A cyclist decks out her bike with luminous accessories ahead of the “Illuminated Bike Celebration” through Carbondale on May 15. Find more photos from Bonedale Bike week, and the annual Mt.
on page 9.
Sopris Run-Off,
Photo by Will Sardinsky
Revolutionary Changes
My granddaughter Sara interviewed me for a college assignment. She wanted to know about the revolutionary changes I’ve experienced in my eight and a half decades on earth, things like computers and Artificial Intelligence (AI). At 18, Sara sees change as pretty sudden. At 85, I see it as more gradual, an “evolution” rather than a revolution.
ENIAC, the first programmable, general-purpose, digital computer, went to work in 1945, but designs for working computers date back to at least 1823, when Charles Babbage designed his Analytical Engine and Ada Lovelace wrote the “software” for it. It couldn’t be built back then, because the necessary precision just wasn’t possible, but when it was finally constructed 175 years later, it worked perfectly.
AI is all the rage nowadays, so it was, of course, at the forefront of our interview. Although we tend to think of it as a recent invention, in reality, it isn’t recent at all. The idea is there in Homer’s Iliad, wherein he described mechanical attendants that could independently learn new skills and use them to help the gods do their work. Homer didn’t know he was creating AI, but his idea stayed around. It’s what author Malcolm Gladwell calls a “sticky idea.” Most, maybe even all, important changes start with sticky ideas.
those first bots and considered them artificial stupidity rather than intelligence. But at the beginning of this decade, we started hearing about a new kind of AI, about programs that, once created, could learn on their own and, just like Homer’s automatons, become more competent by using what they learned. They could make sound judgments. They could do things that people do, but much faster and often better. Then, on Nov. 30, 2022, ChatGPT was released to the public.
OPINION
MATURE
CONTENT
Ron Kokish
AI, of course, depends on computers. In 1945, ENIAC held roughly 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighed more than 60,000 pounds and occupied over 1,500 square feet. I never owned an ENIAC. But a quarter century later, computers that did useful work had become small enough to sit on people’s desks, and by 1975, they were seemingly popping up everywhere. Tandy, Amiga, Apple — countless companies were selling little computers at prices people could afford. Computing went viral. In Gladwell’s terms, it had reached a “tipping point.” I got my first computer in 1986. As a part-time university instructor, I had access to the internet before it was open to the public, even before most people heard of it. This internet was primitive compared to what we take for granted today, but working AI was already over 40 years old. I hadn’t heard about it yet, but some people in Silicon Valley were hard at work on it, picking up on theories that went back to mid-1930s England. In fact, simple AI has been around the internet almost since there has been an internet. Think early chatbots. Most of us hated
LETTERS
453 years of service
We would like to thank the RE-1 School District for the beautiful retirement celebration honoring employees who have dedicated their lives to the children and families of this community.
The evening was heartfelt and deeply moving, filled with stories that reminded all of us what makes a school district truly special. From transportation, custodial and maintenance staff, paraprofessionals, teachers, principals, administration and support staff, each retiree represented years of dedication, compassion and service. Together, they represented more than 453 years of combined service to our children and community.
It was especially meaningful to hear that the transportation department alone represented more than 100 years of combined service, a remarkable reflection of loyalty, commitment and care for generations of students.
The presentation honoring each retiree was especially meaningful. Every individual’s story and contribution was recognized with warmth, dignity and genuine appreciation. It was clear how much care went into making the evening memorable.
A special thank you to Aimee Brockman, chief of human resources and talent, whose leadership and compassion shined throughout the celebration.
As Gene retires after nearly five decades
I first used this new AI a little over a year later. Age-Friendly Carbondale had collected what, to us, was a huge amount of data about Highway 133 when, suddenly, the guy who had volunteered to help us organize, understand, analyze and make it presentable decided he had too much to do. We were overwhelmed. When my grandson suggested AI, we decided to try it. Why not? If AI was threatening to replace people, maybe that guy could be one of those people. We turned to ChatGPT, and ChatGPT delivered. Once we learned how to use it, it did in minutes what would have taken us weeks if not months. It even guided us to use it more effectively. We finished our research project on time, and we were influential in the Board of Trustees’ 2024 decision to speed up construction of two signalized bike/pedestrian crossings on the highway. One of them is already there. The second will be finished this summer. Thank you, Homer!
At the beginning of 2024, our use of AI was still somewhat novel. Three years later, AI is built into every internet browser, and I’m using it routinely. It helped me with the research for this article, just as it helps me with almost everything I write. Three years. It seems revolutionary, but it’s not. The theory is a century old, and the concept is Homeric. Like all changes, AI is evolutionary. It just looks revolutionary when you first learn about it — when it reaches its tipping point.
When Sara turned in her assignment, one of her professor’s comment was, “Your grandfather sounds smart!” I’d like to believe that, but more relevant here, I think, is the perspective that comes with age. Live through enough changes, and you begin to appreciate the time and effort they took.
Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale.
of safely transporting children to and from school, we are reminded that the true impact of these employees can never fully be measured in years alone. Their kindness, reliability and quiet dedication helped shape generations of students.
To all RE-1 employees, past and present, thank you for the difference you make every day.
Gene and Stephanie Schilling
Carbondale
Thank you, thank you
Carbondale Rotary’s sixth annual Fireball Drop on May 1 was another big success!
An enthusiastic group of spectators joined us at 589 Park on Main Street in Carbondale this past First Friday to witness over 1,000 ping pong balls tumble from a fire ladder truck onto targets on the ground to select our winners. It was the perfect Colorado day and great fun.
A huge thanks goes out to our lead sponsor, Alpine Bank, for their consistent, dedicated support.
The Cowen Center, Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Obermeyer Wealth Partners, RJ Paddywacks Pet Outfitter, Rivers Dentistry, Roaring Fork Oral Surgery and Sopris Liquor and Wine stepped up as our supporting sponsors.
Annual sponsors included: ANB Bank, Crystal River Customs, Mr. Mike Waski, Nordic Gardens, Simon Dogbee with
Northwestern Mutual, Reese Henry, Six Productions, Mike Sturhan at State Farm, Valley Lumber and Willits Veterinary Hospital.
Our single-event sponsors were Avalanche Ranch, The BarnYard Pet Ranch, Carbondale Car Care, Michael Doherty and Crystal Valley Dental, Herschel Ross Family Dentistry, Land & Shelter, Jack McKay, John Moore, RK Wolff Safety Consulting, Roaring Fork Valley Coop, Robin Tolan, Sunlight Mountain, Sure Thing Burger, Tim Whitsitt and Willow Creek Bistro.
We would like to especially thank Pablo and everyone from the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District. They brought the equipment, manpower, expertise and good energy that made it all possible!
Thanks also goes to our event partners: Mike Arnold, Eric, Robin and Erica at the Town of Carbondale Parks and Recreation Department, Deborah and Michael at Carbondale Arts, the Carbondale Chamber, The Sopris Sun and everyone at City Market Carbondale.
We’d also like to congratulate the Family Block Party for putting on another wonderful event that brings out the best of Carbondale.
Lastly, many thanks to all of you who bought balls from us. You’ve helped us raise much needed funds for our community service projects, scholarships, student
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SCUTTLEBUTT
Bridge repair
The Garfield Board of County Commissioners approved “an amount not to exceed” $650,000 in emergency repair funds to mend the Thompson Creek Road bridge, spanning the Crystal River just northwest of Carbondale, according to a press release issued this week. One of the bridge’s lanes will mostly remain open during the next two to three weeks while crews repair the bridge deck — the structure directly supporting vehicles. Stop lights will control the flow of traffic; vehicles are limited to 24,000 pounds. “The county’s goal is to complete the repairs as safely and quickly as possible,” the release added, though the county did not give a definitive timeline for the repair.
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Some Carbondale residents can expect limited parking access in front of their homes as the Town treats the surface of various residential streets from May 20 to 29, weather permitting. The operation will affect parking during work hours, which begin at 7am and can last until 6pm or until crews clear the site. Parking violators will be towed. “Residents should expect limited access to their homes during the operation,” a press release stated. Streets scheduled to undergo treatment include Ash Lane, Buggy Circle, Cara Court, Crystal Circle, Eastbank Point, Graceland Drive, Holland Drive, Indica Way, Keator Road, Linden Circle, Marble Court, Maroon Drive, Maroon Place, Melissa Lane, Vitos Way, West Ridge Court, from 2nd Street to Snowmass Drive on Capitol Avenue, from 8th Street to Main Street on Main Court and from Highway 133 to town limits on Dolores Way.
West GarCo on-demand
Western Garfield County will see improved public transit options as an on-demand bus service pilot program comes to Rifle, Parachute and Battlement Mesa beginning June 1, according to a press release. Riders can request a $1 lift in the service zones through the Ride PATS app from 11:30am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday, in Rifle and 11am to 6pm, Monday through Friday, in Parachute and Battlement Mesa. Launched in partnership between the City of Rifle, Town of Parachute, Garfield County and Battlement Mesa Service Association, the pilot program will supplement the existing Parachute Area
Transit System, the release stated. For more information, visit www.ridepats.
com
Basalt public transit
The Town of Basalt is expanding its local public transit to service additional locations and operate for longer hours during the summer months. Basalt Connect will now service Crown Mountain, Summit Vista and Emma. From June through August, the transit system will run from 7am to 10pm. For more information about Basalt Connect, visit basalt.net/basaltconnect
Feds on blast
Following Glenwood Springs Planning and Zoning Commission’s (P&Z) decision on April 28 to revoke the special use permit for facilities utilized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 100 Midland Ave, suites 110 and 210, the United States General Services Administration was given seven days to appeal. The City has not received an appeal, according to Public Information Officer Bryana Starbuck, who added that, procedurally, the federal government has 28 days from the time of P&Z’s decision to appeal to district court. However, a press release at the end of April issued by the city stated that “federal agencies are not usually required to follow local building and zoning rules.”
