21 08 05

Sopris the

Cultivating community

connections since 2009

Sun

Volume 13, Number 26| August 5-11, 2021

2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

Sopris the

Cultivating community

connections since 2009

Sun

¡Aqui! ¡Adentro!

Sol del el

Valle

una nueva publicación semanal con noticias Volume 13, Number 26| August 5-11, 2021 locales en español.

Three...

Two...

One...

LIFT-OFF!

Photos and text by Sue Rollyson.

The Aspen Science Center's rocket camp was graced with clear weather for their launch window and final camp event on Friday, July 30. Despite a few technical difficulties, the six students successfully sent their rockets soaring as parents watched from the sidelines. Each of the proud students was awarded a certificate for completing the program. More about the Aspen Science Center's all-ages programming at aspensciencecenter.org

OPINION

Ps & Qs

By Jeannie Perry Question: Is Mercury pretty much always in retrograde these days? For every two steps forward I take, it feels like Mercury — or whoever oversees this science experiment we call Earth, pushes me back. Progress is slow going at best and inconceivable some days. I don’t think I’m alone in this molasses-coated reality, and while society trudges forward to bring us a better existence in many ways: technology, language, medicine, Mitch McConnell and his cronies are sliding down backwards on their backsides with arms and legs outstretched like a bunch of wet babies on a Slip ‘N Slide.

My eye doctor can tell if — and when — I’m going to have a stroke, “bust a nut” no longer

Cherry blossom aversion

means what you think it means (ask a teenager) and our cars are practically driving themselves…

But all the republican lawmakers want to talk about is voter fraud.

As if most Americans have time to sit around on Sunday morning after church and plot the ways they’ll vote more than once.

Hi, if they’re so concerned with non-citizens voting, they should check out all the corporate bots online. For Pete’s sake, it’s not even a Trojan horse. It’s right there, in our face, as we massage our egos by posting pictures of our breakfast and answering personalized questionnaires about childhood …

Facebook posts today are what writing on a gas station bathroom wall was in my youth.

We post the most asinine things online, barely stopping to check the spelling, before sharing it with the whole world. I can’t help but worry about how this will affect future generations and their sense of relevance. I mean, not only do they have to sort through the family baggage, but they have to do it in front of everyone. Intergenerational trauma is a thing and we’re just beginning to understand how emotional impacts are passed down through the family genes, just like eye color and sports

team fanaticism.

The process of epigenetics, where the readability, or expression, of genes is modified without changing the DNA code itself. Tiny chemical tags are added to or removed from our DNA in response to changes in the environment in which we are living. These tags turn genes on or off, offering a way of adapting to changing conditions without inflicting a more permanent shift in our genomes… … A 2013 study found that there was an intergenerational effect of trauma associated with scent. The researchers blew acetophenone — which has the scent of cherry blossom — through the cages of adult male mice, zapping their feet with an electric current at the same time. Over several repetitions, the mice associated the smell of cherry blossom with pain. …When their pups smelled the scent of cherry blossoms, they became more jumpy and nervous than pups whose fathers hadn’t been conditioned to fear it.

- BBC.com, “Can the legacy of trauma be passed down the generations?”

The article goes on to explain that the young mice in the experiments were raised by adult

mice unrelated to them, i.e., mice who had never smelt cherry blossom, to be sure the trauma was actually passed on through genetics. Ha! As opposed to what — the mice family picture albums? I can’t help but think this must be how aliens feel about us. I bet we are indistinguishable to them, and whether or not we grow up with our natural parents is of no significance. I’ve said it before, the best theory for our existence I’ve heard so far came from my best friend in fifth grade. Our entire universe is sitting on a shelf somewhere in a classroom in the cosmos and once in a while they check on us to observe the effects of their latest experiment. For all the great accomplishments of mankind, where are we really in the grand scheme of things?

Not that far from where we started, by my account.

Still fighting over religion and women’s bodies, still envious of the caveman with the most rocks, still excluding each other based on random luck of the draw, i.e., place of birth and inherited physical traits. As we learn more about epigenetics, maybe our focus will shift to healing past transgressions, instead of reposting our aversion to cherry blossoms year after year.

LETTERS Lights on but nobody home I’m an insomniac who frequently drives from my home in Ironbridge to the 7-Eleven in Carbondale for coffee at all hours of the night.

I’ve noticed that ever since City Market moved, the lights have remained on 24 hours a day in the old store. There has been no activity inside at night that I have observed. It looks like EVERY light in the store from front through the offices in back are on all the time. With all the justifiable concerns regarding the environment and conservation, I find this strange.

Robb Angier Glenwood Springs

E-bikes for seniors This is to the biking community. If I were to pass you on a bike path in my electric wheelchair would you yell “cheater chair?” Of course not, you say.

Why then do I, a 72-year-old veteran with a 50 percent disability, and many of my senior electric bike riding friends constantly hear “cheater bike” shouted at us when we pass you on an uphill stretch?

Rather than cater to a fragile ego, embrace your good fortune that your young, strong body doesn’t need an electric bike. Yet. Your excuses on why we should not be allowed on regular mountain bike trails are reminiscent of when snowboards first showed up. “They can’t negotiate lift lines; they can’t get on the chairlift; they scrape off the powder, etc.” Now it is, “they climb up trails they can’t get down; they go too far back and run out of battery (but we don’t stop jeeps from going into the backcountry), etc.”

So why were snowboarders finally allowed?

The ski companies realized they could make a lot of money and also that the excuses were really bogus.

The same is true for e-bikes. Seniors may not be able to be out there helping you build new trails but we sure can contribute with our wallets.

Big time. Embrace us; we are a valuable resource and fun comrades in a mutual sport if you give us a chance.

As a side note, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ruled last year that Class 1 e-bikes are not considered “motorized.” Are any of your club trails on BLM land?

Gary Pax Carbondale

Thank you postal service!

While the U.S. Postal Service has been the persistent target of criticism over financial results and rates of on-time delivery, what often gets lost is the way our rural mail carriers promote a greater sense of community.

These overworked and underpaid postal workers do much more than merely fill our boxes with catalogues and bill statements; they consistently provide a little extra to the citizens they serve, particularly on the outskirts of town.

Last week, I witnessed this first-hand.

While riding my bike on a quiet road, I hit a pothole and then the ground, breaking my collarbone and badly scraping my body. Dazed and splattered on the pavement, I was having difficulty collecting myself. Just then, Steve and Crystal, our mail carriers, rolled up and gingerly loaded me and my beat-up bike into their mail

truck. They then drove me all the way home, where I was able to get a ride to the hospital.

Crystal and Steve could not have been nicer or more helpful. Our rural community is very fortunate to be served by two such capable and caring professionals.

Zara Padden Carbondale

Adieu On Sept. 6, I will be closing Harmony Scott Jewelry and moving on from one of the most important chapters of my life.

This business has always been an expression of my heart, spirit and creativity. The past 20+ years have been a beautiful journey, and I am definitely feeling deep tenderness saying goodbye!

It's bittersweet to finalize this chapter, close the doors and step into the future without the steady presence of Harmony Scott Jewelry in downtown Carbondale.

I hope you will come celebrate with us the whole month of August, and stop in to say goodbye and enjoy our closing sale before our final day of business on Sept. 6!

I want to thank Carbondale, Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, and all of the people who have supported us for 20+ years: my clients and fans around the world, my staff, friends and family. You have all made this journey so rich and fulfilling!

I am honored to be a part of so many mutually beneficial relationships in the business, arts and nonprofit community in the Roaring Fork Valley!

I am incredibly proud our jewelry has touched Continued on page 23

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The community is invited to submit letters up to 500 words to news@soprissun.com. Longer columns are considered on a case-by-case basis. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday.

4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5 -11, 2021

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School’s back (and so are masks)

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

The Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) board convened a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 3, to discuss recommended COVID health and safety protocols for the beginning of the 2021/2022 school year.

Board President Natalie Torres began the meeting by acknowledging that while all parties may not agree about everything, the plan was made following science and medical advice from local partners.

Before outlining the proposed protocols, Superintendent Rob Stein described the process by which these types of decisions are made.

It starts with a recommendation or, as was common early in the pandemic, a directive coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national authorities like the American College of Pediatrics and American Medical Association.

That information then gets assimilated by statewide institutions: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Department of Education, the governor’s office and, as it related to school sports, the Colorado High School Activities Association.

Then, RFSD’s “Thursday morning group,” which became a regular meeting in response to the pandemic, gathers together educators with county health folks, local hospital

representatives, pediatric and family practice people, plus charter and private schools to interpret the latest information and issue guidelines.

“Everyone is sick of the pandemic,” stated Stein. “We all don’t like wearing masks.” Nonetheless, “I want to validate, we all care about our kids. Even if we disagree, we all want what’s best.”

That said, Stein elucidated that the guidelines are based on two simple priorities: 1. the health and safety of students and 2. prioritizing in-person learning. Last year, according to Stein, those two were in conflict. This year, the difference is being reconciled.

In addition to beginning the new semester with masks, the district will practice physical distancing, serial COVID testing, contact tracing, targeted quarantining and high-risk activities will be limited.

In alignment with new state guidance, if someone in a school tests positive for COVID, others that had contact with them will not need to quarantine if both parties were wearing a mask, if they are vaccinated, if 70 percent of people in the surrounding community are vaccinated, or if the local incidence rate is lower than 35 cases per 100,000 people for that week. Those last two conditions will also be key to lifting the mask mandate in schools.

Masks will not be required outdoors, meaning that all fall sports

except volleyball (an indoor sport) will be allowed to practice and play without masks.

Other exceptions to the masking rule include special circumstances (like phonics lessons) in designated areas.

Local medical experts Dr. David Brooks, Valley View Hospital Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Matt Percy, a physician with Mountain Family Health, joined the call to say that we’re in a better place than last year.

“Despite all the controversies and all the discussions and all the differing opinions, I truly sincerely believe that we’re more united than divided,” said Dr. Brooks. “I think we need to focus on common ground and that common ground is keeping kids in school.”

Both doctors stated that the number one thing the broader community can do to get masks off in schools, is to get vaccinated.

Opening the discussion to public comments, the board heard from several medical professionals with kids that attend district schools iterating their support for the plan and for keeping kids in school.

A few commenters expressed their concerns about requiring masks and encouraging the vaccine, a treatment approved for emergency authorized use but not yet given final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Among these commenters was a group of about a dozen people that had brought signs

Kindergarten students wear masks at Carbondale Community School in January, 2021. RFSD students will continue to wear masks through the upcoming fall semester. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh.

to picket outside Bridges High School in Carbondale before joining the virtual meeting.

Garfield County Public Health Specialist Carrie Godes shared her optimism that 63.3% of persons in Garfield County are now vaccinated with at least one dose. “If my child was in a terrible accident or had cancer, these are the people I would trust with their lives,” she said, referring to local health experts. “I just can’t imagine not heeding their advice at this time.”

Board member Maureen Stepp concurred, “As a board, we get a lot of criticism that we don’t care, that we don’t do the work…” She continued, “As Rob [Stein] says all the time, we

are not public health experts and we have to rely on the information that is presented. I have to rely on the doctors that are on the frontline.”

Despite differences of opinion, a tone of respect and appreciation prevailed throughout the meeting.

Although no action was taken on the recommended plan, it was generally received as a necessary compromise.

The board also assured constituents that they’ll be reviewing circumstances every week, hopeful that if things turn around after the recent jump in infections, mask requirements could be reevaluated within a few weeks.

The new school year begins on Aug. 16.

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5-11, 2021 • 5

SCUTTLEBUTT Mindfulness series Author and mindfulness coach Jessica Barnum teaches “energetic alignment” through gentle yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, wellness tips and journaling.

The series is free and continues through August and September at the Glenwood Springs Library on Mondays and at the Carbondale Library on Thursdays. The first session on both days (from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) is for ages 60 and up and the second session (from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) is for ages 18 and up. Learn more at gcpld.org Restrictions lifting

Fire restrictions are no longer in effect for Pitkin County, Garfield County and the White River National Forest. “The recent rains have improved conditions considerably,” said Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams.

“However, we are still in a drought and things can dry out quickly.”

Joy of parenting

The Carbondale Library hosts a three-part parenting class on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. beginning Aug. 11. The series is free and open to all, for more info call 970-963-2889.

Updated mask guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated

its guidance on mask usage. To maximize protection from new variants, all persons, regardless of vaccination status, are advised to wear a mask indoors in public in communities with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19.

State parks

To thank U.S. military members, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) offers active duty military, veterans and the National Guard free admission to all state parks for the month of August. Military members and veterans can pick up their free pass at any CPW office. Learn more at cpw.state.co.us Forest council

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is seeking applicants to serve on the state’s newly formed Forest Health Council. This volunteer stakeholder group will advise the governor on issues, opportunities and threats to the state’s forests.

