02192025 issuu by The Sopris Sun

Forging hope

Emma Scher, 11, took a turn hammering a piece of molten metal during blacksmith Mike Martin’s demonstration outside the Carbondale Library on Saturday, Feb. 14, part of the “Sparking Peace” events in Carbondale and Glenwood Springs over the weekend that included a reading of his wife, Hannah Martin’s children’s book by the same name. Catch the story on page 4. Photo by John Stroud

The view from my window

“I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.’”

- Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World”

I live on a busy Carbondale corner. From my “everything” table, no longer just for dining, I look out three large windows at the local world.

I see children playing as they wait for the school bus; I wonder if I hardened my sprinkler head enough and they won’t break it again. I see cyclists trying to keep rolling and safely enter the street, wondering if they are prepared for cold hands and faces. I see walkers with dogs and strollers, and each other. I worry when I haven’t seen some familiar elderly faces in a while. Are they on a trip somewhere, or did one of them get injured, or die? I see endless cars, trucks, funerals and vehicles parked too long in one spot. I wonder if someone is secretly living in that van, or hoping to. In the summer, I see children selling lemonade, learning how hard it is to make a few dollars.

Social media tells me about people brandishing guns, masked men in groups marching to front doors, people sprawled in the street with blood pooling around them. But that’s not what I see out my three big windows. I just see the ordinary world I’ve always seen. I don’t see the frightening world I read about or see on the news or hear about from late-night satire hosts.

I hear their stories of how life was pretty normal, pretty ordinary, until it wasn’t.

OPINION

MATURE CONTENT

By Susan Rhea

I don’t see the people hiding in the margins, sleeping under bridges, sneaking in the shadows trying to get to work safely and home again. I don’t see people being harassed by masked people with guns or over-botoxed sycophants of our deranged Commander in Chief. I don’t see the hate some have for the “other,” the blood lust of a guy with a gun, a person shot and bleeding in the street. I don’t see the tears from unspeakable violence or hear girls or women begging a man to stop, to please stop.

I hear older people talking about lives after the Holocaust. I hear stories from people who were children when entire families disappeared into camps and war, who experienced the quiet takeover of a government, a country, and almost an entire continent.

LETTERS

Re: Safety

In a few recent issues of The Sun, problems with pedestrian safety or signage or speeding were mentioned. One aspect of these issues where the Town of Carbondale could improve drastically is the marking of crosswalks.

At a few busier intersections, tinted concrete crosswalks were built at considerable expense to provide permanent marking. However, at most of these the tint has faded, though it was supposed to eliminate annual painting. (At Hendrick and 133, the crosswalk’s faded concrete coloring was upgraded by grinding recesses into it and inserting some bright white plastic mats, which are definitely more visible and have proved durable.)

ToC’s typical white painted markings seem to be dim from the start, and barely visible after a few months. It seems like we’re just getting the cheapest paint job available. I’m not sure if the applicating crew even power washes the grime layer off the street before spraying their thin runny paint.

Much better paints are in common use elsewhere. Apparently the “state of the shelf” is MMA, basically Superglue. If you notice the bright green bike lanes in Denver, that’s it. It’s more expensive and probably requires upgraded sprayers but seems to last multiple years even with winter wear.

The ToC has plans for all kinds of pedestrian features often requiring intricate and expensive concrete work. We

Not equal at all, but providing a glimpse of hardship, from my own family I hear stories of extreme life-changes as the Great Depression took hold. From abundance and things as normal, to a slow (or sudden) disappearance of safety, being hungry but having to work all day anyway, making quilts out of every worn out piece of cloth — not because it was art, but because it was warmth. I hear some war stories directly, from people who served. I read firsthand accounts of how horrible it was, how limbs, minds and heads were shattered, how soldiers and doctors liberating camps suffered mental breakdowns just from seeing the survivors. These stories were mostly buried. There was (is) a belief they needed to be locked away, that caring for your loved ones meant not letting them know those terrible things. People like our deranged leader have no idea about the reality of war, to both the bombed and those doing the bombing. And to be truthful, neither do we. I read about it, watch documentaries about it, listen to re-tellings, but I didn’t experience it, and most of you probably didn’t either. I imagine, and when I do, it hurts. I empathize. When you tell me a story, I’m in your shoes. I feel some of your pain, confusion and disbelief. And still, that’s not what I see from my table, outside my windows. There, I see the world I’ve always known, and I continue hoping. I hope the future is different from the things I hear and read about. I hope the future is more like the world I see from my three big windows.

I came across one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s quotes recently, recognizing it as one that inspired Barack Obama and his book “The Audacity of Hope.” I’ve chosen it as this season’s inspiration, hoping that sanity returns, compassion returns, reason returns, caring for others returns, “love thyself” and “love thy neighbor as thyself” returns, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” returns.

“We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

have “free” bus and bike programs that cost about a million bucks a year, though not all from ToC’s taxpayers. It seems we could spare some change for reasonably visible crosswalks.

Fred Porter Carbondale

A choice we can’t undo

The proposed Harvest development at Sanders Ranch presents our community with a decision that will shape the Valley for generations. While the need for affordable housing is urgent, this proposal fails to address that need and instead accelerates traffic congestion and permanently damages a critical wildlife corridor.

For decades, land trusts and county open space programs have recognized Sanders Ranch as past and potential prime habitat for elk, deer, and riparian species, as well as a key winter crossing area near Highway 82. Efforts to purchase development rights or restore the land have repeatedly failed, not because the land lacks value, but because preservation is never guaranteed—even when funding, public support, and expertise exist.

The Harvest proposal offers little housing relief. Only 10% of units would be “work force housing mitigation units,” while the development introduces commercial build-out into an area with minimal infrastructure, questionable water supply and a 50% projected traffic increase. Added vehicles will not ease

congestion; they will worsen it.

More troubling is the permanent loss of wildlife habitat; the idea that displaced wildlife will simply “move elsewhere” is a myth. Productive forage areas, especially riparian zones, cannot be replaced once paved over. Crowded wildlife experience declining nutrition, lower birth rates, and increased mortality. Sanders Ranch has been identified by biologists as an important loafing and high-value winter grazing area, and it lies in a known wildlife-vehicle collision zone.

Proven solutions exist. Wildlife overpasses and proper fencing reduce collisions by over 90% and restore habitat connectivity. Workforce housing works best when placed near jobs, reducing long commutes and traffic pressure. These goals are not mutually exclusive — but this proposal achieves neither and represents a slow erosion of our Valley’s natural heritage while failing to solve the housing crisis. We need regional planning that looks 50 to 100 years ahead, guiding development away from intact wildlife corridors and toward areas that truly serve working families.

Everyone has a voice! Cattle Creek Confluence Coalition (cattlecreekcc.com) has an extensive website with easy access to your commissioners. Attend the Public Hearing at Spring Valley Campus Ascent Center Feb. 25 at 6pm.

Franz Froelicher Carbondale

continued on page 22

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Beginning early March, access to Redstone will be limited as the southern bridge is replaced. Built in 1947, it is the oldest bridge in Pitkin County inventory. All vehicular traffic will be routed to the northern bridge for access to the Boulevard through the summer. Parking at Elk

across from the coke ovens, is encouraged for easy pedestrian access. Details about this project can be found on

Spring Gulch

An afternoon of rain and fog at Spring Gulch on Feb. 12 diminished the thin base of snow, prompting a cautionary closure. If the next storm brings sufficient snowpack, the course will reopen. “In the meantime: go to the car wash, sleep with a spoon under your pillow and make a few sacrifices to Ullr,” a press release advised. “This has been a tough season.” According to Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL data (beginning in the 1980s), both local and statewide snowpack is currently the worst on record. Pre-SNOTEL measurements indicate the winters of 1976-77 and 1980-81 had even less snowpack.

Avalanche danger

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) warns that this latest storm is expected to produce the season’s most dangerous and widespread avalanche conditions. With heavy snowfall and strong winds on top of a weak underlying layer, natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely. CAIC advises backcountry travelers to avoid avalanche terrain at this time.

Carbondale wildfire planning

The Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative is working with Dr. Hussam Mahmoud, a nationally recognized wildfire and infrastructure resilience researcher at Vanderbilt University, and utilizing his AGNI-NAR wildfire model to scientifically analyze risks locally with precision. “This is currently the only wildfire modeling approach that has been statistically validated against real wildfire events, demonstrating near90% accuracy in predicting fire spread and building damage,” claimed a press release.

Residents in and around Carbondale are being asked to complete a survey collecting basic information about their homes to help inform a study that will be used for future planning. The survey can be found at www.tinyurl.com/CarbondaleWildfireModel and will be open until early March.

Glenwood Flock cameras

On Feb. 12, the City of Glenwood Springs issued a press release stating that, going forward, it will fully restrict all outside agency access to data collected from Flock cameras capturing images of license plates. This comes on the heels of a group of locals airing concerns during a City Council meeting that the information collected could potentially be used for immigration enforcement. The City will also release results from Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests pertaining to search queries from law enforcement agencies across the country. While at least some searches did reference immigration enforcement and corresponding agencies, the press release stated that the “Glenwood Springs Police Department has conducted no searches related to immigration.” CORA results will be uploaded to www.gwsco.info/cora

Eagle County land use

Eagle County is undergoing a rewrite of its land use regulations in alignment with the county’s Comprehensive Plan. Interested parties can review the Eagle County Master Plan for an understanding of the land use vision and policies and actions intended to achieve that vision. A public work session on the topic will be hosted at 20 Eagle County Road in El Jebel on Feb. 19 at 2:30pm. Learn more at www.bit.ly/Eagle-regs

Pitkin County draft plan

After years of community engagement, Pitkin County has released a draft of its updated Comprehensive Plan for public review and comment. Written comments can be submitted to vision5050@pitkincounty.com by Feb. 23 for inclusion in the Planning Commission packet materials for the first scheduled public hearing on March 3 at 5pm. Check it out at www.bit.ly/ PitCo-vision

Teacher of the Year nominations

The Colorado Department of Education invites you to nominate a beloved educator for the state’s 2027 Teacher of the Year award. The nomination window closes on March 20 and semi-finalists will be announced on May 22. Find details at www.bit.ly/ CO-2027-teacher

Forest Service hiring

The White River National Forest is hiring seasonal employees for the upcoming recreation season and encourages local residents to apply. Positions in recreation and visitor services, trail and facility maintenance, and active resource management are expected to be posted on Feb. 20 at USAJOBS.gov

They say it’s your birthday!

Tom Paxton, Jess Pedersen and Ingrid Zúniga (Feb. 20); Pati Edquist, Wyatt Farris, Max Herriott-Frank, Mike Lemmer and Collin Stewart (Feb. 21); Libertad Lee Rico Bustillos, Lucas Leone and Yesenia Silva-Estrada (Feb. 22); David Ackerman, Sophia Clark, Susan Drinker and Rachael Schultz (Feb. 23); Quentin Farris, Toni Gross, Nuria Moya, Steve Skinner and Kyle Watts (Feb. 24).

