as well.”
we’re we’re off to off to see the based on the book by L. Frank Baum see the Wizard Wizard Friday, March 8th at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 10th at 2:00 p.m. at The Barn at Colorado Rocky Mountain School! Tickets $20 for Adults and $15 for Students 12 and under Tickets available at the door or at soltheatrecompany.org
The Wizard of Oz is presented with special permission by Samuel French and musicnotes.com
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 9
Community Calendar THURSDAY Feb. 28
CLOUD SEEDING • Roaring Fork Conservancy invites you to learn about another facet of water management in the second of a three-park speaker series from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The River Center (22800 Two Rivers Rd., Basalt).
To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is noon on Monday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted.
tions for both from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.).
gether from 7 to 10 p.m. at Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.).
with $1 suggested donations going to Gay for Good Rocky Mountains.
METAMORPHIC ROCK • Universal Sigh takes the stage at Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.) at 8:30 p.m. or thereabouts. $15 cover and, as always, BYOB.
COMMUNITY CONCERT • The Glenwood Springs Community Concert Association presents the Jersey Tenors at 7 p.m. at Mountain View Church (2195 CR 154) — admission by membership.
SCHOOLHOUSE CONCERT • Pastor Mustard brings The Hydes and Dave Curley to the Missouri Heights Schoolhouse (498 CR 102) at 8 p.m.
BLUEGRASS • Grammy-nominated Wood & Wire play at 8 p.m. at The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits). $17 in advance at tacaw.org or $22 at the door.
GUITARIST • Rodrigo Arreguin performs at 6 p.m. at the Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.).
FRI to THU Mar. 1-7
HANGOVER SHOW • Bradman switches it up and plays The Black Nugget (403 Main St.) the day after First Friday from 9 p.m. ‘til the wee hours of the morning.
MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre (427 Main St.) presents “They Shall Not Grow Old” (R) at 7:30 p.m. March 1-7 and “Green Book” (PG-13) at 4:45 p.m. March 2.
SUNDAY March 3
FRIDAY March 1
OH MY GOD • Theatre Or presents the story of a therapist who helps the Almighty with doubt at 5 p.m. at The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits). $36.
BLOOD DRAW • Valley View Hospital (1906 Blake Ave.) offers a partial health fair from 6:30 to 9 a.m. ETCHING • Frank Norwood will be printing from copper plates created during a 50-year career from 5 to 8 p.m. at Main Street Gallery (399 Main St.). KIDS MOVIE • The Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program invites you to drop your kids off at KDNK (76 S. Second St.) from 5:30 to 8 p.m. for a movie, popcorn, pizza and First Friday childcare. $20 for the first 6-to-12-year old and $5 per additional sibling. PAIRINGS • Purchase a handmade cup for $25-$100 and fill it with a local beverage of your choice from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clay Center (135 Main St.). INSTALLATIONS • Carbondale Arts presents Jeff Stevens’ “It Was Dark Inside The Wolf” mixed media as well as Saxon Martinez’s “Site 1” with opening recep-
MONDAY March 4 SOUL PARTY • Nate Hancock, frontman for The Declaration, plays at 9 p.m. at The Black Nugget (403 Main St.). JAM ROCK • Whiskey Stomp plays Carbondale Beer Works (647 Main St.) from 9 p.m. ‘til midnight.
FRI to SUN March 1-3
VOICES • Local high schoolers come together to create an original show in just five weeks. See the results at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday with a 3 p.m. Sunday matinee at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.).
SATURDAY March 2
INDIE FOLK • Kyle Emerson, Heavy Diamond Ring and Pure Weed come to-
Fostering Diverse Educational
Ma
rch
Get Involved
Qigong, TaiChi Ukulele Classes Bridge, Bookclub Geneology, Watercolor RSVP Tax Assistance Sight & Health Info. l p Medicare Assistance A Alzheimer Caregiver Group FootCare, Sno Cones to Cow Kids
Senior Matters Room 33 3rd St Center Carbondale
* 963-1689,Diane 10John • THE SOPRIS SUN230-2158 • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019
HERITAGE FORUM • Aspen Chapel (77 Meadowood Dr.) celebrates its 50th anniversary with a 5:30 p.m. discussion of its founding, history, vision and architecture.
WEDNESDAY March 6
BOOKS ON SCREEN • Basalt Regional Library (14 Midland Ave.) screens “Hidden Figures” at 5 p.m. NATURALIST NIGHTS • University of Maryland Biology Professor Emeritus David W. Inouye discusses how changing climate is affecting wildflowers and pollinators in the Colorado Rockies at 6 p.m. the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.) and the next day at Hallam Lake in Aspen. BINGO • Carbondale Beer Works (647 Main St.) hosts Bingo starting at 7:30 p.m.
