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community connector

k E or ID g F NS ri n I

Carbondale’s weekly

E a Ro AG MP RA

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

Volume 10, Number 15 | May 17, 2018

A dandy line of species

These three little creatures (one human flanked by two species of unknown origin) were perched atop a table in front of KDNK before the Parade of Species on the morning of May 12. They were quite amused by something, though it was hard to figure out what, due to the mixture of outlandish organisms gathered and eager to start slithering, crawling, leaping and creeping down Main Street for the annual Dandelion Day parade.

Photo by Jane Bachrach

Advertise. Donate. Volunteer.

The Sopris Sun is YOUR community supported newspaper Go to www.soprissun.com for ad rates or contact adsales@soprissun.com

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.

As local media face increasing threats around the country …

Let’s celebrate The Sun’s strength

By Barbara Dills Sopris Sun board treasurer

OPINION

“To me, it’s unbelievable that somebody would be so naïve as to believe you can cut the heart out of a newspaper and still think it’s going to survive.”

– Dean Singleton, former owner of The Denver Post, upon his May 4 resignation as chairman The Denver Post — now owned by a New York Citybased hedge fund — continues to suffer massive newsroom cuts, going from 300 journalists in 2011 to fewer than 75 today. Alden Global Capital continues to gut The Post despite 2017 profits of $36 million and a healthy 17 percent operating margin. The same firm also owns 62 other newspapers around the country, including 12 in Colorado, many of which are experiencing similar cuts.

Dean Singleton, who owned The Post from 1987 to 2013 and until May 4 still served as its chairman, said recently about its demise, “It’s like watching your mother or father go into hospice.”

Then there is Sinclair Broadcasting Group, now the largest local TV station operator in the country, reportedly owning or operating 173 stations serving 40 percent of American households today (those numbers may soon grow substantially if a pending purchase of Tribune Broadcasting is allowed to proceed.)

Sinclair was recently exposed for requiring its on-air newscasters — regardless of their location in, say, Seattle, Des Moines, or El Paso — to read verbatim the news scripts prepared at the company’s Maryland headquarters. They also require them to air corporate-produced opinion pieces. In many smaller markets, the Sinclair station is the only local TV station.

People tend to trust their local news outlets more than the national news, especially today (according to one recent survey,

Letters

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. please include your name, town, and contact information. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday.

Keep The Sun shining

84 percent to 16 percent respectively). Those same viewers, watching a Sinclair-owned station, are not aware that their trusted local news anchors might actually be reading scripts dictated from afar. (To see a video of dozens of local newscasters around the country reading the same news script, do an online search on “Sinclair Deadspin.”)

What does all this have to do with your local nonprofit newspaper?

Well, first of all, The Sopris Sun does not answer to any corporate master. Not for its budget, and not for its content. It belongs to you, our community of readers, contributors, advertisers, and supporters.

Second, unlike the now-gutted Denver Post, The Sopris Sun is growing, not shrinking. And third, unlike Sinclair TV stations, our local news is truly local. Written and produced right here in Carbondale. By your friends and neighbors.

At The Sopris Sun, our mission is “to inform, inspire and build community” — not to generate profit. This week, in our 2017 Annual Report — which you’ll find on pages 6-7 of this issue and posted to our homepage online — we outline some of the ways we worked to fulfill that mission last year. I hope you will take a look. Consider what it means to you and this community to have a truly local paper bringing you truly local news, promoting and covering local events, and honoring local people.

We are not about generating profit, but we do need the community’s support to survive. In this season of lengthening days and warmer weather, we are asking you to join us in celebrating The Sun’s strength. Your donation of any size will help us meet our $10,000 mid-year fundraising goal by the summer solstice on June 21. Please make a gift today, online at soprissun.com or via mail to PO Box 399, Carbondale 81623.

PS: It currently costs $1.20 to produce each copy of The Sopris Sun. Only 84 percent of that is covered by advertising. The other 16 percent must come from you, our readers.

Mama said, Mama said

By Nicolette Toussaint

“If all the other kids jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?”

“If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way!”

“Were you born in a barn?”

Every mom seems to know these phrases. They’re passed down through the ages: Grandma said them to mom.

Mom used them on us. The same words mysteriously issue from our own mouths as the next generation of young ones appears.

Many of us heard these platitudes often enough to prepare snappy comebacks. I volunteered to package my lima beans and mail them to the starving children in Armenia. My friend Linda, who was Catholic, had a smartass answer to the born-in-a-barn question.

“Jesus was born in a barn,” she quipped. (Her mom’s snarky retort: “I bet he never left his clothes on the floor!”)

In addition to platitudes, we all hear some gold-plated originals, colorful phrases that capture mom’s unique character. Those words have the power to conjure up laughter and tears long

Dear Editor: The Sopris Sun keeps our community connected.

It captures the heart and soul of what makes this valley an incredibly unique and special place to live. I appreciate how the Sun supports and highlights local people, happenings, and events. As the Roaring Fork Valley continues to grow, The Sun keeps the “personalized/small town feel” this community was founded on.

Thank you, Sopris Sun, for being the heart of our community and keeping the light shining bright! Each week I open The Sun, I’m reminded how lucky I am to be born, raised, and still living in this incredibly connected and supportive community we all call home!

Let’s keep the Sopris Sun shining bright!

Ami Maes, HANDMAKERY founder LETTERS page 18 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • MAY 17-23, 2018

after our moms have passed away.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I asked friends to share some of their moms most memorable phrases. Quite a few recall rural roots. My own mom, Myra Toussaint-Devine, who always spoke of the ice box and never the refrigerator, would sometimes look at me and observe, “You look about as mad as a wet hen.”

I had seen dry hens, but not wet ones. When we drove to a farm near Golden, Colorado to buy fresh eggs, I was tempted to grab a hose and douse a hen, just to see how mad she’d get.

I also recall my former mother-in-law — Reina Krause, a Brit — giving her son a quizzical look and chuckling, “What are you so chuffed about? You’re just cock-o-midden!” The phrase is pure Lancashire. Reina would trot this one out when David was overly impressed with himself. (“Cock of the midden” refers to a rooster crowing atop a dung heap.)

Tami Carson, a California teacher, says her mother Jo Fay Josephine used to exclaim, “You’re as awkward as a HIGHER GROUND page 18

Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers

for their generous, ongoing commitment of support.

Jim Calaway, Chair Kay Brunnier Bob Ferguson – Jaywalker Lodge Scott Gilbert – Habitat for Humanity RFV Bob Young – Alpine Bank Peter Gilbert Umbrella Roofing, Inc. Bill Spence and Sue Edelstein Greg and Kathy Feinsinger

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 Advertising: Carol Fabian • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Reporter: Megan Tackett Photographer: Jane Bachrach Graphic Designer: Terri Ritchie Delivery: Tom Sands Current Board Members board@soprissun.com Marilyn Murphy, President Raleigh Burleigh, Vice President Stacey Bernot, Secretary Barbara Dills, Treasurer Debbie Bruell • Cliff Colia Olivia Pevec • Nicolette Toussaint John Colson 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.

Ogilbys turning out to be a family of fish

By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff It’s hard to say where the swimming legacy in the Ogilby family begins and ends. On one hand, it traces back at least as far as 1933 Illinois state freestyle champion Trahern Ogilby. On the other, it’s his great-granddaughters — Amélie, 12, and Laia, 9 — who have inspired the intervening generations — Chuck, 75, and Kayo, 45 — to get back into competition.

“There’s a thread there that is really special,” said Kayo. “I have treasured getting to take that journey with them.”

Chuck and Kayo recently returned from the National Championship, where the former took first in his age group for three events (the 50 back by nearly 3 seconds, the 100 by almost 12, and the 200 back by more than 15) and third in another, with the latter finishing fifth in the 1650 freestyle.

The visit to Indianapolis was also a chance for Chuck to reflect on his college years under coach and “father of interval training” James Counsilman. Some of his old teammates are in the hall of fame there, and Chuck was no slouch himself.

Kayo remembers following his father around to meets as a kid and even got time out of school to attend the very first World Masters competition in New Zealand.

At 41, however, Chuck decided to call it quits.

“I went back into the pool and I just couldn’t do it,” he said. “I didn’t so much as put my toe into the water until three years ago.”

Meanwhile, the family moved to Vail before buying Hell Roaring Ranch in 1978 and

$10,000

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Celebrate The Sun’s strength!

$6,000

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Currently $3,000 towards goal.

Thank you!

Trayhern Ogilby who held Illinois state record in the 200 freestyle and is the middlenamesake of his great-grandaughter, Laia.

Just before the Alcatraz jump in April. From left Carbondale Rec. Director Eric Brendlinger, Sophia Jacober, Macie Brendlinger, Amélie Ogilby, Kayo Ogilby and Laia Ogilby.

ran it as a bed and breakfast for years before branching into Avalanche Ranch next door. Kayo grew up ski racing and playing soccer, and although he joined the swim team for one year in college, he set it aside until about 10 years ago.

That’s when, as a teacher and ski coach at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, he decided he needed some background fitness.

“I hit that age when I was struggling to keep up with teenagers,” he explained “Swimming keeps you younger in body and heart.”

other parts of their lives.”

Pretty soon, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to join some of the open competitions — even if it meant joining a relay team with a 6, 11 and 13 year old.

Upstream It might never have gone beyond that had the family not taken Amélie to a swim meet in 2013. She was hooked immediately.

“I really like the competition and the adrenaline,” she said.

Pretty soon, Laia wanted in on the action.

“I watched my sister for a long time and I wanted to do it,” she said. “Usually I’m swimming against people who are five years older, but I get faster each day.”

She’s not quite ready to give up on horseback riding the way her big sister recently dropped ballet to train, however.

Amélie’s new full-time routine helped her leapfrog right over the second-tier silver finals and make the cut to compete in state this year.

“It was really fun to see the way setting goals transformed her,” Kayo said.

Another game changer was swimming in open water. Amélie recently swam the Golden Gate Bridge and the whole family participated in the swim from Alcatraz to the mainland. Kayo himself has completed a gruelling route around Key West.

“It changes your perception of what’s possible,” he said. “We feel like we’re seeing it percolate through

“His dad was a swimmer, he’s a swimmer, my dad’s a swimmer, my sister’s a swimmer.

