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Volume 18, Number 28 | August 20-26, 2026
Dallenbach day Colorado 500 motorcycle riders cruised through the streets of Basalt on Saturday, Aug. 15, honoring the late founder of the cross-state, motor-powered event, Wally Dallenbach, and his wife Annette “Peppy.” The 50th annual Colorado 500 kicked off the day after the parade, and runs until Friday, Aug. 21, raising money for youth, education, communities, trails and motor sports. The park at 137 Midland Ave. (pictured bottom right) also saw a tribute ceremony on Saturday and was renamed Dallenbach Park in honor of Wally and Annette, who lived near the Fryingpan River.
Photos by Bob Rugile
When your teen goes quiet or gets snarky Reconnecting before the school year buries you
Your kid comes through the door and drops their backpack. be respectful and pleasant with the adults they like, then you You ask one innocent question, “How was your day at school?” can relax and feel good in knowing they actually do have those And you may get a “Fine” as they shut their door. Or they snap skills. Fully embodied acceptance (i.e., shown through behavback, “Seriously … can you just not?” ior) is the only approach that can overcome the previous ways If you can relate, you’re part of the majority and you’ve got you’ve both been interacting, so you can enjoy connecting with either a clam or a porcupine on your hands. The Clam with- them in the same way the other adults in their life do. That will draws and goes inward when they’re stressed, take time and effort. while the Porcupine pushes back with rude You can do that by allowing conversation to remarks or angry silences. happen naturally instead of forcing a dialogue. Back-to-school season only exacerbates Low-stakes activities can help them relax and these reactions, because both types of teens are not feel cornered into discussion, like going responding to two main triggers: overwhelmfor a hike or a drive to their favorite dessert ing feelings they don’t know how to deal with place. This is especially helpful if your teen is and a need to control something, anything, in more clam than porcupine; acceptance looks a life where almost every major decision gets quieter, like sitting near them without filling made for them. the silence, so being with you doesn’t feel like It may be helpful to think of the teen brain a quiz. as having a powerful gas pedal and brakes that When they do start opening up, instead desperately need an upgrade. The reactive part of rushing in and trying to fix problems, they GUEST OPINION really just need to feel fully listened to, for their of their brain comes online early and strong. By Cleo Andersen-Green, Psy.D. The part responsible for discernment and emotions to be accepted by you. You can show empathy won’t be fully developed until their that total acceptance simply through relaxed mid-to-late 20s. So when they feel something, body language and nodding. they feel it at full volume and genuinely don’t have the equipIt’s also really important that parents keep in mind that they’re ment to turn that noise down, the way adults can. only human and be gentle on themselves when they make When they behave in such difficult ways, it’s almost impossi- mistakes. It’s likely that you’ll accidentally take the bait and start ble not to get triggered yourself. The natural and well-intentioned telling them what to do. Owning your mistakes and apologizing reaction is to try to correct the teen’s undesirable behavior, ques- when they happen will result in much more respect from your tion their seemingly poor decisions and fix their problems before teen and allow them to feel safe in doing the same when they they spiral into anything worse. make a mistake. Unfortunately, all these responses are going to immediately So perfection isn’t necessary, the very fact you’re wanting to engender resistance and defensiveness. When you’ve got an understand your teen is where true, lasting connection begins. understandably suspicious and defiant teen, there is only one I go deeper into all of this in my free community talk at the solution. Acceptance. Carbondale Library on Aug. 26. Now, I’m not saying you have to blindly accept poor behavior forever. Just try accepting where your teen is coming from for the Cleo Andersen-Green, Psy.D., holds a doctorate in clinical next few months. This is truly the only strategy for change. psychology and is the cofounder of The Academy of Lasting To help you feel committed to this new approach, it might Love. She offers practical support for youth, families and be worthwhile considering whether your teen treats their favor- couples across the Roaring Fork Valley who want to shift ite teacher the same way they treat you. If your teen is able to unproductive patterns into calmer, deeper connections.
LETTERS ‘Steal This Story, Please!’ Calling all fans of The Sopris Sun, KDNK and independent media nationwide! Come out this Thursday, Aug. 20, for a one-night showing of the film “Steal This Story, Please!” at the Crystal Theater. This documentary about journalist Amy Goodman has won audience-choice awards at several film festivals and is selling out in theaters across the country. In these days of corporate media consolidation, independent media is more important now than ever. Thursday’s showing is a fundraiser for Mountain Action Indivisible. Showtime is 7pm; doors open at 6:30 pm. More info and buy tickets at MountainActionIndivisible.org. Debbie Bruell Carbondale
Plight of Haitians As a family physician, I’ve traveled to many countries on medical relief trips. Two of these trips were to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. These trips opened my eyes and made me sympathetic to the plight of Haitians in the United States. I spent a week in the Dominican Republic, traveling daily to refugee camps. While most of my colleagues were American, we worked with one Haitian physician. She served some of the most disadvantaged patients I ever worked
with, while educating us about local needs and cultural concerns. While we had traveled further, her daily challenges to join us were greater. She was required to pass through eight separate checkpoints upon entry and departure, harassed at each one because she was a woman and a Haitian. She was undeterred and showed up daily to help people in desperate need. More recently, I participated in a medical relief trip to Haiti. We treated patients who had been chronically displaced by the 2010 earthquake. They were further impacted by cholera outbreaks inadvertently caused by relief workers. Our shifts at refugee camps were rescheduled due to risk of violence, and we were unable to travel without security. Since then, the country has been torn apart by violence, political instability and economic collapse. The U.S. Department of State just placed Haiti under a level 4 (highest) travel advisory. This is the scenario that our Haitian immigrants — who have recently been under Temporary Protected Status, but now are at risk of being deported — are expected to return to. Not only are they neighbors and community members, they are employed in valuable health roles across the U.S. More than 100,000 Haitians work in health professions, particularly caring for our elderly and disabled. They make up nearly 1% of our healthcare workforce. Deporting them poses a humanitarian risk while creating a significant clinical shortage in
2 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
the U.S. Please contact your congressmen to ask them to protect Haitian immigrants’ status in the U.S.! And remember, use your voice — vote in November! Maria Chansky Glenwood Springs
Right to hunt My right to ski in Colorado ought to be enshrined in our state Constitution. As a native with ancestors born and raised in the Centennial state, skiing is my family tradition, my heritage, and thus it is my God-given right to shred the slopes. Of course, I’m joking. Skiing is in my blood, but never would I ever attempt to force my choice of outdoor sport into the mother of all laws: the state Constitution. Unfortunately, a horde of predator-hunting-and-fur-trapping-obsessed folks are pushing for a potential ballot measure that would entitle them a “right” to hunt or trap in Colorado. Do they even know that hunting, trapping and of course fishing are already legal recreational sports in Colorado? The millions of dollars they will undoubtedly raise should just go to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for current needs. What a waste of time for everybody. Although … it could set a really nice precedent for my right to pickleball. Julie Marshall Lafayette continued on page 22
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Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+ Kathy & Carter Barger Lee Beck & John Stickney Karen & Roger Berliner Emily & George Bohmfalk Kay Brunnier Michelle & Ed Buchman Sandy & Paul Chamberlin Frances Dudley Sue Edelstein & Bill Spence Deborah & Shane Evans Greg & Kathy Feinsinger Peter & Mike Gilbert Michael & Nancy Kish Gary & Jill Knaus Jan & Warren Koster Bob & Dori Libson Lee Mulcahy Donna & Ken Riley Eric Smith Patti & George Stranahan Gayle & Dick Wells Elizabeth Wysong
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Drought and bears
OUR UNDERWRITERS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS!
Colorado’s drought has prompted a record number of bear sightings this year as natural food sources dwindle, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). CPW urges residents to “be especially vigilant about securing trash and other food sources.” The agency saw nearly twice as many bear reports and conflicts between Jan. 1 and Aug. 13, 2026, compared to the same period last year — the highest number of reports since it installed a digital reporting system in 2019.
Vintage at the Crystal Age-Friendly Carbondale is sponsoring a special event “to help our vintage theater thrive,” the group noted in an email to The Sun. “Vintage people watching vintage movies can do just that.” Age-Friendly is bringing Mel Brook’s 1974 film “Blazing Saddles” to the Crystal Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 3pm.The film is rated R. “In case you have never seen it, this is a movie with something to offend EVERYONE,” wrote Age-Friendly. Folks who are older than 60 get in for half price, and “everyone gets free candy cigarettes.” Tickets are available at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/blazing-saddles
Women’s triathlon results
Alpine Bank Colorado Mountain College Nordic Gardens Hilary Porterfield Basalt Library
NONPROFIT PARTNERS Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Carbondale Arts Colorado Animal Rescue
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The Roaring Fork Women’s Triathlon Team showed up in full force to the 2026 Coeur Sports Outdoor Divas Sprint Triathlon in Longmont, making up 57 of 552 total participants. Of the local team, Sydney Pena took second overall, Jamie Boutillier placed first in the 40-44 age group, Amy Moyer first (35-39), Ellie Rippy first (15-19), Eva Jankovsky second (45-49), Deedee Rippy (Ellie’s mom) third (45-49), Sherrie Setterberg second (65-69), Makaela Richardson second in the Athena Division, Jillian Sutherland third in the Athena Division and Angie McDonald, who was competing in a triathlon for the first time, also placed first (75-79).
