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Volume 9, Number 40 | November 9, 2017
Zombies
out on the town
Can’t
leaf
them alone! Leaf Days in Carbondale ended on Nov. 7, but not before Emmet Hood Garcelon took full advantage of the “kid friendly” playground in the trash receptacles across the street from Town Hall. The leaves are used at local ranches and gardens as compost. Photo by Jane Bachrach
A horde of zombies turned out for the annual pub crawl around downtown Carbondale the evening of Oct. 21. Diners lucky enough to be in Town for the popular eatery’s last supper were grateful not only because they were able to enjoy one more dinner before the restaurant closed, but also because they were safe from the insatiable thirst of creepy creatures like Kelly Hedrick. Photo by Jane Bachrach
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CarbondaleCommentary Commentary Carbondale Carbondale Commentary
The views and opinions expressed on the Commentary page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The Sopris Sun invites all members of the community to submit letters Sun invites all members of the community to submit letters to the of The Sopris Sun. The reflect those necessarily do not page Commentary on the expressedFor and opinions he to views the editor or guest columns. more information, email editor Will Grandbois at news@soprissun.com, orSopris call 510-3003. The Sopris Sun invites all members of the community to submit letters to the Sun. reflect those of The Sopris necessarily do not page Will the Commentary and opinions he views 510-3003. or call at news@soprissun.com, Grandbois email editor information, For more on columns. expressed or guest ditor ditor or guest columns. For more information, email editor Will Grandbois at news@soprissun.com, or call 510-3003.
A officer’s on pleawildlife for accessible nature AAformer former wildlife officer’s perspective perspective on the the Crystal Crystal Trail Trail
By John Seidel ByJohn Genevieve Villamizar By Seidel Biologist Retired DOW and There’s a resounding silence from people like me who dread Retired DOW Biologist and ormer Roaring Fork Valley Journal columnist. conflictRoaring and public scrutiny who aren’t homeowners, bike comormer Fork Valley — Journal columnist. I see through the local papers that the proposed Crystal Valley trail muters or recreationists. So I’d like to speak quietly about Nature, I seebeing through the localfor papers that the Crystal Valley trail sto still considered placement onproposed the east side of the Crystal you. s still being considered for placement on thediscussed east sideand of the Crystal River. This controversial placement has been rejected by Before the Rio Grand Trail has ran been beyond the Catherine Store River. This local controversial placement discussed and rejected by he public, governments, local environmental organizations and Bridge, I used to explore those tracks with my dog. It had a magic he public, local governments, local environmental organizations and he state Parks and Division (CPW). aura toColorado it: generations ago,Wildlife this area was altered byII am a surprised he state Colorado Parks and Wildlife Division (CPW). am surprised hat Pitkin County, who has led both the state and naman-made path, a who railroad. Eventually abandoned, Nahat Pitkin County, has led both the state and naional efforts toherprotect anddispersed placed ture resumed course,natural slowly habitats setting seed ional efforts to protect natural habitats and placed wildlife as a significant value for its citizens, is even conby wind and beast, rains and causing is germination. wildlife as a significant value fordew its citizens, even conidering placing this trail in undisturbed wildlife habitat. Those placing railroadthis tracks were our privatewildlife sanctuary. I sat idering trail in undisturbed habitat. I wasthose assigned to the Carbondale District for the Colalong ribbons of steel and ribs of wood, enjoying I was assigned to the Carbondale District the Colorado Division Wildlife in 1972for served the stillness ofof the golden(DOW) hours for years and — the river orado Division of Wildlife (DOW) in 1972 and served n that capacity until 1978. I worked with Aspen DOW feeding me flow and flexibility; the whisper and sway n that Allen capacity until 1978. I worked with Aspen DOW officer Whitaker in identifying and mapping sigof pines andWhitaker grass showing me presence and resilience. officer and mapping nificantAllen wildlife habitatin foridentifying Pitkin County in 1974. sigWe The stones from cliff top to riverCounty bottominteaching me nificant wildlife Pitkin 1974. We also helped writehabitat land usefor regulations that would protect thathelped the elements may alter our appearances and our also write land use regulations that would protect hese habitats. This was groundbreaking and one of the location, but This never ourgroundbreaking true nature. and one of the hese habitats. first counties in the was state to incorporate wildlife habitat The solitude was incredible and I railed against the first thezoning state toregulations. incorporate wildlife habitat n itscounties planninginand thought of invasion: hords of spandex racers, commuters and day n its planning and regulations. This decision, to zoning locate the trail on the east side of the Crystal River trippers invading my space, my time, but I came tothe accept theRiver comThis decision, to locate the trail on the east side of Crystal would be contrary to this long standing valuation of wildlife habitat ing of be thecontrary Rio Grande Trail. would to this long standing valuation of wildlife habitat n the county. Since the ’70s there has been a tremendous amount of those lessons are stillthere there, if been I opentremendous to them. I can still step n theAll county. ’70s amount of development inSince this the narrow valleyhas that has areduced the usable habioff a man made trail and slip intothat a thicket, immersing myself and development in this narrow valley has reduced the usable habiat by the historic populations of the many wildlife species that use this my old child in the mysteries of wildlife raw Nature. at by7-year the of the many that use thisa valley as historic the last populations habitats available to them. Elkspecies were originally Just as I last adapted, wildlife has adapted to thewere current invasive valley as the habitats available to them. a plains animal that occupied the plains and riverElk bottoms originally of the state. species (humans, pets…) marking their corners of the Crystal Valplains animal that occupied the plains and river bottoms of the state. Continuous development of these areas drove these and other species ley,the themountains Roaring Fork corridor. The apples off the our Continuous development of these areasareas. drovebears theseeat and other are species nto and river less accessible These habitats trees and a few of the chickens in our coop. The sheep in Glenwood nto the mountains and less accessible areas. These habitats are the ast ones available; there is nowhere else left for them to use. walk sidewalks and chill, along interstate. ast available; there is graze, nowhere else left debated. for themthe to use. I ones amour surprised that this issue istotally still being The State DiviI’ve struggledhas over my stance the Crystal RiverThe Trail because surprised that this issue is on still being State Divi- I ionI am of Wildlife for over 30 years as adebated. respected professional wonder about the fireflies in Filoha Meadows more than I do ion of Wildlife has for over 30 years as a respected professional agency continuously advised against locating the trail on the eastabout side and sheep, imperilled homeowners. Thelife-long be agency continuously advised against locating theistrail ontrail the would east side ofthe theelk river. The pushand to locate it on the east side the dream closed when the elk come down and the word in closed wildlife of the river. The push to locate it on the east side is the life-long dream of Dale Will and has been passed on to Gary Tennenbaum of Open circles is Trails. that sheeppassed herds on — to in Gary Glenwood and ourofCrystal of Daleand Will andlocal has been Tennenbaum Open Space Space and Trails. River — are on the outs; poor health due to inbreeding. A bike trail up the Crystal River valley would be a very nice IntelliaddiAto bike up thetrail Crystal would beand a of very niceand addigent humans purchased landRiver alongside right ways are ion thetrail extensive system of valley Pitkinpublic County western Colion to the extensive trail system of Pitkin County and western pissed off their day might have come. Imagine how the Utes felt? orado. It could be placed along the west side of the river andColthe orado. could be placed the westaside of the river and the WeItall must flow withalong the inevitability of change. Highway 133 right-of-way would provide wonderful experience to Highway 133 right-of-way would provide a wonderful experience to I am a landscape designer. And a writer. I discovered my huhe biking public. The scenic wonders of this beautiful valley will be he biking public. The scenic wonders of this beautiful valley will be manity, my true self, my human being-ness, in ecology, plants, the enjoyable from the west side of the river. The bike trail along the Colenjoyable from the west side ofpopular. the river. The bike trail along theInterColinterwoven livelihoods of systems: from mycorrhizae, birds orado River has become very Its location next totothe orado has noticed becomeby very popular. location next to theare Intertate inRiver not even its users. TheItsriver and the canyon the tate in noticed by its users.beThe andCrystal the canyon the ocus ofnot theeven users. The same could saidriver of the Valleyare Trail. ocus of the users. The same could be said of the Crystal Valley Trail.
