Carbondale is a very special place. My husband, Dave, and I moved here as newlyweds over 32 years ago looking for a more affordable housing option than our basement apartment in Aspen. As we grew our family to welcome our daughter, Elizabeth, and our son, Zack, we experienced the bond of Carbondale’s community through the myriad of activities available in our schools and athletic and artistic organizations.
I’ve worked at most of the Roaring Fork Valley’s newspapers over the years, including the Aspen Daily News, Glenwood Springs Post Independent and the Valley Journal (VJ). When the VJ was shut down in December 2008, I felt the severe loss of our local rag. When The Sopris Sun rose onto the scene, I jumped at the chance to design for the new nonprofit gem.
I had the honor to hold the position of graphic designer for the first 10 years of The Sopris Sun. In addition to keeping the community informed of local news, we carried on some traditions of the VJ such as the annual Mother’s Day special issue where new mothers and their babies grace the pages of the paper. We also featured the annual Christmas cover contest for our local young artists to know the excitement of seeing their work get published.
Lee Beck, Roger Berliner, Elizabeth Phillips, Jesse Rochel, Andrew Travers and Anna Huntington.
I am grateful to the artists who designed the pages of The Sun over the past five years: Ylice Golden, navigating through COVID and creating systems for remote work, and Hattie Rensberry, assisting the past couple of years while also holding down the news desk at KDNK. A special thanks to Will Grandbois who has always been willing to lend a hand with his writing, photography and design talents.
For The Sopris Sun’s 10th anniversary, I designed and created a line of newspaper garments seen in Carbondale Arts’ Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza. The theme was “Wizard of Oz” and with help from volunteers to cut, curl, weave, roll and sew, we created costumes for Dorothy, Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Scarecrow, Lion and the Tin Man — all highlighted on the stage in 2019.
After the paper’s 10th anniversary I felt a need to expand my professional knowledge and moved onto the graphic design position at Gran Farnum Fine Printing in Glenwood Springs. In that time I joined The Sopris Sun board to provide a staff and historical perspective. I also worked on the fundraising committee to expand and refine the outreach in our fall appeal mailings in addition to creating the 2020 and 2021 annual reports. I was honored to work with hardworking board members Kay Clarke, Gayle Wells, Donna Dayton, Klaus Kocher, Linda Criswell, Eric Smith, Meghan Tackett,
CORRECTIONS: In a photo included in last week’s coverage of the Thompson Divide, Lea Linse holds up a Post Independent article from 2013, not 2023. Regarding the Spring Valley Ranch development, Kathleen Wanatowicz stated that “80-90% of the homes will be second homes,” not 86%.
A time to celebrate
Years ago, when natural gas drilling was heating up in Dry Hollow south of Silt, and Peggy Utesch and the late Carol Bell were organizing against it, I interviewed Peggy on KDNK Community Access Radio. Afterwards, we stood in the hallway at the station and she said, “Be prepared. It’s going to happen here.”
I didn’t know about the threat to the Thompson Divide then, and couldn’t imagine the countryside around Carbondale bristling with gas rigs like what happened to the western end of Garfield County. But, sure enough, energy companies began to sniff out the Thompson Divide and things got scary.
Now, that beautiful place is protected, for the next 20 years, from new gas and mineral leasing, thanks to a collaboration of community members from all walks of life that can only be described as amazing.
I covered some of it for KDNK, in
Now, as this paper has entered its 15th year, I am honored to be back as lead editorial designer. I’m so excited to be working with our incredible staff, contributors, board members and volunteers. Our editor, Raleigh Burleigh, in addition to keeping our readers informed and engaged, continues to be a conduit for innovation by implementing el Sol del Valle, our youth journalism program and Works in Progress. James Steindler, contributing editor, crafts his stories from the heart and a place of curiosity, sharing important knowledge both in print and online with his weekly email blasts. Todd Chamberlin keeps this nonprofit thriving with his expertise in ad sales and in his role as executive director. Lee Beck who not only serves on the board but also works tirelessly along with a team of proofreaders — Tracy Kallassy, Ken Pletcher and Hank van Berlo — to keep the paper free of misspellings and grammatical errors. Emily Blong continues to promote local businesses with her creative advertising designs. I look forward to designing beautiful pages with our new el Sol del Valle editor, Bianca Godina, and our many incredible contributing writers, photographers and artists.
You may notice some changes to our design this week and in the weeks to come. I have refreshed some of our typography and design elements to give a little flair. I chose a modern yet playful font with its high-contrast strokes and serifs for the headlines. The body copy is easy to read and provides a good variety of style and weights which contrast well to differentiate the fonts used in bylines and cutlines. I hope you enjoy these changes. As I click my heels and layout this new issue in my hometown, I can’t help but feel there’s no place like home.
the air with Ecoflight and interviewing ranchers, environmentalists, anglers, government officials and many more, all of whom had their own reasons for loving that place. So, I want to thank all of you, from Wilderness Workshop to the Thompson Divide Coalition to the ranchers and everyone who made this convoluted process work, for the sense of safety that comes from knowing a beloved landscape will remain whole. It’s been a long road and we haven’t reached the end of it yet, but for now, let’s celebrate.
Amy Hadden Marsh Cattle Creek WatershedStory tips?
I’m trying to put together a history of the big dog park (AKA the Delaney dog park) and am looking for info from any and all sources. So far, I’ve learned:
• Carbondale apparently acquired the land when it bought the property for the water treatment plant;
• I think the property was previously owned by either the late Bob Delaney or Mid-Continent Resources;
• The parcel became a defacto dog park after some residents started using the property for that purpose;
• At some point during a town trustee
meeting, a trustee asked why dogs were being allowed to run around off leash on the property. One trustee passed a motion to allow off-leash dogs on the property. There were four dog owners on the board at the time.
• The Town made a master plan for the property, officially named the Carbondale Nature Park
• And I think I read the land is Carbondale’s most used park. Any scrap of info could prove useful. For instance, who owns the irrigation ditch that runs through the park? Anecdotes are welcome. You can email info to me at lynnburtonn679@gmail.com I hope to spin this into a Sopris Sun article at some point.
Lynn “Jake” Burton Glenwood SpringsLETTERS 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 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.
Bohmfalk
Kathy & Carter Barger
Sandy & Paul Chamberlin
Karen & Roger Berliner
Gretchen Greenwood & Lee Mulcahy
Donna & Ken Riley
Gayle & Dick Wells
Legacy Givers for including us in their final wishes.
Mary Lilly
RJ Paddywacks
Cool Bricks Studio
White River Books
Alpine Animal Hospital
Aspen Valley Hospital
Mid-Valley Storage
Colorado Mountain College
Hillary Porterfield
Jaime Maybon
All Creatures Veterinary Care Carbondale Rotary
Basalt Library
Colorado Animal Rescue Carbondale Arts
Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner in 2024?
Email Todd@soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866
Principal Hentschel
Longtime Roaring Fork Valley educator
Lindsay Hentschel was announced as the next Roaring Fork High School principal beginning this July. Hentschel holds a master’s degree in educational leadership, a graduate certificate in restorative practices and a bachelor’s degree in English education. Expect a full article in next week’s Sun!
Sole finalist Gianneschi
The Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees announced on April 15 that Dr. Matt Gianneschi, the college’s current chief operating officer, is the sole finalist for the next president and chief executive officer position. Gianneschi served alongside Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser for 10 years. The position was open for applications internally from March 27 to April 5, during which time a survey was circulated in English and Spanish soliciting community feedback.
Communal baking
A new season of picnics at the Carbondale Community Oven begins this Thursday, April 18 behind the Third Street Center. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share as well as their own eating utensils (a plate, fork, cup, etc.). You may also bring a sugarless yeast dough to pop in the oven at 5:30pm. The potluck will begin around 6:15pm.
Carbondale residents who irrigate their grass with town water are eligible for the Residential Turf Buy-Back Program. Get cash for grass this spring by converting your lawn to a native, low-water and pollinator-friendly landscape. The Town will pay $2 per square foot of irrigated turf removed. Applications are available at Town Hall or www.beefriendlycarbondale.com
A spruce tree near the east property line of the Carbondale Pool will be removed this Friday, April 19. According to a press release, the tree was scheduled for removal during the demolition phase of the pool, but the likelihood of damage to the root mass during the Forest Service’s redevelopment project has prompted the Town to act swift “to avoid potential of the tree falling into the Main Street rightof-way which could result in property damage or injuries.”
CARE has 13 dog available for adoption
Is this the oldest dog in Carbondale? Jumbo Cernonok, pictured here wearing his birthday crown, turned 133 in dog
The Roaring Fork Pickleball Association is offering beginner lessons in Carbondale for those interested in learning the sport. Lessons are Monday and Wednesday for one week: April 29 and May 1 or May 6 and May 8. Both weeks include two time options: 9 to 10:30am or 10:30am to noon. All equipment is provided and a $20 drop-in fee can be applied toward club membership dues. For more details, email nettmarkham@aol.com with “Pickleball lesson” in the subject line.
The Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District recently announced that it will distribute $2,432,000 in grants to go toward various municipal and special district projects within the county. Exactly $2,250,000 was awarded through its Traditional Grant Program, including $500,000
earmarked for the construction of Carbondale’s aquatics facility. The remaining $182,000 was awarded through its Mini Grant Program, with disbursements of up to $25,000 going to eight entities west of Glenwood Springs.
They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Stephanie Schilling and Hadley Hentschel (April 18); Francisco Nevarez-Burgueno, Deborah Colley, Karen Dixon, Leslie Emerson, Jill and Alleghany Meadows, Louie Neil and James Surls (April 19); Julie Bomersback, Jack Bergstrom, Jared Carlson, April Clark and Molly Jacober (April 20); Renae Gustine and Shannon Muse (April 21); Sage Dawson, Fred Malo, Kameron Miranda and Mendo Will (April 22); Rosemary Dewers (April 23); Enrique Abarca, Dick Gibson and Holly Tullar (April 24).
RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive families, including a “Paws for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount
RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive including a “Paws for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount for your new pet
Yuki is large and lovable! This angelic 8-year-old Great Pyrenees girl is so gentle and affectionate- she’ll melt your heart and never leave your side! 400 Rd. # Next City in El Jebel
9 7 0 rjpaddywacks.com
In 2017, the Town of Carbondale adopted the goal to achieve a 100% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050.
While that may sound ambitious, Carbondale is steadily taking steps toward carbon neutrality, with the next right beneath our feet.
Carbondale’s Third Street Center is already an epicenter for binding sustainability and community, with its solar array producing over 100% of its energy needs every year. However, the building isn’t quite net-zero. While the building may keep its lights on with solar, the heating still comes from natural gas. That’s why on April 24, the Center will host an open house for its proposed geothermal heating project, which aims to provide sustainable heating and cooling for the Center itself as well as a 16acre district encompassing the Carbondale Library, Bridges High School, and townhomes on 2nd Street.
Titled “Heat Beneath Our Feet,” the free event will begin as a closed workshop available to industry professionals before transitioning to a family-friendly
open house. Both the workshop and the open house will be led by the Carbondale Community Geothermal Coalition (CCGC), which includes the Town of Carbondale, Roaring Fork School District, Carbondale Library and Third Street Center-based sustainability nonprofit Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER).
While the CCGC was formally created to apply for a Department of Energy grant — which awarded $716,000 toward an ongoing geothermal feasibility study in November of 2023 —
the parties which comprise the CCGC have been working in tandem since 2018.
In 2018, the Carbondale Board of Trustees asked CLEER to explore the possibility of creating a Zero Energy District (ZED) in Carbondale.
A ZED can both drive down unit costs for energy and infrastructure, as well as provide benefits to buildings which may not be able to independently achieve net-zero status due to constraints of their structure or property size.
After some exploration, CLEER
proposed the aforementioned 16-acre district as a site for the creation of a ZED.
This project isn’t like what most people think of when they hear “geothermal,” which might look like a single deep borehole all the way down to magma. Instead, the project will utilize a much more common and easily accessible resource: the ambient temperature of the ground.
Soil maintains a relatively cool and constant temperature, which is why in the olden days, food was preserved in underground cellars. Groundsource heat pumps can tap into that ambient temperature and harness the earth’s thermal mass: in the summertime, excess building heat can be pumped into the ground where it will dissipate, and conversely, heat can be drawn out of the earth and pumped into buildings in the wintertime. This is performed using a network of underground water pipes as well as a field of narrow boreholes which, once installed, will be invisible on the surface.
Not only is this sort of system cheaper for individual buildings, it’s also easily expandable: just dig more holes
and connect more pipes.
The goal of the project is to construct a community thermal energy network which would not only provide Carbondale with an expandable source of efficient heating and cooling, but demonstrate to the industry and the U.S. Department of Energy the feasibility of such a network in a town like Carbondale. While similar systems already exist — the nearest one on the campus of Colorado Mesa University — this project will be the first system of its kind designed for a small rural community.
CCGC is still awaiting funding from a second round of DOE grants to actually build the system, and while funding will determine the project’s timeline, Carbondale is well on its way to becoming a nationwide model for geothermal infrastructure.
