Dandy Day takes wing
Seventh grader Rae Vickers, a member of the Stilting Sisters of Carbondale, spread cheer and fairy dust through Sopris Park on Dandelion Day, following the Parade of Species down Main Street. Photo by Jane Bachrach For more scenes from the 28th annual Carbondale event, flip to page 17.
Following my heart through uncertainty
VOICES Radio Hour is brought to you by VOICES in partnership with KDNK, The Sopris Sun, and Connection is Medicine Foundation. Each episode we share stories from members of our community. We hope this serves to preserve our oral history of who we are, where we come from and who we aspire to be, through the tradition of storytelling.
This episode of VOICES Radio Hour is called “Simple Gifts”, and it’s about the treasures in life that reveal themselves to us when we take the time to look for them — a gift from the universe that lit up your world in the least expected ways. The storytellers for this episode, moderated by Mitzi Rapkin, are Caitlin Causey, Shannon Ewing and Raleigh Burleigh. The episode aired on KDNK at 6pm on Sunday, March 22. Watch or listen online anytime at voicesrfv.org/voices-radio-hour
Raleigh Burleigh was born and raised in Carbondale. After five years as editor of The Sopris Sun, he set off on new adventures this spring.
It’s dark. Completely dark, besides the glowing volcanic rocks at the center of this structure, made of bent willows and covered with blankets. A drum beats steadily, and my heart beats with it. Many voices attempt to follow along with an ancient Lakota song of prayer. Intermittently, the rocks hiss as water is poured, creating a hot vapor. Somehow we’ve fit a few dozen people inside this ceremonial womb, all smudged with sage and dripping with sweat.
All at once, people began spilling out of the theater, including his friends. They told us how the film ended and we parted.
But, I had a seed. Raices de la Tierra. The next morning, I looked it up. The distance wasn’t so great and I had no firm commitments, but it began that very same night. My host siblings encouraged me to go, so I summoned up the courage and threw together a bag, borrowing their tent.
OPINION
The journey began with a bus ride of several hours to Santiago. From there, a transfer to another bus, then another. The location of my destination was obscure, and several times I nearly gave up and turned around. But all along the way, angels assisted me. I remember one man in particular walking me far across the expansive bus depot in Santiago, through the streets to where I barely caught my next connection. At every turn, the universe seemed to funnel me exactly to where I needed to go, in such a way that I just couldn’t back out.
By the time I arrived in Cajón del Maipo, it was late. I had no ticket for the event, and according to what information I found online, the gates were closed. But there awaited a sentinel, who received me with brotherly kindness. Once in the forest, I wandered among hundreds of tents and the charged quiet of a few thousand people settling in for the opening ceremony that next morning.
By Raleigh Burleigh
Just two days prior, I was in the port city of Valparaíso, Chile. Twenty-two years old, revisiting a family I’d lived with on exchange six years prior. I’d made a tradition of attending a weekly Dominguera in a hillside plaza. Every Sunday, an assortment of locals and travelers gathered for an informal talent show of sorts. Musicians, jugglers, storytellers, other artists shared their gifts for whatever transient audience accumulated in that moment.
There I met a group of Chileans, a little younger than me. They told me they were headed next to see a French film at an art house cinema in the neighboring city of Viña del Mar. At their invitation, I tagged along.
The film … was horrific. It portrayed disturbing scenes of realistic and abhorrent violence. During one such extended scene, I noticed one of my new-found friends get up and leave the theater.
Earlier that night, Sebastian, a stout young man with a high voice and wild, curly hair, explained how the overweight usher at the theater was breathing … incorrectly. According to Sebastian, the breath should circulate through the abdomen, and not be trapped shallow in the chest.
I was more interested in what Sebastian had to say than subjecting myself to the traumatic events on screen, so I followed him to the plaza outside. There I learned that he is from Villarica, a town far south nestled between a lake and an active volcano. Sebastian told me of his purpose here. The very next day he was traveling to Raices de la Tierra, a three-day gathering of indigenous communities in a forest outside Santiago — Chile’s capital city.
LETTERS
A love letter
There are so many reasons to love you, Carbondale, and I am not sure we say it enough. I recently had hip surgery and as I have crutched around town, rehabbing and slowly testing my limits, I have heard your support. People in cars and bikes shout words of encouragement as they go by. “You’re doing great,” is one of my favorites. People walking stop and offer support. These interactions always make me smile. Not every town offers this. In fact, I bet few do. Thanks, Carbondale. I Love You. Matt Gworek Carbondale
‘Women’s VOICES’
On behalf of the board and staff of VOICES, I would like to extend sincere appreciation to the Aspen Thrift Shop for offering a generous sponsorship of our upcoming theatre production, “Women’s VOICES: When We Dance Again.” This show is produced, directed and
With no specific aim, I walked the dirt path between camps, intuiting a place to nestle my tent. Then, a high voice. “¡Hermano Ralí! Llegaste!” Sebastian, of all people, had emerged from his tent in that very moment, for no apparent reason, and caught sight of me. He beckoned me over and we popped inside another tent where friends from the night before and others smiled and laughed in welcoming disbelief. Suddenly, after a long, uncertain day, I was home.
The gathering itself opened my heart up wide. I participated in my first temazcal sweatlodge, which was guided by a Lakota elder. I met other indigenous people from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and more. I helped in the communal kitchen, attended every group prayer in the kiva where the three-day encounter initiated.
I sat at the fire of our Mapuche hosts and gained a new respect for this people, their culture and their centuries-long resistance. I made friends among the hippies and felt more in love with life than ever before. At one point, I remember listening to harmonious birdsong in the canopies above and thinking, “The birds are singing because the people are waking up.”
That seed blossomed into far-reaching, life-transforming relationships and identity-shaping lessons. And it all began because I followed my heart through uncertainty, from one step to the next, without knowing to where I was being guided.
I often strive to reach those pockets of flow, guided by the universe, which deliver us to a distinct feeling of aliveness and present connection, listening closely for external signs and internal validation, while trusting a current with no clear destination.
performed completely by local women who created an original script from their true-life stories and experiences. We know audiences will be deeply moved by their work, and we believe more than ever in the power of storytelling to open hearts and expand minds.
Our team is so proud to have the Aspen Thrift Shop’s support in amplifying the voices of women in our community, and we invite the public to attend a performance on May 22, 23 and 24 at Thunder River Theatre in Carbondale. Complete performance details are at VOICESrfv.org
MinTze Wu VOICES, Carbondale
Re: Stan Badgett
Thank you for printing the excerpt in the April 8 issue of The Sopris Sun, “April is the cruelest month,” from Stan Badgett’s book, “Digging in the Dark,” about the Dutch Creek #1 Mine explosion in April 1981.
I knew Stan. He would share excerpts from the book-in-progress with a local writers’ group a bunch of us belonged to, led by the late Karen Chamberlain and Carol Bell. We were often treated to his mining memories and his brilliant storytelling style.
Years later, long after Mid-Continent Resources shut down, Stan and his wife Doreen along with Rob Mulford, who had also worked for Mid-Continent, took a memorial hike toward the Dutch Creek #1 Mine on a snowy day in mid-April. I say “toward” because none of us actually made it to the mine. Rob got the closest and spread roses in the snow, honoring those who lost their lives that day in 1981. The hike was made easier by Stan and Rob’s stories. I produced a radio piece about it for KDNK that you can find at tinyurl.com/StanBadgett
Amy Hadden Marsh
Glenwood Springs
continued on page 22
Editor James Steindler
970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com
Managing Editor
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Sol del Valle Editora Bianca Godina bianca@soldelvalle.org
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Terri Ritchie
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Board Members / Mesa Directiva board@soprissun.com
Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke • Eric Smith
Roger Berliner • Elizabeth Phillips
Anna Huntington • Loren Jenkins
Carlos Ramos • Gayle Wells
The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6pm on second Thursdays at the Third Street Center. The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible.
Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+
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VOICES RADIO HOUR
OUR UNDERWRITERS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS!
SCUTTLEBUTT
Libraries director
The Garfield County Public Library District is inviting the community to meet the finalists applying to be the district’s next executive director. The public meet and greet will be held from 5:30 to 7pm, May 28, at the Rifle Library. The finalists are Karen Horner, library director at the Park County Library System in Wyoming, and Abraham Korah, branch manager of the Glenwood Springs Library. “The event offers patrons, residents and stakeholders an opportunity to meet the candidates, learn more about their backgrounds and leadership experience and engage with them in an informal setting,” a press release stated.
Rockfall mitigation
FirstBank
Alpine Bank
Colorado Mountain College
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Hilary Porterfield
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NONPROFIT PARTNERS
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Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner?
Email Todd@soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) last week finished the installation of 117,000 square feet of metal mesh on the side of the Red Hill to mitigate rockfall. The project began on May 5, 2025, targeting the hillside east of the Highway 82 and 133 intersection and, along with the installation of metal mesh, included work to remove loose rocks and clean culverts.
“The completion of the Red Hill rockfall mitigation project, in this area with a history of rockslides and traffic impacts caused by falling rocks and debris, represents CDOT’s continued commitment to keeping our communities safe on our mountain highways,” CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said in a press release.
Nordie New Year
In a newsletter, the Mount Sopris Nordic Council announced that the recent “Nordie New Year” — “the close of one season and the hopeful anticipation of the next” — on May 1 marked 40 years of cross country skiing at Spring Gulch. “While we’re incredibly proud of the advances we’ve made over the last few years, we’re equally grateful for the chance to reflect on our humble beginnings, celebrate the partnerships and volunteer spirit that have shaped this place and recommit to the community-focused mission established by our founders in 1986,” the newsletter stated.
Coroner’s report
Following a report last week from Garfield County Sheriff’s Office that a man died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during a traffic stop on West 6th Street in Glenwood Springs, the coroner’s office has identified the deceased as Shawn Krause, a 59-year-old male from Keystone. “Mr. Krause was visiting the Glenwood Springs area at the time of his death,” Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire wrote in an email. Krause was pronounced dead at the scene on May 5.
Smiling Goat Ranch
Smiling Goat Ranch, a local nonprofit that fosters well being through horse-human connection, was selected to participate in the fifth annual Horses for Mental Health Campaign (HMHC), a global effort that supports such organizations. Smiling Goat Ranch was also featured in one of HMHC’s award-winning videos that premiered on Mother’s Day, “highlighting how horses are transforming mental health care,” according to a press release. To view the video, visit tinyurl.com/SmilingGoatRanch To contribute to the campaign, visit tinyurl.com/ HMHCSmilingGoat
Horse disease
A horse in Montezuma County contracted vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a disease spread through insects that causes blister-like sores and fever. Two other horses in the county are showing clinical signs of the disease, according to a press release from the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “While it is rare, VSV can be transmitted to people and can cause a flu-like illness and rarely blister-like sores,” a press release stated. “Currently, there are no human cases, and the risk to the general public is very low.” The department advises equine and livestock owners to monitor their animals and report any suspected cases to a veterinarian.
They say it’s your birthday!
Debbi Fadli, Paige Gibbons, Doc Philip and Steve Standiford (May 14); Jenny Cutright, Lindsay Dudycha, Kellie Land, Jonelle Luther, Greg Masse, Feénagh O’Donnell, Morgan Williams and Ana Vega Terrazas (May 15); Bartlett, Cynthia Butterfield, Aaron Luttrell and Fred Pulver (May 16); Terrie Geddes, Lisa Johnson and Steven Quint (May 17); Willa Bonzi, Mike Cassetty, Bonnie Earl and Gretchen Hofmann (May 18); Peter Frey (May 19); Eloise Clark, Jenny Garcia and Daniel Self (May 20).