Sixth Street revival
On Thursday, May 14, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at North Landing on 6th Street in Glenwood Springs to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated park and street. “These projects represent far more than physical improvements,” said Jillian Sutherland, executive director of the Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority. “They reflect nearly a decade of collaboration, persistence, and shared vision to create public spaces and streets that strengthen connections between downtown, neighborhoods, our parks and the people who call Glenwood Springs home.” (Glenwood Springs High School student Lauren Kaiser assisted with this Scuttlebutt item. Thanks, Lauren!)
Blackout
About 3,100 residents from Glenwood Springs to Silt were left without power for
roughly five hours Saturday, May 16. After the lights went out, businesses in Glenwood Springs closed their doors for the day. An Xcel spokesperson told The Sopris Sun that on-site crews believed the outage was caused by a “large foreign object,” possibly a tarp, that blew into transmission and distribution lines. The extensive duration was due to the power company entering “enhanced power safety settings” to conduct a “mandatory patrol on the transmission lines.” Xcel encourages folks to sign up for outage notifications online at co.my.xcelenergy.com or by calling 800-895-4999.
They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Tucker Farris and Wesley Niemer (May 21); Arn Menconi, Steve Beckley, Charlie Chacos, Mila Fomina, Frank Markoya and Bonnie Pletcher (May 22); Tai Jacober (May 23); Patti Hall, Hannah Horn, Steve Kuhl, Tom Mercer and Diego Rubio Ureña (May 24); Sean Connors, Charlie Cook and Paul Dankers (May 25); Dena Barnes, Amber Frisbie and Sue Hopper (May 26); Lacy Dunlavy, Richard Glasier, Jennifer Johnson and Myki Jones (May 27).
A black bear sow and her cub forage beside the Roaring Fork River off Two Rivers Road in Basalt on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 19. Photo by Ray K. Erku
Drink, dine and shop:
RAY K. ERKU
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Perhaps an upcoming effort meant to drive visitors to Carbondale’s Main Street is best explained algebraically: Spend a dollar at X store, get a gift card to Y bar.
Later this month, Carbondale’s Main Street Business Alliance hosts what’s befittingly called the “School’s Out Special,” where downtown shops, restaurants and bars will collaborate in offering reciprocal specials, discounts and bundles. The series, slated for May 24 to 30, includes 26 participating businesses inhabiting the town’s core.
“We are the tour guides of Main Street,” Greg Morrison, owner of Mountain Tide Provision Co. and Alliance member, said of downtown business owners. “We’re trying to get the community out on Main Street and active in all the businesses
owner of Sprazzo, an Italian restaurant that occupies the famous early 20th-century Weant House at the corner of 7th and Main streets. White told The Sopris Sun last Friday that the effort was prompted in 2025 after Main Street businesses realized there’s a lot to benefit from collaboration, rather than fighting the same economic battles in isolation.
White then went door-to-door to every neighboring restaurant and retailer, asking, “How can we make this small, five block town more vibrant?” Sure, Carbondale isn’t without its big-ticket events that ancillary businesses thrive on. Hordes of face-painted visitors pour annually into Sopris Park for Mountain Fair, while First Fridays light up the main drag every month.
But what can businesses do during the dreadful lull that is the off-season?
houses, doing something interesting on Main Street and spending their dollars here in town, as opposed to going up to Aspen or going on vacation or buying what they need on Amazon?” White said. “We say feet on the streets, butt in seats.”
Thus, the Main Street Business Alliance was born. And spawned from this alliance is something that White refers to as the “shared prosperity agenda,” where local proprietors and owners use the power of collaboration to spur foot traffic into one another’s brick-andmortar establishments.
For instance, Morrison said Mountain Tide Provision Co. holds pop-ups at Sprazzo. For the “School’s Out Special” later this month, thirsty patrons can sip Marble Distillery samples and get a
chance to win a raffle at Mountain Tide.
“Not every person that comes is going to spend a dollar here, but they might spend a dollar at one of our neighbors and have a good time,” White said. “So much so, that they will come back another time and maybe I’ll get that dollar.”
The Business Alliance has contracted with Downtown Colorado Incorporated, a nonprofit initiative that aims to revitalize downtown cores of small-town Colorado. The active seat in this effort has led to “an active voice” with the Carbondale Board of Trustees, White said.
With the businesses collaborating with each other and with the Carbondale trustees, White hopes to maintain and enhance a healthy “ecosystem of thriving businesses.”
“It’s the contrast between March, when the tumbleweed can blow down Main Street and not hit a person, to that peak summer vibrancy where you hear music, you see people, you smell food, it feels like a little slice of Mardi Gras can exist on our tiny Main Street,” White said, “when, sometimes, there’s deafening silence.”
Participating businesses in the Business Alliance include: Amara, Black Nugget, Bonfire Coffee, Brass Anvil, Carbondale Beer Works, Crow and Key, El Dorado, Izakaya, Kedai, Lulubelle, Main Street Gallery, Main Street Liquor, Marble Distilling, Mountain Tide Provision Co, Nido, Phat Thai, Plosky’s, Rock It! Emporium, Sopris Liquor, Sprazzo, The Tavern, Tiny Pine, Townline Trucks, Village Smithy and White River Books.
Marble meeting focuses on wildfire mitigation, evacuation planning
KEN PLETCHER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
A crowd of some 60 people gathered on May 16 at the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) firehouse in Marble to hear a presentation on wildfire behavior, mitigation and preparedness and evacuation strategies in the event of a wildfire.
The Saturday-morning gathering was a follow-up to a planning meeting on March 31 at the Carbondale Fire Station involving officials from Gunnison County (in which Marble lies), Pitkin County, CRFPD and others who discussed such evacuation planning for the town.
Both events featured Dr. Hussam Mahmoud of Vanderbilt University, who has developed a highly sophisticated computerized wildfire modeling program that has been applied to Marble and vicinity. This week’s meeting was the public rollout of the project’s results, which began late last year with a comprehensive survey of Marble property owners, followed by months of data analysis and modeling by Dr. Mahmoud and his team.
The presentation began with CRFPD Chief Rob Goodwin outlining the process leading up to that point. He emphasized the particular vulnerability of Marble’s residents, saying, “There’s one way in and one way out of Marble,
and that’s a problem.” He continued, “[This modeling] is going to help us by verifying areas of refuge to the east [and] the best way to evacuate, hopefully, to the west,” utilizing evacuation plans being developed under the leadership of Gunnison County Emergency Manager Lisa Bickford.
Goodwin introduced Angie Davlyn, executive director of Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley, who has been at the forefront of coordinating wildfire mitigation efforts in the greater Roaring Fork Valley region. She recruited and has been working with Dr. Mahmoud on Marble and other regional modeling projects.
“She’s fantastic,” Goodwin said, “and really has led the mitigation charge.”
Davlyn began by saying, “I want you to know how special Marble and the Crystal River Valley is to us,” noting that Marble was the first municipality in the region to do the wildfire modeling. She went on to describe a system of highly sophisticated cameras that can accurately detect smoke and its location and quickly alert first responders.
“These are an incredible tool, and we’re really lucky to have them,” Davlyn said. She described CRFPD’s firefighting response as exceptionally rapid and effective, saying, “We truly have some of the best and most capable and prepared firefighters.”
She continued, “The collaborative really focuses on community resilience, which means living with fire. You can’t prevent it from happening, but we can really focus on reducing its destruction.”
This was the reason she brought in Dr. Mahmoud and his Asynchronous Graph Nexus Infrastructure for Network Assessment of Wildland-Urban Interface Risk (AGNI-NAR) modeling program, which is nearly 90% accurate at predicting how fire can run through a populated area, the extent of structural damage it can cause and mitigation measures that can reduce vulnerability.
The floor was turned over to Dr. Mahmoud. Over the next hour-plus, he described in great detail the various modeling scenarios the AGNI-NAR program created based on factors such as weather analysis, wildfire behavior, smoke movement, vehicular traffic and human behavior. He acknowledged, “Any one of these is so complicated and has so many uncertainties. Nevertheless, if we want to start somewhere and get an idea of what would happen in a fire, we have to include these elements.” He believes, though, in the accuracy of the AGNINAR modeling, saying, “Because of that, we can use it for many things, including evacuation.”
The presentation included dozens of slides and animated simulations of various factors. Notable among the latter were
structures, part
16
several depicting how both fire and smoke move over time based on wind direction and speed. Others showed the survivability of structures in an encroaching fire depending on the type of mitigation performed, with the modeling identifying areas of optimal vegetation mitigation. Of particular interest to the crowd was a long discussion of evacuation, including
continued on page 15
Dr. Hussam Mahmoud of Vanderbilt University explaining an illustration depicting the transmissibility of fire from vegetation to
of his presentation on May
of the wildfire modeling project prepared for the Town of Marble. Photo by DJ Sugar Monkey
Sowing good roots
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
When Roaring Fork Mill sprouted in 2022, it was a small passion project. Founder Jacob Trumbull comes from a background in conservation and sustainable agriculture. He and his wife, Nicole, started stone-milling grains a few years after they settled into the Roaring Fork Valley. The business started as mill-to-order batches, but has since taken off.
“Regenerative agriculture was a logical next step when beginning to grow heritage grains in the Roaring Fork Valley,” Trumbull told The Sopris Sun.
In the beginning, Trumbull filled small orders using a mill that could grind up to 10 pounds of grain in an hour, sourcing the grain from farms around Colorado. By 2024, he upgraded to a mill with a capacity of over 200 pounds per hour, and secured the first regenerative organic certified mill designation in the Mountain West, according to Claire Duncombe of the Colorado Grain Chain, a state nonprofit and network of grain businesses.
