06112026 Issuu

Getting high

Renee DeBruhl lent a hand to fellow arborist Sam the Tree Man of Resolute Arbor Works by harnessing in and climbing a tall silver maple to give it some pruning love at a property on the corner of Euclid and Weant in Carbondale on Wednesday, May 27.

Photo by Jane Bachrach

Indivisible-ish

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

This is the pledge we learned in the 1940s, on our first day of kindergarten. The principal’s voice came over the loudspeaker; we were told to stand, place our hands over our hearts, and recite the pledge with him. It was the opening ritual for all NYC school children. We didn’t know what it meant, but we knew it mattered.

On weekly assembly days, we wore dark bottoms with white tops and red ties. For boys, it was a special honor to be chosen as a color guard, carrying or accompanying the flag to the front of the hall. We loved how the pledge ended: “One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” It echoed our families’ values: “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” Decades later, we’re still thinking about the pledge, and especially about how it was changed.

OPINION

the South, much less the equally ubiquitous unwritten signs saying the very same thing in many of our northern neighborhoods. Symbols matter. The Statue of Liberty, for example, symbolizes our love for freedom. Sadly, the flag and the history of our pledge to it continue to divide us. Desecrating the American flag has been a form of anti-government protest that so many Americans find extremely objectionable. In a 1989 speech, Supreme Court justice and conservative champion Anton Scalia said, “If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffybearded weirdo who burns the American flag. But I am not king.”

MATURE CONTENT

That change happened in 1954, when, in reaction to the threat of “Godless Communism,” President Eisenhower signed a bill inserting the words “under God” between “one nation” and “indivisible.” We stumbled, trying to insert the new words. Good people who didn’t believe in God had been divided out.

By Ron Kokish & Niki Delson

At the time, many people felt the insertion was a good way to assert the moral superiority of U.S. freedom over godless Soviet communism. But others felt it separated us, because now we were pledging loyalty to a flag that represented only believers. This debate over two words reminded us that national unity has always been more complicated than our childhood ceremonies suggested. Nearly three-quarters of a century later, we are still struggling with ways to keep a diverse country united.

In the years that followed, more and more people started refusing to repeat this new pledge and even began desecrating flags at public events. The new language survived legal challenges (though the core question has never come before the Supreme Court), as did the right to refuse to pledge and the right to defile the flag we were taught to love.

National fault lines inherent in the Constitution were always there, of course, but as middle-class white children in northern states, we had not yet seen the prominent “Whites Only” signs so ubiquitous in

LETTERS

CORRECTIONS: Standard Solar is headquartered in Maryland, not Massachusetts, as described in the “State of renewables, part one” article in last week’s paper. Wild Flight’s song “Home is Just a Memory” was incorrectly labeled “Home Assisted Memory” in last week’s article “Wild Flight to see ‘full circle’ performance at Crystal Theatre.”

Art Around Town

On behalf of the Carbondale Public Arts Commission (CPAC), we want to say a huge thank you to this community. The turnout and enthusiasm for this year’s Art Around Town was nothing short of incredible, and it is a true testament to how much Carbondale loves and values its art.

This annual event unveils the new rotating sculptures installed throughout town, and watching the community show up to celebrate the artists and their work never gets old. Nights like this remind us exactly why we do what we do.

None of it would be possible without the generosity of our sponsors. A heartfelt thank you to Connie and Carey at Marble Distilling for hosting the artists reception, and to Rebekah’s Lodge for their continued support. You make this event what it is.

We also want to take a moment to recognize longtime CPAC member Kris Elice, whose final Art Around Town this was. Kris

We all view patriotism through the lens of our childhood and our personal experiences. As a rule, military families are not likely to feel about parades and other demonstrations of nationalism the same way recent immigrant families do.

For us, the government is always suspect, and nationalistic parades, we fear, might be a precursor to harm. Many parents raise their children to respect and be loyal to their government unequivocally. We were taught to always question it. But we were also taught that in the United States, it’s always safe to express views that differ from the government’s.

Why write about this now? Because in 1916, President Wilson proclaimed June 14 “Flag Day” to honor our flag as a symbol of national unity and values, and, given the current climate in this country, this seems an especially appropriate year to observe it.

In keeping with that intention, Age-Friendly Carbondale, in partnership with the Town of Carbondale and its Public Arts Commission, is honoring the history and symbolism of the United States flag, along with celebrating our town’s diversity and unity. We asked residents to tell us where they or their families came from. Then we created a display of the U.S. and Colorado flags, along with state and international flags, standing for the many places Carbondale residents and their families have called home.

From June 13 to 22, this display will grace the Rio Grande Trail where it meets the promenade to Town Center, the flags telling a simple story: A community isn’t made indivisible by pretending we are all the same, but by choosing to stand together despite our differences.

Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale.

gave many years of dedicated service to this committee, and her insight and passion have left a lasting mark on this event and this community. She will be deeply missed.

For a list of participating artists and sculptures, visit tinyurl.com/ArtAroundTown or the CPAC page on the Town’s website.

Michelle Shaver, CPAC Chair

Lesia Rehl, CPAC Vice Chair

Highway 82

Highway 82 doesn’t care about county lines.

For everyone living on this side of Independence Pass, this road is our shared lifeblood — and, increasingly, our shared bottleneck. Yet for years, Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties have evaluated growth and development in isolated silos, completely ignoring the cumulative traffic gridlock crushing our valley. A new subdivision or commercial project approved in one jurisdiction directly impacts the commuter stuck in traffic two counties over. We are rapidly approaching a fundamental crisis of carrying capacity, and it’s time to ask our local leaders and state planners a couple of hard questions: When is enough, enough? What can be done about this?

We desperately need a coordinated,

region-wide discussion about how much more volume Highway 82 can realistically handle before our economy stalls and public safety is severely compromised. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will not likely address this big-picture crisis unless the community forces the issue. That is why an upcoming meeting with CDOT Region 3 leadership is so critical for all valley residents, regardless of where they happen to pay property taxes.

On Monday, June 15, from 8 to 10am, top CDOT officials — including the regional transportation director and heads of Garfield County engineering, traffic and environmental planning — will meet with the Garfield County Commissioners at 108 8th Street in Glenwood Springs. While Garfield County is hosting, the infrastructure issues on the table affect everyone from Aspen to Glenwood Springs. Time for public questions will be tight due to a packed agenda, but a packed room of concerned citizens speaks volumes. We need residents from all three counties, especially Pitkin and Eagle, to show up, stand together and demand a regional solution to a regional problem. If you are tired of the endless bumper-to-bumper commute, please plan to be there.

Susan Sullivan Carbondale

continued on page 26

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SCUTTLEBUTT

RFSD changes

OUR UNDERWRITERS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS!

Jonathan Delk was appointed on June 4 to the Roaring Fork School District Board of Education, representing District B. “In this appointment, we were looking for someone who already understands the work of a Board and is ready to dive into the critical issues such as budgets, policy governance, declining enrollments and focus on the wellbeing of students.” RFSD Board President Lindsay Defrates said in a press release. Delk will take the place of Betsy After, who resigned in April to support her son as he recovers from a ski accident. In addition, Alida Haslett will take the helm as Bridges High School’s principal this coming school year, bringing with her 12 years of experience as an educator in the Roaring Fork Valley. She most recently served as the Dean of the Rebound Program at Yampah Mountain High School.

Book award

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Aspen authors Carolyn Golbus and Gary Gleason saw recognition for their book, “Meeting Your Magnificence: 111 Ways to Live from Your Higher Self,” which won the Nautilus Award in the Gift & Specialty Books category. “This recognition comes from a truly outstanding and competitive field of submissions from around the world. Your work stood out for its depth, vision and meaningful contribution, and we are proud to welcome you into the Nautilus family of award-winning authors,” the award organizers wrote.

EV training

Colorado Mountain College (CMC) and ZEV TECH Consulting (ZTC) are currently offering an EV Technician Training program this summer, with 12 spots still available during the five-week period (starting June 8) in which the fiveday courses are taught. “By training local technicians to diagnose these vehicles, fleets can collaborate more effectively with [Original Equipment Manufacturers] to expedite repairs, while simultaneously building a reliable service network that provides peace of mind for EV drivers traveling the I-70 corridor,” ZTC Technical Director Tom Pacheco said. The program runs from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday at CMC’s Automotive Technology Center in Glenwood Springs. One five-day class costs $3,750. For more information or to register, reach out to zevtechconsulting@gmail.com

expected to continue until July 24. On June 4,

began replacing the old bridge decking with steel decking, a process the county expects to continue until Friday, June 12. “The pedestrian walkway remains open over the CR 108 bridge, though temporary delays may occur to ensure public safety near welding, and active machinery and equipment,” a county press release states. Visit garfieldcountynews.org for more information.

Wildlife collision law

Colorado last month signed the Wildlife Collision Prevention Act into law, increasing funding to construct wildlife crossings across roadways. The law established the “Collision Prevention Fund,” dedicating annual funding for wildlife crossings and the conservation of habitat on each side of the crossings. The Colorado Department of Transportation estimated that the state saw over 7,700 vehicle-animal collisions in 2025, though the number could be higher due to underreporting, according to a Roaring Fork Safe Passages press release.

Vaudeville auditions

The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue invites you to be a star! The venue on Grand Ave is holding auditions for actors who’d like to take the stage for its summer season, kicking off July 3. Folks interested in auditioning can email reservations@gvrshow.com

River report

Rivers in the Roaring Fork Watershed are flowing well below average, 21-62%

of normal, according to Roaring Fork Conservancy’s (RFC) June 4 river report. There is no snowpack to measure at the nine regional SNOTEL sites, the report continued, and “stream flows are beginning to decrease at a time of year when they’re typically rising towards peak.” Beginning June 4, RFC will include weekly highwater temperature readings in its reports from gauges on the Roaring Fork River at Emma and Glenwood Springs, which were at 59.4 degrees Fahrenheit and 60.6, respectively, at the time of the report.

They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Molly Briggs (June 11); Sophie Catto, Emmy Lerma, Ben Meckley, Lorraine Morrison and Jonathan Waterman (June 12); Riley Ames (June 13); Britney White (June 14); Jade Bath, Lynni Hutton, Eric Lamb and Eileen Waski (June 15); Todd Chamberlin, Garrett Edquist and Vince Simonetti (June 16); Annie Flynn and Amber McMahill (June 17).

RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive families, including a “Paws for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount for your new pet.

C.A.R.E. currently has 9 dogs and 25 cats up for adoption! RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive families, including a “Paws for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount for your new pet. Axel is 110 pounds of love! He is very social with people of all ages and is a sweet, high energy guy. He loves fetch and bounding around with his toys and other dogs that are into his type of play. He’s got the basics down, and is a pro at stuff like sit, shake, and being potty trained. If you’re looking for a big, goofy guy then give C.A.R.E. a call to meet Axel today!

Fresh annuals, perennials, veggies and herbs are arriving weekly and trees and shrubs are fully stocked. We have a variety of soils, mulch, amendments, fertilizers, pest control supplies and more for all of your gardening needs!

saturday may 2nd 10am-2pm

Garfield County announced last week that repairs on the Thompson Creek Road bridge, spanning the Crystal River just northwest of Carbondale, are

crews

Courtesy photo

Minimal traffic delays expected for El Jebel intersection construction, official says

RAY K. ERKU Sopris Sun Correspondent

Minimal delays are expected from an effort to eventually change two roads directly south of the El Jebel intersection.

Construction began April 1 on a nearly $4.52 million project, which is funded by Eagle County and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA), that will relocate Valley Road around the west and south sides of the existing RFTA parking lot. Sopris Village Drive will then be reconfigured, according to Eagle County.

The parking lot itself, set to be expanded to the north, will also include 15 new spots reserved for electric vehicle charging, Eagle County Senior Engineer Rickie Davies recently told The Sopris Sun.

Davies said that a new access drive being built between the RFTA parking lot and the old

MovieLand 7 movie theater will create an egress point to Valley Road for Sopris Village. The nearby subdivision consists of 177 single-family homes built from 1975-1979, according to its homeowners’ association.