Park,

the Pitkin County website. Art by Larry Day

Swords to plowshares, turning weapons into tools

MIKE DE LA ROSA

Arts Correspondent

On Sunday, Feb. 15, Bethel Chapel in Glenwood Springs hosted a book preview and blacksmith demonstration, where a crowd of participants took turns slowly transforming a gun into a garden tool. At the forge was Mike Martin, heating and turning a gunstock barrel, instructing participants where and how to hammer the weapon. Mike was wearing a t-shirt proclaiming “STOP WAR” in the style of the “Star Wars” logo. His computer nearby was covered in blacksmithing stickers, and one that read “DISARM HATE.”

After the demonstration, the group went back inside the First United Methodist Church for a discussion and perhaps another share of the gumbo a member of the church provided.

There attendees were reminded of a passage in the Bible (Isaiah 2:4) that reads, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Mike, who took all the shop classes in high school, felt the resonance of this passage and

its practical application in 2008 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

His wife, Hannah Martin, was a first grade schoolteacher at the time. She recalled, “The number of kids who died was how many I had in class that day. It was heavy for us … I had kids who were terrified.” She would ask herself, “How do I tell kids they are safe without lying to them?” For Mike, that answer came in founding RawTools.

Hannah also continues to be engaged with that troubling question. This event at the church, following visits to the Glenwood Springs and Carbondale libraries the day prior, doubled as an opportunity to share her book, “Sparking Peace.”

The book revolves around gun violence, though in language appropriate for kids. Guns are never mentioned or shown directly. Instead, we enter the world through the relationship of children with their neighbor. After breaking her window, the kids are tasked with helping her clean her yard. The audience is given clues that this initially cold neighbor lost her child to gun violence. As they develop a closer bond, the wound is given more attention. At

one point, the neighbor is at the anvil, hitting a gun with the largest hammer in the smithy. When a child asks an adult what is in the forge, the reply comes: “Something sad, that breaks hearts.”

Hannah mentioned the importance of participation. “I find that’s the most powerful part. It’s not just holding the tool, it’s being a part of the process, the transformation. It does something.”

Ayla Klein, a ninth grader from Roaring Fork High School, gave testimony on the experience. “While hitting it, it was cool to see that you can shape something like metal, that is somewhat unbreakable, and it was cool to melt and change that.” Asked if she could feel it bending, Klein replied, “Not very easily, but it was moving.”

The gun barrel the group worked on that day was being reconfigured into a mattock, a planting tool used to break up soil and make room for new growth.

Mike made it clear that the choice of garden implements is more than a biblical reference. It reflects “the change in attitude from something that seems to solve problems quickly to a solution that takes time.” He described how people who own guns and people who don’t may both have

the same reason: to protect their families. So often, the people who come to Mike with guns have personal work to find a new sense of safety, perhaps one based in community or mutual care. RawTools works with inmates as well as civilians in what Mike calls restorative justice — working with systems to help people repair the harm they may have caused. He said he gets quite a lot of politically-motivated pushback

for his efforts. Asked what “threat” there is in restorative justice, he replied, “I wish I knew,” with a laugh. “I think it’s the threat of the unknown, or ‘They’re going to take my guns away.’ It’s all volunteer, so we’re not forcing anyone.” People hear about the program mostly through word-ofmouth and choose to submit their weapons. About 70 blacksmiths across the nation are involved to

continued on page 18

Emerson Aeschliman, a fist grader at Crystal River Elementary, hammers on a gun barrel. Photo by Mike de la Rosa

Finding that spark at the Crystal

PHOTOS BY MARK BURROWS

Apparently, everyone looking for love is tired of the apps, because the No Swipe Social interactive dating game, hosted at the Crystal Theatre on Feb. 12, completely sold out. Fresh suitors and contestants rotated for four rounds, culminating in a winning pair at the end of the night. From fun lines of questioning to riotous games — such as a not-my-arms challenge where one partner raced to peel an orange and stuff it in the other’s mouth — made for a lot of laughs and some wholesome connections. And it’s rumored that at least a handful of connections have formed since. When asked if anyone fell in love, organizer and emcee Aubree Schiesser laughed, “I don’t know if anyone is in love yet — it was just last week, after all — but there is definitely interest brewing.”

Tune into Everything Under The Sun on KDNK this Thursday, Feb. 19 at 4pm to hear more about how it went. And stay tuned for the next one by following @no.swipe.social on Instagram

Dim the lights!

A code-enforcement success story

JAMES STEINDLER Contributing Editor

People can learn to live with a lot: boisterous neighbors, noisy construction, glaring lighting. It might not be until someone else poses the question, “How can you live with that?”, when they ask themselves the same. That, more or less, was the case for Brian Pettet, a resident of Ranch at Roaring Fork, when a friend visiting from the big city last year griped about the lighting emanating just a few miles southeast from Carbondale Mini Storage disturbing their stargazing one evening.

“It was bright enough that I would cast a shadow on my bedroom wall from their lights,” Pettet told The Sopris Sun. “I think we get accustomed to living with things that bother us.”

Pettet’s been in the same home for 20 years, just shy of the 25 years Carbondale Mini Storage has been around, which was built by its current owner, Dale Eubank.

A dark skies advocacy group recommended that Pettet contact the county. After getting in touch with Code Enforcement Officer Gretchen Bell and filing a complaint online, Pettet later learned that the facility’s lighting was, indeed, out of date.

Janet McClaymonds, the bookkeeper at Carbondale Mini Storage, heard from the front-desk associate that Bell had perused the outskirts of the facility one night and left her business card behind. When McClaymonds followed up, she, her husband and Eubank’s wife, Bertha, sat down with Bell, who she said was very helpful.

“We were able to figure out what we needed to do to replace all the lights that were shining outward instead of downward,” said McClaymonds. She clarified that the structure was built before the current regulations were in place.

“They were mostly concerned with the outward facing lights,” McClaymonds continued. “They were willing to work with us and we took care of all the lighting around the perimeter.”

Rather than retrofit the lights to be downward facing, which was initially considered, the mini storage team

purchased brand new ones online through e-conolight. McClaymonds didn’t have the exact count, but estimated that about 30 fixtures were replaced.

“While our staff is supportive and empathetic to the dark skies benefit and value to the community and surrounding area, our lighting standards reflect our land use code and what is enforceable,” Bell wrote in a statement to The Sopris Sun. “In this particular case, both the property owner and manager of the business addressed county code concerns cooperatively and in an expedited manner to support the surrounding community. Both were a pleasure to work with, [and] the property is now compliant.”

Pettet happens to be the Public Works director for Pitkin County, so is familiar with its lighting standards. He brought up Brush Creek Park & Ride, where downward-facing, motion-detection, LED lighting was installed, factoring in onlooking neighbors’ points of view. He also hinted that Pitkin County is looking at making adjustments to the historic, globe-like streetlamps in Redstone.

“This is not about me. This is about the effort that Garfield County took on, and ultimately the owners of the mini storage,” Pettet said. “From what the county said, they were hugely cooperative and took care of the problem within a couple of months.”

Because folks who file complaints are kept confidential, McClaymonds didn’t even know who was responsible for initiating the effort. During an interview, Pettet said he planned to stop by and thank the Mini Storage crew.

“When they installed the downlighting … their property virtually disappeared at night,” Pettet concluded. “It’s a difference between night and day.” Pettet has since noticed other properties likely in violation of the lighting ordinance but doesn’t want to be “that guy,” he said. He suspects that people and businesses likely don’t realize their lighting is not up to code, that is until someone says so. And sometimes all it takes is a little nudge from a friend to make a difference.

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Carbondale Mini Storage swiftly replaced about 30 of its exterior sconces to come into compliance with Garfield County’s lighting code.

Photo by James Steindler

CMC partners with CSU Global to create new pathways for graduate school

KATE PHILLIPS

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Creating yet another clear pathway for rural mountain community members to achieve new heights, Colorado Mountain College (CMC) has recently announced a new partnership with Colorado State University Global. As part of the CSU system, CSU Global is the first 100% online and institutionally accredited public university in the United States. Designed for working adults who balance life, families and rural living, this new partnership will break down barriers and allow CMC students to seamlessly transition into a graduate degree program at CSU Global.

“If you provide a clear path for students … they’re more likely to be successful,” said Jessica Guarnero, dean of the Isaacson School for Communication, Arts & Media. “This will help people who are maybe not 100% comfortable navigating the higher education space. It’s built for working adults. We know our population has other responsibilities outside of being a student … and CSU Global is very much designed to fit into the life of someone who has other responsibilities.”

Currently, three of CMC’s nine

bachelor’s degree programs are included in the partnership: Bachelor of Applied Science in Leadership & Management, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Education. Upon successful graduation, students can then enroll in the graduate school that corresponds to their undergraduate degrees: Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development, Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Teaching and Learning and/or Principal Licensure.

“We are very open to many more options [and] I know CSU Global is also open to going off-script,” said Guarnero. “I’m very interested to see what comes next, as we have so many more opportunities and we keep developing bachelor’s degrees.”

One key component of the partnership is the chance to break down barriers — specifically time and money — that keep students from pursuing a graduate degree. At CSU Global, admissions are rolling, which means students can start on their own time. Extra benefits for CMC students include guaranteed admission when they earn a 2.3 or higher GPA, tuition discounts and graduate course

a K-12 teacher with a bachelor’s degree, but there’s a pay scale change when you have master’s credits and degrees. I hope this will increase the opportunity for our teachers to stay and thrive.”

Guarnero elaborated that this partnership encourages rural mountain students to stay local and therefore bring new skills into their hometowns, as they do not have to relocate, leave their jobs or uproot their families to attend graduate school.

“There are still a lot of jobs that require advanced degrees that we need to fill,” said Guarnero. “We have a lot of working class folks who make our towns run. [This partnership] is a way to hopefully fill more jobs that require those types of degrees from the folks who live here … Some people can really benefit economically from this opportunity.”

waivers and credits when certain GPAs are achieved.

“One big win for our education graduates is an incredibly discounted tuition [at $350 per credit],” said Guarnero. “This certainly addresses the teacher shortage. You can absolutely be

As a graduate of CSU Global, Guarnero said she found synergy between her career at CMC and life as a new mom. She said the CSU Global faculty members were dynamic in their feedback and approach, but the cadence of each class was the same. Guarnero knew what to expect, could organize her schedules and find a rhythm that helped her

move forward while still enjoying life outside of work and school.

“As soon as my son was old enough to not be in daycare, I was able to focus time and money on myself,” said Guarnero. “I was a career and technical education faculty member at CMC. To move up I needed more education … My first phone call to CSU Global was so welcoming. Their student support was incredible, and after my first class I had so much confidence in my ability to [complete the degree].”