Trumbull has steadily expanded his network of grain producers in the state. In spring 2025, around 25% of the grain he milled was sourced from within
the Valley — the rest came from around Colorado.
In the past year, the business has continued to flourish. This spring, Roaring Fork Mill was awarded the Greg Steltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award for its efforts to build a plant-centric food system grounded in personal, community and planetary health, according to the Colorado Grain Chain story. The award, named in honor of the founder of Odwalla Inc., supports early-stage entrepreneurs with grants.
Roaring Fork Mill will use its funding to provide early-season financing for farmers growing heirloom grains.
“It’s a healthy way to support our farming partners,” Trumbull told Colorado Grain Chain. “They’re our friends. We see them every day. That’s the beautiful thing about creating a local food system. Their well-being is intertwined with ours.”
Trumbull stated that another proud accomplishment was receiving a national sustainability award from Startup CPG in 2025, for bringing to market the first regenerative organic certified flour — Roaring Fork Mill’s rye flour.
“Not only was it an excellent testament to the high quality of
our flour,” he said, “but it gave a kick in the butt to the flour industry as a whole; leading to other mills starting to produce regenerative organic certified flours.”
Roaring Fork Mill was also recently granted a lease for the Wheatley Open Space acreage in Old Snowmass, which is overseen by Pitkin County Open Space and Aspen Valley Land Trust. The lease adds more than 20 acres to the over 53 acres of local grain production Roaring Fork Mill was already working with. At the end of last year, the business had increased its annual production to over 60,000 pounds of flour, all with sustainable practices.
Trumbull credits Pitkin County Open Space and Trails for “helping farmers in the area do impactful work.” He noted the aptness of the Wheatley Open Space for grains, and shared that Roaring Fork Mill will focus on seed cultivation on that land.
“We’ll be trialing a variety of heritage grains to determine what’s suitable for our growing climate,” he said. “Down the line, we envision redistributing these seeds to other farmers in the Valley who are interested in growing grain.”
Trumbull sees local agriculture as something that benefits the economy and environment.
“Heritage grains are climate resilient,” he explained, “taking less inputs to grow and leading to healthier topsoil. Ultimately, our goal is to not only leave the land in which we’re growing grains better off, but to improve the overall viability of the soil and land in which it’s being grown.” Grain grown close to restaurants and consumers requires less
transportation time and money, is fresher and cycles more revenue into local economies, according to a blog from sustainableagriculture.eco
Roaring Fork Mill’s regionally centered production and local processing also yields nutritional benefits. Because stone mills grind grains at lower speeds
continued on page 15
Jacob Trumbull’s fascination with stone milling started in Vermont. Since he brought the practice to the Valley in 2022, his business has reached sustainable production of over 60,000 pounds of flour annually. Photo courtesy of Rachel Bock
JAMES STEINDLER Editor In Chief
After swinging open the door to the Near New, a shopper’s eyes dance to a kaleidoscope of items, from housewares to sporty outfits. A volunteer is there to greet them, but their time is precious and there’s much to do.
Donations are down and so are sales, according to MaryAnn Sands, volunteer manager. On average, the shop is bringing in about $200 to $300 less a week compared to last year.
The Near New is one of those places that if you know, you know, but if you don’t, it can be easy to miss. It’s a historical-appearing building with little signage and a nominal digital presence.
“If you go to Google, you’ll probably find something, but the hours will be all messed up,” Sands said.
“They’re correct on Google right now,” Kate Schwerin, volunteer secretary for the Rebekah Lodge, interjected.
The Rebekah Lodge is the sorority affiliated with the Odd Fellows Lodge. Odd Fellows Lodge No 75 was originally built in Carbondale in 1888, but burned down on July 4,
Near New donations dip
1905. It was rebuilt the following year, where it still stands today and serves as the home of the Near New, operated by the Seven Stars Rebekah Lodge, No 91. The Rebekahs took over the Near New from the Eastern Stars, the female counterpart to the Free Masons, in 1975, when the thrift shop moved into the building on 3rd and Main.
“Every town in this valley used to have [a chapter],” Schwerin said. “Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood all had Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Lodges.” She attributes the longevity of No 91 to the Near New.
“In the past years it was booming,” Schwerin said.
Any profits are funneled back to the community, namely by way of scholarships and contributions to several nonprofits.
Over the past three years, the Lodge donated $10,000 toward the new Aquatics Center. Annual contribution numbers depend on sales.
“Before, when we were getting so much stuff … it was easier to be more discerning,” Schwerin said of donations. “So things were more appealing to people. But when you get less, the quality is not as good.”
Volunteers process donations during open hours, and, historically, there’d be bags yet gone through at the end of a shift. “We haven’t had that issue,” Sands said.
“Basically since The Arc opened,” added Schwerin. It makes sense. The Arc is open seven days a week and accepts donations more frequently.
There is no limit on how many items people can donate to The Arc, according to Glenwood Manager Anna Jaquez-Herron, but its website includes a list it won’t accept.
The Arc Thrift Store was started in Denver in the late ‘60s by three families who had children with intellectual disabilities and benefits relevant service organizations through today. There are 37 stores in Colorado, two in Albuquerque and one is slated to open in San Antonio.
When The Arc was set to open in Glenwood, some folks expressed concerns that it may affect local thrift stores, Jaquez-Herron acknowledged, but she has not heard from other shops directly.
“Some people felt it was better that we came,” she added, “because then we could push
those smaller stores to think a little bit more about what they were offering as far as value to the community.”
Often what’s donated to the Near New is not sellable, and goes straight to recycling. Some things can’t be resold at a thrift store, including bike helmets, car seats and humidifiers, to name a few. The Near New also asks people not to drop off electronics, soiled or lumpy bedding and certainly no mattresses.
“I think it’s good for the community to know what this beautiful building is, what we support, who we are and who we give to,” said Sands.
“Bring us your good donations,” Schwerin concluded.
Donations can be dropped off during business hours, noon to 4pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays. The store is also open during First Fridays, from 5:30 to around 8pm.
Rebekah Lodge Secretary Kate Schwerin and Near New Manager MaryAnn Sands emerge from a rack of dresses at the thrift shop on 3rd and Main Street in Carbondale. Photo by James Steindler
Area athletes make podium at state track meet
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Basalt and Roaring Fork high schools represented at the Colorado Track and Field Championships in Lakewood last weekend, coming away with three podium finishes.
Basalt senior distance runner Towler Scott took fifth place in the 3A boys 3,200-meter run on Thursday, May 14, overcoming the heat at JeffCo Stadium to finish in 9 minutes, 55.87 seconds.
Scott returned to the track on Saturday to move up 10 positions from his No. 16 qualifying spot in the 1,600 meters, taking sixth with a personal-best time of 4:27.36.
For the girls, taking fifth place in the 3A girls 800-meter run on Friday with a personal record time of 2:19.51, was Basalt freshman Scarlett Jones.
Also competing for Basalt was the boys 4x800 relay team of seniors Jackson Beard and Mik Levy and sophomores Henry Ogburn and Nick Searles (12th, 8:35.85); and senior Sidney Barill in the girls 100-meter hurdles (18th, 17.44).
Roaring Fork sophomore distance runner Kayla Steele moved up a couple of spots from her qualifying position in Thursday’s 3A girls 3,200-meter run, finishing in 16th place with a time of 12:47.72. Steele attends Colorado Rocky Mountain School, and was also a member of the state quarterfinalist Lady Rams lacrosse team along with Basalt’s Jones.
Elsewhere from the region, Aspen High School’s boys 4x100 relay team of Nikolas Lear, Connor Anderson, Charlie Deavers and Malcolm Berg took third place with a time of 42.6 seconds, and the Coal Ridge High School boys team won the overall 3A State team title, scoring 86 points to outpace defending state champion The Classical Academy (67 points).
There was not just one dominant player on the team, we played one through nine team baseball, especially toward the end of the year.
-Rams Baseball Coach Marty Madsen
Baseball bows out
The Roaring Fork High baseball team concluded its season on Saturday, May 16, with a 10-1 regional round loss at Prospect Ridge in Broomfield to exit the 3A playoffs. The Rams had entered as the No. 27 seed in the 32-team playoff field, playing against the No. 6 Miners.
Roaring Fork was down 3-0 going into the fourth inning, but could only manage one run with the bases loaded. The Miners
added another run in the fifth and then exploded for six more runs off Rams starter Chase Fenton in the sixth to take the win.
“They’re a good, fundamental baseball team, but definitely beatable,” Rams head coach Marty Madsen said of the opening round matchup. “We played well the whole game, no errors, but we just never really hit the ball very well.”
Indeed, Prospect Ridge fell 4-0 in the regional final to No. 22 Wellington.
Rams senior Kenny Riley was two-forthree from the plate on the day, and senior Andy McMichael drove in the only run for the Rams on a sacrifice. Sophomore Blake Tardif was one-for-two hitting.
It was the final game wearing the Rams logo for Riley, McMichael and fellow seniors Donny Read and Charlie Filiss.
“They are four of the most hard-working, unselfish kids I’ve ever coached,” Madsen said. “They were team first from the day they showed up to the day they left.”
That rubbed off on the younger players who he expects to carry that team ethic into next season.
“We were a very solid baseball team by the end of year, and executed in all three phases of the game,” Madsen said. “There was not just one dominant player on the team, we played one through nine team baseball, especially toward the end of the year.”
The Rams concluded the season at 10 wins and 14 losses. Just one Western
Basalt High School freshman Scarlett Jones (No. 8) edges ahead of a pack of runners in the 3A girls 800-meter run on Friday, May 15, at the Colorado Track and Field Championships held at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood. Jones took fifth in the event.
Slope League team advanced through the regionals to the 3A State Tournament, No. 7 Delta. The Panthers defeated the defending state champions, No. 10 Coal Ridge, to move on to the round of eight. Aspen had entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, but fell in the title game of their home regional tournament at Crawford Field in El Jebel to No. 13 Elizabeth, 5-4, also on Saturday.