The grandeur this beautiful will thrill visitors no matandnatural the bees, to the of water cycle- thevalley enormity of which makes life The natural grandeur of this beautiful valley will thrill visitors no matter what side the trail is placed on. possible and blows my freaking mind. ter Providing what side access the trail placed on.to the river in Avalanche Creek and to is the east side Easy accessibility to nature, to wild nature, made this possible Providing access to the east side toto thesignificant river in Avalanche Creek Filoha Meadows will provide access habitat that willand be for me. What I learned from those experiences in nature and its Filoha Meadows will provide access to significant habitat that will be degraded bythat bandit trails and off track intrusions. Mountain bikers wilds was I was not separate from nature. When a child sits degraded trails species. and off track seek intrusions. Mountain appear to by be abandit pioneering out new andbikers ways beneath of species. a denseThey lilac seek on cool, flattrails packed earth, appear to the beinaboughs pioneering They out meadows. new trails and ways ofhiding traveling previously untracked forests and I have no for in hours; or theuntracked hunter naps in the roots of a sunbaked of traveling previously forests and meadows. I have no doubt that these users will gain access from the east side of the Crystreeusers trunk; orgain dreamer disappears in the stillness of a doubt that these will access from the east side of the Crystal up old— mine roads Filoha meadows andtheir reach elk meadow such thatin butterfly lands on hand tal upthat old mine roads ina Filoha meadows and reach elk trails follow the ridge line from Hawk Peak down — youthat Become. trails follow the ridge line from Hawk Peak down to And Elephant Mountain. Enforcement of closures of eithat brings me toEnforcement the firefly. Penetrating Filoha to Elephant Mountain. oftoclosures of either seasonal or new trails has proven be very diffiis what is getting the trails mosthas protest. Wetoget to choose, ther seasonal or new proven be very difficult, andPitkin non-compliance has demonstrated that some though. County Open Space is committed to cult, andusers non-compliance demonstrated that some of these do not respecthas regulations and restrictions. their seasonal closure at Filoha. It makes sense to of these do not respectwildlife regulations andfor restrictions. Kevinusers Wright, a retired officer both the move from Plan B to Plan A, across the highway. It’s Kevin Wright, a retireddistricts, wildlife has officer for both Carbondale and Aspen in his letterthe of easy and affordable to dodistricts, a bridgehas there. Carbondale andspelled Aspen in his letterthat of March 23, 2017 out the science and studies Modern children (and adults) need magical moMarch 23, 2017 spelled out the science and studies that support his professional opinion that the placement of ments in nature to become reverent. Nature needs of us support that the placement this trailhis onprofessional the east sideopinion will have negative effects on to slow down and allow these moments, to seek these this trail on the east side will have negative effects on resident wildlife populations. Rick Thompson, a long moments. Naturepopulations. must be accessible to current and resident wildlife Rick Thompson, a long time private wildlife consultant with a history of peer future generations if we ever expect them to revere and therefore timeand private wildlife consultant with a history of peer reviewed studies respected positions on numerous developments care andstudies advocate Nature.positions on numerous developments reviewed andfor respected on the western slope, agreed with Kevin’s assessments and warnings. Some of the stridency, the accusations, the righteousness drivon the slope, agreed and warnings. What iswestern the motivation to putwith thisKevin’s trail onassessments the east side? Why would ing this debate need totobe examined before anyside? lasting decisions What is the motivation put this trail on the east Why would your county which has supported and protected wildlife habitats for should be made. The overall human regression I’ve witnessed in your county which has supported and protected wildlife almost 50 years disregard the science and experience ofhabitats expertsfor to the newspapers is a sad, embarrassing testament to the weaknesses almost 50 years disregard and experience expertsand to placate the ideological desirethe byscience a few individuals, with aofnarrow in our the community. placate ideological desire by a few individuals, with a narrow and single track focus. I see thefocus. Crystal River Valleyofas a diverse wonderland, in single track Kelly Grange, historic owner Filoha Meadows, offered rich to sell nature, lacking most of the offensive aspects of the upper Roaring Kelly Grange, historic owner of Filoha Meadows, offered to sell me this property in 1976. Ron Shore, a pioneer in solar energy use The times drive upand andtogether down valley, golly, I wish I could me this property 1976. Ron Shore,that awe pioneer in solar energy use inFork. the valley, wentIin with me evaluated the hot springs get out of the box of my car, stop and explore. Or nap. Or picnic. in the valley, went with me and together we evaluated the hot springs on the property for use in heating single family homes. We calculated Ifwewe don’t connect our children to accessible, diverse on the property for use inhomes heating single homes. that could heat 10-12 with thefamily hoteasily springs onWe thecalculated property. nature, we’ll have a lot more to fear than a river trail. that we could heat 10-12 homes with the hot springs on the property. We stood in the meadow looked up at Chair Mt and decided that neiDoes it the need to develop be alooked race cyclists trying to beat their We in meadow up atfor Chair MtWould and decided that neitherstood of us wanted to thistrack beautiful spot. Pitkin County “last time?” No. Could it be a well managed resource for generather of us wanted to develop this beautiful spot. Would Pitkin County have allowed this development on this parcel? I think not. Why tionsallowed to come thatdevelopment a parent would feel parcel? safe releasing have this on this I thinktheir not.spawn Why allow this impact? allow this impact? upon? Absolutely. Should that be limited by private landowners Your existing land use codes would prohibit this development if Your existing land use codes would prohibit thisWhy development if and irrational No. Should those homeowners have being done by afears? private individual or corporation. let a signifipublic being done by a private individual or corporation. Why let a public cant input? Hell yes. But let’s find our humanity and integrity in agency do it? Stick to your principles; support knowledge and science agency dotoit?connect Stick topeople your principles; support this emotion bid withisour primordial roots. over and ideology. This obvious to knowledge anyone, notand justscience bioloover emotion and ideology. This is obvious to anyone, not biologists, that this trail on the undisturbed east side of the river just would degists, that this trail on the undisturbed east side of the river would deEditor’s note: This column was abridged from a longer letter subgrade the habitats. Do the right thing. Locate this needed trail along grade the Do the right thing. Locate needed trail along mitted tohabitats. the Carbondale Board of133. Trustees. the transportation corridor of Hwy As onethis who rode his bike on the transportation corridor Hwy 133.aAs oneiswho rodeJust his bike Hwy 133 during the era of of coal trucks; trail needed. buildon it Hwy during the eraItofwill coal a trail needed. for Justitsbuild it along133 the existing road. betrucks; safe and very is enjoyable users. along the existing road. It will be safe and very enjoyable for its users.
OPINION OPINION OPINION
Letters Letters 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. Letters exceeding that length may be returned for revision or submission as a guest column; please include your name, town, and contact information. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday. he 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 he Sopris Sun welcomes your81623. letters,Letters limited exceeding to no morethat thanlength 500 words via email atfor news@soprissun.com or 250awords via snail mail at .O. Box 399, Carbondale may revisionThere or submission guest column; Protect the place CO er felt the need to be inbe thereturned middle of any is no oneashere now. Joe Diplease Salvo .O. Box 399, Carbondale COcontact 81623.information. Letters exceeding that length may be returned for revision or submission as a guest column; please nclude your name, town, and The deadline for submission is noon on Monday. Dear Editor: of those places to feel like I have gotten my attended a Crystal River Caucus meeting nclude your name, town, and contact information. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday. a Nimby. I am fix. It doesn’t take a physicist or a scientist a few months ago, stating there are three SaveCall themeaesthetics of more the than happy most un-urban place. Governments know that if they control the to have that title. I am one of the very lucky most Save the aesthetics of the to know truth about this debate. Align the Governments deputies on duty in that all ofifPitkin Countythe on un-urban know they Nowhere control Crystal River Valley Less invasiveplace. options include widening dialogue, they control the issues. in ones to live in the Crystal River Valley. any one shift. proposed trail along Highway 133. Crystal River Valley invasive options widening they control the issues. in theLess highway shoulders byinclude a few feet where dialogue, the opinion gathering process hasNowhere there been DearIEditor: vacationed here in the 1980’s when the highway I attended the Carbondale Trustee Nothinggathering is more important than Place. shoulders by a few feet where the opinion process has there been Dear Editor: feasible only, and beginning the trail at the an option for residents to oppose any addiI’msons deeply about the Open our wereconcerned babies. Then moved here in feasible Appreciateresidents what wetohave today. monthly meeting a few weeks ago.atI the had an option only, andPass beginning the trail anyan addiI’mand deeply concerned the Open bypassing the costly tional path.forWildlife is alsooppose not given opSpace Trails proposed about trail through the top of McClure the late ‘80s and have lived here ever since, Nancy Chromy no expectation of the public opinion. Listop of McClure Pass bypassing the costly tional path. Wildlife is also not given anthey opSpace Trails proposed through the and invasive construction within the valley. tion for “none of the above”— evidently Crystaland River Valley. It hastrail been my home exceptRiver for seven years when themy kids were and tening to the Trustees within express concern Redstone invasive construction the valley. tion for “none of the above”— evidently they Crystal Valley. It has been home don’t speak English or have online access. or thirty years and I still thrill at its beauty No trail should also be an option. inthirty middle school and school. Simply No filled heart. Listening to public com- don’t speak English or have online access. trailmy should also be option. or years and133. I stillhigh its beauty Like Robert Moses thean builder of bridges and OST haselement conveniently deflected attention as I drive Highway I,thrill as doatmany, love Human on the Crystal Trail put, there is no place it. do Travelers come ments I heldMoses back tears. Theofmajority Like Robert builder bridges andof away OST hasthe conveniently deflected attention as drive Highway 133.like I, as many, love found, if youthe build it they will come. from “none of the above” option o Ihike and bike and find no shortage of highways from near and far to touch it, smell it, taste people who live in the CRV, Carbondale Dear Editor: you build it they will come. away from the “none of the above” option o hike and bike and find no shortage of highways Thankfound, you forifyour time and consideration. to focus attention on where a path should hese opportunities now. I have studied the it. Like myself, they sometimes never leave. and Aspen do get importance to focus I read Mr. Phaneuf’s letterawith inThank youattendees for your time andthe consideration. on where pathgreat should hese opportunities I have studied the Jacqueline Dearborn go — likeattention its existence is a foregone concluplans, both A and B.now. I find no good reason Is it aboth trade off driving 18no miles toreason the gas of maintaining and preserving the Crystal go terest. The question I ishave is whatconclu“risks” Jacqueline Dearborn — like its existence a foregone plans, A and B. I find good Marble sion — and has garnered opinion in a o embark upon a decades-long costly projgrocery store, the bank, a projcoffee River Valley.Marble sion —process and has garnered opinion in14 a ostation, embark upon a decades-long costly letters page skewed to gain an answer they want, ect that will produce endless traffic delays, shop? It is.produce But wellendless worthtraffic everydelays, minute None Honestly, does there need to beTrail a trail skewed process to gain an answer they want, ect that will of the above on Crystal just as Delia Malone and others contend. ntroduce signs, guardrails, pullouts, and of this the above on Crystal of that drive. through area? Probably not. Trail Nettle justI as Delia favored Malone aand others contend. ntroduce signs, guardrails, pullouts, and None initially path that did not eneven bridges required by Plan A or B. Either Dear Editor: Correction We callrequired Highway 133 Aour driveway. Creek will be compromised. Wildlife on croach I initially favored a path that did not eneven bridges by Plan or B. Either Dear Editor: on three ancient wintering grounds plan will destroy the natural vegetation, alter Pitco OST has been soliciting opinion for The cover of the Nov. 2 issue incorHave ever considered the idea of aalter bike allPitco fronts will be compromised. Millions threeowned ancientawintering grounds plan willIwildlife destroy the natural OST has soliciting opinion for croach forrectly elk.on Iidentified have Carbondale busicritical areas, andvegetation, cross private months about the been preferred alignment of the the school the assemtrail in the middle ofand wildlife including upon millions ofpreferred dollars will beValley. spent — for elk. I have owned aDe Carbondale busicritical cross private months about alignment of the ness forthe 12 years and there 17 years property.wildlife Further,areas, either plan will ultimately proposed bikethe path in the Crystal bled pictured Dialived Los Muertos Filoha Meadows or anywhere else for that proposed money from where? Rogue trails will ocness for 12 years and lived there 17 years property. Further, either plan will ultimately bike path in the Crystal Valley. altar. It was, in fact, LETTERS Ross Montessori. esult in bringing an urban project into a This process is skewed and fatally flawed. page 14 matter Not once. I have cur. I wonder willand oversee trail? esult in appropriate? bringing an urban project intoneva This process iswho skewed fatallythe flawed. LETTERS page 14 SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • OCTOBER 26 - 9-15, NOVEMBER 1, 2017 2• •THE THESOPRIS SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 2017
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Carbondale Fire mill levy renewed in a landslide By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District will get three more years at their current property tax level, if preliminary election results are any guide. Voters across the district’s three counties came out two to one in favor of measure 4C, with 2,101 votes for and 1,034 against. Most of the votes came out of Garfield County, while Pitkin County residents boasted an even more robust 69 percent support and 57 percent of Gunnison County voters backed it. “The residents and visitors of the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District are fortunate and thankful for all the volunteer and career firefighters, EMTS, administrative staff and elected officials who, working together, provide first class emergency services to a first-class community,” Fire Chief Ron Leach said in a statement. “Tonight’s election results deliver a great vote of confidence from the community to these dedicated public servants.” The district has historically enjoyed support for mill levy overrides, but was notably shot down in 2013 when it pursued a significant increase with no expiration date. That dropped the overall rate to 5.903 total mills while property values continued to fall. Two lean years later
and after extensive public discussion and master planning, the board again pursued an increase, this time for 1.75 additional mills with a two-year sunset clause, which proved palatable. The latest vote is essentially a renewal of that rate with a slightly longer sunset. Board President Gene Schilling viewed the apparent approval as a sign of renewed faith in the fire department. “I think we’ve been doing a great job out there and I think this shows that. We learned what the voters expected from us and what they’d accept,” he said. “We’ve tried to be really conservative while still getting the funding that we need. I think we’ll be able to continue to give them the upstanding service they expect.” According to Schilling, the extension should be sufficient to keep staffing at the current level and maintain ongoing programming. It still falls short of prerecession levels and may leave some larger projects on hold. It’s possible, he said, that the board might also try to pursue a bond issue for capital funding in the near future. In the end, he felt Carbondale made the right call in supporting their fire and ambulance service. “The life you saved by voting yes may be your own,” he noted.