Now I’m a swimmer.

That’s pretty cool.”

– Laia Ogilby “Suddenly, I found myself instead of standing around and waiting being part of things,” he said.

With that example, Chuck couldn’t help but buy a pair of goggles himself.

Stronger together The Ogilbys are all part of Team Sopris, a robust nonprofit run by parents and coaches which holds four morning practices each week at the Glenwood Community Center, and is recruiting adults who want to swim better. Contact Coach Heggy (theggy@teamsopris.org) for more information.

“We’ve found ourselves part of a really neat team,” Kayo said. “It’s a long standing program that includes all the facets — club, high school and masters.”

The kids’ bus driver at Waldorf is even involved, so they have a direct ride to the Glenwood Rec. Center after school.

The family — and there’s a cousin or two in the mix, as well — contributes a particular talent for distance events, but it’s not just about one person.

“Everyone comes together to cheer on and support each other,” Kayo said.

The camaraderie helps them all get out of bed before dawn to practice.

“When poppa brought in the book

about great grandpa, it inspired me to work as he had,” Laia said. “His dad was a swimmer, he’s a swimmer, my dad’s a swimmer, my sister’s a swimmer. Now I’m a swimmer. That’s pretty cool.”

And while big wins like Chuck’s are exhilarating and exhausting, it’s the day-to-day goals of beating your personal record or maintaining against age or a new class. Amélie turns 13 in November and will enter a new bracket. First, she’s planning to attend a summer camp in Grand Junction and hopes to compete in the state meet for long course.

“Swimming has progressed so much,” Chuck noted. “I didn’t train like the girls do until I was in college.”

In fact, Amélie and Kayo are doing a lot of the same intervals, and in the past few weeks she has begun to outpace him.

“I thought maybe I would have until she was in high school,” Kayo noted.

“It’s an interesting milemarker as a parent, but I couldn’t be more thrilled. These kids are fish.”

Chuck and Kayo at Masters Nationals in Indianapolis. Courtesy photos

The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 3

$1,000

Scuttlebutt

Send your scuttlebutt to news@soprissun.com.

Walk the walk

drink will be provided. When finished, the Rio Grande ARTway will hold three parks, railroad history, murals and art installations for the community to enjoy. More information at carbondalecreativedistrict.com.

Smiling Goat Ranch is hosting the third annual Go Autism Family Fun Walk at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19 on the Rio Grande Trail. Led by Lt. Colonel Dick Merritt and the Junior ROTC Color Guard from Glenwood Springs High School along with other local veterans and the horses, dogs and goats, the walk will benefit Smiling Goat Ranch, which provides therapeutic services to families free of charge. Registration will begin at 10:15 am at the Carbondale Rodeo Grounds. Participation is free, but walkers are encouraged to seek sponsors. The walk will be followed at noon with an open house at the ranch (271 Willow Ln.) where everyone is invited to meet the animals and learn about the services offered to families.

Movie magic “The Girl Who Cannot Speak”, a documentary directed by Stefano Da Fre and Laura Pellegrini and edited by Carbondale based Emmy Award winning editor Krysia Carter-Giez, will have its world premiere screening in the Creative Minds Program at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18. Stefano Da Fre is a frequent visitor to the Roaring Fork Valley, having worked with Krysia Carter-Giez on “Tu Me Manques – You Are Missing From Me” which screened at Cannes Film in 2017 and won a first place award at the Silk Road International Film Festival. Post production sound for “The Girl Who Cannot Speak” was done by Dave Taylor of Cool Brick Studios.

Wholeness in the wilderness Alchemy of prana is holding a weekend immersion event with three days and two nights in the Ragged Wilderness. Participants will provide their own simple food and gear and will rendezvous at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 18 in Redstone, then head to a remote camping site near Marble. $30; more info at alchemyofprana.com. You can also catch a TedX MileHigh Adventure event entitled “The Landscape of Hospitality” featuring information on heirloom seed agriculture, cheese and dairy craft, fermentation, and animal husbandry at The Guest House.

More information at exploretock.com/theguesthouse.

From the art Join the planting party from 2 to 5 p.m. May 20 (Community Garden Day) at DeRail Park (Highway 133 and the Rio Grande Trail) and the Latino Folk Art Garden (Eighth St and the Rio Grande Trail). Bring gloves, gardening tools, your family and friends to dig in. Food and

We’ll clean up the trails, install campus gates, clean and organize rooms, and put up summer camp supplies. Training and a social will be hosted during Friday night’s dinner.

On the books Zoe Stern, a Carbondale resident who taught literacy at Basalt Middle School for the last decade, has been selected as the new vice principal of Roaring Fork High School. An interview committee of staff, parents, and community members expressed strong praise for Stern’s enthusiasm, commitment to diversity, leadership experience, cultural competence, and the relationships she has built with students and teachers. She also expressed a drive to become bilingual and be able to support all students and families. She will complete the University of Colorado’s principal licensing program this summer.

Courtesy photo

Annual Volunteer Weekend is coming up!

Carbondalian Caroline Wilkinson Mulroy is one of nearly 1,100 students who are candidates for graduation in three ceremonies at Emporia State University. She is slated to receive a Master of Library Science degree with a concentration in Youth Services.

Bouncing baby boy Luke Spaulding and Mollie Harte welcomed Liam Henry Spaulding at 8:16 a.m. on May 10. At 19.5 inches long and 8 pounds, 2.5 ounces, the fourth-generation Valley View Spaulding was healthy and happy.

They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another year this week include: Steven Quint, Chris Chacos, Lisa Johnson and Terrie Geddes (May 17); Gretchen Hofmann (May 18); Peter Frey (May 19); Eloise Clark and Jenny Garcia (May 20); Steve Beckley and Charlie Chacos (May 22) and Tai Jacober (May 23).

BONEDALE BIKE JAM

From 5pm on Friday, June 15 to noon on Sunday, June 17 At Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass Tools, meals, water, and lodging provided as needed RSVP or find more information at aspencamp.org/volunteerweekend.

THIS COMMUNITY AD SPACE DONATED BY COOL BRICK STUDIOS.

Spring Vaccines and Dental Care

NORTH FACE BIKE PARK CONTEST FOURTH ANNUAL FREE RIDE CONTEST AT CARBONDALE’S BIKE PARK. FOR STRIDERS TO PROS, JOIN US FOR THE PUMP TRACK TIME TRIALS AND BEST TRICK JAM SESSIONS TO KICK OFF BONEDALE BIKE WEEK!

For Small and Large Animals

Full service veterinary care, chiropractic, cold laser, acupuncture

SATURDAY, MAY 19TH Dr. Oneal Peters, DVM, CVA Dr. Lindsey Brooks, DVM, CVA

allpetsmobilevet.net

970-456-3277

4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • MAY 17-23, 2018

10:30 am Cost: $10, Striders are FREE! Ages: 4 and up

Register on-site at 9:30am or pre-register online: www.carbondalerec.com

PUMP TRACK TIME TRIALS: 10:30AM JUMP LINE PRE-COMPETITION (PRACTICE): 10:30AM OPEN BEST TRICK JAM SESSION: 12:30PM

Bike week events Mon-Thur mornings

FREE COFFEE, tea and breakfast snacks for cyclists from 7 to 9 a.m. at the corner of Fourth and Main

Friday, May 18

BIKE TO WORK DAY and Commuter Challenge with breakfast at 7 a.m. at the Carbondale Park and Ride.

BIKE JAM kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with 9:30 a.m. registration at North Face Park. $10

Saturday, May 19

KICKOFF PARTY from 6:04 p.m. “until we get a flat” at Roaring Fork Beer Company’s Dolores Way digs.

Sunday, May 20

BIKE POLO from 3 p.m. ‘til dark at Hendrick Park

Monday, May 21

BIKE SAFETY rodeo from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Rec. Center.

Tuesday evening trail work days at Prince Creek have proven popular, and some attendees even took the Town to Crown initiative to heart and biked up. Photo by Trina Ortega

Tuesday, May 22

BIKE IN MOVIE at 8 p.m. with “The Frenchy” followed by “Goonies” at Fourth and Main

Trail work pairs well with Bike Week play

Wednesday, May 23

Staff Report

Thursday, May 24

For Aloha Mountain Cyclery and Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA), every week is bike week. And while you’re sure to see members of both at any or all of the bike-related events around town over the next few days, they’ve already been hard at work building trail up Prince Creek.

The past few Tuesdays, crews of 30 or more have hand built the Father of Ginormous Extension, which brings the trail from Porcupine, past Christmas Tree, all the way to Monte Carlo.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 19 — in partnership with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers; more info at rfov.org — they’ll start work on a reroute called Next Jen that fixes issues with private land. Then it’s back to Tuesday evenings on May 22 at 5 p.m.; info at alohamountaincyclery.com.

RFMBA Executive Director Mike Pritchard urged “anyone who enjoys the Prince Creek area trail system and anyone who’s a mountain biker who wants to be a part of making this trail a reality on the ground” to help out. Mountain biking experience is a plus, but not essential.

There are significant rewards to the work, if you ask longtime volunteer and RFMBA Board Member Todd Fugate. “It helps release the stress of a workday. It’s also

enjoyable tapping into my creative side - I feel like an artist drawing on canvas, but my canvas is the dirt,” he said. “But the biggest enjoyment I receive is seeing the excitement it brings to others.”

He’s hoping others will step in now that he’s getting “old and sore.”

LIMERICK POETRY SLAM at 7 p.m. at Carbondale Beer Works PHOTO SCAVENGER Hunt starts at 5 p.m. at Aloha Mountain Cyclery

See the weekly calendar for more details.

Town to Crown Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is urging bikers to ride from the Town of Carbondale or Willits Center to the trail network on the Crown instead of driving and parking at the trailheads.

Beginning your ride in town is a great warmup for trail riding and minimizes impacts at the trailhead and in the area neighborhoods,” said Lindsey Utter, Open Space planning and outreach.

The county is pursuing construction of a parking area at its Bullpen Parcel, located at the new Prince Creek trailhead, this spring in order to alleviate parking problems along Prince Creek Road. OST’s hope is to eventually extend the connector trail farther down the road to get cyclists off the road as much as possible as they pedal to and from the Crown. But for now, it is about 20 minutes/3 miles from downtown Carbondale to the Prince Creek trailhead, and 15 minutes/2.6 miles from Willits Center to Glassier Open Space.