Shoshone support The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners is urging local entities and communities to help fund the final $1.7 million needed by the Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Coalition to complete the $99 million water-rights purchase associated with the Shoshone Hydroelectric Power Plant. The plant is located about eight miles upstream from Glenwood Springs on the Colorado River. Garfield County in 2024 approved a $3 million commitment to the purchase of the rights, which is currently owned by Xcel energy. The purchase would allow the Colorado River Water Conservation District to preserve the downstream section of the river into the future.
Ruedi releases The Ruedi Reservoir increased its release on Monday, Aug. 17, by 122 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs), bumping the flow of the Fryingpan River to 500 cfs and continuing releases, which began in early August, to aid Grand Valley irrigation users, according to the Ruedi Water & Power Authority. “The release rate will continue until further notice,” the authority said.
AVSC Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club (AVSC) is opening registration for Aspen Supports Kids, the club’s youth recreational program, at 5pm on Sunday, Aug. 23. Serving preschool through 12th grade, Aspen Supports Kids is an important starting point for those wishing to pursue AVSC’s snowsports programming, according to a press
Schools are open!
Please drive slowly and watch for kids.
WALK. BIKE. CONNECT.
Help keep our children safe! Note the new crosswalk at Weant & Hwy 133, and go car-free whenever you can. Reduce traffic and preserve our small-town character! Carbondale’s Bike Ped Trails Commission
Arborists recently removed a portion of trunk from a silver maple near the corner of Euclid Avenue and 2nd Street in Carbondale. The tree, thought to be at least 120 years old, dated to about the time a log cabin was built at that corner. Owners Lynn Siodmak and Joel Rem worked to salvage as much wood as possible from the lot before starting new construction. The cabin was disassembled to be rebuilt near Sunlight. Timber from the maple and its twin (far left, also removed) will be used by Pika Furniture Studio in Carbondale to make table tops and other items. Photo by Ken Pletcher
release. “We’re so excited to welcome families back for another incredible winter with Aspen Supports Kids,” Program Director Meredith Elwell said in the release, which “has an option for everyone, and we’re here to help families find the right fit.” The registration opening gives local families an opportunity to sign up before winter programs are full. Details at teamavsc.org/ask-programs
They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Emily Bohmfalk, Kirsten Keenan, Eric Skalac, Sid Smock, Sarah Tory, Torrey Udall, Dan Whitney and Katherine Whitney (Aug. 20); Jan Edwards, Rick Norman and Kevin Schorzman (Aug. 21); Raine Beau, Chris Hassig, Ryan Honey, Kathy McCann and Jeannie Perry (Aug. 22); Susan Brady, Brett Haynes, Chrissy Leonard and Sarah Mac (Aug. 23); Dalton Handy, Sarah Meyer and Andrea Porter (Aug. 24); John Hoffmann, Alli O’Neal and Danielle Rozga (Aug. 25); Larry Day, Linda Froning, Julie Goldstein and Julia Tallmadge (Aug. 26).
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 3
Chris Klug Foundation to honor transplant community at 2026 Wine & Dine gala KATE PHILLIPS Sopris Sun Correspondent
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This story includes child loss. Hope takes center stage at the Chris Klug Foundation’s (CKF) annual Wine & Dine gala. Presented by the Hoffberger family, the gala will take place on Aug. 28 at the Snowmass Club. Highlighting the evening is a powerful awards ceremony that honors three individuals from the transplant community. “It’s a really lovely gala because it’s personal,” CKF Executive Director Jessi Rochel said. “There’s a really attentive audience for our honorees’ journeys.” Guests will enjoy a champagne toast, open bar, three-course dinner, exclusive wines and live music by the Aspen-based Derrick Brown Band. The gala is a key fundraiser for the nonprofit and will include lively auctions, a wine pull and barrel drop. All funds gathered will help CKF’s mission to educate and raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. This year, CKF received 56 nominations for its three annual recognitions: the Hero Award, the Bounce Back, Give Back Award and the Community Champion Award.
Rolling out the red carpet for honorees, CKF provides complimentary airfare and lodging at Viceroy Snowmass. During the ceremony, honorees share their lived experiences. “Some of the stories are funny, heartwarming or devastating, but they are all uplifting and inspiring,” Rochel said. “They make you want to make the world a better place.” Accepting the Hero Award is Kristen Cowan, a teacher and donor mom from Katy, Texas, making a profound impact in the transplant community. Cowan is the founder of Smilin’ Rylen Foundation, a nonprofit that helps families in crisis and raises awareness about organ donation. In 2017, Cowan lost her 13.5-month-old son, Rylen. She and her family decided to donate Rylen’s organs, ultimately saving five lives and inspiring the nonprofit. “We wanted to make sure that no one went through what we went through, or at least were comforted by the organizations that comforted our family,” Cowan said. The foundation has grown to include an annual run, a parking pass program for families receiving care at Houston Medical Center and scholarships for Katy students. “Through organ donation and everything we are doing through the foundation,
Speaking on CKF’s “Unspoken” podcast, the 2025 award recipients — pictured here at last year’s gala along with CKF team members (left to right) Destiny Perez, Anna Morgan-Palardy, 2025 awardees Patty Graham, Dr. Ahmad Anouti, Dr. Randall Stafford, CKF founder Chris Klug and Executive Director Jessi Rocel — shared a deep appreciation for the foundation and the transplant community. Photo courtesy of Matt Snell with High West Studios
it brings joy to our heart,” she said. “It helps us through our grief.” Receiving the Bounce Back, Give Back Award is Alison Conklin of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, for continuing to inspire others as she leads a healthy and fulfilling life post transplant. Conklin is a professional photographer and founder of Bonus Days Magazine, a stunning publication filled with stories of resiliency and inspiration among the transplant community. At age 13, Conklin was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition her mother tragically died from. Her life dramatically shifted from sports to countless medications, an implanted cardiac defibrillator and open heart surgery. In
October 2022, the doctors estimated she had six months to live. Miraculously, the mother of two received a heart within days. “I was so grateful, but there were so many ups and downs during that first year [of recovery] … It was really isolating,” continued on page 18
IN A NUTSHELL What: Chris Klug Foundation Gala When: Aug. 28 at 5pm Where: Snowmass Club Tickets & info: chrisklugfoundation.org/wine-and-dine
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4 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
Getting ‘loc’d out’ at Circadian Coffee SOFIE KOSKI Sopris Sun Correspondent
Then began Heather’s relationship with the Crawfords, the landlords, who have played a key role in the project, Enter Circadian Coffee, the long-awaited, and now according to the Circadian team. in-business, drive-thru coffee shop in El Jebel. Located “This wouldn’t have been possible without them,” in the plaza by the El Jebel Laundromat, it’s a convenient Operations Manager Kathryn Smith said. “They’ll say, place to sit while you wait for your laundry or even pull a ‘Hey, what needs to be fixed? Does something need to be boat through on your way to Ruedi. adjusted? Does something need to be fabricated?’” It’s been more than three years in the making, starting as The long process to open included locating a property, a pop-up shop at Thai House Co & Sushi, and finally coming building out the container, procuring permits and figuring to life in a custom, Texas-built shipping container at 70 El out a plan that honors idling laws. Jebel Road. They serve Wild Roaster coffee, locally “The containers themselves were built out in made empanadas, paninis, pastries and more. Texas, and we had them shipped here,” Short “I just want people to be able to come here stated. “The local crowd was able to make and know that everybody in here is stoked,” it functional.” said owner Heather Short. “I just want to Circadian rhythm is the body’s natural create a little community.” flow and internal cycle. Short found the name It’s been a long process to turn her vision fitting, as many times throughout the process, into reality. Short often gets asked the same she found herself back at the drawing board. -Lilly Goodale, question: How did this all come together? “I didn’t truly understand patience until It all began in Washington state, where Short Circadian Barista I’d been told ‘no’ 100 times,” said Short. grew up going to and working at drive-thru coffee Although the process was long, it gave way to shops. In college, she enrolled in Dutch Bros’ “All Star” new friendships and connections. Vaughn Shafer, a local program, which helps establish new coffee stands and artist and metalworker, is responsible for the “Circadian train employees. Coffee” sign, as well as a coffee bean sculpture on the “At the same time, I was going to school for business corner of the drive-thru entrance. at Arizona State … It was all hand in hand,” she said. “I Quality ingredients and community connections are thought, ‘Okay, I do want to do this one day.’” very important at Circadian Coffee. They offer food and When she was living in Colorado Springs, she was drawn pastries from five different local vendors and make syrups to the Roaring Fork Valley, but Dutch Bros was unable to and açaí bowls in-house. open a shop here. Her then-boyfriend, now husband, was “If you’re someone out there who cares about your food living here and she moved to support him. and your ingredients, these guys cut no corners,” said Nate Short started teaching for Aspen Gymnastics, but her Grinzinger, a regular patron of Circadian Coffee. real passion remained in coffee and serving. She reached They offer vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options. out to Arik Sananikone of Thai House Co & Sushi, and The employees also make it a point to remember customasked if she could use the space in the mornings, as the ers’ faces and orders, keeping things moving while still restaurant only operated in the evenings. creating a welcoming atmosphere. “He was like, ‘Yeah, sure. Do it.’ So we did coffee in the morn“Even if we’re having a bad day, you’ll still be able to ings, and then they switched to dinner in the evenings,” Short come and feel welcome and not have our bad day trickle continued. “We operated out of there for about two years.” onto you,” said Short.
