2022-03

THE CRYSTAL VALLEY ECHO March 2022 Free

& Marble Times

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NIGH FRIDA T Y 6-8 PM

Residents get out and enjoy a snow covered Marble. Top photo of Whitehouse Mountain and the Crystal River by Monique Villalobos. Bottom photos from Cyndi Fowler, left to right: Russell and Jaime Fiske, Vickie Branson and Mary Ellen Jones, and Cyndi Flower with Pearl of the Rockies.

Page 2 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

Letter to the Editor Redstone “Magical Moments” Summer Concert Series, 2022 Call for Volunteers Dear Friends of Magical Moments, This year’s summer concert series starts on Saturday, June 25, and goes through to Saturday, September 3, Labor Day weekend; a total of eight concerts.

The concerts will be held at Avalanche Outfitters (behind the Coke Ovens) on Saturdays, 6-8 p.m.

This is our 24th year of offering free concerts to the Redstone community, visitors, and our neighbors down valley in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Basalt, and Aspen.

These concerts have become a family event and a great way to spend the summer evenings in Redstone. We hope you have enjoyed the concerts and the venue. And if you have not attended one of the concerts; be sure to this year.

As a Friend of Magical Moments, you not only have the opportunity to be a part of this community tradition but also to encourage and support artistic musical talent.

We hope you will consider supporting music in our community and become a Friend of Magical Moments by your financial donation to help continue these free concerts or volunteer on the stage crew.

Please make your check donation to the Redstone Community Association (RCA) and mail it to Lisa Wagner, 475 Redstone Blvd., Redstone CO 81623 or drop it off at Crystal Dreams Bed & Breakfast.

The Redstone Community Association is a non-profit 501c, and we are an unincorporated volunteer community. We look for support from within our community and businesses as well as outside our area. Our down Valley businesses have been great supporters.

THE CRYSTAL VALLEY ECHO & Marble Times

Mission Statement: To provide a voice for the residents of the Crystal River Valley; to bring attention to the individuals and local businesses that are the fabric of the Crystal Valley region; to contribute to the vitality of our small town life.

Editor • Gentrye Houghton gentryeh@hotmail.com • (806) 374-0055 CONTRIBUTORS Amber McMahill • Alex Menard

ADVERTISING SALES

Heather Marine at Elephant Mountain Creative heather@elephantmountaincreative.com (970) 718-5848

DISTRIBUTION

The Crystal Valley Echo is published monthly, and is distributed throughout the Crystal Valley.

NEWSPAPER BOX LOCATIONS: Carbondale (old) City Market • Village Smithy Carbondale Post Office • Redstone Inn Propaganda Pie • The Marble Hub

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

Please send $50 for print or $35 for digital editions along with address information to:

The Crystal Valley Echo 364 Redstone Blvd.

Redstone, CO 81623

TheCrystalValleyEcho.com

PEACE, LOVE, MUSIC, & NATURE

The Crystal Valley Echo

The Town of Marble is Hiring!

We want to share your photographs, opinions, comments, questions, and Letters to the Editor.

Full and Part-time Positions Seasonal

Send all submissions to Gentrye Houghton at gentryeh@hotmail.com.

Maintenence Department Parking Enforcement

Visit One of the Oldest and Most Underground Respected Spa’s in America Historic Vapor Caves

If interested, contact us at

Thank you, Lisa Wagner (970) 963-8240, crystaldreams@sopris.net

regularly seeks submissions from our community.

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March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 3

Marble: Out & About We want to see your photos! Send "Out and About" photographs to our Editor, Gentrye Houghton, at gentryeh@hotmail.com.

Beaver Lake Lodge hosted a special Songwriters' Night this past Valentine's Day. According to Larry Good, the night was "Valen-tin-credible, Valen-tun-believable, Valen-tin-interesting, and Valen-tin-describably." Three songwriters came together to perform for this Valentine audience; pictured from left to right: Cruz Contreras, Marble's own David Walker Good, and David Starr.

Photograph by Amber McMahill.

A light in the darkness.

A portion from each candle supports childhood cancer.

100% natural soy wax.

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Custom orders available.

Available in stores and online: The Marble Gallery The Marble Hub Redstone Mountain Mercantile

James Congdon, son of Jason Congdon and Monique Villalobos, plays in the snow near The Marble Art Gallery. Thanks, Monique, for sharing your

www.marblecandle.com marblecandle@hotmail.com

Free Food Bags Available in Marble For anyone needing help stretching their food budget, Gunnison County Officials currently have boxes of food available distributed through the Marble Community Church.

There is no charge to the recipient and no reservation is needed; boxes are available for an individual or up to a family of four and contain enough meals to last approximately three days.

Please call Pastor Jon Stovall at the church to arrange a pickup time for your box today, (970) 963-1464.

Every time you use your Loyalty Debit Card*, Alpine Bank donates a dime to community causes that are important to you.

Use your card today! *Alpine Bank debit cards are available with no annual fee to individuals with an Alpine Bank checking account.

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Page 4 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

Marble Mountain Bike Trail System

By Gentrye Houghton The Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA) is working with the Marble Parks and Recreation Committee (MPRC) on a newly proposed trail system around Marble, Colo.