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is running for governor, was in the Valley this past weekend, including attending a meet-andgreet fundraising event on Saturday, May 9, at Pat Morrissy and Jean Campbell’s home in Satank. Photo by Ken Pletcher
What if books could talk?
KATALINA VILLARREAL
Sopris Sun Correspondant
Do you remember the first time someone truly saw you? How that person taught you the value of releasing judgment and simply listening?
Well, the Human Library is back to do exactly that. A nonprofit organization created in 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark, it has since expanded across the globe. The nonprofit’s goal is to facilitate open, honest and judgement-free conversations to bridge divides between people. The Carbondale Branch Library invites you to meet and converse with a few people who will share their life stories on May 17 from 10am to 1pm.
“What the Human Library is telling people is: stop and listen to everyone and to their stories,” said Frank Sgambati, member of Age Friendly Carbondale, the organization sponsoring the event alongside Garfield County Libraries. “It just makes you a more aware person and that ripples and makes for a better community and society in general.” Sgambati got involved with the Human Library organization a few years back. The first event took place in January 2024 and is now an annual occurrence cycling from Carbondale
to Glenwood to Rifle.
“We as a country are so divided. It’s divisive, it’s got angry dialogue, and here is an opportunity where people can actually get together, learn from each other and un-judge,” Sgambati said.
These conversations inspire connection and understanding for those who are marginalized and people who may be perceived one way based on preconceived notions.
Previous stories have been: Living Transgendered, Surviving Incarceration, Living with a Spinal Cord Injury, Surviving Sexual Abuse, Being a Drag Queen, Living with HIV, Being Homeless, Being Polyamorous, Immigrant Stories: Undocumented to Citizenship and more.
“What it does is create a space where it is comfortable and safe to ask those provocative questions which you normally wouldn’t,” Sgambati said.
The human books get training to do this and are no longer in crisis, which means they can candidly talk about their stories and answer difficult questions.
Of course, respect and ground rules are in place to guide everyone involved. The books will talk with a group of 10 to 12 readers and rotate to different
groups throughout the time with breaks for everyone in between conversations.
“Generally, the books have been local,” Sgambati said.
Each human book challenges a stereotype and preconceived notion that allows for the readers to thoughtfully engage with and reflect on their judgments and assumptions.
“We need to come together as a human race and support one another,” Sgambati said. “It starts on a very personal level.”
Everyone has a story. This event provides the space to leave prejudice at the door and step into an environment of learning and listening. If you are unable to join the event, you can still hold space for new perspectives. In times of uncertainty and unrest, community provides hope and strength. Breaking barriers of illusionary separation remind us all that we are more similar and able to relate to each other than we sometimes feel.
“I’ve learned to be more open and accepting and listening,” Sgambati said about the influence being a part of this event has had on him.
The Human Library returns to the Carbondale Library on May 17, from 10am to 1pm. Art by Katalina Villarreal
Take a moment to engage with discourse that focuses on empathy and releases conjectures that may be outdated, biased or limiting our ability to see each other for who we all are: human. Check out the Human Library website at humanlibrary.org to learn more and get involved. There will also be another Human Library event at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library this fall
The event is free, but space is limited. Register online through the Garfield County Libraries’ website gcpld.org or scan the QR code on tinyurl.com/humanlibrary1 There may also be space to register at the library the morning of the event.
CAREGIVER CONFERENCE
June 3, 2026 10am-3pm El Jebel Community Ce 0020 Eagle County Dr El Jebel, C
Hot Breakfast @ 9:30am
We created a free caregiver conference for YOU with local resources, aging experts and caregiver presentations Includes hot breakfast and lunch, giveaways, keynote speakers, practical tools and new connections.
For additional details, to register & agenda:
Sonnets & Spurs: Local author wins juvenile fiction award
Sopris Sun Correspondent
On April 11, Glenwood Springs-based author Nancy Bo Flood received the Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for her illustrated children’s book, “Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler,” a tale about South Dakota’s first poet laureate and an unsung hero of cowboy poetry.
“Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler” follows the songfilled life of Charles Badger Clark (1883-1957). The book retells the life story of the titular nature-loving bard through his youth in Dakota Territory, misbegotten travels in Cuba and return to the American West where he found his vocation as a poet of prairies, cowpunching and the pleasures of a simple life in the saddle.
Clark is most famous for having penned “A Cowboy’s Prayer,” which is erroneously attributed to Anonymous and read at the opening of many rodeos across the United States. It was through Flood’s love of the rodeo that she first became familiar with Clark’s poetry, often characterized by its smooth rhythms and simple lyricism, which Flood describes as “Shakespeare meets Walt Whitman during a cattle drive.”
Flood is the author of over 20 books oriented towards both young and adult readers, which explore her own experiences as a mother, psychologist, educator in the Navajo Nation and resident of various countries across the world.
Over the course of half a decade, a project that began as an investigation into the history of the cowboy hat eventually morphed into “Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler,” as Flood dove deep into Clark’s life as an adventurous and idiosyncratic poet.
The book was researched with the assistance of its publisher, South Dakota Historical Society Press. Flood’s research connected her with historians, journalists and cowboy poets. It eventually took her to Badger Hole, Clark’s cabin in Custer State Park. At Badger Hole, Flood chatted with those who knew Clark
personally and got to experience the rich atmosphere of his final residence.
In “Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler,” Flood emphasizes Clark’s sensitivity and love toward animals. Her pages recount the humorous, and apparently true, story of how a family of skunks once saved a young Clark’s life from a gang of disgruntled cattle rustlers, and how, many years later, Clark let a family of skunks live with him in Badger Hole as a kind of thanks. In the
mornings, Clark even enjoyed feeding the local deer fresh flapjacks from his window.
Clark was also a staunch pacifist and anti-consumerist. He vehemently opposed segregation. “We still owe the Negro for 250 years of unpaid labor, and we owe the Indian for some three million square miles of land,” Clark once wrote in a letter to the Rapid City Journal.
The book features illustrations by Jeanne Bowman, a freelance illustrator who was raised up and down the Rocky Mountains. Bowman drew on personal experience and extensive research to fill the book’s pages with colorful, historically accurate illustrations that capture the landscape and lifestyle which inspired Clark’s verses.
Published on Sept. 16, 2025, “Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler” quickly won recognition from judges and writers alike.
On April 11, Flood was invited to a ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, where her book received a Wrangler Award for Juvenile Fiction.
“Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler” was also named a finalist for best children’s picture book in the Western Writers of America’s Spur Awards.
“This would be a terrific book to use in a poetry segment in the classroom with a special eye toward getting boys interested in poetry,” wrote fellow author Rosi Hollenbeck in a review.
Flood hopes that her retelling of Clark’s life shifts young readers’ perspective on what being a cowboy is really about. For Flood and Clark alike, cowboys aren’t just tough gunslingers out to get in fights.
“[Cowboys] love songs and singing and they love being out on the open range and [under] the sky at night,” said Flood. She hopes that, through her book, all those who also love these things will be inspired to protect them.
“Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler” is available for sale online from South Dakota Historical Society Press and in person from Alpenglow Books & Gifts in Glenwood Springs.
Local poet and author Nancy Bo Flood was awarded the 2025 Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Juvenile Book for her latest literary venture, “Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler.” Courtesy photo
Roaring Fork, Basalt High Daniels scholars bound for Montana, Manhattan
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Two of this year’s graduating seniors locally, Colton Lang from Roaring Fork High School and Towler Scott from Basalt High, are among this year’s 205 recipients of the coveted Daniels Scholarship.
The Daniels is a highly competitive award that recognizes students with exceptional character in a four-state region — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — with a full scholarship ($25,000/year) to attend a wide selection of colleges and universities across the United States.
Lang plans to attend Montana State University in Bozeman and major in mechanical engineering, while Scott is headed to Manhattan University in the Big Apple to study finance. He is also committed to run track and cross country for the Jaspers.
Lang is the second member of his family to receive the Daniels. His older sister, Ruby Lang, was a Daniels recipient in 2015, going on to study at California Polytechnic State University.
“I’ve grown up with a love of mechanics, building things and working with different mechanics shops,” Lang said. “I’m really passionate about that world in general.”
As a future career, he said he aims to focus on the development of nuclear fusion energy as an alternative energy source, or in the automotive technology sector.
Lang had to overcome dyslexia throughout his primary and secondary schooling, which proved challenging when it came to the rigorous essay requirement to apply for the Daniels.
“I’ve gotten a lot better at writing in high school, just working really hard to express my thoughts and incorporating them into the essays for different schools and scholarships,” he said. “It was a fun process to go through.”
He also credits his experience at Roaring Fork High School in preparing him.
“We’ve got a very small, tight community … and the teachers have definitely prepared me well to go out in the real world and be able to take care of myself.”
Montana State was his top choice, so that he would have the opportunity to still be in the mountains and enjoy the outdoor activities he’s grown up doing, like skiing and mountain biking.
“Nowhere else can really compare to it, for the [natural] environment surrounding it, and the learning environment in the school,” Lang said.
As for Scott, he’s excited to be in the heart of New York City, and close to Wall Street. Finance has been a passion of his since he was in middle school, when he first started his personal investment portfolio.
“I’m a big investor now,” Scott said. “I’ve tried day trading, but that’s hard, so I do more swing trading to try to hit my target goals. That’s always kept my interest, it’s fun and it’s a good way to make money.”
He believes Manhattan U will give him more internship possibilities during school, and job prospects when he graduates.
“It was really a good mix of what I wanted to do, plus the opportunity to continue running competitively,” he said.
Scott has had a successful cross country and track career with the Basalt Longhorns, placing seventh at the Class 3A State
Cross Country Championships last November, and taking third in the 3,200 meters at the 3A State Track and Field Championships in May 2025. He is qualified for state again this season in the 3,200 and 1,600 meters. The state meet takes place this Thursday through Saturday at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood.
“The [Manhattan] coach is in his first year and is super outgoing trying to bring the program back to what it was when they were winning NCAA titles,” Scott said. “It’s exciting to be a part of that.”
Scott said he was in Mexico on vacation during spring break on April 1, when he got word that he’d been selected for the Daniels Scholarship.
“I was thinking it was maybe an April Fool’s prank, but I had all my friends around me and opened the scholarship letter that said I got it. It was pretty awesome and a great celebration,” he said.
Scott also received a few smaller scholarships to help fill some of the gaps of his college expenses. Scott is the son of Bonnie and Drew Scott of Basalt, and Lang is the son of Julie and Joseph Lang of Carbondale.
Both scholarship recipients had a few words of advice for this year’s juniors who are looking for scholarship opportunities next year.
“I think part of the reason why I got the Daniels wasn’t necessarily because I’m really good at any one thing, it’s because of the variety of things you do and the life experiences you gain from that,” Lang said.
Added Scott, “I feel like most of the work is already done by the time you’re a senior, so a lot of it is just staying organized and really starting early in the process to apply for colleges and scholarships.”
Paddywacks
Jebel
Colton Lang (top) and Towler Scott (below). Photos by John Stroud
Aspen Science Center interns level up community education
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
In autumn 2025, the Aspen Science Center (ASC) launched a new program, Community STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] Leaders Interns (CSLI), to supplement its long-standing Summer Intern Educator Program. As summer 2026 approaches, ASC leaders are reflecting on the successes of the past year and what lies ahead.