This place is a female powerhouse of besties!
A mysterious motorcycle rider (spoiler: It’s Travis Trip) hangs with (left to right) sign fabricator Vaughn Shafer, owner Heather Short, Operations Manager Kathryn Smith, baristas Lilly Goodale and Nicole Mason and customer Nate Grinzinger at the Circadian Coffee container. Photo by Sofie Koski
The welcoming atmosphere extends beyond just the cash register. “It’s a fun environment, and we all get along with each other,” said Smith. “Kathryn [Smith] is like my little sister,” Short added. “This place is a female powerhouse of besties!” Barista Lilly Goodale concluded. So stop by and get “loc’d out at Circadian Coffee!” Shop hours are 7am to 2pm every day except Wednesday.
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 5
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6 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
New grey wolf pups make a new pack in Colorado; wolf deaths continue AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent
A gray wolf pack has settled in Eagle County, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), but five wolf deaths have also occurred since January. CPW announced on July 22 that pups born this spring in Eagle County are part of the Piney Ridge Pack — the fifth pack to form since wolf reintroduction began in December 2023. Two days later, the agency announced the death of an uncollared grey wolf in the northwest part of the state, which is still under investigation. CPW’s third annual report published in May shows an estimated 32 wolves in the state. CPW Statewide Public Information Officer Luke Perkins said in an email this total does not include the Piney Ridge pups or two recent deaths, including the yearling male from the Copper Creek Pack, killed in June in Routt County by wildlife officials and another lethal removal of a yearling from the One Ear Pack in Grand County on Aug. 4. Both were killed under CPW’s
definition of chronic depredation. The 2026 deaths began with the January death of female wolf 2504 in northwest Colorado. She was one of 15 wolves imported from British Columbia in 2025. In a recent statement, CPW said that the collared wolf was accidentally shot by a “licensed hunter who mistook it for a coyote.” The Sopris Sun filed a formal records request on Aug. 11 through the Colorado Open Records Act for the completed report, which CPW has not yet provided. Perkins said that the unidentified hunter responsible for 2504’s death was cited for violation of state regulation 2 CCR 406-0#002-A, which prevents the take of an animal without the corresponding license. This hunter did not have the authority to kill a state and federally endangered grey wolf. His penalty includes a citation and surcharge fee of $139.50 and five points against his hunting license. Twenty points accumulated within five years can lead to a license suspension hearing. But, the $139.50 penalty has
further divided an already polarized field of stakeholders. The Colorado Sun reports that killing an endangered species carries a fine of up to $100,000, up to a year in jail and a potential loss of hunting and fishing privileges. Wildlife advocate Darlene Kobobel, founder of the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center and former Strategic Advisory Group member who helped shape CPW’s Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, is concerned that such a light penalty for killing an endangered species could set a bad precedent. “The penalty for what happened was so minor, it’s actually embarrassing,” she said. “People should be outraged about that because all that is doing is giving others out there a green light to say, ‘Officer, I thought it was a coyote’.” Posts on the Colorado Wolf Tracker Facebook page on May 17 reflected Kobobel’s concern. “Take notes, folks. Remember ‘I thought it was a coyote, officer.’ Bank that one,” wrote group member Rob Smith. “The info I looked up says the man won’t
Art by Sofie Koski
be charged criminally because it was an accident.” William Crutchley commented, “[J]ust a $150 tag. lol.” Shane Long posted, “I bet we could get $1960 pretty easily to take care of the other 14!” The posts were no longer visible on May 18. Kobobel mentioned the McKittrick Rule, a loophole in prosecuting criminals, so-called mistaken identity cases, which requires federal agencies to show proof of a hunter’s intention to kill an endangered species. It was overturned in 2017 but reinstated the following year. “It started by someone saying exactly that, ‘Oh, I thought it was a coyote’ and getting off by that in the courts,” Kobobel explained. She said three wolves have been illegally killed in Colorado so far. “My
fear is it’s already a pattern that’s happening,” she said. “If we keep going the way that we are, and now that this has happened, it’s Pandora’s box that’s just opened.” In the case of wolf 2504, CPW Chief of Law Enforcement and Assistant Director of Field Services Ty Petersburg said, “Through CPW’s thorough investigative process we recognized that the hunter made the ethical choice to immediately report the incident and take responsibility for the accident.” Western Watersheds Project (WWP), a public lands watchdog group, is concerned that coyote hunting in Colorado is dangerous for wolves. “This may be just a tragic case of misidentification, but it shows how the continued on page 23
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 7
Pitkin, Eagle counties, local municipalities awarded energy funding ANNALISE GRUETER Sopris Sun Correspondent
This summer, 10 Roaring Fork Valley and Colorado River corridor jurisdictions were awarded over $4 million in climate and energy funding from the Colorado Energy Office’s Local IMPACT Accelerator program. The IMPACT Accelerator awarded $30.1 million statewide during this allocation round, meaning the local cohort landed over 13% of funding. The $4 million award will be shared between Aspen, Avon, Basalt, Eagle, Minturn, Red Cliff, Snowmass Village, Vail and Eagle and Pitkin counties. The Colorado Energy Office and outgoing Gov. Jared Polis have designated a total of $50 million from an October 2024 federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to create the Local Implementation, Mitigation and Policy Action (IMPACT) Accelerator. IMPACT subgrants within Colorado are designated to support local governments with policy adoption to bolster local resilience, reduce emissions and advance state pollution reduction goals. Sectors considered for grant applications included buildings, land use, transportation and waste mitigation projects.
Garrett Peak, Capitol Peak and Mount Daly, which are part of unincorporated Pitkin County, loom in the distance behind Snowmass. A cohort of Roaring Fork Valley and Colorado River Valley jurisdictions won $4 million from a state accelerator fund for energy projects. Among the group are both Eagle and Pitkin counties. Photo by Annalise Grueter
Within those categories, the Colorado Energy Office specified areas eligible for grant use. In the buildings sector, funding applications favor policies that adopt building energy codes that exceed the Colorado Model Low Energy and Carbon Code, establish energy performance standards and create energy efficiency incentives. Eligible land use policies are those that promote compact housing, parking management, EV charging and clean energy or that discourage greenfield
8 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
development — building a new development on formerly undeveloped land. Transportation application uses are policies that encourage high-quality active transportation infrastructure, transit prioritization, transportation demand management and fee-based vehicle registration incentives. Waste sector uses considered for IMPACT grants are policies that increase waste diversion, promote reuse and help convert refuse trucks to zero-emission vehicles.
“This award reflects what can be accomplished when communities work together toward a common goal,” said Tessa Schreiner, the City of Aspen’s environmental health and sustainability manager. “By partnering across our local communities, we’re able to accelerate energy efficiency and electrification projects that will benefit residents throughout the region.” This is not the first time the 10 jurisdictions have worked together toward energy goals; the cohort previously collaborated to
advance building energy codes across the communities. The new IMPACT funding will also support building energy codes as well as all-electric new construction and expanding local incentives for energy efficiency and electrification projects. Each jurisdiction developed projects that maximize the impact of allocated funding, tailoring projects to meet the needs of their community. The Sopris Sun contacted Clare McLaughlin, a City of Aspen sustainability manager, to learn more about how funding will be used. “Most near-term, we will work as regional partners to advance building energy codes that support efficient, electric buildings,” McLaughlin said. “Then, jurisdictions will roll out community-incentive projects over the course of the grant, from winter 2026 to summer 2029.” McLaughlin confirmed that specific funding use across all cohort partners was proposed during the application process. “Aspen plans to use project funding to support affordable housing efficiency and electrification retrofit projects,” she said. “Snowmass aims to support high-impact commercial buildings with rebates.” continued on page 22
GARFIELD COUNTY REPORT
Flood mitigation considered, LoVa Trail snubbed, library mill levy extension moves toward the ballot box JAMES STEINDLER Editor-in-Chief
Commissioner Mike Samson was still absent during this week’s Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting on Monday, Aug. 17. Peach Valley resident Fred Kuersten was back in front of the commissioners during public comment to encourage addressing drainages to reduce flood risk in the area. Several property owners were significantly impacted by the Slaughterhouse Gulch Mudslide that closed Interstate 70 in July. He also suggested that the neighboring landowners keep their drainages open. “Natural drainages should have a precedence over them making the yards look nice,” he said. Kate Collins, executive director of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC), also appeared during public comment regarding the same matter. Commissioner Perry Will had approached MCWC “to explore opportunities to reduce future flood risk through upstream watershed restoration,” she explained. Chairman Tom Jankovsky brought up that besides the county and property owners, the Bureau of Land Management is also a stakeholder in this case. Due to the impacts to I-70, Collins and the commissioners agreed that the Colorado Department of Transportation could be interested in partnering on solutions. Will and Collins recently met with residents, county Road and Bridge staff and a hydrologist and an engineer from SGM Engineering. She relayed that SGM staff suggested starting with an assessment to define the problem. The estimated cost for an assessment through SGM was $5,000 to $8,000, she relayed.