Speaking to CMC’s deep commitment to rural mountain communities, Guarnero emphasized that students matter even after graduation.

“If you want to take the next steps in your education, we’re going to help you find it,” Guarnero concluded. “We care about folks and think about the innovative ways we can keep our talent here, online or otherwise … When you are beyond our walls we still care about you and we’re going to point you in the right direction, for whatever path you choose.”

Visit coloradomtn.edu/ programs/csu-global to learn more about this unique opportunity.

Jessica Guarnero, Colorado Mountain College’s dean of the Isaacson School for Communication, Arts & Media, helped coordinate a new partnership between CMC and Colorado Springs University Global. This unique partnership allows students who earn a bachelor’s degree in business, education or leadership to seamlessly transition to one of CSU Global’s online graduate programs.

Courtesy photo

Legislative strategy, new midday Hogback route and e-bike safety

ANNALISE GRUETER

Sopris Sun Correspondent

This month’s Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) meeting focused on reviewing the organization’s legislative agenda. Board members also considered lease amendments for the Brush Creek Park & Ride, and CEO Kurt Ravenschlag covered several regional updates.

During board comments, Erin Zalinski of Glenwood Springs shared that she had attended a mayor’s meeting in Parachute and left feeling optimistic about the future of transportation in the region. Chair Greg Poschman said that he has received significant feedback from community members about bicycle — specifically e-bike — safety and feels confident that there is momentum to take action in the coming months.

New Castle alternate Brandy Copeland asked about a midday stop for the Hogback route, and Ravenschlag confirmed that one has been added to the schedule.

Operations Director Ian Adams clarified that the bus leaves Glenwood’s 27th Street Station at 11:35am and starts a return trip

from Rifle at 12:45pm daily.

Basalt’s David Knight circled back to the e-bike safety topic, and shared that the Town of Basalt is discussing community education and other solutions.

Aspen Mayor Rachel Richards noted that consistent signage and messaging will be essential.

The board proceeded to the

consent agenda, which included two amendments to lease agreements for the Brush Creek Park & Ride. After an introduction from Director of Capital Projects Ben Ludlow, Richards initiated a motion to move both amendments forward. The first, an amendment to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s

(CDOT) master lease agreement, will incorporate the Glenwood Springs 27th Street Underpass into the lease area and remove the Brush Creek lot due to its sale from CDOT to Pitkin County. The second amendment authorized a 10-year lease agreement for the Brush Creek Park & Ride.

The board proceeded to pre-

sentations. Director of Sustainability and Legislative Affairs David Johnson opened with an overview of the proposed 2026 legislative agenda. RFTA staff and consultants from Sustainable Strategies have developed a plan that includes communications protocols addressing state and federal policies. Consultant Ashley Badesch of Sustainable Strategies joined the presentation and shared that adopting legislative agendas is a way for organizations to be proactive.

The draft includes RFTA’s defined core principles and prioritizes support for long-term funding and legislation made with public transportation interests in mind. The team established six points for both identifying funding needs and advocating for policy. The first set included specifics on securing funding for maintenance, facilities and workforce training and wellbeing. The second set included goals for innovative initiatives and partnerships, maintaining and expanding transit services and low-to-no-emission buses and paratransit vehicles.

continued on page 19

That Feels Like Home

The Brush Creek Park & Ride lot has recently passed from Colorado Department of Transportation ownership to Pitkin County. RFTA is amending lease agreements in response to the change. Courtesy photo

Focus on animals and at-risk teens

AMY HADDEN MARSH

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Yampah Mountain High School and Colorado River BOCES staff struck gold at Tuesday’s Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting. They asked for $25,000 from the national opioid settlement funds for an on-site intervention counselor. These funds are a result of 2021/2022 national opioid settlements resolving opioids litigation brought by state and local governments against manufacturers, distributors and marketers. Garfield County receives some of that money.

Nicolette DiPietro, director of special programs, data and grants for Colorado River BOCES, explained that the position has been funded by multiple grants, including a state department of education grant that is sunsetting this year. City of Glenwood Springs funding through a partnership with the Roaring Fork School District has also dried up for next year, she said, adding that the Hope Center gave them some options.

“One of them was to come here and learn a little bit more

about the opioid funding from the settlement that the County did receive,” she said. “And that this might be a good fit for our intervention counselor at Yampah.”

Indeed it is a good fit, as demonstrated by the BOCC’s unanimous approval of $25,000. DiPietro said that her team has also applied for other grants.

The intervention counselor, said Dr. Zoe Stern, Yampah interim principal, plays a key role at the school. “We are able to support our students before an M1 hold is needed,” she explained. “We are able to identify these depression stints or lack of engagement or withdrawal, things like that.”

The intervention counselor helps treat behavioral and mental health issues before they become problems. “We all know that Yampah Mountain High School serves students that didn’t always get that before,” explained Stern. “So that position really leads our school and creates this safe haven for students and staff.”

The BOCC was impressed that this role is intervention as opposed to prevention. “If we

AIRPORT TERMINAL

“The

can save one life,” said Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky. “It’s worth it.”

Colorado Animal Rescue (or CARE) was also a recipient of County funds. Along with Journey Home in Rifle, the County gives $200,000 annually to CARE, near Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley Campus. Director Wes Boyd expressed gratitude for the County’s continuous support, stating that CARE is celebrating 26 years.

Boyd said that CARE supports up to 40 dogs, 50 cats and other creatures, returns stray pets to

“We

owners, spays/neuters feral cats and, this year, offers an on-site disaster and emergency trailer.

“This is a partnership with Colorado Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps,” he explained. “We have about 50 total collapsible dog crates in that trailer along with immediate supplies, like water and food, blankets, things that we can just grab and go.”

As a nod to an earlier Mountain Valley Developmental Services (MVDS) update by Maura Masters, Boyd mentioned that a MVDS client works at CARE part-time. “He is our go-to

cheerleader and staff support,” said Boyd.

CARE’s year-end statistics showed 209 stray pets accepted and between 240 and 290 owner relinquishments. “These are pets that owners can no longer keep,” he explained. CARE transferred 114 pets from different organizations across the West Slope and witnessed a few litters born at the shelter. “One litter of puppies [was born] in our front office,” he said. “A dog was dropped off just moments before she started labor.”

continued on page 19

Defying limits: Austria’s Gerlinde

Kaltenbrunner to speak about climbing the world’s tallest mountains

ANNALISE GRUETER

Sopris Sun Correspondent

On Feb. 24, Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House hosts a speaker who will turn the audience’s attention to the heights. Not just any heights: specifically, 8,000 meters, the 14 tallest mountains in the world. She is Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, one of the only women to have climbed the planet’s tallest mountains, and the first woman to have done so without supplemental oxygen. She’ll be speaking on defying limits as a guest of the Wheeler’s monthly Changemaker Speaker Series.

Climbing a Himalayan peak was a childhood ambition for Kaltenbrunner, who grew up in Spital am Pyhrn, Austria. The village is nestled in a valley bordering two of Austria’s national parks and many mountains. Kaltenbrunner and other youth were introduced to hiking and mountaineering by Reverend Dr. Erich Tischler, who would lead excursions into the nearby peaks after church.

In school, Kaltenbrunner trained as a nurse. The university city of Vienna is a short distance from Austria’s eastern mountain

ranges, which allowed her to continue skiing, ice climbing and rock climbing in her spare time. She even led some mountain tours. Kaltenbrunner achieved her childhood dream at 23; she was able to join an excursion to Pakistan and reach a fore-summit of Broad Peak, the 12th-highest mountain in the world. While “Rocky Summit” is only the second-highest point on the mountain, she had gotten above 8,000 meters (26,000 feet). The success was exhilarating. Kaltenbrunner knew she wanted more.

In the following years, Kaltenbrunner poured her energy into her nursing career, saving as much money as she could and training in Austria. She summited Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain, when she was 27, and then the world’s fifth-highest peak, Makalu, when she was 30, during her vacation time. Her passion and her capacity were becoming more apparent. She topped Manaslu and Nanga Parbat in the next two years. It was then she felt confident to become a professional mountaineer and leave her

nursing career behind.

Kaltenbrunner succeeded in summiting four more 8,000meter peaks in her first two years as a professional climber: Annapurna I, Gasherbrum I, Shisha Pangma and Gasherbrum II. She was more than halfway to her wildest ambition. After Gasherbrum II, Kaltenbrunner summited one 8,000-meter peak per year, making steady progress on her goal. By 2010, she reached the top of Everest without oxygen or the support of high-elevation porters. Only one 8,000-meter peak remained, the deadliest mountain in the world: K2.

K2 is the northernmost high peak of Pakistan’s Karakorum range and the second-highest mountain on the planet at 28,251 feet. Between 1953, the first successful summit of the peak, and 2021, the technical and precarious mountain had a roughly 20% death rate. For every four people who reached the summit, one died in the attempt. Kaltenbrunner witnessed this firsthand in 2010. One of her climbing teammates, Swedish ski mountaineer Fredrik Ericsson, fell over 3,300 feet and perished.

Kaltenbrunner aborted her summit attempt and would not return to the mountain until the following year.

The August 2011 expedition was not marred by tragedy, and Kaltenbrunner reached the top of her final 8,000 meter peak. After successfully descending, she became the second woman ever to summit the world’s 14 tallest mountains, and the first to do so without using supplemental oxygen. Since completing the 8,000 meter peaks, Kaltenbrunner has continued to explore high elevations. She has summited Alaska’s Denali, the highest mountain in North America, and many 6,000 and 7,000-meter peaks in Nepal and Pakistan.

Over her mountaineering

career, Kaltenbrunner has developed a deep fondness for the people of Nepal as well as its landscapes. She works with a German aid organization, Nepalhilfe, which constructs schools and health centers in the nation. On Feb. 24, Kaltenbrunner will describe her journey climbing the 8,000 meter peaks and the value to be gained from defying one’s perceived limits.

The event begins at 6:30pm next Tuesday. Tickets are available through the Wheeler Opera House starting at $35 up to $50 for premium seating. This installment of the Changemaker series is presented in association with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner reached a foresummit of Broad Peak when she was 23, fulfilling a childhood dream. Thirteen years later, she stood atop its highest point — her 10th 8,000-meter summit. Photo by Mike Marolt

High school swimmers conclude season;

JOHN STROUD

Sopris Sun Correspondent

The combined Glenwood Springs Demons girls swim team, which includes student-athletes from Roaring Fork High School, concluded its season with several members representing at the 3A State Swimming and Diving Championships in Thornton Feb. 13-14.

The top individual finisher for the team was sophomore Sylvia Duchscher, who placed fifth in the 100 Freestyle event with a time of 56.05 seconds.