Proposed history fund goes down By Nicolette Toussaint Special to the Sopris Sun Garfield County voters rejected a tax increase of $3.42 per $100,000 of assessed property value that would have supported seven historical societies located in Garfield County. As of press time, unofficial results showed Measure 1A losing with 5,217 votes in favor and 6,347 against it. Out of 11,564 votes, 55 percent of voters were turning thumbs down. Measure 1A would have provided steady funding to seven struggling nonprofits that curate local cultural relics: the Mount Sopris Historical Society in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs Historical Society, Glenwood Springs Railroad Museum, New Castle Historical Society, Silt Historic Park, Rifle Heritage Center and Museum and the Grand Valley Historical Society. Historically, the local historical societies have depended on donations, memberships and special events while volunteers have managed day-to-day operations. Many have struggled with dilapidated buildings and deferred maintenance; several have been unable to operate in winter because they lack heating systems. The measure would have provided $1 million annually over 10 years, with money being used first to pay staff and overhead, secondly to address building issues, and
Voters made heavy use of a new drop-off box outside Town Hall on Election Day. Photo by Jane Bachrach later to improve the museums’ offerings. Bill Kight, executive director of the Glenwood Springs Historical Society, was philosophical about the loss, saying, “It just means we’re going to have to find other ways to keep history alive. We’ll just have to be more creative in trying to find funding. That’s not an easy way job; it never has been and never will be.” Kight added, “The whole important thing for me personally was to take this to the voters, and I respect their decision. I think people don’t like taxes, period. I understand, and I’m not going to take it personally.”
Mail-in election judge Dianne Nelson opens and counts ballots just minutes before the polls closed at Tuesday night’s election. Photo by Laurel Smith
For CMC, no Gallagher loophole By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff Ballot Issue 4B, which would have authorized the Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees to increase its mill levy to offset revenue losses in the event of a Gallagher-mandated tax assessment rate decrease, has apparently failed. The preliminary results, which totaled at 36,931 votes, show a 47 to 53 percent defeat for the measure. Routt and Pitkin Counties bucked the trend by supporting the measure. “[I’m] certainly disappointed,” CMC President Carrie Hauser said of the election results. “Gallagher is a very complicated issue. It’s hard to articulate.” And because of fair election laws, CMC staff had to be careful about the language they used when discussing the measure. “We were limited in our ability to sort of advocate for this because of fair election laws,” she said. Despite the loss, Hauser remains inspired and grateful for the opportunity to put an unprecedented measure on the ballot. “We did feel incredible support from our communities. We certainly felt that going into this,” she said. “I’m really proud of the trustees. It was really courageous of them to sort of lead on this and hopefully bring some awareness [about the impacts of the Gallagher Amendment] to our communities.” The Glenwood Chamber of Commerce acted as a strong advocate for the initiative, too, she said. “In a short timeframe, [they] raised money and tried to raise awareness and did what they were able to do. We were born out of the Chamber, and they rallied. It was a great thing to see and we’re truly grateful to the leadership they provided,” Hauser said. Last year, a Gallagher-induced assessment rate deduction for Colorado’s residential properties led to a morethan $2.7 million loss for CMC’s bud-
get, which receives 70 percent of its revenue from property taxes. “We’ll never make that back,” Hauser noted. The assessment rate is projected to drop further next year, to 6.2 percent from the current 7.2 percent. “We’ll certainly learn from this. We’ll sort of regroup. My job as president is to be responsible for the fiscal health of the college, so we’ll go back and get creative internally as an institution.”
Portscheller defeats Winkler Peg Portscheller has unofficially won the contested District 3 Board of Trustees Director position, which represents western Garfield County, against Randy Winkler in a 59-41 percent victory. The margin was much narrower in their own Garfield County, where Winkler actually had the upper hand, 51 to 49 percent. “I am pleased to have been supported by voters across the CMC region,” Portscheller said in an email. “Hats off to Randy Winkler for his interest and great showing in the election. As I mentioned to Dr. Hauser, it was a win/win for CMC regardless of the outcome. My hope is to contribute to a positive future to CMC as they embark upon their second 50 years of service to students and communities across central Colorado!” Portscheller, a Parachute resident, has a more-than 40-year career in education. Both a former teacher and superintendent, she now runs her own education consulting firm. “CMC is a driver of economic development in our communities; it is my fond hope that the CMC Board, its staff, its students and the communities in which CMC has a presence will continue to think about how to imagine a viable, vibrant future for all of us who choose to live in this special place,” she said.
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 3
Town Report Except for some park vandalism, a quiet Halloween Someone destroyed a section of custom woodwork on a bridge in Sopris Park on Halloween and scattered the pieces all over the ditch, according to Town Manager Jay Harrington’s weekly report to staff, trustees and others. Otherwise, Harrington said, it was a pretty quiet night. Meanwhile… • The streets crew focused on vegetation management, running the now-closed leaf drop-off site, trimming branches and other vegetation in alleys and hanging lights on the trees on Main Street. • The next Aloha Shaka Cross Bike Race is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 12 and the final race will take place on Thanksgiving Day, along with the first annual Turkey Trot 5k produced by the Carbondale Parks & Recreation Department. Registration for the 5k running race is now available online at www.carbondalerec.com. • Two planning grants were submitted to GOCO lottery fund disbursement.The first is for the Rio Grande ARTway Lighting Project, to improve public safety and user function by furthering community goals that were set forth in a corridor master plan. The second is for the Crystal River Restoration and Weaver Ditch Efficiency Project — an effort to restore and enhance a one-half mile 18 acre reach of the Crystal River and Riverfront Park in Carbondale and improve the efficiency of the town owned Weaver Ditch at its diversion point in the middle of the reach. • The next specialized climbing clinics for adults is the Yoga for Climbers Class from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 9. The cost is $25. An anchor building and cleaning clinic is scheduled for Nov. 16. Check out the details at www.carbondalerec.com. • Registration is open for the following programs: Dinky Dunkers Basketball program for first and second graders on Mondays and Wednesdays for boys and Tuesdays and Thursdays for girls in November; Dodgeball Derivatives for ages 8-11
Thanksgiving Day is Nov. 23
SOPRIS SUN DEADLINES Ad reservations, letters and public service announcements are due
Thursday, Nov. 16 by noon. Publicize your Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales! Contact Kathryn Camp 379-7014 AdSales@soprissun.com
years old on Fridays in December; the Youth Basketball League which begins on Dec. 11 for third and fourth grade boys and girls and fifth and sixth grade boys and girls. Volunteer coaches are needed; call 510-1279 or email jthraen@carbondaleco.net. • Leaf removal on all parks taking place with leaves being used for soil enhancement at the Carbondale Historic Food Forest Project at the Thompson House Museum Historic Park. This project is being managed by the Roaring Fork Food Alliance and the Permaculture Classes at CMC. • Crews worked on stripping down and painting the bear proof trash cans recently purchased from City of Aspen surplus. • Bids for a fence at Bonnie Fisher Park are being solicited by parks department as part of the Fall 2018 GCFMLD (Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District) grant recently awarded to the Town of Carbondale Parks & Recreation Department. • Planning staff have been working on the suggested revisions to the marijuana regulations, including signs. These will be reviewed by the Board at the Nov. 14 meeting. The proposed Ordinance also removes the cap in place that limits the number of retail facilities in town. • The Nettle Creek Project punch list walk through was completed. The Crystal well is still being fine-tuned, and the well house has been painted on the outside and we will continue to work on cosmetic improvements throughout the coming months. • The community housing project continued to install the sewer line connection this week. Paving is expected in the near future. • The fiber communication line has been installed and is operating at utilities office. • Officer Stock-Bell received approximately one pound of prescription drugs on Drug Takeback Day at Town Hall. Officer Zimmerman taught four Civics classes at the Carbondale Middle School.