“The mountain bike trails will connect Serpentine Trail road to Marble Charter School (MCS) and down to Thompson Park and Beaver Lake,” Brent Compton, MPRC Chairman, shared. “The loop will then head down alleyways to connect Marble Mill Site Park. All trails will be in the towns right of way along roadsides.”

RFMBA met with the Parks Committee early in February to introduce the concept. “The committee's feedback has us back at the 'drawing board', so the original map is no longer worth sharing,” said RFMBA Executive Director, Mike Pritchard. “We will be in front of the Town Council with a revised concept report and map on March 3rd for continued feedback.”

Compton said the MPRC also recommended that RFMBA get input from local businesses, MCS, and landowners that the trails would be close to.

He continued, “This project could be a great opportunity for kids to ride the bike trails to get around town instead of being on the roads

with summer tourist traffic. Additionally, the trails would encourage town folk and tourist to get out of their motorized vehicles and to see Marble from a two-wheeled non-polluting and quiet perspective.”

Pritchard explained that many of the trails have been envisioned as “single track sidewalks,” that would fit Marble’s town character.

“It's worth noting that these trails are intended to be a local serving amenity and are not likely to become a regional draw for mountain bikers to visit Marble,” said Pritchard. “At the same time, it might encourage some visitors to get out of vehicles for a walk around town, or a soft pedal over to a nearby park. All of the trails are proposed on public right-of-ways or in public parks.”

Compton also offered that the MPRC members, overall, are excited to potentially have mountain bike trails connect MCS with the town parks. “We look forward to the next round of proposed trails from RFMBA!” he said.

For more information, attend the Town of Marble Board of Trustees March meeting on March 3rd starting at 7 p.m. at the Marble Community Church’s Fellowship Hall.

PitCo's STR Ordinance Update

By Gentrye Houghton The Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance will once again appear on the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting agenda on March 9. As there was no clear direction on January 26, the March 9th meeting will be a continued second reading.

“That meeting is also a continued public hearing, which means public comment will be taken by the Board,” said John Ely, County Attorney.

Ely continued, “On March 9th, the Board will discuss the same legislation as accepted back in December of last year as no changes were agreed upon in January. As the discussion continues it is anticipated that changes to the regulation will be directed by the Board and if those changes are substantial then the regulation will come for a third reading and continued public hearing.”

You may join the conversation by writing to the BOCC: • Mail written comments to 530 E. Main St. Suite 302, Aspen, CO 81611 • Email letters to the BOCC at francie.jacober@pitkincounty.com, steve.child@pitkincounty.com, kelly.mcnicholas@ pitkincounty.com, patti.clapper@pitkincounty.com, and greg.poschman@pitkincounty.com.

• There is also a new comment feature available on the County’s website: PitkinCounty.com/PublicComment A Zoom link for the March 9th meeting, as well as information on calling-in for comment, is available on the County website, www.pitkincounty.com Submit a Letter to the Editor at gentryeh@hotmail.com.

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• 1:00 p.m. – Program March 8: A Little Help Volunteer Service Organization

March 22: History’s Mysteries With Christi Couch

WANT TO BE KEPT IN THE LOOP?

Send us your email address: (970) 920-5432 • seniors@pitkincounty.com

March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 5

Marble Unplugged: Internet Provider Update As reported a few months ago in The Echo’s December issue, Visionary Communications (VC), a Wyoming-based broadband company, has contracted with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to bring fiber-optic cable-based internet service to Marble.

The purpose of the federal program for rural broadband connection is to address a problem that has come to be known as the digital divide.

This divide is the economic, social, and educational inequity that exists between different communities because of the quality of their Internet connectivity.

able services.

VC plans to install the fiber-optic cable on existing Holy Cross Electric (HC) power poles from the intersection of Highway 133 and County Road 3 to Marble. All HC customers will be able to connect with this service. VC has arranged with the Town of Marble to install a transmitter on the fire station to service off-grid customers, who will need to purchase a router to receive the signal.

Here is an update on their progress.

First, communication lines must be separated from power lines on the same pole by a certain distance. This

by Alex Menard The disconnection of Marble to the requires the replacement of some outside world is seen positively by shorter power poles. Second, VC is some and negatively by others. The family trywaiting for approval by the US Forest Service ing to coax their teenagers away from the hot for their work on National Forest land. There is spot located at The Marble Hub may support still talk from the company that the project will less connectivity during that moment in time. be completed by this fall; though, no actual inWhile on the other hand, this article could not stallation work has been completed to date. have been researched and written in Marble without that same connection.

Internet information in the form of electric signals can run on many types of wire: Coaxial caTogether with the recent availability of anbles, used for phone and cable tv services, or other satellite internet provider, Starlink, this even power lines. This is the Digital Subscriber gives residents more options than the existing Line (DSL) service available from Century Link HughesNet and Viasat satellite services. in Redstone. A typical speed for this type of service is 25 million bits per second (Mbps).

Let's explore the pros and cons of these avail-

In contrast, the fiber-optic cable carries the information in the form of light and at nearly the speed of such. These cables are made of up to a thousand strands of stretched silicon dioxide glass, each thinner than a human hair and capable of carrying terabits of information. One terabit (Tbps) is equal to 10 to the 12th power bits (10,000,000,000,000).