Duchscher also took 10th in the 200 Freestyle (2:06.68), and was a member of two Demons relay teams that made it to state. She was joined by junior Ainsley Taucher, Roaring Fork sophomore Isla Friel and freshman Ellie Rippy in the ninth-place 200 Medley Relay (1:59.67), and by senior Vespera Steiner, junior Mazy McEwan and Rippy in the eighth-place 200 Freestyle Relay (1:47.23).

The 400 Freestyle Relay team of Taucher, Steiner, Friel and sophomore Maya Valean also competed, taking 17th with a time of 4:17.31.

In other individual events, Rippy was ninth in the 50 Freestyle (25.95) and 10th in the 100 Freestyle (57.93); Friel was 13th in the 100 Breaststroke (1:16.26); Valean was 17th in the 500 Freestyle (6:01.43); Taucher was 23rd in the 100 Backstroke (1:10.61); and Steiner was 31st in the 500 Freestyle (28.08). Glenwood Springs finished 10th in the team competition with 139 points.

Also, competing in the Unified Sports division 50 Freestyle, Claire Hadaker from Roaring Fork High School finished third.

State wrestling qualifiers

in Denver this Thursday through Saturday.

Heading to state will be James Opp at 157 pounds, Luca Del Cid at 165 pounds, Herberth Requeno at 190 pounds, and Brooks Ragan at 215 pounds.

The quartet advanced by virtue of their results at the 3A Region 3 qualifying meet in Delta last weekend. There, Del Cid and Ragan placed second, while Opp and Requeno were fourth in their respective weight divisions.

Roaring Fork basketball

After a week off, the Roaring Fork boys and girls basketball teams were back on the court Tuesday night for a non-league matchup at 4A Rifle.

The Lady Rams led from the opening quarter and were victorious, 65-34, to improve to 18-2 overall, while sitting at 9-2 in the 3A Western Slope League.

“We started out with strong defense and got into our groove with our press, and were able to run them down quick and get ahead,” junior Hazel Jenkins, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds on the night, said afterwards.

“We continued to play hard throughout the game and didn’t let the score dictate how we played. Coach always wants us to play like the score is 0-0, and that’s what we did,” she said, referring to head coach Mike Vidakovich.

Junior Riley Bevington led the way with 32 points and 12 rebounds, and senior Nikki Tardif had nine points and 11 rebounds.

The boys team found themselves down 14-10 after the first 8 minutes of play, before taking the lead and going up 29-21 at halftime. They kept the advantage for a 55-47 win and improved to 17-2 overall (9-0 and in first place in the 3A WSL).

Roaring Fork’s boys came into the second to last week of the regular season ranked No. 8 among 3A teams. If that holds up, the Rams and Carbondale would be awarded one of the eight regional host spots to start the playoffs.

Four Rams scored in double digits, junior Quentin Galbraith with 14, senior Lucas Carballeira with 13, senior Ryder Tezanos with 12, and junior Cole Fenton with 10.

The Roaring Fork girls entered the week ranked 10th, meaning they would need to move up a couple of spots when next week’s final regular season rankings come out in order to host.

The Rams teams host Cedaredge for senior night on Friday, Feb. 20 (5:30pm varsity girls, 7pm varsity boys).

The Glenwood Springs High School 3A state swim meet delegation, front to back: Sylvia Duchscher, Isla Friel, Ellie Rippy, Ainsley Taucher, Mazy McEwan, Maya Valean, Vespera Steiner. Photo courtesy Steve Vanderhoof/GSHS Swimming

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGING

Six to 12 year olds create expressive self portraits using collage at the Basalt Library from 4 to 5pm.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

“Wuthering Heights” screens at the Crystal Theatre tonight, tomorrow and Monday at 7pm and Sunday (captioned) at 3pm.

BINGO in SPANISH MARCH 18

6PM

Fruit

Trees & Shrubs

Pruning and Grafting Series with Vanessa Harmony

Sharpen your tools, learn pruning principles and how to collect scionwood and propagate by grafting.

Saturdays 3/7, 4/4 and 5/2 in Carbondale

Community Ed in Carbondale

OPEN PAINTING STUDIO

Tues, 1:30-4:30pm, 2/17-3/24

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

Tuesdays, 6-8:30pm, 3/3-3/24

BEGINNING SWING DANCE Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 3/4-3/25

HERBAL ENERGETICS

Thursday, 6-8pm, 3/12

PHILOSOPHY FOR

MODERN LIVING with Bo Persiko Tuesdays, 6-7:30pm, 3/17-5/5

AIKIDO TRY IT FOR FREE Tue/Thur, 6-7:30pm, 3/17-5/7

PLEASANT DOGS AND PLEASED OWNERS Tue, 5:30-8:30pm, 3/17 ONLINE

OLYMPICS AT THE CRYSTAL

Catch the men’s freeski halfpipe qualifier (featuring Aspenite Alex Ferreira) re-aired at the Crystal Theatre today at 4:30pm and the women’s 50km cross country ski (featuring El Jebel’s Haley Swirbul) re-aired on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9:45am. No cost!

FIGURE DRAWING

Mike de la Rosa leads a figure drawing class with a live model at The Art Base from 5 to 7pm. Sign up at www.theartbase.org/event

SOPRIS SUN BIRTHDAY

Join The Sopris Sun for its annual Cabin Fever Wine Tasting fundraiser, celebrating 17 years of community-owned journalism with readers, contributors and the community that gives this paper life at the Old Thompson Barn in RVR from 5 to 8pm. Tickets at the door or at www.tinyurl.com/SoprisSunCabinFever

AUTHOR TALK

Local author Cathy O’Connell talks about her new book, “Steep and Deep,” the second in an Aspen mystery series, at Explore Booksellers in Aspen at 5:30pm.

NATURALIST NIGHTS

Wilderness Workshop, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Roaring Fork Audubon welcome avian researcher Dr. Brett Walker to Hallam Lake in Aspen at 6pm. Details at www.aspennature.org

MOONLIGHT RACE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE II Wed, 1:30-3:30pm, 3/18-4/8

PILATES BLEND with Natalie Wed, 9-10am, 3/18-5/6

SCULPTURE Sat, 10am-2pm, 3/21-5/2

EXPLORATIONS IN MIXED WATER MEDIA Mon, 9am-12pm, 3/23-4/27

UKRAINIAN EGG DECORATING Saturday, 10am-3pm, 3/28

BEGINNER OIL PAINTING Tues, 5:30-8:30pm, 3/31-4/28

FUNDRAISING FOR NON-PROFITS Tues, 5:30-8:30pm, 4/7 ONLINE

SWING DANCE - LINDY HOP Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 4/8-4/29

PLANTING A NATIVE MEDICINAL POLLINATOR PARADISE Thursday, 7-8pm, 4/9

Sunlight Mountain Resort hosts an uphill race with long and short course options beginning at 6pm. Registration at www.sunlightmtn.com/event

YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE

Kathy Pike guides “Year of the Fire Horse: Grounding, Guidance and the Spirit of Motion” at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Register at www.tcfhf.org

‘K2’ AT TRTC

Thunder River Theatre continues its run of “K2” this weekend and next with Thursday, Friday and Saturday showings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets at www.thunderrivertheatre.com

BILL’S ROOM

William Macy hosts an evening of songs and stories with musical guests Mack Bailey and Gabrielle Louise at TACAW at 8pm tonight and tomorrow. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

HIMALAYAN CUISINE

Devika Gurung serves up her Nepalese cooking at the Cocoa Club at 6pm.

REDSTONE OPEN MIC

Joy & Wylde in Redstone hosts another open mic night in partnership with the Pitkin County Library from 6 to 8pm.

PAM & DAN

Pam and Dan perform music at Townline Trucks in Carbondale from 6 to 9pm.

RF FENCERS CLUB

STEVE’S GUITARS

Aspiring youth from Colorado College present a two-band concert at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

TYPICAL GHOST

Typical Ghost performs at Rock Island in Snowmass Village at 9pm.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

EXPLORING IN GOUACHE

Dione Holt leads an art class at The Art Base from 9am to 4pm exploring the versatility of gouache. Registration at www.theartbase.org/event

SNOWSHOEING BASICS

REI Co-op in Glenwood Springs offers a snowshoeing basics presentation from noon to 2pm.

ONESIE DAY

McMission Presents invites you to show off your best onesie at Sunlight Mountain Resort with live music and prizes from 1:30 to 4:30pm.

SUCCESS

Lindsay Gurley presents “When Success Changes You,” a workshop for women, at True Nature from 2 to 5pm. Sign up at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

BOOK TALK

Donna Lee Humble presents “Peace Beyond Belief,” her new book, at Barnes & Noble in Glenwood Springs from 2 to 4pm.

‘LADY AND THE TRAMP’ “Lady and the Tramp” screens at the Crystal Theatre today and Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 3pm.

WADE WATERS

Musician Wade Waters performs at Townline Trucks from 6 to 9pm.

CONTRA DANCE

The Wooden Nickel String Band returns for a community contra dance at the Carbondale Community School with caller John Unger at 7:30pm. Beginners can catch a lesson at 7pm.

RE:IMAGINE

DanceAspen presents “re:imagine” at the Wheeler Opera House tonight at 7:30pm and tomorrow at 3pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

STRAY GRASS

Steve’s Guitars welcomes Stray Grass for a bluegrass show at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

GA-20

Jules Gallagher presents a slideshow, each photo telling a story of her life’s spiritual journey, at A Spiritual Center (Room 31 of the Third Street Center) from 10 to 11:30am. A FUND-RAISER BENEFITING: A FUND-RAISER

The Roaring Fork Fencers Club offers a free open house at 610 East 6th Street in Glenwood Springs from 6 to 7:30pm. No experience is necessary; all gear will be provided; all ages are welcome; drop in at any time. Snacks and drinks provided.

GA-20 plays the blues at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22

SNOWSHOE SHUFFLE

Colorado Animal Rescue’s Snowshoe Shuffle takes place at Sunlight Mountain Resort all day beginning at 9am. Find details at www.coloradoanimalrescue.org/events

RETURNING TO OURSELVES

The Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists congregation discusses what a “recovery of spirit” can look like when stress or trauma knocks us off-center from 10am to noon.

A SPIRITUAL CENTER

ART INCORPORATED

The Aspen Art Museum invites elementary-aged children living with a disability to its new interactive program, Art Incorporated, every last Sunday of the month from noon to 2pm. This month, students will explore art through hands-on sensory play. Details at www.aspenartmuseum.org

PUZZLE & PIE NIGHT

Carbondale Rec hosts the fifth annual Puzzle & Pie Night — a jigsaw puzzle race (with pizza) — from 4:30 to 7:30pm. For details, contact bfroelich@carbondaleco.net

BREATHWORK

Alison Alexander guides a trauma-aware breathwork meditation session, courtesy of Pathfinders, at True Nature from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

GOVERNOR FORUM

Indivisible Colorado and the Democratic Women of Colorado co-host a forum featuring Colorado governor candidates Michael Bennet and Phil Weiser over Zoom from 5 to 6:30pm. Registration at www.tinyurl.com/ COgovernors

GREAT AMERICAN CROONERS

Jazz at Lincoln Center presents “Great American Crooners” performing at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23

LAST MONDAY BOOK CLUB

The Glenwood Library invites book lovers to discuss the novel “The Book Club for Troublesome Women” by Marie Bostwick from 2 to 3pm.