“[The] Middle Colorado Watershed Council is here to help as a convening organization,” Collins said. “I think the homeowners are not pointing fingers. What I heard was a real willingness to try to work together for a solution. They feel vulnerable and they feel positive about doing something.” Historic flooding occurred in the area in 1957, 1983 and 2006. Later on, resident Del Whittington was on the agenda, though not physically or virtually present, to officially request waiving dump fees for residents impacted by the mudslide. “Several of the landowners … up there have asked me about this,” said Commissioner Will, whose district includes Peach Valley. He added that he’s having a list put together of property owners seeking waivers. Landfill Manager Deb Fiscus said that she needed to follow up with the state to find out if any of the debris needs to be tested, noting that there’s a good chance it won’t as it’s mostly natural material. “However, if we get that particular item wrong, it puts the landfill in a position of violating our permit,” she explained. She said she should have an answer from the state later in the week. From there, Fiscus said that she’d need the list of the property owners and haulers, and direction from the BOCC as far as any monetary caps and a timeline. “Other than that, we’ll just find a place to put it and that’s where they’ll unload it, and we’ll be good to go,” she said. Staff suggested sending a letter to the property owners outlining standards for disposing the debris at the dump. The BOCC decided on a 60-day timeline and no caps on fee waivers.
Commissioner Perry Will, illustration by Larry Day
LoVa Trail Jeanne Golay, executive director of the Lower Valley (LoVa) Trail Association, was back, this time on the agenda, to request a letter of support for the City of Glenwood Springs’ Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant application to support the LoVa Trail project. Golay relayed that the city is asking for $19.5 million, noting that there is currently $64 million available to entities within Colorado. The county submitted two applications for the same grant for road improvements. Commissioner Will stated that if the county is successful in its bids, it stands to save tax payers $2 million. “I think I have the responsibility to put the county’s fiscal interest first,” he said. “It’s not about choosing the county over continued on page 18
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 9
The Art Base presents ‘A Sense of Place’ MYKI JONES Arts Correspondent
Beginning on Aug. 28 and running through Sept. 25, The Art Base will feature its latest exhibition, “A Sense of Place.” This showcase is made up of the works of three local artists, Sam Harvey, Hunter Hogan and Sara Ransford, whose works will feature landscapes in their respective mediums, evoking the concept of “place.” “Though each artist works from a unique perspective, the exhibition reveals the many ways place can be interpreted as something deeply personal and continually evolving — ‘A Sense of Place’ invites viewers to slow down and reflect on their own connections to the spaces they inhabit and the places that continue to shape and inspire them,” a press release from The Art Base reads. Hogan, who will also be teaching “Plants, Printing & Paint” with The Art Base on Sept. 19, said she looks forward to sharing her gouache paintings with the community of The Roaring Fork Valley. Having been a resident of the area on and off since 1978, she draws inspiration for her work partly from the outdoors of Colorado and South Africa, where she recently returned after a threemonth stay with her husband’s family, who originate from the area. “Almost all of this show that’s coming up is from work that I did while I was in South Africa — the ideas I came up with in South Africa.” Hogan told The Sopris Sun. “It is a great place for me, not having
the comfort zone of my studio to work in gouache and [trying] to think of new ways to layer my prints and painting.” In the upcoming exhibition, Hogan said she looks forward to the juxtaposition of her works with those of her collaborators, with whom she shares an appreciation for the Roaring Fork Valley and other natural landscapes that evoke personal meaning. “I’m excited about the show because our work is very different, but it’s all coming from living here and liking the natural world so much and just drawing on that and thinking about how things fit together,” Hogan said, “and that’s going to be an interesting combination of the three of us because our work is very different but similar.” Her sentiments were echoed by Ransford, a clay and paper sculptor whose previous experience creating art in the valley includes a long history at Anderson Ranch Art Center, where she started as a student and eventually began teaching her own classes. Her work on display will reflect her appreciation for the landscapes she experienced during her lifetime as a participant in outdoor activities. “Roughly 85% of my work is directly influenced by a place or space I’ve seen — often experienced as a climber, hiker or kayaker, which puts me in intimate physical contact with the landscape itself,” Ransford said. “Wherever I go, I’m drawn to some intriguing beauty I feel compelled to photograph, often shooting 30 or more images that may eventually evolve into a
The Art Base will unveil “A Sense of Place” exhibit on Aug. 28, featuring art by Sam Harvey, Hunter Hogan and Sara Ransford, who are all local. Two of Ransford’s art pieces are pictured here (left) as well as one of Hogan’s. Photos courtesy of The Art Base
piece, through several rounds of drawing and revision.” She hopes that her work, inspired by micro and macro landscapes shaped by water, captures the same creative character she sees. “I would say the final piece I made, ‘Interrupted Flow,’ was by far the most challenging to create,” Ransford said. “My ceramic work is based on my drawings of photographs, and this particular drawing had been on my wall for a few years. I was unsure how to build the piece because of its complicated nature. I make decisions as I go, as I always do, but this one was far more complicated, since I was thinking about the nature of water, and our subconscious,
where so much stays hidden, rippling under the surface.” She continued, “Much of my work involves layering of elements that [aren’t] always evident at first glance; it takes some exploration to see the depth of the separate elements within the piece, much like our minds.”
IN A NUTSHELL What: “Sense of Place” Where: The Art Base When: On display Aug. 28 to Sept. 25 Opening: Aug. 28, 5-7pm More info: theartbase.org
Annual Community
Open House Saturday, August 29 | 10 AM – 2 PM
Bring the whole family to enjoy a day of fun, food, free swag, and fire safety with Carbondale firefighters and paramedics.
Scan QR code to see Open House Details
Carbondale Fire Station, 300 Meadowood Dr., Carbondale
carbondalefire.org 10 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
Getting Tiny and flipping conventionality at Carbondale Arts MYKI JONES Arts Correspondent
On Aug. 21 and running through Sept. 24, Carbondale Arts will be displaying a double-feature showcase: a juried exhibition, Tiny Prints, and a solo exhibition from Tracey Harris, “You Don’t have to be Perfect, but you could Try Harder.” Harris, who has been a resident and artist of Marble for a decade, is excited to present her first solo exhibition in Colorado through Carbondale Arts. She described her works as “aggressively feminist,” turning stereotypes upside down. “I have a woman cleaning a china plate with an orbital sander, and a woman wrapped in a power cord where she’s getting ready to plug herself into essentially herself,” Harris said. “There are also book paintings there, which is what I’m known for … self-help books with kind of snarky titles.” Based on the name of one of her pieces from her “CAUTION: Women with Orange Objects” series of oil paintings, Harris is proud to present a myriad of works at this local exhibit. Harris says the title perfectly encapsulates what she hopes to display with her works: to show the range of women beyond the typical lens, influenced by her own lived experiences. “I really like showing women’s range. Twenty years ago, I was raising my son on my own, and I wanted to show women as they really are instead of what was already out there,” she said. “There [are] enough demure, beautiful images of women in art history, and I just wanted to show women’s range of all the things that they do. So that’s kind of based on my life.”
Chainsaw,” an oil painting from Tracey Harris’ “CAUTION: Women with Orange Objects” series. Courtesy of Tracey Harris
Harris’ unique collection also includes rubber-chicken paintings, some of which will be on display, and entomology paintings, where she incorporates butterfly wings onto different types of insects.
Carbondale Arts Gallery Manager Brian Colley to score and judge the pieces based on several aspects. “We individually scored based on our own aesthetic tastes, though we made sure to include at least one entry from everyone that submitted works. Our scores were tallied up and Brian was the tiebreaker when our choices didn’t line up,” Muñoz explained. “So long as artists adhered to the size restrictions, media restrictions and had their work ready by submission time, they were considered.” Mueller, a printmaker, artist and entrepreneur who owns and operates the communal Wonderhand Studios in Greeley, looks forward to seeing patrons of the gallery getting up close and personal. “Often there are small-works shows, but the Tiny Print Showcase is a step beyond into the world of miniature and detail,” she said. “Having small versions of well-known poster types, such as National Parks, music and protest, which are all usually so large scale, made small like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is also a great juxtaposition.” Colley noted that smaller pieces of art can be a good accessible point for artists and art lovers alike, as they are often a more affordable option for both the labor it takes to create a piece and the cost to take one home. “We’re hoping for a good crowd, because I think a lot of people don’t have big spaces in their house for big art, and big art costs a lot of money sometimes,” Colley expounded. “So one idea behind it was to have something that was really affordable for folks and also really fun. I love printmaking as an artist myself, and it just feels very accessible.” “Most of these prints are meant to be viewed from inches away,” Mueller concluded, “so don’t be afraid to touch your nose to the wall.”
IN A NUTSHELL What: Tiny Print Showcase & Tracey Harris exhibit Tiny Print Showcase The Tiny Print Showcase, which will include two award Where: The Launchpad categories (general and special), will feature works by When: On display Aug. 21 to Sept. 24 artists of all ages and skill levels from across the state. Two Opening: Aug. 21, 5-7pm jurors for this exhibition, Johanna Mueller and Raymundo More info: carbondalearts.com Muñoz, spent many hours working remotely with
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 11
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
Community Education Classes
TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts “Connection is The Medicine” with Eaden Shantay from 5 to 6:30pm, followed by “Care for Caregivers” from 5:30 to 7pm. Register at tinyurl.com/eadenshantay and tinyurl.com/careforcaregivers2026
PHILOSOPHICAL TOOLS
Introduces ideas and strategies from philosophers’ writings and explores values and moral principles in this changing world. Tues, 6-7:30pm, 8/25-9/15
LIBRARY MUSIC Aspen Music Festival and School returns to the Basalt Library, bringing tunes by talented students from 5:15 to 6:15pm.