ASC Education Manager Lillian McIntyre shared some details with The Sopris Sun. While, like the summer internships, CSLI pays selected local teens to explore STEM education with youngsters and during community events, the CSLI program has a more localized focus on education and mentorship.
“[We] hired two to three youth from each community, from Aspen to Parachute — 15 youth total — to work together as intern teams,” McIntyre explained. “Each team assessed their community’s needs and interests, and designed and delivered STEM programs to increase their community’s access to, and engagement with, STEM learning.”
During the school year, the teens were coached to further their own learning.
“Interns were also paired with a local professional in their STEM field of interest, who served as a mentor and resource for them,” McIntyre elaborated. She added that the program was “made possible with generous support from the Jonathan D + Mark C. Lewis Foundation [and the] Aspen Community Foundation.”
McIntyre considers it a resounding success thus far.
“Interns ran 52 programs from Aspen to Parachute, serving 199 people total, with 556 participants recorded, since many of the intern teams ran
Specializing in:
recurring clubs where participants returned to attend programs multiple times,” she said. “In the first few months of the program, the interns learned teaching strategies and brainstormed ideas for their own programs. With the guidance of the intern coordinator and the rest of the ASC staff, the interns planned their lessons, contacted partners and advertised.”
Once the intern-taught programs started, the offerings varied by community and evaluated interest.
“The interns ran a variety of programs, including
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Further downvalley and into the Colorado River Valley, intern teams offered more focused programming.
“The Glenwood Springs team ran programs at Glenwood Middle School about the chemistry of ice cream and heart function,” said McIntyre. “The New Castle team worked with Access After School and Elk Creek Elementary School on an engineering club, where kids designed solar ovens and catapults.”
Meanwhile, in Rifle, interns took a broader approach for younger community members.
after-school clubs, drop-in programs at libraries and youth centers, and a science fair,” said McIntyre. “The Aspen team ran tech literacy programs for adults at the Pitkin County Library and coding programs for kids at the Aspen Youth Center.
The Basalt team ran STEM Lab Tuesdays at Basalt Library, where kids and their families explored different STEM concepts with hands-on projects twice a month. The Carbondale team hosted an after-school program for middle school students at the Third Street Center.”
“The Rifle team planned a science fair for elementary, middle and high school students in the RE-2 School District,” McIntyre shared. “Participants could attend multiple workshops leading up to the fair to learn about the scientific method, data collection and get help with their projects.”
In the western end of Garfield County, interns dived into niche science learning.
“The Parachute team collaborated with the Parachute Branch Library and Grand Valley Middle School to run coding and oceanography programs,” McIntyre said.
continued on page 18
Aspen Science Center Community STEM Leaders Interns pose with their certificates of completion at the May 9 celebration. The interns were selected from within their communities, from Aspen to Parachute, and helped design science programs they led in their respective areas. Courtesy photo
Mishe Skenderova, LAc.
Wolf reintroduction at pivotal moment, says CPW
AMY HADDEN MARSH
Sopris Sun Correspondent
If gray wolf recovery in Colorado is to succeed this year, the wolves already in the state are on their own. Meaning that Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) will not be bringing new wolves from outside the state. The reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado started with voter approval of Proposition 114 in 2020, and, according to Eric Odell, soon-to-retire wolf conservation program manager, the program has reached an “inflection point.” Odell and colleagues presented the annual Colorado Gray Wolf report to the CPW Commission on May 7.
Odell cited the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s cease-and-desist letter from last fall, banning translocation of wolves from Canada to Colorado, and told the commission that the estimated timeline for wolf recovery in the state is now in flux.
Fish and Wildlife Director Brian Nesvik said in an October 2025 letter that Canada was outside the parameters of the federal 10(j) rule. The rule went into effect in Colorado just before the first release of wolves in December 2023.
On Dec. 18, 2025, Nesvik sent another letter, demanding all records of wolf reintroduction within 30 days, threatening federal takeover of the program.
Full recovery of gray wolves in Colorado is a part of CPW’s Wolf Recovery
and Management Plan and started with translocation of 10-15 wolves annually over three to five years. CPW brought 10 wolves from Oregon in December 2023 and 15 from British Columbia in January 2025. Phase One of recovery will be complete when a minimum count of 50 wolves are found anywhere in Colorado for four years straight.
CPW’s minimum wolf count for biological year 2025-26 shows 32 wolves in four packs, including 14 pups born in April 2025 and 18 adults. The agency also counted seven collared, non-pack wolves and one non-collared, non-pack wolf.
Dr. Brenna Cassidy, CPW wolf monitoring and data coordinator, said that the agency saw a high of 17 pups throughout the biological year. “Detecting uncollared pups can be very difficult,” she explained.
“But our CPW biologists were very persistent in their efforts in a task that was brand new to many of them.”
Alternatives that could trigger a pause in translocation include a minimum of two packs raising two pups for two years. Recruitment, or the ability of pups to survive for a full year and become incorporated into a pack, is also a factor. But without new adult wolves introduced in the winter of 2025-26, things have shifted.
Until future reintroductions resume, the success of the program depends on two things: adult survival and pup
recruitment. “However, with even just one year of lower survival, high mortality or low recruitment, additional years of reintroduction may be necessary,” Odell explained.
Cassidy cautioned that the numbers are not population estimates and are updated only once a year. “As soon as these counts are recorded and published, there is a chance that they are out-of-date since mortality and immigration from other states can occur at any time,” she said.
Cassidy’s wolf movement graphics showed that a lone wolf roams farther than wolves in packs.
In response to a question about genetics, Cassidy pointed out that
Colorado’s imported wolves are from different areas, which can strengthen genetic diversity. She said that the agency only collects genetic material from collared wolves born in Colorado and that determining population diversity will take years.
“We are at a really interesting and tenuous time with this population,” she said, echoing Odell’s observations. “One year of successful reproduction is a positive step [toward] a self-sustaining population, but it is only one year. What the next years look like will depend on future successful reproduction and any potential future translocations.”
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Bonfire’s new roaster, nonprofit grants, trafficking protections
AMY HADDEN MARSH
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Commissioner Perry Will was absent for the regular Monday Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, which left only two commissioners present.
First up, the BOCC approved a permit for the grand opening event of a new coffee roasting facility in West Glenwood Springs. Charlie Chacos, owner of Bonfire Coffee in Carbondale, accepted the permit with a June 6 date. But, he added that the date may change, which would bring the permit back to the BOCC next week. Chacos told The Sopris Sun in February that the new location will offer a retail shop, espresso training and coffee tastings. “It will house a new, best-in-class coffee roaster and double the size of our current production facility, “ he said.
Commissioners then approved the consent agenda, which included ratification of a letter to the state Senate from April 20, opposing the confirmation of Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission appointees John Emerick and Chris Sichko.
The BOCC awarded grants from the county discretionary fund to nonprofits that requested
funding last week. Nine out of 10 organizations requested $5,000. West Elk Trails requested $3,500 for a sum of $48,500.
Only $30,000 was available for the second quarter grants. But each organization got some of what they wanted for a total of $34,500, still more than what was available. Rifle Rendezvous, Grand Valley Historical Society and the Middle Colorado Watershed Council each received $5,000. Colorado Mountain College received $2,500 for scholarships. Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, Aspen Public Radio, the Roaring Fork Valley Orchestra, Three Rivers Little League, West Elk Trails and the Roaring Fork Conservancy all received $3,000.
Last week, the BOCC decided to lease 385 acre-feet of water from the county’s 400 acre-feet reserve in Ruedi Reservoir to the West Divide Water Conservancy District (WDWCD) and the Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD), but the parties were unable to agree on a price. That was to be decided Monday, but the decision was postponed another week. Jankovsky, who sits on the WDWCD board, is unable to vote on the issue, which left less than a quorum on Monday.
County Manager Fred Jarman added that the SWCD pulled out of the conversation.
“They are going to withdraw their request based on funding that they don’t have for the
$84.95 an acre-foot the county is asking for,” he explained.
In other news, the BOCC approved letters of support for grant funding to complete irrigation infrastructure modernization projects on seven ditches in the Divide Creek drainage.
Jan Shute, assistant county attorney, brought up Section 30-15-401.4 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which regulates massage businesses. She explained that the state legislature wants municipal and county governments to do background checks on these places to crack down on human trafficking. She said local governments can opt out of the background checks if local facilities have no regulatory or law enforcement problems.
She said she found only three massage facilities in unincorporated Garfield County, each operated by a single massage therapist.
“Each of those massage therapists are separately licensed by the state,” she said. “They have no violations on file so they’re in good standing with the state.”
Since there are no massage businesses that meet statutory requirements, Shute suggested
that the board make a statement that they will take no action. The regulation goes into effect July 1. Commissioners approved a $180,000 contract with Alan Kokish DBA Aspen Chef to provide meals for the Older Adult Meal Program in Eastern Garfield County.
They also heard a presentation by CorrHealth about the Garfield County Jail inmate medical services. The big news is that there were no lawsuits in 2025 and no inmate deaths. The biggest problem is a staffing shortage.
“In this region of the state, it’s extremely difficult finding the right people and having them willing to come in and work in the jail,” explained Todd Murphy, CorrHealth founder and CEO. “And also finding people that are able to pass a background check.”
He added that due to the local cost of living, CorrHealth depends on agency nurses and that the jail is short two nurses for the night shift.
The BOCC then adjourned for an executive session to discuss an ongoing Garfield County court case, a case currently in Colorado Federal District Court and a potential conflict of interest matter with outside counsel at Kaplan Kirsch.
Zoning headaches persist
DJ SUGAR MONKEY
Special to The Sopris Sun
The May 7 meeting of the Town of Marble’s Board of Trustees was a relatively humdrum affair.
With only two weeks to go before Memorial day, the town has been bustling with activity in preparation for the seasonal invasion of hordes of tourists. This notwithstanding, a full board turned out to tackle the somewhat light agenda.
Fortnightly camping permits were granted to Craig Helm and Jewel Campbell, both Marble residents wishing to work on each of their vacant lots from the relative comfort of an RV. Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra noted that the Marble Campsite would no longer accept waste from third parties and that Helm and Campbell would have to make their own plans for its removal. Additionally, a short term rental license was approved for Carey Levin.
Next came the discussion to renew the Beaver Lake Lodge’s liquor license for which Mayor Pro Tem Larry Good recused himself. Good, who owns the Lodge along with his wife Karen, received high praise from the Mayor for his exemplary, complaint-free business and the application was approved. The Goods have recently added a hydroponic freight farm to their property in East Marble which is capable of producing 990 heads of lettuce per week.
Adjacent to this is an indoor “gathering space” still under construction, intended to be used both as a teaching center for the students of the Marble Charter School and reception area for winter educational retreats. The freight farm operation is set up as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit “Jyoti’s seeds for change,” a foundation run by Karen Good and named after a late friend.
Trustee Amber McMahill quizzed Good on the likelihood of the space turning into an event venue, a thorny topic for the town. The Mayor stated his position: “I do not want to have another event center in that part of town (East Marble) that pisses people off,” a reference to the Marble Lodge on Beaver Lake Retreat owned by Vince Savage, which has over the years attracted complaints. Closing the discussion, Vinciguerra requested that the Goods provide the Board with more information before a liquor license could be approved for the new space.