ASPIRING PLAYWRIGHTS

Theater Masters presents a showcase of short plays written by Roaring Fork Valley high school students at TACAW at 6pm. RSVP at www.tacaw.org

URBAN LINE DANCERCISE

Dance Initiative offers an Urban Line Dancercise class at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 7:30pm every Monday through May 18.

PLANT-BASED POTLUCK

The Center for Human Flourishing hosts a plant-based whole foods potluck at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8pm.

Magician Doc Eason performs at Club Marble (Marble Distilling) in Carbondale on Thursday, Feb. 19 from 6 to 8pm.

Courtesy photo

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

MENTAL HEALTH

Garfield County Libraries and the Garfield County Public Health Department present a conversation on aging and older mental health from 5 to 6pm at the Glenwood Library and on Zoom. Details at www.bit.ly/ GCPLD-mental-health

VISITING ARTIST

Anderson Ranch in Snowmass presents a lecture with visiting artist Arcmanoro Niles from 4:30 to 5:30pm.

KNITTING CLASS

The Glenwood Springs Library hosts a six-week knitting class every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6pm through March 31. Register by calling 970-945-5958 or emailing tlamee@gcpld.org

CHAMBER MUSIC

The Basalt Library presents chamber music with Flatiron Five and Tonic Winds at 5:30pm.

CHARCOAL NIGHT

The Art Base offers”Hues and Brews,” an expressive figure drawing class where participants take turns as clothed models, from 6 to 8pm.

RAM PARENTS TO BE

Roaring Fork High School invites parents of incoming freshmen for an introduction, with Spanish interpretation provided, from 6 to 7pm. For details, call 970-384-5757

AFRICAN DANCE

Dance to live drumming by the Carbondale Rhythm Collective at the Glenwood Springs Library on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30pm through March 17.

REIMAGINING WATER IN THE WEST

“What the River Knows” and “Save the Farm, Save the Future” screen at the Crystal Theatre followed by a panel discussion with experts regarding the state of the Colorado River Compact at 6:30pm. Tickets at www.tinyurl.com/ ReimagineWater

CHANGEMAKER SERIES

Mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner presents at the Wheeler Opera House in association with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies at 6:30pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

ASPEN CHAPEL GALLERY

The Aspen Chapel Gallery celebrates its 40th anniversary with “40 Years of Art in Aspen,” a mixed-media exhibit featuring more than 40 artists in the Valley. An opening reception takes place today from 4 to 7pm. The show is dedicated to the memory of longtime patron and supporter Susan Marx.

GRIEF COUNSELING

Allison Daily and Robyn Hubbard host “Ask a Grief Counselor” at True Nature from 5:30 to 7pm.

REPOTTING 101

Learn the basics and best practices of repotting plants at the Botany Houseplant Shop from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Registration at www.botanyhouseplantshop.com

HARVEST ROARING FORK

The Garfield County Planning Commission hosts a public meeting regarding the proposed Harvest Roaring Fork planned unit development application at Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley campus at 6pm. Virtual attendance is available. Details at www.garfieldcountyco.gov/ community-development

SCREENAGERS

The Carbondale Library screens “Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition,” a documentary about how tech time impacts kids’ development, at 6pm, followed by a discussion with Amanda Petersen, executive director of FocusedKids.

RF YOUTH ORCHESTRA

The Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra performs a free winter concert at TACAW at 6:30pm.

OPEN MIC

Craft Wellness’ open mic series spotlights Lena Maude beginning at 7pm.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

OPEN STUDIO

The Art Base invites painters to practice their art, with help available from Tish McFee, from 1 to 4pm.

GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB

The Carbondale Library invites kids ages 9 to 12 to discuss the graphic novel “Maxwell Dark: Nightmare Hunter” by Brady Smith from 3:30 to 4:30pm.

BLACKOUT POETRY

Basalt Library leads teens in a poetry exercise erasing, highlighting and transforming existing texts to reveal hidden meaning from 4 to 5pm.

WILD MUSTANGS

Explore the journey of Colorado’s wild mustangs and adoption requirements at the Glenwood Library from 5 to 6pm.

TRIVIA NIGHT

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers hosts trivia night at Carbondale Beer Works from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

FIRE & WATER SPEAKER SERIES

The Middle Colorado Watershed Council kicks off its Fire & Water Speaker Series with award-winning author and hydrologist Robert R. Crifasi presenting at the Hotel Colorado from 6 to 8pm. RSVP at www.midcowatershed.org/events

MICHELLE BUTEAU

Comedian Michelle Buteau performs at the Wheeler Opera House at 7pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

STAND UP AT THE CRYSTAL

The Crystal Theatre hosts an open-mic comedy night at 7:30pm. Comedians can sign up at the door. Snag an advanced ticket at www.tinyurl.com/ CrystalComedy

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Ways of Making: Where astronauts land

MIKE DE LA ROSA

Arts Correspondent

As I sit in Brian Colley’s studio, a small plastic stampede of dinosaur figurines gathers in the corner, suspended above plush eyeball masks and a dim light bulb the size of an adult head. Asked how the dinosaurs play into his art practice, Colley mentions a watercolor series of “Dinosaur Rodeos” he made a few years ago. He remembers thinking at a rodeo event, “This would be more fair if they were riding an animal that could really get you.” We move on to discuss a “Disco Bomb,” an ACME-looking cartoon artillery fully bedazzled. A curious inversion of tactical camo that goes for maximum visibility.

Colley grew up in Dallas, Texas, in an artistically minded household. His father worked in furniture sales and was passionate about the Eames chair variety of modernism. His mother was a music teacher, whose influence on Colley can be seen in the band “Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets,” where, among other instruments, he plays his grandfather’s violin.

Art became unavoidably at the center of his life at Principia College, a small, 500-person liberal arts school in Illinois. He recalls the immersion of multiple three-hour studio sessions each week becoming a habit and a need. Like every art student I’ve ever met, Colley found himself with the credits to graduate in the arts before knowing what he would do with the degree. As he recalls, “I just kept taking art classes until my advisor was like, ‘Um, maybe you should major in art …’”

After graduating and returning to Dallas, the post-college drift mixed with the rocket fuel of a deep experience in art brought about an astronaut theme in Colley’s work. Throughout our conversation, the astronaut held different facets: the space cadet, the armor, the distance from society, the explorer. It can hold both early-career isolation and unbound curiosity. There’s plenty of room out there.

Outside Colley’s studio, one large spacesuit sans helmet drifts aloof, cut on a shaped panel to its exact contour. There

is no background. Nine different helmets orbit around it, on shaped canvases placed on spinners that allow them to face any direction. Each helmet holds a different self-portrait of Colley, the number matching the categories available from the Enneagram personality test. Space way out there and in here merged.

In 2022, Brian had a show at The Art Base with local artist Andrew Roberts-Gray, themed around Godzilla. He explained how the fictional Japanese monster carries complicated historical and existential DNA. Commonly referred to as an allegory for nuclear power in the aftermath of World War II, Godzilla can wield atomic breath as a weapon to level cities and/or defeat other, more

“This grant provides opportunities for us to be out in the community, for everyone to appreciate the wonder of the intellectual and developmental disability population that we serve. Supporting the people who actually live and work here is so important to us.”

-

Sara Sims,

Executive Director

Mountain Valley Developmental Services (MVDS) MVDS empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work independently and inclusively and is a grant recipient of the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund.

The voter supported Healthy Community Fund assists the Pitkin County community by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that provide critical health and human services and community resources.

threatening monsters. Colley referred to his use of the motif as “a mirror of mankind” in its destructive and redemptive potential.

One large Godzilla is a dominant presence in the studio. It is on a shaped panel, with LED lights below, blowing its atomic breath in a wide berth across the room. The constellation of nuclear discharge is made from multiple plexi-cut illustrations of origami cranes. Like the myth of Godzilla, the origami practice of senbazuru — in which folding 1,000 cranes is said to grant a wish — was popularized in Japan after WWII. These two parallel myths are asked to coexist, the atomic breath populated by the individual prayers in each origami crane. Across the room, a large illustration of an origami crane seems to match Godzilla’s size. A new Kaiju that could be an equal friend or foe.

Like many individual cranes accumulating to a larger end, Colley has grown to serve many roles in the art community. He is a host for KDNK’s Express Yourself, doing cultural programming, co-founded the Roaring Fork Drawing Club, which meets every Tuesday, draws for The Sopris Sun (“Unparalleled Universe” — a concept that toys with absurdities persistent across dimensions), and, of course, works with Carbondale Arts managing their gallery. He collaborates with locals and for events like Mountain Fair, designing the 2019 poster, and Bonedale Bike Week in May.

When asked how these roles affect his art practice, he said, “I think supporting other artists is a way for me to be part of a rich cultural community … I think, recently, I’ve come to think of myself as having a relationship with Carbondale.”

Regarding his next foray into the stars, Brian let me know he is one of the artists creating murals for Main Line Social, a restaurant due to open this year. His mission is to transform a bathroom into a galactic portal, complete with a “you are here” signpost near the exit. For an artist concerned with the lonely trials of space travel, this coordinate quietly confirms a place on the map.

I glimpse inside Brian Colley’s studio at Studio for Arts and Works in Carbondale. Photo by Mike de la Rosa

Mountain Sprouts fills a playful niche

RALEIGH BURLEIGH

Sopris Sun Editor

Caregivers have a new place to take children 9 and under for unstructured playtime with others. Better yet, the play cafe has an extensive drink menu with espresso classics, specialties like matcha and chai as well as italian sodas and boba. Mountain Sprouts opened in the La Fontana Plaza on Jan. 19 and had its busiest day yet on Presidents Day, Feb. 16.

Founder Tamarah Howard got the inspiration from her time as a nanny. A coffee connoisseur, Howard often wished for a safe place to take the children where she could enjoy a hot beverage and they could play with friends. The concept of a play cafe occurred, and she later realized such a thing exists in other places, but not the Roaring Fork Valley… yet.

“These are a thing, and we don’t have one here,” Howard remembered thinking. “And then when I have my own kids, this would be a great spot to have.”

Howard enlisted Carolyn Stern, a former teaching colleague, as co-owner. Stern had only recently retired from Two Rivers Community School, but loved the idea and accepted the invitation. “I think the kind of person who opens a play cafe for children, it’s the same reason why you become a teacher,” Stern said. “You’re just devoted to creating a space that helps the community be a better place.”

Connection is at the center of what Mountain Sprouts does. Already, “A lot of

people are exchanging numbers, meeting other parents, kids are making friends,” Howard said. “We’ve had a lot of single parents who have said how amazing it is.”