Applications are due by Aug. 16 at bit.ly/forestcouncil Comp plan progress

Chart Carbondale, the town’s Comprehensive Plan update process, has scheduled two inperson community meetings at the Third Street Center. The first meeting will be in Spanish

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Dinner and childcare will be provided at both meetings. The agendas consist of an explanation of the process followed by time for feedback. The online survey remains open through Aug. 6 at CarbondaleKaleidoscope.org Paper copies are available at Town Hall.

Wolf planning

Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Keystone Policy Center have scheduled public virtual town halls on Aug. 17 and Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. Each meeting will run for up to three hours, depending on the number of people wishing to comment. Registration is at wolfengagementco.org/ Additionally, there will be an inperson open house in Eagle on Aug. 24 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Brush Creek Pavilion, 909 Capitol Street. An online comment form is at bit.ly/CPWwolfform

CMC elections

Colorado Mountain College is seeking candidates to fill three positions on its elected board of trustees. Each term is for four years. Candidates must have resided for at least 12 consecutive months within

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6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

Colorado Mountain College (CMC) President Dr. Carrie Hauser summited Mount Rainier last week with CMC faculty member Dr. Jon Kedrowski, who recently summited Mount Everest for the second time. Hauser is an avid outdoorswoman. She has summited Mount Kilimanjaro, climbed to Mount Everest base camp and is nearing completion of Colorado’s 58 highest peaks (14ers). Courtesy photo. the boundaries of the district they seek to represent. Districts withs seats up for elections are: District 1 (Aspen School District boundaries), District 3 (Garfield School District RE-2 and Garfield County School District 16 boundaries) and District 7 (Eagle County School District RE-50J boundaries). Petitions are available from the college’s Central Services administration office in downtown Glenwood Springs. And are due back with at least 50 qualifying signatures by Aug. 27 at 5 p.m.

They say it’s your birthday

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Cilla Dickinson, Rosie McSwain, Shiloh Merriott and Ixchel Muniz (Aug. 5); Steven Haines and Carly Merriott (Aug. 6); Ed Engelki and Charlotte Graham (Aug. 7); Amber Sparkles, Chris Peterson and Jasmin Ramirez Ramos (Aug. 8); Dru Handy and Sarah-Jane Johnson (Aug. 9); Jeanne Souldern and Louise Holgate (Aug. 10); Tripp Adams, Morgan Hill and Bill Hofto (Aug. 11).

Lift-Up emerges stronger

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

“Lift-Up is a treasure,” said Interim Executive Director John Dougherty in a recent interview. “It has been one of the most robust and rapid evolutions of an organization that has really been about hearing what the community needs, engaging with our partners and figuring out the best strategy to move forward.”

Dougherty would know. He’s made a career of assisting human service organizations with many types of transitions. Soon, Lift-Up will announce the name of their new executive director, once that person sorts things out with their current employer. Dougherty will remain onboard for a few more months, to ensure that things go smoothly.

The hiring of a new executive director comes with other good news. Lift-Up’s “pantryof-choice” in Carbondale will reopen on Monday, Aug. 16. The reopening of locations in Glenwood Springs and Rifle will follow, later in September. This option allows food recipients to choose from items displayed on shelves instead of grabbing a pre-packed supply of goods. Each guest is given a point allocation to spend while "shopping" at the pantry. Foods with a greater nutritional value cost fewer points than items that are less nutritious.

“Our pantry clients are so excited to return to our pantry-of-choice,” said Carbondale Volunteer Pantry Manager Glee Doyle. “Many have missed the social interaction and comfort of seeing the familiar and caring faces of our volunteer pantry crew.”

Back in March of 2020, Lift-Up successfully pivoted operations to meet the unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19. During

the height of the crisis, the organization saw a 600 percent increase in local food insecurity.

To guard against the virus, the organization shifted to mobile food distribution which, by popular demand, will remain an option throughout the valley.

Eighteen months into the pandemic experience, Lift-Up continues to adapt according to the needs of their communities.

The organization has made a concerted effort to solicit feedback via partners and clients. This resulted in more late afternoon/early evening hours and the addition of Saturdays for food retrieval. Additionally, Lift-Up has added more culturally diverse food options while working toward accessible, equitable and sustainable food security.

“And it did, unfortunately, shine that spotlight on food insecurity…” said Director of Marketing and Development Debbie Patrick.

“A lot of people are one paycheck away from being in trouble.”

Fortunately, Lift-Up saw that people in need of help were more comfortable with reaching out. A stigma around receiving assistance that may have previously existed was swept aside by a situation in which everyone saw clearly how things can turn overnight.

Such a successful transition was not without help. “Our community and our partnerships have really stepped up during the pandemic,” said Board President Anita Bineau. Lift-Up enjoys ample support from many governmental and non-governmental organizations in the area.

Another silver lining is the expansion of Lift-Up’s Farm to Food Pantry program, providing local ranchers and farmers with up front purchase commitments for fresh

Lift-Up volunteers ( foreground left to right) Kathy Sgambati, Glee Doyle and Liz Caris with Fabian Lujan, who was picking up groceries for Stepping Stones. Photo by James Steindler.

produce, dairy and meat to help persons in need with healthier and more diverse options.

To accommodate a greater commitment to fresh foods, Lift-Up’s Thrift Store in Parachute was retrofitted to expand the nonprofit’s warehouse and logistics capacity.

Party to the effort, Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork fundraised for a forklift to improve efficiency at the site. Funding is still needed for shelves, more refrigeration and palettes. Lift-Up is also working on getting additional refrigerated vehicles.

“This community is so supportive and so committed to taking care of each other,” commented Dougherty.

The Extended Table program has also

moved back inside with either grab-n-go or buffet service, five days a week in Glenwood Springs and two days a week in Rifle.

And Lift-Up continues to listen closely to the communities it serves to inform the organization’s direction. In addition to seeking board members, the board has opened their programs and services committee and fundraising committee to community members interested in lending their experience.

“There’s always a need for more support and volunteers in the work that Lift-Up does,” said Dougherty.

Learn more and find the August Food Distribution Calendar at www.liftup.org

AUGUST FOOD DISTRIBUTION LIFT-UP Mobile Distribution

ASPEN

LOCATION KEY: LIFT-UP Pantry-of-choice

SANA Mobile Distribution

465 N. Mill Street, #18 Tuesdays • 4–6 p.m.

Buttermilk Mountain Wednesday Aug 2 & 18 • 12–2 p.m.

CARBONDALE

Third Street Center Wednesdays • 4–6 p.m.

Saturday, August 14 • 12–2 p.m.

Third Street Center, 520 S. 3rd St. Re-opening Monday, August 16 • 2–4:30 p.m.

GLENWOOD

Glenwood Church of Christ, 260 Soccer Field Rd. Thursdays, August 12 & 26 • 4–6 p.m.

Glenwood Springs Middle School, 130 Soccer Field Rd. Saturdays • 1:30–2:30 p.m.

NEW CASTLE

Cristo La Roca, 880 Castle Valley Blvd.

Thursdays, August 5 & 19 • 4–6 p.m.

Saturday, August 28 • 12–2 p.m.

126 North 4th Street Wednesdays & Fridays • 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

RIFLE

Rifle Fairgrounds Fridays, August 6 & 20 • 4–6 p.m.

Rifle Middle School, 753 Railroad Ave. Saturdays • 1:30–2:30 p.m.

PARACHUTE

LIFT-UP Warehouse, 201 East 1st Street Fridays, August 13 & 27 • 4–6 p.m.

Saturday, August 21 • 12–2 p.m.

INFORMATION:

• No identification is necessary.

• Dates subject to change in the event of inclement weather or holidays.

• This institution is an equal opportunity provider & employer.

For more info or to make a donation LIFTUP.org THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5-11, 2021 • 7

Rethinking reading and writing

Photos and text by Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

The reading room's inaugural display consists of works recommended, especially for young people, by Sparkle Nation Book Club.

In 2018, Sparkle Nation Book Club (SNBC), a literary arts collective founded by artists and writers Gabrielle Rucker, Precious Okoyomon and Diamond Stingily, was formed in part to "challenge academia's notions of reading and writing" and open a dialogue "of how to 'properly' obtain, share and utilize knowledge."

The Aspen Art Museum (AAM) invited SNBC to participate in its inaugural Reading Room. The room's reading materials, selected by SNBC, include a mix of poetry, art books and short fiction books. Also available are self-published works of original art and/ or text, known as zines, which are easily reproduced using photocopy machines.

The pages are then stitched together in a booklet format.

AAM Assistant Curator Simone Krug explained, "We've been intrigued by their work as individual artists, and their research interests as a collective for a long time."

Rucker was a presenter at the July 31 "Midsummer Blow Out," the kickoff event leading up to AAM's annual ArtCrush.

This contemporary art gathering has convened each summer since 2005.

The Reading Room collection, Rucker explained, "is just books that we like a lot.

Authors that we like and think people should be reading." Many of the books are from small publishers and "you can't usually find those books at bookstores that exist now."

Rucker said some of the collection "is

Now Open

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OPEN EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS FOR SAME-DAY, WALK-IN CARE IN GLENWOOD SPRINGS.

LEARN MORE AT VVH.ORG/URGENTCARE 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

just for fun," like "I Spy" picture books. She added, "I don't think that kids are always doing nonsense on their phones. I'm sure they're doing something enriching, and I can't fathom it because I'm not a kid. But maybe this is something that is just as exciting as a telephone because I have to find this ‘I Spy’ image."

According to Rucker, SNBC was a DIY (do-it-yourself ) art initiative that started as a book club. They would assign specific book chapters or “intentional readings” to focus on relevant issues that they thought warranted deeper exploration.

Exploring different literary genres and formats, Rucker said, can open new horizons for readers and writers alike. "People gauge the importance and relevance of books by lists, like the New York Times Best Sellers List. I think that's really dangerous — to publishing, to authors — because it's not the full span of book writing or reading," she said.

Rucker said teenagers and young people are more adventuresome in their reading choices and observes that "many adults, even more than perhaps just sticking to authors they know, stick with what people tell them to read, like NPR or on whatever website."

At Saturday's event, Rucker facilitated an activity encouraging event-goers to “write” in small zine-style books, using an asemic writing style. “Asemic” means having no specific meaning in language or logic.

Do you remember the Peanuts comic strips where Woodstock's words appeared in cartoon speech balloons as chicken scratch marks? Think of asemic writing as communicating without letters or words.

"Textual art can be visual art," said Rucker.

KDNK radio's own Kenna Crampton interviews SNBC founder Gabrielle Rucker. KDNK provided music for the AAM's "Midsummer Blow Out" event.

Denver-based band Brothers of Brass got the crowd dancing with their new style of "brass-hop" music.

When experimenting with it, Rucker noted, "you will notice the motion your hand wants to go in feels good." As a writer, she said it is a great way to relieve stress, foster creativity and overcome writer's block.

One of SNBC's goals is to "challenge academia's notions of reading and writing."

Rucker explained, "I think in academia, whether it be in elementary school or college level, you're being told how to write, whether that be for a research paper or just learning the alphabet. There's even a right and wrong way to hold your pencil."

SNBC's online radio show, "Sparkle Nation's Silent Reading Hour," can be found on Montez Press Radio. They've drawn ideas from reading group discussions and expanded them to include topics that arise from those conversations.

The SNBC Reading Room at AAM will continue through Aug. 29. For more information about AAM and this week's ArtCrush events, go to aspenartmuseum.org/ For more information about Sparkle Nation Book Club, go to instagram.com/ sparklenationbookclub/

Gabrielle Rucker ( foreground, left) leads AAM event-goers in a hands-on writing activity.

Carbondale Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting

Discussion & Conversation: How can Carbondale help meet your needs?

If you...

Love children & stories Want to stay young at heart Believe in community Want to build the character of the next generation Then join Roaring Fork Valley Storytellers® for our next volunteer training and become a storytelling

The future of Carbondale is important and the Town wants to hear from everyone.

Make your voice heard!

Tuesday, August 17th | 6-8pm | Third Street Center - Callaway Room Childcare and food provided!

Stay up to date by registering on the project website or scanning the qr code:

www.CarbondaleKaleidoscope.com/Chart-Carbondale

volunteer!

Sign up NOW for the 2021 Summer Training:

8/21

8/25

1-4 pm

1-4 pm

8/28

9/01

1-4 pm

1-4 pm

Register today! To , please Tolearn learn more or RSVP RSVP, pleasecontact contact Kim at at:kstacey@rof.net Kstacey@rof.netor or970-963-1869.

970-963-1689.