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4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017
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Cop Shop
From Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, Carbondale Police handled 171 calls for service. During that period, officers investigated the following cases of note:
FRIDAY Oct. 27 at 11:07 a.m. After pulling over a 58-year-old man for speeding, police discovered that he was driving without a required interlock device and issued him a summons. FRIDAY Oct. 27 at 2:35 p.m. A 51year-old man was issued a summons for driving with a revoked license in an uninsured and unregistered vehicle with canceled plates. SATURDAY Oct. 28 at 10:49 p.m. Officers investigated a theft report of a Dewalt self-leveling cross line plumb laser. MONDAY Oct. 30 at 1:28 p.m. A woman was was summoned into municipal court for a dog at large charge. MONDAY Oct. 30 at 2:15 p.m. When a car failed to stop at a sign and was clocked speeding, police contacted the 40-year-old driver and cited him for driving while denied. TUESDAY Oct. 31 at 5:10 p.m. Police investigated a non-injury traffic accident between a RFTA bus and car. WEDNESDAY Nov. 1 at 1:17 p.m. A man reported being assaulted by someone he knew.
Local doc helps out in ‘slow burn catastrophe’ By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff
Chad Knaus has long dreamed of using his medical training to help the helpless abroad, but it turns out there’s plenty of need right here in the United States. Between week long shifts in the poorer parts of Colorado through the Docs Who Care program and volunteering with sister program Heart to Heart International in the wake of the 2017 Hurricane season, he’s had a hard look at the resources available — or lack thereof. “You get outside some pockets, and it’s not a lot different than developing countries,” he observed. “You sort of do everything.” Knaus’s medical roots go way back in Carbondale. His father is a fixture at Roaring Fork Family Practice; his grandfather was a veterinarian in western Garfield County. “I think I got an honest view of what family physicians actually do,” he said. Indeed, his first stop after his residency at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction was a five year stint working side by side with his dad. In 2015, he decided it was time for a change and took a 10 month sabbatical to Latin America with his family. “We wanted our kids to see what most of the world lives like,” he said. There, he got insight into living conditions and health care, worked on his Spanish, and somehow ended up on a Heart to Heart mailing list. He returned to the United States with a new perspective and an even stronger desire to help. “It changed what I wanted to do in terms of medicine,” he said. “The reverse culture shock is actually harder.” He applied to help with Ebola treatment in Liberia, but wasn’t chosen to go. So, although the Kansas City based company mostly works abroad — it’s working on a certification for emergency team type 1, which can operate for two weeks self contained — his first chance to pitch in came when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. By that time, he was already spending
Chad Knaus sees patients at mobile clinic in shelter at a Puerto Rican middle school Provided photo a week at a time in Eads or Rangely or another small Colorado town, and was getting used to being a one man medical act. That, coupled with his Spanish, proved fortuitous. Rather than administering the sort of emergency medicine some might imagine, Knaus’s role was to man a “safety net clinic” to administer to the acute and chronic needs of the community. With infrastructure damage making it difficult to power a nebulizer or refrigerate insulin and many local doctors in the same boat as their patients, the day-to-day kind of medicine is challenging and essential. “When people are medically fragile and you add no water or electricity or reliable food source, and they’re going to get sick,” Knaus noted. “You take it all for granted, but when it’s gone you really see the effects.” After Harvey came Irma, and then Maria, and Heart to Heart had its hands full. “It was just disaster after disaster,” Knaus said. “Some folks were gone from home for several months.” The team sent to scope out the situation in Puerto Rico had to take a helicopter in from Haiti, while the medical crew and their supplies ended up hitching a ride on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Knaus came later, on a private jet supplied by a pharmaceutical partner. Two weeks after the hur-
The Heart to Heart team conducts home visits in the town of Jayuya. Provided photo
ricane, the island was still a complete mess. “It was the first time I’d been to a place that had been completely broken down. People who had been doing this for years had never seen anything like it,” Knaus said. “We never really got the sense that there was anyone in charge. I hate to have to remind people that these are our fellow U.S. citizens that are suffering.” The locals were doing their best to make it work. “They are looking out for each other,” Knaus said. “The image of them sitting around waiting for help just isn’t true.” Still, with hours to wait for a little fuel or water from a spring, the remaining resources were stretched to the breaking point. And some folks who were ostensibly there to help were only making it worse. That’s why Heart to Heart seeks to be self sufficient, with their own supplies, equipment, a limited pharmacy and more. Their logisticians even know to pack adult diapers and other sanitary items others might overlook. As such, the team was able to set up in places other relief efforts had barely touched — though they saw plenty of helicopters flying over. “Overwhelmingly, people were just grateful that we showed up,” Knaus said. “It was a huge morale boost.”
Again, while the immediate emergency medicine was over and hospitals were mostly functional, primary care was almost wholly compromised. Knaus characterized it as “catastrophic in a slow burn sense.” “You have a huge population of people who couldn’t access their physicians,” he said “I think it’s going to get worse in a lot of ways. A lot of folks don’t expect to have power until February or March. What they really need at this point is infrastructure — linesmen and plumbers and tradesmen.” The biggest presence on that front that Knaus saw was the Army Civilian Corps, which set right to work clearing roads and alleviating hazards. Meanwhile, sleeping on the floors of churches and clinics with his fellows, Knaus had a strong sense of camaraderie — even though most are retired and he’s one of the few non-retired volunteers still trying to support a family and afford their own health insurance. “Everyone was there for the same reason,” he said. “I think what we did there was really worthwhile.” And if there’s a lesson for folks back home, it’s that things can break down quickly and you don’t have to be a prepper to be prepared. “Having a basic idea of how you’d survive a natural disaster is really helpful,” he said.
A musical time of year. Two different concerts took place right next door to each other on Nov. 2. While the high school concert and jazz band rocked the RFHS auditeria (above), High Country Sinfonia performed at the Carbondale Firehouse (left).
Photos by Mark Burrows
Folks who missed one, both, or just want more music can catch the Carbondale Middle School band’s veterans day performance at 2:45 p.m. Nov. 10 and the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra fall concert at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Third Street Center. The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 5
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Someone with less than perfect eyesight recently let us know that she found our general article font (Sabon) difficult to parse. We’re wondering if others have had the same problem. Large print is pretty much out of the question, but we’d like to find a solution that works for as many people as possible. Let us know at news@soprissun.com or 510-3003. Of course, the people who need it most probably didn’t get this far.
Roaring Fork School District received $222,273 this year through two Colorado Department of Education School Health Professional Grants to provide substance abuse and behavioral health care to students. The funds will be used to add three new specialists to the RFSD team: Sonja Linman in Glenwood, Anne Chatman in Carbondale and Paul Hassel in Basalt.
Crisp haiku
Rifle-based charity LIFT-UP has launched its annual food drive. Last winter, the campaign provided more than 2,100 families with holiday fare food boxes. In Carbondale, you can drop nonperishable food off at Sopris Chiropractic through Nov. 14 or attend a special event at the Crystal Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16. To make a financial donations or to get updates on food drive locations, dates and times, visit www.Liftup.org.
Donate to the plate
Wool pile in mud room Red twig dogwoods reappear Vacant hornets nest – Jason White
Go wild The application period is open for Wilderness Workshop’s 2018 Artist in Wilderness program, which will provide housing, a guide if requested, a $1,500 stipend, and reimbursement for travel for selected artists. The application form and a full description of the residency can be found at www.callforentry.org, under View All Calls. The submission deadline is Jan. 31, 2018.
Fight fire Firefighters from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Unit are hosting sessions this fall and winter designed to spur interest in wildland firefighting and help potential candidates navigate the hiring process. Recruitment sessions will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Glenwood Springs Community Center with follow up Jan. 5. For more information, log on to gacc.nifc. gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2gjc/employment/seasonal_ employment.html.
Sean Jeffries became the most fearsome undead foe while April Crow-Spaulding proved the most fearless among the living in The Sun’s inaugural Humans vs. Vampires game. Each received a gift certificate for their enthusiastic participation, and will be involved in the planning and execution of next year’s event. Photo by Will Grandbois
Build it up The American Institute of Architects Western Mountain Region council — which includes the six states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — has selected Cottle Carr Yaw Architects of Carbondale as the 2017 Architectural Firm of the Year. This distinguished honor recognizes the firm that has best produced exceptional architecture over at least ten years, has made significant contributions to the profession as well as their community, and has transcended local boundaries. Notably, CCY Architects is the only firm in 38 years to have received this award twice.
Market yourself Dandelion Market is looking for volunteers, and is hosting a party to introduce new people to the organization and the benefits of getting involved.. Swing by the Rhumba Girl House — 858 Sopris Ave., just around the corner from the market — between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Nov. 14 to learn more. If you can’t attend but are interested in volunteering, email ericasparhawk@gmail.com.
They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another year of life this week include: Stephen Molloy (Nov. 9); John McCormick, Natalie Rae Fuller and Tim Ireland (Nov. 10); Nicolette Toussaint (Nov. 11); Lance Quint, Kelsey Freeman and Estefania Montoya (Nov. 12); Bob Ezra, Maria Flores and Riley Skinner (Nov. 13); Sue Rollyson, Ron Leach and Morgan Williams (Nov. 14) and Joyce Leeman (Nov. 15).