As of Sunday, Glenwood Springs-based contractor Gould Construction had a small portion of curbs at the access road at the east end of the RFTA parking lot filled with concrete. The road base currently consists of dirt.

“There will always be two accesses out of the subdivision,”

Davies said.

Davies said the remainder of Sopris Village Drive toward the west will close once the access road is complete. Eagle County is encouraging motorists to use the alternate routes of Valley Road to the north or Willits Lane to East Valley Road to the south to access areas normally accessed through the Highway 82 and El

Jebel Road intersection.

“Valley Road is going around the parking lot and connects to the existing Valley Road,” Davies said. “And then when we do El Jebel Road, that will be closed and the new Valley Road will be the detour.”

The reconfiguration of El Jebel Road will be the last phase of the project, which is slated to fully end Oct. 30, 2026.

“This project will improve safety and operations of the East Valley Road and Highway 82 intersection by giving free-flow access to the existing signal,”

Davies said in a news release.

“This project will protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of and visitors to Eagle County.”

As of last week, impacts to traffic included shoulder work and flaggers in place at Sopris Village Drive, according to Eagle County. Flaggers were also in place for Valley Road utility trenching. Meanwhile, nearby sidewalk access has been partly closed at Valley Road and Sopris Village Drive.

Further project construction is permitted 7 am-7 pm Monday

through Friday. The contractor is also approved to work this coming Saturday, June 13. Eagle County said no work that impacts traffic shall occur on holidays or on Fridays prior to holiday weekends. Saturday and Sunday work will not be allowed without the authorization of Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Eagle County engineer.

For updates or further information about the project at El Jebel intersection, visit eaglecounty.us or call its hotline at 970-328-3567.

Cones sit at what will eventually become a new access drive between Valley Road and Sopris Village Drive on Sunday, June 7. Photo by Ray K. Erku

KATALINA VILLARREAL

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Flag Day, while not an official federal holiday, is an annual celebration of when the American flag was instituted in 1777. This holiday has not been overtly celebrated in our community, until now. Partnering with the Town of Carbondale and the Carbondale Public Arts Commission,

Reclaiming Flag Day

Age-Friendly Carbondale, a nonprofit group dedicated to enriching the community — from town infrastructure to the arts, is organizing an installation on Flag Day: Sunday, June 14.

The installation will consist of the American flag, the Colorado flag and almost 50 other flags in between that represent Carbondale residents.

“We just wanted to do some-

nity. Not everything is divisive,” said Niki Delson, one of the founding members of Age-Friendly Carbondale and the visionary of the Flag Day project. “We received 20 Latino countries, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Germany … This is what the DNA of Carbondale is, not the division that we hear every day on social media.”

That’s right — within

and enrich this town.

“Patriotism is very nuanced. You see patriotism through the lens in which you were raised, and there are beautiful parts of America’s history that are a part of what the flag represents,” Delson stated in conversation about what the original Pledge of Allegiance said and how a lot of people have been fighting for freedom and equity.

The Pledge of Allegiance used to simply say: “One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” That was changed in 1954 to: “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” in an attempt to differentiate the United States from communism during the Cold War.

Delson talked about how the change in the pledge affected her growing up.

“Thinking about the change in the Pledge of Allegiance, how shocking that was to our generation, to say, ‘One nation, under God,’ and now the religious aspect of being patriotic is so blended together, but it wasn’t at all. Patriotism and God were never mentioned together.”

This distinction is significant,

because now patriotism feels exclusive for many Americans who do not agree with the current state of affairs or align with a Christian religion.

However, patriotism is not just for one political side or religion. To many, reclaiming the flag to be inclusive of the mixed identities is powerful and patriotic, because that is what America has always been. This Flag Day celebration is thoughtfully showcasing how the flag can be used to represent a positive and colorful future for America.

“People need a breather from the kind of toxicity that we are living with every day,” Delson said.

The flag installation is not about a political agenda; it is simply about honoring this place and the people that live here.

“We need to reclaim the flag. We should not feel conflicted,” Delson stated. “Some of the values — ‘liberty and justice for all’ — that’s beautiful, we stand behind that. ‘One nation, indivisible,’ we stand behind that.”

Age-Friendly Carbondale is hoping this will become an annual installation.

The flags will be up along the Rio Grande Trail behind Carbondale Rec and Town Hall from June 13 to 22.

Art by Katalina Villarreal

Release of federal funds brings Shoshone Water Rights purchase closer to completion

ANNALISE GRUETER

Sopris Sun Correspondent

On May 22, Colorado 3rd Congressional District Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction, announced the release of $40 million to the Colorado River District (CRD) for the purchase and permanent protection of the Shoshone Water Rights. This funding release marks a milestone in the Colorado River District campaign, which was officially launched in December 2023, when CRD and Xcel Energy finalized a purchase and sale agreement for the water rights tied to hydroelectric power production at the Shoshone Power Plant in Glenwood Canyon.

CRD and a coalition of western Colorado water groups and local governments had been strategizing how to preserve the Shoshone Water Rights for over two decades by the time the agreement was signed. The set price for the purchase is $99 million.

“With the release of the $40 million from the Department of Interior, we have received financial commitments of $97.3 million towards the $99 million purchase price,” CRD told The Sopris Sun in a statement. “A diverse coalition

of 40 different Western Slope entities, including water entities, local governments, as well as state and regional organizations have helped to raise that amount.”

Efforts are ongoing for the final $1.7 million, CRD said.

“Our staff is in touch with other local governments who have expressed interest in helping get this funding across the finish line,” the district said, adding that “momentum behind this effort is strong.”

Finalizing the purchase entails four contingencies specified within the 2023 purchase and sale agreement, funding being one of them. According to CRD, the other three conditions are: “Colorado Water Conservation Board acceptance of our instream flow proposal, completed November 2025; the successful completion of a water court change-of-use case, filed in November 2025; and [Colorado] Public Utility Commission approval of Xcel’s use of funds from the sale.” CRD anticipates that the change-of-use case will require several years to complete.

The $40 million in federal funds were originally awarded through the Inflation Reduction Act at the end of the Biden administration.

CRD said the funds “must be fully contracted by Sept. 30 … We are already working closely with the Bureau of Reclamation to finalize the funding contract by that date.”

CRD also recognized Colorado elected officials for their efforts around this funding.

“The support of our full congressional delegation — and our entire coalition — has been essential in laying the groundwork needed to secure funding at the scale required to address the West’s water challenges,” CRD said. The district specifically recognized Hurd, Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette, and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper for their work on Colorado water rights.

CRD has been working to purchase the Shoshone Water Rights because they “are some of the largest and most senior water rights on the Colorado River,” the district said.

“On the Western Slope, our local agriculture, drinking water, recreation economy and ecosystem health all depend on the historic flows protected by those rights.”

Purchasing and preserving the water rights protects water availability for the Western Slope, according to the organization.

“Adding the ability to exercise these water rights for instream flow purposes ensures that these water rights will not be lost to the Front Range,” the district said, “which would create sweeping negative impacts to the water users both upstream and down — from the headwaters in Grand County all the way down to the border with Utah and beyond. By permanently protecting those flows, we are protecting the river not only for today, but for the next generation.”

“The Shoshone Water Rights Preservation project has been a testament to what a strong coalition can accomplish regardless

of the current climate, political or otherwise,” the district said, adding that “A diverse coalition — representing water users across all sectors, strong rural communities, statewide interests and voices from both sides of the political aisle — can still accomplish incredible things, and we are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received.”

The Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Coalition includes water providers, local governments and regional entities, along with the State of Colorado and a bi-partisan group of elected officials. Learn more at keepshoshoneflowing.org

Growing Care for Our Community

Hanging Lake Dam, pictured here, diverts water out of the Colorado River, which then travels approximately 2.5 miles through the rock of the canyon wall before dropping down the penstocks and spinning two turbines at the Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant. Photo courtesy of the Colorado River District

Bryan Gieszl, MD, FACP Internal Medicine

Mary E. Harris, MD, FAAP Pediatrician

Kelsea Loveless-Hoffman, MD, FAAP Pediatrician

Marble Farms is growing the seeds of change

Something truly remarkable is happening at Marble Farms. Yes, you read that correctly — there is a farm thriving at 8,000 feet in elevation. Despite growing in one of the harshest climates, Marble Farms is brilliantly cultivating the seeds of change with the help of an unexpected tool: a Freight Farm.

“I wish I had my camera to take a picture of everyone who walks in here,” laughed Amy Alexander, lead farmer and farm educator at Jyoti’s Seeds for Change (JSC). While I scrambled to find my words during a recent visit, my four year old exclaimed, “Wow, Mommy! Those do not have soil. I have never seen this before!” Amazed, we looked into the freight to see a self-contained, hydroponic, vertical farm. No soil needed.

Situated on the Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins property in Marble, the farm is a multifaceted project part of the nonprofit JSC. Honoring the legacy of the late Jyoti Ulrych, the farm is a place of learning that addresses food security in Marble’s food desert. A prominent Aspen figure, Ulrych believed in natural farming, caring for the land, food as medicine and access to affordable food.

“She was so passionate about food and connecting communities and she really believed that our land should not get disposed of without feeding the needs of our community,” Alexander said.

Karen Good, Director of JSC and dear friend of Ulrych, has helped shape the nonprofit’s future and is excited to bring the farm project to Marble. As the lodge’s co-owner she contributed the land.

“In the late 1990’s, due to health reasons, the Ulrychs were forced to move from Aspen to a warmer climate,” Good said. “Ultimately, many of their projects moved farther away too, until no projects remained in Colorado or the Roaring Fork Valley — the place they loved most and called home. Long time members of the team and board still live in the area and prioritized a project here.”

Currently under construction, the farm’s campus will include a classroom, space for community events and two

shipping containers, one that grows food and one for an instructional kitchen. Outside, a vibrant food forest is filled with hardy perennials on ancestral Ute lands.

“There are medicinals everywhere that people assume are weeds,” Good said. “We’re hoping this can be an example for people to see that there are plants that grow up here and can feed us.”

The state-of-the-art farm is a fully equipped shipping container that includes a nursery, work station and nutrient center. Moveable walls alternate between housing the plants and LED lights run the container’s length.

As one version of hydroponic farming, this highly-efficient method circulates nutrient-rich water through vertical towers. Alexander explained that seeds are started in a coconut coir and peat-moss grow plug. Once they become seedlings they leave the nursery to grow in uniform columns on the panels. Water then pumps from a tank to drip down the vertical towers. Remaining water is caught in a gutter and recycled back into the tank while algae that forms is collected and composted. The entire system uses

five gallons of water per day.

“We’re reusing the water here inside, and then putting it on the farm outside. If any of our byproducts and produce don’t sell, they can be composted. I see it feeding the natural system as much as we feed the little system in here,” Alexander said. In this controlled environment, the team can mitigate pests, track humidity and pH levels and ensure an ideal temperature to grow year-round. Since starting two months ago, the freight has already produced two harvests. The vegetables, which are organic, non-GMO and pesticide-free, include a variety of greens, some root vegetables and plenty of herbs that can be eaten right off the wall. Impressively, Good said that if they only focused on growing lettuce, one freight can produce 1,000 heads each week for an entire year.

“We looked into a greenhouse, and there really is just no comparison,” Good said. “This can supply the Marble Charter School (MCS) lunch program, greens for the community and if we have extras the plan is to bring it to Lift Up … It is a really prolific food source that could make a big difference to the community.”

My second grader compared the farm to a spaceship, and I like to imagine it can take us to a land where affordable food is in abundance. Already the farm is creating synergetic partnerships within the community to make this dream a reality. Each week the farm will host agricultural programming for MCS’s experiential education curriculum. A complementary relationship with the Paonia Food Movement is also underway, as the weekly á la carte food-delivery box service will begin carrying the farm’s produce to help strengthen local food systems.

“People really need to come and see this; it is unbelievable,” Alexander said. “It’s a ripple effect. You start talking to people and they are so excited. They want to come see us. It’s just starting.”