Ongoing OF MICE AND MEN • Thunder River Theatre (67 Promenade) brings John Steinbeck’s Depression-era drama to life with 7:30 p.m. shows March 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 with a 2 p.m. matinee March 3. Tickets at thunderrivertheatre.com with a discount for 20 and 30-somethings. HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION • Free opportunities include: One-hour consultations Monday mornings by appointment (379-5718) about heart attack and other chronic illness prevention through plant-based whole foods lifestyle with retired family doctor Greg Feinsinger, MD. At 6 p.m. Tuesdays, a livestream of Just 1 Thing 4 Health’s interviews with featured doctors. At 7 p.m. the first Monday of the month, a Powerpoint presentation about the science behind plant-based nutrition. Finally, at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month, participate in a plant-based potluck. All events take place at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.) and are supported by Davi Nikent Center for Human Flourishing. OFFICE HOURS • Sun Editor Will Grandbois will be at The Sopris Sun Office (520 S. Third St., Room #32) at 8:30 a.m. every Monday taking tips, questions, comments and complaints. EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN • Staff and sources talk about this week’s paper and more at 4 p.m. Thursdays on KDNK (88.1 FM). CALENDAR continued on page 11
Community Calendar
continued from page 10
Ongoing
LOSS SUPPORT • The Compassionate Friends of the Roaring Fork Valley, a group for parents, grandparents or siblings who have lost a child of any age, meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at The Orchard (110 Snowmass Dr.). GRIEF AND LOSS • Pathfinders offers a grief and loss support group every other Monday at 6 p.m., and a caregiver support group every other Wednesday noon. An RSVP is required to Robyn Hubbard at 319-6854. Pathfinders offers support groups from Aspen to Rifle and is located in Carbondale at 1101 Village Rd. Info: pathfindersforcancer.org. WALK WITH A DOC • Aspen Valley Hospital (401 Castle Creek Rd.) invites you to meet in the cafeteria at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of the month for a short discussion on a health-related topic, such as high blood pressure, asthma, anxiety, etc. BOOK CLUB • Join friends and fellow readers to discuss great books at Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.) at 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month; call 963-2889 for this month’s selection. WRITERS GROUP • Wordsmiths of all experience and abilities gather at the Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.) at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of the month. STORYTIME • Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.) hosts stories, songs and more for ages four and up at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays and three and under at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. STORY ART • Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.), in partnership with the Aspen Art Museum, invites kids to learn about artists and create masterpieces of their own
at 4 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. YOUR STORY, YOUR LIFE • A free facilitated workshop for adults, writing your personal history, one story at a time. Facilitated by Shelly Merriam, historian/writer/ genealogist. First and third Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library, (815 Cooper Ave.). Info at 945-5958 or gcpld.org. LIFE DRAWING • Drop in for figure drawing with Staci Dickerson at 6:30 p.m. Mondays at The Helios Center (601 Sopris Ave.). BLUEGRASS JAM • Bring the instrument of your choice or just your voice for a weekly jam session first and last Sundays at 6 p.m. at Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.) and all other Sundays at the Glenwood Springs Brew Garden (115 Sixth St.) OPEN MIC • Take the stage at Riverside Grill (181 Basalt Center Circle, Basalt) from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Food and drink specials. Free. KARAOKE • The Black Nugget (403 Main St.) and Sandman bring you over 30,000 songs to choose from and a quality sound system to release your inner rockstar at 9 pm. every Thursday. WORLD DANCE • Learn rhythms from various countries and cultures for $12 per class from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays at the Carbondale Community School (1505 Satank Rd.). LET’S JUST DANCE • Feel great, have fun and dance Tuesdays at The Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.). Catch a free lesson at 7 p.m., then from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. it’s open dancing with two-step, swing, waltz, line dance, salsa and more. No partner or experience necessary. $8/person; $14/couple. Questions? Call 970-366-6463 or email billypat4@gmail.com.
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BACHATA • Learn a Latin dance with Erik and Claudia Peña presenting weekly classes from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday at The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.). $10 drop-in fee; info at 963-8425. DRUM & DANCE • Drop by the Carbondale Community School (1505 Satank Rd.) Mondays through March 4 for an African drum class at 5:15 p.m. and African Dance class at 6:30 p.m. — $15 each. Also, catch a World Rhythms Dance Class from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at True Nature (100 N. Third St) — $14 with a punch pass.