BEGINNING SWING DANCE
Learn the basic steps, turns, spins, dips, and fun moves. Great exercise, meet people, and be ready for your next dance party. Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 9/2-9/23
PILATES MATWORK w/Pamela
Increase core strength, overall muscle tone, and flexibility with focused and precise techniques Mon, 10-10:50am, 9/14-12/7
WHAT IS ASTROLOGY
An introduction to astrology as a tool for self-knowing, personal growth, & quality of time. Thursday, 6-8pm, 8/27
CITIZENSHIP BASICS - FREE
Prepares adults for the U.S. citizenship and naturalization exam and interview. Sat, 10:30am-12:30pm, 8/29-12/5
Carbondale
690 Colorado Avenue
970-963-2172
PLEASANT DOGS
Bennett Bramson’s “Seven P’s...” basic and common-sense training tool for dog owners Online Tues, 6-8:30pm, 9/15
OIL PAINTING
Demos, tips and advice as you paint. Some supplies provided. Tues, 5:30-8:30pm, 9/15-10/27
t
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CALENDAR
Scan for Community Ed
TOM MIX AT THE VAUDEVILLE The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue screens silent movie classic “The Great K&A Train Robbery” along with authentic sound effects from its photoplayer. Doors open at 6pm. PICNIC PERK Join certified nutritionist and chef Ricki McKenna for “Perk up Your Picnics” with The Center for Human Flourishing from 6:30 to 8pm at the Third Street Center. Details at tinyurl.com/perkedpicnics ‘STEAL THIS STORY’ Mountain Action Indivisible hosts “Steal This Story, Please!” at The Crystal Theatre at 7pm. The award-winning documentary revolves around Amy Goodman, a journalist and trailblazer who gives voice to those silenced by commercial media. Tickets at tinyurl.com/AmyGattheCrystal TACAW The Ray Wylie Hubbard trio plays Americana music at 8pm at TACAW. Tickets at tinyurl.com/raywyliehubbardtacaw
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
STORYTIME Children, ages 0-3, are invited to participate in “Storytime Playgroup” at the Basalt Library from 10:30 to 11:15am. CRYSTAL RIVER LUNCHEON Wilderness Workshop and the Roaring Fork Conservancy host a “lunch and learn” session near the banks of the Crystal River, meeting at the Placita Trailhead, from noon to 2pm. Register at tinyurl.com/CrystalRiverLunch EAGLE MUSHROOM FEST The 17th annual Eagle Mushroom & Wild Food Festival kicks off today at noon and continues through the weekend at the Brush Creek Pavilion (909 Capitol St) in Eagle. Tickets at eaglemushroomfest.com CARBONDALE ARTS OPENINGS Carbondale Arts hosts an opening reception for two new exhibitions, “The Tiny Print Showcase” and “You Don’t Have to be Perfect, but you could Try Harder,” from 5 to 7pm. CRYSTAL THEATRE “The Odyssey” screens at 7pm at The Crystal, followed by a 7pm screening on Saturday, 5pm screening (captioned) on Sunday and 7pm screening on Monday.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
CHICKEN HARVEST Rock Bottom Ranch hosts a chicken harvest and butchery workshop from 9am to 1pm. Attendees will learn how to make the most of a pasture-raised chicken, and bring home their own butchered bird. Register at tinyurl.com/ chickenharvestrockbottom TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts “Financial Awakening: Conscious Wealth Reset” from 9am to noon. Register at tinyurl.com/ financialawakening CLAY DRIP Head over to the Carbondale Clay Center for “Get Your Drip On,” a glaze-mixing 12 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
workshop with Matthew Eames from 10am to 5pm. Participants will sign up for an hour-long glaze-mixing slot at the clay center on Sunday and talk about their finished pieces as a group from 1 to 2pm at Townline Trucks on Sept. 12. Register at tinyurl.com/glazemixing ‘THE RIPPLE EFFECT’ Caden Smith, an intern for the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program, hosts a live podcast taping at 2pm at The Crystal Theatre. Smith discusses arts education in the Valley with Carbondale Arts Fashion Show co-directors Emily Fifer and Meagan Shapiro, as well as with youth songwriter and performer Sean Hamilton. Tickets at tinyurl.com/therippleeffect2026 TERRAPIN ROADSHOW The traveling music group Terrapin Roadshow lands in Glenwood Springs’ Two Rivers Park from 5 to 9pm. They’ll play at the park again from 2 to 6pm on Sunday. MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN The Petty Nicks Experience play at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park from 5 to 9pm for Music on the Mountain. MUSIC IN REDSTONE Starfish Enterprise closes out the Magical Moments concert series at Coal Basin Ranch at 6pm. TRTC WORKSHOP Thunder River Theatre continues its play development series with a staged reading of Steven Nemerovski’s “Free Florida” at 7:30pm. Tickets at thunderrivertheatre.com TACAW Folk trio Rainbow Girls grace the TACAW stage at 8pm. Tickets at tinyurl.com/rainbowgirls2026
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts “BUILT TO MOVE” with Carolyn Williams. Participants will assess their mobility and improve their movement. Register at tinyurl.com/builttomove2026 FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE Frontiers of Knowledge Symposium returns to Wheeler Opera House today from 9am to 5pm, followed by an Integration Day tomorrow at True Nature in Carbondale from 2 to 8pm. Tickets at frontiersofknowledge.org SPIRITUAL CENTER A Spiritual Center hosts Jeanne Soulsby’s “Sound Vibration — The Underlying Language of Reality” from 10 to 11:30am at the Third Street Center, room 31. CVEPA ANNUAL EVENT The 54th Annual Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association Event kicks off at 4pm at the Thompson Barn in River Valley Ranch. Acclaimed NPR and CU Boulder “The Water Desk” journalist Luke Runyon is the keynote speaker. Slow Groovin Barbeque provides the eats. MUSIC AT SOPRIS PARK The Music in the Park series continues at Sopris Park with Anthony Garcia and Los Diablos Tejanos followed by Mitt Spicy & the Blues Bandits from 5 to 8pm. ALYA’S ECSTATIC DANCE Join Alya’s Ecstatic Dance from 6 to 8 pm at 13 Moons Ranch, where attendees can expect uplifting world beats, a safe, connected space in which to move freely and more. For details and to RSVP, email alya@alyasumbrella.com
THOMPSON BARN at River Valley Ranch
Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association
54th Annual CVEPA Event Sunday, August 23 at 4:00 THOMPSON BARN at River Valley Ranch
Mountain Action Indivisible is bringing “Steal this Story, Please,” a documentary about journalist Amy Goodman, the longtime host of Democracy Now, to the Crystal Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7pm. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/DemocracyNowBonedale “I see KDNK, I see Crystal Theatre, I see Democracy Now and public radio and television as true sanctuaries of dissent, and dissent is what will save us,” Goodman said during a recent interview on Express Yourself on KDNK (find that clip at kdnk.org). Courtesy photo of Amy Goodman with local reporter Amy Hadden Marsh in 2016 at the Carbondale Library.