Marble Farms welcomes all schools and community members interested in touring, volunteering or donating to help educational programming and infrastructure. To contact, email info@jsfcfoundation.org or visit jsfcfoundation.org

Amy Alexander, lead farmer and farm educator at Jyoti’s Seeds for Change (JSC), studies the vertical farming at Marble Farms’ Freight Farm. Photo by DJ Sugar Monkey

JOHN STROUD

Riverview School sends along inaugural class of dual-language students

Sopris Sun Correspondent

An important milestone was reached at Riverview School last week when it bid adieu to its very first class of kindergarteners and sent them off to high school.

For most of this year’s eighth-grade class, the June 2 promotion ceremony was the fruit of nine years of labor as dual-language students at the unique K-8 school, where core academic instruction is given in both English and Spanish throughout each school day.

The school’s founding principal, Adam Volek, got teary eyed when reflecting back on the students he got to know as kinders when the school first opened on the picturesque east bank of the Roaring Fork River in 2017.

They were the class that designed and built a disc golf course on campus, and the first to camp out on the school lawn as part of their end-of-year celebration this spring.

More importantly, though, he said they are as prepared as ever to go on to high school — and beyond — as true bilingual students.

“It is incredibly exciting to see what they have accomplished … They’ve become a family, and they will always be remembered as a special class at Riverview,” Volek said. “This amazing group has created a path forward for all who follow in their footsteps.”

Students like Yoselin Oseguera Zeron, who hopes to someday put her bilingual

skills to use in a professional capacity.

“I think it can help me in being able to translate for other people who maybe are not from here and don’t know English,” said the Glenwood Springs High Schoolbound student.

Same for Kassandra Montanez Palacios, who said she enjoyed her experience at Riverview making friends and soaking in the unique school culture.

“I think the teachers have really helped me prepare for high school,” she said, adding she can also use her bilingual skills to help other people in the community to understand things better.

Student Dylan Swann said his experience

learning two languages at Riverview sets him up to expand his language learning.

“It was hard at first, but it was worth it because I am fluent now,” he said. “I will be starting high school in a pretty high Spanish class, and in the future it will hopefully allow me to get a better job and go further with my career.

“I think it would be cool to learn another language and become trilingual; like Korean maybe,” he said.

Courtney Rangel was a founding kindergarten teacher and former assistant principal at Riverview.

“From the very beginning, it was clear that this group was special,” she shared in

a school district news release before the promotion ceremony. “Seeing them now as confident eighth graders, I am filled with joy knowing that the 5-year-olds I taught nine years ago have grown into such capable, brilliant and bilingual young leaders.”

Suzannah Mikol, who teaches seventh and eighth grade Spanish and English, added, “I have been so impressed by the way these students developed not only their language and critical thinking skills, but also their compassion and open-mindedness.”

Parents were also asked to reflect on their students’ learning experience at Riverview.

“It has been a source of pride to see my son finish strong and to witness the support he received from the school throughout his entire time at Riverview,” Veronica Geronimo said of her son, Aiden Martinez. In particular, she said that the school’s family liaison, Missael Urtiaga, and her son’s teachers consistently kept in touch to address any needs in his schooling.

Lindsey Brooks, mother of student Lois Brooks, shared that her daughter has grown into a “compassionate, bicultural, confident young woman with a deep love and appreciation for both Spanish and English language culture and celebrations.

“The dual language program at Riverview has inspired Lois to become a curious citizen of the world and to seek out additional cultural understanding,” Brooks said, adding that her daughter is also now teaching herself to speak Korean.

Families and staff at the dual-language Riverview School celebrate the school’s inaugural kindergarten class from 2017, when the school opened, and those who joined along the way, during the June 2 eighth-grade continuation ceremony. Photo by John Stroud

AMY HADDEN MARSH

Sopris Sun Correspondent

On Monday, the dais of the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) moved to the Parachute Library for two hours. No public arrived to comment, which is a little out of the ordinary since at least one old-timer usually shows up to commend the commissioners for their stamina and voice a concern or two. Not so Monday.

So the BOCC jumped right into the agenda, approving the consent agenda first. Then, they renewed a contract with CorrHealth LLC to provide medical, mental and ancillary healthcare services to Garfield County Jail inmates for $2,936,119. The CorrHealth contract was signed in 2023 with options for four renewals. This is the third renewal of the agreement.

Approval of a letter of support for a Colorado Department of Transportation planning grant for the Town of Parachute’s transit feasibility study was followed by an executive session about the contract between the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and

New gravel pit near Parachute, BOCC in Carbondale next week

Greyco Customs LLC, an emergency and police vehicle upfitting company in Rifle.

The most recent agreement between Garco and Greyco was a February 2026 contract renewal for $252,000 to upfit the Sheriff Department’s new 2026 vehicles.

The rest of the meeting included a permit hearing for the new Jackrabbit Gravel Pit Quarry on an existing natural gas pad owned by Denver-based QB Energy. The application

- Commissioner Perry Will

states that QB Energy permitted and built a well pad in 2019, but the state drilling permits were abandoned in 2023. That site will be used for 20 years as

a “source for gravel and structural fill” for roads and natural gas pad development.

“That’s it from the dais. After lunch, more from the dais until we conclude from the dais.” It makes great sense to have your own pit up there.

Representatives of the company, which purchased Piceance Basin assets from Caerus Oil and Gas in 2024, said that the pit’s footprint would be no larger than the existing disturbed area, which happens to be in Greater Sage Grouse Priority Habitat Management Area.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife submitted comments,

recommending against human activity in the area between March 1 and July 15, among other wildlife mitigation plans. Operations will be on-demand, according to QB Energy.

The commissioners liked the idea of using gravel from a local site, owned by the company, for use nearby and how it could reduce truck traffic on local roads.

“It makes great sense to have your own pit up there,” said Commissioner Perry Will. The BOCC unanimously approved the permit with a few conditions.

On Tuesday, June 16, the BOCC meets at 6pm with the Town of Carbondale Board of Trustees. Topics include wildfire modeling, energy efficiency and electrification upgrades, senior meals, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s Hogback bus service, County Road 108 bridge progress, water issues and an update from the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo.

You can find all BOCC meetings archived at the Garfield County website, garfieldcountyco.gov/ board-commissioners/meetings

GLENWOOD SPRINGS REPORT

ICE detention followup, new police software, water sale for housing

JOHN STROUD

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Glenwood Springs City Council is being pressured to take legal action to try to enforce an April 28 Planning and Zoning Commission decision revoking a special-use permit for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in West Glenwood.

The revocation was in response to public outcries when evidence revealed through public records requests that the facility had on several occasions exceeded a 12-hour hold limit for detainees, which is contained in a City permit dating back to the mid-2000s.

Glenwood Springs resident Judy Haynes, during the public comments portion of the June 4 regular City Council meeting, challenged City Attorney Karl Hanlon’s reading of the federal supremacy clause, which he says prevents the City from enforcing local zoning codes on federal agencies that operate within their jurisdiction.

Any lawsuit attempting to do so would be quickly dismissed under the supremacy clause, and the City would be liable for any financial claims from the feds for pressing the issue, Hanlon said.

Haynes countered that Hanlon’s interpretation is “misconstrued,” and that the City could go after the landlord that is providing the leased space for the ICE facility at 100 Midland Ave.

“The supremacy clause does not apply to a private landowner … You have a discretionary duty to enforce our zoning and building codes,” she said. “You do have the right to fine the landlord and evict the tenant.”

Hanlon said that’s a misunderstanding of how the law works, and referred council to a recent memo he provided outlining his legal analysis on the matter. He also suggested that council get a

second, outside legal opinion, and that he wouldn’t be offended by that.

The Sopris Sun filed a Colorado Open Records Request to obtain a copy of Hanlon’s memo, but was denied based on the document being deemed “attorneyclient privilege.”

Later in the meeting, council members said they are not ignoring the issue, and agreed to seek out a second legal opinion. Council will issue a public statement after hearing back on that.

New police camera tech

As for the regular business agenda at the June 4 meeting, all council members were present in person to address several items, including a proclamation honoring police Sgt. Mike Young, who is retiring after 32 years of service to the City.

Also on the law enforcement front, council voted unanimously to approve a 10-year, $2.4 million contract for a bundled package of Axon equipment and software technology that’s expected to save the City up to $150,000 per year.

The deal includes police body cameras, doing away with the old Motorola dashboard cameras now in use, plus a drone first responder program, use of artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline preparation of incident reports and language translation services.

It also includes a switch to Axon Outpost roadway surveillance cameras, doing away with the current Flock camera technology that has raised some concerns about data protection and the potential for information sharing without the knowledge of the Glenwood Springs Police Department.

The Axon contract has tighter language around that, and gives the local police total control over what agencies can obtain the data that’s collected,

continued on page 21

Business or congestion: Public discusses mixed use zoning proposal

DJ SUGAR MONKEY

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Flanked by a full Marble Board of Trustees, Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra extended a warm welcome to all who had turned out for the initial mixed use zoning public hearing on Thursday, June 4.

The proposed amendment of the town’s zoning code endeavors to extend mixed use (business and residential) zoning rights to all properties in Marble that border the main thoroughfare from Raspberry Ridge Café to Beaver Lake.

Town administrator Ron Leach illustrated the current position with the help of a large zoning map dating back to 1995. He explained that the proposal, if adopted, would impact around 60 properties in the “corridor,” or 27% of all the parcels that sit within town boundaries.

Councilman Dustin Wilkey, who first floated the idea in March 2025, made reference to the survey carried out as part of the town’s master plan, in which 57% of respondents had expressed a preference to see more businesses in Marble, but only 45% had been in favor of establishing a dedicated business zone. A fact sheet emailed to residents, available at townofmarble.com, had characterized the survey results as “mixed.”

Trustee McMahill spoke in favor of the proposal, citing the thorny issue of spot zoning — or altering zoning regulations in small parcels that are opposed to broader zoning restrictions in a community — and the need to avoid it. Concluding his introduction, the Mayor spelled out that property owners affected by the proposed changes would in no way be obligated to take up their business rights should they decide to maintain their home as a private residence.

The first member of the public to comment from the floor was Karen Good, owner of the Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins.

Describing the proposal as a “massive, massive change,” she reported that the overwhelming feedback from her customers was that the town had already become too crowded and the proposal only risked making it more so. Concerned over the lack of employee housing in Marble, she asked whether a parcel currently zoned uniquely as a business would be allowed, by right, to also be used as a residence. The Mayor assured her that this would be incorporated into the wording of any ordinance.

Noting that there were scarcely more than a dozen members of the public present, Tiffany Burton sought clarification on how the Trustees planned to spread the word to a

broader audience and was told that a mailer would be sent out ahead of a second public hearing which is set for August 6.

Doubts were raised over increased traffic congestion in West Park Street and its potential impact on emergency evacuation plans currently in the making, together with the associated cost of perhaps having to widen the road. Jerry Begly, however, was of the opinion that the introduction of businesses to the west end of town would conversely have a calming effect on traffic.

Worries were expressed about the current lack of sanitation infrastructure. Trustee Wilkey’s vision of visitors ambling along a chain of pop stands was challenged by Dylan Craaybeek, who said he struggled to see how the proposal would encourage a more walkable environment. The possibility of creating a pedestrian path along West Park Street was mentioned and Trustee McMahill weighed in that there had also been some discussion over the introduction of a “park and ride.”

Brian Souter, who has been looking to revitalize a pop stand in West First Street for over nine years (it is still not open for business), offered a calmer perspective, saying that mixed use zoning was not “a scary subject” and that Marble would continue to grow at a snail’s pace.

Mayor pro tem Larry Good gave some clarification on the subject of property taxes. After speaking with the office of the Gunnison County Assessor, he was happy to report that the plan would not immediately raise taxes given that property values are based on observed transactions and that any reassessment would only come to fruition should owners decide to sell. Good articulated his position against the proposal on the basis of the existing lack of infrastructure. Questioning the need for a business corridor at all, he insisted the issue become a ballot measure in the November election.