Third grader Emily Espinosa Guzman was one of many CRES students that participated in a Bike Safety class on May 10.

Photo by Jane Bachach

The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 5

W

W

hen The Sopris Sun got its start in 2009, even the founders—crazy and committed as they were— wondered if a nonprofit newspaper could survive very long. Well, here we are, nine years later, writing and publishing our way toward our 10th birthday. Get ready for some boisterous high-fiving come February.

Meanwhile, we are pleased to present this annual report, celebrating your community newspaper’s many 2017 accomplishments. We couldn’t have done it without the support of countless individuals, businesses, nonprofits, local governments and institutions, not to mention our very dedicated staff and board. Thank you all!

This year we are especially proud of the recognition The Sopris Sun received at the annual Colorado Press Association (CPA) statewide convention. Long-time Sopris Sun photographer Jane Bachrach received two first-place awards for her work (one for a spread she did on the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo, one for her overall portfolio), contributor Mark Burrows took second place for a photo of the KDNK Ladies’ Arm Wrestling Contest, which ran on a cover in March 2017, and our website (soprissun.com) was honored with the top prize in its category. Not bad for the first time we’d ever submitted work to CPA.

A Report to Our Community

e currently provide regular employment to seven local residents: the editor, Will Grandbois; graphics/layout wizard, Terri Ritchie; reporter Megan Tackett; staff photographer/writer Jane Bachrach; ad manager, Carol Fabian; delivery person, Tommy Sands; and bookkeeper, Betsey Safford. We also pay freelance writers and photographers for their contributions. The editor is the only full-time employee.

• We distribute between 4,000 and 5,000 print copies of the paper each week, depending on the season. We distribute to 75 main locations up and down the Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys (from West Glenwood to Aspen and Redstone) and to 20 additional smaller drops in Carbondale.

• On average, 1,500 readers get their news at soprissun.com each week. May 2017 was the biggest month of online readership yet, with more than 8,500 visitors to the website. Our new mobile-friendly design makes it easier than ever to read The Sun. • Some 1800 people have “Liked” us on Facebook. How about you? Check us out on Instagram too!

The Sopris Sun would not exist without your support.

Please make a gift of any size today! Every bit helps.

We will continue to work hard for our mission “to inform, inspire and build community.” This truly is your paper…we hope we can count on your continued readership, engagement, and financial support.

It’s easy to donate at www.soprissun.com/donate or mail your gift to PO Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623

INCOME

EXPENSES Staff · 57% $146,697

Advertising · 89% $213,839

2017 Total $239,650

Donations · 11% $25,811

OUR MISSION

Printing & Web · 23% $59,003

2017 Total $259,583

To inform, inspire, Advertising · 84% $220,700

2018 Budget Total $262,200

Donations · 16% $41,500

community

Distribution · 4% $10,930

Staff · 56% $147,414

and build

Admin/Rent · 16% $42,953

Printing & Web · 22% $57,000

2018 Budget Total $262,200

Admin/Rent · 18% $46,200 Distribution · 4% $11,586

This is what we featured in 2017 Nonprofits 60 times

Kids & Youth 125 times

Special Events 85 times

Interesting Locals 190 times

Local Government 115 times

Everything Under the Sun

Local businesses 53 times

Listen to Editor Will Grandbois and Reporter Megan Tackett on Thursdays at 4 pm on KDNK featuring community guests and local news!

Arts features 98 times

Upcoming events 55 times

Local voices: 70 columns and too many letters to count Local History 28 times

Sustainability & Environment times

63

Be a part of The Sun

We welcome your photos, articles, columns, and letters.

Contact news@soprissun.com

Town Report The following items are drawn from Town Manager Jay Harrington’s weekly report to staff, trustees and others.

RED HILL LOFTS LLC had its public hearing before the Planning Commission continued to the May 24 meeting.

This is the special preview application for the all deedrestricted project to be located on Lot 12B in the Kay PUD. There would be 30 rental units between 50 to 80 percent AMI. PLANNING STAFF has been doing fairly extensive research to gain an understanding of the how the Accessory Dwelling Units and Caretaker Units in River Valley Ranch have been allocated to various lots. Staff is also working with the 1st Bank development team to get approval documents in order for recordation on May 28.

about. He has also been working on a plan for some of the larger trees in Old Town. The seasonal vegetation management employee started this week and has been a great help.

CRACK SEALING was completed and chip sealing is scheduled to begin and end this week. Also, bids for the Snowmass Drive Trail Project were due Monday. Streets crews also cut asphalt on Capitol to prepare for a water line and did curb and gutter work on Sixth.

LUNCH & LEARN with local orthopedic surgeon Christopher George, MD, who will answer questions and discuss MAKO technology from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18. Pre-register by calling 510-1292

REFINANCING OPTIONS for the Recreation Bonds Series 2004 & 2006 should be ready for the Town Trustees evaluation at the May 22 meeting.

BIKE WEEK runs Friday, May 18 through Thursday, May 24. Go to facebook.com/BonedaleBikeWeek for more info.

BIKE LESSONS for 6 to 12 year olds are open for registration at carbondalerec.com. The classes will focus on basic bike skills as well as pumping, jumping and cornering at North Face Park beginning in June.

GATEWAY RV PARK opened for the season on May 1 and has already seen some RV use (though no tent campers).

THE TOWN ARBORIST has been working on planting areas near Eight and Main as well as working in the round-

THE ELLA DITCH was flowing through North Face Park and into the Carbondale ditch adjacent to Snowmass Drive last week. Staff made adjustments to the system to address the problem.

THE CRYSTAL WELL has been pulled for service and inspection. The check valve and stand pipe is in need of replacement and have been ordered.

OPEN POSITIONS in the Utilities Department include maintenance and utility supervisor. The closing date for both is May 14.

SOUND COMPLAINTS from First Friday and Festival las Americas caused the band to turn down the bass, although regular sound checks indicated no violations had occured.

Building Health for All

From May 4 through the 10, Carbondale Police handled 217 calls for service.

During that period, officers investigated the following calls of note: FRIDAY May 4 at 12:37 p.m. Mowing along the bike path resulted in a broken window at a local business.

SATURDAY May 5 at 2:16 a.m. Police pulled over a 32-year-old man along Catherine Store Road for failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding and ended up arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

SATURDAY May 5 at 5:53 p.m. Following a report of a hit-and-run accident at the RFTA Park and Ride, police found a suspect’s truck “inside another fence” nearby and found the driver apparently on private property. The 60 year old was arrested for careless driving, trespassing and driving with a suspended license.

TUESDAY May 8 at 3:45 p.m. No one was injured in an accident on Highway 133, but one driver was cited for following too closely.

THURSDAY May 10 at 1:57 p.m.

A report of fraud involving a local club launched an investigation.

Memorial Day

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To see how you can help, call Garry Schalla at 970-945-2840 x7290 Email gschalla@mountainfamily.org www.mountainfamily.org

Cop Shop

In Honor of Memorial Day, To advertise in the The Sopris Sun advertising department will be closed on May 28.

June 1 (First Friday) issue, please reserve your ad by noon Thursday, May 24

Call 970-510-0246 or email: adsales@soprissun.com 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • MAY 17-23, 2018

TRUU Reverend arrested at Poor People’s Campaign in D.C.

By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff

Reverend Shawna Foster had prepared an impassioned sermon for the Two Rivers Unitarians on Sunday in case she couldn’t be there to deliver it in person. She knew she would likely be arrested at the Poor People’s Campaign launch on Monday, May 14 in Washington, D.C. It wouldn’t be her first time in handcuffs because of civil disobedience, and she wanted to be prepared.

As it turns out, she was arrested Monday — along with hundreds of other protesters — but there were no cuffs involved this time. Foster described it as one of the most polite arrests she’s been through.

“At one point, the police came out and handed out Lacroix,” she said, explaining that because of the number of people being processed, police confined people in a nearby park.

“They brought us over to these cattlepen kind of things. They put a group of 12 into a pen, and there were like 10 of these pens and an officer in front of each pen with our IDs. At one point, someone had heart palpitations, and there were like five doctors out in five minutes. There wasn’t this huge confrontation,” she said.

It was a stark contrast from her earlier experience being arrested in Maricopa County in Arizona, when she was protesting the state’s controversial Senate Bill 1070, most famous for its “show me your papers” clause, which opponents contended encouraged racial profiling.

the nation’s capital, she figured they were more used to dealing with protesters. And the relationship between protesters and police doesn’t have to be overly adversarial, she emphasized.

“We are not here to fight the power with the little guys; we are here to fight the power with the big guys.”

Shawna Foster “In that action, we were told the Phoenix Police Department was going to process you outside, and you’ll be out in four hours,” Foster said of her 2010 arrest.

“Well, Sheriff Arpaio came out. We were there for 30 hours and witnessed horrific human rights abuses.”

The internal cultures at different police departments around the country vary extremely. “It really depends on who is in command that day and their history,” Foster said. This time, she continued, the police were clearly better trained and more respectful of protesters’ rights — being in

“Our target is not the police who are enacting these policies; it is the Congress people who are creating these policies,” she said. “We are not here to fight the power with the little guys; we are here to fight the power with the big guys.”

While Foster has plenty of experience hitting the streets for social justice, the Poor People’s Campaign feels different.

For one thing, in addition to the national demonstration in Washington, protesters across the country assembled at state capitols. Secondly, Monday was just the first of a series of actions in the campaign started

by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.

“Usually when I’ve done something before, we’re doing something today. This is 40 days of action, with every Monday being civil disobedience,” Foster said. “And

so it’s just really incredible when you have this fusion, all these progressive needs coming togethers. You have the moral imperative coming together, and you have the action to happen. I’m kind of bewildered that I have a front seat for it, but it’s been amazing.” A Colorado Poor People’s Campaign is in the making. “People should give me a call” if they’re interested in becoming a part of that, she added.

On Monday, Foster wasn’t wearing her ministerial robes — though there were plenty of clerical leaders donning their respective attire. “ This time, I decided to wear my veterans stuff,” she said. “There, I’m speaking out against militarism.” Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 370,000 have died due to direct war violence, and an additional 800,000 people — at minimum — have died indirectly. Additionally, wars have displaced more than 10 million people, according to figures published by the Watson Institute at Brown University.