The last item on the Administrator’s report was the approval of the Crystal River Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). This is a collaborative statement of intent between local Colorado governments and water districts to protect the 39-mile stretch of the Crystal River from damming and transcontinental water diversions, a largely symbolic but practical commitment to maintaining the river as one of the last free-flowing, undeveloped streams in Colorado.
Describing the document as more of a “position statement” and not legally binding, Town Administrator Ron Leach announced that Town Attorney Kendall Burgemeister had reviewed the agreement and found no fault with it. The additional four parties to the agreement are Gunnison and Pitkin counties and the Colorado River and West Divide water conservancy districts. The board voted unanimously in support of the town’s participation.
Last, the Mayor moved the discussion on to his “favorite topic,” the proposal for a mixed use (business and residential) corridor to run through the town, an item that has been on the agenda for 18 consecutive months at the insistence of Councilman Dustin Wilkey.
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS REPORT
City Council ponies up to help Cavern Springs purchase
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Glenwood Springs City Council brought the local government tally to $5.5 million in the effort to help residents buy the Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park, located just off Highway 82 about seven miles south of Glenwood.
Council voted 5-2 at its May 7 regular meeting to provide a $500,000 forgivable loan from the city’s workforce housing fund.
The decision came on the heels of a vote by Pitkin County commissioners last week to kick in $1.5 million toward the valleywide effort to try to preserve yet another mobile home park that has recently been put on the market for sale.
State law provides a right of first refusal for residents of mobile home parks, who typically own the mobile homes but pay rent for the land beneath them, to make an offer when parks are put up for sale.
Cavern Springs residents have until June 13 to try to raise $24 million to buy the park and prevent it from being purchased for possible redevelopment or by an investor who may raise rents substantially.
The Town of Carbondale has agreed to $500,000, the City of Aspen $2 million and Snowmass Village $1 million. Garfield County commissioners recently decided not to participate in the request.
Residents are also working through the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition (WMRHC) to secure a loan of between $6 million and $14 million from the nonprofit Resident Occupied Communities (ROC). An additional loan package of $8 million is also on the table, explained April Long, executive director for WMRHC.
Similar campaigns over the past year helped residents of two other parks, Mountain Valley Mobile Home in Carbondale and the Aspen Basalt Mobile Home Park in Basalt, buy their parks.
Glenwood Springs also used some of its workforce housing funds, approved by voters in Ballot Question 2C in 2022, to help bring the West Glenwood Mountain Mobile Home Park into resident ownership.
A big question before the Glenwood Council members this time around is the fact that Cavern Springs sits well outside of city limits. However, the
city’s Workforce Housing Fund Advisory Board recommended approval, on a 7-0 vote, to provide funding for Cavern Springs, offering that it does lie within the 81601 zip code.
The 98-space mobile home park, formerly known as H Lazy F, is located off Garfield County Road 154, just west of the CMC turnoff on Highway 82.
Watkins Fulk-Gray, the city’s housing development manager, reported that about 300 people live at Cavern Springs, including 60 children who attend Glenwood Springs-area schools, primarily nearby Riverview School, a K-8 dual language school, and Glenwood Springs High School.
According to demographic data, the average household income is about $74,000 and roughly 36% of working-age residents of the park work in Glenwood Springs, he said.
Residents currently pay $1,025 per month for their lots. The goal if they are able to purchase them is to hold that rent to no more than $1,400 per month.
Council heard from several residents of the mobile home park, who have banded together as the Sopris Mountain Collective and members of the city’s workforce housing advisory group in favor of providing the loan.
“Today, these families are facing a real fear to know if they are able to remain in their own homes,” resident Maria Alvarez said.
Kimberly Martinez lives at Cavern Springs and attends Colorado Mountain College, studying to be a veterinary technician. Her three younger siblings attend Riverview and GSHS, where she graduated.
“I would love to be able to stay here once I graduate [from CMC], and with your help hopefully I can make that happen,” she said.
Advisory board member Alex Daue added, “This fund is meant to take advantage of opportunities that come up, and that’s what this is.”
Council heard from one member of the public who was opposed to the loan.
“Many Glenwood Springs residents struggle with [housing] affordability, but don’t expect assistance from the city,” offered Glenwood resident Rob Anderson. “Why are we choosing one group over another?”
Entering Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park. Photo by John Stroud
Marble Town Administrator Ron Leach studies his computer during the town meeting on May 7.
Photo by DJ Sugar Monkey
Town has no plans to install Flock cameras, manager says
SKYLER STARK-RAGSDALE
Managing Editor
Following an inquiry by a member of the public at the Carbondale Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night, Town Manager Ryan Hyland said the police department has shown no intent to install Flock Safety license plate reader cameras in Carbondale.
“With respect to the Flock cameras, there’s no plans to bring any proposals for Flock cameras to the board from the police department at this time,” Hyland said.
Used by police to solve crimes, including minor traffic offenses, and locate suspects, the AI-powered license plate readers have raised concern about data sharing between local police departments and federal agencies amid the immigration crackdown. In 2024 and 2025, U.S. police departments used Flock cameras in 1,400 searches related to immigration or Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), as reported by The Colorado Sun, which also reported that ICE does not have direct access to the cameras.
However, while Flock told NPR via email that Flock customers — or the cities installing the cameras — have “sole authority over if, when and with whom information is shared,” Flock audits have shown that U.S. Border Patrol has accessed police department Flock data through
“back door” routes, without explicit authorization, according to University of Washington Center for Human Rights.
Discussion around the use, or implementation, of Flock cameras has landed in various Roaring Fork Valley municipalities this spring.
The Glenwood Springs community raised concern at a February City Council meeting about the potential for Flock camera use in immigration enforcement. First installed in 2022, Glenwood has Flock cameras installed at entry and exit points across town.
Aspen, too, is in talks about installing Flock cameras, though has seen backlash from the community, most recently via public comment in the Aspen City Council regular meeting on Tuesday, May 12.
Basalt Town Council decided to move toward automated camera installation, but with a company called DACRA Tech., which only records cars when they’re speeding by a predetermined threshold, according to a letter submitted to Town Council by Basalt Police Chief Aaron Munch in March.
Aquatics Center
The Carbondale Aquatics Center is on track to open on May 23, and within the predicted $13.4 million budget, a contractor and Town staff told trustees on Tuesday.
“So, on schedule, happy to report,” said Tammy Tucker,
project manager for Wember Inc., the owner’s representative of the project, adding that as they wrap up there is “lots of activity, like you would typically see coming into the finish line of a project.”
The final touches to the Aquatics Center include installation of translucent Kalwall panels, “lots of cleaning” and landscaping, Tucker said. “The landscapers are on site doing all the prep work,” she said. “We know that they’ll start putting plantings in the ground any day.”
Boards and commissions
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved its 2026 board and commissions applicants. Mark Howard and youth applicant Owen Giess were approved to serve on the Bike, Pedestrian & Trails Commissions; Lynn Sidomak was approved to serve on the Historic Preservation Commission; Fred Malo, Marlaina Murphy and youth applicant Madeline Lucks were approved to serve on the Environmental Board; Ashley Hejtmanek, Hollis Sutherland, Rose Rossello and youth applicants Quentin Galbraith and Freja Koorn were approved to serve on the Parks & Recreation Commission; Jo Anne Teeple and Dan Bullock were approved to serve on the Tree Board; Brian Colley and Salley Nicholson were approved to serve on the Public Arts Commission.
Town seeks input for public services building, considers sales tax
WILL BUZZERD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
The Town of Basalt is currently seeking community input on its new public services building, which will jointly host the police and public works departments. The Town is seeking input through surveys sent by mail, as well as an anonymous survey online at letstalk.basalt.net
“Basalt is at an inflection point where we need to make some key, strategic investments in the services our community relies on every day,” said Mayor David Knight. “This proposed facility is being planned with long-term needs in mind. A community investment in a shared facility will mean more responsive services, improved public safety and stronger infrastructure from our roads and utilities to parks and public spaces.”
The new building, which will be constructed south of the intersection of Original Road and Highway 82, is currently in the planning phase. During an April council meeting, the Town selected Wold Architects and Engineers as the design and engineering team for the project.
Both the Police Department and Public Works Department work out of buildings that have been identified to fall short of safety and space needs.
The Police Department operates in an office building not designed for law enforcement, which lacks adequate space for interviews and evidence storage. A new building is intended to be sufficient for these needs, and will include a community room meant to strengthen relationships between officers and residents.
The proposed facility is currently estimated by Wold to cost approximately $25 million. The Town has already identified $7 million in reserves to fund the project. Basalt intends to finance the remaining $18 million over time. The Town is also considering a 0.5% sales tax to fund the project’s development and long-term operation and maintenance, which would raise the sales tax from 8.45% to 8.95%. It’s been noted by the Town that even with the proposed increase, Basalt’s sales tax would remain lower than that of Aspen, Carbondale or Glenwood Springs. In addition, a sales tax, as opposed to a property tax, would be a financial burden shared by both visitors and residents.
The council has yet to decide whether to place this funding question on a future ballot.
A construction worker breaks for lunch on Monday, May 11, while working on repairs of the Thompson Creek Road bridge spanning the Crystal River just northwest of Carbondale. Garfield Couny announced last week the bridge will be closed to both lanes of traffic for “an undetermined time” while it conducts emergency repair work and an engineering assessment, following the formation of a large pothole. The county expects the walkway to remain operational during the repairs. Photo by Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
(From left to right) Carbondale Middle School’s Joseph Ramos-Aleman, Ross Montessori’s Emiliana Ibanez-Villagomez, Carbondale Middle School’s Morgan Tolle and Ross Montessori’s Everett Mason received Student of the Month awards at the Tuesday, May 12, Carbondale Board of Trustees meeting. Anthony Villanueva Moreno, who was not pictured, also received the award. Photo by Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
THURSDAY, MAY 14
RIFLE RENDEZVOUS
Enjoy a car show, archery, vendors and more at the Rifle Rendezvous, open until May 17.
GERI-FIT
Start strength training as an older adult at the Carbondale Library every Thursday at 12:30pm until June 25 (except June 11).
ASL STORYTIME
Children, ages 3-7, are welcome to “Storytime in Sign” from 3:45 to 4:45pm at the Basalt Library, where stories will be read aloud and signed in American Sign Language.
HIDDEN POTENTIAL
The Aspen Science Center presents the next event in its Hometown Science series, “Your Body’s Hidden Potential: The Future of Healing and Longevity through Regenerative Medicine” by Greta Gohring of the Steadman Clinic, from 5:30 to 6:30pm at Mountain Heart Brewing in Basalt.
SELF-COMPASSION WORKSHOP
Amy Spradlin, creativity doula and mindfulness/self-regulation coach, helps participants unlock their creative potential at the Glenwood Community Center from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Register at tinyurl.com/GWSselfcompassion
CULTURAL VIBRANCY
The community is invited to celebrate the Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship, “honoring two cohorts of local artists and the creative connections shaped through the program,” from 5:30 to 7pm at the Vault Bar in the Wheeler Opera House.
BIKE SCAVENGER HUNT
Teams of two to six cyclists compete in a Bike Scavenger Hunt taking off from Aloha Mountain Cyclery at 6pm. Register by 5:45pm. Details at bonedalebikeweek.org
LANDSCAPES & LIBATIONS
Matt Hays instructs an acrylic speed painting course with a focus on environmental landscapes at the Art Base from 6 to 8pm. Register at theartbase. org Snacks and beverages included.