MAKERSPACE • Children and teens are invited to design, create, tinker, and play with art and technology to design and create with 3D Pens, make stop-motion animation films, engineer duct tape creations, build their own video games, and more from 2 to 3:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.). LOVE ADDICTS • Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, a 12-step group will meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Holland Hills United Methodist Church (167 Holland Hills Rd., Basalt).
YAPPY HOUR • Colorado Animal Rescue’s Yappy Hour at the Marble Bar (150 Main St.) takes place at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month. Sip on handcrafted cocktails and meet a C.A.R.E. dog, with $1 from every drink donated to C.A.R.E. Bring your own dog along as well.
MINDFULNESS IN RECOVERY • An inclusive, peer-led recovery support group open to anyone with a desire for recovery — independent of faith and regardless of race, gender or orientation — meets Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. in room 36 of the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.)
COMMUNITY MEAL • Faith Lutheran Church (1340 Highway 133), in collaboration with Carbondale Homeless Assistance, hosts a free community meal from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month. Info: 510-5046 or faithcarbondale.com.
MINDFULNESS • The Mindful Life Program in the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.) offers group sessions Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Admission is by donation and registration is not necessary. Info: mindfullifeprogram.org and 970-633-0163.
RUN AROUND • Independence Run & Hike hosts a run around town Saturdays at 8 a.m. Meet at the store 596 Highway 133 (in La Fontana Plaza) and run various distances, with different routes each week. Info: 704-0909.
SANSKRIT MANTRA • Devika Gurung demonstrates how chant is about more than spirtuality, but also breath and rhythm at 4:30 p.m. Sundays at The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.).
ROTARY • The Carbondale Rotary Club meets at the Carbondale Fire Station (300 Meadowood Dr.) at 6:45 a.m. Wednesdays. The Mt. Sopris Rotary meets at White House Pizza (801 Main Ct.) at noon every Thursday. YOGA • Get a donation-based introduction to Hatha Yoga from 8 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.).
Save the Date THU to SAT March 14-16
GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK • Tickets are all sold out for Friday and Saturday at the Carbondale Rec. Center, but you can still get the Oz experience at the preview, 7 p.m. Thursday — tickets and info at carbondalearts.com.
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TUMBLEWEED420.COM The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 11
Town Report The following items are drawn from Town Manager Jay Harrington’s weekly report to staff, trustees and others. DITCH REALIGNMENT begins March 4, with temporary traffic signals set up on West Main St. east and west of Hendrick Drive. West Main will be reduced to one lane between the lights and all traffic coming off of Hendrick onto West Main will be required to turn right onto West Main. Traffic wanting to go west on Main Street will need to utilize the roundabout. It is expected that this work will take approximately one month depending on the weather.
Cop Shop From Feb. 15 through 21, Carbondale Police handled 232 Calls for Service. During that period, officers investigated the following cases of note: FRIDAY Feb. 15 at 10:45 a.m. While responding to a noise complaint, police watched two teens run into a house that appeared unoccupied. They then encountered a boy leaving the house through the back door and entered to find an underage party in progress. The students were identified and their schools notified. SATURDAY Feb. 16 at 1:20 a.m. A traffic stop for speeding and a defective tail lamp led to a 30-year-old man’s arrest for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.
HOLIDAY LIGHTING removal has begun on the trees downtown. WOOD CHIPS from discarded Christmas Trees are available in the lot across from Town Hall. SUMMER SEASONAL POSITIONS are being advertised by the parks department.
SATURDAY Feb. 16 at 3:17 p.m. Officers were dispatched to a cold domestic after the alleged victim presented at Valley View Hospital.
A FARMERS MARKET MANAGER is being sought to replace Ben Armstrong, who is not available this summer. For more information email carbondalefarmersmarket@gmail.com.
SUNDAY Feb. 17 at 1:12 a.m. Following a traffic stop for failure to signal or observe a traffic signal, police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of driving under the influence.
THE GOLDEN PADDLE pickleball league is underway with a full roster of 24 players, but you can still get on the sub list by contacting wtempest@carbondaleco.net. ICE MAINTENANCE continues to be a daily challenge due to fluctuating temperatures, but it has already proven to be the longest season in recent memories. Condition updates are available at carbondalerec.com GARDEN PLOTS are available for the 2019 summer season. Contact the front desk of the Rec. Center for more information. NEW EMPLOYEE Mark Nersesian joined the Utilities staff, with another staff member hopefully added soon.