In other business …

A modified liquor license was granted to the Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins, to incorporate the new gathering space adjacent to Jyoti’s Seeds for Change Freight Farm (see page 7). Finally, the Board agreed to spend $4,000 to match a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to fund a preliminary plan that would first make safe and then preserve the remains of the Marble Mill Site. Given its designation as a National Treasure, the project has attracted nationwide interest and will be reported on as a standalone issue.

Trustees Amber McMahill and Larry Good at the Marble Board of Trustee meeting on Thursday, June 4. Photo by DJ Sugar Monkey

Ami’s Acres Campground, located just west of the Glenwood Springs City limits on Highway 6 & 24, is being proposed for redevelopment into 100 single-family homes. Glenwood Springs City Council, at its June 4 meeting, agreed to sell City water to the property, though the development itself would go through the Garfield County land-use process. Photo by John Stroud

Trustees show initial opposition to 3-story build on Main

SKYLER STARK-RAGSDALE

Managing Editor

A rooftop view and community benefit were items at the center of discussion in town government on Tuesday, as developers tried to convince the Carbondale Board of Trustees that the juice from their three-story building design would be worth the squeeze.

Carbondale-based architecture firm Forum Phi and local contracting company Smith Mountain Builders are looking to replace a non-historic, one-story commercial building located at 242-256 Main St., directly east of the Village Smithy. Currently occupied by Smith Mountain Builders, the companies hope to level the existing structure and construct a three-story building made of glass and brick, including a mix of three commercial and four residential units, one of which would be deed restricted.

BASALT REPORT

At the center of the discussion were the applicant’s Alternative Compliance Requests under Carbondale’s Unified Development Code. The code mandates that buildings in the Historic Commercial Core meet a first floor height of 14 feet, floor-tofloor — the distance from the surface of the first floor to the surface of the second floor. The code also limits the rooftop height directly off of the Main Street “right-of-way” to 27 feet, and the height of rooftops set back 20 feet from Main Street to 35 feet.

The applicants’ three-story design proposes a first-to-second floor-to-floor height of 12 feet and a max building height of 46 feet. The max height marks the top of an elevator override which, along with a slightly shorter stairwell enclosure, protrude past the 32-foot, 10-inch rooftop that would otherwise fit within the

Unified Development Code, as it’s staggered back from Main Street.

“We’re talking about 5% of the total roof area,” Forum Phi Partner Andrew Dillon said of the amount of the roof extending past the 35-foot limit.

The max-height compliance requests are predicated upon a desire to create a rooftop deck serving as a shared space for

Public survey favors new police and public works facility

WILL BUZZERD

Sopris Sun Correspondent

During this week’s meeting, Basalt Town Council reviewed the results of a public ballot feasibility survey regarding financing the construction of a new public services facility and the direction of Basalt writ large. Despite problems with the survey’s distribution, results favored financing the new building with an increased sales tax, although opinions were mixed as to how the Town is balancing increased urban density and managing affordable housing supply.

“I do not see anything in this survey that would tell me to tell you all to stop,” said communications consultant Bill Ray with regard to the development of the public services facility.

The new facility, which will house both Basalt’s Public Works and Police departments, will be located at the southern corner of Highway 82 and Original Road. A majority of responses to the survey favored the construction of the new facility.

In order to finance the construction and maintenance of the new facility, the Town of Basalt is considering a sales tax increase

of 0.5%, which would bring its sales tax up to 3.5%. This increase, which would still keep Basalt’s sales tax lower than those of surrounding Roaring Fork Valley communities, would generate no more than the $1,175,000 considered necessary for this purpose. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents favored the sales tax increase.

At the previous council meeting, some members expressed concerns about the distribution of the surveys by mail. Following some investigation, it was discovered that only 38% were distributed by mail. According to Ray, all of the surveys successfully made their way to the Basalt Post Office, but most were not delivered from there. The Town of Basalt has contacted the U.S. Postal Service for an explanation, but had not received any response as of press time. The Town is currently in the midst of filing a claim with the Postal Service for reimbursement.

Once Town Staff learned of this, an extra push was made to distribute the survey digitally via text messages and by updating the Town website. In all, the Town only received 193

responses between April 29 and June 5. However, Ray stated that these are still “good numbers” and statistics worthy of consideration moving forward.

In addition to the primary question regarding the sales tax increase, the survey also asked respondents how they feel about the general direction Basalt is headed and which issues deserve the most attention.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said Basalt is on the right track, while 31% had mixed views. Overall, respondents felt that the Town was on the right track regarding the construction of new facilities, the improvements to Midland Ave and public programming. However, some respondents felt that the Town was on the wrong track regarding an increased cost of living, the loss of Basalt’s small-town character in favor of increased density, and housing strategies.

In terms of top issues facing Basalt, 35% of respondents selected availability and cost of housing, which was more than double the second most-selected issue of traffic and congestion.

Ray suggested conducting an additional survey in August

residents and visitors, Dillon told the trustees. The space also has potential to double as a concert space or community gathering area on select dates like First Fridays, according to the applicants. It would not, however, be open to the public at all times, and there is nothing written in the companies’ application guaranteeing any public use.

The applicants requested the bottom floor be lowered to account for a slightly below-max roof surface height. Forty-six feet is the max height a building can reach to remain eligible for an Alternative Compliance Request. Anything higher than that would trigger a larger review process. At 32 feet 10 inches, the surface

continued on page 23

Results from a recent public survey favored the construction of a new public services building that will house both the Police and Public Works departments in order to improve services and meet current needs. Courtesy image

to review whether opinions have changed.

Mayor David Knight said that he would like the Town to continue moving forward in its current direction regarding the development of the new public services facility.

Councilor Angele DupreButchart said that she would like more public outreach and an additional survey to better capture

public opinion. In addition, she stated that public messaging could also be improved so that citizens are more aware of the reasoning behind the council’s development decisions. Councilor Hannah Berman agreed and argued that more statistics will only benefit future development. Town Staff was directed to draft an official ballot measure to put the sales tax increase to a public vote.

Carbondale-based companies Forum Phi and Smith Mountain Builders proposed building a three-story, mixeduse commercial and residential building on Main Street. Design courtesy of Forum Phi

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

MARBLE MUSEUM

The Marble Museum is open for the summer every day of the week, except Mondays, 11am to 4pm. Historic tours are available by appointment, and can be made by calling 970-963-9815.

WORLD CUP

The Crystal Theatre screens the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Mexico vs. South Africa, at 1pm.

YOGA NIDRA

True Nature hosts Yoga Nidra, or yogic sleep, from 4 to 6pm.

HAYRIDE FARM TOUR

Basalt’s Rock Bottom Ranch presents a hayride farm tour at 9am. Attendees will see how livestock and vegetables are managed and grown through the summer. This tour will be available on various Saturdays until Sept. 12.

RECOVERY PICNIC

A Way Out will host the Annual Recovery Celebration picnic at Crown Mountain Park from 11:30am to 1:30pm for those who have sought help with addiction.

MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN

BONFIRE GRAND OPENING

SUMMER SAVINGS!

$1,000/Month O Rent in Independent Living + Discounted Community Fee All Utilities Included for a Maintenance-Free 55+ Lifestyle

295 Rio Grande Avenue, Carbondale

WellAge Senior Community

Community Classes

Natural Hormone Balancing

Discover how your hormones shape your life and simple, strategies to regain balance.

Thursday, 6-8pm, 6/29

Beginning Swing Dance

Learn the basics of Jitterbugturns, spins, dips, and fun moves. Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 7/1-7/22

Exploring Loss, Grief, and Recovery

Personalize the vocabulary, explore thoughts, and create a sense of coherence.

Thursdays, 6-8pm, 7/2-8/6

How to Build a Successful Consulting Career

Maximize your life and career experiences into a viable business and financial freedom.

Online Tues, 5:30-8:30pm, 7/7

Adobe Lightroom

Practical strategies for organizing, editing, processing, and sharing digital photographs.

Tuesdays, 6-8:30pm, 7/7-28

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

Support Glenwood Springs’ Bonfire Roastery by attending its grand opening from 4:30 to 7pm at 304 Center Drive, unit 106.

COMMUNITY PARTY

Come on down to Sopris Park for dancing and music by Tommy the Animal at the Wilderness Workshop’s Community Party. The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

RODEO

Rain or shine, the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo continues every Thursday through Aug. 20. Catch a free shuttle from the Orchard Church or 4th and Colorado (Town Hall). Gates open at 5pm, Slack starts at 5:45pm and Grand Entry starts at 7:30pm. Details at carbondalerodeo.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

SUSTAINABLE SETTINGS

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

Fundraising for Non-profits

Provides non-profit professionals with development tools to build their resource base.

Online Tues, 5:30-8:30pm, 8/4

Free Talks and Exhibits

Citizenship in Action Wednesday, 6-8:30pm, 7/8

Healing Properties of Grief Thursday, 6-8pm 6/18

America 250 Exhibit 6/19-7/7

Sustainable Settings (6107 Highway 133, Carbondale) hosts a biodynamic spring prep workshop at the ranch from 9am to 5pm today and tomorrow. Register at sustainablesettings.org

EXPRESS YO’ SELF

Teens and tweens are invited to customize a bucket hat at the Glenwood Library from 2 to 4pm.

THE BAD DAPS

Carbondale-based rock band, The Bad Daps, play live from 5:30 to 7pm at Triangle Park in Willits.

PRIDE EXTRAVAGANZA

The Aspen Art Museum hosts a free drag show in collaboration with the Roaring Divas from 6 to 9pm.

WORLD CUP 2.0

The Crystal Theatre screens USA vs. Paraguay at 7pm during the second day of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

SOUND JOURNEY

True Nature presents a Sound Journey with Dr. Zachary and Krista Cashin from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Attendees will be guided into meditation through sound. Details at truenaturehealingarts.com

BANK AND HARRIMAN

Chris Bank and Hap Harriman will play live music from 7 to 10pm at Heather’s in Basalt.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

GOLF FOR CCS

The Carbondale Community School hosts its first annual golf tournament fundraiser at Ironbridge Golf Club starting at 8:30am. Register at successfund.com/golf4ccs

PAINT RECYCLING

The City of Aspen and GreenSheen host a free paint recycling event for Roaring Fork Valley residents at Basalt High School from 9am to 1pm. Accepted materials must be in their original containers (five gallons or smaller) with a readable label. Residents must register for a drop-off time in advance at www.circular.eco/event/basalt26

The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park hosts Los Cheesies, appealing to English and Spanish-speaking audiences, for Music on the Mountain from 5 to 9pm.

REDSTONE MAGICAL MOMENTS

Moors & McCumber will play live rock, funk and soulful blues at the Redstone Magical Moments music series. The performance will run from 6 to 8pm at Redstone Park.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

The Crystal Theatre screens “Obsession” at 7pm. The film will screen again at 5pm on Sunday, June 14 and 7pm on Monday, June 15.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

A SPIRITUAL CENTER

A Spiritual Center presents “Your Time’s Up!” where speaker Carmen Iacino will discuss rapid change, from 10 to 11:30am in Room 31 of the Third Street Center.

FARM COLLABORATIVE

The Farm Collaborative (200 Agricultural Way, Aspen) hosts a grand opening celebration for its long-awaited Regenerative Agricultural Learning Center — in unison with its new Farm Co Market, offering thoughtfully sourced produce Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11am to 6pm — from noon to 4pm. Stagecoach Rush will provide the tunes.

‘RISE UP, SING OUT!’

Rifle Branch Library presents “Rise Up, Sing Out!: A Concert for the First Amendment,” from 5 to 7pm. Co-sponsored by Mountain Action Indivisible and Protect Our GarCo Libraries, the event will include snacks, though attendees are encouraged to bring desserts to share.

K-POP

TACAW presents “GOLDEN: A K-Pop Kids Party” from 6 to 8pm. This family-friendly dance party features K-pop music, remixes and more. Costumes are encouraged.