‘RESCUED HEARTS’
Smiling Goat Ranch presents “Rescued Hearts” at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm. Tickets at smilinggoatranch.com/events
BLUEGRASS JAM
and ending at Townline Trucks at 8:45pm. For details, visit bonedalebikeweek.org
YOUTH ROCK SHOW
TACAW hosts the Rock and Roll Academy’s Spring Rock Concert at 6pm, featuring nine student bands. The show is free. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
GLENWOOD VAUDEVILLE
The live dinner theatre venue, Glenwood Vaudeville Review, is offering a buy one, get one half off deal on tickets for locals to catch the spring show. Doors open at 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 5pm on Sundays. Tickets at gvrshow.com/reserve. html#reservations
ROARING FORK RISING
Aggie Flores and the Wildflowers kick off the Roaring Fork Rising series with a performance at the Wheeler Opera House at 7pm. Tickets at wheeleroperahouse.com
HELL ROARING AT TOWNLINE
The Hell Roaring String Band performs at Townline Trucks at 7pm.
THE LOW END
The Low End performs at Heather’s Savory Pies at 7pm.
CRYSTAL THEATRE
The Crystal Theatre screens “The President’s Cake” at 7pm tonight and Monday, May 18. Catch a 5pm showing on Sunday.
STEVE’S GUITARS
The Williams Brothers-Duo perform at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at stevesguitars.net
DISCO REVUE
Seven-piece band Disco Revue brings the sound, style and energy of Studio 54 back to life at the Ute Theater in Rifle at 8pm. Tickets at utetheater.com
SATURDAY, MAY 16
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Pitkin County’s Sky Mountain Park as well as Snowmass’ North Rim and Seven Star trails open to mountain bikers. Sky Mountain’s Deadline Trail remains closed, however, while it gets a “refresh.” Upper Coal Camp near Glenwood Springs also opens to bikers.
HISTORIC YARD SALE
Townline Trucks invites bluegrass musicians to jam every Thursday from 7
MUSIC AT HEATHER’S
Pat Winger and Larry Dutmer perform at Heather’s Savory Pies at 7pm.
“Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday” returns to the Thunder River Theatre stage for one final weekend at 7:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. Catch the matinee at 2pm on Sunday. Tickets at tinyurl.com/peterpan2026
Learn about what it takes to become a Big Buddy mentor from 3 to 6:30pm in the Calaway Room of the Carbondale Library. Hosted by the Buddy Program, the open house will also offer tacos. Learn more at buddyprogram.org
BIKE WEEK FINISH LINE
Bonedale Bike Week wraps up with an art studio tour starting from the Launchpad at 5:30pm, a Youth Art Park Hootenanny on the Rio Grande Artway at 7pm and the inaugural Illuminated Bike Celebration ride starting at 8pm
The Glenwood Springs Historical Society sets up a yard sale, including vintage items, particularly antique books and other household knickknacks, at the museum (1001 Colorado Ave) from 8am to 2pm.
PLANT SALE
Mountain Valley Greenhouse in Glenwood (700 Mt Sopris Drive) hosts an open house and plant sale from 9am to 2pm. Details at mtnvalley.org/ mountain-valley-greenhouse
CARBONDALE BEAUTIFICATION
Carbondale Beautification Club will work on garden projects at Miners Memorial Garden and Sopris Park. The club will meet at 9am at The Pavilion in Sopris Park and is looking for help from volunteers.
TRAUMA RELEASE
The Center for Human Flourishing hosts tension/trauma release exercises from 9 to 10:30am at the Third Street Center. RSVP by emailing info@tcfhf. org The session will be offered again at the same time and place on May 23.
TRAIL AMBASSADORS
Roaring Fork Volunteers lead a training for folks who’d like to become trail ambassadors at the Third Street Center from 9am to 3pm. Register at rfov.org
The 2025 recipients of Carbondale Arts’ Artist Grant Program — (left to right) Andrea Orrego, Morgan Williams (Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets), Zuleika Pevec, Jill Scher, Gabriela Mejia, Anders Carlson and Megan Davidson (not pictured) — will speak to the community about their artistic endeavors, and how the funding helped them along the way, at the Launchpad on May 19, from 6 to 8pm. Courtesy photo
BEE GUARDIANS
Learn the basics of bee-keeping at Sustainable Settings today from 10am to 3pm and again on May 17 — same time, same place. Register at sustainablesettings.org/participate#workshops
PAINTING FROM WITHIN
Alissa Davies guides a painting class where participants create a series of 12” x 12” abstract paintings using a mix of materials, including acrylics, graphite, oil pastels, collage and charcoal, at The Art Base from 10am to 4pm. Register at theartbase.org
KIDS SAFETY FAIR
The annual Kids Safety Fair returns to Valley View Hospital today from 10am to noon. Kids can tour a fire truck, ride the Kiwanis Bike Rodeo Course, pick up water safety tips and snag a free fitted bike helmet. The event will be hosted in the upper parking lot of the hospital.
CELEBRATING CAREGIVERS
Sopris Lodge and Roaring Fork Home
Care honor “the hearts and hands of those who make a difference every day” at a caregiver appreciation event from 2 to 4pm at the lodge. The event will include hand massages, live entertainment, a raffle and more. RSVP at soprislodge. com/hands-hearts-caregivers
‘TRAIL RUNNING FILM FEST’
The 2026 “Trail Running Film Festival,” presented by Independence Run & Hike, sets off at the Crystal Theatre at 6:30pm. Tickets at tinyurl.com/TrailFilms
ROARING FORK RISING
The Roaring Fork Rising series continues at the Vault at the Wheeler with an evening of “folk storytelling and subtle, layered soundscapes” provided by songwriter Rai Omri along with Abigail Benning, at 7pm. Tickets at wheeleroperahouse.com
MUSIC AT TOWNLINE
Jewel House performs at Townline Trucks at 7pm.
THE PETTY NICKS EXPERIENCE
Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks tribute band, The Petty Nicks Experience, performs at the Ute Theater in Rifle at 8pm. Tickets at utetheater.com
EASY JIM
Gunnison Valley’s Easy Jim, Music of the Grateful Dead performs at 8pm at the Belly Up Aspen. Tickets at bellyupaspen.com
SUNDAY, MAY 17
MT SOPRIS RUN OFF
The annual Mt. Sopris Run Off 28k and 10-miler kick off from Flying Dog Ranch on Prince Creek Road at 7:30am (28k) and 8am (10-miler). The races finish at Rock Bottom Ranch, where the party starts. Register at mtsoprisrunoff.com
HUMAN LIBRARY
Learn from a set of unique individuals as if reading from a book at the Carbondale Library from 10am to 1pm. This event is the result of a collaboration between the Human Library Project, Age-Friendly Carbondale and the Garfield County Libraries. Space is limited. Register by calling 970-963-2889.
INTOXICATION OF BELONGING
Brooke Mueller presents “The Intoxication of Belonging” from 10 to 11:30am at A Spiritual Center in room 31 of the Third Street Center.
WILDFIRE MEETING
The Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District and the Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley host Dr. Hussam Mahmoud at the Marble Fire Station at 10am. Mahmoud will present the wildfire risk modeling results for the Marble area, and the plan to reduce risk in Marble will be presented afterwards.
TUNES AND BRUNCH
Veazey-Highwater plays a set at Heather’s Savory Pies at 11am.
BUTTERFLY PICNIC
Explore the intricacies of butterflies with world-renowned entomologist Dr. David Lohman at Rock Bottom Ranch from 2 to 4pm. Folks who bike to the ranch will be entered into a prize drawing. Register at aspennature.org
SOPRIS MOUNTAIN BOYZ
The Sopris Mountain Boyz perform at the Homestead & Handlebar in River Valley Ranch at 5pm.
ECSTATIC DANCE
DJ DKJ provides the beats at Alya’s New Moon Ecstatic Dance, hosted at the Old Thompson Barn in River Valley Ranch from 5 to 7pm. RSVP at alya@alyasumbrella.com or 970-309-2582.
MUSIC AT TOWNLINE
Mark Nussmeir performs at Townline Trucks from 4 to 7pm.
MONDAY, MAY 18
LITTLE DEMON T-BALL
Glenwood Rec kicks off its co-ed 6U t-ball season with practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, with options of 4 to 5pm or 5 to 6pm. The season closes on June 24. Register at glenwoodrecsports.com
CANCER PREVENTION
Learn about skin cancer prevention from Aaron Alizadeh, MD, in “Spot It Early: Skin Cancer Prevention,” a free webinar hosted by Valley View at noon. Sign up at tinyurl.com/skincancerprevention1
RECOVERY MEDITATION
The Meeting Place hosts “Weekly Reset: Monday Meditation” from 5 to 6pm.
TUESDAY, MAY 19
GRIEF TO GROWTH
Sopris Lodge and Homecare & Hospice of the Valley present a four-part grief support series, “From Grief to Growth: Healing After Loss,” taking place every third Tuesday of the month through the summer, from 3:30 to 5pm in the Community Room at the Carbondale Library. RSVP at 970-678-0057 or soprislodge.com/events
RFOV AT RED HILL
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers continues its work at Sage Meadows from 4 to 8pm. Visit rfov.org to register and help out.
UTE CULTURE
Skyler Lomahaftewa leads a conversation about Ute culture in a historic and contemporary context at Colorado Mountain College’s Lappala Center in Carbondale from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at coloradomtn.edu/community-education
TOASTMASTERS
Find your voice with Toastmasters from 5:30 to 6:30pm at CONVENTURE, 201 Main Street in Carbondale. Details at coventure.io
TOWNLINE OPEN MIC
Townline Trucks hosts an open mic night from 6 to 9pm.
DRAWING CLUB
El Dorado hosts the Roaring Fork Drawing Club at 6:30pm.
MUSIC AT HEATHER’S
Hanna von Bernthal performs at Heather’s Savory Pies in Basalt at 7pm.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
CANCER SCREENING
Get a free skin cancer screening from 5:30 to 7pm at Roaring Fork Family Practice. Hosted by Valley View, registration is required by emailing events@vvh.org
EBAY HUSTLE
Learn the ins and outs of eBay and how to make some extra skrilla off of items you no longer need at the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 6:30pm.
WILDFIRE MEETING
The Town of Carbondale, Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District and the Wildfire Collaborative of the Roaring Fork Valley invite community members to attend a meeting on wildfire preparedness at Town Hall at 6pm. To attend virtually, visit bit.ly/4mLdJcR
AGILITY TRAINING
Join “Agility Training Tips for Longevity,” a free webinar hosted by Valley View at 6pm. The event will be led by orthopedic surgeon Chrostopher George and rehabilitation therapist Julia Koch. Register at tinyurl.com/agilitytraining1
‘HOOK’ AT THE CRYSTAL
The Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program presents “Hook” at 6pm at the Crystal Theatre. Buy tickets at the door or at tinyurl.com/ZANCAscreening
PIZZA PICNIC
Make personal wood-fired pizzas from 6 to 7:30pm at the Carbondale Community Oven (behind the Third Street Center). Bring your favorite toppings, sides, flatware and non-alcoholic beverages; they’ll provide the sauce, cheese and dough.