Photo by John Stroud
Amid brisk spring temperatures, around 175 runners took to slick trails on May 17 for the Mt. Sopris Runoff, 28-kilometer and 10-mile trail races on the “Up & Over” single track trail from from Carbondale’s Flying Dog Ranch to Basalt’s Rock Bottom Ranch. Joe DeMoor, from Carbondale, won the 28k in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 1 second. Rock Bottom Ranch Livestock Manager Cameron MacKenzie won the 10-mile in 1 hour, 25 minutes and 24 seconds.
Photos by Bob Rugile
Bike on, Bonedale
Carbondale was flush with cyclists of all ages last week, May 11-17, for the annual Bonedale Bike Week. Bright and early each week-day morning, bike riders were welcomed at the fuel station at 4th and Main Street, courtesy of Bonfire Coffee and Plosky’s Deli, before setting out for the day. Events were sprinkled throughout, including an art tour — by bike, of course — scavenger hunt, bike-in movie night at the Crystal Theatre, limericks and poetry at Phat Thai, parties at Townline Trucks and the Garage Bar and more.
Cameron MacKenzie crosses the finish line.
Photos by Will Sardinsky
THURSDAY, MAY 21
RFHS ART, WOODWORKING
Roaring Fork High School’s Art and Woodworking show will be up and running from 8am to 6pm. The show will continue during the same period on Friday.
INDEPENDENCE PASS
Independence Pass is scheduled to open today at noon.
OLDER ADULT GAME DAY
Older adults are invited to an interactive game day at the Glenwood Springs Community Center from 1 to 3pm. Register by calling 970-384-6301.
SHARK TANK SHOWDOWN
Teens work in teams or individually to invent a product and create a prototype using basic materials and present it to a panel of “sharks” at the Basalt Library from 4 to 5pm. Details at basaltlibrary.org
RECOVERY YOGA
Those looking for a way out of addiction can find support in “Yoga for People in Recovery” at 5:30pm at The Meeting Place, 981 Cowen Dr. in Carbondale. The series also runs on Tuesdays.
FIGURE DRAWING
Mike de la Rosa guides a figure drawing class at The Art Base from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Register at theartbase.org
CARE FOR CAREGIVERS
True Nature hosts “Care for Caregivers” from 5:30 to 7pm. Nonprofit Lead with Love will bring Jayne Gottlieb to guide caregivers through yoga, breath, dance and release, addressing the “unique weight” they carry. Register at truenaturehealingarts.com
HOMETOWN SCIENCE
Evalyn Gates, PhD presents “Exploring the Invisible Universe,” delving into how the James Webb Space Telescope is helping scientists understand distant space and dark matter, at Mountain Heart Brewing in Basalt from 5:30 to 6:30pm.
COMEDY OPEN MIC
Join “Comedy at the Crystal,” a 21+ open mic beginning at 7pm at the Crystal Theatre. Sign up to bring down the house at tinyurl.com/onstage2026 Tickets can be purchased at the door or at tinyurl. com/crystalopenmic
FRIDAY, MAY 22
‘MUTTS & MILKSHAKES’
Help pups find a home at “Mutts & Milkshakes,” hosted by Colorado Animal Rescue from 3 to 4pm at Sopris Lodge.
‘WOMEN’S VOICES’
“Women’s VOICES: When We Dance Again,” an original theater project by Carbondale-based nonprofit VOICES, will open at 7pm at Thunder River Theatre. The show will play again at 7pm on Saturday and 2:30pm on Sunday. Tickets at VOICESrfv.org
‘LIBERATE RETREAT’
Join the “Liberate Retreat,” a retreat for women hosted by True Nature, May 22-24. Learn more at tinyurl.com/yc6e5zdx
‘ROARING FORK RISING’
Hannah Koivu opens for Emery Major at the Vault at the Wheeler at 7pm. Tickets at wheeleroperahouse.com
CRYSTAL THEATRE
“The Sheep Detectives” screens at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm tonight, 5pm tomorrow and Sunday (captioned) and 7pm on Monday, May 25.
KIDS NIGHT OUT
Kids are welcome at the Glenwood Springs Community Art Center for an art-filled evening featuring sun-themed games, from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
JOSH BLUE
Comedian Josh Blue will take the stage at TACAW at 8pm as part of his Berserker Tour.
SATURDAY, MAY 23
MOUNTAIN ACTION
Mountain Action Indivisible is organizing a New Castle Visibility Brigade from 10 to 11:30am. Details at mountainactionindivisible.org
TRE
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 A session will be offered again at the same time and place on May 30.
POOL OPENING
The new Carbondale Aquatics Center opens for business at noon.
VISUAL JOURNALING
Participate in “VIRTUAL Art, Healing & Hope,” an online visual journaling meetup from 9:30 to 11:30am hosted by Sheri Gaynor. Register at tinyurl. com/4spebp8c
DOWSING 101
Sustainable Settings hosts a Dowsing 101 workshop, where you can “learn how to read the land, diagnose frequencies and forces in and around your home, measure the quality and quantity in all things and open you to, in short, how to ‘talk’ with All of The Life We Co-create With,” from 1 to 4pm. Register at sustainablesettings.org/ participate
MUSIC AT THE CAVERNS
The Aries Approach, a rock duo playing hits by bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, performs at the Glenwood Caverns from 3 to 6pm.
‘ROARING FORK RISING’
Alya Howe and Writ Large present a live storytelling, featuring Rachelle Anslyn, Christa Wagner, Gwen Garcelon, Mellie Test and Nee Findley, at the Vault at the Wheeler at 7pm. Tickets at wheeleroperahouse.com
SUNDAY, MAY 24
MUSIC AT THE CAVERNS
Feeding Giants performs at the Glenwood Caverns from 3 to 6pm.
‘STRESS UNLOCKED’
Participate in “Stress Unlocked: Your Fastest Path to Relief,” by wellness expert Dr. Stephanie Standfield from 10 to 11:30am at A Spiritual Center, Room 31 in the Third Street Center.
BRUNCH MUSIC
Enjoy your Sunday brunch with some live music by Oran Mor at Heather’s in Basalt at 11am.
MONDAY, MAY 25
MEMORIAL DAY CLOSURE
Garfield and Eagle county government offices will be closed on Memorial Day. The counties’ emergency response functions will remain operational. The libraries will also be closed.
TUESDAY, MAY 26
ACES BIRDING
Learn about the wildlife in the Roaring Fork Valley sky from 7 to 10am at Rock Bottom Ranch. Register at aspennature. org
CIENCIA EN COMUNIDAD
The Aspen Science Center invites Spanish-speaking families to make discoveries together at the Carbondale Library from 3:30 to 4:30pm. Details at aspensciencecenter.org
representative for the Western Slope, it was the first time their weekly Tuesday distribution, 10 to 11am, was held at that location, after previously being located in El Jebel.
by Ken Pletcher
MENTAL HEALTH
Garfield County Public Health guides its monthly conversation on mental health at the Glenwood Springs Library from 5 to 6pm. This month’s theme is veterans and military members. A Zoom option is also available. For details, call 970-665-6370.
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club gathers at the Redstone Inn from 6:30pm till the sun goes down.
STEVE’S GUITARS
Lena Rich and Emily Barnes perform at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at stevesguitars.net
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27
BROKEN HEARTS
True Nature presents “Ask a Grief Counselor: Exploring Our Broken Hearts in Community,” creating space for grief to be normalized, from 5 to 7:30pm. Register at truenaturehealingarts.com
CIVICS AT CMC
Colorado Mountain College hosts a civics lecture, “Your Government at Work,” at the Lappala Center in Carbondale from 6 to 8:30pm. Register at tinyurl. com/CMCcivics
‘SAVE THE FARM’
Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center and Sunsense present “Save the Farm, Save the Future” at 7pm at the Crystal Theatre. Tickets at tinyurl.com/ savethefarm2026
STEVE’S GUITARS
Redd and the Paper Flowers perform with Dango Rose at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at stevesguitars.net
THURSDAY, MAY 28
TECH CLUB
Aspen Science Center hosts Tech Club at the Carbondale Library from 3:45 to 4:45pm. Students in fifth grade and up are welcome to attend. Details at aspensciencecenter.org
LIBRARY MEET & GREET
The community is invited to meet the two finalists for the Garfield County Libraries executive director position at the Rifle Library from 5:30 to 7pm.
‘POEMS THAT MATTER’
Mary Fox facilitates a conversation at the Basalt Library about this month’s Book Talk pick, “Poems that Matter” by the Academy of American Poets, from 5:30 to 6:30pm.
YOGA IN SPANISH
True Nature hosts a yoga class from 6:30 to 8:15pm completely in Spanish. The
class is offered in collaboration with Stepping Stones of the Roaring Fork valley, an organization empowering youth. Register at truenaturehealingarts. com
KDNK MOVIE NIGHT
KDNK presents “This Is Spinal Tap” at 7pm at the Crystal Theatre. Tickets at tinyurl.com/spinaltap2026
SONIC SELF CARE
The Center for Human Flourishing hosts “Sonic Self Care: An Evening of Healing Sounds, Herbal Wisdom and Community Connection” in the Third Street Center Round Room from 7 to 8:30pm. Register at tcfhf.org
CARBONDALE CLAY
A three-part slip casting class begins at the Carbondale Clay Center from 6 to 8:30pm. The class will continue on June 4 and June 11. Register at tinyurl.com/ r57mpkj9
FRIDAY, MAY 29
‘VISCERAL ALCHEMY’
The Launchpad hosts an opening reception for “Visceral Alchemy: Fine Art + Tattoo,” featuring 21 tattoo artists primarily from Colorado from 5 to 7pm. Then, tomorrow, 11am to 6pm, the community is invited to observe a live-tattooing event, also hosted at The Launchpad, where featured artists will also offer to ink pre-drawn pieces onto select patrons — walk-ins welcome, but must be 18+.