Kim THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5 -11, 2021 • 9

Cultivating place with Jennifer Jewell

By Geneviève Villamizar Sopris Sun Correspondent

With a planet and society in flux, many find themselves seeking a deeper understanding of the world around us and our place in it. If this is you, join ACES at Rock Bottom Ranch on Wednesday, August 11, at 6 p.m. The Jessica Catto Dialogue series presents author and national awardwinning radio host Jennifer Jewell.

In the beginning of her career, Jewell recalls being “so excited to write about it, to merge my love of gardening with my love of writing.

It was such a rich topic!” Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden, is her national radio show and podcast; Jewell’s culminating response to her lifelong career in gardens and media.

“I was absolutely inoculated with the importance of this from my birth on, with my parents. They didn’t do it consciously. It was not an articulated value or paradigm. It was just who they were, and where they found sanity, joy and meaning.” Jewell’s mother was a gardener and floral designer; her father, a wildlife biologist.

In cultivating her first “very own” garden as an adult, “I jumped out of bed every morning like I was meeting my first love!

It was fantastic.” And then, “The way that newspapers and magazines wrote about it in the late nineties was reducing it to a weird, twodimensional kind of status symbol accessory to our lives, not elevating it into this calling that we use to talk about cooking or music or literature, or the fine arts or dance! And that’s what gardening is to me,” she says. “That’s how I experience it; that’s how all the gardeners I

communed with experienced it, and that’s not how it was being represented. I grew more and more disenchanted.”

Submitting a story about an elderly Japanese bonsai master in Arvada, her photography was rejected.

“The editor said to me, ‘Well! I can’t print this story with these pictures. That man has a dirty t-shirt on and that’s just not going to fly,’” Jewell recounts, derision in her voice. “And I was like, Okay, I’m out... I used our move from Colorado to northern California to think about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. I just knew that isn’t what I wanted anymore. That’s when I discovered radio,” she says of a medium in which “I could get to the voice of what we were talking about and not have pretty pictures get in the way.”

That clash in value systems began to play out in her personal life — which is the very fodder and compost of our gardens: our own uniqueness. Jewell realized she was being forced to choose, and her decision changed her life.

Each word is weighted and deliberate as Jewell explains, “I do not want to be a part of a world that perpetuates this idea that earning money or being important in a productivity mindset is what keeps anybody healthy and well. And I certainly didn’t want to message that to my daughters.”

While her life transition was “brutal,” as she put it, “the second I did it — I’m not kidding — the universe came to me every single day and said, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’”

Her radio program went national, becoming today’s one-hour long Cultivating Place podcast, grounded in what Jewell has called “the Tao of compost.”

Harmony Scott 10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

Jewell tells another story, one of several about her mother.

“Her religious system was the garden, was compost. In the sixteen years that she battled cancer — and ultimately died from it — it was her answer to almost everything. Literally on her deathbed, she wasn’t scared. She wasn’t worried. She wasn’t anxious. She was completely at peace, even at the age of 55. It was because she honestly believed in this concept I call ‘the Tao of compost.’ She saw it every day in the garden, in the soil, the air, the water, the bugs, in the plants — they all worked together in this continuum of life, rebirth, life, rebirth.”

As in life and death, the liminal space between people and their gardens encompasses far more than what we “see.” In conversing with gardeners from all over, Cultivating Place traverses the aliveness between people and the cultivated ecologies sustaining them: where the wild things are; navigating by plants; the garden as crucible; homegrown hope; cultivating intention; botanizing globally, growing locally; solace in the soil; new naturalism — on and on!

“We’re not talking about what our gardens look like, or how pretty they are, or how much they cost, or where to get ‘that next thing.’ Talking about this ‘heart and soul of gardening’ reinforces for me that other people too are hungry to talk about [gardening] in this same way.” For Jewell, “this engagement and empowerment with gardeners was meeting the divine, and acknowledging it where it had met me.”

Spend an evening with Jennifer Jewell at Rock Bottom Ranch to explore the diversity of life and being a human through garden, place and culture.

Jennifer Jewell. Photo by E. Aldrete.

Checking in at the GarCo jail

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

The Garfield County Detention Facility (GCDF) was built in 2001 and lauded as state of the art.

According to its current management, there has never been an escape from the compound; they were quick to point out that Ted Bundy broke out of the old county jail.

Recently, The Sopris Sun was able to get inside but with some limitations which included not being permitted to interview current inmates or take photos within the facility.

In order to qualify as a detention specialist, an applicant must have their GED or high school diploma.

While there is some training once a recruit is hired and throughout their time working as a jailer, they are not required to complete the police academy.

Currently, there are approximately 95 men and 10 women housed in the jail. There is only one “female pod” in the jail which houses all the women inmates regardless of their security classification.

The average length of stay for inmates is 17 days. However, according to Sgt. James Brassfield, that is skewed because it includes the countless arrestees who bond out within an hour or so of entry.

“There are no firearms allowed

inside the facility for anybody,” says Garfield County Jail Commander Jim Myer, “and that’s always been the case.” When a law enforcement officer brings in an arrested individual they leave their gun locked in one of several lock boxes at the jail’s entry points.

Cell phones are also not allowed within the facility with the exception of supervisors with department issued cell phones.

A detention specialist is equipped with a radio, medical grade scissors, a secondary weapon (choice between pepper spray and a taser), handcuffs and a slash-resistant vest (not quite bulletproof ).

There are minimum, medium and maximum security pods. According to the Sheriff Office’s website, “at the GCDF, inmates are housed using the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, Objective Jail Classification Point System.”

However, some individuals housed in the maximum pod are not considered a maximum security risk on the classification scale.

Believe it or not, folks request to be housed in maximum security where there is more privacy than in medium or minimum. Those lower on the classification scale but wanting to stay in the maximum pod may start an altercation once back in medium or minimum security in order to get back upstairs (maximum is on the top floor).

During The Sopris Sun’s visit, there were 10 people in the maximum pod but only two of them were considered maximum security status.

When touring the medium pod, an inmate came up and showed Myer a drawing of Benjamin Franklin — quite an impressive one — and informed the jail commander that he wants to be a tattoo artist. Another asked Myer how much he is benching these days. The overall vibe — at the time — was peaceful and fraternizing.

When someone is put on suicide watch, they are moved to a holding cell with a reinforced glass door in the booking area of the jail where staff can keep on eye on them. Folks on suicide watch are left with a “smock,” which is heavy to prevent tearing, and a bed pad. There is no limit to the amount of time someone can be kept on suicide watch. This is left up to mental health evaluators.

Additionally, there is a safety cell which is an empty padded room with one small window looking into the mostly vacant hallway within the “transition pod” of the building.

Apparently, people are put in there to “calm down,” and typically aren’t there for very long.

Rather than referring to it as solitary confinement, the jail calls it administrative segregation. It’s different from what people see in the movies. People who get on this list are generally kept in either the maximum

Garfield County jail submits capacity data to the state quarterly. This graph reflects ethnicity from this year's third quarter. Graph by James Steindler.

pod or the transition pod. They get let out of their cell “when it is safe to do so,” during the day, says Brassfield and, “if they choose to,” adds Myer.

According to Colorado law, when someone is booked in, strip searches are only authorised for certain reasons — such as for habitual offenders or drug charges. Typically, arrestees are not strip searched and the jail has a body scanner to detect contraband and/or weapons.

Family and friends can only visit remotely. Recently, inmates have been given access to tablets which they can use to virtually meet with family and friends. “All of these tablets do have free features, but if you want to watch a movie you’re going to have to pay for it; if you want to do a video visit, you’re going to have to pay for it,” says Brassfield. Any communication to the outside comes with a price and every conversation is recorded, except for attorney visits which are done through a glass partition.

In terms of COVID, once an inmate is classified and booked they get a rapid test. If they test positive, they’ll have to quarantine for 10 days in a cell in the transition pod.

Reportedly, there are currently no positive COVID cases within the jail.

Inmates are not given local newspapers so as not to discover information about one another's cases. However, they do get to read USA Today.

Jail is not intended to be a nice place to live, however, according to Myer, everyone is treated with the same level of respect. “The terminology we like to use around here is ‘firm, fair and consistent,’” says Brassfield. “It doesn’t matter who they are.”

“Another reason for how we treat people is you’re going to see them at City Market, you’re going to see them at Walmart, you’re going to see them walking down the sidewalk when you’re with your kids,” reflects Myer.

PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION

& BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT

Open seats on the Town of Carbondale Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment.

Contact Janet Buck 970.510.1208.

Applications may be found at www.carbondalegov.org or at Town Hall.

Applications are due by August 16, 2021 at 5 pm.

Cool Brick Studios

photography • film • video 360° virtual tours

CoolBrickStudios.com

86 S 3rd St. Carbondale, Colorado

world-class multimedia studio

PC: Hal WIlliams

WWW.CARBONDALE.COM/FIRST-FRIDAY

Audio and visual excellence all under one roof !

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5-11, 2021 • 11

CALENDAR

Visit soprissun.com to submit events.

THURSDAY AUGUST 5

Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Basalt Library’s Teen Summer Olympics continues with miniature canoe-building at 3 p.m. Registration is required at bit.ly/teenolympics

Valle Musico performs at the Fourth Street Plaza in Carbondale at 6 p.m.

LEGO SLALOM

TRUCK CONCERT

The Aspen Music Festival and School’s concert truck cruises over to the Basalt Library for an outdoor show at 6 p.m.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6 MAKERS MARKET

Harmony Scott Jewelry Design will have items storewide marked as low as 75 percent off to prepare for closing shop on Sept. 6. There will be an additional First Friday pop-up market from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

10X10

The Art Base’s “Name Unseen Silent Auction” opens with a reception at 5 p.m. The fundraiser/ exhibit features over 100 pieces from regional artists. All of the work is signed on the back, concealing the artist’s name until after the auction. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The auction closes on Aug. 21.

ARTIST TALK

“Small Glimpses, Many Times: Mt. Sopris Edition”, a solo exhibition

by Nancy Lovendahl, and “The Plants We Live With”, a solo exhibition by Forrest Zerbe, open at The Launchpad’s R2 Gallery with an outdoor artist talk at 5:15 p.m. The shows continue through Sept. 10, open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and

FIRST FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Michael Jude and John Michel perform at Heather's in Basalt at 7 p.m.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

“Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” opens at the Crystal Theatre and continues on Saturday and Monday at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday showing is at 5 p.m. “Summer of Soul” also shows on Saturday at 5 p.m.

SATURDAY AUGUST 7 ADOPTION FEES

Alpine Bank will pay fees for folks adopting pets from Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE) on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8. Call CARE at 970-9479173 to make an appointment.

VALLEY RALLY

Wilderness Workshop rallies to save the Homestake Valley from a proposed dam and reservoir. Meet in the town of Red Cliff to make signs and share info at 10 a.m. before gathering at Homestake Reservoir Road at noon. More info at wildernessworkshop.org BOAT RACE

Silt Library invites children and families to make a boat and enter a race at 11 a.m. The event includes music and storytime and is free and open to all.

MAGICAL MOMENTS

Redstone’s free summer concert series (located at Avalanche Outfitters,

behind the coke ovens) continues with Brad Fitch performing a tribute to John Denver at 6 p.m.

TACAW

Extra Gold performs at The Contemporary in Willits, outdoors for free at 7 p.m. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test are required for entry.

DRIVE-IN MOVIE

The Basalt Library hosts a drive-in movie night featuring “The Wizard of Oz”. The film will start after sunset. For more information, visit basaltlibrary.org

SUNDAY AUGUST 8 PARK CONCERT

The Second Sunday Summer Concert Series continues at Sopris Park beginning at 4 p.m. Admission is free.

TUESDAY AUGUST 10 TRUCK CONCERT #2

Students with the Aspen Music Festival and the founders of The Concert Truck will perform at the Carbondale Library at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

TRAILWORK TRAINING

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers teaches trailwork basics at 2 p.m. at the Hunter Creek trailhead.

Then, volunteers get to work on re-routing a multi-modal trail at 4 p.m. Sign-up at rfov.org

“Periwinkle” by Peggy Judy is part of a new exhibition at the Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt featuring Judy, Terry Gardner, Donna Howell-Sickles and Simon Winegar. The show is on display through Aug. 15, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Courtesy image.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11

BOOKBINDING WORKSHOP

JOYFUL PARENTING

The first of a three part workshop to delve into the art of bookbinding and creating a story will be held at the Basalt Library from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. More information at basaltlibrary.org

The Carbondale Library hosts a three-part class which focuses on parenting joyfully. The first class begins at 6:30 p.m. The class is free. More info at gcpld.org

THURSDAY AUGUST 12 RESTORATION WORK

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers joins the Independence Pass Foundation to remove debris and non-historical portions of a mining era cabin at 9 a.m. Sign-up at rfov.org

Health Fair Save the date!