MONDAY, AUGUST 24
CELEBRATION OF CELIA NIESLANIK A celebration of life for Celia Nieslanik takes place at St. Mary of the Crown Catholic Church on White Hill, beginning with rosary at 10am and funeral mass at 11am. MUSIC AT TRUE NATURE Bassist Garth Stevenson plays at True Nature from 6 to 7:30pm. Tickets at tinyurl.com/garthstevensontruenature
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25
A JOURNEY THROUGH ASIA Basalt residents Paul and Marjorie Hilts take attendees on a photographic journey through Asia from the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Details at basaltlibrary.org/events PROTECT YOUR GARDEN Learn to protect your garden from the first frost of fall with a clinic from master gardener Tom Trowbridge at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. The clinic will run from 6 to 7:30pm. Details at tinyurl.com/ TomTrowbridgegardening WESTSLOPE AI LAB Christopher Gulledge, a practical AI integration coach, guides adults interested in AI through the basics at the Glenwood Library from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at tinyurl.com/WestslopeAI GARCO REPUBLICANS Garfield County Republicans is hosting “Victory Team Training,” with the goal of making those interested in helping the group be more confident in engaging voters. The event will be held at 7pm on Zoom, and is followed by another training at 10am on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Glenwood Library. Details for both at tinyurl.com/ garcorepsvictoryteam
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
CARBONDALE CLAY CENTER Registration for “Adult Classes Fall II Sessions” with the Carbondale Clay Center opens at noon. Details at carbondaleclay.org/adult-fall-ii-classes NONPROFIT VOLUNTEER FAIR Aspen Public Radio hosts the “2026 Nonprofit Volunteer Fair” at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library from 2 to 5pm. Food trucks, stage performances
and live radio broadcasting will be available on site. Details at tinyurl.com/ nonprofitvolunteerfair RIVER ECOLOGY FOR KIDS The Basalt Library guides kids, ages 6-12, on a walk exploring the nearby local river ecosystem from 2:30 to 3:30pm. Details at basaltlibrary.org/events ‘SAFE PASSAGES’ Roaring Fork Safe Passages opens an exhibit, “Safe Passages,” at the Aspen Chapel Gallery from 4 to 7pm. Details at aspenchapelgallery.org
Keynote Speaker Acclaimed NPR and CU “Water Desk” Journalism Luke Runyon Followed by Slow Groovin BBQ
JOIN US IN ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE
TEEN TALK Family specialist Dr. Cleo Andersen-Green hosts “When Your Teen Goes Quiet or Gets Snarky: Reconnecting Before the School Year Buries You” at the Carbondale Library at 5:30pm. Details at gcpld.org/events ‘HUMANITY 2.0’ The Center for Human Flourishing invites folks for a second discussion of the book ‘Humanity 2.0’ at the Third Street Center from 6 to 7pm. Details at tcfhf.org ‘FROM ASHES TO ASPHALT’ The Colorado Department of Transportation hosts “From Ashes to Asphalt,” a documentary about the Glenwood Canyon fire recovery, at 7pm in the Crystal Theatre. The event will include a Q&A. Details at crystaltheatrecarbondale.com FULL MOON HIKE Ages 10-99 are welcome to join a full moon, guided hike from 7 to 8:30pm. Participants will depart from the Glenwood Springs Community Center and hike to the first bench on Red Mountain. Children under 16 must have an adult with them. Details at tinyurl.com/fullmoonhike2026
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
TECH CLUB The Aspen Science Center Tech Club convenes at the Carbondale LIbrary from 3:45 to 4:45pm. Fifth graders and up are welcome and no registration required. Details at aspensciencecenter.org TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts yoga in Spanish from 6:30 to 8:15pm. Details at tinyurl.com/ yogainspanish2026
Find more upcoming events at www.soprissun.com/tag/curated-calendar
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 13
RAMS REPORT
Fall sports kicks off with return of Friday night lights football in Carbondale JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent
Varsity football is officially back at Roaring Fork High School, and the gridiron is where the 2026-27 prep sports season begins as the Rams take on Gunnison this Friday, Aug. 21, 7pm at Rams Field in Carbondale. “We’ve really been hyping it up and are trying to get a big crowd out there for our first home game,” said Head Coach John Nielsen, a former Roaring Fork football player himself who remembers the Rams’ glory days back at the start of the 21st century. The varsity program took a hiatus last season so the coaches could develop a core group of younger players who’ll be looking to show their stuff at the varsity level this fall. The Rams went 3-6 overall and 1-4 during their 2024 varsity campaign at the Class 1A level, and had a successful junior varsity season last year. “We’re still growing as a family and seem to be gaining a kid every couple of days, so it’s looking good so far,” Nielsen said. “As a coaching staff, we have to prove ourselves and gain the trust of the players and the parents that we’re providing them a good, safe practice environment to get them prepared for the games.” Roaring Fork will field two seniors this
season, lineman Gianluca Liuzzi and wide receiver/defensive back Emilliano Medina. Junior quarterback Emmit Nieslanik leads a strong contingent of younger players. “A lot of these guys have been with us every step of the way as we’ve built this program back up, so it’s good to see that kind of leadership,” Nielsen said. The roster numbers may or may not support a junior varsity team, he said. That won’t be known until a couple of weeks into the season. Besides Roaring Fork, the 1A Western Slope League this year features Cedaredge, Grand Valley, Meeker, Moffat County, North Fork and Olathe. After this week’s game, the Rams will regroup before hosting Battle Mountain on Sept. 2 (6pm kickoff), and this year’s homecoming matchup brings Meeker to Carbondale on Sept. 25.
Boys soccer The reliably tough Roaring Fork boys soccer team has one of its biggest rosters in several years at more than 50 players. That includes a solid returning squad of varsity starters from last year’s 10-5-2 team, which took the top seed in the 3A state tournament, Colorado Academy, to penalty kicks before bowing out in the second round.
aspenvalleyhealth.org
Members of the Roaring Fork High School varsity football team line up for a drill during a recent practice session. The Rams open the season at home this Friday, Aug. 21, against Gunnison. Kickoff is at 7pm at Rams Field, next to Carbondale Middle School. Photo by John Stroud
“We’re only replacing two senior starters from last season, so this year’s team is already pretty well formed,” veteran Head Coach Nick Forbes said. Rams soccer opens the season on the road at Forge Christian on Saturday, Aug. 22, with the home opener on tap for Friday, Aug. 28 against Telluride (3pm) at Rams Field. “They’re pretty solid in how they play and what they do and what their identity is. Our goal is just trying to get them to mature as soccer players,” Forbes said of this year’s Roaring Fork team, adding later, “The teams I’ve done the best with weren’t always the most talented soccer-wise, but they always had that extra drive, and that extra maturity around how they approach
the game. We’ll see if this group can rise to that occasion.” This year’s roster numbers could also support a developmental C team, in addition to the varsity and junior varsity teams. Several of the 3A Western Slope League (WSL) schools are seeing that same growth, Forbes said. “It’s a World Cup season, so everyone’s kind of stoked on it right now, and that only helps these programs,” he said. The league will see some changes this season, as Steamboat Springs and Rifle move into the 4A ranks, and Granby’s Middle Park High School, which had been in the Denver-area Frontier League, comes into the WSL. continued on page 18
Connection, Community and Care August Event
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2nd Annual Summer Garden Par-TEA August 29 | 2-4 p.m. Co-hosted by Roaring Fork Home Care and Botany Houseplant with music by Rodrigo.
Learn More & RSVP soprislodge.com/events 970-340-4444
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14 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
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It’s a wrap … well, almost PHOTOS & TEXT BY JANE BACHRACH Sopris Sun Correspondent
Yes, that’s what the guys are putting on the horse’s legs (see photo on the bottom right) to help protect them from injury during a polo match. But it’s not quite a wrap for the Aspen Valley Polo Club’s (AVPC) season. There’s still time to enjoy some polo, as the final match of the 2026 summer season will take place on Sunday, Aug. 30, before the club shuts its gates for the year. Congratulations to Avatar Financial, who took the gold last Sunday at the AVPC’s Rocky Mountain Open. For a list of season-end events up until the final bow on Aug. 30, visit aspenvalleypoloclub.com
(From upper left, going clockwise) A horseman on Team Avatar takes an offside forehand shot; polo players can be cowboys, too; the umpire takes a moment atop his buckskin between chukkers; two grooms wrap a pony’s legs for protection; a Los Amigos player attempts to hook his opponent’s mallet, which in this case appeared to be a foul.
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 15
Litze and Yaz When the German military marched into deeply Catholic Austria on March 12, 1938, Austrians overwhelmingly welcomed them. The two governments became one a day later in an action called Anschluss. Richard Kapella, a member of Austria’s Catholic majority, was born to landed gentry at the end of the 19th century. A physician and full colonel in the Austrian Army, Kapella commanded all the military hospitals in the Vienna District. On March 13, he found himself a colonel of the Third Reich. My father’s cousin, Litzi Kobler, was a financially comfortable middle-class woman whose Jewish parents converted to Catholicism long before her 1916 birth. She attended exclusive Catholic schools, where she became a concert pianist and fluent in five languages. By 1938, she was also Colonel Kapella’s pretty young wife. Rosa, her widowed mother, lived with them. Nov. 9–10, 1938, was “Kristallnacht,” a government-orchestrated event encouraging people to terrorize Jews while stealing and vandalizing their property. About 91 Jews died that night, and over 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Hundreds of them died within weeks from their brutal treatment. Some women, including Litzi and Rosa, were also arrested. The Nazis didn’t consider them Catholic and took them to the local police station. As the Colonel’s family, they were jailed but not brutalized, and their home was spared the worst damage. MATURE When Kapella learned what was happening, he rushed home, donned his best CONTENT uniform, pinned on every epaulet, decoraBy Ron Kokish tion, and medal he could find, and filled his pockets with money and fine cigars. Then he went to the police station and came home with Litzi and Rosa in his custody. Within weeks they were in neutral Ireland with the few belongings they had salvaged. It seems a person does not always have to stand for the same things as their uniform. Yaz Flores was 27 when she and Rafa came to the United States, using easyto-get Border Crossing Cards. They’d come before, for vacations, family visits, shopping and occasional temporary work. But this time they didn’t go back. Yaz was pregnant, and they wanted their children to be U.S. citizens educated in U.S. schools. They’d been waiting 7 years to immigrate, but without employer sponsorship it could easily be another 15 before they were admitted. Undocumented was not something Yaz and Rafa thought much about. Their families had followed work around the Southwest since Comanches were the dominant power. Their ancestors fought with and against Sam Houston. Meaningful border enforcement didn’t exist until after WWI, Social Security cards were first issued in 1936 and agricultural workers couldn’t get them until 1951. In 2003, being undocumented was an inconvenient, often necessary, and mostly unremarkable way of life for Yaz, Rafa and 10 million other ordinary people. The Flores drove across the border at San Diego and visited Disneyland on their way to Carbondale, Colo., where Yaz’s U.S.-born cousins lived. Rafa died from a sudden heart attack in mid-2023, just before Donald Trump’s reelection. Yaz was suddenly widowed, with her oldest daughter starting Colorado Mountain College, another attending high school and a third daughter in the fourth grade. Thanks to extended family, her education, limited savings and her eldest’s part-time job, things were tight, but they weren’t destitute. Litzi lived with growing fear for years, and after Anschluss, in pure terror. When Austria abandoned her altogether, she survived because a decent man with guts, a uniform and a few cigars risked his life and gave up his career to do the right thing. For two years now, Yaz has also endured growing fear, laced with moments of terror. It’s about being separated from her girls, held in a concentration camp and being deported. Litzi had a Colonel’s uniform with a chest full of medals and pockets full of cigars to protect her. Yaz has monthly rent, three children and whatever mercy happens to be in the room if and when it happens. The neighbor she knew, a distant cousin, the stranger she heard about, was put on a plane to a place in Africa where he’d never been; it’s very real to Yaz. With no Colonel in sight, she’s hoping for the famously immigrant-friendly town of Carbondale to do the right thing, but it still belongs to SPEAR — Special Problems Enforcement and Response. So do U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). Police Chief Kirk Wilson assured Carbondale’s Board of Trustees (BOT) that federal agencies are not illegally getting information from local law enforcement, but what about legally, via SPEAR? Police chiefs in Carbondale and Glenwood Springs told elected officials that their agencies will not share personal information with SPEAR, but outside advocates remained unconvinced. Glenwood Springs, after advice from their City Attorney, withdrew from SPEAR. Carbondale’s BOT is set to have a public heart-to-heart with Chief Wilson on Aug. 25. Yaz is waiting and hoping. If there’s an afterlife, so is Litzi.