CORNER LIKE A PRO
Learn to corner like a pro (eventually) on your mountain bike. Meet at 5:30pm in the Sunlight Ski & Bike Shop. The clinic will last from 6 to 8pm and include a group ride.
SOUND JOURNEY
Embark on a sound journey with Dr. Zachary and Krista Cashin from 6:30 to 8:30pm at True Nature. Register at truenaturehealingarts.com
HONKY TONK
Catch a blend of country music and modern traditional honkey tonk at “Honky Tonk Night” with Eric Golden, beginning 7:30pm at TACAW. Tickets at tacaw.org
SATURDAY, MAY 30
KAYAK CLUB
Roaring Fork Kayak Club hosts a river gear swap at the Glenwood Adventure Company, 3330 S. Glen Ave, Glenwood Springs, from 10am to noon. Drop gear for the swap at 9am. Join the community paddle and barbecue at 1:30pm at Two Rivers Park.
ONGOING EVENTS
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers “Hole in the Donut AA,” Monday through Saturday at 6:45am, plus “Daily Reprieve” at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Find a full schedule at www. meetingplacecarbondale.org
PARKINSON’S EXERCISES
An exercise class for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, MS or any other neuromuscular conditions is offered at the Glenwood Springs Library every Monday from 1 to 2pm. For more details, email dnovak@parkinsonrockies.org or call 866-718-2996.
IN STITCHES
The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 1:30pm.
RAGING GRANNIES
All are welcome to join the Raging Grannies, singing for a healthy planet and a kind world, on Wednesdays at the Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists office at the Third Street Center from 4 to 5:30pm.
ENGLISH IN ACTION
Volunteer English tutors and developing learners meet for informal conversational practice at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 6:30pm. Interested in becoming a tutor? Email angela@ englishinaction.org or call 970-963-9200.
BIKE PROJECT
The Carbondale Bike Project Shop helps people repair their bicycles on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 6pm and Sundays from noon to 6pm on the east side of Third Street Center.
AL-ANON
An Al-anon Family Group meets upstairs
Free Talks/Exhibits
Your Government at Work Wednesday, 6-8:30pm, 5/27
Healing Properties of Grief Thursday, 6-8pm 6/18
Ute Traditions Exhibit 5/15-5/29
America 250 Exhibit 6/19-7/7
Community Classes
Yogalates
Lengthen and strengthen, while improving posture, balance, stability, and mobility. Fridays, 9-10am, 5/29-8/14
Create Your Personal Sanctuary Space
An experiential workshop that uses art, music, nature and movement for well-being, resilience, and creative renewal. Wednesdays, 9am-12pm, 6/3-7/1
Quilting
Learn to piece quilt blockspatchwork, applique, tee-shirts, and quilted pillows. Fridays, 9am-12pm, 6/12-8/7
Natural Hormone Balancing
Discover how your hormones shape your life and simple, strategies to regain balance. Thursdays, 6-8pm, 7/2-8/6
of the Orchard Church in Carbondale every Tuesday at 7pm. For details, call 970-319-3555.
SENIOR LUNCH
Every Wednesday at noon, Garfield County Senior Programs provides a nutritious meal for seniors at The Orchard. To reserve a place at the table, call 970-404-1193.
ASK A LAWYER
Alpine Legal Services offers a hotline clinic on Wednesdays from 5 to 7pm. Call 970-368-2246 and visit alpinelegalservices.org for the schedule of dates by legal topic.
TRIVIA AT EL DORADO
Return to Dirt hosts trivia night every Wednesday at 7:30pm at El Dorado in Carbondale.
UNDER THE SUN
Join Sopris Sun correspondents and guests for “Everything Under The Sun,” airing every Thursday on KDNK at 4pm.
GROUP RUN
Independence Run & Hike leads a weekly group run on Thursdays departing from the store’s location, next to the Carbondale City Market, at 6pm.
REDSTONE LIBRARY
A Pitkin County Library staff member brings services to the Redstone Inn every Friday from 10am to 2pm.
BINGO AT 502
The 502 Diner on Highway 133 hosts Bingo night every Friday at 6:30pm.
SOBER QUEER CLUB
The Meeting Place hosts an LGBTQIA+ specific recovery meeting every first and third Saturday at 5:30pm. For more details, visit www.meetingplacecarbondale.org
Beginning Swing Dance
Learn the basics of Jitterbug - , turns, spins, dips, and fun moves. Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 7/1-7/22
Exploring Loss, Grief, and Recovery
Personalize the vocabulary and context, explore the power and influence of thoughts, and create a sense of coherence. Thursdays, 6-8pm, 7/2-8/6
Dickens and the Law
Explore legal themes, use of comedy and satire, and even some supreme court decisions based in Dickens’ literature. Tuesdays, 6-8pm, 7/14-8/4
Watercolor: en Plein Air
Two-day workshop with tips and techniques then go outside to paint what we see. Wed/Thurs, 1-5pm, 7/22-7/23
Food Pantry of the Rockies staff and volunteers set up to distribute food on May 19 in The Orchard parking lot in Carbondale. According to Angela Hyde, the organization’s direct services
Photo
3 Rs opt-out rates ‘remain low’
RAY K. ERKU
Sopris Sun Correspondent
One to 5% of students in all Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) grade levels are not participating in sexual education courses, newly released data shows.
RFSD Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole told district officials last Wednesday that this average opt-out rate, gathered from a district-wide survey conducted in response to calls for strengthened information transparency and accessibility to its sexual education curriculum, “remains low.”
“Some schools have slightly higher opt-out rates,” Cole said during her update to the school board. The average opt-out rate for Crystal River and Sopris elementary schools is 6-12%, she added.
Some community members throughout the past school year have scrutinized RFSD’s sexual education curriculum, arguing the material is too graphic or that there simply is not enough accessible information regarding its syllabus or student opt-out options.
The evidence-based course of study itself is called the “3Rs” — Rights, Respect, Responsibility: The K-12 Sexuality Education Curriculum — which RFSD adopted in the 2022/23 year school with the goal of adhering to graduation and elective requirements as well as state inclusivity standards. The program, which promotes inclusivity of gender expansive and LGBTQ+ students and needs, aligns with national standards and is widely used by Colorado schools, including Denver, Aurora and Steamboat Springs.
“The concern here isn’t about avoiding difficult or challenging subject matter,” Community member Susan Tribble said during last Wednesday’s public comment. “It’s about whether the material is appropriate for the students’ age and how those topics are handled.”
One driver of this opposition to the 3Rs curriculum is RFV Truth, a conservative advocacy group that claims on its website that there is “80% public opposition” to RFSD’s current sexual education program.
CAREGIVER CONFERENCE
“Nobody knows where that number came from. It’s not based on any fact that we’re aware of,” RFSD Board Member Tammy Nimmo said Wednesday. “If anybody figures that out, I would be very open and interested in hearing where that came from.”
The district did not adopt the curriculum at “writ large,” meaning RFSD families have the option to opt their kids out of sexual education lessons. According to Cole, K-5 students currently receive one-to-two sexual education lessons per year, with more lessons ramped up at the middle
and high school levels. Parents are also allowed to sit in on the lessons, Cole said.
Still, RFSD officials and their constituents spent about 30 minutes last week addressing sexual education implementation and how the district can strengthen accessibility to things like opt-out options, information and education for district parents. The session, prompted by community feedback, also calls for providing clarity and consistently over the language concerning the “Comprehensive Human Sexuality Curriculum” vs.
“Health Curriculum.”
In addition to improving information accessibility on the district website, Cole said more RFSD schools are currently going “above and beyond” and “doing more education nights” in regards to the 3Rs.
According to Cole, the district’s next steps in regards to sexual education include:
• Updating the district website to strengthening accessibility
• Incorporating community feedback “re: language
continued on page 19
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The ‘Stairway to Heaven’’
BETSY WELCH
Sopris Sun Correspondent
The origin story of Staircase Park has always been a little hazy — fitting, perhaps, for a hidden riverside spot that for years felt more like a local secret than an official Town park.
The diminutive pocket park, accessible from Oak Run Road and nestled next to the Crystal River, has been beloved by Carbondalians for decades. Exactly how many decades was unclear — until The Sopris Sun tracked down former Carbondale Public Works Director Peter Ware.
“I built that stairway! We called it the ‘Stairway to Heaven,’” Ware said from his home in Grand Junction.
Now, about a year shy of its 40th birthday, the “Stairway to Heaven” is showing its age. Staircase Park, now managed by the Town of Carbondale, has closed indefinitely due to deteriorating stair stringers — the angled structural beams that support the staircase — as well as erosion beneath portions of the concrete landing.
According to Carbondale Parks and Rec Director Eric Brendlinger, the Town is currently consulting carpenters and concrete contractors to determine whether a temporary repair can safely reopen access to the park.
“This would regain access to the park while we design and budget a more sustainable access to the park,” Brendlinger said. “For now, though, the park is closed due to this issue.”
Brendlinger said that the Town has surprisingly little historical documentation
about the park itself. Neither the Town’s 2003 nor 2015 parks master plans mention when the staircase was built or why the park was originally developed.
That informal origin story tracks with Ware’s memory of the project.
“There was no master plan,” he said with a laugh. “As I recall, I kinda had to manipulate the budget a little bit to get the wood.”
Back in the late 1980s, before homes filled in the surrounding neighborhood, Ware said the area was little more than an overgrown riverside field with a rough footpath leading down to the water.
“It was really gnarly down there,” he recalled. “We cleaned it up a little bit. We had a couple fire rings down there. The kids would come down and fish. I’d go over there and eat my lunch.”
A carpenter by trade, before becoming public works director, Ware said building the staircase became a passion project.