For those interested in learning more, CLEER encourages community members to attend the Third Street Center’s “Heat Beneath Our Feet” event on April 24 from 5 to 7pm. A Spanish translation will be available, pizza and snacks are provided and Aspen Science Center will host a science activity for kids.
The annals of Roaring Fork Valley history contain numerous stories of courageous perseverance and a resilient spirit. The following is a glimpse into the lives of three remarkable women: Mary Ferguson, Pearl “Tommy” Thomson and Margaret Morgan.
The Sopris Sun spoke with Sue Gray, museum director for the Carbondale Historical Society, and Carolyn Cipperly, Roaring Fork Valley historian, to learn more about these women’s lives and contributions that have left a lasting influence on our community.
In 1905, John and Maria Lamprecht, natives of Žiri, Slovenia, embarked on a journey to the United States with their four children. Upon settling in the coal mining camp of Spring Gulch, two more daughters, Mary, born in 1906, and Sylvia, in 1908, would join their family.
The family moved to Carbondale, and in 1924, Mary was one of four Carbondale Union High School graduates. She went on to attend Western State College and Colorado University.
In 1927, she married Melvin Vernon “Jack” Ferguson, born in a small farming community in Kansas in 1901. The couple had four sons — Jack Harvey, Kaye Donne, Richard Noren and Marvin Vonne.
Early in her teaching career, Mary taught in several Garfield County oneroom schoolhouses, including the Larsen School, Divide Creek, Crystal Springs, Missouri Heights and Cattle Creek.
In 1962, she earned her teaching certificate and bachelor of arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado (then Colorado State College) and taught at Carbondale Elementary School from 1963 to 1976.
After retiring from teaching, she volunteered for the Near New Store in Carbondale, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, the Mt. Sopris Historical Society (now the Carbondale Historical Society) and the Carbondale Public Education Foundation.
From 1983 until her death in 1999, Ferguson hosted a public affairs program on KDNK community radio called “This I Remember,” which showcased Mary and her guests sharing their reflections on the history of the Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys.
In 2021, a collaborative project between the Carbondale Historical Society and KDNK compiled some of Mary’s shows into an online directory on the KDNK website available at: www.kdnk. org/podcast/this-i-remember
In 1994, after 10 years of serving on the Carbondale Board of Trustees, she retired a few days short of her 88th birthday.
Following her passing, the front page of the Valley Journal on March 18, 1999, featured a poignant tribute to Mary written by John Stroud.
Mary’s most enduring legacy lies in the multitude of students she guided. In Stroud’s piece, Mary’s longtime friend Ginny Lappala reflected on her teaching tenure, remarking, “I think 90% of Carbondale’s original population had her as a teacher.”
Pearl “Tommy” (Ellis) Thomson (1896-1970)
Pearl Etta Ellis was born in Missouri and grew up in Telluride. In 1916, at 19, she married Rich Roy Thomson, a Kansas native whose family relocated to Aspen when he was 7. When they married, Rich was serving as a forest ranger in Montezuma County in southwestern Colorado.
Rich transferred to the White River National Forest office in Glenwood Springs, where they purchased a homestead on Laurel Street. Despite the many livery stables in the area, their convenient location near the Hotel Colorado ensured a steady flow of hotel guests seeking livery and outfitting services. Thomson’s descendants still own the homestead, located behind the Best Western Antlers Hotel.
In 1938, the husband and wife team packed up the wagons, hitched up the horses and entered into a new business venture as trail guides for the American Forestry Association (AFA) initiative, “Trail Riders of the Wilderness.”
Beginning in the 1930s, AFA, now known as American Forests, offered what might today be considered the first ecotours — organized adventures that educated people about the vast, untamed wilderness of the American West.
The two-week-long pack trips trekked through the Elk Mountains to the Flat Tops Wilderness region, traversing the White River National Forest. Riders were greeted by a landscape featuring dense clusters of evergreens alongside towering aspen groves and trails winding through sprawling meadows heavily sprinkled with native wildflowers.
The Thomsons also had a hunting guide service for those searching for elk and mule deer, and Tommy quickly became one of Colorado’s few licensed women guides.
Rich retired in 1943 and died in 1950. Tommy continued with the pack and hunting trips until operations ceased in 1956.
Margaret was the daughter of Louis and Antonia “Annie” (Serena) Reynolds. Louis hailed from Illinois, while Annie, born in Paris, moved with her family to Kansas when she was just 1 year old.
The Reynolds family lived on a ranch on Three Mile Road. According to the 1910 U.S. Census, 13-year-old “Maggie” was listed as working as a herder on the family’s dairy farm.
In 1916, she graduated from Garfield County High School, and the following year, she married Guy Erval Roberts. Their daughter, Catherine, was born in
1918, and for most of their marriage, the family resided near Edwards.
In addition to managing the family household, she packed heads of lettuce grown by her neighbor, operated a horsedrawn bull rake and cooked for crews during the haying season.
The family relocated to Silt in the early 1920s. There she transported schoolchildren on Silt Mesa using a wagon and a team of horses. The Roberts’ marriage would end in divorce in 1925.
While working for coal magnate John C. Osgood and his wife in Redstone, Margaret met Raymond Morgan, a coal miner whom she married in 1926.
In the late 1930s, she worked at the Cardiff ranch of New York stockbroker George Sumers. There, she guided Sumers’ children and guests on horseback rides, oversaw the stable operations and selected and cared for his horses.
The Morgans built a log cabin near Glenwood Park, where they lived for over 50 years.
She worked for the Thomsons, delivering horses to the Civilian Conservation Corps camp in Durango. She would set out on the seven-day-long, 238-mile journey with a pistol, never knowing what dangers she may face.
In 1989, at 82 years of age, Margaret authored and published a 38-page biography titled “As Near As I Can Remember — My Life History,” which recounts her adventures working on trail rides and cooking for hunting camps.
Horses held a special place in Margaret’s heart from a young age. At just 4 years old, she received her first horse. One of her beloved steeds was a palomino named Nugget. On her 90th birthday, with arthritis beginning to develop in her knees, Margaret took one final ride with Nugget.
When Nugget died, she reflected, “I was without a horse for the first time since I was 4 years old.”
Margaret died in 2003, one month shy of her 107th birthday.
Reflecting on the legacies of Mary Ferguson, Pearl “Tommy” Thomson and Margaret Morgan, these stories serve as beacons of inspiration, reminding us of the power of unwavering determination and dedication to community.
The Sopris Sun extends heartfelt appreciation to Cipperly and Gray for their invaluable insights and to Peg Vidakovich and Ari Beachey of the Frontier Museum for facilitating access to historical resources.
It’s not possible to write an article soundly titled “The Jewish Perspective.” Just as with the human race in general, there are, of course, many varying points of view within the Jewish diaspora.
Rabbi Mendel Mintz has lived in the Valley since 2000 and founded the Chabad Jewish Community Center in 2014.
He’s witnessed a lot of support coming from the Valley’s non-Jewish community in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel. This included a large turnout at an event held for the Israeli hostages at Gondola Plaza in November.
“People stop me, whether at City Market or the ski mountain, saying that ‘we’re praying for you, we’re thinking of you,’” Rabbi Mintz told The Sopris Sun. “I think the overwhelming, significant majority of people have just been tremendously warm and kind in their deeds and words.”
Oct. 7 was a Jewish holiday, Simchat Torah, so the Chabad congregation was already together at the time. “There aren’t words to describe how we felt.
We were just tremendously concerned and worried about our brethren — brothers and sisters — in Israel, hearing of such a vile and vicious attack on innocent men, women and children and how savage it was.”
Israel is a small country, and the world’s Jewish population is just approaching pre-holocaust numbers. Even people in the Valley have friends or relatives whose lives were lost during the Hamas attack, or who are among the hostages still being held un der duress or are missing.
Within the congregation, Rabbi Mintz said that there may be some disagreement over the technicalities of Israel’s re sponse in Gaza — “What they should do or shouldn’t do, how to do it,” he said. “But everyone is in agreement with one voice: that this is something that needs to be responded to.”
He said it’s bizarre that people would accuse Israel, “a western liberal democracy,” of genocide, when Hamas has (or has had) it in its Covenent to annihilate the Jewish race. In 2017, Hamas up dated its charter, but still did not recognize Israel as a state.
He said that the intention
has to be there for someone to be considered antisemitic. “All humans make mistakes and say things maybe [because of] their lack of sensitivity or lack of knowledge,” he stated. However, he added, “To me, antisemitism
We are delighted to offer you, our community, the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost blood tests.
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June 7 & 8
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Hosted at Aspen Ambulance 0403 Castle Creek Road
June 9
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By appointment only 8-11:30 am
Lab Tests Offered
• HealthScreen w/CBC – $79
Includes CBC, CMP, Ferritin, Iron Panel, Lipid Panel, TSH and Uric Acid (Fasting Required)
• hsCardio CRP – $42
• Hemoglobin A1C & EAG – $44
• PSA, Total – $47
• Vitamin D – $54
• T3, Free – $32
• T4, Free – $32
• CBC (Complete Blood Count) – $32
With a brand new logo and website, 5 Point Film Festival is gearing up for its 17th annual flagship event in downtown Carbondale. This will feature a weekend of adventure films screening at the Rec Center as well as many peripheral events. More than 50 films will be shown, with several premiering, Executive Director Luis Yllanes told The Sopris Sun. Check out the official festival trailer released April 17 on social media.
“We’re still very much about community here in Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley and our programming continues to reflect that and bring people here you’d have to go all sorts of places to meet, from special guests to our filmmakers,” Yllanes said.
On Wednesday, April 24, a community film night at the Crystal Theatre presented by Amoré Realty at 7pm will kick things off with reduced ticket prices. “Recognizing that there are folks who maybe can’t do multiple nights, we do want to offer free programming,” Ylannes said. “It is a big expense to put this event on, so we do have to charge admission. But
this is something we can offer the community, maybe for folks that aren’t familiar with 5 Point and want a sort of beginner taste of what it’s about.”
The following night at 5pm, artists Tre’lan Michael & Renan Öztürk will speak at a reception at The Launchpad where their art is currently on display. Both artists are featured in film premieres at this year’s festival.
Thursday’s film program at 7pm will be presented by best-selling author Jedidiah Jenkins who will also read from his new book, “Mother, Nature: A 5,000-Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences,” at El Dorado on Friday at 11am.
Friday will begin with a free yoga class taught by filmmaker Taylor Rees at The Launchpad at 8am and a free adventure film program for local high school students shown at the Rec Center at 1pm. Backbone Media, an active lifestyles marketing agency with an office in Carbondale, hosts a talk at El Dorado at 3:30pm before the night’s film program presented by AspenOut at the Rec Center at 7pm.
On Saturday, the day begins with a 5k race in partnership with Independence Run & Hike and ValleyOrtho at 8am
This piece was created by Renan Öztürk, a Turkish-American filmmaker known for painting vivid landscapes. Öztürk’s work is displayed at The Launchpad with a reception on April 25. Courtesy image from www.renanozturk.com
(day-of registration begins at 7:30am and costs only $10). The changemakers film presented in partnership with Aspen Valley Land Trust, “MIRASOL, Looking at the Sun,” tells the story of a farming community in Pueblo and the impacts they face due to climate change and development. The director, Ben Knight, is known for his 2014 documentary “Damnation.”
The third annual Adventure Filmmakers Pitch Event takes place at Steve’s Guitars at 1:30pm, April 27, with five finalists presenting film projects for the chance to win $15,000 and a festival premiere in April 2025. A free community film program, premiering
Hosted by Eeland Stribling
Tickets: $20 available at 5pointfilm.org Presented
“Designed By Disaster” and “Moving Mountains,” shows at the Crystal Theatre at 3pm.
Concurrently, Dirtbag Diaries will record a live podcast from inside El Dorado at 3:30pm and then PAR AVION, a surf rock duo, will perform at the Rec Center while filmmakers mingle with attendees at 5pm. The Saturday film program is at 7pm followed by an afterparty for festival goers and community members alike at the Thunder River Theatre at 10pm. Rattlesnake Milk will perform, a band Yllanes described as “psychedelic country” from Austin, Texas.
Per tradition, free Sundae artisanal ice cream will be served on Sunday at 1:30pm, preceded
this year by a donation-based family film program at the Rec Center at noon, presented by ValleyOrtho.
Did we mention the gear giveaway? Amazing prizes include a new NRS packraft, inflatable kayak, stand up paddleboard, clothing from Stio and Strafe Outerwear, Yeti coolers, Kahtoola crampons and even a new Revel Rascal mountain bike valued at $6,000.
All this falls on the heels of receiving a Department of Labor Affairs grant to initiate an education program for middle schoolers which occurred in February.
“It’s cool to see we can do new things,” stated Yllanes, now producing his third flagship festival as executive director. “For us to continue to push that idea of innovation and change as an organization and media outlet is important.”