Blood draws available by appointment only. No walk-ins.

Online and telephone booking starts Monday, August 16.

Session 1

ASPEN Aspen Valley Hospital Thursday, September 30 Friday, October 1 Saturday, October 2 BASALT El Jebel Community Center Sunday, October 3

Session 2

ASPEN Aspen Valley Hospital Thursday, October 21 Friday, October 22 Saturday, October 23 BASALT El Jebel Community Center Sunday, October 24

All appointments 8:00 am - 11:00 am.

Lab Tests Offered

Help Wanted Full-Time with Benefits Recreation Facilities Maintenance Lead Contact: Eric

Full-Time with Benefits Parks Maintenance Position

Part-Time Customer Service Representative Carbondale Recreation Center

Contact: Russell

ebrendlinger@carbondaleco.net

rsissom@carbondaleco.net

Contact:Jamie

970-510-1327

• HealthScreen w/CBC - $70

970-510-1327

jwall@carbondaleco.net

970-510-1214

(Fasting Required)

• hsCardio CRP - $35 • Hemoglobin A1C & EAG - $35 • PSA, Total - $40 • Vitamin D - $45

aspenhospital.org |

Full test descriptions at aspenhospital.org/health-fair.

AspenValleyHospital

12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

Applications Available for download at www.carbondalegov.org.

Valle

Sol del el

Conectando comunidades

OPINIÓN

OTRA PERSPECTIVA Por Crystal Mariscal Hay temas que son preferibles ser compartidos por expertos, es por eso que hoy quiero presentarles a una mujer que admiro, respeto y aprecio mucho.

Iliana Renteria es muy conocida en el valle por su trabajo y labor altruista.

Confío en que este artículo les ayudará con el tema tan complejo de salud mental, tanto como me ayudó a mi.

Lo que sigue es escrito por ella.

La salud mental es mucho más que la ausencia de enfermedad. El bienestar mental no es únicamente un diagnóstico, o la ausencia de un diagnóstico, es una forma de vida. Es el círculo que te rodea, las actividades

A este su agrpadec nu e o y o e m o vo p par s ro y a ecto .

Volumen 1, Número 23 |5-11 de augusto de 2021

Salud mental, desde Aspen a Parachute

que realizas, la rutina que sigues, y tu componente genético e interior.

La salud mental son todas y cada una de las decisiones conscientes e inconscientes que tomamos para proteger nuestra mente, nuestras emociones, y las de aquellos que amamos. Y todos podemos promoverla, darle prioridad y buscar su equilibrio desde nuestra realidad.

Piensa en aquello que te da paz, calma, que te inspira, que llena tu alma, pero también en lo que te hace fuerte y resiliente. Piensa en el camino que has recorrido, y en los retos que has superado. Eso es salud mental.

Las herramientas que has utilizado para llegar al punto en el que te encuentras, y los mecanismos que tu mente desarrolló, con o sin ayuda, para afrontar desde tus alegrías hasta tus más profundas tristezas y tus miedos. Todo eso está envuelto en la salud mental.

Con la pandemia, se hizo evidente que todos y todas necesitamos las herramientas necesarias para manejar lo imprevisto y lo incierto, y que todos enfrentamos retos de bienestar mental. Pues, el estrés extremo, los conflictos familiares, las relaciones mal elaboradas, la enfermedad e incluso la presión del día a día pueden terminar por desbordarse si no aprendemos a

ponerlas en perspectiva y a trabajar nuestras emociones adecuadamente.

Hoy más que nunca buscamos la conexión humana, valoramos la familia, nuestro tiempo y nuestro círculo cercano para apoyarnos, y así — tal vez sin saberlo — estamos priorizando y buscando herramientas para proteger nuestra salud mental.

Actualmente formo parte de una campaña de bienestar mental que está por ser lanzada en nuestro valle enfocada en la prevención, desestigmatización, y la detección de los síntomas principales cuando alguien está perdiendo el equilibrio de su salud mental. Soy afortunada pues además, puedo guiar y apoyar diversas campañas e iniciativas cercanas a mi corazón con diversas organizaciones a lo largo del valle y del estado.

En medio de la pandemia, de manera orgánica y como parte de nuestra necesidad humana por conectar y compartir, nació el grupo Emergencias y Recursos Aspen a Parachute (antes Coronavirus y Emergencias) en Facebook. Un grupo voluntario diseñado para mantener un canal de comunicación inmediato con nuestra comunidad pero también un medio para conectarles con los recursos disponibles. Desde

su creación no ha habido un día en que no reciba mensajes solicitando información sobre medidas de prevención contra COVID, sitios de pruebas, centros de vacunación, ayuda financiera, alimentos, ayuda legal y por supuesto, sobre salud mental.

Es a través de este canal y de mis propias redes sociales donde intento conectar a mi comunidad con los recursos a su alcance, pero también con herramientas de prevención y cambios en estilos de vida de una manera que resuena y es relevante.

Cuando elegí la psicología como profesión en mi país natal, ya vislumbraba que la salud mental es un tema complicado que necesita abordarse desde diferentes frentes, quería desde mi experiencia profesional poner mi granito de arena. Como parte del sistema de salud en México, aprendí bien que la salud mental es un proceso. Y que aun con especialistas al alcance de una llamada telefónica, el encontrar la modalidad de tratamiento apropiada, la terapeuta de confianza, el medicamento preciso en la dosis correcta, al alcance de tu bolsillo, nunca fue cosa de un día o un mes.

Si a eso le sumamos los cambios de comportamiento, entorno y rutina

necesarios, la salud mental se vuelve un camino largo, concienzudo, y un trabajo en equipo. Todo esto puede ser especialmente complejo en comunidades pequeñas y geográficamente aisladas como la nuestra.

Por esas razones es un gusto estar certificada como instructora de Primeros Auxilios para la Salud Mental y he tenido la satisfacción de llevar a cabo incontables talleres en inglés y en español en los condados de Pitkin, Eagle, Garfield y Mesa.

Hoy puedo apoyar esta causa desde mi propio rol y perspectiva, como espero que cada quien lo haga desde su trinchera.

Porque la salud mental es mucho más que un “yo”, que la genética, que un diagnóstico o la falta de él. Es el bienestar en uno mismo. La capacidad y certeza de poder afrontar los retos del día a día, el auto poder de decisión y de poner límites, el dejar ir el pasado y dejar llegar el futuro sin aprehensión.

La tranquilidad en tus relaciones, pero sobre todo en tu interior y tu mente. Es cultivarte desde adentro, cuidar de tu jardín interno y florecer.

Es pedir y recibir ayuda profesional cuando lo necesitas. Es un proceso de todos los días.

CHISME DEL PUEBLO Toma conciencia

Las agendas consisten en una explicación del proceso seguido por tiempo para comentarios. La encuesta en línea seguirá abierta hasta el 6 de agosto en CarbondaleKaleidoscope.org Las copias físicas están disponibles en la alcaldía.

La autora y entrenadora de ciencia Jessica Barnum enseña “alineación energética” a través de yoga apacible, técnicas de respiración, meditación, consejos de bienestar y registros. La serie es gratis y continuará hasta agosto y septiembre en la biblioteca de Glenwood Springs los lunes y en la biblioteca de Carbondale los jueves. La primera sesión en ambos días (de las 2:30 p.m. a las 3:30 p.m.) es para edades de 60 en adelante y la segunda sesión (de las 5:30 p.m. a las 6:30 p.m.) es para edades de 18 en adelante. Para saber más visite gcpld.org

El gozo de ser padre La biblioteca de Carbondale organizará una clase de tres partes sobre la paternidad los miércoles a las 6:30 p.m. comenzando el 11 de agosto. Estas series son gratis y abiertas a todo el público, para más información llame al 970-963-2889.

Parques estatales Para agradecerle a los miembros militares de los Estados Unidos, Colorado Parks and WIldlife (los Parques y Fauna Silvestre de Colorado) le ofrece a militares en servicio activo, veteranos y la guardia nacional admisión a todos los parques estatales durante el mes de agosto. Miembros militares y veteranos pueden recoger sus pases gratis en cualquier oficina de CPW. para saber más visite cpw. state.co.us

Junta forestal El departamento de recursos naturales de Colorado está buscando solicitantes para servir en la nueva junta de salud forestal.

El grupo de voluntarios interesados aconsejara al gobernador sobre cuestiones, oportunidades y amenazas a los bosques del estado. Aplicaciones seran recibidas hasta el 16 de agosto en bit.ly/ forestcouncil

Planificación del lobo

Dibujo por Larry Day

Restricciones de fuego Restricciones de fuego ya no están en efecto en el condado de Pitkin, el condado de Garfield y el bosque nacional White River. “Las lluvias recientes han mejorado las condiciones,” dijo el supervisor de bosques Scott Fitzwilliams. “Sin embargo, todavía estamos en una sequía y las cosas se podrían secar rápidamente.”

Guía de mascarilla El centro para el control y la prevención de enfermedades ha actualizado su guía del uso de mascarilla. Para maximizar la protección de nuevas variantes, todas las personas, sin importar estado de vacunación, son aconsejados de usar mascarillas dentro de lugares públicos en comunidades con transmisiones sustanciales o altas de COVID-19.

Planificando Carbondale Chart Carbondale, la actualización del progreso del plan integral del pueblo, ha programado dos reuniones comunitarias en persona en el Third Street Center. La primera reunión será en español el lunes 16 de agosto de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. La segunda reunión será en español el martes 17 de agosto de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. Una cena y cuidados de niños serán proporcionados en ambas reuniones.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife y el centro de políticas de Keystone han programado reuniones virtuales públicas el 17 de agosto y el 26 de agosto a las 5 p.m. Cada reunión puede durar hasta tres horas, dependiendo del número de personas que deseen comentar. La inscripción está disponible en wolfengagementco. org/. Adicionalmente, habrá un evento abierto en persona en Eagle el 24 de agosto de 5 p.m. a 8 p.m. en The Brush Creek Pavilion, 909 Capitol Street. La forma de comentarios está disponible en linea en bit.ly/CPWwolfform

Elecciones de CMC Colorado Mountain College está buscando candidatos para llenar tres posiciones en la junta directiva electa. Cada periodo es de cuatro años. Los candidatos deben haber residido al menos 12 meses consecutivos dentro de los límites del distrito que desean representar.

Los distritos con asiento para elección son: Distrito 1 (Límites del distrito escolar de Aspen), Distrito 3 (distrito escolar de Garfield RE-2 y límites del distrito escolar de Garfield 16) y el Distrito 7 (límites del distrito escolar de Eagle RE-50J). Las peticiones están disponibles en la oficina de administración de servicios central en el centro de Glenwood Springs. Las peticiones deben ser entregadas con al menos 50 firmas calificadas el 27 de agosto a las 5 p.m.

Consultas médicas gratis La Clínica del Pueblo ofrece consultas médicas gratis en Third Street Center el tercer sábado de cada mes, incluyendo el día sábado 21 de agosto. Las consultas son proveídas de 9 a.m. a 3 p.m. Para citas, consultas y preguntas, contacte a Judith Alvares al 970-989-3513.

Se expande el Sol del Valle

RUMIANDO

Por Raleigh Burleigh Editor Ya han pasado cinco meses desde que arranquemos con el Sol del Valle. ¡Cómo vuela el tiempo! Me agrada mucho que — hasta ahora — haya sido tan bien recibido.

Tampoco estamos terminades de gestionar el proyecto. Estoy feliz en reportar que ya están transcurriendo conversaciones para amplificar el trabajo de este nuevo recurso comunitario.

Pronto habrá más información sobre de qué se trata eso. Por ahora, con esta columna, quiero reafirmar que estamos siempre felices en recibir nuevas perspectivas para este periodico nascente.

Siempre con el deseo de ser auténtico, representativo y útil, invitamos a que surjan ideas para guiar la publicación por su próxima etapa. ¿Qué podemos

hacer para mejor servir y interesarte? ¿Cuales cosas no te gustan que mejor dejamos en el pasado? Nos encantaría saber de ti.

Igualmente, extendemos la invitación a toda la gente que quiera participar y contribuir.

Ya sea a través del periodismo mismo — parte de la misión de The Sopris Sun es entrenar a reporteros y reporteras para asegurar un buen futuro para la profesión. O, como seguramente se han dado cuenta, nos gusta mucho publicar fotografías y dibujos de gente local. ¿Sos artista queriendo compartir tu trabajo?

Pues, es un gusto conocerle.

Siempre con pago, estamos felices en recibir a corresponsales ya con experiencia o personas que quieren empezar a desarrollar nuevas habilidades desde cero. Según tus intereses, nos gustaría ofrecer entrenamiento.