It’s just one of several areas of focus inspiring demands being made by the Poor People’s Campaign (poorpeoplescampaign.org/demands), and there is plenty of overlap between Foster’s roles as Unitarian Universalist reverend and U.S. veteran, she noted.

“It was a very spiritual experience with a lot of people praying because we’ve run out of things to do,” she said. “It is the time for prayer; it’s the time to put our bodies there because we have nothing left to lose.”

The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 9

Ram tracksters head to state

By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff

RFHS drama students rehearse their opening show, Queen of the Silent Scream, which opens Thursday, May 24. Photo by Jane Bachrach

Drama returns to RFHS with whodunit

By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff

It took weeks to clean out the set shop.

Then the props didn’t arrive on time. But the show will go on, and it will be epic — after all, it’s the first production from the first Roaring Fork High School official drama program in years.

Because there hadn’t been a drama program in so long, the once-dedicated set and costume room had over the years evolved into a sort-of catchall storage room, Marcia Kuhlman, RFHS choir and drama teacher, explained.

“Everybody used it as a storage location, so our set shop has janitorial stuff, it has art show stuff, it has a box full of yoga mats in it. It has I’m pretty sure some asbestos,” Kuhlman said half jokingly. “We had people almost impale themselves with nails and glass and stinky dresses that no one should ever wear again.”

And there were the bugs, Freshman Jessie Diehl chimed in.

“We had to throw away all but two wigs due to bugs and stuff,” she said.

But that kind of dedication sets the literal stage for the program’s future, which is looking bright: the student performers are still rehearsing their first production, and yet enrollment for the fall has already doubled, Kuhlman shared enthusiastically.

“I suspect [that number] will probably continue to increase,” she said.

That means there’s a lot riding on this show, a murder-mystery comedy set in the 1920s titled “Queen of the Silent Scream.”

It’s the program’s debut to the school and the community, and it’s also its first fundraiser to ensure continued success.

“Because we’ve never had a drama department and we have zero dollars in our income, hopefully this will be a big source of funding for the school and also for now and what’s coming in the future,” Kuhlman said. And she has more than emotion and time invested in the program: she personally bought the show’s props.

It’s well worth it for Kuhlman, be-

cause having a drama program at the high school again allows students with a performing arts passion an outlet and students who were interested in getting on stage an opportunity. Most of the “Queen of the Silent Scream” cast fall into the latter category.

“It’s really fun, but it’s also really stressful. A lot of us haven’t done a show or have ever been told what to do exactly,” Junior Liz Jimenez said of the experience.

Freshman Lorena Bernal agreed. “You have to know your lines, but also, like, move this way, look towards the audience, you can’t have your back to the audience and stuff. You’ve got to cheat out,” she said.

“And do you remember the word for that?” Kuhlman offered helpfully.

She did: blocking. Students have to memorize their lines from the script, remember their blocking and develop their characters enough to be able to improvise during the dinner portion of the evening.

“We’re going to be taking a break in the middle, and we’re going to be going out into the audience and they’re going to be asking us questions about the show — but we have to stay in character,” Jimenez said. “It’s a big improv lesson.”

That’s a tall order for first-time performers, but Kuhlman has utter confidence in her students.

“What you guys are doing is setting the foundation for everyone who comes after you, and that’s a really, really important job,” she told the group before getting rehearsal started.

No pressure.

At Roaring Fork High School, geometry and physics are as much a part of track and field as the physical act of running.

Coach Ryan Erickson makes sure of it.

“I just love the technical aspect of the sport,” he said, crouching over his measurement adjacent to the high jump setup during one of the last practices before three of his top athletes head to Denver for the State competition. “If you don’t think you’re going to use geometry in real life, run track.”

His athletes take it to heart. Jasper Germain, a senior who will be competing at State in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 110-meter hurdles, uses Erickson’s lines to measure his exact mark.

“It makes sure there’s a 90-degree angle in that corner so everything’s straight, so to speak,” he said. Days before his final competition in a sport he’s excelled at since elementary school, Germain was fine-tuning the mechanics for his high jump.

“I kind of looked back over some film and realized what was wrong, what I haven’t been doing,” he said. “My last few steps before I jump, they’re supposed to be quick, and I was getting too much speed in my approach. I slowed down my approach, and it’s getting me over my heights, so I’m happy for that.”

In order to qualify for State, athletes must rank in the top 18 times or distances for the season. Germain’s 6-foot-7 high jump earned him the No. 1 spot for that event in a three-way tie. Having competed at the state level before and come out with a lower ranking than what he had going in, he’s laser-focused on making his last one cause for celebration.

“This will be the last of it. It’s kind of bittersweet. I’m kind of happy— I mean I’m happy I’m graduating and that I’m finally done with high school — but at the same time, I do love track. So it’ll be tough, but hopefully I make it a good one to go out on,” he said.

Despite being approached by several schools to continue at the collegiate level, he said it’s time to close his track chapter. He’ll be attending Fort Lewis

College in Durango next fall.

“I plan on going there for two years and then transferring to a bigger school to study wildlife biology,” Germain said.

He’s not the only one on the team interested in a career in the sciences. One of his teammates also competing in Denver, Spencer Ochko, will be heading to Nova Southeastern University in Florida after graduating, where he’ll pursue a career in sports medicine.

“I’m already accepted to their osteopathic medicine school, so I’m going to be a doctor, I guess,” he said with a grin.

But unlike for the others, this will be Ochko’s first time competing at State.

The discus thrower has been involved in the sport since the seventh grade, he noted. “I am super excited, actually. For me, it’s about time that I finally made it to the big leagues.”

His performance in Denver will determine whether or not he continues throwing after high school, he’s decided.

“I might try to walk on down there, because they have a track team,” he said of Nova Southeastern. “I’m just thinking, depending on how far I throw this weekend, I might be like, ‘Hey I could probably throw at a higher level.’”

Justin Thompson, who Ochko credits with getting him involved in the sport, will be officially done with his track career after the Denver competition — he was recruited by Metro State University in Denver to play basketball.

“I’m just going to miss the meets every weekend,” he said. “They’re fun. You hang out with your friends; you compete.

And you can just do it against yourself.”

Like Germain, Thompson has run track since elementary school — and also holds a first-place rank at the moment for his 22-and-a-half-foot long jump.

He, too, competes in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 110-meter hurdles.

The team leaves Thursday, May 17.

It’ll be Erickson’s ninth time taking his athletes to the competition, and it likely won’t be his last.

“It’s fun to work with athletes of all shapes and sizes and trying to see how much you can get out of them,” he said.

Queen of the Silent Scream When: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 24 Where: RFHS (2270 Highway 133) Cost: $10 adult/$5 child, includes Italian dinner sponsored by Peppino’s Pizza (Email mkuhlman@rfschools.com to reserve tickets)

10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • MAY 17-23, 2018

RFHS Senior Spencer Ochko practices discus. His 141-foot throw qualified him to compete at the state competition in Denver. Not pictured: discus. Photo by Megan Tackett

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Community Calendar THURSDAY May 17

KID FRIENDLY MUSIC • Matt Haslett and Pearl & Wood play Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.) at 6 p.m. in a $15/person (kids 5 and under free) fundraiser for the Ross Montessori PTO.

FRI to THU May 18-24

MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre (427 Main St.) presents “RBG” (PG) at 7:30 p.m.

May 18-20 and 22-24; “Tully” (R) at 5:15 p.m. May 19 and “Isle of Dogs” (PG-13) at 5:15 p.m. May 20. Closed May 21.

FRIDAY May 18

MOVIE MATINEE • Catch “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” followed by a screening of the 2018 film that puts a comedic and contemporary spin on the classic story beginning at 2 p.m. at the Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.).

TRUE JAZZ • Lenore Raphael and Wayne Wilkinson bring you the jazz hot or cold at 5:30 p.m. at the Basalt Regional Library (14 Midland Ave.).

SINGER SONGWRITER • Leah Grams Johnson plays at 8:30 p.m at Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.).

HONKY TONKIN’ • The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits) hosts Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams for a 8:30 p.m. show. $10 in advance at tacaw.org or $15 at the door.

SATURDAY May 19

PLANT SALE • From 9 am. to 3 p.m., Colorado Rocky Mountain School (500

To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is noon on Monday.

Events take place in Carbondale unless noted.

Holden Way) offers a wide selection of veggies, herbs, annuals and perennials — all organically grown at suited to the local climate. If you miss the main event, you can also swing by from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits).

Tickets are $14 in advance at tacaw.org or $19 at the door.

BIKE JAM • A free-ride contest at Carbondale’s North Face Bike Park invites striders to pros to pump track time trials, trick jam sessions and more. Register for $10 online at carbondale rec.com or 9:30 a.m. on site.

SEWING FRIENDSHIP • The Roaring Fork Quilt Guild holds mini-retreat from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.). Email roaringforkquiltguild@yahoo.com for more information.

HIKE & HAPPY HOUR • Celebrate Public Lands Day with a free public hike on Arbaney Kittle Trail. Meet in the parking lot at 1 p.m. and plan for a few hours of hiking and discussion sponsored by Bristlecone Mountain Sports and Wilderness Workshop before everyone heads over to Capitol Creek Brewery.

SONIC SHOWDOWN • Local students showcase their musical talent across genres in a free event from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits). An accompanying online auction at jasstore. org will help raise money for scholarships.

ROCK ’N ROLL • Caleb Cofsky plays beginning at 8 p.m. at Marble Distilling (150 Main St.) with no cover.

COMEDY • Celebrate “women of a certain age” with duo Mental Pause at 8 p.m. at

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*You help yourself by insuring Carbondale businesses stay in business so you don’t have to shop out of town; you help the town of Carbondale by keeping your sales tax dollars

right here; and you help your neighbor because most of Carbondale’s store and businesses are locally owned.

12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • MAY 17-23, 2018

SUNDAY May 20

BIKE POLO • Bring a mountain bike, helmet, closed shoes and gloves to Hendrick Park from 3 p.m. ’til dark.

HIGH SCHOOL BAND • Sleepy Justice plays at 8:30 p.m. at Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.).

MONDAY May 21

KIDS BIKE SAFETY • Learn about bike rules of the road from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and try your skills in the parking lot of the Carbondale Rec. Center (567 Colorado Ave.).