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FirstBank Executive Vice President Brendan Matthias (left) and RFV Market President Dave Portman were all smiles during a groundbreaking celebration for the Carbondale branch. While it will likely be at least October before the branch is open, the bank is already making its mark by sponsoring First Fridays. Photo by Megan Tackett WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES will be discussed at the Feb. 28 Planning Commision meeting alongside Unified Development Code amendments and a minor site plan review. THE 2018 AUDIT will be presented to trustees in June. PUBLIC ART loaned for display in Town Hall has been installed.
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SUNDAY Feb. 17 at 11:52 a.m. A 31-year-old man was issued a citation for speeding 10-19 mph over the limit on Highway 133. TUESDAY Feb. 19 at 9:01 a.m. Town employees reported a street light that had apparently been struck as the result of a hit-and-run collision. An hour later, a similar report was filed for the RFTA bus barn with $1,500 in estimated damage. TUESDAY Feb. 19 at 10:03 p.m. A welfare check led to a 33-year-old man’s arrest for violating a restraining order.
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12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019
Carbondale Police Department receives mental health grant By Debbie Bruell Sopris Sun Correspondent
Police officers are called upon to respond to crises far outside the realm of law enforcement. They’re often the first ones on the scene when a person is overwhelmed by a mental illness or experiencing intense emotional distress. The Colorado Department of Local Affairs recently awarded the Carbondale Police Department (CPD) a $177,000 grant to engage the support of mental health professionals whenever necessary. Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling told The Sopris Sun that years ago, if an officer encountered someone experiencing a mental health crisis, the officer’s best option was often to charge that person with a criminal offense in order to put the person in jail, where the person could (hopefully) receive mental health services. Governor Hickenlooper put an end to that practice in the spring of 2017, signing into law a bill prohibiting the use of jail as a place to house people who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, but have not committed a crime. Around the same time, Hickenlooper approved the Peace Officer Mental Health Grant program, providing funding for
the ER have only two options: assess patients as in extreme danger and send them to a psychiatric facility, or release them with instructions to make an appointment with a counselor. The wait time for such appointments is often four to six weeks. In contrast, the Hope Center provides a “continuum of care,” Muething said, with many options in between the extremes of hospitalization and waiting weeks for a counseling appointment. When a Hope Center clinician can arrive at the site of an incident, the clinician can initiate mental health services immediately, schedule counseling services to begin the very next day, and provide follow-up services until the person’s crisis has subsided.
police departments to engage the support of mental health professionals. Carbondale is one of 16 Colorado law enforcement agencies to receive the grant, along with Basalt, Eagle County and Rifle.
Continuum of care CPD will use most of the funding to engage the support of mental health clinicians from the nonprofit organization, Aspen Hope Center. While the two groups have been working together for many years, resources have limited the amount of support the Hope Center could provide. Hope Center’s Executive Director Michelle Muething told The Sun that the impact of this grant will be “huge.” When mental health professionals can connect with people immediately, at the scene of a crisis, Muething explained, they can provide a more effective and efficient mode of service provision overall. For example, if a police officer encounters someone who is suicidal and a mental health clinician is not immediately available, the officer will transport that person to a hospital emergency room. There, the patient faces an indefinite wait to be seen by an ER physician and undergo a physical exam before being referred to a mental health specialist. According to Muething, peo-
Protect thyself ple in distress often display a physical symptom, such as an elevated heart rate, which is rooted in their psychological condition. Although the symptom is likely to disappear once the emotional distress subsides, a physician might order expensive testing, such as an EKG, seeking a physical cause for the symptom. That can lead to an “astronomical” ER bill in addition to a mental health crisis. Muething also noted that the mental health specialists at
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The second purpose of the state’s mental health grant is to provide counseling for police officers themselves. As Schilling told The Sun, police “see a lot of bad stuff...work weird hours…” and often find it a very stressful job. Suicide rates among first responders nationwide have been increasing. Recent studies have found that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Carbondale lost one of its own police officers to suicide in 2011. “Police officers show up at
the scene of a crisis … wearing a uniform … in a position of authority...and everyone looks at them like they have the answers to all their problems,” Muething said, “like they’re heroes that can fix anything.” However, the solution is often “beyond the scope of their abilities.” Muething wants to remove the stigma of counseling among the officers, so that they feel comfortable coming in simply to “off-load” and talk about how stressful their life has been. “Mental health is about daily life struggles,” Muething said. “You don’t need to have a mental illness to be struggling.” She sees the counseling services as a way for officers to “be as healthy and happy as possible to be able to serve our community.” The CPD grant also includes funding for a 24-hour crisis hotline, expanded training for police officers on mental health topics, and technology for clinicians in the field. The Basalt Police Department will be using their grant funds to engage the support of the Aspen Hope Center as well. Schilling is hoping that the paperwork necessary for the grant funding will be completed by the end of February. The funding is approved for one year, with the possibility of a renewal for subsequent years.