Starlink is a recent project by Elon Musk of Space-X, whose plan is to launch thousands of low orbit satellites to create an internet network. The low orbit of Starlink, 550 km (or 341.75 miles) above the earth, compared to others at 35,000 km (or just under 2,1748 miles), results in lower latency, or response time. This benefits video streaming, gaming and even allows cell phone use without time delays. There are no caps on data and speeds are equal to fiber-optic cable.

The Starlink dish is small and can be self-installed. Unlike the other satellite dishes, it is pointed north. There is even a possibility of a portable dish being available soon. The equipment must be purchased for $500, but there is also a waiting period for Starlink service. This author submitted the $99 deposit a month ago and is expecting service in June for $99 per month.

As the leading satellite launching company on earth, Space-X can launch the required satellites. However, a recent launch failed due to interference from a solar flare. There is also concern about space pollution from the large number of satellites expected to be launched.

Like many of you, this author had Viasat service for over a decade, but no repair service was available when the modem stopped working. The only choice was to cancel the service. At 100Mbps, Viasat is four times faster than HughesNet. Both Viasat and HughesNet advertise no data caps but do actually slow down users each month after the data allotted by their plan is exceeded.

Our local UPS driver reports lots of returns of Viasat and Hughes equipment and lots of Starlink deliveries. HughesNet also just increased prices making their service the most expensive per month.

In summary, the race seems to be between VC and Starlink, even though neither one is available immediately. Both offer faster speeds with no data caps. If you are a Holy Cross customer, VC is available and may be a better choice, with free installation and less weather interference. Off-grid customers might prefer Starlink, as the VC transmitter requires a line of sight from the Marble Fire Station.

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Page 6 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

Town of Marble Happenings In an effort to keep information and news flowing from Marble The Crystal Valley Echo will include a short summary of happenings from the Town of Marble meeting each month. These are not the official minutes, and we encourage everyone to attend meetings and to speak with their representatives about anything of interest.

ican Recovery Plan funds. As a reminder, this was the town's allotment of the American Recovery Plan passed by the federal government.

Marble's portion comes to just over $32,000 issued in two payments.

Use of the fund is intended to adOne of the first orders of business at the February Town dress the negative impacts of of Marble Board of Trustees meeting was the approval COVID on our community and has of MarbleFest seating to the west of the stage in the Millrestrictions on its use. One need that site Park. The design and brainchild of Greg Tonozzi, came to light is the Marble Charter the small amphitheater will utilize the natural landscape School students' social-emotional to add beauty and seating to the park. The stone for the needs. Two representatives from the project as well as the cutting and placement are donated school, Amy Rusby and Gina Mile, by Amber McMahill

by Colorado Stone Quarries. spoke of the need to the Trustees.

More park business came from the Marble Parks Committee with a discussion of an event permit for the park. This permit would require public and private events over 35 people and all commercial events to complete a permit for park use that would include a deposit or fee.

The permit gathers information about the event and gives guidelines for the use of the park. The permit is intended to assure that the park is not overused for large events and that Trustees, as well as the public, are informed about what is happening in the park. The permit was met with approval (after three months of reworking) and has now been passed onto the Town attorney for review. An ordinance will be drawn up for a final vote during Business Owners, Artists, the March 3rd meeting.

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In the past, the teachers have always filled the role of counselor, but as the school grows and with the added stress from the pandemic on both students and teachers, they have begun incorporating mental health services into the school. The school has also faced budget cuts and reduced funding in the wake of the pandemic.

This author reported to the board on the upcoming Colorado Tourism Office's (CTO) Tourism Management Grant opportunity that she is applying for on behalf of the Marble Crystal River Chamber (MCRC), asking for needs and possible uses for the grant, as well as help in raising matching funds.

Email Heather@elephantmountaincreative.com

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Ron Leach, Town Administrator, reported on election news. The polling place will be at The Marble Hub and open on April 5th from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be four to five election judges who will undergo one or two training sessions. There are currently three open seats (one 4-year seat, and two 2-year seats) and four candidates. The highest vote-getter will be elected to the four-year seat. Leach is working

Create Trust & Value

Let’s talk, no strings attached!

Last year, the Town used a mix of volunteers and employees to help manage the parking at the Millsite Park and to both inform and educate those utilizing the parking for truck and trailer parking. Leach hopes to increase the number of parking attendants to four part-time, seasonal staff. Richard Wells will be managing the campground this year, and The Marble Hub will continue managing the reservation system.

Although the program is currently supported through grants, and the school continues working to obtain more, they are faced with a difficult position of not meeting the community population requirement in order to qualify for much of the funding available. The deadline for The small amphitheater being proposed will provide seating near the stage at the Millsite Park. Drawing by Greg Tonozzi. reporting to the federal government on the use of the funds is looming, and a Master Planning and Capital Projects Planning decision is expected to be reached during the was again discussed with Leach, emphasizing March meeting. the need to look ahead to the next 10-20 years.

This grant is a continuation of the Restart Destination Grant that was awarded to the MCRC last October. The grant's purpose is to help communities across Colorado better manage the increasing visitation to the state. Ideas included data collection, signage, and a newsletter. The Town pledged $1500 toward the match, and the application deadline is March 3rd.

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to spread the word about the election.

Staffing came up next with the needs for summer employment, including park maintenance, signage installation (if you recall, the County requires all road signage to be uniform with code before they can effectively enforce them), and the continuation of the parking program from last summer.