Prizes awarded and bike mechanics from Aloha Mountain Cyclery will be on hand to make sure your ride is in top shape.

TUESDAY May 22

100 WHO CARE • Fresh off their successful first event, the women’s group Sopris 100

Who Care reconvenes from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Pan and Fork (303 River Valley Ranch Rd.) to socialize, pool their funds and choose another organization to receive a check. For more information or participate, contact sopris100whocare@gmail.com.

POPS CONCERT • Catch the Roaring Fork High School choirs and musicians in a 7 p.m. event at the school (2270 Highway 133).

BIKE IN MOVIE • Enjoy local short film “The Frenchy” followed by “Goonies” starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Fourth Street Plaza. Bring a blanket and layers to stay warm as the sun goes down.

WEDNESDAY May 23

FOREIGN FILM • Basalt Regional Library (14 Midland Ave.) hosts a 5 p.m. screening of “Le Chateau de Ma Mere” — the story of a young boy’s travels in southern France.

LIMERICK SLAM • Compose bicyclethemed limericks and read them aloud from 7 to 9 p.m. at Carbondale Beer Works (647 Main St.).

Further Out THURSDAY May 24

SCAVENGER HUNT • Gather a team of two to six, don your helmets and costumes and head over to Aloha Mountain Cyclery (580 Highway 133) before biking around town to solve clues and snap photos. Then it all wraps up with a raffle and party with music, beer and pizza.

CALENDAR continued on page 13

Community Calendar

continued from page 12

Ongoing

MEDITATION • Free silent meditation sessions are held at the Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.) from 6:45 to 7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, The Monday Night Meditation Group meets from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at True Nature (100 N. Third St.) and offers instruction in the Buddhist practice of Vipassana. Also at True Nature, everyone’s invited for SRF meditation from 10 to 11 a.m. on the first Sunday of the month and 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month.

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.

HIGH NOON • Bring your compliments, complaints and ideas to Sopris Sun Editor Will Grandbois at 12 p.m. Thursdays at the Pour House (351 Main St.).

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).

HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION • Free opportunities include… One-hour consultation about heart attack prevention, plant-based nutrition, other medical issues.

Call retired family doctor Greg Feinsinger, M.D. for appointment (379-5718). First Monday of every month catch a powerpoint presentation by Dr. Feinsinger about the science behind plant-based nutrition, 7 to 8:30 p.m., board room Third Street Center

(520 S. Third St.). Fourth Monday of every month, plant-based potluck 6:30 p.m. Calaway Room, Third Street Center. All events supported by Davi Nikent, Center for Human Flourishing. More information at www.davinikent.org.

THREADS OF CHANGE • The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.) hosts “Art for Change” — featuring artists Jill Scher (curator), Wewer Keohane, Shannon Muse, Jill Sabella, and Jan Schubert in a variety of media to respond to a perceived needed change — and “Narrative Threads” — a traveling exhibition of works combining physical threads with narrative content. More info at carbondalearts.com.

STICKS AND STONEWARE • The Carbondale Clay Center (135 Main St.) hosts “Sticks & Stoneware” — a fusion between local ceramic artists and woodworkers like John Cohorst, Liz Heller, Giselle Hicks, Matt Johnson, Dave Kodama, Brad Reed Nelson, Mark Tan, and Lea Tyler.

TRIVIA • Geeks Who Drink comes to Batch (358 Main St.), free at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

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.

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 fa-

Gather with us.

cilitated 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.orgf.

ONE VOICE • Lisa Dancing-Light, founder of Higher Octave Music Programs, presents a community singing group intended to celebrate the joy that music brings to the spirit. Every other Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Helios Center (601 Sopris Ave.) in Carbondale.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CONTRA • Every first Saturday October through May, catch contra, waltzes, polkas and square dances from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Carbondale Community School (1505 Satank Rd.). No partner or experience necessary; $10 for adults and $8 for students. More info at glenwoodspringscontradance@gmail.com.

Carbondale Carbondale Middle SchoolMiddle presents

School presents Community Barbeque Community Barbeque Thursday, May 17 Thursday, May 17 Concert 11:15am-12pm Concert 11:15-12:00 Lunch 12-1pm Lunch 12:00-1:00

LIFE DRAWING • Drop in for figure drawing with Staci Dickerson at 6:30 p.m. Mondays at SAW (525 Buggy Cr. Unit C).

YOGA • Get a donation based introduction to Hatha Yoga Tuesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. at The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.).

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.).

DHARMA • The Way of Compassion Dharma Center holds a Dharma talk and meditation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and a silent meditation and Buddha of Compassion practice at 8 a.m. Saturdays at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.).

CMS Barbeque CMSCommunity Community Barbeque and andConcert Concert You‛retoinvited to Farewell to 3 You’re invited Come say Come say Farewell to Best!

3 of our Best! of our TBT (Throwback Thursday) Thursday) TBT (Throwback

What: Like the Old Days, CMS will be serving a Community Barbeque with the grill out back.

Join us for a complimentary lunch and wish happiness to Rita, Nicki, and MOMG as they head into their new journey of retirement!

When: Thursday, May 17th Concert 11:15-12:00, CMS Auditorium Barbeque 12:00-1:00, Cafe and Patio

Salsa, Soul, Spirit A book on leadership with the same name – Salsa, Soul, Spirit – presents a vital clarity we must gain for our faith to transcend the limits of prejudice: what part of our religion is cultural? What part of it is essential to continue our faith?

Everyone is a leader when they live a religious tradition that challenges the culture both in and outside of the congregation. With Rev. Shawna Foster.

Join us Sunday, May 20, 2018 - 10:00 a.m.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

MON – FRI 8 am to 6 pm SAT – SUN 11 am v to 2 pm

t r u e n at u re h e a l i n ga r t s . c o m 100 N 3RD ST • C ARBONDALE 970.963 .9 900

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist (TRUU) @ Third Street Center, Community Room

www.tworiversuu.org

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist

Music with Jimmy Bryne, Religious Exploration with Ana Chynoweth, Preschool with Justice Bouchet

The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 13

OPINION

Becoming a hunter

By Sue Gray The sharp flinty cluck-cluck of a hen turkey rang out in the cool morning air, and was mimicked perfectly by my guide Dick Severin, sitting beside me in our hunting blind.

I held my 20 gauge shotgun, loaded and cocked, the barrel resting on a tripod and just the tip sticking out of the window slot. It was my grandfather’s gun which, until now, had never been used for hunting. He’d bought it for home protection, figuring the sound of the pump action would scare off potential intruders.

Dick had placed two decoys, a tom and a hen, just twenty yards from our blind.

“Don’t shoot the decoy, don’t shoot the decoy,” I repeated to myself, afraid of making a rookie mistake on my first hunt. We waited motionless, watching the flock of thirty or so turkeys slowly make their way across the field about forty yards in front of us, out of firing range.

The toms gobbled and fanned their tails, dancing left and right in front of the hens, who clucked and purred, but seemed more interested in the bugs at their feet than the would-be suitors. Dick moved the plastic turkey caller around in his mouth, trying to match the tone and frequency of the hens. And sure enough he caught the interest of a few, who started moving toward our decoys, followed closely by several toms.

“Take your safety off,” whispered Dick. The flock was now in range and all I needed was for one of the toms to wander away on its own. I clicked the gun’s safety button off.

Clad in camo with her kill over her shoulder, Sue Gray proves it’s not too late to learn to hunt.

Courtesy photo “That one,” Dick pointed, “get ready.” I took aim at the tom’s head and pulled the trigger. The turkey fell and jerked a little. The rest of the flock walked away unfazed.

This was my first time taking an animal’s life. I knelt over the magnificent bird, placed my hand on its glossy black feathers and, in the tradition of our primitive ancestors, thanked it for its sacrifice.I’d achieved my goal of learning how to procure meat in a way that has endured through human history, until about a century ago.

I was not alone in my quest. Four women were chosen for this Women Afield class held annually by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to teach hunting techniques to those

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who have no experienced family or friends to mentor them.

The event is free, all that’s required is a Hunter Education certificate and a Spring Turkey License, which costs $21 for Colorado residents, plus a $10 Habitat Stamp that helps support our state wildlife areas.

The hunt was held on land owned by Caerus Oil and Gas which sponsored the two-day event on April 21-22.

On Saturday we met at the Caerus office in Parachute for a two hour presentation on hunting laws, practices and safety, given by CPW Hunter Outreach Coordinator Kathleen Tadvick. After a catered lunch the four of us women, ages 32-61, and our personal guides, all CPW employees or volunteers, headed out to the field for some target practice.

Those without a gun of their own were provided loaners.

Next came scouting. The CPW/Caerus crew had already located the flock in a field dotted with gaswells and associated equipment. We traveled in a caravan of pickups on dirt roads north of Parachute, arriving at the field just as the sun was setting and the turkeys were returning to their roost in a few old cottonwood trees. Four hunting blinds had been placed around the area, ready for our arrival early Sunday morning. Turkeys may be lawfully hunted one half hour before sunrise to sunset, and only bearded turkeys (meaning males) may be hunted in the spring.

After another catered meal at Caerus’ office, we retired to our beds at the Grand Vista hotel, some returning to their nearby homes for the night. I reflected on all I’d learned about the intricacies of turkey-hunting, and hoped I’d make my teachers proud. It turned out I had nothing to worry about. I was well prepared and expertly guided throughout the whole experience.

After the four of us had all harvested our birds, we assembled at the nearby hunting camp where we were instructed how to process the carcass. This is where the real hard work of hunting comes in, but it was worth it.

I’ve now got 15 pounds of delicious wild turkey meat in my freezer.

If you’re interested in becoming a hunter visit cpw.state. co.us/learn/Pages/HunterOutreach.aspx

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Volunteers help mustangs thrive in northwestern Colorado

By Amy Hadden Marsh Sopris Sun Correspondent

Piceance Mustangs is not just the name of a wild horse herd in northwest Colorado. It’s also the name of a new outfit that’s helping the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) do a better job taking care of that herd. The group, comprised of volunteers from all over the state, got its non-profit status in March and held its first workday on the range in early May. Group President Tracy Scott is co-owner of Steadfast Steeds Mustang Sanctuary in Glade Park, CO. She and her husband work with mustangs that are warehoused in BLM holding facilities to make them adoptable.