OPINION
The Austrian anecdote is true to memory. Contemporary characters and events are based on real people with some names and details changed to protect the innocent. Mature Content is a monthly feature from Age-Friendly Carbondale. 16 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
Sprazzo “Amateur Eats” is The Sopris Sun’s new food review, written by Carbondale resident and eating enthusiast Jake Skardon and published on the third Thursday of each month.
Sprazzo is another relatively new restauAfter all the appetizers, we ordered a bottle rant on Carbondale’s Main Street, offering of wine, specifically the third cheapest bottle made-from-scratch pasta and other Italian of red (we were convincingly upsold from eats. They also run as a cafe in the morn- the second cheapest), and a few entrees. ings, with a full coffee and breakfast menu; Although the crab gnocchi was plenty satia standout in a town where most dine-in ating, I was able to summon hunger through restaurants are barely open half the day. wine and willpower. While I couldn’t work out a breakfast Our entrees came all at once: rigatoni review, a friend and I were able to snag an piccante, bucatini carbonara and pollo 8pm reservation on a bustling Thursday Toscano. I first went for the rigatoni: large evening. We were seated pasta tubes with a spicy inside. Sprazzo has a nice red sauce. The sauce was dining room, although it bright and flavorful, with was a little on the cramped a smokey kick from ‘nduja side. I wished that I had (soft, spread-like salami) advocated for the outside and chili pepper. Pancetta seating, which is spacious, bits added a nice salty well-lit and perfect for a crunch. While slightly warm summer evening. watery, the sauce still clung Still, having skipped lunch well to the rigatoni. Admitand forced myself through tedly, I was hopeful for an evening run, I was something spicier, somestarved for carbs and very thing ambitious enough to keen on eating as much make you dare the next bite fresh pasta as possible. — perhaps I will request AMATEUR After being seated, the “molto piccante” in the EATS service was a tad slow. future. But if you are someBy Jake Skardon Understandable, given how one who can’t handle the busy it was when we arrived, but it took heat, fear not, this dish is still for you. I would about 15 minutes for our first drinks to hit the certainly order this again. table. I ordered the Rosé Negroni, which was Unfortunately, the carbonara was a sweet, soft and lightly floral, with none of the let down. The sauce was cooked to the bitterness of a typical Negroni. While it was a point where there were small lumps of nice drink, it’s a Negroni for folks who don’t almost-scrambled egg, which overpowered like Negronis, and I was not compelled to the cheese, guanciale and pepper. On the order another. After I finished, I switched to topic of overcooking, both the rigatoni and beer, of which Sprazzo has a limited but solid bucatini were softer than I’d have liked, with selection of cans and draft. Next time I visit, the rigatoni being especially flaccid. AdmitI’d be keen to drink from the spritz menu, tedly, I prefer pasta to be “al dente,” but which looks perfect for brunch or an early considering how ours came out, I wondered evening dinner. if both dishes had been briefly forgotten For appetizers, we ordered the Caesar about while on the stove. salad, burrata plate and gnocchi al granchio By the time I got to the pollo Toscano (crab gnocchi). The caesar and burrata came (Tuscan-style chicken), I was so stuffed I was first, with noticeably faster service as tables sure I’d have to take it to go. However, the cleared out later in the evening. The Caesar broth, salty, oily, with a splash of cream, the was loaded with fresh parmesan and a deli- veggies, soft-cooked greens, acidic sun dried cious citrus-forward dressing, and the lettuce tomatoes and perhaps mushrooms (the was a crisp, fresh mix of greens. Instead of wine was gone at this point), and the pearls croutons, bread was crumbled over the top, of pasta compelled me to eat on. Every bite grated almost as finely as the parmesan. Very was rich, warm Italian goodness. The chicken tasty, although proper croutons would have itself was juicy and appropriately seared, but given the salad a more substantial crunch. the breast was pounded so thin that it was The burrata was soft and oh so creamy, essentially a chip to scoop toppings onto. with a cool fresh flavor, drizzled lightly with Still, while I would prefer a meatier chunk a vinegar that did not overwhelm or compli- of chicken, especially for how much you are cate. It was served with prosciutto, which I paying, this was a great, flavorful entree. felt was not quite salty enough to contrast the Full beyond belief, and having loitered cheese, and melon, which was sweet, crisp well past closing time, my friend and I and perfect for getting on bites of burrata. decided against dessert and quickly cleared The crab gnocchi was incredible, my out after paying. I left feeling conflicted. We friend and I agreed that it was the high- had nice servers, good wine and some tasty light of the night. The gnocchi was crisp on dishes. However, I can’t say everything hit the outside, which gave a great bite, appro- the mark, particularly the pasta entrees, priately doughy on the inside and was which I wanted to love. Overall, Sprazzo is a swimming in a rich sauce with an aftertaste fun restaurant I would recommend for group of lemon and olive oil. Chunks of tender crab dining, or for those who crave Italian in worked well with the crunch of gnocchi and Carbondale. I would especially recommend hints of lemon, and the portion was generous going on Thursday to try the gnocchi of the enough that I was worried I wouldn’t make it week. I will certainly return to try breakfast through the rest of dinner. Salmon roe was and brunch, and to be proven wrong about also tossed in, but with all the heavy flavors the pasta. already present, I felt that it was buried and didn’t impact the dish. Perhaps my seafood palate isn’t refined. Unfortunately, this was RESTAURANT RATING part of their rotating weekly gnocchi, only Cuisine: Italian served on Thursdays, so by the time you read Quality: (3/5) this, it will be gone. One can only hope the Price: $75+ (app., entree and drink) recipe will resurface.
OPINION
Five reasons to watch ‘The Dog Stars’ at the Crystal Theatre
Photo by Lisa Zimmerman
The night was so dark, and I was so tired. Nine years 1. It’s riveting. ago I drove back from Colorado Springs following an There is my number-one reason for wanting to see exhausting three days of interviews about the vision- the film version. Sympathetic characters and situation, ary and troubled climber and soloist Earl Wiggins. I taut and resonant dynamics — and that’s before we even had met Earl once, corresponded with him a little, get to the love story. I highly recommended the book to always respected him and been heartsick when he friends and family. took his life. It was also the first book that my sister, Over three days I had talked to a stroke survivor, read (or experienced) Earl’s brother, his widow (who had when I got her on the Libby app. Always a found his body and whom he loved), reader but unable now to turn pages, she and half a dozen friends for a 2018 listened to that audiobook and stayed up feature in Rock and Ice magazine. until 2am to see what happened. She is Now I was fading, near Vail with into another book now. 75 miles to go, listening to The Dog Of course we both have to watch the Stars by Peter Heller on audio. movie. And I can do that here. The novel, published in 2012, 2. It’s local. is about a post-apocalyptic future when most of humanity has Regional, but also specifically local. been wiped out by — get this — a In an opposite scenario to that of the GUEST OPINION pandemic. The likable, soulful Hig classic “Mad Max,” this hellscape still has By Alison Osius is living at an airport in Erie, outside fuel, with not enough people to use it. At of Denver, holed up with an irascible the airport sit many private airplanes. but smart and well-armed survivalist, Bangley, who Hig, a pilot, chooses a clunker to seat his beloved old dog in his gruff way cares about Hig. The two must guard Jasper beside him. against marauders. A few years after moving to this valley, I saw the movie I reached the scene where Hig, out hunting, is pull- “Aspen Extreme” (of 1993) at a rowdy showing in Aspen. ing a sled with two quartered deer, when the radio Earlier came “Tequila Sunrise” (1988), and everyone slung across his chest emits an urgent four words. cheered when Mel Gibson (a drug dealer, sorry) said, “I Bangley, watching from a control tower two miles was just up in Aspen.” away, says, Hig — in the book, at least — flies over Carbondale, “Hig, you got company.” as he wings around from the airport to Gore Canyon Then: and State Bridge, then along the Eagle River. He passes “Hig, they are stalking you.” over forests and water, ducks and herons. The text, in its Nine men. clipped way, reads: “Cross high over the Roaring Fork, Well, that got me going, and the ensuing scene full right over Carbondale, unburned, surrounded by rivers of clipped, effective radio dialogue and responses, also and green ranches.” blasting and pyrotechnics, took me all the way home. Incredulous, he spots now-wild cattle, which have Electrified. escaped the … yes … wolves. Next he flies over Huntsman
Ridge, off the top of McClure Pass, and beyond to Paonia, where he will find the love interest. The movie was actually filmed in the Dolomites, but if it ever says the word Carbondale, I want to be at the Crystal. “The Dog Stars” opens August 28, and will take a few weeks to make it here, but that’s OK. Do see it now on the big screen, for which it is made.