KAYAKING IN SPANISH

The Roaring Fork Kayak Club hosts a kayaking clinic designed for Spanish speakers at the Carbondale Aquatics Center from 2 to 4pm. Registration is required. Register at tinyurl.com/ kayakinginspanish

MONDAY, JUNE 15

ROCK & ROLL ACADEMY

Pre-teens and teens are invited to learn to play instruments, form a band and perform music together today through Friday, June 19, from 10am to 3pm daily at the Glenwood Community Center. Come solo or with your future band mates! Register at tinyurl.com/RockandRollGWS The academy will be offered again the weeks of July 13 and Aug. 10.

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

BIKE CLINIC

John from REI teaches participants how to correctly change a flat tire on their bicycles at the Glenwood Community Center from 5:30 to 7pm. Register at tinyurl.com/FlattireGWS

TOWN OF CARBONDALE 2026 Drinking Water Quality Report

Covering Data For Calendar Year 2025

Public Water System ID: CO0123167

Esta es información importante. Si no la pueden leer, necesitan que alguien se la traduzca. We are pleased to present to you this year’s water quality report. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. Please contact SCOTT WENNING at 970-319-6259 with any questions or for public participation opportunities that may affect water quality.

General Information

All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or by visiting epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV-AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk of infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1-800-426-4791).

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants: viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

• Inorganic contaminants: salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

• Pesticides and herbicides: may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

• Radioactive contaminants: can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

• Organic chemical contaminants: including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also may come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

Our Water Sources

Sources (Water Type - Source Type)

WELL RFWF NO 1 (Groundwater UDI Surface Water-Well)

WELL RFWF NO 2 (Groundwater UDI Surface Water-Well)

WELL RFWF NO 3 (Groundwater UDI Surface Water-Well)

WELL CRYSTAL RIVER NO 2 (Groundwater UDI Surface Water-Well)

SOUTH NETTLE CREEK DIVERSION (Surface Water-Intake)

NORTH NETTLE CREEK DIVERSION (Surface Water-Intake)

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health

Lead in Drinking Water

Lead can cause serious health effects in people of all ages, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and parts used in service lines and in home plumbing. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water and removing lead pipes but cannot control the variety of materials used in the plumbing in your home. Because lead levels may vary over time, lead exposure is possible even when your tap sampling results do not detect lead at one point in time. You can help protect yourself and your family by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family’s risk. Using a filter, certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead, is effective in reducing lead exposures. Follow the instructions provided with the filter to ensure the filter is used properly. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead from water. Before using tap water for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula, flush your pipes for several minutes. You can do this by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. If you have a lead service line or galvanized requiring replacement service line, you may need to flush your pipes for a longer period. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact SCOTT WENNING at 970-319-6259. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Service Line Inventory

New state and federal laws require us to inventory all water service lines in our service area to classify the material. A service line is the underground pipe that carries water from the water main, likely in the street, into your home or building. If you would like to view a copy of our service line inventory or have questions about the material of your service line, contact SCOTT WENNING at 970-319-6259.

Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP)

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment may have provided us with a Source Water Assessment Report for our water supply. For general information or to obtain a copy of the report please visit wqcdcompliance.com/ccr. The report is located under “Guidance: Source Water Assessment Reports”. Search the table using our system name or ID, or by contacting SCOTT WENNING at 970-319-6259

The Source Water Assessment Report provides a screening-level evaluation of potential contamination that could occur. It does not mean that the contamination has or will occur. We can use this information to evaluate the need to improve our current water treatment capabilities and prepare for future contamination threats. This can help us ensure that quality finished water is delivered to your homes. In addition, the source water assessment results provide a starting point for developing a source water protection plan. Potential sources of contamination in our source water area are listed below. Please contact us to learn more about what you can do to help protect your drinking water sources, any questions about the Drinking Water Quality Report, to learn more about our system, or to attend scheduled public meetings. We want you, our valued customers, to be informed about the services we provide and the quality water we deliver to you every day.

Our groundwater drinking water sources, if any, are located in GARFIELD county near our water system.

Potential Source(s) of Contamination

EPA Superfund Sites, EPA Abandoned Contaminated Sites, EPA Hazardous Waste Generators, EPA Chemical Inventory/Storage Sites, Permitted Wastewater Discharge Sites, Aboveground, Underground and Leaking Storage Tank Sites, Solid Waste Sites, Existing/Abandoned Mine Sites, Other Facilities, Commercial/Industrial/Transportation, High Intensity Residential, Low Intensity Residential, Urban Recreational Grasses, Row Crops, Small Grains, Pasture / Hay, Deciduous Forest, Evergreen Forest, Mixed Forest, Septic Systems, Oil / Gas Wells, Road Miles

Terms and Abbreviations

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) − The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water

• Treatment Technique (TT) − A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

• Health-Based − A violation of either a MCL or TT.

• Non-Health-Based − A violation that is not a MCL or TT.

• Action Level (AL) − The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment and other regulatory requirements.

• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) − The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) − The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) − The level of a drinking water disinfectant, below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

• Violation (No Abbreviation) − Failure to meet a Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulation.

• Formal Enforcement Action (No Abbreviation) − Escalated action taken by the State (due to the risk to public health, or number or severity of violations) to bring a non-compliant water system back into compliance.

• Variance and Exemptions (V/E) − Department permission not to meet a MCL or treatment technique under certain conditions.

• Gross Alpha (No Abbreviation) − Gross alpha particle activity compliance value. It includes radium-226, but excludes radon 222, and uranium.

• Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) − Measure of the radioactivity in water.

• Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) − Measure of the clarity or cloudiness of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the typical person.

• Compliance Value (No Abbreviation) – Single or calculated value used to determine if regulatory contaminant level (e.g. MCL) is met. Examples of calculated values are the 90th Percentile, Running Annual Average (RAA) and Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA).

• Average (x-bar) − Typical value.

• Range (R) − Lowest value to the highest value.

• Sample Size (n) − Number or count of values (i.e. number of water samples collected).

• Parts per million = Milligrams per liter (ppm = mg/L) − One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

• Parts per billion = Micrograms per liter (ppb = ug/L) − One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

• Not Applicable (N/A) – Does not apply or not available.

• Level 1 Assessment – A study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

• Level 2 Assessment – A very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

Detected Contaminants

TOWN OF CARBONDALE routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table(s) show all detections found in the period of January 1 to December 31, 2025 unless otherwise noted. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. Therefore, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one-year-old.

Note: Only detected contaminants sampled within the last 5 years appear in this report. If no tables appear in this section, then no contaminants were detected in the last round of monitoring.

Disinfectants Sampled in the Distribution System

TT Requirement: At least 95% of samples per period (month or quarter) must be at least 0.2 ppm OR If sample size is less than 40 no more than 1 sample is below 0.2 ppm

Typical Sources: Water additive used to control microbes

Disinfectant Name Time Period Results

Chlorine December, 2025 Lowest period percentage of samples meeting TT requirement: 100%

continued on next page

Contaminant Name

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

Trihalomethanes (TTHM)

Disinfection Byproducts Sampled in the Distribution System Total

Byproduct

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

*If minimum ratio not met and no violation identified then the system achieved compliance using alternative criteria.

Summary

Radionuclides Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Inorganic Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits

Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural depositsfactories

Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines

Synthetic Organic Contaminants Sampled

Di(2-ethylhexyl)

Discharge from chemical factories

Secondary Contaminants**

**Secondary standards are non-enforceable guidelines for contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin, or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water.

Unregulated Contaminants***

EPA has implemented the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to collect data for contaminants that are suspected to be present in drinking water and do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA uses the results of UCMR monitoring to learn about the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and to decide whether or not these contaminants will be regulated in the future. We performed monitoring and reported the analytical results of the monitoring to EPA in accordance with its Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). Once EPA reviews the submitted results, the results are made available in the EPA’s National Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD) (epa.gov/dwucmr/national-contaminant-occurrence-database-ncod) Consumers can review UCMR results by accessing the NCOD. Contaminants that were detected during our UCMR sampling and the corresponding analytical results are provided below. More information about the contaminants that were included in UCMR monitoring can be found at: drinktap.org/Water-Info/Whats-in-My-Water/Unregulated-Contaminant-Monitoring-Rule-UCMR Learn more about the EPA UCMR at: epa gov/dwucmr/learn-about-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule or contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water.

***More information about the contaminants that were included in UCMR monitoring can be found at: drinktap.org/Water-Info/Whats-in-My-Water /Unregulated-Contaminant-Monitoring-Rule-UCMR. Learn more about the EPA UCMR at: epa.gov/dwucmr/learn-about- unregulated-contaminantmonitoring-rule or contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water.

Violations, Significant Deficiencies, and Formal Enforcement Actions

Non-Health-Based Violations

These violations do not usually mean that there was a problem with the water quality. If there had been, we would have notified you immediately. We missed collecting a sample (water quality is unknown), we reported the sample result after the due date, or we did not complete a report/notice by the required date.

Describe the steps taken to resolve and the anticipated resolution date:

DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE

DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE

DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) ADIPATE

DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) ADIPATE

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

01/01/202503/31/2025

01/01/202503/31/2025

01/01/202503/31/2025

01/01/202503/31/2025

Samples were taken and analyzed by the laboratory on 3/23/2025. Compliant samples were submitted to CDPHE on 5/2/2025.

Samples were taken and analyzed by the laboratory on 3/23/2025. Compliant samples were submitted to CDPHE on 5/2/2025.

Samples were taken and analyzed by the laboratory on 3/23/2025. Compliant samples were submitted to CDPHE on 5/2/2025.

Samples were taken and analyzed by the laboratory on 3/23/2025. Compliant samples were submitted to CDPHE on 5/2/2025.

Additional Information: Water Quality Information Tested Weekly PH Range: 7 to 7.9 Temperature Range: 6 to 13 Degrees Celsius Hardness Range: 50 to 280 mg/l Alkalinity Range: 30 to 240 mg/l

mg/l

Stage 1 fire restrictions were implemented on Wednesday, June 10, by Garfield and Pitkin counties, as well as the Town of Carbondale and the Bureau of Land Management Colorado River Valley Field Office. All burn permits are postponed or canceled, campfires are only allowed in designated firegrates in developed areas, no fireworks are allowed and smoking is only permitted within designated areas, enclosed vehicles or areas free of combustibles. For a list of additional Stage 1 restrictions, visit tinyurl.com/GarCorestrictions Causing a fire during restrictions can result in a class 6 felony, according to a Garfield County press release. These measures come on the heels of the ignition of two fires close to home on Tuesday, June 9: the Spring Creek Fire near Ruedi, which prompted evacuations, and the Paradise Fire in South Canyon (pictured), resulting in an hours-long closure of I-70 in both directions Tuesday afternoon into the evening. Photo courtesy of the Glenwood Springs Fire Department

DRAWING CLUB

The Roaring Fork Drawing Club doodles at Joy & Wylde in Redstone from 6:30pm till the sun goes down.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

The Crystal Theatre hosts Video Trivia, when attendees test their movie knowledge with help from the big screen. The event will kick off at 7pm.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

BIRDS OF CHANGE

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Forest and Climate Program Director Adam McCurdy and birding expert Rebecca Weiss explore the Lake Christine burn scar and discuss “the future of our forests and the birds that inhabit them in the face of climate change, beetles, fire and other challenges” from 6:30 to 11am. Meeting location details given upon registration at aspennature.org

FARMERS’ MARKET

The Carbondale Farmers’ Market is back for the summer every Wednesday, 10am to 3pm, through Sept 30 at 4th and Main Street.

BASALT CONCERT

Basalt’s Summer Concert Series kicks off with Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets opening for Palmyra at 6pm at Basalt River Park.