When: April 24 - April 28
Where: Carbondale Rec Center, other downtown locations
How: Full program, festival passes ($380), individual tickets ($35$50) and volunteer opportunities at www.5pointfilm.org
The coal mining chapter of Redstone’s history has been closed for the past few decades, and although that sounds like good news for the fight against climate change, the abandoned Coal Basin mines are far from benign. Even though new rock isn’t being broken, these mines are still releasing copious quantities of methane into the atmosphere. Aspen-based nonprofit Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) has been hard at work with Delta Brick & Climate Company investigating just how much methane is being released, and now the results are in.
In a community outreach series, Chris Caskey of Delta Brick put their conclusions succinctly: “Everything we’re seeing up in Coal Basin is pointing us toward action.”
Methane gas, which is contained within underground coal seams, has over 80 times the global warming power of carbon dioxide for its first 20 years in the atmosphere. As coal seams are fractured for extraction, the flammable gas is released into the atmosphere — and the Coal Basin mines were known to be especially gassy. On April 15, 1981, it was a buildup of that same methane gas that caused an explosion in the Coal Basin’s Dutch Creek Number One mine that took the lives of 15 miners. The same gas can hang around mines long after they’ve been decommissioned, posing both a significant risk to human life and to the atmosphere.
While methane emissions do initially decline as mines are abandoned, the gas slowly stabilizes into a steady release. In 2021, the EPA estimated that abandoned coal mines produced an estimated 330,000 metric tons of methane — approximately 12.5% of coal mining’s total methane emissions.
Luckily, if methane is adequately captured, it can burn very efficiently. Burning one molecule of methane releases heat, water and one molecule of CO2. When one considers that methane has 84 times the warming
power of CO2, that’s a dramatic reduction, even if the reaction still releases carbon into the atmosphere. If release of methane gas from the mines can’t be halted altogether, then the next best strategy is destruction.
That’s why CORE has been collaborating with Montrose-based sustainable building material producer Delta Brick & Climate Company to measure emissions at Coal Basin and plan new mitigation strategies to reduce the amount of methane in our atmosphere.
In 2021, CORE was awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to fund research at Coal Basin. In the summer and early fall of 2023, CORE and Delta Brick’s project team conducted thorough research in the hills of the White River National Forest, utilizing drones, pack animals and a wide array of sensors to capture readings of methane levels in the area. While the research is being analyzed, the team has moved into a community outreach phase.
On March 26, Basalt Regional Library hosted a community outreach event, followed by a similar event at Redstone Church on April 4. During these events, project representatives presented their research and potential strategies, aiming to inform and gather feedback from local stakeholders.
The team estimates that there are 1,950 metric tons of methane being released from Coal Basin every year. In terms of warming power, that’s equivalent to about one third of all the greenhouse gasses released in Pitkin County combined.
One of the most easily executable strategies for mitigating between 185 and 400 tons of that yearly release would be with what’s called a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO). Often used in manufacturing processes, RTOs move pollutants (in this case methane) through a combustion chamber, destroying them and releasing the resulting, cleaner exhaust into the atmosphere. An RTO could theoretically be used at the Dutch Creek Number One and Two mines. At the
L.S. Wood mine, the team would use an experimental technology known as bioremediation.
“In the soils of Coal Basin, there have evolved bacteria that eat methane,” said Caskey. Like combustion, these bacteria digest methane into CO2. The theory is, the more bacteria-rich soil the gas must travel through, the less gas makes it into the atmosphere.
Now, CORE is using both its research and feedback from these outreach programs to draft a proposal mitigation strategy to the U.S. Forest Service, which will conduct a review and hopefully push the process forward.
On the evening of April 10, The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) hosted a panel discussion titled “Hanging in the Balance: Competing Needs for Water in the West.” The event was presented under the auspices of Aspen Journalism (AJ) and the Denver-based Colorado Water Trust (CWT), who partnered to produce it with TACAW and Aspen Public Radio.
The panel of water-resources experts included Kate Ryan, CWT’s executive director; Hattie Johnson, restoration director for American Whitewater’s Southern Rockies Stewardship Program; Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD); and Mark Harris, senior water resources consultant for the engineering and consulting firm SGM. The discussion was moderated by Heather Sackett, AJ’s Water Desk editor and reporter, who has written numerous articles on water issues relating to the Roaring Fork and upper Colorado River watersheds.
Sackett set the tone for the evening by stating, “Informed citizens make better decisions,” noting that there are too many demands on Western water and not enough water to go around. Each panelist then briefly summarized some of their activities. Ryan described how water rights were established beginning in the 19th century, and how CWT has been “working on a lot of water-sharing projects” aimed at keeping more water in the region’s rivers. She gave as an example the agreement with local ranchers Bill Fales and Marj Perry not to exercise their
water rights at times but to be reimbursed for leaving unused water in the Crystal River.
Mueller, noting that “We represent everybody,” explained that CRWCD is a government agency encompassing 15 Western Slope counties (“conservative and liberal”). Among examples of the agency’s activities, he cited the release of “clean, cold water” from Ruedi Reservoir in the unusually warm summer of 2018 to save fish in the Fryingpan River.
Johnson described how her stewardship program has been promoting policies that improve water recreation opportunities, though she mentioned how two such mea sures introduced in the Colorado legisla ture have yet to pass. She did note the “ro bust” recreation on the Arkansas River (on
Our new Employee Housing Portal offers you the possibility to list your property or space available for rent to our Aspen Valley Hospital employees and traveler nurses in need of housing.
• Only properties or spaces with a rental rate of $5000 or less will be considered.
• A site visit is required before listing the property or space.
If you or someone you know has a property you would like to list, please contact the Hospital at 970.404.1678 or email us at EmployeeHousingDepartment@aspenhospital.org and provide full name, phone number and email address.
water that could be removed from rivers or streams is left flowing. One approach is reimbursing water rights owners for not using their water, as in the Fales/Perry example. Another strategy is to purchase water rights from a holder, a method widely used by the CWT, CRWCD and others.
Notable in this latter regard has been the effort underway by those organizations and others to secure from Xcel Energy the Shoshone hydroelectric station’s senior water rights on the Colorado River. The plant does not remove water from the river but instead diverts water upstream of the station to run the turbines before returning it to the river. Thus, the intent of the project is to ensure that that water allotment stays in the river rather than potentially being diverted by another entity that purchases the rights.
the eastern side of the Continental Divide), which Mueller humorously quipped was possible “with Roaring Fork water” diverted across the divide.
Finally, Harris described his role working to protect water rights for agriculture and to help the wider community “understand what agriculture is doing currently.”
In a Q&A period at the end of the evening, an audience member asked if speculation of water rights — i.e., acquiring rights to treat them as fungible commodities — was a problem. All panelists responded that it was a potential problem, with Ryan noting, “Speculation is a threat to our work.” Mueller pointed out, “You can’t hoard a bunch of water if you’re not going to use it,” but cautioned that speculation could have “huge losses, especially for small communities.” He added, “Once the water leaves the community, you see your future float-
More information on the panelists’ organizations can be found at coloradowatertrust. org; www.americanwhitewater.org; www. coloradoriverdistrict.org; and sgm-inc.com
The Crystal Theatre screens “One Life” tonight and tomorrow at 7pm, and “Wicked Little Letters” tomorrow at 4:45pm and Sunday at 5pm.
Learning and Therapy Center hosts a “Nonverbal Communications and Horsemanship” workshop for prospective volunteers at 1pm. Visit www. windwalkers.org for more info.
SHORTSFEST ESPAÑOL
Aspen Film screens Shortsfest 2024 Spanish films at the Isis Theatre in Aspen and Movieland in El Jebel at 4pm.
WORDPLAY & WELLNESS
Join other writers during National Poetry Month to participate in writing activities, some light yoga and spoken word at the Carbondale Library at 3pm. Registration and more info at www.gcpld.org The same event will occur at the Basalt Library on April 23 at 4:30pm. Visit www.basaltlibrary.org to register.
SUNDAY SESSIONS
El Dorado presents KDNK DJ Luis Raul spinning tunes from 4 to 7pm.
LEVEL UP YOGA
Evan Soroka takes yoga enthusiasts to the next level with “Shakti Sadhana: Integration and Mastering the Inner Energies” at True Nature at 4pm. Register at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
ECSTATIC DANCE
Dustin Eli leads ecstatic dance at 13 Moons, south of Carbondale, from 6 to 8pm.
CHAIN STATION
Steve’s Guitars presents Chain Station at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net
MONDAY, APRIL 22
RIVERS CLEANUP
Roaring Fork Conservancy organizes volunteers to clean rivers in the watershed, today through April 27. Find details at www.roaringfork.org/events
MOTHERING
KLR Baby hosts a workshop for pregnant moms and moms with infants at the Basalt Library from 10:30 to 11:30am. Questions? Call Kaja at 847894-6546.
IN STITCHES
The In Stitches Knitting Club convenes at the Carbondale Library at 1:30pm.
APOCALYPSE 101
SURVIVING A LONG EMERGENCY
How to survive local disasters, or a national/global catastrophe.
Saturday, 10am-1pm, 5/18
ACRYLIC PAINTING
FOR BEGINNERS
Basic exercises to introduce this medium, and create finished pieces from the first class.
Tues, 1:30-4:30pm, 5/21-6/18
BEGINNING SWING DANCE
Learn the basics of Jitterbugsteps, turns, spins, dips - and get ready for your your next event.
Wed, 6-8:30pm, 5/22-6/12
ZUMBA WITH MIMI
BASALT’S EARTH DAY
The Town of Basalt hosts its first Earth Day celebration at Basalt River Park from 3 to 6pm. The inaugural theme is “Keep Basalt Composty.” The Town is seeking input from residents about how to improve composting in town, and that survey can be found at www. letstalk.basalt.net/composting
TUESDAY, APRIL 23
SUSTAINABLE LEGACY
Brook LeVan of Sustainable Settings will present as part of the Regenerative Legacy Summit, an online event hosted by AG Steward, from 9am to 3:30pm today and tomorrow. To register, visit www.legacy.agsteward.co
COMPUTER CLEANSE
Learn how to clean up your PC or Mac computer to create more space (or how to prepare an old computer to sell or recycle) at the Basalt Library at 1:30pm. More info at www.basaltlibrary.org
GIRLS WHO CODE
Basalt Library partners with Girls Who Code to teach the basics of coding to students of all genders from 3:45 to 4:45pm.
LONGEVITY
The Aspen Times and Post Independent present an expert panel on getting good sleep at TACAW at 5:30pm.
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at the Third Street Center at 6:30pm. All are welcome.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
BUSINESS FORUM
The Aspen Chamber Resort Association hosts its 2024 Business Outlook Forum at the Koch Seminar Building at Aspen Meadows from 8 to 10am. Breakfast is included. More info at www.tinyurl. com/ACRABusinessForum
SEWING
Learn to sew a simple project and/or continue with your own project. Some machines provided, or bring your own Upcycling is encouraged.
Wed, 6:30-9:30pm, 5/22-7/10
BALANCE AND MOBILITY
Consciously activate balance with strength, reflex, flexibility, sensory awareness, and concentration exercises.
Thurs, 1:30-2:20pm, 5/30-8/15
Burn lots of calories in this fun cardio fitness dance program with Latin music and rhythms.
Thurs, 6:30-7:30pm, 5/30-8/8
RELATIONSHIP READY
Explore the nature of thought, the purpose of emotions, and your ‘state of being’ to improve your relationships to self and others.
Mondays, 6-7:30pm, 6/3-7/8
BIPARTISAN PROBLEM SOLVING
Join Bo Persiko to discuss CMC Common Reader “The Bill of Obligations” by Richard Haas. Tuesdays, 6-8pm, 6/4-6/25
MICROSOFT EXCEL
Spreadsheet basics - formatting, printing, formulas and functions, charting, tables and tricks. Tues, 8:30am-12:30pm, 6/4-6/11
THE ART OF VISIBLE
HAND MENDING
Repair and renew your clothes with decorative stitching styles Fridays, 11am-1pm, 6/7-7/19
ADULT BEGINNER BALLET
Fun barre and center work. Tuesdays, 9-10am, 6/18-8/6
FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER . . .
Carbondale Lappala Center 690 Colorado Ave 970.963.2172
On March 25, the Daniels Scholarship Program announced this year’s recipients. Three students from the Roaring Fork area were chosen. The scholarship awards students of strong character, not only in school, but outside as well. The recipients have their full cost of attendance covered at partner schools in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming or up to $100,000 over four years if they attend a school outside the four state partnership, according to the Daniels Fund website. The Boettcher Foundation also awarded recipients with an annual scholarship of $20,000 for four years. Three students from the Roaring Fork area were chosen, including one first generation student.
The Roaring Fork Valley students, two attending Basalt High School, one attending Glenwood Springs High School and another attending Roaring Fork High School, went through a rigorous scholarship application process to be able to jump into their college careers without tuition costs being such a deciding factor.
“It’s a relief, really; it’s a peace of mind,” said Daniels Fund scholarship recipient, Alejandro Alvarez. “It’s more than just happiness because it kind of gives you a sense of security that I think is rare.”