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ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL’S ANSWER TO LOW-COST CARE IN THE ROARING FORK VALLEY 6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017
DOCTORS Tomas Pevny, MD Mark Purnell, MD LeeLee vonStade, MD Scott Timothy, MD Giora Hahn, MD Waqqar Khan-Farooqi, MD Jason Collins, MD Robert Dy, MD Namdar Kazemi, MD
1450 E. Valley Road, Suite 202, Basalt
Water under the bridge By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff
About 3,000 people gathered for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the reopening of the Grand Avenue Bridge in Glenwood Springs Nov. 6 — two weeks ahead of schedule, which only added to the celebratory vibe. The accompanying community walk across the newly opened bridge to Eighth Street made for striking photographs to commemorate the occasion. But for students in the Roaring Fork School District, the bridge reopening means less time walking during their daily commutes. “Those kids walked 47 miles over the course of the walking school bus,” said Jared Rains, Roaring Fork Schools transportation director. The “walking school bus” refers to one of the more innovative solutions the transportation team created to counter the obstacles that the detour presented regarding bus routes. Before construction on the bridge began, Roaring Fork school busses crossed it about 24 times per day — during construction, only one bus navigated the detour. “Instead of driving our buses through the detour, we drove students to either side of the bridge, let them walk across to the bus waiting for them on the other side,” Rains said. “We timed it out with our kindergarten class, and it took about 20 minutes for them to do that walk. Over all, it probably saved them from having to be on
the bus for an extra 45 minutes to an hour.” Now that the bridge has reopened, routes will return to normal and students’ commutes will remain 100-percent vehicular. That returned sense of “normalcy” isn’t just limited to school bus drivers and students, of course. “We had extended construction [hours],” Jay Harrington, Carbondale town manager, said. “We’d also allowed trash pickup to start at 6 a.m.” The intention behind the schedule switches had been to accommodate trash hauling across the bridge to occur during “off hours,” Harrington said. “I don’t know if we saw as much impact on the construction side, but the trash haulers were taking advantage of that extra hour.” Weekday trash services will return to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Carbondale Town Hall hours will go back to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. During the bridge construction period, employees of the town worked four 10-hour days Mondays through Thursdays to accommodate the typically heavier Friday-afternoon traffic. “I think some of our police will be ready to change schedules because we had staggered night shifts for the folks who lived on the other side of the bridge; we were trying to accommodate commuting patterns, too, because about a third of our workforce is on the other side of the
Commuters enjoyed a nearly traffic free commute at 6:03pm just one day after the grand opening of the Glenwood Springs bridge. Photo by Laurel Smith bridge,” Harrington said. The more obvious changes now that the bridge has reopened will be felt by commuters. “I’m looking forward to getting five hours of my life back [each day] — at least five hours,” Britny McElfresh, a West Glenwood resident, said. As a kindergarten and music teacher at the Skylark School and an actress with Vaudeville Review, she was sometimes going in and out of downtown Glenwood three times in a day. “It was two hours both ways [during construction], give or take,” she said. But it wasn’t all bad. “I’m going to miss having a project, that was kind of cool,” Rains said. “What it’s really done, is it kind of forced a lot of relationships and connections to happen in
the Crown Catho f o lic ary Ch in M t ur n Carbondale i ch a S
the city and district that may not have happened before.” McElfresh, for her part, didn’t let her extra time spent sitting in her car go to waste. A performer at heart, she created a “Traffic Tales” series for her YouTube channel. By Monday’s reopening, she had made 56 episodes, each of which typically garnered hundreds of views. “I do have a following. I’m not quite sure what to do with it,” she said with a laugh about her future online presence now that “Traffic Tales” has ended with the construction. “I’m keeping an open mind. It might have something to do with comedy; it might have something to do with music… when it hits me like the traffic, then there we go.”
Fall Leaves: Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em for Healthy Soil, Lawns, Gardens & Planet
40th Annual
ELK/turkey DINNER
Fall leaves contain valuable nutrients that build soil and feed plants. Take a cue from Mother Nature and let your fall leaves enrich your soils.
and Country Store Saturday, November 18, 2016 Served from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m.
• Mulch mow leaves into your lawn with a leaf mulching blade • Shred leaves to mulch your gardens • Compost your leaves
Adults $12 Children and Seniors $8 395 White Hill Road, Carbondale, Colorado (970) 704-0820
For more information: • Visit www.carbondalegov.org • Brochures available in the Carbondale Town Hall, Carbondale library & Third Street Center lobbies.
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 7
Treating more than just the symptom By Megan Tackett Sopris Sun Staff It’s officially open enrollment season, and those “hunting” for affordable healthcare plans in the Valley may be in for less-than-pleasant, though not surprising, sticker shock: premiums for plans not sponsored by an employer are about 27 percent higher than last year — and that’s just on average. It’s a symptom of a systemic issue, at least according to Drs. Lauren Whittaker and Jade Wimberley, co-owners of Lux Wellness Center in Carbondale. “Nobody has the answers right now of what is the solution for close to 300 million people in America to have access to healthcare that not only just treats disease models but empowers and educates people to be a part of the process,” Wimberley said of the current context. And while concrete solutions remain elusive, the doctors are optimistic that a conversation is starting, and they’re not shying away from it. “I think it’s also important to be sensitive and respectful for the system as it is right now,” Whittaker said, emphasizing the need for transparency in order to objectively analyze that system. “And we’re going to have to include all the faults and benefits of having [the current American] healthcare model — what’s working, what’s not — and include that to transcend to the next model. I think here at this wellness center, we want to collaborate and so we’re doing that by starting conversations,” she said. Wimberley recently published her most recent contribution to that conversation, which is now available on Amazon. The title, “The Health Revolution: Give Yourself the Healthcare You Deserve,” isn’t subtle nor is it intended to be. The call to action applies to both individuals’ relationships with their bodies and our societal relationship with our healthcare system. “What are we willing to really do as a
Wimberley with her book entitled “The Health Revolution: Give Yourself the Healthcare You Deserve”
culture and as a society?” Wimberley said of some of the central questions posed in her book. “Let’s subsidize our local, organic farmers. This is such a great value, to look at how government could subsidize all these young farmers. And if all of us are eating even 50 percent local, and there’s education involved in all socioeconomic people, not just the upper middle class and upper [class]. I’m not talking just the [upper] 10 percent of people; I’m talking everybody would have access to that. That’s the way that I see a way to start to reverse trends,” she continued. “I don’t know how to do it. I want to be part of the conversation, and that’s my hope with the book.” Her book also serves as a sort of selfhelp book regarding diet and lifestyle, acting as a general invitation to the reader to reconsider his or her definition of optimal health through the naturopathic lens, she said. That integrative approach to health is at the core of the mission at Lux Wellness Center. Whittaker, a licensed chiropractor, and Wimberley, a naturopathic doctor, combine their backgrounds to offer patients a “bridge-the-gap” experience that utilizes several modalities in their patient care, as Whittaker put it. “I think that both Jade and I have had individual experience with the whole gambit and recognize that wow, it’s actually about transparency and seeing the gifts in all of these modalities and therapies,” she said. “We talk a lot about a therapeutic order. It’s part of our philosophy, where there are tiers [of healing] and steps to go through, and it includes the Western [medical practices] to the more traditional therapies. We’ve studied them all to a certain extent, so we are able to have that conversation with people. It is inclusive.” Patient education and empowerment are the mainstays for their practices, both doctors agreed. Instead of merely treating symptoms when something is wrong, they encourage a more consultative, ongoing care system that helps patients maintain their ideal optimal health. “That’s the piece I’m trying to integrate,” Wimberley said of her naturopathic work. “Again, it goes back to the person sitting here. Empowering them to really understand their lab work, their diagnosis, their options.” And while their integrative philosophy focuses on health, that doesn’t mean that patients should feel hesitant to come into the wellness center when they are displaying symptoms. “I love acute medicine. A lot of times people forget that naturopathic medicine is great for acute medicine,” Wimberley said. Recently, she recalled, a patient called complaining of a cough that the woman was sure would linger until mid-January. “We put together a botanical tincture and gave her some to-do-at-home hydrotherapy like throat wraps, and four days later, her cough was gone,” Wimberley said. “In [the patient’s] story, her cough was go-
8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017
Naturopath Dr. Jade Wimberley prepares a tincture for one of her clients. Photos by Jane Bachrach
Dr. Lauren Whittaker works on Sarah Overbeck. ing to be there through the holidays.” Those stories regarding disease don’t have to be written in stone, she said. “We as Americans get really attached with our diagnoses, often. It helps define us, and that’s just a part of the culture. I try to change that, that language.” That said, patients should not be concerned that Wimberley or Whittaker would ever avoid suggesting medications, should the situation call for them. “I’m the opposite of anti-medication. It’s incredibly important,” Wimberley said. “But I am very opposed to over-medication. And that’s often what I’m working with: somebody is 70 and they’re on seven medications or so and they don’t want to be, and they don’t feel like they have a choice.
They have a choice here. Ultimately, it’s important to empower but also do it in the right way, so the patient’s safe.” That’s where having diverse backgrounds in myriad modalities of medicine comes into play. Instead of a five-minute consultation, as is often the case with more traditional general practitioners in insurance companies’ networks, Wimberley often spends at least an hour in an initial consultation, and Whittaker’s consultations usually last about 40 minutes. While patients at Lux Wellness Center won’t be able to use their insurance, they can pay for services with their Health Savings Account. “HSA is great, so that’s a step in the right direction,” Wimberley said of the current ways healthcare can be made more accessible, adding that more work needs to be done. “A lot of integrative doctors choose to not be in the system because of reimbursement and how slow it is. You’re seeing more and more medical doctors leave the insurance business and then set up practices like [Lux Wellness Center],” she said. But that’s not the future she or Whittaker want for their field or their patients. That’s why, while incredibly comfortable in her office, Wimberley in particular is stepping out of her comfort zone and into a more public sphere. Earlier this year, she was a contender to fill Katrina Byars’ vacancy on the Carbondale Board of Trustees and may run in a future election. She’s hoping to speak on public panels now that her book is published. “That is me stepping into a very uncomfortable place, but I think all of us need to get a little uncomfortable right now and politely challenge the systems and begin to think differently.” Those paying almost a third more for their health insurance this year will likely agree.
Sparking an interest in science By Will Grandbois Sopris Sun Staff While interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers declines nationwide, local schools and organizations are finding ways to take potentially stuffy topics and make them engaging and hands on. Case in point, Family Science Night from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 10 at Basalt Middle School. It’s a five year tradition made fresh by a new partnership with the Aspen Science Center. For $10 — register in advance at eventbrite. com — fourth through eighth graders and their families will have a chance to answer questions like “How do thing behave at very low pressures?,” “What are some of the relationships between electricity and magnetism?,” and “What makes good slime?.”
Ellie Henry, a fourth grader at Crystal River Elementary School, gets a charge from a Van de Graaff generator during a recent Aspen Science Center demonstration.