“When I learned [in 2011] that we had 30,000 horses in holding facilities without freedom, family, or familiar way of life, my husband and I started Steadfast Steeds to address the horses in the holding facility.”

Horses in holding is probably the most controversial part of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. It’s certainly the most expensive. In 2016, close to $43 million of a $66 million dollar budget went to short and long-term holding. Last year, BLM spent a little over $46 million out of $80 million, feeding and housing 45,000 mustangs and burros in government corrals and on pastures in the Midwest.

“Their lives have no purpose and they

need a place to go,” said Scott. “So we started a program that helps find horses new purpose and new life.”

It seemed like a natural fit for Steadfast Steeds and Scott to become a part of Piceance Mustangs. In Colorado, the BLM maintains mustangs on four HMAs. Three of them — Sandwash in northwestern Colorado, Little Bookcliffs near Grand Junction, and Spring Creek in the southwestern part of the state — have volunteer groups that help the BLM with range improvements, mustang identification, and administering fertility control. They’re also on hand for round-ups, when mustangs are taken off the range.

Until March, the Piceance horses, which roam over 190,000 acres between Meeker and Rangely, were groupless.

“So, we met last year, same weekend, and everybody had lots of ideas and we started down the road of creating a group,” said Scott.

On the first workday last week, the group fixed fence. But, said Scott, they’ve already received a large grant from a private foundation that will go to improving existing water wells on the HMA. She said the project will help spread the horses, cattle, and wildlife out on the range. “The water holes are the big place where everybody congregates and that’s where we’re seeing

Wild horses add a romantically Western ambiance to the Piceance basin, but it takes a lot of effort to properly manage them. Photo by Amy Hadden Marsh lots of range damage.”

Rangely rancher and former Rio Blanco County Commissioner Jon Hill is glad to hear that the group is looking at water and range improvements. He’s also in favor of monitoring the herd and identifying the horses.

“That way,” he said, “they can show the real numbers [of mustangs] out there instead of advocates saying the BLM numbers are too high and ranchers saying the BLM numbers are too low.”

The BLM has also contracted with a local rangelands expert to determine how much forage is used by cattle and how much by the mustangs.

Tracy Scott believes that volunteer groups on all of Colorado’s HMAs Herd have lent credence to the program. But that doesn’t

mean she’s a fan of BLM’s current management practices. Ideally, she says, sustainable, on-the-range management is key.

“The first thing that comes up for me is birth control,” she explained. “To help slow the population growth — not by gathering.”

There is some speculation that rounding up mustangs puts them into survival mode, she said.

“The horses make more babies because we’re pulling so many out.” She adds that she’s not blaming anyone. “It’s just, what are we doing here?”

After a successful workday out on the range, it looks like Piceance Mustangs and the BLM’s White River Field Office are closer to finding an answer to that question. More information is at piceancemustangs.org.

Pending boat requirements protect Colorado waterways

By Katie Dahl Special to The Sopris Sun

If you spend time on lakes and reservoirs, be advised that in addition to the boat registration requirements already in effect, there will be a new $25 stamp to buy starting in 2019. The penalty for launching your vessel without it is $100, and if you’re caught bringing invasive mussel species into Colorado waters on your boat, penalties are going up.

Colorado is one of the last remaining states that is successfully keeping invasive mussel species out of our bodies of water, and state lawmakers have decided that protecting the state program that helps prevent an infestation is important enough to create a new fee. The governor signed the Mussel-free Colorado Act late last month. After the initial funding for this Colorado Parks and Wildlife program was cut with a 2016 Colorado Supreme Court ruling allowing oil and gas companies additional tax deductions, the severance tax funded program was given one year of leeway by lawmakers from the general fund to figure out another way to make sure boat inspection and decontamination efforts could continue in Colorado. That’s what this new stamp is for.

What the future could hold Zebra and quagga mussels get into waterways in two ways — through the natu-

Stamp and penalties

Boat inspections may seem like a pain, but it’s better than introducing an invasive species into your favorite pond. Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife ral flow of water or by attaching to recreation or commercial watercraft that then travel over land to other bodies of water.

As a headwater state, the mussels can’t invade us by coming downstream, but they can hitch a ride on boats heading to our reservoirs and rivers.

Elizabeth Brown is the state’s invasive species coordinator with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “They are considered our most serious aquatic nuisance species or ANS threat… Invasive mussels can cause enormous problems to water infrastructure, recreation, ecology, and our fisheries,” she said.

After the mussels have made their home in new waterways, they cannot be eradicated. Cleaning efforts give way to all out replacement of water infrastructure when the flow of that life-giving stuff is blocked

by the mussels.

“The economic impacts are significant,” Brown told lawmakers in a committee hearing. Water storage and distribution infrastructure would have to be regularly cleared to make sure there is enough space for water to get through to homes, farms, and industrial users. The costs would be felt in higher water and energy bills, and in the cost of food production.

For example, according a fact sheet she shared with lawmakers, “the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will spend $10–15 million annually in operations and maintenance costs to address quagga mussel infestation in its Colorado River Aqueduct and terminal reservoirs.”

Colorado spends a little over $4 million a year now on prevention.

The new $25 stamp is required for motorboats and sailboats, and costs $50 for out-of-state residents. If you fail to buy the stamp or launch your boat without an inspection, the penalty is $100.

If you actually bring those mussels into Colorado waterways on your boat, it’s $500 for your first offense, $1000 for the second, and the third could lead to jail time. So far, the state has intercepted 145 boats that would have put our water at risk.

Travis Duncan is the statewide public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and he’s worried about people breaking the law because they just don’t think it’s that important. “People might not think that it’s a big deal to put in their boat real quickly. They don’t want to wait in line to get their boat checked, but it’s really important,” he said. “Make sure your boat’s okay, even if you feel like you know. Follow the law. … It’s really important to everybody in the state to protect our natural resources.”

Harvey Gap, Ruedi Reservoir and other nearby watering holes are subject to the new laws. You too can prevent water infestations.

Our state representative, Bob Rankin, voted for the law, while our state senator, Randy Baumgardner, voted against it.

The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 15

Carbondale’s got talent From the archives of the Roaring Fork Valley Journal

May 18, 1978 Carbondale Police Chief Verne Soucie announced his intention to run for Garfield County Sheriff. With 20 years in law enforcement in Carbondale, Arvada and Jefferson County, Soucie seemed confident in his chances of nabbing the Republican nomination despite five other names in the ring. “I began receiving a lot of encouragement and inquiries throughout the county,” he noted. “I feel as if I have something to offer.” (Spoiler alert: he won.)

In other news… Striking miners and Mid-Continent Coal and Coak reached a contract agreement.

Then-Police Chief Fred Williams went all in on the “pig” association in the 1988 talent show.

May 19, 1988 The Carbondale Talent Show lived up to its outrageous reputation — though in different ways on each night. On Friday, Trustee John Foulkrod pulled a knife and stabbed an inflatable shark in the midst of a show “plagued with miscues, technical problems, overextended acts and, yes, the crowd was a little brain dead.” Either way, the acts were largely solid. Jim Tippet belted “They Call Me the Breeze,” the Carbondale cops did

23 Years Locally Owned!

May 21, 1998 Roaring Fork High School senior Dana Boyle came in first in three events and broke two state records at the class 3A state track meet. The path to the podium included some hard choices, with soccer and track jockeying for her talents and a series of coincidences like college entry exams and the cross country final falling on the same day. Her biggest fan was her little sister, Samantha, who Dana said she’d hope to see breaking her records someday.

In other news… A 6x8 foot stained glass mural of school supplies by Shannon Muse, students and faculty was unveiled at Carbondale Middle School (and has since been moved to the new location).

May 15, 2008 Roaring Fork Rampage Editor Will Grandbois penned a column calling it turning point for the school. With a new principal and a nearly-new building, he bemoaned the loss of enrollment to other area schools.“Roaring Fork High School is being abandoned. The fault lies not with any individual who left… but with the overall assumption that RFHS is in some way less.

It’s not, but if we give up on its potential, it may become that way.” (Enrollment is, incidentally, well up since then.)

In other news… Carbondalian Barry Maggert was remembered as an all-around good guy after his death in a small plane crash near Black Hawk.

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RFTA pursues mill levy increase

the “Pigskin Preview” and Teatro Dos Ventos did a spoof on Marty Robins’ “El Paso” based on the conflict around Penny Hot Springs.

Oh, and it all took place at the CRMS barn on a set modeled after Ford Theatre — complete with the Lincolns and Booth.

One entertainer’s advice for future acts: “Keep them simple and outrageous.”

In other news… Police Chief Fred Williams and other local law enforcement officers were preparing for a 275 mile Special Olympics torch run from Utah to Denver.

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This Land … is your land.

The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board of directors has reached consensus to seek voter approval for a 3.65 mill levy property tax.

It’s all part of “Destination 2040” — a plan to “continue the level of services we enjoy today, and to serve the region’s growing travel needs for the next 20 years.”

RFTA cites challenges such as an aging fleet, high demand for evening, weekend and off season services and lack of parking. Additional funding would not only address these issues, the agency believes, but would allow for zero-emission electric busses and construction of the Lower Valley Trail to New Castle. More information at rfta2040.com.

Public comment sought on Aspen Mountain projects The Forest Service is seeking public comments through June 15 on the proposal to initiate an Environmental Assessment for the Aspen Mountain Pandora Development and Summit Snowmaking Projects. Aspen Skiing Company is proposing to expand the developed trail network and increase terrain variety at Aspen Mountain by adding 148 acres of traditional downhill and gladed terrain, a detachable or fixed-grip chairlift and bottom terminal access road. The summit snowmaking portion of the project would add a snowmaking pump station which would provide snowmaking coverage to 53 acres of terrain. Additionally, the proposal calls for 18,000 feet of snowmaking pipeline and two water storage ponds. A public open house meeting is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. May 23 at the Limelight Hotel (355 S. Monarch St., Aspen). For more information or to file a comment, visit www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53847.

CPW taking Wildlife Habitat Program proposals Colorado Parks and Wildlife is accepting Request for Proposals for the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP), which offers funding opportunities to private landowners who wish to voluntarily protect important wildlife habitats on their property, and/or provide wildlife-related recreational access to the public. Funding for the 2018 cycle is approximately $11 million and is made possible through a conservation partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and from revenue generated through the sale of habitat stamps. All application materials are available now at cpw. state.co.us. Proposals will be accepted until 5 p.m. on June 15.