Ahora que existe la estructura, es hora de prender la fiesta.

Y quepan todos, todas, todes, con el sueño de que el Sol del Valle se vuelva tan diverso como la comunidad latina del valle Roaring Fork.

Nuestra visión es que el Sol del Valle sea informativo e inspirador. Y, que sea inclusivo.

En mi mente, de eso se trata un medio comunitario como

este. Debe ser formado por muchas manos y mentes para que trascienda las ideas una sola persona (o varias). Y para qué siga evolucionando mientras cambian los tiempos y nuestras circunstancias compartidas.

Si ocupas las redes sociales, nos agradaría mucho que nos busques por Facebook y que compartas la página con tu gente. Nos exigimos para agregar todo el contenido que se encuentra en el periodico, más otro contenido, dentro de esa página. Y para una persona al cual le gusta generar conversaciones dentro de esos espacios, también invitamos que nos contacte para sumarse a la movida.

Se puede encontrar nuestra página de Facebook visitando a facebook.com/soldesopris Eventualmente, será necesario que alguien más que yo dirige la producción — editando y ayudando a informar la dirección y contenido del Sol del Valle. Tanto que me encanta el trabajo (y la cultura latina), lo ideal es que sea una persona con español como su lengua madre, mejor conectade con las comunidades hispanohablantes del valle, sus historias y contextos.

Con la persona adecuada para guiar la publicación, es emocionante imaginar lo que podría lograr hacer.

Ya que está la estructura (con

Reunión de la comunidad hispanohablante sobre el Plan Maestro de Carbondale Discusión y Conversación: ¿Cómo puede Carbondale ayudar a cubrir sus necesidades?

más por venir), ¿Seas tú ese alguien para darle vida y color?

Y, como nada nunca está garantizado, repito que dependemos en vender anuncios y recibir donaciones para sostener nuestros servicios. Por ser una organización sin fines de lucro, podemos ofrecer precios muy bajos para publicidades (en comparación con otros medios del valle). A menudo extendemos ofertas y, también, haremos la parte de tu diseño gratis. Anunciarte con nosotros te nombra dentro de la comunidad como anfitrión de un medio comunitario y todo lo que implica.

Encontrarás las detalles en la pagina: soprissun.com/ advertise/ Si tu preferencia es simplemente donar a la causa (¡cualquier monto se agradece!), puedes visitar a soprissun.com/donate/ Siempre invitamos a la comunicación. Para aprender más e iniciar una conversación, manda un correo a raleigh@ soprissun.com o llamanos a 970-510-3003.

Cualquier pregunta o duda que tienes, estamos felices de responder.

Donaciones por correo o en línea P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Executive Director Todd Chamberlin • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Editor Raleigh Burleigh • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Directora Artística: Ylice Golden Traductoras: Jacquelinne Castro y Dolores Duarte Distribucion: Crystal Tapp Miembros de la Mesa Directiva Linda Criswell • Klaus Kocher Kay Clarke • Lee Beck • Megan Tackett Gayle Wells • Donna Dayton • Terri Ritchie Eric Smith • Vanessa Porras The Sopris Sun, Inc. Es un miembro orgulloso del Distrito Creativo de Carbondale The Sopris Sun, Inc. es una 501(c)(3) organización benéfica sin fines de lucro.

Contribuciones financieras son deducibles de impuestos. ¡ESCRÍBENOS! Para contribuir ideas y contenido al Sol del Valle, escribiéndonos a: sol@soprissun.com Para comprar espacio publicitario en español, inglés, o ambos, mándanos un correo electrónico a:

adsales@soprissun.com También se puede contactarnos llamando a 970-510-3003.

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14 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 5 al 11 de augusto de 2021

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Jueves el 5 y 19 de agosto • 4–6 p.m.

Sábado el 28 de agosto • 12–2 p.m.

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Rifle Middle School, 753 Railroad Ave. Sábados • 1:30–2:30 p.m.

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Planta flores y no cortes los dientes de león

Por Olivia Emmer Traducción por Dolores Duarte

Tras 28 años de practicar la apicultura, los movimientos de Ed Colby alrededor de sus colmenas son constantes y tranquilos. En lugar de un traje completo de apicultor, lleva unos jeans, una camisa de manga corta y un velo para protegerse la cara. El zumbido constante de las abejas llena el aire mientras abre una colmena.

He conocido a Colby en el Espacio Abierto Emma. Pasando el puesto de la granja Two Roots y por encima de una zanja hay un tranquilo pasto de regadío salpicado de flores moradas de alfalfa. En junio, a petición de Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (PCOST), Colby trasladó unas 10 colmenas a este lugar, como prueba para el programa de espacios abiertos.

Paul Holsinger, administrador de agricultura y servidumbre de conservación de PCOST, explicó que el programa piloto es un esfuerzo para llevar a cabo sus objetivos declarados de apoyar a los polinizadores en las parcelas de espacios abiertos. Si la colaboración va bien, hay interés en encontrar otros lugares para albergar colonias de abejas y tomar otras medidas para apoyar a las especies de polinizadores. Como incentivo adicional, el cultivo de plantas que favorezcan a los

polinizadores podría dar a algunos arrendatarios de espacios abiertos, la posibilidad de recibir fondos para la conservación a través del servicio de conservación de recursos naturales, que forma parte del Departamento de Agricultura de Estados Unidos.

Cada dos semanas, Colby revisa estas colmenas reubicadas.

"Hay muchos problemas a los que se enfrentan las abejas melíferas, pero el mayor, el más inmediato, y sobre el que los apicultores pueden hacer algo, es el control de los ácaros Varroa", dice Colby.

"Si pudieras imaginar un bicho tan grande como un plato de comida que viviera en tu espalda o en tu estómago y te masticara, y transmitiera enfermedades a través de esas heridas, puedes hacerte una idea de los problemas que tienen las abejas". Los ácaros Varroa son originarios de Asia, pero ahora se han extendido por gran parte del mundo, causando problemas a las especies de abejas melíferas que no están adaptadas a ellos.

Colby fue presidente de la Asociación Estatal de Apicultores de Colorado y es un firme defensor de la apicultura responsable. Con el resurgimiento en popularidad de la apicultura de aficionados, le preocupa que los apicultores de patio bien intencionados puedan terminar creando daño.

Colby explica, “En las revistas

especializadas y apícolas, estas colmenas se denominan bombas de Varroa... Supongamos que tenemos una colmena en el patio trasero y que se ve invadida por los ácaros de Varroa, y que la colmena muere con toda la miel que hay allí. Las abejas de otra persona van a asaltar esa colmena y van a llevar los ácaros a su colmena". Las abejas de la miel son oportunistas y recogerán la miel de las colmenas inactivas.

Para evaluar la salud de una colonia, Colby abre la colmena, saca un marco y, tras asegurarse de que la reina no está en el marco, sacude algunas de las abejas dentro de un tarro. El tarro está marcado para mostrar el "nivel de 300 abejas".

A continuación, Colby echa una cucharada de azúcar en polvo en el tarro y cubre la boca con una tapa de malla. Agitando suavemente el tarro, distribuye el azúcar sobre las abejas y desplaza los ácaros que viven en ellas.

A continuación, sacude el azúcar del tarro y lo deposita en una cubeta.

Por último, vierte agua en una tina y busca los ácaros que flotan en la superficie. Esta vez, encuentra tres ácaros. Tres ácaros para 300 abejas pueden parecer poco, pero si no se controla, la población de ácaros se duplica cada mes. Por cada ácaro que vive en una abeja, hay dos más dentro de la colmena que aún no han eclosionado. Una infestación puede escaparse rápidamente de

El apicultor Ed Colby inspecciona un tarro con abejas, buscando ácaros que pueden causar enfermedades. Foto de Olivia Emmer. las manos si el apicultor no presta atención. En este caso, Colby pone un tratamiento orgánico contra los ácaros en la colmena para mantener las cosas bajo control.

Además de los ácaros, la salud de las abejas se ve amenazada por los pesticidas y la pérdida de cantidad y diversidad de forraje. La sequía también puede ser un factor de estrés, ya que puede reducir la cantidad de néctar que producen las plantas y que las abejas recogen para hacer miel. El calor también es un factor de estrés. Las abejas pasan mucho tiempo abanicando la colmena para tratar de enfriarla, en lugar de buscar alimento.

Colby una vez más, "Este

valle, cuando me mudé aquí hace cincuenta años, era todo forraje.

Ahora es todo casas. Así que las abejas no sólo no tienen suficiente para comer, sino que no tienen la variedad que solían tener. Antes había alfalfa, maleza y trébol dulce, y ahora todo ha sido ocupado".

Colby anima a la gente a mejorar el forraje para las abejas. "Planten flores y, hagan lo que hagan, no corten los dientes de león ni, lo que es peor, envenenarlos, porque ese es el verdadero empujón del año [de las abejas]. Los dientes de león salen pronto y son muy nutritivos, no sólo por el polen, sino por el néctar".

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EL SOL DEL VALLE • Conector de comunidad • 5 al 11 de augusto de 2021 • 15

Semillas de cambio sembradas en Silt

Por Raleigh Burleigh Traducción por Dolores Duarte

En una calurosa tarde de verano en Silt, una de las muchas con temperaturas por encima de los 100 grados, seis estudiantes de high school trabajaron diligentemente para completar una cosecha antes de tomar su almuerzo bajo un gran álamo en el borde de la granja Highwater.

"Es el mejor trabajo de verano", aseguró la coordinadora del programa juvenil Anna Thomas a The Sopris Sun. Thomas se unió a Highwater Farm como voluntaria de AmeriCorps VISTA en 2020 y fue contratada para liderar el programa juvenil en 2021.

Después, cursará un posgrado en la Universidad de Notre Dame para ayudar a influir en la política nacional con una comprensión arraigada de buena gestión administrativa.

Highwater Farm es una organización sin fines de lucro relativamente nueva con una triple misión: construir un espacio agrícola, alimentar a la comunidad y capacitar a los jóvenes a través de la educación.

El 25 por ciento de lo que se cultiva se destina a las despensas de alimentos y a los esfuerzos de ayuda contra el hambre en el condado de Garfield. El nombre "Highwater" hace referencia no sólo al espacio físico de cultivo, justo al sur del río Colorado, sino también al alto

nivel de calidad que se busca en los rendimientos y valores productivos.

La granja se encuentra en su segunda temporada de cultivo, habiendo contado con la ayuda de unos 75 voluntarios el año pasado.

La aspiración es utilizar la totalidad de los cinco acres de terreno que se alquilan por 25 años al pueblo de Silt. Partes de los campos se dejarán periódicamente en barbecho — sin cultivar y en rotación — para mantener los suelos sanos. La reserva del río Silt está protegida por una servidumbre de conservación para que iniciativas como ésta puedan prosperar.

"Dentro de unos años, esperamos tener 15 jóvenes y tres jefes de cuadrilla gestionando el espacio", dijo Sara Tymczyszyn, directora de la organización benéfica.

Actualmente, un acre de la granja Highwater está en producción. En 2021, un grupo de seis estudiantes trabajadores y atentos fue dirigida por el pequeño personal de la organización para cultivar, envasar y vender productos. Los estudiantes no sólo adquirieron conocimientos técnicos agrícolas, sino que el programa de educación para jóvenes hace énfasis en el desarrollo personal y profesional. Cada estudiante fue elegido sobre una base de aplicaciones y recibió un pago modesto, además de acceso a verduras frescas.

El programa de verano sigue el modelo de Urban Roots de Austin (Texas), que emplea a 35 jóvenes cada año para cultivar 3.5 acres. Otra inspiración para el programa es el Boston Food Project, que surgió a finales de los años 80 como forma de combatir la segregación y aumentar el acceso a los alimentos.

Durante una visita de The Sopris Sun, los estudiantes practicaron sus habilidades para hablar en público mientras guiaban un recorrido por el terreno. Señalaron las parcelas de ensayo utilizadas por Wild Mountain Seeds, una empresa de adaptación de semillas con sede al sur de Carbondale. Los productos que estaban madurando eran muy diversos: patatas, guisantes, cebollas, zanahorias, hierbas, flores, calabazas, melones, tomates y mucho más.

"El reto es el calor", dijo Lucas, un estudiante de agricultura. "La recompensa es la comida".

Como una ventaja extra, la granja Highwater ofreció al equipo talleres dirigidos por expertos externos sobre temas como la cocina y la búsqueda de plantas silvestres comestibles.

Durante unos días calurosos de pesado trabajo bajo el sol, surgieron conversaciones interesantes como brotes resistentes que buscan la luz.