“We have brought in a lot more labs, a lot more hands on activities that are really engaging the kids,” said BMS teacher Allison Johnson. “It’s a low risk opportunity for them to create and design. There’s no tests or grades, it’s really about exploration. They get to try and play with it and see what works and what doesn’t, which is a huge part of science.” Johnson provides a similar experience on a daily basis through the school’s makerspace. Inspired by Johnson’s experience with her own kid at the Denver Maker Fair, backed by grants and recently expanded as part of the remodel, it’s a place where students can come at lunch or after school to tinker with electronics or find a way to create something in what Johnson calls “the shop class of the 21st Century.” “It’s packed with an incredible diversity of kids constantly trolling through the shelves looking for new materials,” she said. “I’m learning right alongside them, so they get to see that curiosity modeled for them.” Teachers also take advantage of the resource for inclass projects from Rube-Goldberg machines to 3D printed history (check it out at tinyurl.com/basaltmiddleyoutube). Other area schools, including Carbondale Middle, have since implemented similar spaces, and the Carbondale Branch Library has a makerspace program on Wednesday afternoons. Meanwhile, the Aspen Science Center has been working hard to “demystify science without diluting it,” according to Operations Manager Keith Berglund. Despite the name, the center doesn’t have a space of it’s own, so staff “sort of guest star at summer camps and enrichment programs.” A preschool program is in the works to stoke interest in science before they have a chance to write it off as dull. “[Little kids] are true scientists. They’re testing every-
From left, Basalt Middle Schoolers Alexander DavilaRodriquez, Emma Kabat, Kevin Bello-Vasquez and Erick Lopez take advantage of the makerspace at lunch. Photos by Jane Bachrach thing,” Berglund said. “[Older kids] perceive it as difficult, so they steer away from it.Once we remove that grade element and due date, the child will be able to follow their interest all the way to the end.” The ACS is also in the process of organizing a “Quantum Ball” — a fundraising “nonevent” you can find out more about at aspensciencecenter.org/quantumball. You can also help the cause by donating supplies to the makerspace (needs list at bms.rfsd.k12.co.us/students/ the-makerspace.html) or volunteering at Family Science Night (call 309-5485 or email ajohnson@rfschools.com).
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The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 9
Community Calendar THURSDAY Nov. 9
MUSICAL STORYTIME • Caregivers and their young children are invited to a special musical storytime lead my Ms. Holly of the Waldorf School at 10:30 a.m. at the Carbondale Branch Library (320 Sopris Ave.). More information at 9632889. BTALK • A community conversation aimed at connecting mid-valley residents around inspiring ideas takes place at 5:30 p.m. at The Temporary (360 Market St, Willits) with speakers Suzanne Jackson, Kyle Coon, Ruthie Brown and Mona Newton. CAIC BENEFIT • Cripple Creek Backcountry puts on a party to support the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at Phat Thai (343 Main St.). If you missed tickets for dinner, come at 8 p.m., when a $10 donation gets you beer, a raffle ticket and live music by the Davenports. KARAOKE • The Black Nugget (403 Main St.) and Sandman bring you a top quality song list (over 30,00 selections available) and a pro level sound system.
FRI to THU Nov. 10-16
MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre presents “Lucky” (NR) at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, 5 p.m. Nov. 11-12 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-15; “Victoria & Abdul” (PG-13, captioned) at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 12 and “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” (Presented by Defiance Church and a fundraiser for Lift-Up) at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16.
FRIDAY Nov. 10
SCHOOLS HONOR VETS • Crystal River Elementary school invites veterans to be recognized during a 10 a.m. performance at the Orchard Gathering Center (110 Snowmass Dr.). Contact Marsha Tadus at 384-5624 or mtadus@ rfschools.com. At 2:45 p.m., the Carbondale Middle School Band under the direction of Mr. Gray will present their annual Veteran’s Day concert. SHABBAT • The Aspen Jewish Congregation brings Rabbi Segal and musician Elana Arian to the Orchard (110 Snowmass Dr.) for a potluck Shabbat beginning with 5:30 p.m. services. DRAMA CONCERT • The Basalt Regional Library (14 Midland Ave.) couples theatre with classical music to tell the story of Clara, muse to both Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms in “Living With The Great Composers” beginning at 5:30 p.m.; free. STATION DEDICATION • Basalt & Rural Fire Protection District dedicates Station 41 (20 School St.) with a 3 to 6 p.m. celebration.
FRI Nov. 10 – SUN Nov. 12 LITTLE WOMEN • Colorado Rocky Mountain School presents a musical rendition of the classic novel, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 and 11 and
“I’m Handsome Hank, a 3-year-old Texan who moved to the Valley after Hurricane Harvey. I’m a happy, easy-going fella looking for a hiking buddy who will help me settle into my new life here in the mountains. ” RJ Paddywacks offers a “C.A.R.E. Package” for new adoptive families, including a Paws for Points plan and a first-time 15% discount for your new pet. RJ Paddywacks Pet Outfitter 400 E Valley Rd. # I/J Next to City Market in El Jebel 970-963-1700 rjpaddywacks.com
To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is noon on Monday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted.
Working together for pets and their people
2 p.m. Nov. 12 at the CRMS Barn (500 Holden Way). Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. FUNKGRASS • The Moves Collective plays The Black Nugget from 9 p.m. Nov. 11 ‘til the wee hours of the morning, then hits Steve’s Guitars beginning at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 12.
SATURDAY Nov. 11
VETERANS DINNER • The American Legion Post 100 has its annual dinner at 4 p.m.; free for veterans and open to the public at $8 a plate for others. Call 963-2381 for more information.
CRAFT SHOW • The Carbondale Firehouse (300 Meadowwood Dr.) hosts local handmade gift offerings and free refreshments and treats from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; info at www.facebook.com/cdalexmas. KID FLIX • At 3 p.m., The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits) screens the best of the New York International Children’s Film Fest. COMEDY NIGHTS • Marble Distillery (150 Main St.) hosts comedian Steve Gastineau at 6:30 p.m. with a $10 cover.
If that’s not enough for one night, catch Deacon Gray and Friends at The Temporary (360 Market St., Willits) with an 8 p.m. start. ACS FUNDRAISER • Support the Aspen Choral Society while enjoying hors d’oevres, drinks and music from Mack Bailey and Cowboy Corral at the Aspen Glen Clubhouse (545 Bald Eagle Way). The event runs from 4 to 6 p.m.; tickets are $40 at the door. SOUL ROCK • Steve’s Guitars (19 N. Fourth St.) presents “Whiskerman” at 8:30 p.m.; BYOB.
SUNDAY Nov. 12
INDIVISIBLE MEETING • Indivisible Roaring Fork gathers from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.).
MONDAY Nov. 13
AUSTEN PERSPECTIVES • See Austen from two points of view as Amy and Ryan Honey, Managing Director for The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW), act out scenes from both novel and screenplay accompanied by cellist Sarah Graf and pianist Erin Gallagher from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Basalt Regional Library (14 Midland Ave.). This event is part of the month-long Austentatious celebration; more info at issuu.com/ christybaumgarten/docs/austentatious.
TUESDAY Nov. 14
YOUTH ORCHESTRA • The 50-odd student musicians of the Roaring Fork CALENDAR continued on page 11
Life
We have 20 dogs, 25 cats and 3 bunnies waiting for a forever home. Colorado Animal Rescue 2801 County Road 114 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 970-947-9173 coloradoanimalrescue.org
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Community Calendar Youth Orchestra play a free concert at 5:30 p.m. at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.). For more information, call 306-1235 or visit www.rfyo.org.
WEDNESDAY Nov. 15
BINGO • Carbondale Beer Works (647 Main St.) gives you a chance to support Colorado Animal Rescue beginning at 7:30 p.m. with $1 per card bingo, awesome prizes and, of course, beer.
Further Out THURSDAY Nov. 16
COMMUNITY CONCERT • Glenwood’s Community Concert Association presents “Croon,” starring baritone Todd Murray with bass and piano at 7 p.m. at Glenwood Springs High School (1521 Grand Ave.). at 7 p.m. Admission is by membership ticket in the Association; for information, call Darrell at 303-646-7634.
continued from page 10
Ongoing TRIVIA NIGHT • Gather a team of up to six and head to Marble Bar (150 Main St.) on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. to compete for the chance at $50 off the team tab, plus show off the custom made marble Trivia Trophy for a while. 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.).
HARVEST BALL • Wear your fall finery and join Let’s Just Dance for an hour dance lesson at 6:30 p.m. followed by tasty fall treats and an evening of dancing to the sounds of the Desert Flyer Band. No partner needed; $15/person. Info at 366-6463 or billypat4@gmail.com.
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.
DANCES OF PEACE • Lisa DancingLight and Davi Nikent cosponsor circle dances with a mantra, sacred phrase, or affirmation from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.); $10 suggested donation at the door.
LET’S JUST DANCE • Catch a free lesson with Wild Bill at 7 p.m. then it’s $8 to get out on the dance floor at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday at The Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.). No partner or experience necessary. Questions? Call 970-366-6463 or
SATURDAY Nov. 18
email BillyPat4@gmail.com. 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. SENIOR RADIO • Diane Johnson talks about senior issues and services on KDNK at 4:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month. BRIDGE • The Carbondale Bridge Club hosts duplicate bridge (not sanctioned by ACBL) from 6:30 to 10 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.). $6/per pair. Contact Marlene for more info: 928-9805. BRONCO BABBLE • Get excited for the next big game and share your own thoughts from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays on KDNK. 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.). 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.
FIGURE DRAWING • Drop in for figure drawing with Hone Williams and Staci Dickerson at 6:30 p.m. Mondays at The Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.) Suite 33. WREATH SALE • Two River Unitarian Universalists will be selling locally made wreaths of subalpine fir decorated with pinecones, cedar and red bows. Small costs $20, medium $36, large $52. Swags cost $18. Funds go toward TRUU’s Social Justice Committee for local causes. Email truu.minister@gmail.com to place an order. OPEN MIC • A new open mic takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at Riverside Grill (181 Basalt Center Circle, Basalt). Food and drink specials. Free. SENIOR MATTERS • The nonprofit Senior Matters, based in the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St.), offers numerous programs for senior citizens, including: tai chi with John Norman at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday; tai chi with Marty Finklestein at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; Alaprima Painters at 11 a.m. on Thursdays; the Senior Matters Book Club at 4 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month; and the Roaring Fork Brain Train. Info: seniormatters.org; Diane Johnson at 970-306-2587; and Senior Matters, Box 991, Carbondale CO, 81623. ROTARY • The Carbondale Rotary Club meets at the Carbondale Fire Station (300 Meadowood Dr.) at 6:45 a.m. Wednesdays. The Mt. Sopris Rotary meets at Mi Casita (580 Main St.) at noon every Thursday.