Tim Hunter expressed the need for community input into the process. There was talk of creating a planning and zoning commission with both appointed and volunteer citizens.

The new Western Slope Director of the Department of Local Affairs has reached out to assess the Town's needs and offered to come to address the Board to see how he can help with planning and capital projects.

The public now has a chance to see the proposed revisions to the Onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) regulations that the Town has been working on for several months in executive sessions. There is a copy of the proposed draft available on the town website, www.townofmarble.com, and there is a public hearing set during the March 3rd meeting to vote on the ordinance.

Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) is still working on a solution to irrigating Marble Children's Park (formerly known as Thompson Park).

The idea of piping water up from the river has proven too costly. The decision was made not to apply for the Revitalizing Main Street Grant

March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 7

TOWN OF MARBLE CONTINUED... because of the lack of required data collection.

Leach and Trustee Josh Vogt both attended the Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Meetings, where it was decided that there was a need for a neutral third-party facilitator, which will involve a lengthy review process. Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra met with Vince Savage concerning the Marble Retreat's Business license, and Savage is working on a list to address the previously mentioned concerns.

OTHER TOWN NEWS The Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association met with the Marble Parks Committee to introduce a trail system through town. While still in its conceptualizing stages, the hope is for single-track trails through Marble, additional crossings for Carbonate Creek, and a children's skills trail where the kids of Marble can hone their bike skills.

compilation of early editions of The Crystal Valley Echo into a bound format that will preserve the legacy of that era. They also voted on the recipients of their annual MARBLE/marble symposium scholarship, giving locals a chance to experience marble carving firsthand.

As always, this month's meeting is the first Thursday of the month, which happens to be March 3rd. Join the Town of Marble Trustees at the Marble Community Church's Fellowship Hall at 7 p.m. You may email Ron Leach, at leach@townofmarble.com, for more information or questions about the election.

Redstone: Out & About We want to see your photos! Send "Out and About" photographs to gentryeh@hotmail.com

The second meeting of the Lead King Loop (LKL) Stakeholder Group took place at the Marble Community Church Fellowship Hall on February 16th. The full-day workshop brainstormed solutions to the list of items prioritized through surveys.

Jon Stoval, the Marble Community Church pastor, has announced his upcoming retirement. He and his wife Peggoty have become beloved and trusted members of our community.

Many are hoping that they will be able to find alternative housing in the area and remain in Marble.

The MCRC discussed many great plans during their last meeting. With COVID waning, the MCRC and Marble Art Guild are teaming up on some grand projects. These include a return of the living history tour, reprinting of local history books, and the

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Page 8 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

Town of Marble Board of Trustee Nominees The four Town of Marble Board of Trustee Nominees, Josh Vogt, Larry Good, Amber McMahill, and Tony Petrocco, were asked to submit biographies as well as information regarding their platforms to help educate and introduce these nominees to the Marble voters. Tony Petrocco declined to particpate.

Up for reelection, Josh Vogt: Josh Vogt has been a full-time resident of Marble for the past five years and was elected to the Marble Board of Trustees in 2020. He is hoping to continue serving the Town.

Like countless other mountain communities across the West, Vogt believes Marble has been discovered.

He believes the Town's growth and increased visitation have reached a point that the Town needs to continue working in earnest to address these acute pressures on the Town and its residents.

He is in favor of updating the Town’s master plan so there is clear direction from the community on how to best address the Town’s current and upcoming challenges.

“I personally believe the Town needs to create limited parking for visitors, promote all types of outdoor recreation, and create pedestrian and bicycle-friendly trails and paths to promote foot traffic and separate the different modes of transportation in Town,” said Vogt.

He believes in the need to continue working with our neighboring governments and non-governmental organizations to not only address the Town’s needs but also the surrounding wildlands around Marble that make the Upper Crystal Valley such a special place. Vogt supports the Town’s continued participation in the Lead King Loop working group.

Vogt also feels there is a need to continue to review and update the Town’s codes. Commercial developments, special events, and short-term rentals are all issues that will require continued careful review. While Marble is just 20 miles from Aspen as the crow flies, our communities are worlds apart and he is committed to working hard to keep Marble’s unique character.

“If I am fortunate enough to continue serving on the Marble Board of Trustees,” says Vogt, "I promise to continue my service by listening to the community and basing my decisions on facts and doing so with fairness. Thank You.”

Also up for reelection Larry Good: Larry Good is going into his 8th year as a Town of Marble Trustee. His agenda is simple. For every issue that comes before the trustees, he asks himself how the issue can be focused on developing community.

Public safety and the protection of Marble’s natural resources represent the front legs on this community chair.

Transparency and honesty in local government are also important. Sometimes the town government must state the obvious – such as the law that makes it illegal to shoot a gun in town. Other issues require less obvious guidelines— such as the Short Term Rental (STR) rules that keep oversight on the public safety and density of an STR epidemic

that could easily overrun our community.

Another issue Good has patiently pushed along is the Special Events Permit process. His community focus has led him to actively support the Marble Charter School, the Marble Community Church, the Parks Committee, local entrepreneurship, the Marble Crystal River Chamber, The Marble Hub, and the Wild and Scenic River designation. After much thought and discussion, Good is currently in favor of limiting truck and trailer parking in town so that the other entities involved — USFS, CPW, Gunnison County — take more responsibility for the management of this motorized recreational resource.