“I love building stairs,” he said. “There’s a little bit of math and science to building the right kind of stairs, so that interested me.”
The original structure was built primarily from large timber, with some concrete work near the base. Ware said public works crews occasionally helped with heavy lifting, but much of the project happened informally, during an era when Carbondale government operated with a distinctly small-town feel.
“It was back in the good old days,” he said. “It was still a small town.”
Ware remembers the staircase becoming locally iconic almost immediately. A photograph of Kathie Farrar and her
children descending the stairs even landed on the front page of the Valley Journal on Sept. 24, 1987.
Over the years, the staircase has undergone periodic repairs. Brendlinger said portions of the stairs have been replaced several times over the last decade, but the latest structural issues are more serious.
“A citizen let us know about the present situation where the stringer has rotted out, so [it’s] unable to hold a replacement stair,” he said.
The Town is now exploring longer-term replacement options, including prefabricated metal stairs, concrete or treated wood. Any future rebuild will depend on budget constraints and current building code requirements.
For the dog walkers of the Crystal Village
Bonedale Skatepark receives updates, repairs this week
RAY K. ERKU
Sopris Sun Correspondent
It’s “Skate or Die” for Carbondale’s 17,300-square-foot bevy of bowls, boxes and banks.
Last month, Carbondale Town Council allocated $20,000 for various repairs and updates at North Face Skatepark at 215 Meadowood Drive, or what locals like to call “Bonedale Skatepark.” Grind Customs LLC, a contractor based in Lakewood, has been applying the repairs all this past week, with certain sections temporarily closed off to skaters, bladers, bikers and scooter riders.
Carbondale Parks and Recreation Director Eric Brendlinger told The Sopris Sun last week that freeze-thaw is causing sections of the park to expand and chip.
“Some of that older concrete is spalling and starting to show its age,” Brendlinger said of the park, which opened officially in 2003 and saw the addition of a street section in 2011. “Especially around the coping, around the deeper pools and deeper bowls.”
Brendlinger said Matt Laber, owner of Grind Customs, uses a special technique to mitigate water leakage issues on vertical concrete.
“Matt is an ‘old school’ skater and has been repairing and building skateparks for many years,” Brendlinger said. “The original skatepark was built in 2003 so needs some ongoing maintenance.”
The park’s terrain is highly revered among the worldwide
It’s definitely my favorite park in this valley that I’ve been to ... I think it’s really nice that I have this super cool local park with a giant bowl.
-Zeb Burger
skate community — specifically when it comes to its huge snake run, which is a concrete ditch flanked by vert ramps, and 18-foot full pipe. In 2004, Thrasher Magazine, skateboarding’s premier publication, hosted the first ever Carbondale Run. The contest attracted the best, most iconic professional
skateboarders, including Eric Koston, Ryan Sheckler, Daewon Song and many more.
Meanwhile, skateboarding street legend Natas Kaupas has been known to hold a demo or three for Bonedalians at this concrete heaven in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Carving out the same lines of these pros in between swift rain showers on Sunday afternoon was 12-year-old local Zeb Burger, who’s been ripping the skatepark on her scooter for about three years.
“It’s definitely my favorite park in this valley that I’ve been to,” she said. “I think it’s really nice that I have this super cool local park with a giant bowl.”
The Sopris Sun also asked Burger if the skatepark updates are a good thing.
“I think, probably,” she said. “Because you’ll have more tourists and definitely have a better community.”
The Carbondale skatepark, originally designed and constructed by Grindline Skateparks, is one of nine skateparks from Aspen to Parachute. The majority are made from concrete.
neighborhood, it’s been disappointing to lose a favorite local route. But for now, park users are respecting the closure, which is marked with caution tape and an orangeand-white striped barricade.
“I think this park functions well as a neighborhood park and is a quiet gem for those that know it and use it,” Brendlinger said.
For longtime residents like Ware, the staircase represents a particular era in Carbondale history — one shaped less by formal planning documents and more by local knowledge, volunteer spirit and scrappy initiative.
“I might come by and check it out during Mountain Fair,” Ware said. “I don’t care if it’s open — they can’t kick me out of there.”
Here are the specific fixes happening at the Carbondale skatepark, according to city documents.
• Skatepark surface patching. This includes mobilization; cutting and patching two coping problems on the deck; cutting and patching puddle area at the park extension area; Adrex surface patching around the bowl and deck areas.
• Repaint steel coping. This includes prepping and repainting 925 linear feet of coping black.
Greg Trout and Larry Pacheco working on the “Stairway to Heaven” in 1986, what would later become known as Staircase Park. Valley Journal archival photo
Zeb Burger, 12, rips the bowl at Carbondale’s skatepark on Sunday, May 17. Photo by Ray K. Erku
MYKI JONES
Arts Correspondent
Women’s VOICES Project returns
On May 22, 23 and 24, the Women’s VOICES Project will grace the stage at Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) with a fresh set of stories told by local women from the community, all with varying theatrical and cultural backgrounds, coming together to share their stories and lived experiences.
This year’s production, titled “When We Dance Again,” is directed by SOL Theatre Company’s Jennifer Austin Hughes and features stories from Indhira Barron, Nina Gabianelli, Monica Muniz, Ashley Stahl, Brittany Welch Crooke and Nuni Zeeni. The storytellers will share themes of motherhood, womanhood, ancestral figures and the world they imagine for next generations.
Hughes said she looks forward to the direction she has taken the project, which references the inaugural Women’s VOICES Project, where she first expressed her desire to direct to Executive and Artistic Director MinTze Wu at curtain call.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for the first Women’s VOICES Project, and my vision for the show has been to return the VOICES Project, to the storytelling,” Hughes said. “The first one I saw was everybody dressed in black with a minimal set, with the stories told. I wanted that to be the vision for a project I would direct, and that is what we’ve created. It’s a simple, quiet, lovely, heartfelt, honest production, and I could not be more proud of or excited for people to see it.”
In discussing the themes present in this production, Hughes wanted to highlight motherhood through multiple lenses, including the performers’ relationship to it, their own desires and
experiences surrounding it, and the experiences of those for whom the traditional lens isn’t fully applicable.
“I wanted to throw out a prevalent theme [with motherhood] but also the journey of what it is, not just to be a mother, but what it is to be a woman,” Hughes said. “And the expectations on women to have children, how we’re treated in not being
a mother, or how and when we became mothers, what made us feel like mothers or what our relationship was with our mothers. All of those things are very much what it is to be a woman.”
The show includes poetry by Barron, guided meditation from Muniz, a spokenword narrative performance about motherhood through the transgender lens from Stahl, mixed media and storytelling from Gabianelli about the time she spent with her mother as she neared the end of her life, puppetry from Crooke and a spoken piece from Zeeni honoring the women in her ancestral line.
Members of the cast expressed their nerve and excitement for the show.
“I was approached by MinTze and Jennifer for this project and was encouraged to tell the story of the time that I spent with my mom at the end of her life,” Gabianelli said. “For me, it was the most joyful, extraordinary experience, and that’s what I’m sharing. I’m not sharing the difficulty or the hardship, I want to share the joy, happiness, love and the opportunity that opened up in my heart for our relationship.”
On the topic of queerness and womanhood, Stahl hopes to convey that love is a constant force in her life, evident in her work for the queer community, her own journey into motherhood and the way her lived experience as a trans woman mirrors that of her cisgender castmates.
“I’ll be explaining how my journey to womanhood is parallel in the experiences of all the women around me,” Stahl said.
Your chance to see ‘This Is Spinal Tap’
Three musicians sit in a garden, faces solemn because they are being filmed and are explaining how their drummers keep mysteriously dying. One drummer expired in “a bizarre gardening accident,” and that’s all that is said.
Of the subsequent drummer, as Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) says, with some delicacy, “The official explanation was, he choked on vomit.”
Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) adds, “It was actually someone else’s vomit.”
The three talk over each other, with Derek saying, “Well, they can’t prove whose vomit it was.”
David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) puts in that Scotland Yard couldn’t check for prints, and Nigel declares, “You can’t really dust for vomit.”
Please. Who thinks of that? The crew of “This Is Spinal Tap,” the 1984 spoof “rockumentary” that was Rob Reiner’s directorial debut, must have had fun. Beloved by some but at first no commercial success, the endlessly comedic film eventually washed into wider consciousness, popularizing phrases such as “These go to 11” (about amplifier volume, but applicable otherwise).
This is your chance for a repeat or first-time viewing of a cult classic. “This Is Spinal Tap” is coming to the Crystal Theatre on May 28, as a benefit for KDNK.
Megan Passmore, station director, said via email, “We brainstormed a bunch of [film] ideas, and this one was a crowd
favorite among staff and the events committee.”
Other KDNK showings, usually music-related, have been “The Commitments,” “Twenty Feet from Stardom” and “Pirate Radio.”
The community radio station, in its second year of operation without federal funding, has budgeted to bring in $674,800 in revenues (including from grants, foundation income, donations and memberships) this year, with events accounting for $49,800. Offsite happenings include the Labor of Love auction, bingo, a Dandelion Day beer garden, and, at Mountain Fair, a shift at the Cantina tent, where Carbondale Arts shares weekend tips with local nonprofits. Passmore said KDNK is on pace: “I’m grateful to the community.”
My connection to “Spinal Tap” stretches back to even before it opened. In graduate school in New York, I took a course from Judith Crist, a well-known and acerbic critic of the time (but when she loved movies, she really loved them), who got our class into an advance screening. With a dawning realization that the film was a parody, my student friends and I felt as if we had discovered it. (Some early viewers thought it was real.)
Similarly, my friend Virginia Vitzthum, who saw it in Maryland with friends from her college radio station, said, “We couldn’t believe this movie existed. It felt like it was made for us.”