Voting equipment on display in GarCo Garfield County is demonstrating new voting equipment to the public from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, May 17 at the Garfield County Administration Building in Rifle, 195 West 14th Street, Building D. Voters can check out Clear Ballot’s ClearVote system and familiarize themselves with the new equipment. The paper-based voting system creates a digitally scanned ballot, which is reviewed for accuracy, and then quickly tallies results After assessing the two state-certified voting systems, Garfield County Clerk and Recorder Jean Alberico said the ClearVote system allows local clerk’s offices to design their own ballots in house, and to send an extract to a local printer for ballot printing. Then the mail ballot judges prep the ballot packets for mailing, meaning the election process is done entirely at the local level. The system will be presented as a 2019 budget request to the Board of County Commissioners; if approved, this equipment will be used for 2019 elections.

Primary deadlines looming May 29 is the last day for voters to change party affiliation, unaffiliate, or choose a major party preference. Ballots will be mailed on June 4 with early voting June 1825 and primary election day June 26. Colorado law now allows unaffiliated voters to vote in a primary election. They may choose to receive a preferred major party ballot at www.uchoose.go.gov or they will receive two ballots — although they must return only one for it to be counted.

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Symposium tackles sustainable building

By Heather McGregor Clean Energy Economy for the Region Edward Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030 and international speaker on designing zero-energy buildings and communities, is the keynote speaker for a symposium running 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 18, at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.).

“Building(s) for a Sustainable Future” is presented by CLEER, CORE and Garfield Clean Energy. The symposium is aimed at accelerating energy innovations in the building sector.

Mazria will discuss the opportunities the built environment presents for tackling global concerns about energy, resources and resilience, and explain some of the tools available to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated.

In his keynote, Mazria will share the 2030 Challenge, which calls for all new buildings, developments and major renovations to be carbon-neutral by 2030. It’s been adopted by the American Institute of Architects and most of the top 20 architectural firms in the country.

He will also discuss his latest initiative, Achieving Zero, a roadmap for completely phasing out carbon emissions from the building sector by 2050.

Building(s) for a Sustainable Future is intended to spark bold solutions that can help meet clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions targets set by the state of Colorado and communities. Some local communities have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050. Since buildings account for more than 40 percent of energy use in the U.S., reducing energy consumption in this sector is essential for reaching these goals.

Other speakers at the symposium include: Rebecca Foster, energy efficiency programs expert with the Vermont Energy Investment Corp.

Eric Harrington, builder of highperformance homes Nikki Maline, U.S. Department of Energy-certified Home Energy Score Rater

Edward Mazria is the keynote speaker at the “Building(s) for a Sustainable Future” symposium on May 18 at the Third Street Center. Courtesy photo

RFHS senior keeps solar rolling

By Debbie Bruell Sopris Sun Correspondent When it came time for Roaring Fork High School student Ralph Good to decide on his senior Capstone project, he naturally thought of his passion for solar cars. He proposed that he document his past experience leading the RFHS team to a championship at a national competition for solar-powered remote control cars.

Good had been designing, building and racing solar cars for years with the RFHS STEM class (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). In order to fulfill his requirement of a Capstone project, he was encouraged to take his passion in a new direction: teaching concepts about renewable energy and the specifics of solar car construction to advanced math students at Crystal River Elementary School.

Teaching involved a whole new set of skills and challenges for Good.

“I knew that I would have to describe complex concepts simply, and be able to explain what we were doing

clearly,” Good told Bo Takarabe, RFHS Capstone Coordinator. He realized that he would “need to address the why, instead of just the how.”

As a result, Good said, “I learned much more about a topic that I had previously considered myself an expert in. It’s amazing how much you can learn by teaching others.”

Good was surprised to discover how much he enjoyed the teaching as well.

“It’s a high level topic, but they were really interested and took to it.” Sharing sketches and trophies from his own experiences in the Carbondale-based Solar Rollers competitions, Good clearly connected with the CRES students.

“Something I learned from your visit,” wrote one CRES student in his thank you note to Good, “is that you can use solar for very cool things.”

As he prepares to graduate, Good is proud to have sparked these young people’s interest in solar cars, and hopes that they will someday be the “new faces” that will carry on the RFHS legacy as champion solar car builders.

Josie Plaut, associate director for the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University Shanti Pless, senior research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Kelly Vaughn, buildings program marketing director for Rocky Mountain Institute The symposium will feature interactive, hands-on sessions for architects, builders, designers, real estate professionals, lenders, representatives of local and state agencies, and community leaders.

Discussions will focus on designing a local net-zero district, enhancing efficiency programs for existing buildings, and strengthening policies and standards that support community clean energy targets.

Real estate professionals who attend the session on energy in real estate transactions are eligible for two hours of continuing education credits.

Early bird tickets, available through May 11, are $45 and include lunch. To register, visit 2018-buildings.eventbrite. com or call CLEER at 704-9200.

Examining the underside of a remote-controlled solar car, RFHS senior Ralph Good explains to a CRES student how solar energy is used to power the vehicle.

Courtesy photo

Carbondale Police Department The Carbondale Police Department is accepting applications for the following: Police Officer starting salary $50,000.

For application and job description visit:

Don’t Miss the CRMS Plant Sale Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. • Sunday, May 20, 1-3 p.m.

500 Holden Way Carbondale

Vegetable plants, herbs, annual and perennial flowers, onion sets, seed potatoes. Proceeds benefit the CRMS garden program.

www.carbondalegov.org Deadline to apply: May 18, 2018

www.crms.org/plantsale

The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 17

Letters from page 2 Reasons to vote Mitsch Bush Dear Editor: Here are the top five reasons why I’m voting for Diane Mitsch Bush in the Democratic primary to serve as our next U.S. Representative: 1. Diane has broad-based, grassroots support. According to the first quarter FEC filing, Diane has had over 1,040 individual donors, and 72 percent of those contributions were donations of $100 or less. Candidate Karl Hanlon has had only 128 donors with an average contribution amount of over $800.

2. Diane is an experienced legislator. She served two terms as Routt County Commissioner and three terms as Colorado State House Representative. Hanlon has had no experience as a legislator. Candidate Arn Menconi served two terms as Eagle County Commissioner.

3. Diane is an experienced campaigner.

She has won five electoral campaigns — all in regions that were only about 30 percent Democrat. Hanlon has run only one campaign, which he lost.

4. Diane has a proven record of working successfully with diverse constituents without compromising her own ideals. The fact that she was selected as the 2015 Legislator of the Year by the Colorado Livestock Association and the 2017 Legislator of the Year by Conservation Colorado says a great deal about her ability to work collaboratively “across the aisle.”

5. Diane is running a clean, transparent campaign. She’s the only one in this race who has signed on to the Colorado Clean Campaign pledge. I urge the other candidates to sign on ASAP. Please join me in supporting Diane for Colorado!

Debbie Bruell Carbondale Editor’s note: Bruell is a current Sopris Sun board member. The views expressed here are solely those of the author.

Rams Run thanks

of Carbondale, Structural Associates, Ridge Runner Construction, and Carbondale Family Dental. The final amount raised was $15,795! Without the help of such generous community members, business owners, CRES PTO, and dedicated teachers, family, and friends, not to mention the incredible endurance of each and every CRES student, this event would not be the wonderful success that it is, year after year. Thank you!

Autumn Lough Lorri Knaus Marty Madsen Roaring Fork High School

Coal Basin memorial Dear Editor: The campaign to raise funds for a Coal Basin Memorial Sign at the entrance to Coal Basin (adjacent to Redstone’s historic Coke Ovens) in recognition of the Mid Continent mining era is moving forward because of the generosity of our residents and our communities.

The desire to recognize the sacrifice of the many who worked in the valley’s coal mine activities has (as of today!) the generous and very welcome support from the following: Alpine Bank, Town of Marble, Garfield County, Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, the West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, Mt. Sopris Historical Society.

Funds will be used for design, construction, installation, and maintenance. We hope the project can be completed by the end of the summer of 2018.

Contributions to the Project can be sent to MSHS (Mt. Sopris Historical Society) Monument Fund, Attn: Dorothea Farris, at 42 Tybar Ranch Road, Carbondale, Colorado 81623. Many thanks. Bill Jochems and Darrell Munsell - research; Jason Jaynes, design; Dorothea Farris, fund raising.

Dorothea Farris Carbondale

Comment quoted in The Sun Dear Editor: I want to apologize to RFTA, if I used the term blank check in describing their vision of three different funding scenarios for the next 22 years I was inaccurate. They presented three different visions for the future with three different price tags, RFTA provides a valuable service to our community. Each of these three different scenarios have three different price tags. I believe that the 3 mil and 5 mil tax increases while it will provide additional services carry higher price tags than I am comfortable with. The option of a 1 mil or even a 1.5 nil tax increase to support existing service levels would be more to my liking but RFTA is most definitely not asking for a blank check and ultimately it will be up to the voters to decide.

Marty Silverstein Carbondale

Dear Editor: Last month, on April 13, every student at Crystal River Elementary School participated in the 6th annual Rams Run. Rams Run is a fundraiser created by physical education teacher Marty Madsen, to raise money for new equipment to expand the horizons of the CRES P.E. program. In previous years, because of Rams Run, Mr. Madsen has been able to purchase ice skates, Nordic skis, bicycles, a bike trailer and helmets, as well as soccer goals, among other things. Wow! We have some fortunate kids over at CRES! With the encouragement of enthusiastic volunteers counting laps, teachers and family members cheering them along, and Mr. Madsen’s Rams Run playlist music blasting through the speakers, students of every grade level run on the 1/8 mile track in front of the school for 30 minutes straight.

Prior to the fun run, friends and family Appreciate school staff offer flat donations for the event or pledge Dear Editor: Anticipating upcoming teacher apprecian amount per lap run by their special student. On top of that, seven local businesses ation week, and in light of Colorado’s poor sponsored the event this year by donating school funding and teacher pay, one of our $250 or more: a HUGE thank you to Di- teachers said, “I don’t want treats and trinvide Creek Builders, CUC Construction, kets, I want awareness and action.” Still, we WSM and Casey Concrete, Peppino’s Pizza think that appreciation is important — per18 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • MAY 17-23, 2018

Higher Ground

continued from page 2

cow on a crutch.”