Good came to Marble in 2003 as a Stanford graduate; a former paralegal and legal office manager; a music teacher, performer, and composer for stage and broadcast media; and an op-ed journalist. He and his wife, Karen, have raised their sons Ralph and David in Marble, through the Marble Pre-school, Charter School, Roaring Fork High School, and beyond!

Amber McMahill: Amber McMahill lives in Marble, Colo., with her 10-year-old son, Sebastian, 18-year-old niece Emmalee, and two very oddly endearing cats. She has had the pleasure of witnessing Marble through many phases of both the town and her life.

First, through enjoying the messy vitality of the turn-of-the-century town in her late teens when an empty gas tank first stranded her there. McMahill gained a deep love of the nature surrounding her and the peace of hidden places. She fell in love with a man named Brad Kline, bought a home, and quickly realized the true treasure of Marble was a community like no other.

McMahill dove into all manner of things, founding festivals, volunteering at the school, and even dipped her toes into Town politics with a seat on the Board of Trustees. When the recession hit, they moved over the hill to Delta to raise chickens and hogs and collect some kids.

TOWN OF MARBLE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION APRIL 5, 2022

The Candidates:

Larry Good Tony Petrocco Josh Vogt Amber McMahill

There are 3 Trustee seats open: One four (4) year term Two two (2) year terms Vote for no more than three (3) only.

The candidate with the highest number of votes shall serve the four-year term. The two candidates with the next highest number of votes shall serve the two-year terms.

Polling Place:

The Marble Hub @ 105 W. Main St Polls open on April 5th, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.

March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 9

NOMINEES CONTINUED . . .

In 2015, when their young son was ready to start kindergarten, they knew the Marble Charter School was the only choice for him. They packed up their home, quit their jobs, and returned, trusting in Marble's magic to see them through.

Marble had changed, but she found that the true treasure of community remained strong. McMahill immediately dove back in with The Marble Hub, first as treasurer and then Chairperson. She joined the School Board, the Marble Crystal River Chamber, helped re-start the Marble Park's Committee, was given a seat on the Lead King Loop Stakeholder Group, and discovered a fondness for writing grants and an obsession with Marble history that borders on lunacy.

The community and people of Marble are what drives her, and she is fiercely protective of the Marble way of life and the residents of the area. She believes that, though change is inevitable, getting ahead of issues, planning, and public input is vital in the community's ability to determine what their town becomes.

McMahill supports limiting OHV use through strict park-

ing limitations, education, and transforming Marble's image away from high-impact use. She constantly seeks ways to better engage and inform the public and ensure that the conversation surrounding these critical issues is inclusive and two-way.

She feels the next big issue coming our way is housing and outside investors. McMahill is a proponent of planning and thinks that it is the best tool to keep Marble as unique and wild as the town with which she first fell in love.

CRYSTAL RIVER CAUCUS MEETING The Crystal River Caucus will hold their March meeting on Thursday, March 10, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.

The agenda will include: a summary of the U.S. Forest Service Environmental Assessment Process for the Redstone to McClure Pass trail and further items on the Environmental Assessment schedule; and a discussion on the Wild and Scenic Stakeholders process for the Crystal River. Other items might be added and will be included in the Zoom meeting invitation to caucus members on its email list.

Anyone who would like to add their email address to the caucus list, please send a request to crcaucus@gmail.com.

Page 10 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

Echoes of Life: Dr. Dale E. Darnell no idea where he would sleep that night.

of lifelong friends.

Another young man heading back to college at KU saw Darnell on the side of the road with his thumb out, picked him up, and brought him to Lawrence and the Beta Theta Pi fraternity where Darnell was asked to become a pledge.

Darnell was a renaissance man.

With the good fortune of an unexpected roof over his head, he began his college education. Darnell always expressed gratitude to the Beta house which he credited with getting him through his undergraduate classes and putting him on the path to becoming a doctor.

Dr. Dale E. Darnell

May 5, 1934 - February 6, 2022 Dr. Dale E. Darnell, 87, of Prairie Village, Kan., passed away on February 6, 2022. Darnell was born May 5, 1934, in Culver, Kan., to Paul and Helen (Overturf) Darnell and was the oldest of four children.

After high school, with few prospects, he planned to get a job as a truck driver in Plainville, Kan. Instead, he was awarded an academic scholarship to the University of Kansas. So, when the time came, he hitchhiked to Lawrence with a suitcase, a few dollars in his pocket, and

After college, he married Pam Barron, former KU cheerleader and the ultimate love of his life.

Darnell enlisted in the Navy and became a flight surgeon where, among other things, he got to fly in jets launched from aircraft carriers! After the military, he studied orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He finally settled into Prairie Village, Kan., with his family, where he practiced medicine as a partner with the Midwest Orthopedic Clinic for the rest of his professional career.

In later years he and Pam, plus their cats and dogs, split their time between Kansas and a mountain home they built in Redstone, Colo., where they expanded their already extensive list

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He loved sports of all kinds, both playing and watching. He was the Jayhawks' #1 fan and coached his sons’ football teams.

Darnell loved his family and was an amazing father to his children. He never missed his kids’ games, recitals, and other events, even if it meant he had to take off from work.

He was a musician on the trumpet, piano, guitar, voice, and harmonica.