Alvarez, who attends Basalt High School and is part of Key Club, National Honor Society and the Buddy Program, was awarded the scholarship alongside his classmate, Eric Vasquez, who also volunteers with the Buddy Program and tutors younger students in math is part of the Equity Advisory Council where he works with the superintendent of the school district.
“My goal was to make it so my parents wouldn’t have to pay anything,” Vasquez said. “It made me happy to know that I no longer had to worry about that.”
Gabriel Cordoba, the third Daniels Fund scholarship recipient, is a student at Glenwood Springs High School. “It’s definitely a great feeling to know that I won something so big and that all my hard work in school has paid off toward something,” Cordoba said.
Roaring Fork High School student, Ricardo Zavala, was awarded the Boettcher Foundation scholarship. Like the previous students, he was part of the Roaring Fork PreCollegiate Program where one of the requirements is to be a first generation student. The program aims to prepare students to be able to navigate college, financial aid and scholarship applications, and to adapt with the transition to college which involves working on self advocacy, goal setting and identity exploration, said Roaring Fork PreCollegiate Program director David Smith. Program participation begins as early as seventh grade for middle school students who are interested in attending college.
Smith added that the program is proud of the students for earning these scholarships.
“It’s a very public and a very great validation for all of their hard work throughout high school, academically and then developing their interests,” Smith said. “I think that’s really important for not just them in their own personal
journeys to college, being able to step into that next space, but for the people that come behind them to understand that they can tell their story in an authentic way and people will respond to that.”
All four students mentioned that the application process involved responding to essay prompts that allowed them to showcase themselves and their passions. For the Daniels Fund scholarship, one of the essay prompts for this year asked students what they would change about their country.
“One thing I said I wanted to change was offering opportunities to everyone, specifically, immigrants from other countries,” Vasquez said. “I’ve seen my parents and other families struggle to gain those opportunities to move forward and I realized that fear held them back. I would like it so that they will know their rights and that they have an equal opportunity to be successful through hard work.”
Cordoba, a volunteer for Lift-Up, coach for youth boys soccer, and part of the student advisory committee of the Youth for Christ organization, wrote about changing the country in a way that makes it easier for people who face financial struggles to improve their situation.
“I said I would like to break away from the trap of being stuck in low income communities, especially for Hispanic immigrants,” Cordoba said. He explained that the inspiration for his essay came from his own experience and provided examples like funding trade schools and making higher education more affordable.
Alvarez wrote about mental health and the correlation with mass shootings and domestic terrorist acts, which he said are more common in the United States than in other countries. He discussed the importance of spreading awareness and finding a solution in order to deescalate dangerous situations.
For Zavala, the Boettcher scholarship had a different essay prompt that requested a backstory that the applicant was passionate about.
“I think the biggest inspiration for me as I was working on my scholarship was just looking back at when I was a first grader and didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know English, and now I was applying to this prestigious scholarship to which thousands of students apply, and how all my hard work was paying off since first grade,” Zavala said.
The students then offered advice to those looking to apply to the Daniels Fund and Boettcher Foundation scholarships, or any others.
“I think one of the most important things is to be yourself,” Alvarez said. “Oftentimes, I see people try to create a persona that they think would be more appealing to either colleges or scholarships. It’s a lot more valuable to show what your interests are.”
Vasquez’s advice coincides with Alvarez’s, encouraging applicants to express what they truly feel and do something that carries personal meaning.
“It will make the process easier because if it means something to you, all the supplementals and the interview questions are going to come easy,” Vasquez said.
Cordoba and Zavala advised to stay focused and not
give up, even when the application process becomes overwhelming.
“The biggest thing that helped me get through those interviews was the thought that they’re looking for reasons to give me the scholarship. They’re not looking for reasons to deny me that opportunity. They want me there and they’re looking for reasons to accept me,” Zavala said.
As of now, Vasquez is leaning toward studying landscape architecture and was recently accepted and has committed to Cornell University in New York. Alvarez is hoping to commit to the University of Southern California where he will study mechanical engineering. Cordoba is
still deciding on which university to attend but is leaning toward Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington to study business. Zavala will be attending Colorado School of Mines to study computer science.
With the help of their schools and communities, Smith reflects on the impact that the first generation students will have on those looking to take similar steps toward their careers.
“Being a first generation student means you’re a leader, in your family and in your community,” Smith said. “I don’t think they necessarily even realize the impact that they are going to have on the people behind them and in their immediate family, community and in the larger school community as examples of the kinds of success that can really be rewarded and celebrated.”
Estudiantes
JACKIE RAMIREZ
The Sopris Sun
Las becas Daniels Fund y Boettcher Foundation presentaron a sus beneficiarios de este año. Las becas premian a estudiantes de carácter fuerte, no sólo en la escuela sino también fuera de ella. Los beneficiarios tienen cubierto el costo total de asistencia en las escuelas asociadas en Colorado, Nuevo México, Utah, y Wyoming y hasta 100.000 dólares si asisten escuelas fuera de los cuatro estados asociados, según la página web de Daniels Fund. La Beca de Boettcher Foundation otorga a sus beneficiarios un monto anual fijo de 20,000 por cuatro años.
Los cuatro pasaron por un riguroso proceso de solicitud de becas para poder comenzar sus carreras universitarias sin que los costos de matrícula sean un factor decisivo en el desarrollo de sus carreras.
Alejandro Álvarez de Basalt High School forma parte de varios grupos importantes en la escuela como el cuadro de honor. Eric Vasquez de Basalt High School quien es tutor de matemáticas para estudiantes más jóvenes y es parte del consejo asesor de equidad donde trabaja con el superintendente del distrito escolar.
“Mi objetivo era lograr que mis padres no tuvieran que pagar nada porque parte de ir a la universidad es el aspecto financiero”, dijo Vasquez. “Me hizo feliz saber que ya no me tenía que preocupar”.
Mientras los dos estudiantes de Basalt High School anticipaban sus futuras carreras universitarias, Gabriel Córdoba, también beneficiario de la beca Daniels Fund y estudiante de Glenwood Springs High School, se sintió surrealista al recibir el premio.
Estudiante de Roaring Fork Valley High School, Ricardo Zavala, fue otorgado la beca de Boettcher
Foundation, y como los demás estudiantes, él fue parte del programa Pre Collegiate de Roaring Fork para estudiantes de primera generación.
El programa aspira a ayudar a preparar a estudiantes para que puedan manejar solicitudes universitarias y a que se adapten a la transición universitaria, dijo el director del programa Pre Collegiate de Roaring Fork, David Smith.
Los cuatro estudiantes mencionaron que el proceso de solicitud de sus becas incluyó responder a pautas de ensayo que les permitieron mostrarse a sí mismos y sus pasiones. Para la beca del Daniels Fund, unos de los temas de ensayo de este año preguntó a los estudiante que cambiarían de su país.
Córdoba, es voluntario de Lift Up, entrenador para soccer juvenil de niños, y parte del comité asesor estudiantil de la organización, Youth for Christ.
“Escribí que me gustaría salir de la trampa de estar atrapado en comunidades de bajos ingresos, especialmente para los inmigrantes hispanos”, dijo Córdoba.
Alvarez escribió sobre mejorar los temas de salud mental y la correlación con tiroteos masivos y actos terroristas internos, que, según dijo, son más comunes en Estados Unidos que en otros países. Alvarez mencionó que esta no era su primera vez escribiendo sobre este tema ya que anteriormente ha escrito al senador del estado.
Ahora que los cuatro estudiantes fueron otorgados sus becas y empiezan a decidir a donde asistir la universidad, los cuatro ofrecen consejos para los que buscan solicitar la becas en general.
“Yo creo que una de las cosas más importantes es ser tú mismo”, dijo Alvarez. “Muchas veces veo a gente tratar de crear una persona que ellos creen será más agradable a las universidades o becas. Son las cosas
pequeñas o la singularidad del carácter de cada uno lo que los distingue”.
El consejo de Vasquez coincide con el de Alvarez y anima a quienes buscan solicitar becas a expresar lo que realmente sienten y hacer algo que tenga significado.
Córdoba y Zavala aconsejaron que uno se enfoque y que no se desanime, aunque el proceso sea difícil.
Zavala agregó un consejo para los que a lo mejor están nerviosos para la porción de entrevista del proceso de solicitud de becas.
“El pensamiento de que ellos me quieren ahí y están buscando razones para aceptarme”, reflexiono Zavala.
En este momento, Vasquez se inclina hacia la arquitectura paisajista y recientemente fue aceptado y se comprometió con la Universidad de Cornell en Nueva York. Alvarez espera comprometerse con la Universidad de California del Sur donde él estudiará ingeniería mecánica. Córdoba se está inclinando a la Universidad de Gonzaga en Spokane, Washington donde planea estudiar negocios. Zavala asistirá a la Universidad, Colorado School of Mines y estudiará ciencia de computadoras. Con la ayuda de ellos mismos y de sus comunidades, Smith reflexiona sobre el impacto que los estudiantes de primera generación tendrán en aquellos que buscan dar pasos similares en sus carreras.
“Siendo un estudiante de primera generación significa que eres un líder, en tu familia y en tu comunidad”, dijo Smith. “No creo que ellos saben el impacto que ellos tendrán en la gente detrás ellos y en su familia inmediata, su comunidad, y en la escuela. Ellos serán ejemplos de los éxitos que pueden ser celebrados y premiados”.
Unos siglos antes de Cristo, Hipócrates dijo “que el alimento sea tu medicina”. La curandera del siglo XX Ann Wigmore dijo lo siguiente sobre este tema: “Los alimentos que consumes pueden ser la medicina más segura y poderosa o la forma más lenta de veneno”.
A continuación se ofrecen algunos ejemplos de alimentos usados como medicina de las organizaciones sin fin de lucro (gratuitas) Center for Prevention and Treatment of Disease Through Nutrition y La Clínica del Pueblo.
Tipo II, enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (GERD), migrañas, estreñimiento
M.M. es una mujer latina de 45 años que fue atendida varias veces en La Clínica a partir del 2022. Sus problemas de salud incluían diabetes
tipo 2; migrañas; reflujo esofágico para el que tomaba el bloqueador de ácidos omeprazol; y estreñimiento. Sus antecedentes familiares eran positivos en diabetes en ambos progenitores, por lo que a su madre tuvieron que amputarle una pierna. Su peso era de 153 libras, con un IMC de 26,25 (normal: 18,5-24,9).
Su A1C (una medida de la glucosa medida durante los últimos 3 meses) fue de 6,9, lo normal es menor de 5,6, y mayor de 6,5 indica diabetes. Ella fue asesorada sobre la única dieta demostrada para revertir todas estas condiciones: a base de plantas, alimentos integrales sin sal, azúcar, o aceite añadido.
Se le dio un folleto en español que resumía la dieta, “Disfruta de una salud óptima” del Doctor Feinsinger y “Forks
“
Los alimentos que consumes pueden ser la medicina más segura y poderosa o la forma más lenta de veneno.”
-Ann Wigmore, curandera
Over Knives Cookbook” en español. Estaba muy motivada para evitar los problemas de su madre, y asistió a una sesión de “compra con un médico” en Carbondale City Market, y a una clase de cocina. Fue complicado seguir la dieta al principio pero en cuanto pudo tener disciplina
Community Open House | Jornada de Puertas Abiertas Informativa
Wednesday, April 24, 5-7 p.m.
Third Street Center, Carbondale
Free & family friendly | Gratis y familiar
Come learn about an exciting community geothermal heating and cooling project being designed in Carbondale:
Q & A stations
Pizza & snacks
Kids’ learning activities hosted by Aspen Science Center
Venga a conocer un proyecto comunitario de calefacción y refrigeración geotérmica que se está diseñando en Carbondale:
Estaciones de preguntas y respuestas
Pizzas y bocadillos
Actividades para niños
Traducción Española
Questions? | ¿Preguntas? | info@cleanenergyeconomy.net, 970-704-9200
Sponsored by:
para seguirla vio los cambios. Recientemente visitó la clínica y había perdido 10 libras desde su primera cita. Su IMC era de 25,5 y su A1C de 5,9. Los únicos tratamientos además de la dieta eran metformina para la diabetes, y elevar la cabecera de su cama con bloques de 4-6 pulgadas por nuestro consejo para su reflujo. Gracias a su nueva dieta M.M. dejo de tomar omeprazol y está libre de los síntomas de reflujo. Las migrañas y estreñimiento al igual se resolvieron con los cambios en su estilo de vida y alimentación.