SOL THEATRE COMPANY

Sol Theatre Company presents the musical “Alice by heart” at Thunder River Theatre, with nightly shows tonight through June 20 at 7pm, and 2pm matinees June 20 and 21. Tickets at soltheatrecompany.simpletix.com

RFOV AT TACAW

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers presents “Building Better Relationships with Nature,” a conversation with award-winning author and environmental writer Emma Marris at TACAW at 7pm. Tickets at tacaw.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

BERRY SWEET GAME

Older adults are invited to an afternoon of “berry-sweet” trivia, interactive

games and socializing ahead of Strawberry Days from 1 to 3pm at the Glenwood Community Center. Register at tinyurl.com/BerrysweetGWS

POWERS OPENING

The Powers Art Center hosts a special opening event for its current exhibition, “Roy Lichtenstein: Beyond Reality,” from 5 to 7pm. RSVP at powersartcenter.org

WILD FLIGHT

Wild Flight roots-rock band will perform two live sets at 7pm at the Crystal Theatre as part of their Road River Railway Tour. The performance will include the screening of their new music video, “Road River Railway,” which was recorded at Cool Brick Studios in Carbondale.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

GOLD LUSTER WORKSHOP

Ishara Sweeney guides a gold luster — added on after a ceramic piece has been glaze-fired — workshop at the Carbondale Clay Center from 9:30am to noon. Participants must bring finished, glaze-fired pieces. R egister at carbondaleclay.org

PIE DAY!

Strawberry Days weekend begins with a homemade pie sale, organized by the Glenwood Springs Rotary Club, from 8 to 11am at the United Methodist Church (824 Cooper).

STRAWBERRY DAYS

The 129th Strawberry Days weekend gets underway at Two Rivers Park today from 2 to 10pm and continues tomorrow, 10am to 10pm, and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. For details, visit glenwoodchamber.com/strawberry-days

SATURDAY, JUNE 20

WINDWALKERS

Windwalkers will host a retreat, “Rise, Restore, Reconnect,” guided by consultant and author Dr. Terry Chase and carried out through the power of connecting with horses at 1038 County Road 102, Carbondale from 9:15am to 12:30pm today and 1 to 4:15pm tomorrow. Details at windwalkers.org

Droves turn out for 2026 Carbondale Art Walk

This year’s Art Walk in Carbondale on June 4 drew more than 100 art enthusiasts and proved to be a resounding success. Participants enjoyed ideal weather as they followed a thoughtfully designed route through the heart of town, discovering a diverse collection of artwork displayed along an easy-to-navigate path.

One of the event’s highlights was the opportunity to meet many of the featured artists. Visitors gained valuable

insight into the creative processes as artists shared the inspiration and techniques behind their work. The presentations concluded with question-and-answer sessions, giving attendees a chance to engage directly with the artists.

The exceptional talent and creativity showcased throughout the walk made for a memorable experience. Those who were unable to attend are encouraged to take a stroll through town and view the “Art Around Town” installations firsthand.

Special thanks go to the Carbondale Public Art Commission (CPAC) for organizing and presenting this inspiring community event.

This year’s event was put together by CPAC members Michelle Shaver, Brian Colley, Frank Nadell, Julie Little, Chair Lesia Rehl, Vice Chair Michael Stout, Town Liaison Laurie Lindberg, and Board of Trustees Liaison Ross Kribbs.

For a map and art piece descriptions, visit www.tinyurl. com/ArtAroundTown

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY BOB RUGILE Sopris Sun Correspondent

Over 100 people gathered

Ted Schaal describis the art process behind his piece, “RIFT.”

An art lover admires a piece by Alex Bond called “Clutch.”

Brian Colley describes a piece by Alex Bond called “Handmade.”

“So Above, So Below,” by Lee Badger.

Julie Little introduces Ted R. Wilson and his piece, “Spirit of the Forest.”

Free TACAW event: Celebrated author to do live podcast on edgy new book

ALISON OSIUS

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Let’s start with the red lightning, but that’s just part of it.

In Ben Fountain’s kinetic new novel “Rasputin Swims the Potomac,” published June 9, a president whose name is redacted has been approved by the Supreme Court to run for a third term. Then a “weeping sickness” sweeps the country, tanking a sputtering economy and his polls, all with a background of extreme and strange meteorological events.

When a pro wrestler known as Rasputin shows a knack for both calming the weeper-wailers and attracting adulation, the President chooses him for his running mate. But the gigantic Rasputin, who profoundly identifies with the mystical counsel to the last Russian Tsar (he even sports a fake Russian accent), gets a little too popular …

In a “get” as impressive as TACAW’s gift in hosting a free literary event, the author of this painfully salient satire is to visit the Roaring Fork Valley in the first week of his promotional tour. Ben Fountain (benfountain.com), multiple-award-winning author of five books including the hit “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” will appear at TACAW on June 16 at 6:30 pm, doors to open at 5:30 (RSVP at tacaw.org).

The reason is another stellar arts resource of Basalt: Mitzi Rapkin, host of the live podcast “First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing,” who cranks out an episode a week as a “labor of love.” (She has a Patreon donation option at firstdraftwriters.com.)

A lifelong reader, Rapkin has, beginning in June 2013, archived 579 literary podcasts, with a total of over 600. The 66 entries in the A’s (authors are listed per first name) alone include four each of Ada Limón and Alice McDermott, also Abraham Verghese, Alexandra Fuller, Ann Patchett, Anne Lamott, Anthony Doerr, and Anuradha Roy. Rapkin follows book news and is now on many publicists’ lists.

“I read a lot of books, and though I like a lot, I love very

few,” Rapkin says. “‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’ is still in my top 20. It is moving, witty, sharp and beautiful writing.” She interviewed Fountain in 2015 and 2023, and he was up for another round.

“She’s a very smart, conscientious, diligent reader and interviewer,” Fountain says.

Rapkin says, “I hope people will come to this literary event. I hope they will consider it a present.” The new novel will be available for sale and signing onsite, from White River Books.

Last week, The Sopris Sun also interviewed the amiable, reflective Fountain about the book he has called “satirical magical realism,” in which we follow the action through the alternating viewpoints of Faith Spack, 26, a former teen country-music reality-show star, who is in the White House as a liaison for a reality show based therein; and a professorturned-journalist, the middle-aged Covid widower Clarence Thomas Jr. (No relation.)

Excerpts from the interview, done from his home in North Carolina, are below. I had marveled at the ride that is the book, though also found it chilling; first laughed out loud on page 7, at the image of Faith and other junior comms aides in the White House watching the TV wall and “lashing” their phones (I circled dozens of other actionpacked verbs throughout the book); and I turned the last 20 pages faster and faster.

To the question arising from page 1 of why the president’s name is redacted, when the identity is crystalline, Fountain says the reasons are not legal: “At some point in the second draft I just got really tired of seeing that name, and I feel like that name is too much with us anyway.”

The forthcoming interview with Fountain has been edited for brevity.

Sopris Sun: You’ll know that we are in a drought here and entering fire season. Your book has many references to crazy weather across the land. Is that influenced

by living in North Carolina with its hurricanes? Or just modern weather events?

Fountain: Just the crazy weather in general in the last 25 years. It’s increasingly unpredictable, increasingly violent, increasingly destructive and to me it’s becoming part of the fabric of our collective life and our individual lives. If we are thinking individuals, if we are aware individuals, it becomes part of the complex of our anxieties and worries and frustration. It’s pretty clear to me that we’re being damn fools with regard to our glaring inaction, with respect to this very real and growing danger. Some drastic things have to be done, and they are not being done.

continued on page 21

Ben Fountain, courtesy photo

JoAnn ‘Jo’ Gwendolyn Coffman

July 11, 1931-May 12, 2026

JoAnn “Jo” Gwendolyn Coffman, 94, passed away at the Sopris Lodge in Carbondale, Colorado. Her loving family, friends, and caregivers were close by and attentive for months up to her passing.

She grew up in North Platte, Nebraska and then attended The University of Nebraska, where she met her husband, Rex Coffman, who she first saw riding his horse, and his heart was stolen. They married in 1952. When he returned from Korea because of their daughter Kristen’s health issues, they moved to Colorado Springs to fill out his military service, then bought a ranch in Eagle where Doug and Greg were born, finally ending up in Carbondale. They lived at the Coffman Ranch until 2023.

JoAnn led an ambitious life and had many interests. In addition to raising three children, she worked as a teacher (teaching kindergarten and home economics to

numerous students in the Roaring Fork Valley and staying connected with many throughout her life), ran a ranch and volunteered her time to many causes.

Her life’s narrative was defined by always doing something. She was a seamstress, watercolor painter, stainedglass maker, golfer, hiker, crossword-doer, jigsaw-puzzle solver and more. Traveling was one of her favorite passions. She saved quarters to pay for the travels that were on her bucket list, before that was even a word. She traveled the world many times by cruising.

Highlights included Greece, Italy, many South American countries and Machu Picchu in Peru. For their 50th wedding anniversary, she took the entire family and their children on an Alaskan cruise. She and Rex also RV’d around the country and took many trips to Lake Powell.

Many of her trips were taken

to meet the requirements for teacher recertification, such as visiting fabric mills in Europe and taking a class in Taos, New Mexico to learn Mexican food recipes and weaving.

Jo was especially talented in the kitchen and was responsible for the sweet tooths of all the Coffman clan, including her one grandchild and two great grandkids. Also, she cooked during branding days and cattle drives for years, providing food to the many helping hands needed during each event. She had an innate quality of thinking of those around her by making loved ones their favorite meal or treats, including preparing adventures for her family — especially her great grandkids.

Her homemaking skills qualified her as a judge in 4H events in many counties across the state and at the state fair.

When Jo and Rex finally retired, they went to Arizona initially with their RV which they parked in Greg’s backyard, then finally purchased a casita in Sun City West where they resided during the winters for 20 years.

Known as Gigi, Jo is survived by Kristen Melsen (Glenwood Springs), Doug Coffman (Julie) (Carbondale), Greg Coffman (Christel) (Carbondale), Lindsay Coffman, her granddaughter (Wife: Suz) and great grandchildren Bowen Coffman and Josephine Coffman (Bend, Oregon). She was preceded in death by her parents Gordon and Nellie Knotts, husband Rex Coffman, four younger sisters, Jackie Knotts (two months old), Suzee Knotts (10 years old), Glennis Greeley and Janet Johnson.

There will be no public service to celebrate her life, however her granddaughter, Lindsay wishes to share with you Jo’s favorite famous Sour Cream Chocolate Cake recipe

in her honor. Please make this cake and enjoy it with friends and family while you share stories of Jo if you knew her or stories of your own grandmother’s life.

Sour cream chocolate cake:

• Use a 9 inch x 11 inch cake pan.

• In order, mix and beat the following:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 2 eggs, 3 T cocoa

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• Dissolve 1 t-spoon of baking soda into 1 cup of boiling water, add it to the recipe and beat again.

• Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

JoAnn was active in Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) which provides scholarship grants, awards, loans and stewardship of Cottey College. The Sisterhood proudly offers unwavering support to deserving women from all walks of life. She requested that any donations be made on her behalf to this organization. Please send checks to Chapter HC, 14 Maroon Drive, Carbondale, CO. 81623.

Growing Stronger Together

At Aspen Valley Health, we understand that true wellness begins with a community that looks out for one another. That’s why we prioritize care that empowers individual and community vibrance by making it easy to access world-class services close to home. This commitment is a reflection of our vision to create one of the healthiest communities in the nation. Join us, and let’s thrive in this beautiful place we call home.

For you. For life.

Lawrence

‘Larry’

Doble

February 1947 –January 2026

Lawrence “Larry” Doble passed away peacefully on January 18, 2026, three weeks before his 79th birthday, at his home in Carbondale, fulfilling his final wish. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Mildred Doble, and his older brother, Dickie, all of whom are from Milo, Maine, where he grew up.

An engineer, volunteer firefighter, and devoted husband and father, Larry lived with humor, curiosity and a sense of adventure. He helped found the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork and designed countless structures throughout the valley and across the nation.

Larry loved the outdoors, Irish music and culture, good books, Willie Nelson and cooking for family and friends. Despite many physical challenges, his easy smile and sense of humor never left him. He will be deeply missed by his beloved wife, Joanna Schaffner; his daughters, Keegan and Stella; their mother, Pam Moore; and the many friends whose lives he enriched.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 21, 2026, from 4-7pm at the American Legion in Carbondale. A short service will begin at 4:30 pm, followed by food, live music and memories around the fire. Donations in Larry’s honor may be made to KDNK, the Dementia Society of America or the Colorado Wildlife Federation.