2ND ANNUAL
Harvest Ball UD TO
50
YE AR
S
AT I N G
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LOCA LE
It's time for our Harvest Ball. Wear your fall finery and join us for a night to remember!
RO
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Saturday, November 18th • 6:30pm to 11pm 6:30pm to 7:30pm - Dance Lesson Third Street Center, Carbondale
P
Brought to you by Let’s Just Dance
E OV
Join Wild Bill for a FREE lesson from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm to learn some new dance moves! The rest of the evening you'll be swirling around the dance floor to live music by the DESERT FLYER BAND and enjoying tasty fall treats with your friends from near and far. No partners needed. $15 per person
970-366-6463 • BillyPat4@gmail.com
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 11
Annual Holiday COVER DESIGN Contest
2017
p U e uc r p n S u S The
LOOK INSIDE: PAGE 11
Help Cats
Sopris the
Carbondale’s weekly
Because every town needs a park, a library and a newspaper
Sun
community connector
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PAGE 19
le
PAGE 16
a pt G C’d . De RIN IDE c P Re R/S INS E E NT ID WI 7 GU 1 20
Collectors
Volume 8, Number 46 | December 22, 2016
Spruce Up The Sun
This year’s winner is …
This year’s theme is
“PEACE AND LOVE”
The contest is open to grades pre-K through high school.
Cover contest winner:
Gelena Amaral, an eighth
grader at Carbondale Middle
School. Please see pages
13-15 for more winners.
The Sopris Sun continued its Spruce Up The Sun cover competiti on this year, requesting original designs from contestants in pre-K through high school. This year's theme was “Sharing the holidays” and over 105 entries were submitted by students from local schools. As always, Carbondale Middle School art teacher Ami Maes, a former winner of the Valley Journal cover contest, presented The Sun with a large box of entries from her students. This year’s winner, Gelena Amaral from Carbondale Middle School, captured many elements that make Carbonda le unique during the holidays, complete with gift-wrapped presents to share under the roundabo ut sculpture. The entries incorporated a variety of subjects sharing the holidays. They included everything from: holiday characters enjoying Christmas cheer, snowboar ding bears, aliens and marine life decorating a tree, ture scenes to Native American cheery naIndians, and fantastical creatures joining in the celebration. First-place winners in the categories are: Perrin Jones (first/second grade), Kenny Riley (third grade), Juniper Anderson (fourth grade), Anicka Ashcraft (fifth grade), Nayeli Torres (sixth grade), Aislinn Pinela (seventh grade) and Jessie Diehl (eighth grade). This is the second year the seventh and eighth grade winners have won their age categories. Judging such a competitiv e contest would not have been possible without the discerning eyes of staff members help of the at Carbondale Arts (CA) and The Sopris Sun. Carbondale Arts and The Sopris Sun would also like to thank all the contestant s for sharing their creativity and talents. It made judging a truly difficult task. See pages 13-15 and visit our website (www.soprissun.com) for additional winners. Thanks again to all who entered. Happy holidays!
GIFT T CERTIFIC TIFICATES ATES!! 580 Main S treet Carbondale
Artwork must be on 8 ½” x 11” paper, vertical orientation. • You may use a variety of media, such as paint, pen and ink, crayon, chalk, markers, etc. • Bright and bold colors are encouraged. • No glitter please.
• Please keep designs 2-dimensional in order for us to scan the artwork for publication.
Let your imagination run wild and get those creative juices flowing.
• www.mi-casit a.net • Deliv er ing from Iron Br idge
to Cather ine S tore – Call for det ails
970.963. 5880 On the SE Corner of Hwy 133 and Main Street in Carbondale
BECAU BECA USE SE S SANTA ANTTA A LIKES MORE THAN COOKIES & MILK!
Contest winners receive the honor of having their artwork printed in the Dec. 21 issue and posted at wwwsoprissun.com. The deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8. Drop them off at The Sopris Sun office in the Third Street Center (520 S. Third St., #32) or send them to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623, postmarked by Dec. 4. Please include your name, school, grade, age and phone number ON THE BACK of your entry. For more information, call The Sopris Sun at 970-510-3003 or email terrir@soprissun.com.
12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017
Bazaar organizer and artist “Beady” D.D. Gerdin stands in front of the Emma Schoolhouse, where about a dozen local artists will sell their hand crafted goods on Nov. 10 and 11. Photo by Justin Patrick
Local artists offer handmade goods in a cozy setting By Justin Patrick Special to The Sopris Sun For 41 years, local artists have been convening annually to sell their wares at the Emma Schoolhouse Christmas Bazaar just west of Basalt. This year is no exception, and about a dozen artists will be selling a range of hand crafted goods at the first schoolhouse built in the area. It marks a great opportunity to complete some holiday shopping for everyone on the list, as well as a chance to meet the local artists in an intimate, culturally significant setting. The Bazaar began as an outlet for valley quilters to reach buyers, but has evolved to include a range of artists. This year, crafts for sale will include natural beauty products, pottery, reusable food bags, quilts, mittens, children’s clothing, honey, fused glass nightlights and plates, wooden cutting boards, hand-blown glass figures, wooden ornaments depicting historic Basalt, aspen leaf jewelry, beaded artwork, and food items such as honey crystal almonds, Amish caramel corn, and jalapeno jelly. “I like to call it the Mountain Fair of winter because I know every person who walks in,” said D.D. Gerdin, a.k.a. Beady D.D., who has been organizing the holiday sale for 20 years and sells her hand beaded items there. “There’s a huge variety for every palate and there’s always new stuff every year,” she said. According to Gerdin, over 1,000 customers went through the schoolhouse doors over a two-day period last year. There are free snacks and refreshments to entice all family members who arrive,
though Gerdin jokes that it is frequently the husbands who congregate around the snacks while “the wives do all their Christmas shopping.” Martin Gerdin, a Carbondale glass artist who began blowing glass at age 14 and debuted at the Bazaar, echoed sentiments about the intimate feel to the shopping experience. “It’s the home field people,” he said. “Everyone knows everyone.” He stressed that it is a point of pride that nothing for sale is manufactured. “It’s only handmade things by local artists.” He joins his mother, D.D., as well as Rebecca Hodgson, Dorothy Hutchinson, Leslie Russel, Beth Sowers, Linda Reynolds, Stacy Yater Wallace, Chris Stoner, Dennis York, Jennifer Mathews, the Basalt Historical Society, and Cindy Davis at the 2017 Emma Schoolhouse Christmas Bazaar from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 and 11. This year, a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis, Pediatric Brain Tumor and Parkinson’s Disease Research Foundations.
Similar events The 41st annual Carbondale Christmas Boutique takes place at The Carbondale Firehouse (300 Meadowwood Dr.) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m Nov. 11. Local handmade gift offerings include wreaths, soaps, organic lotions, leather goods, jewelry, knit and natural fiber creations, stained glass, jams, decorations and more. More info at www.facebook.com/cdalexmas. Then, on Nov. 17, The Launchpad (76 S. Fourth St.) kicks off its seasonal artisanal market with a 6 to 8 p.m. opening reception.
A spirited celebration Dia De Los Muertos translated into English means Day of the Dead. On the surface, one might think that it’s a somber day but it’s quite the opposite. It’s a celebration in which the dead are awakened from their eternal sleep to share in celebrations with their loved ones. Carbondale honored the holiday on First Friday, Nov. 3. After a feast, altar viewing and face painting at the Third Street Center, the crowd paraded down Main Street to Thunder River Theatre, where they had a choice to remain and watch the Folklorico dancers or head over to the Launchpad to watch the puppet show. There were two performances of each so that everyone had the opportunity to catch both.
Dance Initiative and Comotion participated in the worldwide “Nelken Line” — a Pina Bausch choreographed seasonal celebration — during First Friday.
Photos and text by Jane Bachrach
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 13
Letters continued from page 2
A big gun at a small bank From the archives of the Roaring Fork Valley Journal Nov. 10, 1977
Nov. 13, 1997
A soft spoken outlaw with “some kind of accent” was still on the loose after walking into Roaring Fork Bank (now Alpine Bank) with a .375 magnum revolver and getting away with a day-pack full of bills. The man apparently stole a CJ-5 Jeep from Carbondale Cable Co. and drove it directly to the bank just before closing time. The Jeep was found the next day up Dinkle Lake Road — giving patrolmen Fred Williams a chance to connect the crime with the person he’d seen driving it on his way to answer the bank’s silent alarm. Bank president Lynn Pittman refused to divulge the exact amount stolen, but the Journal estimated it at between $5,000 and $15,000. In other news… The students of Colorado Mountain College were set to perform the comic operetta “Sorcerer” at the Crystal Theatre (then a performance venue).
Residents of the upper Frying Pan appeared before the school board to protest the decision to cut 10 miles off the end of that school bus route. Around 10 students lived above the new terminus at the base of Ruedi Reservoir, and were reportedly having trouble adjusting. Board President Bruce Wampler, however, pointed out that the district wasn’t required to provide transportation services at all, much less to every corner of the district. Nevertheless, Superintendent Fred Wall agreed to meet and discuss the issue. In other news… A Hungarian tourist had only minor injuries after being pinned under a boulder while hiking near Redstone.
Nov. 12, 1987 Although asbestos was discovered in several local elementary schools, tests performed by an independent company suggested no immediate health threat to students. The contaminated tiles were noted during a series of renovations in 1985, which resulted in some mitigation. The cost to remove and replace the remaining tiles was estimated between $20,000 and $50,000. “An asbestos cleanup is closer to a nuclear cleanup than a regular construction project,” The Journal observed. In other news… A story on John Holden’s poetry included his piece “The Three Hawks” which ends: “Can one with dignity withdraw / while two go off together?”