CIVICS LECTURE
Avon Town Manager and attorney Eric Heil gives an overview of the U.S. Constitution and Federalist Papers at Colorado Mountain College’s Lappala Center in Carbondale from 6 to 8:30pm. Register at coloradomtn.edu/ community-education
For the extended Community Calendar, visit soprissun.com
The Power of Community:
10 Sign ups would support a weekly column 100 Sign ups would support our annual Youth Journalism Program
Lacrosse bows out of playoffs
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
A slow start for the third-seeded Roaring Fork ladies lacrosse team in their 4A state quarterfinal matchup at home in Carbondale against Cheyenne Mountain on Monday made for a close game through 48 minutes of play.
Despite a brave comeback from three goals down late in the third quarter, the Rams fell to the No. 6 Red Tail Hawks 10-9 to end their state title hopes.
“They were more gritty and hustling a lot more in the second half,” head coach Dahl Miller said. “Another turnover, or a save, or good clear, and maybe [we would have had] a chance to tie it … I couldn’t be more proud of how they kept fighting.”
Down 4-3 at halftime, seniors Jordyn Miller and Juliana Pittz scored back-to-back goals early in the second half to give the Rams a brief 5-4 lead before the Hawks went on a 4-point run to make it 8-5.
Junior Marin Weaver provided a spark when she charged in for a score to make it 8-6 with 11:09 to play.
A quick answer from Cheyenne Mountain made it 9-6, but freshman Scarlett Jones answered back a short time later, battling through a wall of defenders and smashing it in while falling to the ground to make it 9-7.
Senior Jordyn Miller then capitalized on a penalty shot in front of the goal with 3:32 to play, cutting it 9-8.
Down a player on a penalty call inside two minutes to play, the Rams gave up another. A final goal for the Rams came from sophomore Kayla Steele with 2:16 on the clock, but the comeback fell short as the Hawks stalled out for the win.
“Ground balls killed us this game, but that’s just the way it goes,” Miller said. “Sometimes you’re not always clicking, but I couldn’t be more proud of the group.”
It was the final game in a Rams jersey for his daughter, Jordyn, and a slew of seniors who’ve been key
contributors for multiple years. They include Pittz, Ava Montemayor, April Thomas, Hazel Barker, Lexi Moebius and goalie Alivya Malcom.
“I’ve coached these seniors for seven or eight years, so I’m a little emotional,” coach Miller said. “It’s just a good group of kids, top to bottom … just the whole group dynamic.”
Miller also tipped his hat to the fans and a rowdy section of girls youth league lacrosse players who came out for the games on Monday and the Rams’ 17-8 second round win on May 7 over Fruita Monument.
“It looked like Friday Night Lights for a girls lacrosse game, and to me that’s exciting for our program, that’s exciting for the community and that’s exciting for the rec league,” he said. “We’ve gone a little bit further each year, and those kids and the community sees that, and the stoke continues.”
The Rams closed out the season with a record of 14 wins, 3 losses.
Soccer/baseball
Meanwhile, the Roaring Fork girls soccer team, playing in the first round of the 3A state playoffs, fell 4-0 to Colorado Academy in Denver on May 7 to end their season with a win-loss-tie record of 4-9-3.
The Rams baseball team is also headed to the 3A playoffs after going 10-13 on the season, and finishing fourth in the 3A Western Slope League at 5-7. Playoff pairings were to be announced on Wednesday (after press time), with the Rams looking at a possible No. 26 seed in the 32-team tournament.
Roaring Fork closed out the regular season with back-to-back losses to league co-champions Aspen, 12-7 at Aspen on May 8 and 7-5 in an extra inning at home on May 9.
Track & Field
Roaring Fork sends one athlete to the 3A Colorado State Track & Field Championships this weekend. Sophomore Kayla Steele, who attends Colorado Rocky Mountain School, enters as the 18th seed in the 3,200meter run. She is set to run her race on Thursday evening at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood.
Steele qualified with a time of 12 minutes, 2.06 seconds in the 3,200 at the Warrior Twilight Last Chance meet in Grand Junction on May 6, placing second overall. She also won the event at the Grand Valley Cardinal Invitational on May 9, with a time of 12:35.16.
Several Rams athletes scored personal records at the Cardinal Invite. Among them by event: 100 meters — junior Sadie Silcox (13.71 seconds) and freshman Colby Horst (11.47); 1600 meters — sophomore Levi Friday (4:38.57), freshmen Elliot Galbraith (5:05.53) and Loch Wempe (5:53.57); 400 meters — sophomore Kinley Richmond (1:10.05); 800 meters — sophomore Isla Friel (2:42.92) and Richmond (2:48.81); 200 meters — Horst (23.42).
Rams lacrosse freshman Scarlett Jones (No. 12) lines up a shot in the fourth quarter of the Rams 10-9 Class 4A State Quarterfinal loss to Cheyenne Mountain in Carbondale on Monday.
Photo by John Stroud
Local talent takes stage for Roaring Fork Rising
MYKI JONES
Sopris Sun Correspondent
For the remaining weekends in May, the Wheeler Opera House is hosting a plethora of local artists from all over the Roaring Fork Valley to showcase skills of music, comedy and storytelling. Launched last year, this initiative was created to help artists from Aspen to New Castle showcase their skills and original pieces in a professional venue.
“I’m most excited to see the incredible talent from our valley come together on stage,” local comedian Sarah Sanders said. “There’s something really special about watching local artists share their work in a space like the Wheeler. I think events like this are incredibly important because they create space for local voices, stories and creativity to be celebrated. Having the opportunity to perform in a professional and historic venue like the Wheeler helps artists feel supported and valued within their own community.”
Beginning on May 15 and running through May 16, audiences are in for a chill kick-off with Aggie Flores & the Wildflowers. The Argentina-based lead singer-songwriter Aggie Flores will get things moving with her South American and indie-folk songs, many of which are rooted in the stories and experiences of her multicultural background. The following evening will see Rai Omri with special guest artist and third-generation musician Abigail Benning, who collaboratively will share songs of nature, nostalgia and spirituality.
Picking up again on May 22, audiences can anticipate a refined and folk-pop set from Emery Major and Hannah Koivu, who will take attendees on a musical journey through a sharp point of view with their indie-folk pop and storytelling sounds.
May 23 will see a fresh set of local women storytellers who, under their collaborative efforts with Alya Howe’s Writ Large project, will tell stories about their life experiences, including collective narratives and varying levels of perseverance.
“I’m excited to see the storytellers embody their story as they share their hearts,” Howe said. “Storytelling gives us insight into different lives, traditions and cultures.”
Those gracing the stage for this showcase include Rachelle Anslyn, Christa Wagner, Gwen Garcelon, Mellie Test and Nee Findley.
In discussing what audiences could gain from this event, Howe hopes that the stories shared will inspire attendees to connect on a deeper interpersonal level in their everyday lives.
“A society that doesn’t listen doesn’t survive as a society,” Howe said. “It becomes a community of self-interested individuals focused on me and not the ‘we the people!’ I hope these stories and storytellers will inspire us to listen, connect and talk more with each other.”
The series will then see a lineup of local comedians on May 28, with the talents of David Uhlfelder, acclaimed for his work with The Comedy Store, Miller
in
Ford, best known for his work with local comedy troupe Consensual Improv, as well as southern storyteller comic Julie Gillespie, rising comic Sarah Sanders, Brian Tauber and Beth Brandon.
Ford looks forward to gracing the stage with this event. He expressed excitement to perform with his fellow comics and bring his signature style to audiences.
“What [audiences] can expect for me is just some good old fashioned punchlines,” he said. “They can expect jokes about edibles, Southern Living and they can expect jokes about what it’s like getting older. I’m so stoked that it’s part of a local showcase. So I’m gonna match the vibe and then bring my own. That’s the vibe of the vibrant energy that comes with being with other locals, doing art and comedy.”
He also offered some words of advice for any hopeful performers, encouraging them to take advantage of opportunities such as Roaring Fork Rising. He shared an example of another valley local, who saw opportunity and has worked to open up opportunity for other creatives.
“I think it’ll be inspiring for anybody who wants to get involved in any type of production in the Valley,” Ford said. “An example is this gentleman named Tate Jordan. He did his first open mic about 18 months ago, saw the opportunity and now, there’s all: there’s music open mics and comedy open mics all over the Valley.”
Audiences can also anticipate on May 29 to hear the sweet harmonies of The Sopris Sisters, comprised of local talents Harper Powell and Emma Kieran, who will be joined by genre bending multi-instrumentalist Mark Nussmeier.
Closing out the series on May 30 will be Wild Flight, comprised of local veteran piano player and singer/songwriter Eric Gross as well as singer/ songwriter and Aspen local Emily Jurick. Bassist Bill Ritchen, who was a member of the San Francisco Symphony for 38 years, will join the performance. Hugh Phillips, who recently dropped his latest single “She’s My Kind of Crazy,” will also perform in preparation for his upcoming tour dates over the summer.
For more information on tickets, getting involved, or to keep up with the creatives involved, visit wheeleroperahouse.com
The remaining weekends
May have a plethora of exciting live performances from local talent. Folks can anticipate diverse genres of music, comedy and intimate storytelling. Courtesy of Wheeler Opera House
Celebrating National Hospital Week
May 10-May 16
This week we pause to recognize you, who are behind every moment of care at Aspen Valley Health.
From early mornings to late nights, in big moments and quiet ones, your compassion, skill and dedication make a difference that extends far beyond our walls. You are the reason our community feels supported, cared for and never alone.
You show up with expertise. You lead with empathy. And you give so much of yourselves—day after day.
To each of our team members and to all medical staff, thank you for your commitment, your resilience and your heart. You are what makes this place so extraordinary.
Happy National Hospital Week!
Dance of the dandelions
A wide array of community members, artists, performers and dancers graced the streets of Carbondale and Sopris Park during the 28th annual Dandelion Day on Saturday, May 9, including: (counterclockwise from top right) a drum circle, Pippa Kellman climbing silks, Marc Bruell and Patrick Fagan playing (respectively) saxaphone and sousaphone, members of the Bonedale Ballet, stilt walkers during the Parade of Species and Debbie Bruell sporting a classic (2009) “Have a Dandy Day” T-shirt. Photos by
Ray K. Erku
Spring Health Fair
We are delighted to offer you, our community, the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost blood tests
or by phone 1.800.217.5866
Monday–Friday, 9 am–4 pm
June 5 and 6
ASPEN
Aspen Ambulance Building
Aspen Valley Health Medical Center 0403 Castle Creek Road
June 7
EL JEBEL
Eagle County Community Center 20 Eagle County Drive
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
Crystal Theatre: Mending our social fabric
“Are you crying?” My friend was sniffling and wiping his glasses. The penguin in the biographical film, “The Penguin Lessons,” had just died. As the lights at the Crystal Theatre came up, I saw some of the crustiest old characters in Carbondale also wiping their eyes. This is a good thing, I thought. This is what movies are supposed to do. They are supposed to give us a reason to emote, to discuss, to think, to laugh, to develop an understanding.
OPINION
GUEST OPINION
Film is, and has always been, an art form. Whether it’s a drama or comedy, sci-fi adventure or biography, documentary or animation, film exists as part of our cultural heritage and, more importantly, as part of our current social fabric. And when we experience it in a theatre, we become a community with a shared artistic experience. For a few hours, our commonalities outweigh our differences.
By Denise Moss
The Sundance Kid can’t swim. Forrest Gump believes life is like a box of chocolates. The Blues Brothers are amped to go 106 miles to Chicago with a full tank of gas and half a pack of cigarettes while wearing sunglasses in the dark. Atticus Finch explains to Scout that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” These are some of films’ finest and quirkiest moments, and it’s those types of moments that incorporate art into our daily lives.