"Cada vez que voy al supermercado", dijo Scheccid, otro estudiante

16 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 5 al 11 de augusto de 2021

Una estudiante agricultor de Highwater Farm prepara ajo para secar.

Foto por Raleigh Burleigh. agricultor, "es estresante ver productos perfectos y cosas que no deberían estar ahí, que no son de temporada".

Los estudiantes reflexionaron sobre su escepticismo compartido respecto a la producción industrializada y de monocultivo, especialmente cuando se requiere un uso intensivo de pesticidas.

"Los jóvenes se encuentran donde les pides que se encuentren y superan las expectativas", dijo Tymczyszyn, elogiando a su personal. "[La jefa de equipo] Ellie [Steward] ha hecho un trabajo increíble. Ella supera la amabilidad y la ética del trabajo duro, y realmente se inclinó por ser la dirigente". Por su parte, la subdirectora de la granja, Jess Dean, fue reconocida por investigar enfermedades y plagas, desarrollar sistemas eficaces y dirigir

talleres sobre inseguridad alimentaria.

La granja Highwater es un brillante ejemplo de la agricultura dirigida por la comunidad en la región. Dado que el programa de granja para jóvenes finaliza el 6 de agosto, se necesitarán manos amigas, deseosas de ensuciarse ayudando en las cosechas.

Otra forma de apoyar a Highwater Farm es comprando deliciosos productos en el mercado de agricultores de Carbondale (los miércoles, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m.) o en el mercado de agricultores de Silt (los miércoles, de 4:30 p.m. a 7 p.m.).

También se agradecen las donaciones monetarias, así como los materiales y la experiencia.

Más información en highwaterfarm.org

Local author earns literary praise

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

Author Kelsey Freeman was awarded the 2021 Colorado Book Award for Creative Nonfiction in June for her first book, “No Option But North.” Freeman grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley and graduated from Colorado Rocky Mountain School in 2012. She now lives in Bend, Oregon, where she works as a Native American College Preparation Coordinator for Central Oregon Community College.

“No Option But North” was released in April 2020.

Due to the pandemic, all in-person publicity tours were canceled. Instead, Freeman did a round of radio interviews and virtual events, focusing on the book in particular and also as part of larger discussions about U.S. immigration policy. “Just when I thought it was kind of dying down, the book awards stuff came up.” Freeman told The Sopris Sun. “It's still going, so I feel grateful for that.”

Freeman’s book is based on her experiences as a Fulbright research fellow living for nine months in Celaya, Mexico.

While teaching at a university, she frequented a local migrant shelter to interview people about their reasons for leaving home and experiences along the way.

The central question of Freeman's research is: what pushes people to risk everything to migrate? The answer is in the title. For many people, there's seemingly no other option but to make the perilous journey. “If migrants know they will face unbelievable suffering and trauma on the journey north,” the book reads, “there can be only one reason why they undertake the trek — because there is greater hardship for them at home.”

Courtesy image.

Freeman courageously delves into the impossible situations that migrating people often find themselves in.

“I wanted to situate that within a context, the structural and political forces that make it so someone from Honduras might walk thousands of miles and risk their life to get to the U.S. To understand those policies,” said Freeman, “we have to understand the values that are behind them. That has a lot to do with power, who has the right to be safe.”

Common throughout the book is the theme that family serves as the primary motivating

factor for people to migrate, whether to reunite or to offer the best opportunities possible. “People just want to be able to be with their kids, their partners or parents,” said Freeman, “as opposed to being separated by an arbitrary line.”

The idea for “No Option But North” began in 2016 with a conversation on a bus to Chiapas, Mexico, while Freeman was researching for her undergraduate thesis.

A man on the bus gently inquired, how is it that she — a young American — can travel to Mexico to study his people for a few weeks while he is repeatedly denied a visa to see his family in the U.S.?

Freeman was inspired to take a hard look at the roles of nationality, class and race in a person's ease of mobility. “[Writing] a book can be a solitary process, and in a lot of ways it was for me...” Freeman explained. “But it was also relying a lot on the knowledge of other people. I was 23, 24 when I was starting to try to publish...”

Freeman was named a finalist by the Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book in the spring of 2021.

Her sister Tess Freeman, a photojournalist, is also honored by the award for her intimate portraits that lend the book an extra layer of humanity. “Our skills complement each other really well, I think that's a rare thing,” Kelsey said of the team. She was also thrilled to have her sister's company to help process the experience.

“My job has never been to give voice to the voiceless,” explained Freeman. Rather, “[To] give voice to structural policies and injustices that make the stories possible in the first place.” She hopes that the empathy and full dignity of the people interviewed comes through to readers.

Freeman is now looking at attending graduate school to focus next on informing policy decisions. She is also interested in looking at how climate change plays a role in migration, acknowledging that migration is a means of adaptation.

In her own brave and determined word, “We built this system and there's no reason we can't change things.”

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TRAIL NOTES

Alpine approaches done right

By Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV)

Trail know-how …

As summer temperatures allow for access into the high alpine for backcountry travel, it is important to be aware of the vulnerability of the plant communities that comprise these unique tundra ecosystems. In average years, snowpack holds into late-July, severely limiting the growing season for these hardy yet fragile plants to a window of one to two months. Because of these inhospitable conditions, the flowers and grasses that populate these environments are especially vulnerable to trampling by hikers and pets. Avoid destruction of beautiful and rare alpine plant species by staying on established trails and roads! Where trails are scarce, you can still protect alpine greenery by choosing to tread on more durable surfaces like bare soil, rocks or snow!

Recent trail work July 24 and 25: In partnership with the Town of Marble, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Slow Groovin’ Barbeque, RFOV was thrilled to host numerous dedicated volunteers for two days of projects within or near Marble on the Raspberry Creek Trail, at Beaver Lake and within the historic Marble Mill Site. Despite rainy weather and roadway obstructions on Highway 133, volunteers provided much-needed restoration and trail maintenance work to many of the natural and historic features that make Marble special. Thanks to all who came out!

July 30: With the support of the U.S. Forest Service, RFOV was pleased to host enthusiastic volunteers from Western Slope Conservation Center for a day of trailwork on the Braderich Trail outside of Redstone. These volunteers traveled over McClure Pass and worked diligently to remove failing rubber drainage structures, to construct new water bars with natural materials and to close social trails. Thanks to Western Slope Conservation Center for all your hard work!

Upcoming trail work Aug. 10 and Aug. 17: RFOV, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (PCOST), US Forest Service and the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA) are thrilled to host volunteers for Tuesday evening trailwork along the Lower Plunge Trail within the Hunter Creek Valley. Volunteers will work with RFOV, PCOST and RFMBA staff from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to reroute and construct approximately three quarters of a mile of trail and decommission a quarter mile of the current trail. This work will help to improve accessibility to both mountain bikers and hikers. We look forward to seeing you out there!

Aug. 7: Along with our partners, U.S. Forest Service, Independence Pass Foundation and Wilderness Workshop, RFOV is excited to host volunteers for a trail rebuild project along the Linkins Lake trail just west of Independence Pass.

This trail sees extensive use and has several sections in need of maintenance and repair. Volunteers will work with RFOV staff to build stone steps, maintain and construct water bars and install stepping stones throughout wetland portions of the trail. Join us for work on this beautiful trail!

Focus on … blue spruce Have you ever wondered what Colorado’s state tree is?

This honor has been given to the iconic Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), a common conifer tree throughout the state and within the Rocky Mountain region! The Colorado blue spruce is characterized by bluish-green needles with sharp points and cones with papery scales 2.5 to four inches long.

These trees grow at elevations of 8,000 to 11,000 feet and are commonly found in wetter, riparian areas. Prized for their beauty as ornamentals, this tree is planted throughout the world and can reach heights of over 75 feet. When you head RFOV staff and volunteers did restoration work at the historic out for your preferred form of recreation, take a moment to Marble Mill Site on Saturday, July 24.

Photo by Rebecca Schild. identify and admire our state tree!

18 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

Pikas versus climate change

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

When out hiking in the Rocky Mountains, you are likely to see, or at least hear, an American Pika. These cute little furballs look like a cross between a mouse and a baby rabbit; and if they weren’t wild, could very possibly replace hamsters and guinea pigs as childrens’ most smothered pets. Luckily for them, they are untamed.

However, due to climate change, the species’ numbers are decreasing in parts of North America. “There was some research that came out around 2010 that found that pikas had disappeared from historically occupied sites in the Great Basin,” explained Megan Mueller; the disappearances were linked to climate change. Pika are found in western North America and up into Canada.

Mueller is a Conservationist Biologist with Rocky Mountain Wild (RMW). RMW and the Denver Zoo teamed up to form the Colorado Pika Project.

Compared to humans, who have a body temperature of 98.6 degrees fahrenheit, pikas have an average temperature of 104 degrees. “We can get up to around 105 to107 before we experience hyperthermia and death. And since a pika’s resting body temperature is 104, they can also get up somewhere around there — but

The American Pika. Photo courtesy of the White River National Forest.

Volunteers gather during a pika monitoring training at North Fork Lake Creek trailhead on Independence Pass July 17. Photo by Lauren Buchholz. it’s a smaller increase,” explained Mueller. “So they just don’t have a lot of leeway there.” She added that if a pika is left on the surface in direct sunlight at 80 degrees, they will die.

That is why they spend most of their time in the shade of rocks littering scree fields, from 8,000 feet to the tops of 14ers. While the furry critters can still find cover in the talus amid warmer temperatures, it may get too hot for them to venture out to collect food.

Most of the data is collected by volunteers. Each year volunteers go to trainings where pikas live to learn how to check for signs that the animal is still active in the area.

“I think it’ll probably be around 150

volunteers,” said Mueller, referring to this year’s trainees. There have been volunteers collecting data since the early days of pika monitoring, 10 years ago.

On July 17, the North Fork Lake Creek trail at Independence Pass served as the volunteer training ground.

Mueller estimated that roughly 25 folks attended that training.

Throughout the field season — from the time the snow melts to the time it flies again — volunteers are responsible for monitoring roughly 200 sites in Colorado. “They have to hike to the site,” said Mueller, “then they survey the site to find out whether pikas are present.” They

collect pika scatt to run genetic tests, survey characteristics of the habitat and place temperature data loggers in the talus which record the temperature every hour all year long.

“We look at whether pikas are disappearing from the sites that we monitor over time and the second thing is we want to develop predictive models to predict whether or not pikas are going to decline with climate change,” said Mueller.

“Our ultimate goal is to get to solutions but we don’t know enough right now,” continued Mueller. “If they are declining [in the southern Rockies], trying to figure out what solutions to put in place can be really challenging with climate change.” That is why it is important to know why the populations might be declining.

“Some of the solutions could be about helping pika populations be more resilient to climate change through management,” Mueller

stated. A drastic example is, if juveniles can’t disperse, “when their mothers kick them out,” because it’s too hot on the surface, people could retrieve the young and place them in a suitable habitat. At that point, it would basically be a rescue mission which may not be sustainable.

Therefore, the Pika Project’s team encourages folks to cut down on their carbon footprint to avoid such extreme measures.

Fortunately, the project has not detected significant decreases in populations in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. However, the sites surveyed up until 2018 were only on the Front Range. As of 2018, the study has expanded into the White River National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park, “we don’t have a long term data set for those areas yet so we’re really starting to build that baseline,” said Mueller.

B w e o i n N g s A n o i c t c a e n pted i m o N

for the 2021 Pitkin County Cares and Greg Mace Awards

“

The awards this year will be particularly significant

as we recognize the volunteers in our community who found safe and effective ways to continue their work in the face of the pandemic and who kept the fabric of our community strong and resilient despite the many challenges of the past year.

”

Kelly McNicholas Kury Pitkin County Commissioner, Chair

Scan QR Code for Nomination forms

Learn more about the award:

www.pitkincounty.com/pitkincountycares Email: pat.bingham130@gmail.com THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5-11, 2021 • 19

T he 50th Carbondale Mountain Fair was a joyous experience of love and community. In these strange times sometimes we just need to celebrate what we have and make a little magic. Thank-you to all who made it happen.