Darnell was a Harley Davidson motorcycle enthusiast and even road his “hog” all the way to Alaska and back with his nephew, Tom. He created art on paper and canvas with oils and pastels.

Darnell carved blocks of wood into bears and bighorn sheep. He turned wooden burls on his lathe to make beautiful pens, bowls, and vases.

He fixed his own fences and lawnmowers.

Darnell was a committed philanthropist and donated every year to his alma mater, his church, and dozens of charities.

He knew how to have fun, how to smile, and would drive an hour to buy a 79-cent steel washer if there was the possibility of a good conversation with a sales clerk.

His motto, which he applied to both lawn mower repair and life in general, was: “If it doesn’t go easy, you’re not doing it right.”

His wife, Pam, was a physical therapist; so is Darnell’s daughter and his daughter-in-law. After Pam passed, Darnell endowed a scholarship in Pam’s name to help other future therapists pay for their education.

Darnell is survived by his children, Eric Darnell and wife Laura, Rachel Miller, Michael Darnell and wife Stacey; grandchildren, Rex, Leah, Caroline, Kate and Chloe; brothers, David Darnell and wife Myrlene, and Dean Darnell; and his sister, Patricia Mayhew and her husband Bill. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Pamela J. Darnell, and his parents.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the “Pamela J. Darnell PT Fund” at the KU Endowment Association, PO Box 928, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Open year-round Marble, Colorado

TheCrystalValleyEcho.com

www.InnatRaspberryRidge.com Inn.RaspberryRidge@gmail.com (970) 9632437

March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 11

Vintage Valley: Camp and Plant Saturday, May 4, 1902 All content sponsored and provided by the Redstone Historical Society.

Camp and Plant, Vol I N22, Page 400.

The Redstone Band was the pride of the village. Osgood provided the band with uniforms and triple silver plate instruments, “The best that could be had from Lyon and Healy of Chicago,” Camp and Plant Magazine, 1902. Photograph is courtesy of the Carbondale Historical Society.

and Mrs. J. C. Osgood, T. M. Gibb, and Mr. Eaton at whose home they lunched. The "Sunrise" car went out friday evening. Mr. Boal and the prince rode to Carbondale Friday morning.

The latter exprssed himself as delighted with his visit here.

The instruments for the Redstone Band and the drums for the Crystal River Fife and Drum Corps arrived on Sunday, and both those musical bodies are highly delighted. As there are some ten of the band who can already play, they hastily rehearsed several selections and serenaded Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Osgood at their home on Wednesday evening. The juniors paraded on Monday evening and proceeding to Mr. Fuller's rendered a few military airs, after which they were invited in and treated to lemonade and cake. They were on hand again on Thursday evening to give Mr. Osgood a grand send off, upon his departure for Denver.

Mr Boal** arrived on Sunday morning, accompanied by his friend the Prince Henri de Croy, of Belgium. They did a two day excursion pretty thoroughly, taking the trip over the high line on Tuesday, and riding to the marble quarries on Wednesday, accompanied by Mr.

Camp and Plant Magazine, archived at STEELWORKS CENTER of the West in Pueblo, Colo., was the weekly periodical of Colorado Fuel & Iron. Indicative of the multinational composition of the company workforce, some articles were translated to German, Spanish, Italian and Slovenian. This May 10, 1902 edition was 410 pages long. The magazine, as well as the "Social Experiment in Welfare Capitalism," was abandoned shortly after John Osgood lost control of the company in 1903.

The majority of the Camp and Plant editions, Volumes I — IV from December 14, 1901 to April 30, 1904, can be found online by visiting: https://steelworks.us/education/primary-sources/ camp-and-plant/

WANTED Theodore Boal with his wife Mathilde. The photographer is unknown.

Mr Theodore Boal was a partner in the Denver architectural firm Boal & Harnois. Remarkably, this frim designed and built Cleveholm Manor as well as the entire village within a three year period, 1899 - 1902.

The Redstone Historical Society Wants You!

**

Join Us! www.History.RedstoneColorado.org HistoryRedstone@gmail.com

THE MARBLE TIMES

Page 12 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

A LOOK AT LIFE AT THE MARBLE CHARTER SCHOOL

These page are Sponsored in Part by

David Parks & Laurie Farber

These pages are Sponsored in Part by

BEAVER LAKE LODGE 963-2504 BeaverLakeLodge.com

March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 13

Magic Mountain, the Musical Thursday, March 17 Matinee show 1:00 Evening performance 5:00 Come and join us to see the wonders of nature all around!

All photographs and content for The Marble Times is created and produced by students and teachers from the Marble Charter School.

MCS Announces Vacancy:

3rd - 8th Grade Science/6th - 8th Grade Math Teacher

The Marble Charter School, which is a public charter school under the Gunnison Watershed School District RE1J, is announcing a vacancy for the 2022-23 school year.

Duties: 3rd — 8th Grade Science Teacher and 6th — 8th Grade Math Teacher Qualifications: • Must have a Science and/or Math background • Willing to lead other school activities (i.e., Physical Education, Study Hall, Recess, etc.)

• Multi-Grade classroom/teaching (i.e., 3-5 and 6-8) experience preferred • Participate in Outdoor Education activities (i.e., camping, hiking, cross country skiing, etc.)