Some of my friends’ memories made me smile. Pam Kaiser Williams, daughter of Sondie Reiff, beloved of many here in Carbondale, says her mom would say, “Go put on a sweater. I’m cold.” Erin Dahl, my relative by marriage, recalls that her mom, Barbara Louise Merrill, always said that “ice cream fits in the cracks.” I certainly agree.

Other phrases took a philosophical turn. My friend Nancy Evan’s mother invoked fate by saying “good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise.” Genevieve Essex, mother of Randy Essex, former editor of the Glenwood Post Independent, would frequently remind him, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

Still other sayings strive to build character.

Rich Larson’s mother Ruth Louise Larson told him, “Tell the truth and you never have to remember what you said,” while Honey Bunting’s mother, Lois Holloway, warned, “Lies have short legs, but eventually they will catch up with you.”

David Horowitz remembers his mother, Gladys Horowitz, telling him: “If you are really good, you will never have to tell people how good you are. They’ll tell you.” (The orange-haired resident in the White House apparently missed that one.

He should heed a lesson imparted by Mary DeNike, mother of my longtime friend Lynette DeBy Nicolette Toussaint Nike. To wit: “Pretty is as pretty does.”)

Moms have all kinds of warnings: “Do as I say, not as I do.” “Because I said so.” And “Don’t make me come in there.”

That one’s so popular, it has been inscribed on decorative garden stones with an attributive twist: “Don’t make me come down there.” – God Don Chaney, who works at KMTS in Glenwood Springs, says his mom would issue a pointed warning: “Do that again and you’ll be picking up your teeth.” Bonedalian Valerie Gilliam says she would get an invitation to “go play on the freeway” when she and her brothers were overly rambunctious.

“In my young brain, I thought she meant it literally,” says Valerie. “I would imagine myself playing on the freeway and it wasn’t any fun.” She finally had to ask her mom for an explanation.

Among the other head-scratchers I heard from friends is this one: Bread, bread, he cried—and the curtain came down with a roll!” Margaret Mary Shea used to say that, and her daughter Jane Shea Reagan never did figure out what it meant. “But we all say it now,” Jane comments.

Well, in the words of my friend Indra Ferry’s mother Joan Dawson, another Brit, “There’s nothing stranger than folks.”

Yes, there is. Moms. That’s just part of why we love them.

OPINION

Seeking Higher Ground

Nicolette Toussaint is a current Sopris Sun board member. The views expressed here are solely those of the author.

haps now more than ever. Therefore, the Roaring Fork Schools have dedicated May as Staff Appreciation Month.

There is no question that the people who operate our schools — working in our classrooms, kitchens, buses, offices, or even behind the scenes — are our most important asset. We have more than 1,000 staff members, and each individual plays a crucial role in our mission. Our staff members do so much more than teach, prepare meals, maintain spaces, or transport students: they inspire and motivate; they care for and fix; they change lives.

In other industries, hard work is rewarded with more pay; schools, however, don’t work that way, both due to our funding structure and a culture that recognizes that everybody is working hard every day. Because the school funding situation in Colorado is so dire, none of our staff members earn what they should — especially in such a wealthy state. So now, more than ever, we appreciate those who work so hard in our schools to make a difference for our students and communities.

In support of our staff, we are asking community members to stay involved and aware of the funding situation and to do what they can to bring about change: contact your legislator; sign a petition; write a letter. In addition, remember to say thanks. Personally, and on behalf of the board of education and leadership of the school district, I want to thank our staff members publicly for all that they do to make the Roaring Fork Schools a great place to learn and work.

Rob Stein RFSD Superintendent

Dandelion sublime Dear Editor: We need to acknowledge the success of Carbondale’s dandy yellow cred in reducing poison put on the land. Also we need to acknowledge all the lawns in the valley and state with the bright golden light reflecting dandelions like the amazing fields at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Old Snowmass. Dandelions prove, the ground has not seen the blight of 2,4,D, or other herbicide/pesLETTERS page 19

Letters from page 18 ticides like Roundup. It screams that I am safe for children and pets this year. I will not track neurotoxins into your home. Happy ‘Dia de Dente de Lione’.

John Hoffmann Carbondale

Happy circulating Dear Editor: Circulating a petition at First Friday and Dandelion Days just enhanced my love affair with Carbondale.

Once Carbundians found out the petition was for a ballot issue in November requiring an increased setback for all oil and gas drilling and fracking from all buildings with human occupancy, they sought us out.

We didn’t have to find them. Only a few de-

Parting Shot

Legal Notices clined, saying they worked in the oil and gas industry or thought the measure was politically motivated.

You’d think the party-goers wouldn’t want to be bothered with a political matter at these celebrations, but Carbundians realize health and safety and climate change are not political concerns, but a question of morality. They’d like to leave the planet better for their children than they found it.

I was disappointed in the number of adults, particularly Hispanics, who are not registered voters, therefore not eligible to sign the petition. To them I say, if you think the powers that be are not looking after your welfare, the only way to change the environment is to register and vote.

Fred Malo Jr. Carbondale

NOTICE

Back the board Dear Editor: Environmentalists like me have long argued for utility scale renewable energy.

Historically, it was a tradeoff—yes, solar and wind power gets you cleaner air and less carbon pollution, but at a premium.

Today, things have changed. The cheapest sources of new power are now wind and solar—cheaper than coal and even cheaper than natural gas. That means the most fiscally conservative path an electric utility could take is to invest heavily in renewable energy (and energy efficiency) to keep rates low for customers.

This is precisely what our local utility, Holy Cross Energy, has done. It provides 39 percent clean power reliably and at some of the lowest rates in the nation.

But this didn’t just happen. The board of directors led the way. I hope you will join me in ensuring continued progress by voting for Adam Palmer and Kristen Bertuglia.

Holy Cross members will receive mail in ballots in the next few days.

Chris Lane Basalt

Unclassifieds

Submit to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by Frida y 12 p.m. Rates: $15 for 30 words, $20 for up to 50 words. Payment due before publication.*

THE GOOD SEED COMMUNITY GARDEN is accepting registrations for organic gardeners who would like to start or continue gardening with GSCG located at 110 Snowmass Drive, Carbondale. For sign-up packets and to enroll, contact Melissa at The Orchard church office next door, or call her for details.

A carpet of brilliant yellow stretched across the fields at North Face Park outside of Carbondale on May 11. With Mount Sopris in the background, the photographer felt like Julie Andrews as she twirled around singing “The hills are alive...”

Unfortunately, the yellow will soon disappear as the dandelion morphs into white feather-like heads that blow away in the wind. Photo by Jane Bachrach

Service Directory

WANTED. 10+ yo gentle sound horse preferably a paint, 970-927-4207. Please leave a message. *Credit card payment information should be emailed to unclassifieds@soprissun.com or call 970-274-1076.

Checks may be dropped off at our office at the Third Street Center or mailed to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Call 510-3003 for more info.

DATE AND TIME: JUNE 12, 2018 AT 6:00 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: MAY 11, 2018

BY ORDER OF: DAN RICHARDSON, MAYOR APPLICANT: LACY HUGHES Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstrance’s may be filed with the Town Clerk Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623.

Pulbished in The Sopris Sun on May 17, 2018.

PUBLIC NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town of Carbondale Board of Trustees, Garfield County, State of Colorado, will conduct a public hearing to consider an application submitted by ESA Architects (“Applicant”) for approval of Major Site Plan Review, including vested rights associated with the same, Conditional Use Permit, and Amendments to the Thompson Park Annexation and Development Agreement, including an extension of the vested rights associated therewith (“Application”), for the property legally described as Parcels 2, 3, and 4, THOMPSON PARK SUBDIVISION, according to the MASTER PLAT thereof filed May 19, 2015, as Reception No. 862909, Garfield County, Colorado, consisting of approximately 3.74 acres (“Property”).

Cerise Park, LLC is the owner of the Property. If approved, Applicant has requested that the Major Site Plan serve as the site-specific development plan for the vesting of property rights pursuant to Section 2.7.3. of the Uniform Development Code and Article 68, Title 24 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

Applicant is proposing to build 27 residential units on Parcel 2; 6 residential units on Parcel 3; and 7 single-family homes on Parcel 4. A total of seven units among all three parcels will be deed-restricted for affordable housing.

A public hearing on the Application is scheduled for June 12, 2018 at 6:00 PM, at Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, Colorado. All interested parties have the right to appear at said hearing and to be heard on the Application. Copies of the Application are on file in the Town Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, Colorado and may be examined by interested persons during regular working hours, 8:00 am through 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

The application may also be reviewed on the Town’s website at www.carbondalegov.org.

Janet Buck Planning Director

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(970) 963-2826

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Dr. Benjamin Mackin

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Contact Ad Sales at 970-510-0246 or adsales@soprissun.com

HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO

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HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A NEW LIQUOR LICENSE TO SELL MALT, VINOUS, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISES AT 689 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO

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Pulbished in The Sopris Sun on May 17, 2018.

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The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • MAY 17-23, 2018 • 19

Great new items (at deep discounts).

Scratch & Dent Appliances We know our community values price over perfection, so we now offer brand new appliances with minor cosmetic imperfections at a discount of 25% over “perfect” appliances.

Mattresses We now stock American made high-quality new mattresses in three comfort and longevity levels at a discount of 30% over mattresses of the same quality.

WeBuild Custom Cabinets The vocational cabinet shop at the Crowley Correctional Facility has been supplying cabinets for Habitat homes for years. We are excited to now offer these high-quality custom cabinets to our customers.

Other New Products We buy new items like space-saving cabinet beds directly from manufacturers, as well as in bulk (carpet squares, GreenSheen paint, paint brushes, VCT tiles, and more) and sell them at deep discounts.

People are raving about our new, more convenient shopping experience; lower prices; and terrific customer service. To see what all the buzz is about, come on in or check out our one-minute video at HabitatRFV.org.

53 Calaway Court, Glenwood Springs

For more info & hours: HabitatRFV.org

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We have been providing digital marketing services to Habitat RFV since 2011 and are proud to sponsor this ad to help them make a difference in our community.