MF Mavens Amy Kimberly, Deborah Colley, Aly Sanguily Production Mark Taylor, James Gorman, Kevin Lundy, August Strelau, Pete Rich, Jeff Britt, Emmet Hood Garcelon, Pete Thompson, Blake McDonald, Ryan Jervis, Brenden Peterson, Lyn Williams, Jeptha Hoffman Electricians Bill Laemmel of Carbondale Light and Power, Lance Dement, Rob Janssen, Joey Staron, Maceij Mrotek Perimeter Patrol Patty Nadon, Barb Bush Vendor Liaison Alta Otto Sound and Lights SNOB Productions, Pam Rosenthal Bandwagon Morgan Williams, Zane Kessler, Sustainable Settings Green Team Erica Borum, Jay Engstrom, Sarah Johnson, Kristin Mattera, Alyssa Reindel, Dave Reindel, Brad Snyder, Mark Weinhold, Jason White, Annie Worley, Pitkin County Compost Center, Evergreen Zero Waste Water Richard Vottero, Scott Levine Poster Design Larry Day Program The Sopris Sun, Ylice Golden Photographers Mark Burrows, Jim Ryan, Jane Bachrach, Renee Ramge, Lewis Cooper, Jessica Hedges, Sarah Overbeck Stage Design Loren Wilder Design, Corey Summers, Valley Lumber Flower Design Eagle Crest Nursery Drum Circle & Mother of the Fair Laurie Loeb Oasis Holly Richardson, Julianna Lichatz-Mead, Third Street Center Live Broadcast KDNK Community Radio Carbondale Arts Valley Artists’ Booth Brian Colley, Staci Dickerson T-Shirt Coordination Laura Stover, Leah Swan, Lucy Kessler, Pam Williams, Caroline Illes, Anna Patterson, Shawn Tonozzi, Sarah Overbeck Volunteer Coordinators Kellyn Wardell, Sarah Murray, Helene Gude, Brooke Bockelman Raffle Rebecca Binion, Cortney McDougall, Jill Napiwocki Raffle Grand Prize Sponsors Darin & Rebecca Binion, Way of Compassion Foundation, Kenichi Woodworking, Back Country Chiropractic, Home Interiors Aspen, High Society Freeride Company, Aspen Ski Co., Carbondale Arts, Sopris Liquor & Wine Silent Auction Katy Parr, Elizabeth Hanke, Elissa Markoya Backstage + Hospitality Tory Neu, Rachel Gillespie, Kristen Levey, Tsama Pineda, Lindsay Gurley, Shane Spyker, Delia Bolster, Evan Schulte, Brian McIsaac, Nicholas DiFrank, Barbra Frota Backstage Food Peppinos, Uncle Pizza, Dominos Pizza, Village Smithy, Whitehouse Pizza, Phat Thai, Beer Works, Sweet Coloradough, Dos Gringos, Slow Groovin' BBQ, Mi Casita, Bonfire, Fat Belly, New York Pizza, Zhengs, Mings, Sustainable Settings, Happy Belly CSA, High Mountain Appliance Info Booth Kat Rich, Bob Schultz, Jean Marie Hegarty, Leslie Johnson, Mustang Molly Cantina Evan Cree, Ben Bohmfalk, Jeff Dickinson, Jeff Lauckhart Stage Management Jeff Britt, Matt Hoogenboom, Darin Binion, Charlie Noone Peace Patrol Michael Gorman, Jim Neu, George Wear, Dave Kanzer, Elissa Stark-Gorman Rainbow Lounge Coordinators Steve Mills, Rebecca Binion, Natalyn Cumings, Janet Gordon Pie Contest Alta Otto, Carly DeBeque, Amber VanBerlo Cake Contest April Crow-Spaulding, Erin Galbreath Limbo Contest Dr. Limbo, John Foulkrod Wood Splitting Contest Dru Handy, Jorie DeVilbiss, “Big” Ben Ludlow, Diesel Dan Giese, Aspen Tree Mt. Sopris Runoff Brion After, Sean Van Horn, Independence Run and Hike Porcupine Loop & Bike Parking Nic Degross, Darren Broome, Darin Binion, Aloha Mountain Cyclery Fly-casting Gill Finn Worstminster Dog Show Jane Bachrach, Emily Bennett Horseshoes McCarra Baker Money Honeys Seth Goddard, Guinevere Jones History Collection Terry Glasenapp, Luke Nestler Couldn’t do this without KDNK Community Radio, Laurie Loeb, Carbondale Public Works, Jay Harrington, Kirk Wilson, Kevin Schorzman, Eric Brendlinger, Russell, Town of Carbondale, Rob Goodwin, Mike Wagner, Carbondale EMTs, Carbondale Fire Dept., Carbondale Police Dept., Carbondale Parks & Recreation, The Carbondale Trustees, Carbondale Swimming Pool, Comfort Inn of Carbondale, RE-1 School District, Gay4Good, Aspen Out, Planned Parenthood, Natalyn Cumings, RJ Paddywacks MC’s Benny B., The Walrus, Kat Rich, Aly Sanguily Carbondale Arts Staff Executive Director Amy Kimberly, Operations Manager Kellyn Wardell, Design & Marketing Director Sarah Overbeck, Creative Sales Associate Staci Dickerson, Financial Wizard Linda Hoffman, Gallery Manager Brian Colley, Rosybelle Mobile Maker Bus Director Michael Stout The Carbondale Arts Board of Directors Seth Goddard, Leah Swan, Raychl Keeling, Susan Brady, Elizabeth Hanke, Katy Parr, Sarah Murray, Nicholas DiFrank, Brian Golden, Guinivere Jones, Elissa Markoya, Helene Gude, Lety Gomez, Brooke Bockelman 50th Mountain Fair Donors Alpine Bank, Aros CO LLC, Dale Schmaltz, Garfield County George & Patti Stranahan, Helene Gude, Joe Scofield, John & Lee Stickney/Beck, Kat Rich, Leah Swan, Matthew Welles, Michael & Barbara Maxson, Michael J. Brown, RJ Paddywacks, Raychl Keeling, Robert Schultz Consulting LLC, Seth, Lisa & Oliver Goddard, Sopris Liquor & Wine, Sunsense Solar, Susan Brady, Umbrella Roofing, Inc. Fair Friends Ace Hardware, Roaring Fork Coop, Comfort Inn, Marble Distillery, Big B’s Fabulous Juices, Alpine Angling, Sustainable Settings, Aloha Mountain Cyclery, Independence Run & Hike, Carbondale Rec Center, U.S. Forest Service, RE-1 School District, Eagle Crest Nursery, Evergreen Zero Waste, Stripped Mixers, The Sopris Sun, Mountain High Appliance, Bethel Party Rents

We have deep gratitude for our year-round supporters | Community Sustainers Addy Foundation, Alpine Bank, Aspen Community Foundation, Desiree Rothschild, Doug Graybeal, FirstBank, Gayle Embrey, Joe Scofield, Kat Rich, Kathy Honea, Kristen & Wallace Graham, Rickenbaugh Automotive Group, Rose Community Foundation, Seth, Lisa & Oliver Goddard, Meagan & Stephen Shapiro, Susan Brady, Thompson & Colleen Bishop, TKC Foundation Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation, Town of Carbondale, True Nature Healing Arts, Umbrella Roofing, Inc. Grand Curators High Q, John Stickney & Lee Beck, Laurie Bernhard, Mary Griffith, Pajwell Foundation, Sopris Liquor & Wine, The Arches Foundation Art Lovers 13 Moons Ranch, 2757 Design & Build Co, 777 Investment Corporation, Aros CO LLC, Aspen Community Foundation, Basalt Regional Library, BKS Charitable Foundation, Coldwell Banker Mason Morse, Cool Brick Studios, Dave Taylor, David Thickman, Garfield County, Gayle Embrey, George & Patti Stranahan, Gina Murdock, Helene Gude, John Runne Larry Cohen, RLC Foundation, Marcia Flaks, Mark Harris, Marlane Miller, Martens Foundation, Coldwell Banker Mason Morse, Michael J. Brown, Loren Wilder, OSM Delivery, Patricia & William Hutzley, RJ Paddywacks, Robert Schultz Consulting LLC, Sunsense Solar, Steven Deliyianis, Susan Gurrentz Fund for the Arts, The Arches Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Toklat Gallery, Wewer Keohane Musical Notes Alexandra Yajko, Angela Bruno, Aspen Daily News, Carbondale Family Dental, Connect One Design, CORE, Corey Crocker, Dalby, Wendland & CO., P.C., Dale Schmaltz, Dance Initiative, David Volz, Design Workshop, Emily Bohmfalk, Faboo Boutique, Frosty Merriott, Heidi Overbeck, Jane Hart, Jerome & Donna Dayton, Jill Soffer, Ken Riley, Kevin Gibson, Leah Swan, Liz Thele, Matthew Welles, Michael & Barbara Maxson, MinTze Wu, Pam Taylor, Raychl Keeling, Rebekah Lodge, Sean Kerry, Sue Edelstein, Teri Bruna, Thendara Foundation

20 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

Polis: I-70 closure could last ‘a few days to a few weeks’

By Mathew Bennett Aspen Daily News

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis did not provide a definitive answer as to when Interstate 70 would reopen through Glenwood Canyon during a news conference Monday.

“We don’t yet know the full extent of the damage. So, we'll give a range — I would say it’s a few days to a few weeks,” Polis said. “Best case is a few days; more likely, getting into the weeks category.”

When the Grizzly Creek Fire closed I-70 through Glenwood Canyon last August, Polis — at the time — also believed the critical roadway could reopen in “two to three days” under the best case scenario. Rather, I-70 was closed for two weeks as a result of the Grizzly Creek Fire, which charred over 32,000 of acres throughout Glenwood Canyon.

Last Thursday, strong storm cells moved through the canyon, triggering numerous mudslides and debris flows in and around the massive fire’s burn scar area.

The incident left more than 100 motorists stranded for hours along I-70, and the critical roadway has been shut down since.

When I-70 does reopen, it will be to just one lane of traffic in either direction, Polis said.

“Short term, there’s really no opportunity for vegetation or replanting to gain hold. We have to make it through this monsoon season,” Polis said. “It could get worse.”

According to Polis, the state still expects a strong summer tourism season across much of its mountain destinations like Aspen and Glenwood Springs despite I-70 being unusable at the moment.

“Many Coloradans — many people from other states — are taking [Independence] Pass or enjoying other roads to be able to enjoy beautiful Western Colorado,” Polis said. “What’s really important is to get it fixed before ski season. There’s more alternatives in summer.”

However, for some motorists — particularly those on

a tight schedule — driving through Colorado might not be an option given the significantly increased travel time.

“Through traffic — whether it’s commercial or whether it's passenger vehicles — we’re urging those folks to bypass Colorado altogether,” CDOT Southwest Regional Communications Manager Lisa Schwantes said.

Instead, CDOT has encouraged motorists to take Interstate 80 through Wyoming or Interstate 40 through New Mexico.

Afternoon downpours have made it difficult for crews to assess the damage to I-70 as a result of the numerous mudslides and debris flows it has endured.

CDOT does not have an estimated cost of the damages at this time, Schwantes said.

According to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, Western Colorado has not experienced a monsoon pattern like this season’s in nearly five years.

“The cleanup effort ... is tremendous,” Schwantes said. “The debris needs to be moved before we can take a look.”

I-70’s closure has made it difficult for suppliers to reach their destinations up and down the Roaring Fork Valley. According to King Soopers and City Market spokesperson Jessica Trowbridge, the company’s locations between Glenwood Springs and Aspen have experienced a five- to six-hour delay in their truck deliveries.

“Our teams are working diligently to get products to all impacted stores as quickly as possible,” Trowbridge said in an email Monday.

In addition to shutting down I-70, the mudslides and debris flows have also impacted the aquatic life traversing the Colorado River.

“Those fish, they rely on fresh clean water to breathe.

And when you get some of those fine particulates flowing in the water, they can actually stick to their gills and suffocate them,” Matt Yamashita, Colorado Parks and Wildlife area wildlife manager, said. “It’d be the same thing as a person inhaling massive amounts of smoke.”

Rocks, mud and treefall on Saturday contributed to the indefinite closure of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. Photo courtesy of Colorado Department of Transportation.

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Reflecting on balance

By Dr. Will Evans Special to The Sopris Sun

I was told that, to the north, the mountain lupines fill meadows and appear as lakes. At once, we traveled there. Before we departed, I asked whether I should take my camera. My heart said, “No.” I knew then that this would be a sacred journey, not one of freezing images for family and friends.

My first “no camera” realization came during a time of personal transition in 1974 at Cobb’s Nest on the William Fork of the Colorado River. It was a time when balance and clarity were unavailable to me.

I listened as Edie Swan explained learning, through Alta Ellsworth’s eyes, to view the world from a Navajo perspective. I listened as Edie told me, “Many of us come to a vista, snap a picture, and drive away; however, we neglect to notice movements — change traveling through the landscape, seasons, erosion, shifting plant species.”

Each afternoon on the Williams Fork, I watched shadows racing over the ground toward us from the west, shadows created by the clouds flying overhead. I put away my camera and simply witnessed the aliveness around me, and in doing so began a healing process of reconnecting with Mother Nature.