“This Is Spinal Tap” mocks the vanities and excesses of rock bands, specifically
“And what I learned from them, and from my own journey to motherhood, and to ultimately the common theme in the web that connects it all is love,” Stahl said.
In discussing what the cast and crew hope audiences gain from the experience of seeing this production, Stahl said it has been special for her, as a member of the cast, to be let into these stories. She hopes audiences can appreciate them.
“The best part has been hearing all the other stories, getting to know these people through what they’ve shared and highlights from their lives and experiences,” she said. “It’s always special when someone opens up and lets you into things that are so deeply personal, so I never take that for granted, and I hope the audience also gets that opportunity to really appreciate all these women letting the world into their innermost lives.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Barron, who hopes that audiences will see the themes of motherhood and find deeper appreciation for the elders in their lives.
“I hope they find the space to realize that life is short,” Barron said. “And even if we don’t intend to, we often don’t really get to know the person who gave us the opportunity to be in this life [our mothers]. We discuss the beginning and the end of life, and I hope they leave [with] something that encourages them to rethink on the things in their lives and relationships.”
For tickets to the show at 7pm on May 22 and 23 or 2:30pm on May 24, visit voicesrfv.org
(purportedly) the British metal group Spinal Tap, through ups and downs and a calamitous tour in America. The film also takes on the genre of adulatory rock documentaries: Reiner appears throughout as a filmmaker, Martin Di Bergi, loosely based on Martin Scorsese, who put himself into “The Last Waltz” (1978).
When Scorsese first saw “Spinal Tap,” Reiner said in a 2022 British Film Institute interview, “he was a little upset I was making fun of him, but now, over the years … he’s come to love it.”
Having guessed the film was much ad-libbed, I’ve found it was entirely so.
“There was no script and so it was all improvised … we had an outline with a very loose arc to the whole thing,” Reiner said in a filmed Emmy TV Legends interview in 2011. Christopher Guest and Michael McKean originated the rock-star characters in 1978, in a three-minute scene on a satirical television show produced by Reiner. They built on the characters (including at parties) for years.
Vitzthum, who went on to become a critic for salon.com, said “I’ve seen ‘Spinal Tap’ at least 10 times, and new jokes are always revealed.”
Chris Kalous of Carbondale named his hugely (I almost said enormously) popular climbing podcast The Enormocast after a ‘Spinal Tap’ joke, when the band members hear that rival rockers are playing the sold-out “Enormodome.”
For some time Kalous referred to his and
his wife, Steph Bergner’s, infant son as the Enormobaby, although these days young Miles is probably not called the Enormothirdgrader.
And oh, the cameo goldmine. Billy Crystal and Dana Carvey are mimes; Anjelica Huston designs an imitation Stonehenge; and Paul Shaffer, Fran Drescher and Patrick Macnee appear.
Today my nostalgia is suffused with sorrow, following Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner’s, violent and heartbreaking deaths. Rob’s other films include “Stand by Me” (1986), “The Princess Bride” (1987), “When Harry Met Sally” (1989), “Misery” (1990), and “A Few Good Men” (1992), but I immediately mourned him for “This Is Spinal Tap.”
“I also thought of ‘Spinal Tap’ first when I heard the horrifying, sad news,” Vitzthum said. “It was my Rob Reiner movie.”
Storytellers Nuni Zeeni (left) and Indhira Barron, photo by Margarita Alvarez
ALISON OSIUS Musical Review
“This Is Spinal Tap” will screen at the Crystal Theatre on May 28 at 7pm. Tickets at kdnk. org. Still courtesy of Fathom Entertainment
WILDFIRE MITIGATION
simulations depicting evacuation rates depending on factors such as fire direction and speed, smoke, traffic flow and factors causing delays. After an audience member mentioned that the prevailing wind in the area was from the west, rendering the exit highway unusable, Dr. Mahmoud showed what the analysis has identified as optimal areas to shelter in place. (It was reiterated later that evacuation and sheltering planning were still underway and would not be ready until the fall.)
Dr. Mahmoud concluded his presentation by taking questions from the audience that included asking about using buses for evacuation (not yet addressed), setting up an evacuation drill (possibly to come), and how notification is performed (answered by Chief Goodwin).
Tim Pinnow, chief executive officer of the nonprofit West Regional Wildfire Council, then discussed more specific
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and temperatures than industrial roller mills, they yield flour with significantly more natural oil, germ and bran, along with higher nutrient contents and flavor. And, according to Trumbull, the local and sustainable production helps protect consumers and land alike from ill effects of industrial pesticides.
“I wish people knew what they’re ingesting when they eat conventional grains that are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides,” he said to Colorado Grain Chain. “It doesn’t all wash off, so traces are left in the food and that’s part of what leads to gluten sensitivity.”
A common chemical in U.S. industrial agriculture, glyphosate, has been labeled as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer since 2015. While the Department of Agriculture and other government entities have disputed that classification, the chemical is banned or restricted in most of the European Union, most of Canada and many
OBITUARY
Daniel Floyd Stromme
August 26, 1955March 12, 2026
wildfire-mitigation strategies. His organization offers free site visits to property owners to assess mitigation steps and helps owners engage companies to do that work, which can make them eligible for a Wildfire Ready Home Certificate of Completion. “This certificate,” Pinnow said, “meets [the state mitigation] code and says that insurance companies have to take it into account … in terms of renewal and cost.”
All of the morning’s presenters kept emphasizing the importance of mitigation, which was echoed by Pinnow when he said, “If you take nothing else away from today, understand that if you mitigate, you reduce the chance of structural ignition tremendously.”
More information on wildfire prevention and mitigation can be found at carbondalefire.org/wildfire-prevention and cowildfire.org
Central and South American and Asian countries.
Trumbull also emphasized that regenerative agriculture practices help protect ecosystems, as heritage and ancient regionally-based grains benefit areas where they have historically grown. These strains often populate deeper roots, which improve soil quality and can conserve water even during drought conditions.
“We need to continue to show that producing climate resilient crops has a strong economic viability,” Trumbull explained. “As we have less and less access to water, we can either choose or be forced to adapt our growing practices. We want the conversation to continue about water intensive crops versus climate resilient options that may have a stronger economic impact on local farms in the long term.”
You can learn more about Roaring Fork Mill at roaringforkmill.com
Daniel Floyd Stromme of Carbondale, Colorado passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026. He was born Aug. 26, 1955 in Devils Lake, North Dakota. Dearest Cowboy, It’s hard to believe you left us so soon, but we know you lived your life to the fullest. We know you’re off riding your horses, Cheyenne and Rio, in the high country or around Avalanche Lake. Though our hearts are heavy, we are forever grateful for the time we had with you. Your infectious laugh and warmth you brought into our lives will never be forgotten. Thank you for every memory. We will carry you in our hearts forever. Rest peacefully.
A celebration of life to be held at the Black Nugget in Carbondale on May 30 at 2pm.
‘Showing up is half the battle’
BIANCA GODINA Sol del Valle
Long-time valley residents
Danny Feria and Edgar Garcia Veleta recently completed the Colfax Marathon in Denver, marking a milestone in both their running journeys and longtime friendship.
The two had hoped to run a marathon together for more than a year after previously preparing for a race in Hawaii. Finishing the Colfax Marathon became a testament to their perseverance, discipline and commitment to reaching the finish line together.
Organized by the Colfax Marathon Partnership, the event is considered the “largest marathon weekend in the Rocky Mountains,” according to their website, drawing more than 25,000 runners of all ages and experience levels to the 26.2-mile run.
Feria, who grew up on the border of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, has lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for about 23 years. Garcia Veleta, originally from Durango, Mexico, has also lived in the valley for more than two decades. The two met in middle school and have remained close friends for over 20 years.
For Feria, the race marked his first marathon experience.
“It was fun, tough and difficult, but there was a lot of great community support,” Feria said.
“The people in the neighborhoods we ran through showed a lot of support.”
Garcia Veleta, who completed his seventh marathon, described the race as both challenging and rewarding.
“It’s always nerve-racking,” he said. “It’s difficult and challenging, but the process is cool, especially being cheered on by spectators.”
Running became an important personal goal for both friends during adulthood. Feria began running during the pandemic while searching for a new hobby, while Garcia Veleta found
himself drawn to the sport during a period of unemployment.
“I had a lot of extra time, and it spiraled into what it is today,” Garcia Veleta said.
Both runners agree there is no perfect age or moment to start running.
“Showing up is half the battle,” Garcia Veleta said. “It’s about maintaining consistency, showing up and surrounding yourself with people who share the same goals.”
Feria echoed that message.
“It’s about taking one step
at a time and believing in yourself,” he said. “Keep pushing yourself to new limits. You’ll be surprised by how much you can accomplish.”
The friends maintained a friendly competition throughout the marathon, with Feria ultimately finishing just one second ahead of Garcia Veleta. Feria crossed the finish line at 5 hours, 54 minutes and 51 seconds, placing 2,756th out of 2,936 runners, while Garcia Veleta finished immediately behind him in 2,757th place.
“I thought he was more affected by the race than he showed,” Garcia Veleta shared. “He mentioned having cramps, and I could see the physical strain. I was surprised by the speed at the end. I didn’t have enough time to catch up.”
Feria laughed as he reflected on the sprint to the finish line.
“I surprised myself because I was physically exhausted,” he said. “We were walking, and then we decided to run the last two miles. We agreed to sprint at the end. I felt like I was going to puke crossing the finish line.”
Both friends credit consistency and companionship for helping them prepare for the race.
“When I started running, I could barely run a mile,” Feria said. “I just focused on trying. Then I could run 13, then 20, and so on.”
Garcia Veleta aims to run at least 100 miles each month. He plans to participate in another running event in Aspen this July and hopes to compete in the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon in November.
For Feria, completing the marathon represented a personal milestone after dealing with health issues last year that prevented the pair from participating together in Hawaii.