Diabetes Tipo II
R.P. es un hombre latino de 64 años que fue atendido por primera vez en La Clínica en enero. Tenía múltiples problemas de salud, el principal de ellos 40 años de diabetes insulinodependiente, con complicaciones de neuropatía en las extremidades superiores e inferiores y enfermedad renal. Decía que, a lo largo de los años, cada vez que acudía a los médicos por sus altos niveles de azúcar en sangre, sólo le decían que se pusiera más insulina. Acababa de perder su
seguro y ya no podía permitirse la costosa insulina Humalog. Se le aconsejó y se le entregó material escrito sobre una dieta basada en plantas y alimentos integrales, y él y su mujer asistieron a una sesión de “Consulta con un médico”. Le cambiaron a la insulina NPH y a la insulina normal, que son menos caras, y le visitaron una semana más tarde, habiendo reducido su dosis de insulina a 75 mg dos veces al día. Pasar de 600 unidades de insulina al día a 100 unidades en tan solo un mes.
Si te gustaría mejorar tu salud, obtén una cita médica GRATIS, llama al 970-948-1072.
scan to register | escanea para registrarte
APRIL 27
30 DE ABRIL
Acompáñenos en este evento informativo que ofrece sesiones presenciales y virtuales en inglés y español. Los temas incluyen derecho de familia, inmigración, derecho laboral, derechos civiles, derecho de vivienda y derecho de
Acompáñenos en este evento informativo que ofrece sesiones presenciales y virtuales en inglés y español. Los temas incluyen derecho de familia, inmigración, derecho laboral, derechos civiles, derecho de vivienda y derecho de las personas mayores. No se pierda esta oportunidad de ampliar su conocimiento de la ley y empoderarse con información legal esencial!
Tres artistas contemporáneos estadounidenses cuyas obras he conocido recientemente son Tim Lowly, Lisa Yuskavage y Rebecca Campbell. Aunque cada uno de estos artistas son pintores, sus técnicas pictóricas varían igual que su temática. He investigado a estos artistas porque he decidido tomar una pausa en mis obras de xilografía y comenzar a pintar. Elegí a estos artistas porque están produciendo arte en la actualidad y se centran en temas que son aplicables a ciertos individuos pero que también refleja a la sociedad en su conjunto.
unos ojos de compasión que vean a los seres humanos como seres humanos, en lugar de separarlos entre lo bello, lo feo, lo normal, [y] lo raro”. Lowly toma algo tan vulnerable e inocente, como un trastorno, y lo convierte en confrontacional.
ARTISTA EXISTENCIAL
By Vanessa PorrasTim Lowly es conocido por sus pinturas realistas de temple al huevo. Mientras leía sobre él encontré una frase que lo describía como un: “realista que bendice cada brizna de hierba”. Su reputación como pintor realista se ve plasmado notablemente en los retratos que hizo de su hija Temma, que sufre un trastorno convulsivo.
La retrata tal y como es en diferentes escenarios. Como afirma Lowly, su propósito es: “Abogo por
Lisa Yuskavage es probablemente la artista más controversial de los tres y también muy confrontacional. Es una pintora figurativa cuya exquisita técnica deja al espectador con la sensación de haber entrado en un sueño. Yuskavage se enfrenta a muchas críticas negativas que tachan sus figuras y narraciones como pornográficas y vulgares. Las críticas no sólo proceden del mundo del arte, sino también de los grupos feministas. En una entrevista, habla de cómo dejó de pintar durante un año después de una exposición porque sentía que estaba fingiendo y que no decía realmente lo que quería, sino lo que los demás querían oír: “Dejé de pensar en hacer arte que se pareciera a otra cosa. Tenía una línea directa a esta cosa dentro de
mí”. Cuando por fin volvió a trabajar, dijo que estaba tan enamorada de lo que hacía que pensó que no podía estar tan mal a pesar de lo que dijeran los demás.
En comparación con la sedosa técnica pictórica de Yuskavage, Rebecca Campbell trabaja con pinceladas gruesas que construyen su paisaje y sus figuras. En una entrevista con el Museo de Arte, le pidieron que hablara de la rebelión contra el arte contemporáneo, su respuesta me sorprendió bastante.
Habló de cómo el cuerpo y la mente en un solo recipiente, era lo más increíble del ser humano. También habló de hacer pan y de cómo, aunque no era la mejor panadera, le enseñó a pintar y a crear texturas. Por eso sus cuadros son una combinación de realismo y expresión abstracta. Vincula su ejemplo de la panadería con la importancia de ser uno mismo quien crea el cuadro porque, aunque tenga defectos, es su forma de aprender y es una representación del ser humano.
La teoría del arte y lo que significa ser un artista, y si algo está bien o mal, si es amado u odiado puede ser muy abrumador. Lo que he aprendido de estos tres artistas no tiene tanto que ver con la técnica o incluso con el tema, sino más bien sobre ser valiente y defender tu arte inde -
Esta obra fue creada como un ensayo para la serie, Nidos, y explora no solo la figura femenina y la posición física sino también fue inspirada por la artista Rebecca Campbell y su estilo de pintar con pinceladas gruesas. La obra fue creada con óleo sobre lienzo por Vanessa Porras. Foto cortesía por Vanessa Porras
pendientemente de lo que piense el grupo colectivo conocido como los “otros”. En última instancia, creo que el arte es una reacción íntima y vulnerable al mundo tal y como lo ve el artista ya sea inspirado por el proceso de hacer pan, por tus hijos, o esa línea directa a tu ser.
Intercambio de ropa
Mountain View Church en Glenwood Springs presenta el intercambio de ropa de primavera para niños el 27 de abril de 9 a 11 a.m. Ropa de infantes hasta adolescentes están disponibles gratuitamente – no es necesaria una donación para participar. Las donaciones pueden ser entregadas en Mountain View Church antes del 20 de abril. ¿Tiene algunas preguntas? Comuniquese a office@mvcglenwood.org
Horneado comunitario
Una nueva temporada de picnic en Carbondale Community Oven comenzará este jueves 18 de abril detrás de Third Street Center. Se le pide a las personas que asistan en traer un platillo para compartir además de traer sus propios utensilios (un plato, tenedor, taza, etc.). También puede traer masa de levadura sin azúcar para poner en el horno a las 5:30 p.m. La cena compartida comenzará a las 6:15 p.m.
Amor polinizador
Los residentes de Carbondale que riegan su pasto con agua del pueblo son elegibles para el programa Residential Turf Buy-Back. Consiga dinero en efectivo para el pasto esta primavera si convierte su césped en un jardín nativo, con agua de poco uso y amigable a los polinizadores. El pueblo pagará $2 por pie cuadrado de césped eliminado. Las inscripciones están disponibles en el ayuntamiento o en www. beefriendlycarbondale.com
Subvenciones
El Distrito de Arrendamiento de Minerales Federal del Condado de Garfield anunció recientemente que distribuían $2,432,000 en subvenciones para varios proyectos municipales y de distrito dentro del condado. Exactamente $2,250,000 fueron premiados a través de su programa de subvenciones tradicional, incluyendo $500,000 destinados a la construcción de facilidades acuáticas de Carbondale. El $182,000 restante fue premiado a través de su programa de subvenciones pequeñas con desembolsos de hasta $25,000 dirigidos hacia ocho entidades en el oeste de Glenwood Springs.
Opciones de alojamiento
El 15 de abril, en orden para expandir las opciones de alojamiento y reducir discriminación, el gobernador Jared Polis firmó en ley la propuesta de límites de ocupación residencial. Los gobiernos locales ya no pueden dictar el número de
Por segundo año consecutivo, el Consejo de Red Hill marcó el excremento de perro dejado en el primer cuarto de milla de los senderos de Red Hill. Los estudiantes de la Escuela Colorado Rocky Mountain, incluida Wren Groves-Benedict, ayudaron con la instalación temporal. Foto por Raleigh Burleigh
personas no relacionadas que comparten un hogar, como se ha visto en ciudades como Boulder y Fort Collins. La senadora Julie Gonzales declaró, “estos límites afectan desproporcionadamente de manera histórica a comunidades marginadas que tengan estructuras diversas en sus familias”. La propuesta permite límites de ocupación justificados por preocupaciones de seguridad y salud.
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Shot clock could come to basketball court later this decade
JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun CorrespondentRoaring Fork High School (RFHS) Athletic Director Crista Barlow was getting set for the first athletic event of the spring season at Rams Field in mid-March when, to no real surprise, the scoreboard didn’t work.
“It sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t, so we’re not real sure what’s going on with it,” Barlow said.
A portable scoreboard is used as backup, but it’s not the best, she said.
In any case, that’s all about to change with the planned purchase and installation of a new, modern scoreboard this summer — thanks to a successful RFHS Booster Club fundraising effort, including an $18,000 contribution from an anonymous donor.
“The community really came out to support the idea, and to raise money for Crista and the Athletic Department to get this accomplished,” Booster Club President Mandy Brennan said.
Earlier this year, Mike Arnold, owner of the new El Dorado watering hole in downtown Carbondale, and his wife and Booster Club member, Marjorie, hosted a bingo fundraiser at El Dorado that brought in over $25,000, including the major contribution.
“They’ve been very supportive to give us space for our events this year,” Brennan said. “It reminds us that we need to do more outreach in the community more of-
ten, so that we can do these kinds of things.”
The existing scoreboard at Rams Field, located next to Carbondale Middle School, with its distinctive siren to signal the end of each period of play, dates back to 19992000. At that time, R&A Enterprises sponsored the project, said Larry Williams, a former athletic director at RFHS.
In its 25 years, the lighted, electronic scoreboard has been used to keep the score, indicate the quarter or half of play, ball possession and to count down the minutes of play for countless high school, middle school and youth football games, plus boys and girls soccer and lacrosse games.
The money raised from the latest Booster Club effort should be more than enough to cover the purchase of the scoreboard and installation, Barlow said.
Additional money will go toward another major game clock project that’s coming down the pike, she said.
The Colorado High School Activities Association’s (CHSAA) Legislative Council meets next week to consider several options for implementing a 35-second shot clock for boys and girls basketball, starting with the 2026-27 school year.
The shot clock will likely start with the larger Class 6A schools on the Front Range, but it seems inevitable the new rule
will trickle down to the smaller schools, including Roaring Fork’s current 3A Western Slope League, said Barlow.
The issue for the small schools comes down to cost and staffing for games, she added. Retrofitting the three scoreboards in the main and auxiliary gymnasiums at RFHS will cost an estimated $12,000 each.
“It just costs us a lot of money to implement the system, and then you need another person at the scorer’s table to run it,” she said. “It’s been hard enough already to try to find people to run the clocks, and this is one more thing.”
Barlow praised longtime scorers, Ken Lubrant and Larry Stangeland, “But we need to find more people in the community to be a part of it. They just love it, and basketball games are fun!”
Likewise, the Booster Club is looking for new blood, as Brennan plans to step down
after this school year. The club will also be in need of a new secretary and treasurer.
Throughout the year, the Booster Club puts on a variety of fundraisers and runs the concession stand at sporting events to pay for things like uniforms and equipment for the nine in-house CHSAA-sanctioned sports teams at RFHS.
“It’s been great to have so many booster parents involved, and it’s a fun group to be a part of, whether you have kids playing sports or not,” said Brennan, who has served two stints as club president, first when her older son Connor was in school, and more recently as her youngest, Sam, has been making his way through the high school ranks.
For information about the RFHS Booster Club, visit their page on the school website, www.rfhs.rfsd.k12.co.us
A roller coaster ride for the Roaring Fork High School girls lacrosse team over the past week included a last-minute win over rival Aspen at home, followed by a pair of tough losses.
Senior Grace Garcia found the net with just 54 seconds left to play to score a thrilling 13-12 win over Aspen on April 11 — a hard-fought game that saw several lead changes early and a fourth-quarter comeback for the Rams after falling behind 11-8.
The Rams goaltender, junior Ella Gunning, recorded 16 saves.
Garcia had three goals on the night, and also scoring for the Rams were sophomore Jordyn Miller (four), junior Hailey Wolfe (three), senior Lucianna Phillips (two) and one from junior Josie McKinley-Kitchell.
The win was redemption for the Rams, who had lost 8-7 at Aspen earlier in the season.
But the high was short-lived, as Roaring Fork went on to lose a pair of contests on the road,
20-8 Saturday, April 13, to one of the Class 4A powerhouses, Castle View, and Monday to the 4A Mountain East League leader, Battle Mountain, 15-10. The Rams now sit at 4-2 and second place in the league standings, and 4-4 overall.
“We recently had two key injuries but we hope to overcome them before we play [Battle Mountain] again at home on April 30,” head coach Drew Kitchell said. “We have a slightly less busy schedule now, which gives us time to heal up
and head into the playoffs at full strength.”
Despite the losses, Kitchell noted that his team kept the offensive pressure up, crediting offensive coordinator/assistant coach Dahl Miller.
“As he says, our kids are
‘all grit and no quit!,’” Kitchell said. “In both recent losses, our players never bowed their heads and were able to score 10 against a very highly-ranked Battle Mountain team.”
On a separate note, three of Roaring Fork’s top players, Wolfe, Miller and McKinley-Kitchell, were recently selected to join Team Colorado for the high school girls national lacrosse tournament this summer.
“This is a huge accomplishment, as there are only 20 spots available for field players,” coach Kitchell said. “These players have worked very hard for years to get to this level and it’s a well-deserved achievement.