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The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 13
Finding food freedom amid arbitrary authority By Mollie Shipman
I recently heard a speech on food freedom. The message resonated with me so strongly that I was actually moved to tears. The ideas were not new to me but the strength of my reaction caused me to question just what it was that struck a chord. I have concluded that what resonated so strongly with me was the speaker’s championing of liberty. Freedom can be an emotionally charged topic. Webster defines liberty as “the power to do as one pleases; freedom from arbitrary or despotic control; the power of choice; a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant.” Liberty is at the core of this nation’s identity. Our Declaration asserts that we humans were endowed (granted) by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among them Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. So is food freedom among our unalienable rights? According to the speaker, yes. So what is food freedom? Let me give some examples of what it isn’t. Retail sale of raw milk is illegal in 40 states. I cannot sell my neighbor a jar of my homemade pickles. It’s against code in Pitkin County to plant a fruit tree in your yard after building a new home. It’s a federal crime to label a food product name with the wrong font. A little girl in California who wanted to set up a front yard lemonade stand was told she needed restaurant-grade equipment, a codecompliant stand, and a business permit (totaling $3500) in order to sell lemonade. In the U.S., states determine regulations pertaining to small-scale food producers, referred to as cottage laws, and those regulations vary widely.
In Colorado, for example, a farmer can process up to 1,000 chickens for direct market without inspection. In Louisiana, the limit is 20,000 birds. Now, in my understanding the purpose of food law is to protect the consumer from food-borne illness or the producer from financial liability. So this begs the question, why is there such variation in cottage laws? If the regs were supported by scientific data, then shouldn’t the science point to specific practices or numbers as either safe or non-safe? And yet they don’t, which sounds suspiciously like arbitrary regulations. Hmmm... “freedom from arbitrary... control.” I’m guessing that lobbying has more to do with cottage laws than science. Now, I’m not vouching for federal standardization over state autonomy on food regulations — far from it. But I do question the decision-making process in food regs when an ingredient can be found on a label that “is known to the State of California to cause cancer” and, apparently, is not known to be such in other states. I’m merely pointing out the inconsistencies in policies which are supposedly based in sound scientific data and intended to protect the masses from being harmed. I’m also not vouching for total deregulation either. Some safety measures and oversight are appropriate. Many lives have been saved through appropriate policies. However, the current system favors large-scale producers and is prohibitive to
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small-scale producers by placing undue burdens on them. There are layers upon layers of regulations and unreasonable equipment specifications that producers must wade through which amount to barriers to entry for the small business. Regulations are not currently scalable, but they should be. We should be seeking ways to make it easier for smallscale, local food growers to get into business and stay in business. Studies indicate that the average municipality has only three days worth of food for its populace within its borders. So what happens if interstate access shuts down for more than three days? It sure would be comforting to know that there were dozens of local food producers within 20 or so miles of me. One of the best ways to ensure a reliable food supply is to promote local agriculture — the kind where you can legally go buy a package of chicken breasts or jar of salsa from someone whom you know and trust without the USDA being involved. Much of the regulation is driven by fear: of illness, of litigation, of the unknown. One school superintendent in 2010 prohibited food gardens from being planted on school grounds, citing the possibility that they might attract “pests.” I recently spoke with a market gardener from Ft. Collins who is not allowed to sell salad greens from a farm stand on his property because his acreage “isn’t big enough.” What exactly are we afraid of here? Ignorance breeds fear, fear breeds ridiculous rules.