• PSA, Total – $47
• Vitamin D – $54
• T3, Free – $32
• T4, Free – $32
• CBC (Complete Blood Count) –$32
Much like being at a concert or in a museum, in a movie theatre we are within both a physical and emotional public space. Granted, we don’t all like the same music, painters or films. We don’t all laugh at the same jokes or cry at the same death scenes. Yet, our experiences give us the opportunity to connect with others, the value of which, especially in our rupturing society, is becoming more important each day.
Who doesn’t love popcorn; squeezing another’s knee in a tense moment; holding hands in the dark? Who doesn’t love the myriad of movie quotes that have invaded our lexicon? From Bogie saying “Here’s looking at you, kid” to Gable saying, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” we all recognize those famous words that help us to relive stories. ET wants to “phone home,” Sally wants Harry to “do the math” and, recently, Ryan Gosling’s character in Project Hail Mary wants his alien buddy, Rocky, to say “fist bump” not “fist my bump.”
SCIENCE CENTER
from page 7
The inaugural CSLI program just finished up as the academic year draws to a close. To mark the occasion, ASC brought all of the interns together this past weekend.
“For the final day,” McIntyre said, “the interns created presentations about what they had done throughout the year and invited their friends and family to the CSLI celebration on May 9. It was special to see them reflect on what they have accomplished.”
McIntyre shared that ASC is currently reapplying for grant funding for the CSLI program, and evaluating feedback to help determine the structure of the program moving forward.
“ASC would love to expand this program, but ultimately this decision
Sometimes it’s the visual effects that enthrall us. (To this day, I call driving through a blizzard the “Star Wars experience”.) Sometimes it’s the smart script, the musical score or the beautiful scenery. Sometimes, let’s face it, it’s ‘cause our favorite actor is carrying the lead. The numerous talents that are required to create a film have to coalesce precisely for that particular art form to take hold of us and become part of our lives.
A movie theatre allows us to connect across cultures and continents. It gets us out of our heads and into a global community. It provides us with characters and stories to identify with. Our thoughts willingly leave our personal worlds. It’s a respite of immense wealth.
Carbondale is incredibly fortunate to have a movie theatre that proactively shows films ranging from popular, to child-oriented, to award winning, to documentary. Without them, we lose part of our social fabric. We lose a connection to each other. The nonprofit Crystal Theatre Alliance relies on community financial support. As part of our creative, rural enclave, the theatre is the core of our Main Street. Instead of further isolating by streaming at home, please join other Carbondalians in supporting the Crystal and exploring the art of film.
will be determined based on funding and program integrity,” she said. “[We expect] the program to engage approximately the same number of students in 2026-2027 … and may expand in 2027-2028.”
While the ASC team reflects on the first year of the CSLI program, they are also looking forward to a landmark summer of science programming. McIntyre shared that ASC is hiring 21 summer interns, the highest number yet. The organization is also expanding summer camps, offering a new high of 37 total camps from Aspen to Silt. McIntyre said the team is also excited to have awarded 72 scholarships to students for summer programs.
Religion, the curse of mankind
Thunder River Theatre’s current production of “Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday” expressed many poignant and touching ideas on deity, aging and the afterlife that inspired some deep thoughts on my part.
A lifelong atheist, I’m giving second thoughts to the Native American concept of a Great Spirit or Creator. It’s not something that’s visible or tangible, but a ubiquitous entity that somewhat directs seemingly random events in the universe.
And, it certainly doesn’t look or act like a big naked ape. That’s just one of the many arrogant attributes many believers assign to their deity. Another is that mankind is too important to just die.
opiates were just about the only painkillers there were and their full addictive and destructive power wasn’t fully understood. Marx could’ve been inferring the masses experience a lot of agony and religion helped them relieve that.
OPINION
“Buddy, when you’re dead, you’re a dead peckerhead,” was John Prine’s father’s advice to his son. John said he hopes to prove him wrong, but I choose not to fear the hereafter. Even if I did, I have learned to confront fears rather than hiding from them by believing in a magic kingdom in the sky overseen by some benevolent ruler.
Besides, if I’m wrong and there’s a God, Heaven and Hell, a just God would send me to Heaven even though I’m not a believer. I’ve led a good life, loved my brothers and “served the least of thy brethren.” The reason I’m an atheist is I’m a skeptic. I need proof. God would understand that and forgive it. Besides, I can’t see God the Father burning his beloved children. What really gripes me about religion is its divisiveness. Those who feel they know the one true way look down on ones who have other beliefs. Inevitably, the two sides decide it’s alright to kill each other.
Muslims and Jews are killing each other in droves in the Middle East, and Americans, many Christian nationalists, have jumped in. Buddhists are killing Rohingya in Myanmar. Hindus are killing Muslims in Kashmir.
The individual sects inside the five major religions don’t get along and are prone to violence. The Sunnis and the Shiites hate each other. Hindus persecute the Sikh separatists. And, of course, the Catholics and the Protestants have been going at it since the Reformation.
All of this has a long history. The Catholic Church decided it should prevail in the Holy Land instead of the Ottomans, so the Crusades began in the 11th century. The 17th century Thirty Years War, pitting the Holy Roman Empire against the Lutherans, wiped out as many as 12 million people and an eighth of the German population. The Taiping Rebellion in 19th century China, where someone claiming to be Jesus Christ’s brother attempted to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, cost 20 to 30 million.
Raised in the Bible Belt, political strategist Corbin Trent wrote, “Religion isn’t a mission to improve people’s lives through effort and sacrifice, but a way to sort people. To rank them. To separate. To justify who had what and why.”
Karl Marx’s famous statement, “Religion is the opiate of the masses,” is taken out of historical context. In the late 19th century,
Or, as John Lennon put it, “Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV.” Religion is just another form of government with the objective of controlling the masses.
Of the five major religions, Buddhism and Hinduism are primarily about love while Islam and Judaism preach a lot of hate. Christianity is a mix.
As for Christians, Mohandas Gandhi was a Hindu who read passages from the New Testament every day. When asked if he ever contemplated converting, the Mahatma said, “Yes, and then I met one.” The problem isn’t Christianity. It’s Christians. They’re such terrible hypocrites.
A classic example is Donald Trump’s marathon “America Reads the Bible” event in April. Previously, when asked what his favorite passage from the Bible was, Trump came up with bupkis. Not the Lord’s Prayer. Not the 23rd Psalm. Not even “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” He’s obviously never read the Bible, the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. Trump watches TV.
I quit believing in God the same time I outed Santa Claus and for the same reason. I figured they were both imaginary figures my parents dreamed up to make me be good. If I was bad, Santa would put a lump of coal in my stocking and God would send me to Hell. Of the two, the coal seemed worse. With a short-term consequence horizon, why should a 6-year-old fear Hell?
Obviously, the Bible doesn’t always convict. I’ve read the Bible cover to cover and am absolutely guided by it. I took a course in college titled “The Literature of the Bible.” It approached the scriptures, not as a holy book, but as a literary record of human experience. I learned it’s a magnificent text containing fascinating stories with object lessons and words to live by that can guide your life.
I’m not an agnostic. There’s no doubt in my mind. The Judeo-Christian God doesn’t make sense to me. I see no role for Him in the Cosmos. It’s easy to say God’s responsible for everything. The scientific method is a tougher row to hoe.
My grandmother, who I lived with for four years in the ‘70s, was the finest Christian I’ve ever known. She lived her life like Christ. Not the least bit judgmental or evangelical. When I told her of my atheism, she responded, “Oh, that’s interesting.”
We proceeded to have a dispassionate discussion of the foundations of her faith and the reasons for my lack thereof. My grandmother led by example. She put her character, compassion, courage, capacity for love, serenity and wisdom on display. The unspoken message was if you admire these qualities, follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. It was a powerful temptation.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 2–4 p.m.
Join us as we celebrate the hands and hearts of caregivers. Take time to relax, recharge, and be recognized.
• Complimentary hand massages
• Entertainment by Rodrigo
• Ra e prizes
• Refreshments
• Activities, and more!
Learn More & RSVP
The View from the Therapy Pool
By Fred Malo
A mother’s voice behind a little ‘blue heart’
This month of May still arrives tinted with the blue of April, a month dedicated to autism awareness.
And in the midst of that transition, I would love to speak from a different place, not only as the mother of a little “blue heart,” but as the woman behind that diagnosis.
And I think May, Mother’s Month, is the perfect excuse for this heartfelt reflection.
And in the middle of all of that, you also begin to question who you are as a mother, as a woman and as a human being.
OPINION
Hello, my name is Valeria. I am a mother, a migrant and I hold a degree in business administration with more than 10 years of problem-solving experience. I am also a wife, a sister, a daughter and an aunt in a family full of good people … and with high levels of craziness, like all families who truly love each other.
GUEST OPINION
By Valeria Godoy
But why am I telling you all this?
Because I am not only the mother of an autistic child. I am a mother filled with joy and gratitude for my son’s life.
With the arrival of a diagnosis also comes doubt and uncertainty. Your mind fills with questions.
What is going to change in my life? Will I have to dedicate myself only to parenting? Will I have to put my dreams on hold and become a 24/7 mom with no room left to continue growing?
And, yes, it’s true that life pauses for a moment. Not because it ends, but because it forces you to look at everything differently: the information, the adjustments, the fears and the new beginnings.
But something else happens, too, something people do not always talk about.
Little by little, you discover a version of yourself you did not know existed.
A stronger, more sensitive version, more aware of the value of small achievements and of the things you once took for granted.
Today, five years after my little J’s diagnosis, I can say with certainty that this journey is not the same for every family. Just like the autism spectrum itself is not one single form but an infinite range of colors, motherhood within this world is just as diverse.
What I have learned is that I have grown. That building a tribe, building community and not being selfish with our experiences can make all the difference. When mothers support one another, the journey becomes a little more human, a little easier to carry.
And something important, too, is learning to let go of guilt. That silent guilt that sometimes appears without warning, making you question whether you are doing enough, whether you are moving fast enough, whether you are failing.
Over time, you understand that you are doing the best you can with the greatest love you have.My story is my own, and I know how it has been lived and how it has felt.
There have been moments of uncertainty, of not knowing what comes next, of encountering people without empathy and of hearing phrases that hurt more than they seem: “Maybe you want him to be sick,” “He doesn’t even seem autistic,” “He looks so normal.”
Phrases that stay in your heart, and that over time you learn to dodge as if they were arrows.
Mothers know the pain of exclusion, the weight of misinformation disguised as opinion.
And even so, we remain here, willing to inform, to explain and to share with those who truly want to understand.
Because not everyone knows what lies behind a meltdown, a silence or a different way of communicating. But we do.
So today, mother to mother, I invite you to do something simple but profound … Support yourself, embrace yourself. You deserve it. For everything you do, for everything you carry, even when no one sees it.
Because even though sometimes you may feel invisible, believe me, it shows.
And I also want to say something that is rarely said out loud: You are not alone . Even when it feels that way. There are other mothers walking this same path, learning, falling, getting back up and starting over again every single day.
And to all mothers, during this month of May, I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day every day.
Especially to those who raise their children through deep love, endless patience and the quiet strength of supporting their children through diagnoses that only the heart learns how to transform into growth.