“Our goal is to be a community place,” added Stern. “We’re listening to parents and what their needs are and then trying to fill the needs.” They aim to schedule times specific age groups can meet. Also, groupings could be organized for single parents and parents of only-children.

Unlike a daycare, kids can’t just be dropped off at Mountain Sprouts. They must be accompanied by a guardian. The daily rate for a child is $22, then $18 per sibling. They are welcome to leave and return the same day at no additional cost. Punch passes are offered with a discount, as well as monthly memberships with perks like a one-day voucher gift for a friend and drop-off movie nights. Eventually Mountain Sprouts would like to expand its capacity to offer more drop-off style situations.

The play space is active, with monkey bars over a foam pit, a climbing wall, a balance beam and slide; as well as costume props for imaginative play. The infant area is gated and separate from the rest of the play area, with soft surfaces and interactive toys designed for that stage of development. Events, like craft, music and yoga classes, are offered regularly. The play cafe is available for birthday party rentals on Saturdays, too.

For party rentals, Mountain Sprouts can do the decorating according to a chosen theme, or allow hosts to decorate

themselves. For example, Howard and Stern were preparing for an upcoming “monster trucks” theme following a “Valentine’s” theme the previous weekend. Stern emphasized the importance of providing a safe space for young children to party with their friends. Cakes and cupcakes for the parties are baked by Carbondale’s 3 B’s Bakery, and outside food is always welcome in the cafe area.

Mountain Sprouts isn’t just serving drip; the cafe experience has been refined with as much intention as the play space. Stern brings a knack for making ceremonial matcha, single-batch chai and cacao, while Howard has traditional barista experience. Comfortable seating and ample counter space provide patrons with a place to work from a laptop while their children play, or

to chat with other parents and caregivers. However, anyone craving a boba or chai or any other item on the menu is welcome to stop in. It’s not required to bring a child in order to enjoy a drink.

“We both love kids so much,” Stern concluded. “This is so fun. It’s like the best job ever to watch these kids play together.”

Mountain Sprouts is open from 8am to 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; from 9am to 6pm on Tuesday, Thursday; from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Saturdays are reserved for private events. You can stay abreast of happenings by following Mountain Sprouts on Instagram or Facebook, or by joining the newsletter at www.mountainsproutsplaycafe.com

The foam pit is a favorite feature at Mountain Sprouts. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

The Buddy Program: Hitting marks and other fortunate events

ALISON OSIUS Sopris Sun Correspondent

Rafael, 11, tipped his head, stared at a spot on a massive elk target, its rack curving skyward, in a stand of trees. He drew his bow, intent, and released an arrow. Thwack.

“That was a perfect shot,” Mike said. My husband, Mike Benge, and his friend Franz Froelicher were walking courses with Rafael Gonzalez, who was here for the first time at the Colorado Traditional Archery Shoot (CTAS), all shooting at life-sized synthetic turkeys, deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and bear. Also, a jackalope.

As we moved on marked trails from one target to another, Rafael kept shooting quietly and accurately, his composure only ruffled when Mike belatedly realized they were allowed not just one but two turns on this course, to hand in their best scores.

“I didn’t know,” Mike mourned.

Rafael’s eyes widened. “Let’s go!” he said. The two darted off for a high-speed repeat of the course, about a half mile through forested land in the Flat Tops above New Castle, in the remaining 30 minutes before deadline.

Not an archer myself, I have gone to the shoot here and there over the years, when Mike’s and my sons were small and shot pliant little bows at the children’s

dinosaur course. Later they cranked along the long courses among a gang of parents and friends, and lined up to shoot at plastic bags of water rigged to dump water balloons on the dads’ (in our case) heads.

On this June day nearly four years ago, by the time Mike and Rafael returned breathless, it had been a lot of hot, dusty hours in the high-altitude sun. We’d brought snacks but not dinner. The awards ceremony was two hours away.

“If he won a trophy, I could contact them and have it mailed to us later,” Mike mused.

“Hang on,” I suggested, figuring I’d see if I could find anything out. I trekked over to registration, peered around, and eventually glimpsed a clipboard with results for boys aged 8 to 11.

I hurried back to where Mike waited and whispered, “We can’t leave.”

•••

“Describe a turning point in your life” is a standard writing-class assignment, and a good one. Nine years ago, as an adjunct instructor, I asked that of a writing class at CMC Spring Valley, and still remember what several of my students wrote about.

One was Ladibel, a quiet and polite youth who sat in the front row on my left. He listened, handed in every paper. Ladibel, who had grown up in Basalt,

wrote that a major life event came in third grade when a 15-year-old boy became his Big Buddy. Age 8, Ladibel marveled that someone outside of his family chose to spend time with him. The experience was so illuminating that in high school, he said, “I did the same thing. I was a Big Buddy.”

Our younger son, Roy, was also a Big

Buddy in high school, as much to a small flock of kids as his assigned third-grader, Colter. Each week Roy walked a few blocks from Roaring Fork High School to the town elementary school, and they talked about football, and headed out to the playground to throw a football, and all Colter’s friends ambled along and threw too.

continued on page 19

Act Now Before Peripheral Neuropathy Redefines Your Days

Don’t let burning, tingling, and numbness steal ease and joy from your life.

Living in the Roaring Fork Valley means living in motion. Our community includes skiers in their 70s who still chase powder mornings, gardeners who coax life out of the high-desert soil, musicians who rehearse late into the evening, ranchers waking before dawn to move their herd to summer pastures. Whether it's nerve damage from chemotherapy, diabetes, or other causes, when neuropathy takes hold, it is about more than just discomfort: It's about the impact on identity.

The numbness, tingling, burning, and loss of dexterity in the hands or feet touches the activities that make a life feel rich and full. For some, it shows up as a missed foothold on a trail or the dropped guitar pick. For others, it’s the new frustration while tying a fly, holding a paintbrush, buttoning a shirt, or stepping into ski boots. Some describe it as stepping on pebbles during yoga; others as buzzing, restless sensations interrupting the quiet hours of the night.

up on projects, or even feeling less confident behind the wheel.

Neuropathy isn’t just a medical condition; it can be the slow erosion of everyday freedom.

up on projects, or even feeling less confident behind the wheel. Neuropathy isn’t just a medical condition; it can be the slow erosion of everyday freedom.

Many people hear a discouraging message from Western medicine: “Here is your medication to help with discomfort, there’s nothing more we can do.” While neuropathy is complex and challenging, the nervous system is not static. It retains the capacity to change, adapt, and regain function, especially when supported with consistent, thoughtful treatment. Medications can help with pain, but standard treatment does not improve nerve conduction or repair. Side effects like sedation, fogginess, physical dependence, rebound pain, and digestive issues can interfere with the very activities people are trying to return to.

A Clear Path to Relief

therapies. This includes: noninvasive ATP Resonance BioTherapy® to support healthy cell energy production, researchsupported acupuncture protocols to promote nerve signaling and repair, and manual therapy to improve circulation and decrease hyper-sensitivity. Unlike conventional methods, these treatments help relieve pain and discomfort, reduce inflammation, and repair damaged nerves.

“People seek my support because they want more from their care,” says Mishe Skenderova, clinician and owner of Zelena Medicine. “They know how precious each day is, and want to keep creating, hiking with friends, playing their instrument, dancing at weddings and showing up for those they love.”

What people experience with treatment

dropping things like my car keys because my fingers just didn’t feel right. Treatment helped me have more control over my day to day. It’s such a relief.”

“Before, I used to wake up with pain in my feet all the time. I was crabby and foggy from so little sleep. I wasn’t sure about acupuncture but after a few weeks I noticed I was sleeping so much better.”

If neuropathy has reshaped the way you move or participate in the life you love, you have options.

Reclaim the activities that make your life feel like yours.

Book a consultation with Zelena Medicine and find out if this approach is right for you

a from meaningful activities, giving

Symptoms result in pulling back from meaningful activities, giving

If you’re tired of pain keeping you up at night, frustrated by the loss of sensation that limits the activities you love and need, don’t wait. Zelena Medicine’s approach goes beyond managing symptoms to treat the underlying damage using a targeted combination of

“I love hiking, but because of my neuropathy I kept feeling like my socks were getting wrinkled and balled up inside my shoes. It was kind of painful and very frustrating. Treatment got me back on my favorite trails, and I no longer worry about tripping and getting hurt.”

“I had more and more trouble with the buttons on my shirt. I was

Mishe Skenderova LAc, MSOM

Skenderova

Mishe Skenderova

Mishe Skenderova LAc, MSOM

Mike Benge and Rafael Gonzalez on course at the 2022 Colorado Traditional Archery Shoot (CTAS) in the Flat Tops. Photo by Alison Osius

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What happened to the baby boomers?

Born in 1949, I’m a proud member of the baby boomers. You know, the generation that’s responsible for the biggest population explosion in this country in the 20th century as the World War II soldiers came home and found making love was a lot more fun than making war.

OPINION

VIEW FROM THE THERAPY POOL

By Fred Malo Jr.

We brought on the dawning of the Age of Aquarius when harmony, understanding, sympathy, empathy, trust, higher consciousness, alternative lifestyles, equality and globalism abounded. Actually, many astrologists say the Age of Aquarius is starting now.

“Peace, love, dope,” is how author Terence Mann, played by James Earl Jones in the film “Field of Dreams” described the ‘60s. Well, what’s left of that? The world is no more at peace than it was back then, love is in scarce supply, but there’s plenty of dope to get our minds off it as 40 states have legalized medical marijuana and recreational use has been approved in 24.

The common perception at the time was that we were all hippies or left-wing radicals. You know how to tell the difference, don’t you? When confronted by a national guardsman, the left-wing radical jumps in his face and shouts, “Shoot me, mother f-er.” The hippie gently places a flower in the guardsman’s gun barrel and gives him the peace sign.

I look around today at what’s left of the boomers and I don’t recognize them. Donald Trump carried the demographic in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Our blood red Garfield County commissioners are all in their 70s. Did all the hippies and left-wing radicals get married, raise a family and acquire some restrictive sense of responsibility?

To tell the truth, I think the boomers were a misunderstood generation to begin with and a lot more similar to the Greatest Generation, the survivors of the Great Depression and World War II, than they’d like to believe.

After a poor showing with the boomers in 1968, Richard Nixon improved dramatically with the under 30 crowd in 1972. I was in college in Indiana at the time and my party, the Progressive Reform Party, took control of student government, but only because the frat rat parties, Impact and Action, split the straight vote.

I went to the antiwar protest at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. With me were a couple of high school buddies. One went on to be a midshipman at Annapolis and the other a Libertarian candidate for governor of Iowa.