Look for Roaring Fork in action at Rams Field for four straight home games, starting this Thursday, April 18, against Fruita Monument (5:30pm), Eagle Valley on Friday (4pm), April 26 versus Summit (5:30pm) and
Battle Mountain rematch on the 30th (5:30pm).
The first paragraph in a 1990 Valley Journal newspaper ar ticle no doubt got most folks’ attention. It quoted Dean Hard ing asking Carbondale’s Board of Town Trustees: “Do you want your kids to have to watch me take a leak?”
Harding’s remark came after some Crystal Village residents protested a planned $28,000 project at Miners Park that in cluded restrooms, volleyball courts and basketball court im provements. The protest caught former Public Works Director Peter Ware off-guard. “I felt we’d done our homework and that it was a well-planned proj ect. I went through the parks and public works committees,” he said in a previous article.
A restroom opponent ar gued, “Why do we need a bath room? The kids can just go home.” Opponents also said that Miners Park improve ments would increase park us age, which would bring more noise, boisterous teenage gath erings and other problems. Ware agreed that Sopris Park was overloaded, “So we have to come up with facilities that al leviate the load,” and then said the issue revolves around park
“Your non-sanctuary county resolution does not align with the values of our communities,” declared Alan Muñoz Valenciano, regional organizing manager for Voces Unidas de las Montañas, during the open public comment portion of Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting. “Referring, in that resolution, to immigrants arriving in Garfield County as a significant public health risk and responsible for committing crimes perpetuates racial stereotypes,” he said.
The BOCC unanimously passed a non-sanctuary county resolution on March 4 in response to an influx of immigrants last winter. “You’re trying to deport our family members and trying to tear families apart,” Muñoz continued. “But my question is, how is it making Garfield County a better place? We must recognize that diversity is a pillar of strength for our community yet your resolution undermines these values.”
He said that members of the Latino community are part of current county residents that the BOCC said it would prefer to support. “Our data suggest that Garfield County continues to fail to meet this duty, especially supporting Latinos, Latinas and immigrants who have been here for 10, 15, 20 years,” he said. On behalf of Voces, Muñoz asked the BOCC to rescind the resolution.
In other news, the BOCC, minus Commissioner Tom Jankovsky, approved a $120,701.92 abatement for Glen-
“It’s three wishes, not three questions.”
Bridge Regional Center made their monthly presentations. Sharon Longhurst-Pritt, director of the county Department of Human Services (DHS), stated that the total EBT/EFT disbursements for March came to $1,009,346.29. Upon a request from West Mountain Regional Health Alliance for $35,000 to plug a funding gap to help with food insecurity and housing challenges, Longhurst-Pritt said that DHS has the ability to absorb the request into its budget.
The BOCC heard updates from NEO Connect’s Diane Kruse about Garfield County broadband, the Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting and the county air quality team. On a scale from hazardous to good, county air quality data for ozone in Garfield County show a decrease in good days from 309 in 2019 to 266 in 2023. The number of good days for particulate matter for the same time period decreased from 365 in 2019 to 364 in 2023. Five unhealthy days of ozone levels for sensitive groups were reported in 2020, four in 2021 and one in 2023. Particulate matter levels increased to unhealthy levels for four days in 2020 and two days in 2021. Battlement Mesa was the site of a mobile air monitoring station from 2012 to 2015 and again since 2016. A mobile site is also in Parachute. Carbondale and Rifle have permanent sites.
At the end of the meeting, commissioners discussed logistics for the upcoming April 30 meeting to appoint the new Garfield County library trustee. As of Monday, there was still some confusion about who would ask questions of the candidates. Library board of trustees president Adrian Rippy-Sheehy has been invited to sit on the panel with the BOCC but Commissioner Mike Samson cautioned that this would set a precedent.
Commissioners had previously stated that the county needs to tighten things up financially, which prompted Longhurst-Pritt to make the offer. The BOCC accepted her offer. “I couldn’t support [the $35,000 request] if it came from general fund dollars because we don’t have any,” said Commission Chair John Martin. “But if it is an item that can be absorbed by [DHS], I would not have any objections to that without a supplement on her budget. It’s using funds
This year, EarthDay.org has selected the theme of Planet vs. Plastics to focus the attention and creativity of the Earth’s people on addressing one of our greatest self-produced threats to life on this planet. Join us as we consider how to take on this challenge–not just for a single day, but for our future. How can we use our creativity and attention to become less plastic, less disposable, less convenient to the devouring forces of capitalism shaping our world.
“Always before, we have asked the questions. Nobody else has asked the questions,” he said. “And it is the three of us that will make the decision as to who will be the board member. She will not have input into that or part of the decision-making as to who will be the next board member.”
Reducing the amount of questions to be posed to the 12 applicants from four per panel member to one was also discussed with no decisions made about how to do that. Commissioners would need to hold a special meeting to resolve this prior to April 30 since they will not be meeting again as a board until early May. The county attorney was instructed to contact the library for more information. A special meeting has not yet been scheduled.
Brown
be speaking in-person at Third Street Center. Aaron Brown received his Master’s in Theological Studies from Iliff School of Theology. He develops coaching and leadership programs for a global consulting firm and has spoken intermittently over the last 12 years at TRUU. He is the father of two teenagers, one who recently started college, the other in 10th grade. He is delighted and honored to be joining the congregation this year as a guest speaker.
Limited resources for preventative mental health care may be caused by the lack of data to back up its impact. Nonetheless, Lindsey Lupow, the program director at HeadQuarters in Basalt, said that rather than focusing solely on reacting during moments of crisis, the organization advocates a proactive approach within the Roaring Fork Valley community.
HeadQuarters, formerly Aspen Strong, provides free programming focused on strengthening the four aspects of mental fitness: social, emotional, physical and financial. According to Lupow, what spurred the rebrand was an effort to be more inclusive of all the communities that make up the Roaring Fork Valley.
“The beauty of mental fitness is you don’t always have to be strong,” Lupow told The Sopris Sun.
One of the organization’s new groups, Uplift, is focused on fitness of the mind and body and is led by Dr. Scott and Laurel Tesoro, owners of Roaring Fork CrossFit. Scott acknowledged a common hesitation people may feel about CrossFit, thinking that it might be too
challenging. But when they do make the leap, he said watching individuals overcome that doubt and getting through their initial workout is very rewarding.
“The word that comes to mind is empowerment. The feeling that people get when they’re doing something hard that they didn’t think they could do is such a great thing to witness,” he stated. “People come in and realize they can totally do it. It’s done in that community setting where people are just cheering you on and supporting you.”
Another program provided by HeadQuarters, which began last August, is the Common Roots men’s group. Davis Cowles, the group facilitator and founder of Moon & Back Coaching, said it serves as a place for men to connect and participate in fruitful and, more often than not, vulnerable discussions.
“We as men tend to be culturally embedded in a story that holds manhood and struggle in mutual exclusivity,” Cowles explained. But that doesn’t have to be the case, and men can discover that together.
Thus far, about 120 men have participated in the group.
Brenden attends Common Roots consistently and mentioned how ap-
prehensive he felt when he first joined. Contrary to his initial reservations and anxiety, today he feels accepted, seen and respected while participating.
He said that it’s reassuring to know that he’s not the only one navigating what, as he’s discovered, are pretty common issues. “It helps us to see that other men are vulnerable as well,” he shared.
Brenden encourages others to take the next step and show up.
Lupow said that the success of Common Roots is so significant that HeadQuarters is looking into adding another meeting location in the future. A Common Roots women’s group will meet for the first time later this month.
While HeadQuarters does not currently offer resources in Spanish, Lupow said the organization is eager to expand and include members from the Spanish speaking community.
“[We] are actively looking for more members of the Latinx [community] to
join our board of directors to drive that mission forward,” Lupow added. “We need more Latinx facilitators to bring this work to life for the Hispanic community,” as well.
In addition to its free programming, HeadQuarters has a Mental Health Fund in which individuals seeking therapy, but are unable to afford it, can apply for 10 free sessions.
“A lot of people aren’t feeling like they’re a part of this community and there’s a lot of loneliness and isolation,” Lupow concluded. “Really the fund is there to get to the baseline and integrate people into the programming.”
Visit www.headq.org to learn more about HeadQuarters and opportunities to tap into preventative mental health care
Chris Roseberry, MD, FACS Trauma and General Surgeon, Chief of Medical Staff
A nonprofit with deep Carbondale roots is advancing the green economy one tiny dome home at a time. Using their hearts, hands, brains and brawn in equal measure, In Our Hands has invented an inexpensive, replicable and low-carbon-impact process in which cellular concrete is poured into a form to create an 18-foot-diameter circular dwelling. The timing for the introduction of this technology is ideal as numerous communities in the West struggle with both the availability and affordability of housing.
These compact dwellings can be built within about a week and the result is an energy-efficient and very livable home of 454 square feet, impervious to extreme weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes and even fire. They’re also pest- and mold-proof. The domes have a functional life of a century or more and can be built on- or off-grid. The retail project cost, which varies somewhat by geography and local labor and materials prices, is around $125 per square foot for the structure, plumbing, electrical wiring, appliances and modest finishes. Nonprofit projects typically come in at a lower cost thanks to grants, sweat equity and partnerships.
Cellular concrete has been used as a construction material for 50 years or so, primarily in Europe, India and Indonesia. Composed of portland cement, water and a surfactant — or soap — it’s extremely durable yet lightweight, just 30 to 35 pounds per cubic foot, or roughly 20% of the weight of regular concrete. During the building process, the mixture is poured into a form at a rate of up to 30 cubic yards per hour by a lightweight and easily transportable cellular concrete generator. The material takes about two days to set.
In Our Hands sees several applications for their domes. Among other uses, they can serve as a starter home for a generation of people who struggle to attain homeownership due to their modest incomes coupled with out-of-reach housing prices. Or they can become an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to increase housing inventory in developed areas. Because of its comparative affordability, In Our Hands also sees its application as shelter for unhomed populations, a redevelopment anchor for distressed urban areas and as housing for Indigenous communities on reservations.
In Colorado, as Governor Polis leads nascent efforts toward “saving people money on housing and increasing supply” as one of six of the state’s 150th anniversary goals in the Roadmap to a Future Colorado 2026 document, the path forward sounds clear enough. However, local, regional and even statewide planning and zoning protocols have a ways to go.
Tiny home developments in Carbondale are hard to pencil out due to the scarcity and expense of available vacant land. Mayor Ben Bohmfalk says those factors have pointed the town toward the construction of more dense multi-family housing in recent years.
Jared Barnes, planning director for the
Town of Carbondale, has been watching legislation and the governor’s initiatives over the past couple years. It’s a catch-up time for Carbondale and other mountain communities and many rely on their membership organization, the Colorado Municipal League, to help shepherd them through state policy as it evolves.
“In our 2022 comprehensive plan we talked about looking at the existing codes and making them more adaptable to tiny homes as a good thing to do,” says Jared. “We haven’t had a chance to dive into that conversation with the larger community yet.” He says Carbondale has been proactive in pursuing more ADUs and the state’s proposed legislation doesn’t create any new opportunities as of yet, or introduce any that the town isn’t already pursuing.
Grand Junction just announced incentives to homeowners to build 300- to 900-square-foot ADUs to ease the creation of affordable housing options. The city will take off $9,500 in building fees and provide up to $15,000 in total capped incentives when the homeowner both lives onsite and offers the ADU as a longterm rental for at least five years. The deal applies to both attached and freestanding ADUs and may hold some opportunity for dome home construction.
Meanwhile in New Mexico, In Our Hands received full statewide approval from the Construction Industries Division for its model and they’re pursuing similar comprehensive approvals from other states. Much of the team’s current work is focused on legitimizing the market for the domes to be widely accepted as code-compliant residential homes.
and finish work are required.
Chris P. Ellis, aka “Crispy,” is a founding partner of In Our Hands. He’s a mogul skiing competition judge, physicist, professor and journeyman electrician — not necessarily in that order. He descends from the Lakota and has a driving interest in helping his tribe and equipping Native-run businesses.
“We live in a country where there’s been a lot of wealth creation. The ladder has gotten taller, but we forgot to put on the bottom three rungs.”
In Our Hands saw the life-and-death need for an alternative to the prevailing energy-inefficient modular housing on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, with its wintertime lows of 40 degrees below zero. They thought a lot about simply delivering a product that would keep people warm and sheltered with dignity and they spent considerable time building domes for Oglala Lakota tribal members, which provided valuable research and a proof of concept.
-Aaron Resnick
The Turner Foundation took notice of In Our Hands and its work in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the team was subsequently recruited to build four domes for employee housing on Vermejo Ranch, a Ted Turner Reserve near Raton, New Mexico. The vast property is dedicated to repatriation of bison, among other conservation initiatives, and it’s where In Our Hands worked most recently to continue to refine their process and product.
Consistent with the green economy’s precepts for mutual benefit, the four founders consider their patented process an “open source” construction technology and seek to share it broadly for maximum benefit. The idea is to teach the technology widely so communities can own the equipment and the process, obtain the materials locally and scale up. Local ownership minimizes travel and material freight, which keeps the carbon footprint low.