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
Springtime and dandelions
Young people from across the Valley wrote poetry for the inaugural Dandelion Day Youth Poetry Contest. Zizi Levine had one of the winning poems, “dwarf star.”
And we threw in a couple of extras from fourth graders Henrietta and Chase from Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork.
dwarf star
By Zizi Levine Ninth Grade
death is not the only way to lose someone. you can lose them to life as well.
can be sitting inches away but be miles apart. can see them through a screen, glimpse into another world.
can live an hour away but need light years to reach them, galaxies apart. with all the stars in the sky,
we orbit each other then drift away, so fast, forming new moons even for the smallest of planets. Pluto has a few, you and I do, too.
Keep your Dandelions
By Henrietta Margolis Fourth Grade
Dandelions are beautiful and bright, Their delicate petals are as bright as the sun, Their leaves are as green as a new spring bud. If you touch their puffy ball, the dandelion will spread, Giving its beauty to all.
The long twisty root goes down down
To help the earth and soil. All around, the dandelion is a helpful plant With a magnificent crown.
So keep it in your garden
To help things grow all year round.
Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com
Precious dandelion
By Chase Beck Fourth Grade
Little precious dandelion, Whose medicine we collect
As it comes and goes
We’ve got to give it respect.
Mother Earth keeps it safe
As they pop up through the ground.
We adore their lovely crown.
As it turns to puffy seeds, We send it out to meet the breeze.
Thank you, little precious dandelion.
We adore your lovely leaves.
A common swallowtail butterfly, unfussed by the humans admiring it, rests in a fir tree near the banks of the Crystal River at Avalanche Creek Road.
A trio of morel mushrooms sprout in a pasture near the confluence of Thompson Creek and the Crystal River. The cheerful yellow avalanche or ‘glacier’ lily is a sure sign that spring has arrived in the mountains.
Clockwise from top: Mt Sopris, as seen from Cottonwood Pass Road between Carbondale and Gypsum.
Photos by Betsy Welch
Our generation is being sold an environmental disaster disguised as cheap clothing. Somewhere along the way, clothing came to be disposable, rather than something of value. Instead of buying clothes to last, we buy them to keep up with current trends.
A shirt is no longer bought to last years. It’s bought for one photo, one trend, one season. Then it is replaced. Fast fashion has created a culture where people are constantly trying to reinvent themselves through endless consumption. Little thought is directed to where the clothes came from and where they will end up.
Today, most clothing is made from synthetic materials, such as polyester, which is derived solely from fossil fuels. Polyester sheds microplastics into waterways, fills landfills and poisons us. Every time an article of clothing containing polyester is washed, microplastics enter our waterways, contaminating them at the microscopic level and eventually finding their way into our drinking water and even the food we eat. Additionally, polyester is not biodegradable, so it can remain in the environment for up to 200 years. Without any immediate consequences, people will continue to buy cheap, trendy clothes without question.
This is not a distant problem. It affects us locally. Colorado’s rivers, wildlife, air quality and natural spaces are connected to the choices we make as consumers. We cannot claim to care about protecting the outdoors while supporting industries that actively damage it. We must be responsible consumers to protect our environment. Protecting the environment requires more than appreciating nature — it requires changing the habits that quietly harm it.
The Roaring Fork Valley is a beautiful place we get to call home. To protect our water, our air and our food, we must make conscious decisions in how we consume, starting with the clothes we buy. We have the power to choose how we can preserve our environment. Choosing to buy less, shop secondhand or support sustainable brands may seem small, but these choices make a big impact. As a result, the decisions we make today will shape the world we live in tomorrow.
Audrey Allen Glenwood Springs
Results, not rhetoric
As residents of the Roaring Fork Valley, we are fortunate to live in a region defined by an independent spirit. From the banks of the Crystal River to the peaks of the Elk Mountains, our community has a long history of solving local challenges through pragmatic collaboration.
I want to thank Representative Jeff Hurd for his stated commitment to protecting our water rights and his work on the Shoshone water rights acquisition — a vital issue for everyone in Western Colorado. However, as we look toward the future of Colorado’s Third Congressional District, there remains a significant gap between rhetoric and the defense of our democratic institutions.
Our neighbors in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Aspen deserve a representative who doesn’t just attend photo ops, but actively protects voting access
and rejects the polarizing partisanship stalling progress in Washington. We need a representative who will be a firewall for our democratic institutions, not a rubber stamp for partisan extremism.
Whether it’s Alex Kelloff’s focus on our local economy or Dwayne Romero’s record of service, the Roaring Fork Valley has options that prioritize the Constitution over party loyalty. It’s time we demanded a leader who actually reflects our Western Slope values of accountability and civil discourse.
The strength of our democracy depends on our participation. Let’s ensure our representatives know that here, we value substance over optics and results over rhetoric..
Susan Sullivan Missouri Heights
Holy Cross election
Member-elected Holy Cross Energy board directors play a crucial role to set the strategic direction and provide oversight for the operations of the local electric utility that we all own. It’s the duty of the board to ensure that Holy Cross is run in the best interest of our overall membership and upholds our mission to provide safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity.
This year’s board election opens May 13, and ends with the annual meeting on June 11 at the 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott. I’m one of five candidates running for two board seats, and I urge you to learn more about each of us at the HCE Election website, which is: holycross.com/ community/engagement/election
Most importantly, please VOTE by mail, online, or in person at the annual meeting. Thank you for participating and I hope to see you in person on the 11th.
Dave Munk
Cattle Creek
Vote green
This week, most Roaring Fork and Eagle Valley residents will get an electronic and mail-in ballot to elect members to the board of Holy Cross Energy, our local electric utility. This is one of the most important actions you can take on climate. Holy Cross has led the nation in providing clean, reliable electricity, hitting 85% renewables this year. It’s a stunning, almost unbelievable achievement.
To keep that going, I’m supporting Dave Munk, one of the architects of that transition. This will be his last term and he deserves a chance to finish the job.
I’m also backing Sarah Smith Hymes, who has extensive experience in government in the Eagle Valley as the mayor of Avon and town councilperson, and who has long worked on climate issues there.
Please vote in the Holy Cross election!
Auden Schendler
Basalt
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Range riders
“Range riding proved to be one of the most effective tools, providing consistent human presence, improved livestock monitoring and timely carcass detection,” said Ethan Kohn, CPW wildlife damage specialist, citing non-lethal conflict management tools used in the King Mountain Pack’s territory last summer. “The King Mountain Pack has established territory in northern Eagle County and southern Routt County, near the ranching communities of Burns and Toponas,” he explained, adding that the area includes large-scale livestock operations and habitat for elk, mule deer and pronghorn, including critical winter range.
He explained that several forms of non-lethal tactics were used to keep wolves at bay. “The landscape, livestock numbers and grazing distribution all
MARBLE
from page 10
McMahill explained that the majority of the board were keen to see more locally run businesses in Marble, but there were concerns that speculators from out of town might jump on any change as a purely commercial opportunity. She added that the current code allowed for “home occupation” businesses, the definition of which could be “beefed up” to include a criteria-based matrix of acceptable trades.
Any additional requests from business owners to expand these parameters, she suggested, would be subject to board review.
Larry Good added that any growth should be “slow, measured and sustainable.”
GLENWOOD
from page 10
And Council itself was split over the decision, with Mayor Marco Dehm, Mayor Pro Tem Erin Zalinski, and Councilors Sumner Schachter, Steve Smith and Mitchell Weimer voting in favor, and Councilors David Townsley and Ray Schmahl opposed.
Townsley said it did feel a bit like picking one group over another for public assistance.
“My other reservation is that these are residents of [unincorporated] Garfield County, which doesn’t seem to want to fund anything for anybody,” he added. “At some point they should step forward and do something.”
Zalinski countered, “We’re not picking winners; we’re preserving an asset.”
BASALT
from page 11
Age-Friendly initiative
During this week’s meeting, the Town of Basalt reviewed Pitkin County’s 2026 Age-Friendly initiative, which is designed in partnership with AARP to act as a “north star” towards making Pitkin County a more livable, inclusive and supportive place for its aging residents. During a presentation, age statistics and forecasts were provided for both Pitkin and Eagle counties.
contribute to the complexity of effective conflict mitigation,” he said. “What we’re seeing on the ground is that conflict minimization can reduce risk, but it does not prevent all conflict. Even with fladry, range riding, night watch and consistent human presence, depredations are still occurring.” He added that challenges in Pitkin County included elk tearing down the fladry.
Rae Nickerson, CPW’s new wolf conflict minimization manager, told commissioners that, in 2025, eight range riders covered eight counties. “We rode almost 15,000 miles for over 4,000 hours and served over 34 livestock producers,” she said.
The program is growing. Fifteen new range riders are ready for the upcoming grazing season. “That’s a seven-rider increase from last year’s effort, and seven of those 15 riders are returning from last year, which is excellent,” she said.
You can watch all CPW meeting archives on YouTube.
The Trustees have committed to producing a fact sheet on the proposal ahead of the public hearing set for June 4 at 6pm at the Marble Community Church Fellowship Hall.
Looking ahead, there will be a meeting at the fire station at 10am, Saturday, May 16 at which Dr. Hussam Mahmoud will present the results of his wildfire prediction model. In addition, Gunnison County Commissioners will visit Marble on May 21, hosting two meetings, both open to the public, at 4pm and 7:30pm. The latter will be more of an “open table” event.
The next meeting of the Town of Marble’s Board of Trustees will be held on Thursday, June 4, at 6pm in the Marble Community Church’s Fellowship Hall.
In other news …
An otherwise fairly light agenda greeted City Council for their first meeting of May, including a proclamation designating May as Historic Preservation Month and officially recognizing two “Structures of Merit” in Glenwood Springs, one at 829 Pitkin Ave. and the other at 1008 Colorado Ave.
Council also heard an update from representatives for the Ruedi Water and Power Authority, including incoming new Director Paula Stepp.
A revised ordinance spelling out permitting rules for landscape grading on private property was also approved, increasing the disturbed area from 200 to 500 square feet for a permit to be required.
In Eagle County, 19% of the total population is currently over 60 years old, which is up 125% since 2010.
Eagle County attributes much of its projected population increase over the next decade to residents 65 and up, expecting a 54% increase in residents aged 75-84 and a 142% increase in residents 85+. Eagle County also projects a 15% decrease in residents aged 0-17.
Pitkin County’s Age-Friendly initiative targets eight domains of
PARTING SHOTS
through feet, walking, spinning,
add texture to the surface. The clay will be fired and returned to the
be up through June 6, when a closing reception will take place from 4 to 5pm.
livability for seniors: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, wellness and enrichment, inclusion, civic engagement and employment, communication and information, and community and health services.
The Initiative outlines possible actions to address each domain, including partnering with parks and rec departments to assess parks and trails accessibility and collaborating with Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) to subsidize senior
travel or expand senior-focused transportation options.
Council was not required to take any action during this meeting, and simply reviewed the new initiative with representatives from Pitkin County Senior Services.
The initiative is intended to work alongside Eagle County’s Aging Well Roadmap. Eagle County has likewise identified healthcare, housing and transportation as priority areas for the improvement of the lives of its aging population.
The Art Base hosted an art opening for Savanna LaBauve’s exhibit, “Echoes,” which included an interactive element, “Textures of Topography,” on Friday, May 8. People were invited to interact with a 500-pound slab of clay, largely
dancing and jumping to
exhibit, which will
Photos by Will Sardinsky