Looking back, we boomers really had it pretty easy. The Vietnam War and the Great Recession of 2008 were bad, but nothing like World War II or the Great Depression. We’ve always been relatively financially stable. The boomers bought houses at ridiculously low prices, then restricted new development with zoning laws and NIMBY attitudes.

Social Security and Medicare were established with no long-term plan on how to finance them. Quality of life has always been put ahead of quantity.

Yeah, the boomers grew up and lost some of their idealism. That’s a shame, but it’s not all gone and not gone for good. I see plenty of gray heads at local rallies and protests like the recent No Kings demonstrations. And, they’re passing it along. I was greatly inspired by the high school kids at the roundabout with their signs and chanting, “ICE out now.”

Before I get too down on my generation, I should point out perhaps our greatest achievement, rock ‘n’ roll, the finest body of popular music ever produced.

People try to put us d-down

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation

Just because we g-get around

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation

Things they do look awful c-c-cold

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation

Hope I die before I get old

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation -The Who

BLACKSMITH from page 4

some extent, helping people dispose of unwanted firearms, which Mike emphasized is not easily or safely accessible in many places.

As the discussion group went around reflecting on the evening and themes of transformation, Hannah and Martin’s children played nearby with Play-Doh. Moving through forms,

a scorpion-humanoid was completed with a large stinger. Just as soon, its weapon was taken apart, its figure smushed tightly and altogether turned into a bowl. Nearby, another artist with a mold made a dragon into a potato chip (truly). The shifts were casual and unceremonious, as if transformation were the most natural thing in the world.

Chris Roseberry, MD Alexandra Kovar, MD

The plan also proposes establishing tiers of communication. Suggested categories are: tier one, routine communications; tier two, communications requiring CEO approval; tier three, communications requiring board approval.

Badesch shared a few examples of relevant legislation. The first is a federal bill that’s been stalled in a House of Representative’s committee since last year. The Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act (HR-4924) could affect rail corridor management if passed. Based on its status ,the bill falls under the tier one category, but should it become active on the federal level again it would be escalated to tier three.

Another example is Proposition 175, which some Coloradans are working to get on the November 2026 ballot and would increase funding for road transportation infrastructure while reducing funding for public transportation. If the proposition makes it onto the ballot and is passed, it would amend the state constitution. While also classified as a tier one communication issue currently, RFTA is closely monitoring the status of the proposition.

from page 9

Most of the relinquished pets came from Glenwood Springs in 2025. Carbondale was second on the list. More than 600 animals were adopted. Ten were euthanized, half for behavioral problems. “These are animals that we deemed not safe enough to put out into the community,” he explained. “It is a terribly hard decision to make but we know that sometimes it’s not worth the risk.”

Boyd explained a new, grant-funded training program that helps keep dogs with their owners. “This [serves] a combination of dogs that have been adopted from CARE that need support staying in their home, and dogs that are at risk of being surrendered to the shelter,” he said. The grant provides for up to three free sessions per animal.

CARE provides spay and neuter vouchers. The pet food bank gave out 11,000 pounds of food in 2025

BUDDY from page 17

I have no direct experience with the Buddy Program, but at least half a dozen friends and sometimes their grown children have participated, and I’ve met dozens of other mentors at get-togethers. My husband, Mike, joined the program four years ago, paired with Rafael, then 11. Rafa is now 15, and though his family moved to Rifle, they still get together. They practice archery, ski (the program provides equipment and passes), fish, hike, climb and play golf (a program in New Castle offers summer instruction and deals for kids).

The Buddy Program, www.buddyprogram.org has been going strong in the Valley for 51 years, with four different mentoring programs and over 600 members from Aspen to Rifle. As I write, it is wrapping an early-year membership drive. To join, Mike had to be interviewed and to submit two reference letters, a rigorous but doable process. The program asks for a year’s involvement. Mike always says, “I’ll stay with it as long as he wants to keep hanging out!” He is extremely proud of what a smart and focused learner Rafael is, and brags about him.

•••

At the shoot, we waited, waited at picnic tables under an awning. Rafael’s mother had given him $20, and Rafael asked Mike if he thought it’d be okay to put it in the raffle for a custom bow. Mike agreed, and got him a second ticket.

When the ceremonies began, the kids’ prizes were first. Third place in the boys’ class was announced. Rafael later told me that upon hearing another name, he thought he’d missed his chance to place. Second place was announced. And then first — Rafael had won. He rose slowly, shocked, walked forward as over 100

After agreeing to proceed with the proposed legislative agenda, the board heard Ravenschlag’s monthly report. He shared a letter of support for Pitkin County Open Space & Trails’ preservation project at the Glassier Farmstead on Hooks Spur Road in Emma. Pitkin County is seeking a History Colorado grant for the project. Ravenschlag also shared a letter of support for the Town of Silt regarding its proposed pedestrian and bicycle overpass, and one for Garfield Clean Energy regarding clean transportation and multimodal improvements.

Ravenschlag closed his report by sharing that RFTA staff is forming a task force to address trail safety with a focus on e-bike management. The task force is finalizing a framework and work plan and will report to the board regularly.

The next board meeting is on March 12 at 8:30am at Carbondale Town Hall. The public can also join online via Microsoft Teams. An agenda will be available at www.rfta.com a week ahead of the meeting.

Why are people so mean?

In my last job I took a required workshop on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. One of the exercises paired me up with a young woman whose parents were born in India, although she’d been born and raised in the States. We were supposed to talk about where we’d grown up. Who did we feel comfortable around? And who not so much?

She grew up in Dallas, Texas. At first, she lived in a neighborhood with a bunch of other brown children. She liked it. Then her parents moved her to a “better school.” She was the only kid with brown skin there.

So she said she felt most comfortable with people who looked like her. She felt least comfortable with (looking at me) old white guys. I said I totally got that.

By Jamie LaRue

through Meals on Wheels, Lift-Up and Food Bank of the Rockies.

Commissioner Perry Will asked Boyd the same questions he posed to Journey Home staff last week about returning work animals to ranchers at no charge. Boyd said that CARE sees a lot of work dogs from Missouri Heights. “Our boarding fee is only $30 a day,” he told the BOCC. “If an animal gets picked up the same day, we don’t charge for that.” He added that CARE tries to keep that cost reasonable.

In other news, the BOCC heard updates from human services, including $1,140,949 in EBT/EFT disbursements for January. Josh Williams of the County’s public health department talked about the importance of mosquito control. An afternoon public hearing about an Xcel Energy laydown yard was cancelled.

I’d grown up north of Chicago, on the shore of Lake Michigan. My mother was consistently kind and competent. My father was often mean and drunk. I was raised on the dividing line between the Black and white parts of town so was definitely aware of race. I’m comfortable with people who are kind. I’m least comfortable with people who are mean. But I didn’t find that one race (or sex, or sexual orientation) was any more likely to be mean than another. Why lower the odds of finding kind folks?

There are lots of things we have no choice about. We can choose to be kind. We can make decisions about our character. Many people choose instead to be mean. They revel in it, even or especially at public meetings. Why?

It could be “the mean world syndrome.” If you spend your days reading and thinking about all the crimes and accidents and illnesses around the globe, then you come to think of life itself as a jungle. You need to be suspicious. You need to strike first.

people clapped and cheered, and returned holding a beautiful etched-stone trophy in both hands.

How many people ever hear a hundred-plus people clapping for us?

I would love to have left, but now we had to wait for the raffle, which was conducted with playing cards passed around. One by one numbers were eliminated, and probably suits and colors. The ousted holders put their cards down onto the tables. Each time Rafael’s card stayed up. The announcer reached the last two cards. Then one was called out, and only the other remained. Rafael looked straight up in disbelief. “That’s mine!”

And so, in an exceptional concatenation of events and amid another great round of applause, he also won a wood-laminate bow, with a wolf totem embedded in the grip, and his name and the initials of all his family members written there as well. The bow was a $700 value, donated by a smiling and respectful craftsperson who discussed specs with Rafael and Mike that night and over the next few months.

Rafael has since gone to the shoot every year, including with his family when Mike was away. He and Mike still practice archery, and Rafael uses the prize bow; the limbs can be replaced as he grows.

Most recently he and Mike have been skiing, at Sunlight and in Aspen. Rafael has improved rapidly, and last weekend skied the black-diamond Olympic Bowl at Aspen Highlands, learning the valuable skill of side slipping if things get difficult.

When they first met, Rafael came up to Mike’s shoulder, and now they are nearly eye to eye. Last week, when Mike asked if he’d like to ski again this week, Rafael said, “Of course.”

Sometimes people are mean because they’re walled off. Most of us start out pretty open to experience. If you get mocked, abused, and generally mistreated physically or emotionally often enough you toughen up. You get numb. Some people are so swaddled in armor they have no idea how much pain they cause others.

It could be projection. There is something about yourself you fear and reject. So you want to stamp it out in others.

Too, sometimes the people so puffed up with righteous indignation are just insecure. They have so little tolerance for ambiguity that any dissent is seen as threatening. They cannot admit they were wrong or their whole self-image shatters.

I have also met some people who seemed to me mean-spirited. I’m always surprised to meet them. And my own armor flares.

But meanness is behavior not identity.

My granddad once told me that you have to have respect to people’s opinions, even if you don’t have any respect for them. It’s a useful distinction. I think the best of people until I can’t, until their own actions demonstrate ill will. I have learned (mostly) not to care about what such people think about me. I stay polite, because that’s how I prefer to conduct myself, but their attacks don’t really wound me. I can come up with plenty of things to judge myself on without their help. Their judgments are never as rough as my own.

Beyond that, I think there is profound value in civility. A little politeness, a little holding to protocol, a little thoughtful adherence to policy, goes a long way to restrain the beast within us.

Garfield County Public Library District

GARCO

INTERVIEWS UNDER EL SOL:

‘Our job is to care for people’

BIANCA GODINA

Sol del Valle

Benito J. Arce Palestina began his career in 2014 as a firefighter in Colorado. He previously volunteered for the Palmer Lake Fire Department, but for almost three years now has served in the Valley. For the past six months, he’s been with Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District. Originally from Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, he came to the United States at age 10 with his parents.

Arce Palestina is a firefighter and paramedic, meaning he is an emergency professional with dual training and advanced certification in both.

His interview with Sol del Valle has been edited for length and clarity.

Who is Benito outside of responding to emergency calls?

I’m a full-time dad, since firefighters work 48 hours on and then have 96 hours off. My wife, Lucy, also works as a firefighter, so we spend a lot of time with our daughter and our four dogs. We enjoy cooking and going hiking.

What is your favorite part about being a firefighter and paramedic?

It started when I realized I could help the Hispanic community, especially those who don’t speak English. I like being able to make a difference as a paramedic. Especially when patients know I speak Spanish, they feel more at ease because they can communicate better and know that I understand them.

What would you like to share with the community?

Helping my community brings me peace. Right now, things are difficult. I encountered a situation when a person

who did not speak English had been experiencing chest pain for a week and did not want to call 911 or seek help because they thought they could be deported. That is not our job. Our job is to care for people. We do not care about immigration status — we are here to help.