To succeed, an operation needs fairly minimal equipment, estimated at around $400,000 in today’s costs. A heavy-duty pickup truck, the nifty cellular concrete mixer, some standard home construction tools and a half-dozen crew members for concrete pouring, plumbing, carpentry
“A huge component of what we’re trying to do is to teach autonomy and the benefit of owning the business that constructs sustainable structures,” says Crispy. “It’s a step up from generational trauma and decades of dysfunctional systems on a reservation.” The path was also smoother to build the dome homes on a reservation with more nimble planning and zoning approvals, due to their independent governance as a sovereign nation.
Crispy, with an enduring passion for education and training, reinitiated the solar program at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) in 2009. He has a dome construction curriculum in development for four educational institutions and one nonprofit, including CMC, Colorado Mesa University Technology, Oglala Lakota College, University of New Mexico - Taos and Veterans Off Grid.
In Our Hands cofounder and executive director, Aaron Resnick, attended Carbondale’s Colorado Rocky Mountain School and began his higher learning at CMC. From there he went to Massachusetts’ Amherst College to earn degrees in biochemistry, biophysics and planetary science. Along the way, Aaron learned carpentry and blacksmithing. He’s also a paramedic — a training that informs his humanistic approach to work.
“We live in a country where there’s been a lot of wealth creation. The ladder has gotten taller, but we forgot to put on the bottom three rungs,” says Aaron. “I thought, how can we make a livable unit — forget about the square footage — where you can be comfortable and proud? Where you can afford it if you work at McDonald’s? Or, if you fall on very hard times, you can still make your mortgage payments? That’s security.”
Part of Aaron’s thought process was to create a solution in which the monthly mortgage payment would be less than a typical monthly rent payment. With renewable energy incorporated into the dome construction, like photovoltaic solar panels for electricity and lighting, utilities could also be low-cost.
Founding partner Candace Resnick is an interior designer, self-taught finish carpenter and mother to Aaron. She honed her skills building homes in Minnesota, Oregon, Alaska and finally Carbondale, where she still resides. Her mettle and self-reliance are the result of both nature and nurture. “My dad was an engineer, so I just grew up learning building skills.” As for the domes, Candace says matter-of-factly, “It used to take me seven days to build a kitchen. Now I can do it in two.”
Jason Mackie, cofounder and president of In Our Hands, was a classmate of Aaron’s at Amherst who earned degrees in environmental science and geology, graduating with high honors. Passionate about planetary science, sustainable development, social justice, economics and all things living, his personal mission is to find innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing systemic problems. He’s also a great hand at carpentry, construction and photography.
Where to next for In Our Hands? In addition to continuing to pour domes and, hopefully, create sustainable dome communities in Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota and the West, the ultimate goal is to empower communities across the country and around the world.
By one definition, the green economy provides prosperity for all within the ecological limits of the planet. In Our Hands checks that box and adds some ingredients to the recipe for success: a drive to evolve the current housing norm with ingenuity, inclusivity, education and collaboration. Theirs is a process to which they bring compassion, skills, intellect and strength. It’s a good day’s work.
Singer-songwriter and storyteller Kray
Van Kirk returns to Steve’s Guitars on Saturday, April 27 to share heroic tales accompanied with melodies strummed on six and 12-stringed guitars.
“We need delight and hope,” stated Van Kirk in a recent press release. “And we need new myths and new stories for the 21st century to make it clear that humanity and heroes are all of us. Every single person of any history or identity is on ‘The Hero’s Journey.’”
Van Kirk is based in Alaska and has been playing music since he was 8 years old. When he entered a music store with his parents around that time, he was given a choice between a guitar and a ukulele. His mother, who was a concert pianist, likely didn’t anticipate him playing the genre of music he gravitates toward today.
“My mother, I think on some level, was horrified that I became a folky instead of going to Juilliard and wearing a tuxedo,” he told The Sopris Sun.
In listening to Van Kirk’s discography, he introduces stories based on nuanced and diverse heroic characters. The songwriter said he is influenced by myths and archetypes, but is known to flip an original script.
“I do carry some remnants of religious imagery from being in seminary at the Graduate Theological Union and spending some time in a monastery in Germany,” he added.
He molds tales of the past to be more representative of today’s world. When asked about this approach when reimagining heroic protagonists, Van Kirk said that he is highly influenced by the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Everybody gets to play in the sandbox” through his music, he stated. “Nobody is excluded because of their identity, history, ethnicity or anything.”
“Almost everything that I do is a story in some sense. I find it extremely difficult to get up on stage and be utterly idealistic and naked,” Van Kirk shared, adding, “But I think that’s the only way to do what I’m doing.”
When asked if he has any wisdom to pass on to hopeful creatives, Van Kirk — who, in fact, left a career in the sciences to work toward his own bohemian calling — said that anyone who has a creative passion should pursue it.
“The time will never be right, so jump in with both feet and pursue whatever you want to. The hero’s quest does not mean you win; it does not mean you will succeed. The hero’s quest means that you have set your foot upon the correct road, not in a moral or ethical sense
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but correct in the sense that it is your road,” he concluded.
Van Kirk is excited to be returning to Steve’s and praised the establishment for how his previous performance there went.
For the Saturday, April 27 show at Steve’s, visit www.stevesguitars.net
To keep up with Kray, visit www.krayvankirk.com
December 22, 1948 - March 23, 2024
A beloved teacher, father and friend, Jerry William Pluger passed away at his home in Des Moines, Washington on March 23. Jerry was born to Ione Elaine Pluger on Dec. 22, 1948, and spent his cheerful childhood with her and his grandparents, Bill and Augusta Pluger, on their dairy farm on Pluger Road in Shiocton, Wisconsin. He was the valedictorian of his high school and the first in his family to attend college.
He attended the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison and graduated with his teaching degree through UW/Whitewater after student teaching in Wales. He received his master’s in reading from the University of Northern Colorado in 1996. He married Deborah Holt in 1973 and they welcomed their first child, Joshua, in 1974. After camping and skiing in Aspen for several years, they left Wisconsin and moved to Glenwood Springs in 1977. The family grew when Molly was born in 1978, and Jerry was proud to deliver Megan in 1981. Jeremy was adopted from Korea in 1986. Although he and Deb later divorced, they remained lifelong friends.
mor and took any chance to find the humor in every situation. He had a special place in his heart for Disney and visited Disneyland over 115 times in his life.
He admired Walt Disney’s ability to bring out the child in everyone. After his retirement, he moved to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his kids and grandkids and spent his days traveling to visit friends, with his family, or on the beach in his “office.”
He loved teaching, travel, dogs and the Packers, he wore shorts year-round and treasured his family and friends. He often heard from students who will never forget him and consider him their favorite teacher ever. He was part of a close-knit group of hikers from the Roaring Fork Valley who often walked for days along the coasts of England, Scotland and even New Zealand.
Dr. Scott Tesoro is back in Carbondale and is accepting a limited number of new patients.
WE OFFER:
Chiropractic Care for Sports and Wellness
Dry Needle Therapy
Massage therapy ($120/60 min. $160/90min.)
Physical Therapy and Injury Rehabilitation
Mental Health Support and Coaching
WE ACCEPT SOME INSURANCE PLANS.
While our new o ce in La Fontana Plaza is under construction, we are at a temporary location 1378 Main Street just West of ACE Hardware. (970) 927-9204 • www.soprischiropractic.com
Jerry began his legendary teaching career at Carbondale Elementary School and later moved to Sopris Elementary in Glenwood, where he taught for the remainder of his 34-year career before retiring in 2011. “Being able to laugh at yourself is healthy and makes life easier,” Jerry once said. “My wish is for each of my children, be it my own four, or the hundreds I have taught — because they are also my children to be able to find a job that they really love. Getting to laugh, learn, explore and be challenged and excited each day is unbelievable. I try to face each day with my eyes smiling and ready for whatever adventure comes my way. Life is good.”
Jerry was a big kid himself, often saying that he never left third grade. He loved silly hu -
Jerry leaves behind a joyful legacy — his son Josh Pluger and wife Carrie and grandkids Olivia and Dylan of Seattle, daughter Molly Pluger and grandson Charlie Johnson of Tacoma, daughter Meg Pluger of Tacoma and grandson Anthony Cox of Glenwood Springs, and Jeremy Pluger of Tempe, Arizona. He is also missed by Deb Williams and her son Ben and friends and family in Wisconsin and Washington.
A celebration of his life will be planned for the Roaring Fork Valley sometime this summer. Friends and relatives can share thoughts and memories on Jerry Pluger’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society in your local area, as Jerry loved dogs, or to any of the wonderful projects by teachers looking for funding on www.donorschoose.org including these projects that were special to Jerry: Equitable Educational Spaces, Sharing of Thoughts and Needs, Always on the Move: Movement Paths for Students with Autism, Photo and Film-Making, S.O.S. Station Refill, ELL Learning Tools for YMHS.
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Saturday, April 27 through Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Del sábado 27 de abril
information!
APRIL 27
27 DE ABRIL
APRIL 27
Immigration
Acompáñenos en este evento informativo que ofrece sesiones presenciales y virtuales en inglés y español. Los temas incluyen derecho de familia, inmigración, derecho laboral, derechos civiles, derecho de vivienda y derecho de las personas mayores. No se pierda esta oportunidad de ampliar su conocimiento de la ley y empoderarse con información legal esencial!
Acompáñenos en este evento informativo que ofrece sesiones presenciales y virtuales en inglés y español. Los temas incluyen derecho de familia, inmigración, derecho laboral, derechos civiles, derecho de vivienda y derecho de las personas mayores. No se pierda esta oportunidad de ampliar su conocimiento de la ley y empoderarse con información legal esencial!
APRIL 29
29 DE ABRIL
APRIL 29 29 DE ABRIL 9am - 3pm
EDITOR’S NOTE: Age-Friendly Carbondale will present an analysis of its community survey regarding Highway 133 to Carbondale’s Bike, Pedestrian and Trails Commission on May 6 at 6pm.
It was a beautiful afternoon. The offshore weather was mild. I had a few hours for a late afternoon bike ride before the Pacific fog rolled in and the temperature dropped.
Most of the ride was along a wide shoulder of Highway 101. I was used to riding with the sound of logging trucks mixed with the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, and I was never afraid. What I remember about this ride was avoiding an unusual amount of debris on the shoulder. Instead of feeling the delightful Northwest breeze, I was angry and silently cursing the unknown, inconsiderate people who littered.
I came into the house, pacing, grumbling, complaining loudly and ignoring Ron sitting at the table reading. “Why doesn’t CalTrans clean the roads? Why don’t people keep garbage pails in their cars? Blah blah blah.” Ron turned to me. “Are you asking me to listen to your uncommitted complaining?“ I thought about it for a
few moments … “Yes,” I said, expecting him to give me some attention. “I decline your request,” he responded, and continued reading.
The following week, I called the Highways Department and signed up to clean a mile of Highway 101. They wanted to know what group was volunteering, and I asked that the sign say, “Cyclists for Clean Highways.” They gave me a hard hat, a yellow vest, a pickup grabber stick and a sling bag for recycling cans. They showed me pictures of bottles of urine that truck drivers flung out their windows, advising me to leave those in the dirt.
I usually went garbage picking alone. People honked and waved and thanked me. I saw different kinds of bugs, found small trails into the redwoods, counted cigarette butts, saw an ant hill that was more than a foot high, rolled old car tires and hubcaps to the side of the highway, heard the sea lions migrating, and rarely had to hop over the jars of yellowing liquid. I wondered what it would be like to be a logging truck driver. I wondered why teenage boys driving pickup trucks were so often obnoxious.
Highway 101 spans 1,500
miles from Los Angeles to Seattle. At the end of my shift (I was my own boss), a mile of that dirty highway was cleaned. One tiny light lit in my little corner of the world.
I have decided to pause my writing and realign. I am going for a walk. I often do that when I don’t know the direction I am going or where I want to end up.
I’m back. While I was walking and thinking, I decided that my next paragraph would be about all the uncommitted complaining about Carbondale that I read on Facebook. Then I realized that I would be complaining about people complaining. Where would that lead? Not where I want to end up.
Instead, I want to express gratitude to all who contribute to the Town’s vitality and make us feel good about living here. Walking with friends, I see so many minor life-affirming behaviors. People stop to pick up other people’s discarded trash or dog waste. Pedestrians stop to say good morning (buenos días) to their neighbors and have random conversations about their day. Folks stop to help children with chains that dropped off their bikes. We may not know all of our neighbors’ names, but we seem to know their dogs’ names.
I know people who sit on boards and commissions and freely give time and energy to make Carbondale a more livable community.
When Age-Friendly Carbondale (AFC) decided to help clothe our Venezuelan newcomers throughout the winter months, I posted a request on the Carbondale Facebook page. Dozens of unknown neighbors contributed clothes and helped sort them, translating into hundreds of hours of community service. People brought and served meals and contributed money. Some took newcomers into their homes. I didn’t always get to thank them, so I’m thanking them now. For three
months, they lit up this little corner of Colorado.