GLENWOOD REPORT

Hanlon and Police Chief Joseph Deras explained.

Deras said the use of drones in particular will be a huge benefit to police and the fire department when it comes to assessing an active crime, acci dent or fire scene before officers or emergency crews can arrive. It can also be used to quickly locate and track crime suspects who have fled the scene and point officers in the right direction, he said.

One member of the public questioned the use of AI for incident reports, and the potential for inaccuracies.

Deras clarified that the AI incident reports would never be submitted as is, and that officers will still review reports to ensure accuracy.

Hanlon said the contract also has some leeway to assess individual aspects of the deal, and opt out if something isn’t working.

Water service agreement

After a lengthy discussion, council voted 5-2 to extend a City water service agreement to the would-be developers of a new 100-unit housing development on the current site of the Ami’s Acres campground just west of city limits on Highway 6 and 24.

The move was made possible by a council decision earlier this year to extend a water line to serve a new storage unit development west of Ami’s Acres. That was done with the knowledge that other landowners could ask to tap into the water line.

In high school I took a Russian history class, and of course we loved learning about Rasputin, the salacious mystic who survived being poisoned and shot, only to die, in our teacher’s version, of drowning.

Yeah, it’s a little bit murky but it’s clear that he was poisoned with major, major doses that would have killed any normal human being, and then he was shot three times and he seemed to have expired, but some of the reports say he wasn’t dead yet, so they threw him in the river — in December — and when his body was retrieved there was evidence that he was alive in the river. He was a superhuman specimen.

How did you choose Rasputin for the character’s persona?

I started writing this book in April 2023. I had the feeling that Trump had a really good shot of being re-elected in 2024, and I was thinking just how masterfully he has blurred the line between fantasy and reality throughout his career: in real estate, in reality TV and now in politics. I was thinking, if we continue on the same trajectory of politicians successfully blurring the line between reality and fantasy to their own benefit, what would be the next step?

The world of pro wrestling came to mind because that’s famously fake yet not fake … So I thought, how about a figure from pro wrestling who gets into politics? And there is precedent for that, Jesse Ventura in Minnesota, but he ran as himself … How about a wrestler who takes

[I found] uncanny similarities between his time and this time in the U.S. The last days of the czar was a time of collective hysteria in Russia. There were all kinds of quack religions springing up, all kinds of faith healing, all kinds of get-richquick schemes floating around, tremendous corruption in politics, political gridlock and a very dissatisfied and restless population.

Where does the healing touch come from? You’ve given him supernatural powers. Yeah, the original Rasputin was alleged to have mystical healing powers. He was famous for saving the life of the son of the Tsar, a hemophiliac, a number of times. He did seem to have a special touch with people … When the Tsarevich was having a health crisis, everybody was in hysterics, and Rasputin would come in and calm everybody down. He would sit at the bedside of the Tsarevich, the young boy, hold his hand, murmur to him, ‘Everything’s going to be fine,’ and say some prayers …

In the book, this Rasputin [has the] ability to heal people who are affected by the weeping sickness and [effect] other miracle cures. I think they can all be explained in the same way. He’s capable of great gentleness and attentiveness towards other people, and that’s exactly what we all need in life, right?

Except he heals a traumatic brain injury. Yeah, great point. It’s a mystery.

Developers are applying through Garfield County to redevelop the site into 100 smaller-scale, single-family homes that would theoretically be more attainable than what’s currently on the market. Ten percent of the units would abide by the county’s affordable housing regulations, using appreciation caps and other controls, a representative for the developer said.

Council members Ray Schmahl and David Townsley expressed concerns about the City selling water for a development that would not be under the City’s purview. They would rather see the property annexed to the City and go through the City’s land-use approval process.

However, under a recent ballot question approved by City voters, such annexations now have to go to a vote of the people. Other Council members argued that’s a deterrent to this or any other owner of property that’s just outside City limits.

Mayor Pro-Tem Erin Zalinski offered that there’s a public safety bonus, in that the development would include five new fire hydrants to protect against wildfire potential.

She was joined by Mayor Marco Dehm and Councilors Steve Smith, Sumner Schachter and Mitchell Weimer in favoring the water deal. Schmahl and Townsley were opposed.

In other action, council approved $293,500 in grants to various nonprofit organizations and human service programs, as recommended by the City Financial Advisory Board.

Photo Credit: Mark Burrows

Feet in the grass, backs to the wind

CRMS grads level up

Thirty-eight seniors walked across the grass, some in bare feet, at Colorado Rocky Mountain School on June 6, donning the proverbial (in this case) cap and throwing flowers in the air once they were announced as 2026 graduates. Congratulations, Oysters! The time to break free of your shell has come.

Photos by Renee Ramge

Lexi Bier-Moebius and India Picard take a moment ahead of the commencement ceremony.

Fritz Simmons was one of two seniors selected by his peers to address their graduating class.

Seniors Maddie Davison and Hazel Lazar treated the crowd to a live musical performance during the ceremony.

Graduates look on during the ceremony.

Head of School Jeff Leahy presents Emma Bright with her diploma.

Presley Vaitonis received the Community Award.

The graduation procession was led by John Stickey, class of 1957, one of the earliest graduates of CRMS, alongside commencement speaker Amanda Leahy.

The existential joys of camping The student crisis of debt

I had a delightful childhood primarily because of the thick layers of love that were spread around my family’s home like warm butter, but also due to the spiritual adventures we experienced together. We camped.

Our most frequent campground was the Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan. They have a dune there they actually call Mount Tom that would provoke guffaws from we West Slopers. It has an elevation gain of all of 250 feet.

The mother of all camping trips was a six-week venture to the southwest United States. We hit Carlsbad Caverns, Glen Canyon before it was Lake Powell, Zion, Bryce and Grand canyons, Death Valley and Yosemite.

OPINION

Camping at Yellowstone, we befriended an elderly German couple who were traveling with a miniature dachshund. One night, the pooch went off into the woods and scared up a bear. Annoyed by the incessant yapping, the bear took off after the hound and it ran for its life.

THE VIEW FROM THE THERAPY POOL

No motels or restaurants. We camped out every night, rain or shine, and had picnic lunches on the way. My father and older sister set up the tent while Mom and I handled the Coleman stove and got the vittles ready. We were a well-oiled machine. After the Great Southwest Tour, we moved north and did the Black Hills, the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier National Park when it still had plenty of glaciers.

By Fred Malo

The stories that came out of these camping trips are so much a part of our family’s tradition. Many involved bears. While we were traveling with my aunt, uncle and cousin, Aunt Marie was startled by a bear when we were having a picnic and hurriedly put the food away in our Plymouth station wagon.

She pushed the button to raise the rear window and got her arm stuck with the bear right behind her. My mother jumped in the front seat to use the control to lower the window. It was a toggle switch that went side to side. Which way was up and which way was down? Mother guessed right and my aunt was saved from the bear and her arm wasn’t crushed.

On another occasion, that same aunt was exiting a campground bathroom when she encountered a bear dining in a nearby garbage can. Born and raised a Catholic, Aunt Marie exclaimed, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” Why does the National Park Service put trash cans next to the outhouses?

In another bathroom story, my father, who was a male model in college posing nude for an art class and was very proud of his Greek god body, liked to strip down to his altogether and take a sink bath in the campground restroom.

He was doing just that when a boy had to go and wandered into the commode. The lad dashed out and called, “Come out, man!” After that, whenever my father would go to a campground bathroom to cleanse himself, we’d shout, “Come out, man!”

CARBONDALE REPORT

height of the roof is more than 2 feet shorter than the max allowed to account for the 46-foot max height of the elevator.

As such, the applicants requested the bottom floor-to-floor height be compressed to 12 feet to ensure the second and third floors have high enough ceilings.

Trustees, however, didn’t in general support the Alternative Compliance Requests.

“Exceptions need to be made for exceptional properties,” Trustee Ross Kribbs said, adding later “I’m not sure that anyone’s looking at this and immediately thinking, ‘Wow, this is something that fits, that makes sense.’”

According to the Unified Development

Where did the dog go? You guessed it. Back to the tent. In goes the dog. In goes the bear. Down goes the tent. The bear, the dog and two old people all bundled up in a canvas wrapping. Soon, the bear figures that’s enough and a mighty claw rips a hole in the tent. He escapes and the old-timers and the dog are unharmed.

We were traveling down the road behind a car that had its trunk lid bouncing up and down. My mother was driving and as she passed the car in front of us my father rolled down the window and shouted, “Your trunk lid’s up.”

They obviously couldn’t hear him, so my father thrust his index finger up into the air. “Dad,” I said, “I hope he knows what finger you’re using.” From then on, whenever a family member wanted to flip off another, they’d say, “Your trunk lid’s up.”

Without a doubt the most perilous adventure was when we were traveling from Laramie to Cheyenne, Wyoming over the Snowy Range which lived up to its name. It was Aug. 15, but we got hit by a major snowstorm, dumping feet of snow in minutes.

We slipped and slided all over the road until we finally slid off to the side and got stuck. It wasn’t encouraging when a road grader came to our rescue and got stuck itself. My parents took off on foot to find help, leaving me with my aunt, uncle and cousin. On their journey, my parents encountered others buried in the snow and helped them dig out. When they encountered a terrified group of New Yorkers cowering inside their car, my mother, no shrinking violet, called out, “Get out here and grab a shovel.”

It was 12 hours before a 10-foot-tall snowplow blade from Laramie saved us. That was a glorious sight. Years later, we returned to the spot where we were snowbound and realized to our horror we were inches from a cliff that fell about 500 feet.

My aunt and uncle never ventured west of the Mississippi again. They’d had enough of the Wild, Wild West.

Sadly, I don’t camp anymore. I don’t even own a tent or a sleeping bag. I’m at the point in my life where I need my C-Pap, nebulizer and a full-service bathroom. But I have those memories of reducing the necessities of life down to their bare essentials and being at one with nature.

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Code, Alternative Compliance Requests can be approved if they result in a benefit to the community “that exceed benefits associated with the subject standard; and imposes no greater impacts on adjacent properties that would occur through compliance with the specific requirements of this ordinance,” among other criteria.

After their own review of the application in February, March and April, the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Commission recommended the trustees deny both Alternative Compliance Requests on the grounds that the proposed building height “does not result in benefits to the community that exceed the benefits associated with the subject standard because the proposed rooftop deck does

In a world full of morals and mottos people tend to say that education is worth any cost, but when faced with the crushing reality of the real world — where money is the dictator of our life and well being — that saying can get put into question.

YOUTH OPINION

By Penelope

I’m straight from the working class, a place that can be hard to imagine to the millionaires that surrounded me. Plopped right in the middle of a valley of homes as big as apartment buildings, which are only used one month per year, education isn’t even a question to most people. If you want to go to art school and get a degree in animation all you need to do is ask for some money, walk away scot-free, and never use your major again because you decided you want to work as an engineer instead.

As I ask around to see where people want to go to school I get heavy-hitter places I could only dream of going to: Harvard, Yale, Duke — schools where a semester of schooling costs $30,000. They say you can do anything you put your mind to; whatever you want you can achieve. But is achievement worth the $90,000 price tag? It reminds me of the trips I would take to Aspen with my family. We would go up there to ski and in the process would occasionally walk around and window shop. All around me would be expensive clothes, bags and artwork. A Gucci there, a Louis Vuitton here. Once we found a $10,000 dog collar studded with diamonds in the window of a business. It reminds me of life; all the clothing being colleagues, people walking in and coming out with a coat that matches their style perfectly. But I never cared for fur or a puffy jacket with a fancy brand name front and center. All I could see was all the things I could never have. But upon returning I saw all the things I could have, if I worked for it. But if I needed it? If all the work would be worth it? That’s another story.

So I guess it’s up to you, you don’t need to listen to what I say, the information I’m spouting. But I’m not a cheesy person. I’m not giving you the satisfaction of the newspaper lady saying that you can “follow your dreams and do whatever you want.” I’m telling you that it’s hard. I’m telling you that the debt might ruin your life. It might get you your dream job. It might force you to retire when you’re 80.