Is there an opportunity for others to get involved?

We invite you to learn more about the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District. The culture here is very positive. They want to see you grow as a person and in your career. If

you are interested in becoming a firefighter, we encourage you to apply.

To learn more about available positions and the department, visit www.carbondalefire.org/ employment-opportunities

Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week in Spanish.

Carbondale Fire team members (left to right) Ryan Marostica, Ashley Buss Greene, Benito Arce Palestina, Shane Welsh, Cristina Akers and Lida Most. Photo by Bianca Godina

Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com

Soul Glimmers: Crossing Borders with the Heart

Maira Hernández

The original poem in Spanish is on the right.

I arrived in a strange place, with streets that spoke another language, with faces that did not recognize my story, and with a sky larger than any dream I had ever had.

Loneliness wrapped its arms tightly around me, fear bit into every step, and the cold of uncertainty crept into my bones.

But there was light, too, small gestures of kindness

that reminded me I could still plant something new in this unfamiliar soil.

Every hard job, every obstacle, every held-back tear became a brick for the home built inside me.

And although my childhood still whispers to me of pain and lack, I learned that the heart is stronger than any border, and that freedom is measured by the courage to keep going, even when everything seems impossible.

Just Imagine …

By Nancy Bo Flood Four Mile

“The world of imagination is the world of eternity.” - William Blake

First, I frowned. Then I began to think about it and let the walls of “no way” crumble. Instead, just imagine.

Science fiction is about impossibilities, but then those impossibilities become real. Science fiction writers follow the trajectory of scientific events and carry it beyond today into their imagined future. When I was in graduate school, one single computer took up two entire floors of a university building. We laughed about the possibilities of having a computer in our office and another in our home. It never occurred to any of us that we might have a computer in our car, around our wrist, or in our shirt pocket … And several at home! Just imagine.

But eternity? What did Blake mean: “The world of imagination is the world of eternity”? I’m still pondering that statement. But I’m not dismissing it. Einstein

implied something similar when he stated that imagination was more important than any skill or ability. John Lennon sang about our world and humanity and imagining what is possible. Imagine peace.

Perhaps we need to write more from our imagination. I’ve been having fun lately writing preposterous poems … power of imagination. As I continue these wonderings and wanderings and cope with the ups and downs of life, of our world, I try not to despair. I imagine. Poetry can help us go beyond sadness, grief, cynicism, and imagine what is possible. To imagine something is the first step towards making it happen.

William Blake has something more to say:

“Imagination is not a state: It is human existence itself.”

While you think about that, listen to John Lennon: www.youtube. com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8

Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com

Destellos del alma: Cruzar fronteras con el corazón

Maira Hernández, Glenwood Springs

Llegué a un lugar extraño, con calles que hablaban otro idioma, con rostros que no reconocían mi historia y con un cielo más grande que cualquier sueño que hubiera tenido.

La soledad me abrazó con fuerza, el miedo mordía cada paso y el frío de la incertidumbre se colaba entre mis huesos.

Pero también había luz, pequeños gestos de amabilidad que me recordaban que aún podía sembrar algo nuevo en este suelo extraño.

Cada trabajo duro, cada obstáculo, cada lágrima contenida se convirtió en ladrillo para la casa que construyó dentro de mí.

Y aunque mi niñez aún me susurra el dolor y la carencia, aprendí que el corazón es más fuerte que cualquier frontera y que la libertad se mide en la valentía de seguir, incluso cuando todo parece imposible.

Deep down a rabbit hole, QAnon discovered that a cabal of uber-wealthy child molesters allied with the Deep State trafficked children and occasion-

While dining on children might seem far-fetched, the idea that certain elites enjoy a life of privilege far beyond the law has been borne out by the release of the Epstein files. Jeffrey Epstein is no longer with us, but his socialite partner Ghislaine Maxwell got 20 years for luring teenage girls and grooming them for sex with powerful friends of Epstein. She’s no ordinary prisoner, however. Following a meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, she was transferred from a Florida jail to a more accommodating “Club Fed” facility in Texas, where she gets custom meals, private workouts, and a puppy.

Alas, her jail spa still doesn’t suit her. What she really wants is a presidential pardon. Then she’d be happy to spill her guts about Bill Gates and the various presidents and princes who curried favor with Epstein. She promises to tell

Despite having already pardoned any number of convicted cop beaters, drug lords, and big-time swindlers, President

Confidant of global leaders and captains of industry, Epstein held the keys to the kingdom. Some took their sport with Maxwell’s teenie boppers on Epstein’s private Caribbean island. While their names are largely redacted from the files, the victims they preyed

After all this, no prosecutions appear forthcoming. The DOJ says it’s time to move on. Can you say “Deep State?”

New Castle

This morning I watched a tape of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) giving the annual report estimate of the country’s economic picture. Trump campaigned saying he would raise the economy, stop inflation, and stop the annual budget deficit. CBO projects that the 2026 deficit will be $1.9 trillion this year and will increase to an annual amount of $3.1 trillion by 2036. The current total national debt is $38.7 trillion (www.usdebtclock.org ). By the end of year, it will be around $41 trillion.

We were warned about the large deficit from the “big” bill created by Trump supporters. More expenses and reduced taxes on the wealthy and big business. The increasing annual deficits are also driven in large part by increasing interest payments on the debt. And less confidence in the dollar means paying higher interest on government bonds.

The annual inflation rate for 2025 was 2.6%, down from 2.9% for 2024.

But today’s dollars do not buy as much as they did. A purchase of $1.00 in 2016 now requires $1.34. That is a loss of 34.1%. I’m retired. Inflation kills my savings. Social security increases but not enough. Several states have increased their minimum wages. Some states never have. Red states, of course.

The economy is projected by the CBO to stay about the same as it is now. But consider the effects of taking hundreds of thousands of working people out of jobs by deporting them.

“Examples of occupations in which immigrants play a crucial role include farm labor, meatpacking and other food processing, and construction. Foreignborn workers also play crucial roles in providing health care” (Paul Krugman). We are already short of people in health care and construction. Who will process the food? Prices will rise.

CBO does not present a rosy picture and Trump’s campaign promises are not coming true.

Patrick Hunter Carbondale

Un-American

My husband and I were very much looking forward to Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s presentation of “Les Ballets Africains” by the national dance company of Guinea scheduled for Feb. 12. We bought our tickets early and even splurged on good seats.

We were terribly disappointed when our tickets were refunded and wondered if perhaps illness was responsible for the cancellation of the performance. It turns out that the dancers’ visas were revoked at the last minute by the Trump administration under the guise of “protecting our nation and its citizens.”

Excuse me, from what are we being protected? Supporting an internationally acclaimed dance troupe and enjoying a wonderful cultural experience?

Please join me in notifying our representatives in Congress that the current administration’s policies of political and cultural retribution are reprehensible and un-American.

Annette Roberts-Gray Carbondale

Gratitude

The Cornerstone Christian School would like to thank and express our appreciation to Brian Leasure of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty for facilitating our use of the RVR Old Thompson Barn for our annual Valentine Sweetheart Dance. It enabled our students and their families to enjoy a special and enjoyable dinner and dance. A great family time was had by all. Thanks again.

Kathy Whiting Principal Cornerstone Christian School

LETTERS POLICY: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please, no smearing, cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.

TOWN OF CARBONDALE

511 Colorado Avenue Carbondale, CO 81623 www.carbondalegov.org (970 963-2733Fax: (970) 963-9140

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission for the purpose of considering Accessory Dwelling Units (“ADU”) text amendments to the Unified Development Code (“UDC” and Title 17 of the Carbondale Municipal Code). The proposed text amendments would consider amendments to modify requirements related to ADUs outlined in UDC Section 4.4.4.A, Additional Standards for Specific Accessory Uses and Structures; Accessory Dwelling Units

Applicant: Town of Carbondale

Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO beginning at 6:00 p.m. on March 10, 2026

Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday The application may also be viewed on the Town’s website at: https://carbondalegov.org/departments/planning/current_land_use_applications.php

If you would like to submit comments regarding this application, please send them via email to jbarnes@carbondaleco.net by 5:00 pm on March 10, 2025. After 5:00 pm on March 10, members of the public are welcome to bring written comments to the hearing or speak during the public comment period.

If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Jared Barnes, Planning Director, at 970-510-1208.

: Published in The Sopris Sun on February 19, 2026

Local tykes and their caregivers fashioned valentines at Raising a Reader’s Bolsitas Rojas offering at the Carbondale Library last week. Children 5 and under, not yet enrolled in school, can enjoy a weekly hour of storytime, activities and snacks, all led in Spanish with brain development and social skills in mind. Bolsitas Rojas is offered every Monday at the Silt Library at 10:30am; every Tuesday at the Basalt Library at 10:30am; every Wednesday at the Carbondale Library at 10am, Glenwood Library at 10:30am and CMC Spring Valley at noon; every Thursday at the Parachute Library at 10:30am; every Friday at the New Castle Library at 10am.

by April Crow Spaulding

LEGAL NOTICES

TOWN OF CARBONDALE

REQUEST FOR BIDS - 2026 CHIP SEAL PROGRAM

The Town of Carbondale is accepting bids from qualified local contractors to perform work on the 2026 Chip Seal program. Sealed bids will be received until 11:00 am February 26, 2026, by the Town of Carbondale, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado 81623, at which time the bids will be opened and read aloud. Specifications and contract documents can be found on the Town of Carbondale website, or at Town Hall. Work on this project cannot begin prior to May 18, 2026, and must be complete by June 30, 2026. No chip seal work will be allowed on residential roads on Tuesdays as Tuesdays are residential trash and recycling collection days.

The Chip Seal Program consists of applying asphaltic binder and aggregate meeting CDOT No. 8 specifications on approximately 51,470 square yards of street surface. An alternate bid is also included for sealing approximately 2,395 square yards of pavement at the town’s wastewater treatment plant. All work shall meet, at a minimum, the Town of Carbondale Chip Seal Surfacing Specifications. A list of the streets

scheduled to be chip sealed are included (see Street Listing). The Town has a limited budget for the 2026 Chip Seal program and therefore reserves the right to adjust the quantities to fit within the financial limits of the program based on the bids received. The listed square yard measurements are estimates for bidding purposes only and the final square yardage will be determined at the end of the project.

The successful bidder will be expected to enter into an Agreement for Professional Services with the Town (see attached Agreement). Bids shall be submitted on the bid form attached to the request for proposals.

Published in The Sopris Sun on February 19, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Public Notice is given on January 29, 2026 that a Petition for a Change of Name has been filed with the Eagle County Court. The petition requests the name of Andrea Pellegrini Olson be changed to Andrea Elizabeth Pellegrini. Case Number 26C1. Publication dates February 12, 19, 26 of 2026.

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