Compensation: • Salary depends on education and experience • Position is full-time time with health insurance and PERA retirement Application Process: Submit application and applicant oath (which can be found on the Gunnison Schools website), transcripts (copies are acceptable), philosophy of education, resume, and three letters of reference to: Karleen Anderson, Office Manager Marble Charter School 418 W. Main Street Marble, Colorado 81623 Email: kanderson@gunnisonschools.net Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The Marble Charter School is very excited to announce the upcoming performance of Magic Mountain - The Musical™. This is a collaboration between the Marble Charter School students and Lisa Dancing-Light, author of the children’s book A Song and Story of Magic Mountain™ about a talking mountain who goes to sleep because people stop coming to hear his stories. While following the book's theme, the students have come up with short skits about Marble and the town’s history.

A Song and Story of Magic Mountain™ is written by Lisa Dancing-Light, an internationally recognized recording artist and composer, a singer of songs, a teller of stories, and a tender of gardens.

This play would not be possible without the help of Think 360 Arts for Learning. The school was awarded a grant from them to make this production possible.

Page 14 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

The Marble Times Continued...

My Special Moments

By Nina Paris, 4th Grade

Get ready to listen to what has happened to me because you will be so surprised! Today you will hear some exciting moments that might encourage you to write your own story. Sit back and listen to my awesome moments and stories of wonder.

My Sister

Middle School Students researched the role of nonviolence in the Civil Rights movement. After examining primary sources, they reported on whether nonviolence was a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.

and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. …

It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color.” I think that the nonviolent speeches of the Civil Rights Movement are definitely one of the reasons why the movement is remembered today.

Civil Rights Movement

There were many boycotts throughout the movement, some of them were the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Birmingham Campaign. The Montgomery Bus Boycott started because Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, for not moving to the back of the bus when a white man wanted to sit in her seat. The Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest that ended when the U.S Supreme Court said that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. The goal of the Birmingham campaign was to end racist policies in the city for African American people. Protesters used nonviolence such as marches and sit-ins while trying to get arrested so that the city jail would become crowded.

The police used dogs and hoses against protesters.

This campaign came to a successful end when many signs of segregation at Birmingham businesses came down and public places became accessible to people of all races.

By Delphi Badgett

In the San Francisco hospital in the year of 2016, my sister Amira was born. I was so excited when my grandma brought me to see my new baby sister. The first time I held my sister, I knew everything would change in a fantastic way. When we got home, I helped name my sister. Her name is Amira.

Until Amira was about 10 months old, she slept in my living room. Living with a little sister is both fun and annoying. My sister is the best! I am so grateful she was born.

The Civil Rights Movement was a movement to stop segregation and racism. The movement occurred from 1950 to the late 1960s. The goal of the movement was to make all people have equal rights no matter their skin color. I think that both nonviolence and violence were catalysts of the Civil Rights Movement. Where nonviolence showed the movements' determination, violence gave it recognition, but maybe not in the best way. Though many activists were hurt during the movement, their efforts were not in vain.

Gymnastics

Imagine being a seven-year-old African American girl peacefully marching with a group of 600 others, when suddenly a mob of police officers comes running out, beating your fellow marchers and spraying them with tear gas. This is a true story from the first of the Selma to Montgomery marches, known as Bloody Sunday. This particular march was started in response to the murder of the non-violent civil-rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson by a police officer earlier that week. Jackson was one of many activists fighting for African Americans’ right to vote. The protesters were stopped on the Edmund Pettus Bridge outside of Selma and were ordered to turn around and get home in two minutes or else the police officers would charge. Against their word, the police officers charged at one minute and twenty seconds and began to beat the protesters and spray them with tear gas. The unfortunate event on March 7th, 1965 was filmed and shown to the world. Two days later, Martin Luther King Jr. led a second march with about 1,000 protesters. Even though this march was again stopped at the bridge, Martin Luther King Jr. asked the police officers if they could pray. With permission, all 1,000 people prayed then headed home. This was a march that was both violent and nonviolent but was recognized and made many Americans realize how awful the actions of those police officers were. As a result, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed.

In a big gym in Carbondale, I learned gymnastics.

“Yeah,” I screamed as I walked into the gym. In the gym, there was a nice woman named Cathy. She taught me gymnastics. First, I learned how to do a cartwheel. Then, I learned how to do many things like a 360, backbend, back handspring, flipover, and backwalkover. My friend Kaleesi and I stayed until 5:00 PM. After that experience, gymnastics became a big part of my life.

From Broken to Healed On my steep tantalizing hill, my body took a new shape. I was just skiing and then I fell in the snow.

The next thing I knew I was in my bed eating muffins from my friends. The next day my mom took me to the hospital and I got a cast. At first I was scared, but then I got a little stuffed frog named “Legs”. I also got popcorn. It was actually kind of fun. After that, I had therapy and my leg healed up!

Conclusion My life has been incredible. I have experienced things from big pains to exciting and adventurous moments. These unforgettable moments I have had will never leave my mind.

In the Civil Rights Movement, many speeches were made to show the people’s determination and progress. For instance, in Martin Luther King Jr's speech, “ I Have A Dream,” King said, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." I think this is a wonderful example of their determination.