Nov. 15, 2007 More than half of the eighth-grade class at Carbondale Middle School were accepting the challenge of National Novel Writing Month. “I thought I was going to get only 10 percent of the students, but these guys rose to the challenge,” said Teacher Adam Carballeira. While NaNoWriMo usually prescribes a 50,000 word goal, the students set theirs based on past writing, with an average of around 18,500 words. Carballeira and Principal Cliff Colia, meanwhile, were both planning to write the full amount. In other news… The Carbondale Board of Trustees reopened comment on the rezoning of the old Carbondale Elementary School building (now the Third Street Center).
he is referring to? Not once in the 11 years that I have lived in this valley have I ever heard Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (OST) or any supporter of a trail, state what exactly are the risks of a trail through the Crystal River Valley (CRV). The fact that there are risks at all should be of great concern to everyone. He states that the effect of a trail on wildlife and vegetation may be considered to be the “signal” and the effects of highway, traffic, residential, or commercial development together constitute the “background”. I do not understand the distinction of a paved multi-use trail being something less or different than a highway, traffic, residential, or commercial development. It has been shown that without question, all human development dramatically impacts the environment in which it exists. Conspicuously missing from OST’s study is the segment that focuses on the apparatuses for human containment to be utilized to prohibit “human incursion” beyond the trail proper. OST has continuously used the term “mitigation” when asked questions concerning this subject. Mitigation, by definition, is to make something less harsh, severe, or violent. Mitigation does not eliminate or rectify. OST’s acknowledgment that “mitigation” will be required on a proposed trail is an acknowledgement that OST has a problem that they cannot solve. The single most unpredictable species on this planet are humans and there is a hell of a lot of indisputable science to support that hypothesis. You can fence in a cow but you can’t fence in a human who wants to go where humans are told not to go or don’t belong. Humans tell humans what the human impact upon animal welfare is where trails exist and the animals have no say in the matter. Mr. Phaneuf refers to “seasonal closures” such as the letters page 15
The Roaring Fork Brain Train is now a program of My Community Health Foundation! We provide a safe place to thrive for people with Early Memory Loss, and respite time for their caregivers. Now accepting applications for new participants. Seeking: Personal Care Providers with nursing experience as well as Volunteers. We provide free training.
The Town of Carbondale is currently
For more information contact Marti Barbour at: rfbt.mchf@gmail.com www.mycommunityhealthfoundation.org/ brain-train
This communiTy ad space donaTed by cool brick sTudios.
Seeking volunteer members for the following Boards & Commissions: Environmental Board 2 openings (meets 4th Monday of each month @ 6 p.m.)
Sopris Sun Editor
Will Grandbois
Tree Board
Pour House
(meets 3rd Thursday of each month @ 6 p.m.)
at noon
Historic Preservation Commission
will be at the
3 openings
(351 Main St.)
Thursdays
2 openings
He’ll take your compliments and complaints, answer your questions and hear your suggestions.
(meets 2nd Thursday of each month @ 6:30 p.m.)
Stop in for lunch, grab a drink or dessert or just drop in. 14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017
Specific questions? Call (970) 510-1215
Letters continued from page 14 one in Filoha meadows as being in place. I hope he is not referring to seasonal closures as being a viable protective vehicle for sensitive areas in the CRV. Every form of constraint physical or otherwise placed on human activity will be violated. That is cold hard fact. OST does not have the personnel required to prevent unlawful incursions, nor do they have “real time” response times to complaints and any claim made by OST to the contrary is false. The study of human nature is my expertise. I am a 27-year veteran of law enforcement. The one absolute you can count on is that human behavior cannot be counted upon. Post a sign and someone will violate it. Build a fence and someone will climb over it. Make a law and someone will break it. One human in the wrong place can do irreparable damage. Let a human who has no oversight for their behavior believe that there is no oversight for their behavior and things can get ugly. Philip Gaylord Redstone
Legal Notices
Coexisting with wildlife Dear Editor: We are privileged to live in an area with robust forests inhabited by wildlife. As a Sopris District Ranger said years ago, the Crystal River is the closest thing to being in Wilderness while driving a car. I love the wildlife stories, of deer and elk walking through our towns and feasting on our trees and shrubs. The bears that strip the apples and apricots off our trees think it is theirs. An 84-year-old lady walking up the Rio Trail stopped to admire a 6 point buck taking shelter from the hunt in town. He eyed her with aplomb and sauntered away to let her pass. A friend was walking her young dog through a herd of Bighorns near No Name; her pup took too much notice of a lamb and mom knock him clear to the river. I watched a group of bicyclists slowly ride through a herd near Glenwood and the sheep didn’t even look up. I think our animal brothers thrive on close proximity to harmless people. Before
the Catherine to Rock Bottom trail was built I walked the hillside looking for scat and tracks. None were evident, now every animal trail is heavily used. Fall and winter, deer bed down in our garden sometimes spending the day. I watched 30 hunters glassing deer calmly grazing on McNulty’s then-private wildlife preserve at the base of Cottonwood Pass, though it was hunting season the deer knew they were safe. I look forward to the Crystal Trail built on the B alignment up the existing old wagon road the railroad was built on. Little development is needed. It will benefit the wildlife to have that safe interaction with people. I trust PitCo OST to buy easements, do the studies and get the closures and protocols right. I talked to a raccoon that was moving in next to my chicken coop. I told her that I would protect my chickens. She stayed listening, and then moved her babies out. Skunks don’t listen. John Hoffmann Carbondale
Parting Shot The Roaring Fork High School soccer boys had a great season, but fell 3-1 to reigning state champs Kent Denver in the quarterfinals. Indeed, with Delta and Salida also eliminated, the mountains are out of the running for the state title, with three Front Range private schools and an upscale charter advancing. Luckily, the Rams will retain many of their star players and should be a powerhouse next year, as well. Photo by Colin Laird
CARBONDALE ANIMAL HOSPITAL New location! 289 Main Street, Carbondale on the corner of Third and Main Street
(970) 963-2826 Find us on Facebook
Dr. Benjamin Mackin Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
! s e r i T l l We Se
Come to Sunburst for your Winter tire change-0ver! 970-963-8800
745 Buggy Circle in Carbondale www.sunburstcarcare.com
NOTICE is hereby given that on November 30th, 2017, at 12:00 p.m., final settlement will be made with Mueller Construction Services, Inc., 5032 CR 154, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, by the TOWN OF CARBONDALE, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO 81623, on a contract for labor and materials for a project known as Crystal Wellhouse Improvements; and that any person, co-partnership, company, association of persons, or corporation who has an unpaid claim against Mueller Construction Services, Inc., or its subcontractors, for labor and materials, may, at any time, up to closing of business the last work day prior to final settlement, that is, by November 29th, 2017, at 5:00 p.m., file a verified statement of the amount due with the TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, TOWN OF CARBONDALE, pursuant to Section 38-26-107, C.R.S., as amended. Failure on the part of the Claimant to make such verified statement, prior to the final settlement on the contract with Mueller Construction Services, Inc., will relieve the TOWN OF CARBONDALE from any liability for such Claimant’s claim. PUBLISHED BY THE ORDER OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE. Published in The Sopris Sun on November 9, 2017. NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT NOTICE is hereby given that on November 30th, 2017, at 12:00 p.m., final settlement will be made with PNCI Construction, Inc., 553 25 ½ Road, Grand Junction, CO 81501, by the TOWN OF CARBONDALE, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO 81623, on a contract for labor and materials for a project known as NETTLE CREEK WTP BUILDING SIDING REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR PROJECT; and that any person, co-partnership, company, association of persons, or corporation who has an unpaid claim against PNCI Construction, Inc., or its subcontractors, for labor and materials, may, at any time, up to closing of business the last work day prior to final settlement, that is, by November 29th, 2017, at 5:00 p.m., file a verified statement of the amount due with the TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, TOWN OF CARBONDALE, pursuant to Section 38-26-107, C.R.S., as amended. Failure on the part of the Claimant to make such verified statement, prior to the final settlement on the contract with PNCI Construction, Inc., will relieve the TOWN OF CARBONDALE from any liability for such Claimant’s claim. PUBLISHED BY THE ORDER OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE. Published in The Sopris Sun on November 9, 2017.
Unclassifieds Submit to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by Friday 12 p.m. Rates: $15 for 30 words, $20 for up to 50 words. Payment due before publication.*
MASSAGE THERAPIST WANTED: Space available at Carbondale Acupuncture Center for a massage therapist or other health care practitioner. Call Dave at (970) 704-1310 or email teitlerd@gmail.com. GET THE WORD OUT IN UNCLASSIFIEDS! Rates start at $15. Email unclassifieds@soprissun.com. *Credit card payment information should be emailed to unclassifieds@soprissun. com or call 948-6563. Checks may be dropped off at our office at the Third Street Center or mailed to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Call 510-3003 for more info.
Service Directory See Thundercat at
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT
Still Hurting?
“To see is to know, and we won’t guess about your health!”
The Diagnosis is in the details
Dr. Kent Albrecht, B.S., D.C. Dr. Albrecht has over 30 years experience in Chiropractic Examination (Complete History, Orthopedic & Neurological tests), and IF indicated, Detailed X-Rays for proper DIAGNOSIS and TREATMENT PLAN for CORRECTION.
New “Bridgeageddon” Hours
Spine flex (BEFORE)
Monday/Wednesday EVENINGS until 7 p.m. (or by appointments)
Headache & Back Pain Center of Carbondale
326 Hwy 133, Suite 270C, Alpine Center (970) 366-2030 www.CarbondaleDC.com for Videos and Info.
Spine flex (AFTER)
The Sopris Sun, Carbondale’s community supported newspaper • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • 15
WHEN IT COMES TO COLD WEATHER, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED. Snow Shovels, Ice Melts Winter Gloves Smartwool Socks Snow Boots Warm Hats Carhartt & Columbia Jackets
RO
CARBONDALE, COLO.
OUR PROPANE TEAM IS READY AND WAITING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FUEL NEEDS.
FUEL DELIVERY Diesel or Gasoline and propane for your home, ranch or job site, including short-term tank rentals. Please contact Chris or Floyd in our Energy Department for more details. 970-704-4204
WELCOME HUNTERS!
EY
Changing Seasons, Always Prepared.
G FORK VAL N I L AR
E FRE EE FFDAY CO AY ALL RYD
EVE
roaringforkvalleycoop.com
Kids’ Snow Boo IN STOCK ats t Great Prices!
If we don’t have it in stock, we will strive to find it for you!
Roaring Fork Valley COOP
0760 Highway 133, Carbondale, CO (970) 963-2220
Monday thru Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. • New Saturday hours 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
16 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017