“I’m crossing my fingers that this wasn’t just a one-off,” Feria said. “I think we’ll run another marathon together again. Right now, I just want to get back to enjoying running.”
Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in
Danny Feria (left) and Edgar Garcia Veleta after crossing the finish line of the 26.2-mile race. Photo by Ingrid Zuniga
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
TRUTH
By Nancy Bo Flood Memorial Day 2025
This Memorial Day is especially meaningful as I reflect on the many people in my family, in our country, through many generations, who have given years of their lives to protect democracy and freedom for us. How can their contributions be minimized, even erased from history?
I am deeply disturbed and alarmed that Navajo Code Talkers were removed from the military website, as were other marginalized groups, including women. Removal is a silent form of cultural and personal genocide.
How do we learn the truth? We read critically, choosing from many sources and many books, available in public libraries, and then … We reflect, discuss, listen and decide. We make our own decisions about what is true.
Without libraries, without free access to all books, we are kept from the truth. It took researchers, artists, authors and musicians to show the truth about the Japanese internment camps ... the truth about Native American massacres ... the truth about stolen lands, stolen water, stolen children.
Recently, I was asked, “Why do I write for children?” While thinking about this question, I realized that one important reason why I write books for children is to share what I have researched, learned or experienced. Then they choose — what to read, what to think about and decide for themselves what is true.
Memorial Day, a remembrance and a reflection of the cost of the freedom to speak, to read with “liberty and justice for all.”
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
(Left to right) Terri, Dave, Zack and Elizabeth Ritchie enjoyed The Sopris Sun in front of Cascata do Bacalhau on the Island of Flores in the Azores, Portugal on May 15. They took in several sights while on their quest for ancestral heritage on Terri’s side of the family tree.
Courtesy photo
exchange programs and worldwide disease eradication efforts. We cannot thank you
Alan Cole & Daniel Ferguson Carbondale Rotary Club
I glide past standstill Main Street traffic aboard a quiet, all-electric VelociRFTA BRT. It’s reliable. I can count on it to get me home, to work or to the ski mountain any day. It’s efficient. I save money, time and stress as I read, work or rest along the way.
From my seat, I notice something else advertised as “reliable” and “efficient”: natural gas, in a Black Hills Energy ad. I ignore the irony of an ad for an explosive gas placed beside an ad for Roaring Fork Fire Rescue and ask myself: Is natural gas both reliable
Let’s start with efficiency. Natural gas is most often used for heating our homes and water, typically using boilers. The best modern boilers reach about 98% efficiency, meaning 98% of the gas burned becomes usable heat. That sounds impressive, until you compare it to alternatives. Today’s most efficient heating technologies, heat pumps, can be 200–500% efficient. Rather than generating heat, they move it, drawing warmth from the air or ground. After some quick mental math (200 is bigger than 98), I can see that the least efficient electric heat pump is more efficient than the best gas
Reliability is more nuanced. The American Gas Association (very pro natural gas organization) notes that gas outages are relatively rare compared to electric outages. At face value, that sounds reassuring. But it overlooks an important reality: gas heating systems rely on electricity to run fans, pumps and controls. When the electricity goes out, gas systems stop working too. Electric systems, by contrast, do not depend on gas. In that sense, electric systems are inherently less vulnerable to cascading failures, and therefore more reliable.
This is just a brief look at the claims of this advertisement. There could be many situations where gas is a decent option, but at a basic level, the comparison is clear: electric systems are both more efficient and more reliable. As our valley moves toward a cleaner future, we should prioritize energy that is not just marketed as reliable and efficient, but that actually is.
Baker Casagrande
Carbondale
Thank you, Sprazzo
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Chester White and the entire Sprazzo team for graciously hosting our recent community mixer and campaign update for the Carbondale Clay Center.
The evening provided a warm and welcoming space for friends, neighbors, supporters and community members to come together to share in the vision for the Clay Center’s new campus and to celebrate the growing momentum of our capital campaign as we work toward a Spring 2027 groundbreaking.
Events like this remind us how fortunate we are to live in a community where local businesses and community leaders so generously invest not only in commerce but also in connection, creativity and the future of the Roaring Fork Valley.
Chester White’s generosity, hospitality
and ongoing commitment to our community continues to make a meaningful and lasting impact throughout Carbondale and beyond. His kindness and goodwill reflect the very spirit that makes this valley such a special place to call home.
We sincerely thank Chester and the wonderful Sprazzo team for graciously opening their doors, warmly welcoming our community and generously supporting the Carbondale Clay Center’s bright vision for the future.
Angela Bruno & Lori Dresner
Carbondale Clay Center
Poop pick-up
While most dog owners are responsible and clean up after their pets, there are others who lack such responsibility, etiquette and consideration for others. Town and RFTA generously provide poop bag dispensers and receptacles in so many locations. Come on, folks! Pick up your dog’s poop and deposit it in an appropriate public container. Your decency would be appreciated.
Laurie Loeb
Carbondale
Re: Ps&Qs
Jeannie Perry, you’ve managed to write several paragraphs without landing on a single coherent point, which is impressive in its own way. You bounce from AI philosophy to alien rescue fantasies to Cold War fan fiction like a Roomba with a dying battery. If you’re trying to warn humanity, maybe start by warning yourself about the dangers of posting before your thoughts finish buffering.
You talk about “entrusting the planet to AI,” while ignoring the fact that humans — not algorithms — are the ones who’ve been screwing things up for centuries. AI didn’t start wars, topple governments or lose nuclear material. People did. And if you’re going to accuse an entire administration of being “the short bus lost on a field trip,” maybe check your own map first, because your argument wandered off a cliff three paragraphs ago.
Then you pivot into some conspiracy-theory improv about murdered generals, Putin as Dr. Evil and Trump as Number 2. If you’re going to write political commentary, at least pick a lane: satire, thriller or rant. Right now you’re doing all three badly. You claim Trump is some kind of chaotic pawn destroying the country, but conveniently ignore the actual record: Middle East normalization efforts, border enforcement, pressure on drug cartels, counter-Iran operations and attempts to rein in inflation, reduce antisemitism in our country. You don’t have to like him — plenty don’t — but pretending he’s a cartoon villain while your preferred leaders sleepwalk through crises isn’t analysis. It’s coping. By the way: Where’s Jackie? Google that one.
And your big finale? “AI will roll the credits.” Cute line, but here’s the reality: AI isn’t stealing nuclear weapons, Putin isn’t living in an ‘80s movie and your entire argument reads like someone fed a blender equal parts Reddit, late-night cable news and expired NyQuil.
If you want to critique Trump, fine. But at least do it with facts, not fever dreams. Because right now, the only thing “missing” in this whole story is your logic.
Pete Small Carbondale
PARTING
Roaring Fork High School students saw their artwork on display at the school’s Art and Woodworking Show on Tuesday, May 19. Clockwise from left: Senior Eduardo poses with his ceramic art; senior Yakelin Nunez-Hernandez shows off her work; senior Nate Barnato (left), sophomore Axel Anderson (center) and sophomore Bryson Fink showcase their woodworking. Photos by Bob Rugile
3 RS from page 12
and accessibility into school implementation guide,” Cole’s presentation states
• Continuing to support leaders and health educators with communications
• Leveraging the “ParentSquare” app, an application RFSD uses to connect schools and families, to strengthen communications in the 2026/27 school year
• Discussing any key revisions to the district’s sexual education implementation guide, aligning on communications best practices with school leaders in September 2026.
RFSD Board Member Jasmin Ramirez asked Cole if sexual education opt-out options could be better presented to district family members.
“There are areas where we can do more and do better,” Cole said. “I think this year’s concerns and questions from our community indicated that we needed to tighten that process.”
But, RFSD can revisit the regulation next school year to address further updates.
“I appreciate the thoughtfulness in your FAQs – I think it’s helpful. I think this is something that we need to review and come back to,” Board Member Jasmin Ramirez said. “This is going to be something that I think, as the board continues to shift and change, we’ll have different perspectives and conversations and I think as a community we should welcome that, and as a district should welcome that.”
Learn more about Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education at cdphe. colorado.gov/CHSE
Amy Krakow (left) and Kate Bradley (right) of Carbondale visiting their clan — Marlene and Ben Conway — in Scotland. Of course, they didn’t forget to bring a copy of The Sun!
Courtesy
photo
LEGAL NOTICE
TOWN OF CARBONDALE 511 Colorado Avenue Carbondale, CO 81623 www carbondalegov org (970 963-2733Fax: (970) 963-9140
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Board of Trustees for the purpose of considering a Major Site Plan review and two Alternative Compliance requests for the construction of a mixed-use commercial and residential building at 242-256 Main Street.
Project Description: The combined application includes the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new building with both commercial and residential units. Two alternative compliances are requested to reduce the ground-floor ceiling height from the 14-foot code requirement to 12 feet and to increase the building height from 35 feet to 42 feet for staircase and elevator overrides.
Property Location: 242-256 Main Street (Lots 6-8, Block 9, Carbondale Original Town Site)
Applicant: Forum Phi
Owner: 242-256 Mains St LLC
Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 6:00 p.m. on June 9th, 2026.
Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday The application may also be viewed on the Town’s website at: https://www carbondalegov org/departments/planning/current land use applications php
If you would like to submit comments regarding this application you may send them via email to jbarnes@carbondaleco.net by 5:00 pm on June 9th, 2026.
If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Jared Barnes, Planning Director at 970-510-1208.
Published in The Sopris Sun on May 20, 2026
RESORT CHAMBER PASS
OFFERINGS DEADLINE: MAY 31
Carbondale Tourism Community Impact Grant Program
Apply today for projects that support events, enhance visitor experience, and mitigate the environmental and social impacts of tourism
Application Window Closes June 15
Grant Categories
Destination Stewardship
Event Production
Visitor-Facing Marketing
Applicants