Highway 133 survey
I started this column by sharing an experience on Highway 101 in California. Now, I want to turn to the highway that runs through our Town, dividing East from West, representing poor town planning that we have worried and complained about for years.
Thank you to the more than 500 people who took the time to talk with AFC, fill out our Highway 133 survey and complete our mapping exercise. We promised you we would create a conduit for your voices to be heard. We are finishing our analysis of your comments and will present our report to the Bike, Pedestrian and Trails Commission at 6pm on May 6.
Naturalist John Burroughs said that “The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.” Great sentiment! If you’re concerned about Colorado Highway 133 in Carbondale, please do one small deed to improve the situation. Join us at 6pm on May 6, and let your voice be heard and help us transform complaints into commitments that produce change.
Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Board of Trustees for the purpose of considering a combined application for Rezoning, Administrative Site Plan Review, and Alternative Compliance to allow the redevelopment of the Carbondale Aquatics Center.
Project Description: The project proposes to redevelop the John M. Fleet Pool with a new Carbondale Aquatics Center containing a 2,760 square foot building, 6 lane lap pool, entertainment pool, hot tub, and concrete pool deck. The project includes rezoning the lots from Open Space (O) to Public Facilities (PF) and an alternative compliance request to permit a 6’-6” tall fence and to reduce the required streetscape landscape strip.
Property Location: 684 Main Street
Applicant: Town of Carbondale
Owner: 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 May 14, 2024.
The Sopris Sun is seeking a tech-savvy somebody to lead our digital engagement strategies with intention and integrity. These include our new website and social media, as well as grant-funded opportunities to train in emerging innovations like Google Analytics and A.I. The position will blend journalism with marketing efforts. To apply, send a letter of interest and resume to board@soprissun.com
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 May 14, 2024. The comments will be entered into the record. If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Jared Barnes, Planning Director, at 970-510-1208.
TOWN OF CARBONDALE
511 Colorado Avenue Carbondale, CO 81623 www.carbondalegov.org
(970 963-2733 Fax: (970) 963-9140
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
March
The calendar says spring. But the TV weatherman reports the true story: rain, sleet and even some, yes, snow across the higher elevations. I know how the calendar lies. I’ve learned a few things about spring during my many years of gardening. Take rotted bean seeds after a week of rain, for instance, or spindly tomato and pepper seedlings withered from the lack of sun. I practice patience and spend drizzly afternoons snuggled up on the sofa reading gardening magazines, making a wish list for my first trip to the greenhouse.
April
Ah, spring. Finally. Trees bud green. Tulips bloom pink, yellow and red. Lavender phlox spills over the stone walls. Yellow dandelions splat randomly across the greening backyard. It’s time, I decide, to venture down to the 30 X 30 feet vegetable plot. Time to check the garden shed and take inventory of the supplies: rakes, shovels, fertilizer, wooden sticks to mark the rows and a ball of twine to lace up the cucumber trellises. Time to untangle the garden hoses and clean the debris out of the woodchuck trap. Time to get the little red truck out of the barn, fill ‘er up and head to the local greenhouse.
The swollen garden gate needs a good push to open. Brown oak leaves and dead tomato stalks fill the 20-year-old raised beds. Chives, thyme and
mint struggle up through the layer of pine spills. Dead bean vines twine in and out of the dangling latticework. And already the season’s new weeds are well on their way to taking over the plot.
What in hell happened here? Where was I last October at fall cleanup/ put-the-gardens-tobed time? Where was I in March when the deep winter snows finally melted? How can this be my garden? The soil hasn’t been turned, there’s no “black gold” compost waiting to be shoveled into the beds.
I have to use my shoulder to push against the garden shed door. Inside, there’s no way through the stacked patio furniture, the wheelbarrow, garden cart and lawn mower. The garden tools are bunched in the corner. Empty bags of lime and grass seed litter the floor. Mouse droppings and paper towel shreds cover the planting bench.
The shed has been emptied and cleaned, the tools hung on the walls, the shelves cleared of stacked pots, the cobwebs dusted from every corner. I set up housekeeping with a small table, a rocking chair and an old braided rug that I found up in the barn. Jim makes good on his promise made to me last fall: to build waist-high raised beds. No more standing up and kneeling down to plant and weed and harvest. This will be my dream garden.
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Jim continues to top off the beds each day as the soil settles. And I decide it’s time for a road trip. I head to the greenhouse in the little red truck. Even though I’m shopping late, there’s still a great selection of good-sized plants. I navigate my cart up and down every aisle, amazed at the new varieties, the heirlooms and the old favorites. By the time I reach the check-out, my cart is full. Time to get these plants home, hardened off and in the ground.
Jim is puttering in the garage when I pull into the driveway. I flash him my biggest smile as he comes out to survey the plants in the truck bed. He takes one glance and shakes his head. My smile begins to fade.
“I thought we had a conversation,” he says.
“We did. What’s wrong? Look at the selection and how healthy everything is!” I countered.
“Look at how much you
bought,” he says. “We talked about this and agreed. There’s only two of us. T-W-O!” He starts counting the number of flats, calculating the plant total. “Six of everything? Swiss chard. Zucchini. And whatever those yellow things are.”
In my defense, I remind him that the nursery does not sell these plants individually. “You can’t just buy a zucchini or ONE Swiss chard. And we have neighbors who love veggies. Doesn’t sharing make you feel good?”
“Hmm … Three of our neighbors have their own gardens,” he continued. “The people on this street are not expecting us to feed them. We’re not a farmer’s market.” Then he opens the door to the jump seat. “And what are those?”
“Don’t be silly, Jim. You know what those are.”
“Yes, I know WHAT those are. Just how MANY tomato plants did you buy?”
“Well, I wasn’t counting the plants. I wanted different varieties; some for salad, some for sauce. I didn’t actually count them. We need a lot of Romas for sauce and this year they had San Marzanos. Those are hard to find!”
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. I know this combination gesture well. It’s his way of saying, ‘Fine. Whatever. You’re Impossible. I give up.’
I count my trip to the nursery as a success and place the plants by the back door where they’ll get good sunshine and protection from the wind.
June 1st
Planting Day! The plants have hardened off and I have a plan for where they’ll go. I check Pinterest on a regular basis to keep up with all the latest tips on gardening: how to increase the yield or how to make organic bug spray from ingredients found right in my kitchen.
I measure and dig each hole. Then it’s time for the special adins: a scoop of compost, a few shakes of epsom salts, a baby aspirin and a good handful of pulverized egg shells that I’ve stashed all year in the freezer. I smile when I remember the day Jim found the first plastic bag.
“What’s in here?”
“Oh, those? Eggshells. For the tomatoes and peppers, and a good source of calcium for building healthy ‘bones’ — the cell walls of the plants.”
“Says who?” he asks.
“Pinterest,” I reply.
It’s another eye roll and head shake. And the shells go back in the freezer.
The planting goes quickly as I walk along the raised beds. No up and down. No crawling around on my hands and knees. I place a little plastic collar around each plant to keep the cutworms from chomping at the tiny stems. And, finally, each plant gets a good drink of slow release fertilizer. I’m dirty and sweaty and a little sunburned, but the raised beds are planted.
Tomorrow I’ll plant the zucchini, squash and cukes, and throw a package of beans in front of the trellis along the back fence. In between everything, I’ll tuck in herbs and all the yellow and gold marigolds. And, just maybe, I’ll take the little red truck out for another spring ride.
“Part of why this conflict is so deeply personal to me is that I really do not believe it makes us safer. I believe it puts us more in danger and I believe, especially with the political climate right now, we are not safe. There is real antisemitism on the rise … It is a scary time to be a Jewish person.”
In 2016, while visiting Israel at 19 years old on birthright, she spent some time in the West Bank. At the time, she was discouraged by her fellow travelers from doing so because she might be “raped or murdered.” In the West Bank she saw that some roads were designated for Israelis and others for Palestinians, and described it “like stepping into the Jim Crow South.”
She met a Palestinian taxi driver who toured her around Bethlehem, invited her into his home to have tea with his sister and introduced her to kunafa, which
SPORTS from page 17
Girls soccer
After beating Moffat County on the road April 11, 10-0 — a game that saw junior Carley Crownhart knock in four goals — the Rams booters lost two in a row, 2-1 Monday at Grand Junction, and 3-0 Saturday at home against Mullen.
Roaring Fork sits at 2-0-1 in the 3A Western Slope League and 5-3-1 overall, headed into Friday’s road trip to play Manitou Springs and a home contest April 23 against Basalt (6pm) at Rams Field.
The Roaring Fork boys are riding a four-game win streak following an 8-2 win over Aspen at home on Tuesday, April 16, to improve to 2-0 in the 3A Western Slope League and 6-8 overall.
The Rams opened the league season on April 10 with a 10-0 win at home over Olathe. Junior Cole Fenton got the complete game shutout pitching win.
Playing on the road on Saturday, April 13, Roaring Fork won 12-1 over Strasburg, taking a 2-0 lead into the sixth before exploding for four runs in the sixth and six in the seventh to secure the win. Fenton again got the win from the mound, with sophomore Kenny Riley coming on in relief.
from page 6
she described as a cross between baklava and cheesecake.
“He showed me the wall and the checkpoints and all of the roads that he could drive right up to but couldn’t drive down,” she explained.
Richardson encourages that local governments pass ceasefire resolutions.
“We’ve tried talking to our state officials, we’ve tried talking to people at the national level and have just hit a wall,” she said. “It’s not a case of making this a municipality issue solely, it’s a case of trying to raise this issue at every level.” She argued that such resolutions can impact the decisions made within the higher echelons of government.
She acknowledged that ultimately people want the same thing. “We want safety for the Jewish people and for Palestinians, it’s just figuring out how to get there,” she concluded.
Next up for the Rams is a trip to Delta for a key league matchup this Saturday, April 20. Then it’s back home at Ron Patch Memorial Field versus Battle Mountain on Monday (3pm).
Competing at last Saturday’s (April 13) Glenwood Springs Demon Invitational, the Roaring Fork girls had several athletes finish in the top seven of their events, contributing to 34 team points scored on the day:
Senior Kyra Reeds, third 100-meter hurdles (17.95 second), and third 300-meter hurdles (51.2 seconds); sophomore Nikki Tardif, third 400-meter dash (1:04.68), and sixth 200-meter dash (28.97); junior Isabella Moon, fourth 3200-meter run (13:10.13); sophomore Caroline Cole, fifth 3200 meters (13:45.67); 4x200 relay team of Tardif, Reeds, Evi Keating and Elizabeth Fullerton, fourth (1:56.34); and 4x800 relay team of Moon, Cole, Margaux Zeijlstra and Sadie Silcox, fifth (12:00.21).
The Roaring Fork boys 4x100 relay team of David Finley, Mateo Ledezma, Gianluca Liuzzi and Kurai Chadwick finished eighth (49.41).
The track team is at the Coal Ridge Invitational on Friday, April 19.
ORDINANCE NO. 5 SERIES OF 2024
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO, PROVIDING FORT THE ANNEXATION TO THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO OF PROPERTY LYING OUTSIDE OF BUT ADJACENT TO THE TOWN OF CARBODALE, IN THE COUNTY OF GARFIELD, COLORADO.
NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on April 9, 2024.
This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during normal business hours.
ORDINANCE NO. 6
SERIES OF 2024
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO, APPROVING A COMBINED LAND USE APPLICATION BY RICHARD & KATHRYN CAMP AND TERRANCE MCGUIRE FOR 111 MAIN STREET IN ORDER TO: (1) COMBINE THREE PARCELS OF LAND INTO ONE PARCEL BY SUBDIVISION EXEMPTION PLAT; (2) ZONE THIS COMBINED PROPERTY AS PART OF THE HISTORIC COMMERCIAL CORE (HCC) ZONE DISTRICT; (3) APPROVE A SITE PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THIS COMBINED PROPERTY INTO A FOOD TRUCK COURT; (4) APPROVE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REGARDING COMMERCIAL BUILDING HEIGHT FOR AN EXISTING STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY; AND (5) APPROVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR MOBILE FOOD VENDORS TO OPERATE ON THE PROPERTY.
NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on April 9, 2024.
This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during normal business hours.
For the second year in a row, the Red Hill Council flagged dog poop left behind on the first quarter mile of Red Hill trails. Last year, Independence Run and Hike installed new poop collection cans which they empty weekly, and a group of dog owners picked up the poop and returned the flags. This year, 545 piles of poo were counted compared with 687 last year. The idea is to repeat this activity for at least three years total in order to discern a trend. Colorado Rocky Mountain School students, led by teacher Beth Krasemann, helped out with the temporary installation. Pictured in group photo (left to right): Henry O’Hagan, Wren GrovesBenedict, Krasemann and Lucy Ingram (also planting a flag in photo on right). Photos by Raleigh Burleigh