In John F. Kennedy's speech he says, “Today, we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote

Nonviolence changed the direction and outcome of the Civil Rights Movement because it made it harder for people to not agree with their cause. I think nonviolence is an effective means of achieving an end. Society should strive to use more nonviolent methods to achieve our goals, if we did the world would be a much better place. I’m sure there are other problems in our society, country, or world that we could be using nonviolence to solve but we aren’t. People won’t use nonviolence to change because then other countries/people will take advantage of them. If we could all use nonviolence then more things like the Civil Rights Movement would occur.

Delphi Badgett is a 6th grade student at Marble Charter School.

March 2022 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • Page 15

Redstone Community Association Bulletin

What to do in Redstone?

Grab a cold one from the Bar & Grill and head down to the Game room.

Open Daily.

Propaganda Pie hosts Trivia Night on Tuesdays from 6-8pm. Also check out Community Nights on Fridays from 6-8pm with amazing specials Stop at the General Store for a latte & snack, and browse wares from Local artists.

MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS STEVE PAVLIN PRESIDENT

NATE HELFENBEIN VICE PRESIDENT

KATIE LOWERY TREASURER

SARA LEWIS SECRETARY

DAVID (DJ) JOHNSON

Snowshoeing and Cross country skiing up Mclure Pass or Coal Basin Road.

Ice Skating at Ron's Rink. Check out the shed to borrow some skates and hockey sticks.

Next RCA Meeting March 1st 6pm, at the Redstone Inn Become A Member of the RCA

HEATHER MARINE JOSH WAMBOLT RON PHANEUF CATHY MONTGOMERY ALTERNATE MEMBER

Redstone is an unincorporated village that relies completely on donations and volunteerism spearheaded by the Redstone Community Association (RCA) Your membership dues directly fund RCA projects and events.

Thank You for your support!

Please keep your dogs on leash in Redstone!

Name: _________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________ Phone#: _________________________ Email:____________________________________________________ Individual/Family $45.00

Business $150

Multi Business $230

Make Check Payable to: Redstone Community Association Mail to RCA: 303 Redstone Blvd, Redstone, CO 81623 or leave at Redstone Inn's Front Desk

Page 16 • The Crystal Valley Echo & Marble Times • March 2022

Marble Art Guild Feature: Tom Bjoracker relatable, same style, just a little more modern." His roommate, at the time, was into producing, and they worked together to put out some music.

Bjoraker finally forced himself to graduate, earning his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance in 2014. “It took me six years but I did it,” he joked with his soft laughter.

"None of us wanted to graduate and leave,” he continued. “They pull in so many talented guest artists from Yo-Yo Ma to Paul Seitz. Everyone wished they could afford to stay there and be around that level of

by Amber McMahill professional influence."

Bjoraker moved to Madison where he primarily focused on teaching and studio work. He made ends meet working in a Guitar Center, and found connections through a co-worker with another group, the Julien Wind Ensemble.

In 2018, the Ensemble earned the amazing opportunity to play Carnegie Hall. When asked how that experience went, Bjoraker's grin lit up, "The hall has amazing sound. Just to play on the stage that all the greats have played on is a surreal experience."

These days he is locally playing with Wooden Rock, a local favorite rock band right here in Marble, Colo. He continues to guest teach at the MCS and currently helping them with their upcoming musical production. But, it is with his teaching that Bjoraker really enthuses over.

Tom Bjoraker at the keys performing with Wooden Rock during MarbleFest last August. Photograph provided by Bjoraker and taken by Mallory Williams Photography.

I first ran into Tom Bjoraker a few years back at the Marble Charter School (MCS). Freshly arrived in town his cousin, Marja O’Connor, had already roped him into volunteering to help with the school's music program. It turns out this was just a continuation of a long history of teaching and playing music.

We later connected when he began giving my 8-year-old son (who is now 10) percussion lessons, which is the same age Bjoraker was when music first found him. It all started when his grandmother bought a piano for the house.

"It was up to me or my sister to take lessons, I drew the short straw,” Bjoraker joked as we sat down at the Beaver Lake Lodge to talk with the sound of Bjoraker's bandmate, Larry Good, setting up for his Valentine Songwriter's Night providing the perfect backdrop.

By fourth grade, Bjoraker started to pursue the cello. "I always loved the sound. My sister played violin but I just didn't want to hold my arm up for that long and sitting seemed cooler," Bjoraker's laughter comes naturally and soft.

Soon, however, Bjoraker discovered his love of loud noises, beats, and all things percussion. It made playing in the marching band far easier than the cello might have. By high school, he was playing both cello and percussions in a Wisconsin audition-based youth symphony orchestra (WYSO) in the Madison area. He also began composing his own pieces.

Bjoraker attended the University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point. "That time was amazing, they really brought in a lot of great talent and you were just always surrounded by people that shared your passion,” he said.

During this time he was involved with the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, Calumet Art Center New Music Concerts, Very Young Composers Of Central Wisconsin, and the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Program. He also began to dabble in EDM (or Electronic Dance Music).

“A lot of electronic music is based in the drum,” he explained. “Very

"Most of my life skills came from music,” he said. “You get certain life skills if you start at a young age and you never know where it leads. I'd like to pass on those experiences to the next generation. Especially in a day and age when music is not as profitable as it used to be.

Make sure it continues."

Bjoraker offers private lessons to residents of the Marble and Redstone area in percussion, composition, and beginning piano. For more information, visit his website at www.mountainmusiclessons.com.

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