Recently, K and I drove to Meadow Lake, parked on the west side and walked up a hill. I laid down on the ground, connecting the rhythm of my heart with the rhythm of the earth. When we returned to Carbondale, I realized my renewed sense of balance and deep peace was stronger than the confusion of this pandemic.

The pandemic is a catalyzing event; a time of transition which has precipitated a crisis.

It was a relief to no longer be out of balance. As peace flowed into my heart from the land to the north, my clarity returned. I came into resonance with Mother Nature’s dance. For healing and trust to flower, no camera was appropriate for my renewal from source.

After standing and walking on the earth for 80 years, 2021 continues to be a time of being attentive to my balance.

Eating, sleeping, walking, skiing, living, loving, paddling and dying.

Humans love to practice balance. There is a deep intrinsic knowing this is the way we are meant to be — as I get older it is a great gift to slow down and move in a balanced way. The teacher for this is water.

There is an inherent peacefulness and joy in being with water.

Moving this way in the forest, the kitchen — everywhere — it is inherently joyful.

And the teacher for this is water. How it flows.

How essential it is that it continues flowing.

Many more times in 1975, I lost my balance.

After 10 years of working in the emergency room, I was out of balance and would forget how to trust my center. To heal, I began benefitting from practices that helped me regain my balance.

I attended a meeting called “The Limits to Medicine” in Davos. At the same time I was remembering about balance, Jonas Salk — the keynote speaker — was advocating for schools of health in addition to schools of medicine. I said to him, “That is what I want to do — where do I go?”

“There isn’t any place,” responded Salk,

Mountain lupin photo by yosry11 on PxHere.com who discovered the first polio vaccine.

But he did say to me, “Unless we place emphasis upon the need to understand equilibrium in all aspects of the human organism, individually and collectively, we will always be predominately preoccupied with the pathological, with reducing negative rather than enhancing the positive.

Until we see the sources of pathology as partly attributable to ignorance of what is required for maintaining health, we will

continue to search for causes which can be eliminated or prevented. When, in fact, some of the pathology we seek to suppress is the result of our failure to do certain things that actively evoke and maintain a state of balance.”

Over the years, I am renewed by the joy of dancing and speaking in balance and am continually reminded the teacher for this is water, how it flows. How essential it is that it continues to flow from Source.

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22 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • August 5-11, 2021

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OPINION

By Ben Waddell For more than a year, our country longed for the economy to restart. But now that businesses are once again open, employers find themselves wondering where all the workers have gone.

In my town of Durango, labor shortages have deeply affected the entire community. One business owner is Juvenal Corona, originally from Mexico, who co-owns Nayarit, one of Durango’s most popular Mexican restaurants. Since COVID restrictions were lifted in the spring, he’s been short-staffed and says he’s

Willing workers are right at the border never worked harder in his 20 years in the restaurant business.

The main reason he cites: the redhot real estate market, along with historically high rents that have made it difficult to recruit employees.

“In my 10 years with Nayarit, we’ve never closed due to a lack of workers,” Corona explained. “But recently we were forced to close each of our locations one day a week.” He and his staff are doing their best; all he asks is that customers “show a little more compassion when it comes to waiting for their orders.”

Like many restaurants, Nayarit depends on a combination of nativeborn workers and immigrants to function. In recent months, though, neither group has been showing up.

Besides lack of housing, another factor is low wages in the hospitality sector. Still, Michael French, who heads La Plata County’s Economic Development Alliance, isn’t convinced the shortage is limited to the service industry: “What’s going on is pervasive across all industries and wage categories,” he says. “I believe we’re just now beginning to comprehend the challenges that labor shortages present.

I think we’re in a workforce transition.”

Part of that transition — in Durango and elsewhere in the country — involves our nation’s shifting demographics.

The United States is aging. At the beginning of the 20th century, the nation’s typical resident was 23. The average citizen today is 38. And for white Americans, who make up 86 percent of Durango’s population, the median age is now 58.

In addition, fertility rates are in free fall. At 1.6 children per woman, birth rates are now at their lowest levels since 1979. Thanks to the pandemic, birth rates have dropped even further.

Not so long ago, steady flows of young migrants helped the U.S. economy compensate for aging workers and low birth rates. But immigration to this country peaked long ago in 1910, when nearly 15 percent of the population was foreign-born.

It wasn’t until after World War II that government-sponsored initiatives like the Bracero program started a new wave of immigration.

By 2010, immigrants once again made up just over 14 percent of the

country’s population.

However, today, instead of putting migrants to work, the U.S. government works to keep them out. We’ve stepped up enforcement at the border and under the last administration, launched deportation campaigns against undocumented immigrants.

Moreover, in 2020, the number of immigrant and non-immigrant visas issued was down 54 percent from the previous year. In turn, temporary and permanent worker visas fell by 44 percent. And as surprising as it might sound, more Mexicans are going home today than are coming to the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.

I believe the solution to our labor crisis is literally knocking on our southern door. In 2019, at the height of the migrant caravans from Central America, I made several trips across the border to Tijuana to interview migrants. Many of the individuals I talked to were staying at Casa del Migrante, which has been housing migrants for more than three decades.

I met hundreds of willing workers hoping to achieve the American dream of working hard and getting

ahead. One man, Carlos, summed up the chaos that so many were fleeing.

Originally from Honduras, Carlos was accompanied by his three-year-old son.

“The gangs killed my brother and sister. And they threatened my son and tortured me,” Carlos said, revealing multiple scars across his chest. “I hope to get asylum and find enough work to buy a little house for my son,” Carlos said. “What more could one want?”

As our nation continues to age, the need for workers like Carlos, who has varied job experience, and others like him, becomes more and more evident.

Through a guest-worker program, migrants like Carlos could help fix our country’s demand for additional workers. They would also boost Social Security’s assets and renew America’s commitment to providing refugees a safe haven. The workers are close, waiting to prove themselves.

The question is whether or not we’re willing to open the door.

Ben Waddell is a contributor to Writers on the Range (writersontherange. org) a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is an associate professor of sociology at Fort Lewis College.

LETTERS Continued from page 14 your special moments, holidays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations and gifts from the heart and impacted multiple generations of tender special memories of shared love, affection and celebrations of beauty.

I am so grateful to Crystal Colantino, Claire de L’Arbre and Holly Hutton who are such a wonderful team in the Carbondale store. They are the beating heart of the business and we have built such beautiful and rich relationships over the years with our many clients and fans nationwide!

I was so fortunate to work side by side with kind, skilled and dedicated craftspeople in Bali who brought my designs into reality and shared their artistry with so many of you.

Evolution is something I believe in, on both a Universal scale and a deeply personal level. The last years have held rapid growth and change in my private journey along with the jewelry business.

Continued from page 2 For those who are wondering, I am now focusing 100 percent on the career I have been building as a love, sexuality and relationship coach.

Even as my focus shifted from physical adornment into more emotional and psychological healing, what has not changed is my desire to help people unlock, uncover and celebrate their unique contributions of beauty in the world.

What is more important than our soulful human connections, communication, and intimacy?

I have a tremendous gift to share with my clients around the world, supporting them in their love, sexuality and relationships.

This is such a nourishing and fulfilling path for me as a creative being supporting others in a wholehearted way!

It has been a deep, deep honor and I'm so grateful. Thank you.

Many Blessings, Harmony Scott Carbondale

Defiende Nuestra Tierra Director ApplicAtions due August 13. position description & how to Apply: wildernessworkshop.org/cAreers

Ride a bike

Are you driving dependent to get around town? Decide today to help every community connect with each other by respecting the posted speed limits. Take the lead, others will follow.

This weekend, I spoke with a New Castle resident who works in Glenwood Springs.

She shared that since seeing the “Take a Minute” signs, she now drives through our community mindful of the posted speeds.

In Glenwood — Grand Avenue bisects a tourism core, hosts our high school, family homes and countless businesses — who wouldn't help ensure safe passage for all?

Commit to making a “Daily Driving Difference” and imagine what our future might hold.

Take a minute, think about it, slow down in town. It's a quality of life that we call all help deliver.

Diane Reynolds Glenwood Springs

Each of our valley communities would be cleaner, healthier and so much more pleasant with less vehicular traffic.

Admittedly, in this valley it is not easy but with the wide-open job market, it’s an opportunity to embrace the idea of “live where you work; work where you live.”

How much nicer it is to walk or ride your bike to work!

What can each of us do to reduce our vehicle use? Could you take the bus a few times a week? Carpool? Can you work from home?

Plan ahead and think about ways to combine errands to avoid multiple car trips.

Bike, walk or ride the bus when you can.

How we choose to live in our world will determine how it is left to those who come after us.

Annette Roberts-Gray Carbondale

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Field Trip Seed Peace Farm in Carbondale August 11, 2021 Guest Speaker Andy Taylor, Painter - Carbondale Creatives Series August 18, 2021

RSVP to Ed Queenan (401) 465-4276 queenan.edward@gmail.com

THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5-11, 2021 • 23

Crossword

Across 2. Having a branching, treelike structure.

7. Sports channel.

9. Lane in Marble. Named for colored marble.

11. Common shelters in the Basketmaker period.

12. Mountain (abbr.)

14. Mountain on the Continental Divide, west of Estes Park.

17. Das ting.

18. Calcium magnesium carbonate.

20. Mountain near Marble that is covered with quartz crystals.

21. Andy ___, conservative journalist.

22. Art medium showcased at the Roadside Galley in Carbondale.

25. Large stone with a smooth depression for grinding corn.

27. ___ment Mesa, across the river from Parachute.

28. Ceremonial washing.

Down 1. Symbol for iron.

By Chromostome

2. Dots per inch (abbr.)

3. Salmon-hued sandstone in Colorado National Monument.

4. Disorderly retreat.

5. Colorado abbr.

6. Test.

8. Leave the premises (hip slang).

10. Used to identify a woman by her maiden name.

13. Homer referred to Odysseus as a great ___.

15. Spear throwing device.

16. Natural clay earth pigment. Ranges from yellow to orange to brown.

17. ___ oxide, mineral source of red color in local sandstone.

19. Business insignia.

23. Site of an osprey cam between Highway 82 and the Roaring Fork River.

24. Water diversion tunnel in Pitkin County.

25. Western Colorado's premier university.

26. Open-topped pastry.

ACROSS: 2. DENDRITIC 7. ESPN 9. ONYX 11. PITHOUSES 12. MT 14. IDA 17. IT 18. DOLOMITE 20. HAT 21. NGO 22. NEON 25. METATE 27. BATTLE 28. ABLUTION DOWN: 1. FE 2. DPI 3. ENTRADA 4. ROUT 5. CO 6. EXAM 8. SPLIT 10. NEE 13. TACTICIAN 15. ATLATL 16. OCHRE 17. IRON 19. LOGO 23. EMMA 24. NAST 25. MESA 26. TART

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PARTING SHOTS

Demonstrators gathered outside Bridges High School in Carbondale on Tuesday Aug. 3, ahead of a Roaring Fork School District special board meeting to discuss health and safety protocols for the beginning of the 2021/2022 school year. Protestors voiced their disapproval of requiring that students wear masks.

Passersby honked from their vehicles, and at least one motioned thumbs down as they drove by. Parents and their children attended the small demonstration before together joining the virtual meeting to offer their perspectives during the time allotted for public comments.

Photos by James Steindler.

On Aug. 3, Carbondale Police Department (CPD) celebrated National Night Out — an annual event meant to bring community and police together at Sopris Park and the town pool. There was BBQ, a bouncy house, information tables and several of Carbondale's own women and men in blue. Pictured on the right, a youngster takes a walk-along with CPD Sgt. Bill Kirkland. Photos by Jeanne Souldern.

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Detailing 970-963-8800 Oil changes Locally Owned by David Zamansky 970-963-8800 745 Buggy Circle in Carbondale Oil Changes Tires Locally owned byby Jake Zamansky Locally Owned David Zamansky 745www.sunburstcarcare.com Buggy Circle in Carbondale www.sunburstcarcare.com OpenTires Mon.-Sat. 8am-5:00pm and on Sundays from 9am-4pm for washes only 500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO Open Monday - Saturday from 8am to 5:00pm and on Sunday from 9am to 4pm for washes only.

500 Buggy Circle, Carbondale, CO

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E T UPPOR ANIMAL RESCU S O T K AL DO COLORA RUN / W

4th Annual Compassion Film Festival® August 13 - 22, 2021

YOU TO THANK SORS ON OUR SP

AY SATURD 1, 2021 , T2 AUGUS O RIVERS PARK TW SPRINGSTS D O O W GLEN GISTRATION STARA.M. RE

AT 8 EGINS C A R E B A.M. AT 9

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Online Celebration Feature Films | Short Films Workshops | Yoga Limited tickets and passes now on sale.

CompassionFest.World

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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • August 5-11, 2021 • 27