OPINION
We have lost touch with what real food is and so we fear it. We fear meat, raw milk, homegrown salads, caterpillar-nibbled veggies. And so we deem potato chips, soda and Twinkies as safe and real food as dangerous. Yes, these real, raw foods can carry pathogens, but that’s why you should be able to choose your source. Who do you trust more to have your best interest at heart: Tyson meat factory workers or your neighbor? Know your farmer. Trust erases fear. How many hospitalizations and deaths have there been in recent years from Salmonella and E. coli in commercial beef, peanut butter, lettuce, and cantaloupes? Should we outlaw burgers and salad? We’re talking about contamination issues caused by unsafe handling of benign foods, not inherently pathogenic foods. I’m a Registered Dietitian and have had my fair share of food safety training. I realize that there is always a chance of contamination and certain precautions should be taken, but specific foods should not be vilified simply because they have the potential to cause illness if improperly handled. We should be engendering a culture of personal responsibility in place of fear. Whether or not I’m hurt through my own choices is none of the government’s business, and personal responsibility will do more to protect us than more regulations (think Outlaw Oreos and Banned Big Gulps). If I want to eat cookies and drink soda all day every day, then I should have the liberty to do so. Likewise, if I want to buy and eat a homemade chicken pot pie from my neighbor and drink her goat’s milk, I should have the liberty to do so. My health is my LIBERTY page 15
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14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019
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responsibility, along with any associated risks related to my food choices. We claim to care a lot about freedom and rights these days: reproductive rights, marriage rights, gender-related rights, civil rights. Surely I should have the right to choose where and how and when I produce, buy, or sell what I eat! Let us have the integrity to be consistent in our espousal of liberty. Local agriculture enriches a community by fostering sustainable economic growth, health and wellbeing, and a sense of unity. In what ways do our federal, state and local food policy support or deter food freedom? Can you raise chickens in town? How difficult is it to obtain a permit to put up a greenhouse? Can new farmers access land to start a market garden? Maybe you have a large backyard they could use. It’s probably against HOA rules. But rules can be changed, and that’s the point. A 2013 paper published by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic concluded that: “With the increased focus on supporting and growing local economies and providing access to local products, cottage food laws need to be broad enough to allow producers to make their operations viable businesses.
Removing or increasing the sales limits for cottage food operations would help establish cottage food operations as important contributors to the local economy.” De-regulation can enable small food producers to thrive. And they don’t need government funding to thrive, either. A truly sustainable food system generates its own value rather than relying on public programs, an unsustainable approach in the long-term. We should be looking for ways to free up commerce between producers and consumers instead of seeking ways to subsidize struggling producers who are struggling because of government strangulation in the first place. For sure, some food safety guidelines and inter-state, inter-country regulations are necessary, but where is the line between reasonable and ridiculous? I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do believe that I am endowed with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and this includes the right to feed my body the food of my choice, procured by the method of my choice, from the producer of my choice, in the form of my choice. Food freedom. Liberty. Think about it. It might just make you cry.
Legal Notices
Unclassifieds
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Board of Trustees for the purpose of considering an amendment to the Unified Development Code (Title 17 of the Carbondale Municipal Code) to establish a timeframe when issuing a sign permit and to include a definition of operational business.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Board of Trustees to consider amendments to the Unified Development Code (UDC). The amendments would cover numerous aspects of the UDC including but not limited to General Provisions, Administration, Zoning Districts, Use Regulations, Development Standards, Subdivision, Nonconformities, and Definitions.
The applicant is the Town of Carbondale. Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 6:00 p.m. on March 19, 2019.
Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 6:00 p.m. on March 19, 2019.
Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined by interested persons during regular working hours, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The application may also be reviewed on the Town’s website at www.carbondalegov.org.
Copies of the draft amendments to the Unified Development Code are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined by interested persons during regular working hours, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday prior to the public hearing. The draft is also available on the Town’s website at www.carbondalegov.org.
John Leybourne Planner
Janet Buck Town Planner
Published in The Sopris Sun on February 28, 2019.
Published in The Sopris Sun on February 28, 2019.
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HELP WANTED: Town of Carbondale Seasonal Vegetation Management Worker. $16 /hr. Applications at Town Hall or online www.carbondalegov.org. Contact Mike Callas, Town Arborist at 510-1331 mcallas@carbondaleco.net. HELP WANTED: Town of Carbondale Seasonal Parks Maintenance Positions. $16/ hr. Applications at Town Hall or online www.carbondalegov.org. Contact - Russell Sissom, Parks Supervisor at 5101327 rsissom@carbondaleco.net. *Credit card payment information should be emailed to unclassifieds@soprissun.com or call 970-2741076. Checks may be dropped off at our office at the Third Street Center. Call 510-3003 for more info.
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Ragged Mountain Sports had things dialed in for its second “Norduro” race at Spring Gulch on Feb. 24, with Matt Johnson finishing first among the adults and Sam Friday and Lucy Silcox topping the kids on a mix of timed and untimed segments. Courtesy photo The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019 • 15
16 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 6, 2019