You need to choose, and choose wisely. Your life is a crappy car, a single cab that breaks down every 10 feet. The world is a road that can drive you into a ditch or straight to your dream life in a town with a perfect job and family, and you get to decide what route to go down.

not include permanent, consistent or defined public access and will only be accessible to the building occupants and their guests at their discretion,” the commission stated in a memorandum.

The height also “imposes visual impacts on adjacent properties and the public right of way,” the commission stated.

The commission argued that the reduced floor-to-floor height on the ground floor did not result in “benefits to the community that exceed benefits associated with the subject standard” because the reduced height only benefited the occupants of the second and third floors of the building and private rooftop access.

Trustee Colin Laird told the applicants that the board is reluctant to go against what the P&Z and staff have recommended. Mayor Erica Sparhawk brought up the longevity of infrastructure.

“I think we have to remember that the building is going to last longer than you guys,” she said.

The board did not approve or deny the application on Tuesday, but agreed to continue the public hearing with the applicants on July 28. Trustees suggested the applicants return with a better defined rooftop access proposal, putting in writing how the public would be able to use the rooftop, and asked that they submit an alternative building design without the same height exceptions.

‘PJ’ Mathis

Full edition is available every Friday afternoon on newstands and at businesses from Rifle to Aspen

Growing through community

Mujeres Emprendedoras del Valle celebrates first in-person gathering after reaching 1,000 members

BIANCA GODINA

Sol del Valle

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bianca

Godina, editor of Sol del Valle, attended the event on behalf of the publication.

What began as a Facebook space for sharing advice and promoting businesses has, one year later, grown into a community of more than 1,000 women. To celebrate this milestone, Anahí Gazga, administrator of the Mujeres Emprendedoras del Valle page, brought together 30 members from the Roaring Fork, Colorado River and Eagle valleys for a breakfast gathering at Las Mexicanitas Jireth on May 31, marking the group’s first in-person event.

According to Gazga, Mujeres Emprendedoras del Valle was born out of a deeply personal need.

“It came from my need to find friends, advice, recommendations, support and to help other women in any way I could,” she explained.

“It is a community exclusively for women, with all kinds of businesses. This space allows us to promote ourselves, support one another and share information about the tools available to help us grow,” Gazga said. “It is not limited to women entrepreneurs. It also includes hardworking and valuable women who need access to services and products in their daily lives.”

That sense of support was one of the themes that resonated throughout the morning.

Fabiola Gutiérrez, owner of The Glow Atelier in Carbondale, was among the first to speak. Reflecting on the challenges entrepreneurs face, she acknowledged that fear and exhaustion can sometimes make even the most promising ventures feel uncertain.

“Sometimes you have to tell yourself, ‘Let’s keep moving forward,’” she said. “Seeing all of you here, I know I’m not the only brave one.”

From there, the conversation flowed naturally. For more than an hour, each participant shared a piece of their story, from the paths that led them to start a business to the experiences that continue to inspire their growth.

Elizabeth Gonzalez recounted how she transitioned from the automotive industry to pursuing her culinary business.

“I love cooking,” she said, explaining the passion that now drives her venture.

For Eva Frías, owner of Decoarte Vianney’s, entrepreneurship also grew out of a passion she has carried since childhood.

“I grew up surrounded by flowers and silicone,” she recalled. Although she studied tourism business administration, she ultimately followed the path that led her to floral arrangements and crafts.

Myriam Pérez, owner of Aspenite in Glenwood Springs, shared lessons drawn from her own experience.

“The important thing is to have faith in yourself,” she said. Reflecting on the challenges of the pandemic, she explained that it was during that difficult period that she and her daughter decided to start a business together. “The pandemic hurt us in many ways, but it also taught us a great deal.”

She also emphasized the importance of community collaboration.

“What matters is that Latinos support one another.”

Flor Cecilia, owner of CC’s Café in Basalt, shared a similar perspective.

“Doing things with enthusiasm, maintaining a positive attitude and learning to say yes to opportunities,” she said, has been part of the formula that has helped her move forward.

Not all attendees arrived as established business owners. Some came seeking inspiration to launch ventures of their own.

“If I want to do this one day, you are the best example that I can,” Angela Castro told the group.

In addition to commercial businesses, the gathering also brought together women involved in community initiatives and nonprofit organizations. Graciela Durán spoke about her work with El Club de Abuelitos, while Indhira Barrón shared information about the work of Pueblo Azul Colorado and La Alianza.

“We are Latina women leaders organizing ourselves to bring unity and well-being to our community,” Barrón said.

The diversity of projects represented reflected the breadth of the community that has formed around the group. Participants included women working in tax preparation, catering services, personalized products, embroidery, custom tumbler decoration, jewelry sales,

consulting and many other ventures.

At the conclusion of the event, Gazga said she felt encouraged by the enthusiasm and connections that emerged among attendees.

“My priority has always been the women and their businesses. In the end, I think we achieved that,” she said. “Support is essential — all of us make it possible.”

For Gazga, the true value of the group extends beyond sales, advertising or business growth. It is about building a community where women can find support, inspiration and opportunities to keep moving forward.

“At the end of the day, we all need one another, and everyone is welcome in the group.”

Women interested in joining the community can request to join the Mujeres Emprendedoras del Valle Facebook group, where they can find information about future gatherings, resources and opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs throughout the region.

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

The Mujeres Emprendedoras group (left to right, top row): Grisel Briseño, Verónica Romo, Teresa Lopez, Olivia Paniagua, Myriam Pérez, Susana Álvarez, Erika Niebla, Margarita Álvarez, Dyna Sánchez, Nadin Vargas, Lizeth Domínguez, Flor Hermosillo, Elizabeth González, Alejandra Cornejo, Ruth Chávez, Alicia Macías, Mayra Rodelas, Fabiola Gutiérrez, Anahí Gazga, (bottom row) Jacky Guerra, Flor Cecilia, Heidy Yac, Angela Gómez, Eva Sandoval, Ruby Vargas, Bianca Godina, Graciela Durán, and Eva Huizar. Courtesy photo

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

Pride in the street and from above

A rainbow cascaded over Mt. Sopris on May 26, ahead of Pride Month, as captured in this photo by Erin Gillming. When the time arrived, Carbondale stepped out on First Friday, June 5, to celebrate diversity and the LGBTQ community, with a Pride parade and several other peripheral happenings throughout town, a few moments of which are memorialized here thanks to photographer extraordinaire Tommy Sands.

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

Thank

you, ANB Bank

Many thanks to Tony Spires and ANB Bank in Carbondale for its recent donation to the Cozy Home Project. Mountain Valley Developmental Services (MVDS) has had good success to date with this campaign to shore-up its residential homes. Mountain Valley currently owns and operates 10 homes and 5 apartments throughout Garfield County. Over 75 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in these residential homes.

Like any good homeowner, MVDS is not only committed to maintaining the high standards in its homes but also creating a cozier atmosphere for

The donation from ANB Bank will make a big impact in the lives of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities we’ve been serving for over

Sara Sims

Glenwood Springs

Our planet is in dire straits. Living in Colorado, we see that on a daily basis, with water shortages and diminishing snowpack, increased wildfires and climate pollution from oil and gas extraction right here on the Western Slope. In the next couple of weeks, we all have something we can do about that by voting for a new Colorado governor. And my vote is going to Attorney General Phil Weiser for his incredible understanding of and willingness to act on environmental issues. Weiser’s “Roadmap for a Resilient Colorado” includes expanding solar and wind projects, strengthening the grid through battery storage, enforcing clean air and water standards, ensuring that data centers don’t drive up energy costs for everyone else and much more. All things that we need to keep Colorado communities

Senator Michael Bennet, who has a secure seat in the senate until at least 2028, wants to leave D.C. and become governor. And while I understand why any sane person would want to leave D.C. right now, that is exactly where we need him. And as an environmentalist, I believe Bennet’s climate policy falls very short on the specifics. As AG, Weiser has been fighting for Coloradans for eight years and has an incredible track record. Let’s put him in the governor’s seat and let him continue to fight for all of us and our land, water and air.

Laurie Stone Carbondale

Vote for Phil

Got 10 minutes? That’s all it’ll take to convince you that Phil Weiser is the best candidate for governor. If you’ve been following the candidates closely at all, you’ve probably already made up your mind to vote for Phil. For those of you

who haven’t had the opportunity to hear him speak, or read about him, here’s the short list of why he’s the best candidate for governor of Colorado.

Phil listens. His agenda for the state has come from his discussions with fellow Coloradans about what matters to us about our state. I’ve heard him speak a few times now, and at the end of every speech he opens the floor to the crowd to address their concerns, and then addresses ALL of them. The issues that come up most often are water security, lack of affordability, the environment and standing up to the unlawful actions of the Trump regime.

Phil has solutions. He has concrete plans for defending our state water rights and conserving the water we have, including stopping rich investors from taking water from rural communities to expand suburbs on the Front Range.

Phil is a fighter. As Colorado’s attorney general, he has sued the Trump administration over 60 times, and won the vast majority of them. As governor he will fight to protect: federal funding for the state, voter rights, reproductive rights, civil rights.

Phil gets things done. He knows what we care about and has plans to address our needs. If you’re still undecided, check out his website where he provides details, not platitudes, about how he plans to take care of our state. philforcolorado.com/issues

Marc Bruell Carbondale

Republican

or Trump defender?

Republicans, including Representative Jeff Hurd, are in a terrible bind. While the president is popular with his base, he is increasingly unpopular with the rest of America. Republicans are defending an unpopular and costly war, high inflation caused by the president’s tariffs, wars and tax cuts for millionaires. They are also stuck supporting sex offenders, January 6th terrorists (and the slush fund that will financially reward them), racism and white supremacy. This isn’t what the GOP once stood for, but having passed up the chance to impeach Trump they now have to deal with his total grip on the party.

In normal times Jeff Hurd would be a good choice for our Representative. He is likable, focuses on local issues and meets with local leaders. Unfortunately, he also bows to pressure when it matters most and is afraid to stand up to the abuses of the Trump administration. We wouldn’t be facing hospital closures on the Western Slope, or cuts to the Forest Service and BLM if Representative Hurd had voted against the Big Bad Bill – it passed by only one vote. Hurd, like other Republicans, must decide if he is a true Republican or just a Trump defender. Peter Westcott Missouri Heights

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

ROADBLOCK!

Unless you were wearing a cowboy hat, had four legs and a tail, were driving a Nieslanik vehicle or shooting photos for The Sopris Sun, you weren’t able to cross the County Road 108 Bridge early Tuesday, June 2, due to ongoing repair work. Although, lay pedestrians were still able to use the adjacent footbridge.

Thanks to prearranged plans with Garfield County Road and Bridge, the Nieslanik herd — including cows, horses, dogs and humans — was permitted to proceed across the main bridge on Tuesday and head up to cattle sorting for the night before being on their way to summer pastures on public lands way up and beyond North Thompson Creek.

According to the Nieslaniks, there are water tanks placed across the land where the cattle tend to hang. And unless we are fortunate enough to get a decent amount of rain, the cowboys and girls will be busier than usual filling tanks for their thirsty bovines throughout the summer.

Photos and text by Jane Bachrach Sopris Sun Correspondent

CARBONDALE

APPLY NOW TO THE Low Fixed Rate | $5,000-$25,000 | Variable Terms Available

Loan Fund

CRITERIA:

» Loan proceeds may be used for business reasons, including real estate acquisition, construction, and equipment.

» Funds cannot be used for refinancing of existing debt.

» Business must be located within the town limits of the Town of Carbondale.

» Terms and interest rate will depend on repayment capabilities, collateral, purpose of the loan and other conditions.

“ This fund was a huge help to pay off invoices and keep my store running when we had to close down due to the COVID pandemic. We’re lucky to have such an amazing program and support from the town.” ~

CRLF is made possible by the Town of Carbondale. The Carbondale Chamber is not affiliated with the Town of Carbondale, rather assisting the Town by overseeing the marketing & promotion, and certain aspects of the administration of CRLF. The loan funds are in no way exchanged with the Carbondale Chamber.