3. The actors. Jacob Elordi, as Hig, has his earnestness, or trailers and previews indicate it. I can’t say I liked the recent “Wuthering Heights” (found it jarring) in which he starred, but clocked a comment by Monica Hesse of The Washington Post that “the fact that he is not hideous to look at certainly helps.” Two beautiful and brave characters will fall in love. Sweet! Who is Margaret Qualley, playing Cima? Why, the daughter of Andie MacDowell, who rose to prominence with her delicate presence in the indie hit “sex, lies, and videotape” (1989) and lit up some big hits I loved: “Groundhog Day” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” Young Margaret wears a baseball cap comfortably, a good sign in this movie. Also: Josh Brolin (perfect for Bangley), Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong.
4. Ridley Scott, for crying out loud! Scott is one of cinema’s great directors and visual artists. I saw his brilliant dystopian tech-noir “Blade Runner” in New York in the ‘80s. The film was full of rain and shadow, weird neon, smoke and mist. It was bleak, bleak, bleak, though I chose to interpret the final scene, in which an origami unicorn could possibly mean that the replicant woman whom the lead character played by Harrison Ford loves is different from other androids, maybe longer-lived. Another conclusion, unfortunately, is that Ford’s detective is unknowingly a replicant, too. continued on page 18
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 17
CKF from page 4
CRYSTAL THEATRE from page 17
Conklin said. “The physical healing is one thing, and that’s something our doctors and hospitals are so good at, but it’s the emotional healing that’s the quiet part.” After surpassing the one-year recovery mark, Conklin wanted to use her own bonus days to help others feel less alone through transplantation. Since 2024, Bonus Days has released seven issues and secured multiple recurring contracts. “I want to educate people who pick it up and to show anyone that life can be beautiful, regardless of your diagnosis or treatment plan,” Conklin said. CKF’s Community Champion honoree is Dr. Osama Gaber, acknowledging his commitment to leadership and service within the transplant community. Dr. Gaber and his wife, Dr. Lillian Gaber, of Houston, Texas, are the founders of Nora’s Home, a life-center that offers transplant patients and their families support, lodging and education. In 1998, the couple lost their 7-year-old daughter, Nora, following an automobile accident. Through organ donation, she saved several lives. Nora’s Home is a homage to her life, characterized by compassion and care for others. “Lillian and I had dedicated our life to transplantation,” Dr. Gaber said via email. “The loss of our Nora made us focus our thinking on the people [who] receive the transplant as humans [who] are in need — not just for organs, but for support, shelter and warmth.” For over 40 years, Dr. Gaber has been a transplant surgeon and currently serves as the department chair of surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. He is also a professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and the author of numerous books and publications. “The miracle of transplantation is real,” Dr. Gaber said. “It makes people see this second chance at life far beyond a medical miracle — a true act of loving and giving.” Following the gala, honorees become honorary CKF ambassadors who help build a strong network of support and education. Katrina Edwards, the 2023 Hero Award winner and author of “Permission to Grieve,” is a New York donor mom who shared how CKF has changed her life. “When I left Colorado I started diving into my purpose,” Edwards said. “I wrote my book … and I realized it gave me permission to grieve my son, which is something I never did … It was CKF that planted that seed.”
5. Trent Reznor!
The one for “The Social Network” gave tension and urgency to a movie about … computer programming. “The world that was doesn’t exist,” Bangley says. Yet Hig seeks more. The lyrics intone, “There is a place that still remains:” interior, accessible humanity, amid decay. The novel is about survival, grief and hope. Scott may have made it into an action film — we’ll find out — but the
book has hope, and Scott has said he wants the movie to deliver that. Maybe, 44 years after “Blade Runner,” it is his gift. We’ll take it.
Greta Gohring takes the helm as the new head coach for the Roaring Fork girls volleyball team. A Colorado native, Gohring grew up in Conifer as a five-sport varsity athlete. She moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2021 to work for the Steadman Phillipon Orthopaedic Sports Research Institute. “Sports have been my life, and they taught me so many valuable lessons about being an athlete,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in coaching, and so I reached out and got involved last year.” Gohring was the C Team volleyball coach last year at Roaring Fork, and an assistant varsity girls basketball coach. “I really found a passion and a love for working with the girls and helping them
out and pushing them to their highest potential,” she said. “I think volleyball is a sport that doesn’t just teach you how to be an athlete, but has those skills of coachability, being able to have perseverance, tenacity, and that’s something that I really try to instill in all the girls and everything we do at practice.” Gohring held tryouts last week and is limiting the varsity roster this season to nine players. “That is with intention, so that we can have more swing players who can get those higher-level reps and touches, so that they’re prepared to move up next season,” Gohring said. “I’m excited to get them into positions that are all around the court and not just in a set position in the front row or the back row, and I’m really looking forward
to building a scrappy team that’s going to go after every single ball, be supportive and chase the dreams that we all want as a team and a program,” she said. The Lady Rams open the season at the Glenwood Springs tournament this weekend, taking the court against Mullen and Rifle at 5pm and 7pm Friday night, and then Steamboat Springs at 11am on Saturday. Their home opener is Tuesday, Aug. 25 (6pm).
GARCO from page 9
Library mill levy
LoVa, it’s about being good stewards of our tax payers.” Chairman Tom Jankovsky said that he appreciated the caveat included in the proposed letter, previously discussed at the last two meetings, that the county does “not express here a preference for the LoVa Trail over our own applications.” Golay again brought up that FLAP Manager Julia Dietsch assured that the letter of support would not be considered a conflict of interest, and that not having a letter from the county could hamper its success. The two commissioners were split on the motion, effectively leaving the proposal for a letter of support dead in the water.
The new executive director of the Garfield County Public Library District (GCLPD), Abraham Korah, appeared in front of the BOCC for the first time in the role, along with GCPLD Board President Adrian Rippy-Sheehy, regarding the district’s proposed ballot measure to extend its 1.00 mill levy, due to expire in 2027. If passed, Rippy-Sheehy said that property owners would continue to pay approximately $38 each year, based on the median assessed value. She also noted that the libraries received an 80% approval rating among county voters through a third-party survey earlier this year, “which was unheard of.” “They call it fire-house level approval ratings,” Korah added. “Typically,
libraries are tier two as a public service and we were considered a tier one for rural communities.” The commissioners agreed that the decision was best left up to the voters, which Rippy-Sheehy echoed was the library board’s thinking as well. Though the commissioners were in agreement, County Attorney Heather Beattie noted that according to the law, the BOCC “shall’ put the proposal on the ballot at the library district’s request, leaving them without much choice anyhow. The commissioners unanimously approved placing the question on the ballot.
Some of the film’s trailers have a haunting and incredibly apt track: a remix of “The Day the World Went Away” by Nine Inch Nails, from 1999. I hope that song is in the film: it is uncanny how well it suits the shot of dogs scavenging in front of the ruined Denver City Hall, for one. Reznor has composed various scores with his NIN bandmate Atticus Ross.
RAMS from page 14 Volleyball
The film is due at the Crystal Theatre sometime in September. There will be a particularly interesting opportunity to see the film on Sept. 20 at 5pm followed by a discussion of the book, provided in partnership with White River Books.
Also beginning their fall seasons are the combined Basalt-Roaring Fork girls softball, boys golf and coed cross country running teams. The Longhorn Invitational cross country meet takes place at Crown Mountain Park this Saturday, Aug. 22, with both middle school and high school races starting at 9:30am.
To view the entire BOCC meeting, visit garfieldcountyco.gov/ board-commissioners
OBITUARY
Bruce Norris October 7, 1962 August 6, 2026
Bruce Norris passed away peacefully at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on Aug. 6, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. He will be greatly missed by many. He was a quiet disciple in the community where he resided, Carbondale, Colorado. He was kind, generous, loyal and humble. In truth, he was a private person, but everyone he knew he considered to be a friend. Bruce could often be seen walking his four-legged companion around the town. He loved all his dogs! He enjoyed getting out in the mountains to see the beautiful country he lived in. Besides fishing and working on cars, Bruce was an 18 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
avid Denver Broncos fan. Although he didn’t attend many of the actual games, he never missed one from his living room. Many people knew Bruce from his place behind the counter at Carbondale Car Care. His longtime friend and employer has said Bruce was the face and the voice of the company. His calm demeanor and wealth of knowledge were undeniable. His service at that very desk began in 1985 with a previous employer. He leaves behind his mother, Arlene June Norris, and many dear friends. He was preceded in death by his grandmother and grandfather, who he had such fond childhood memories of, and his brother. In lieu of flowers or monetary gifts, please give to a local animal shelter in Bruce’s name. A celebration of life will be held at the Crystal River Baptist Church, 2632 Highway 133 Carbondale, Colorado, on Oct. 10 at 1pm.
OUT & ABOUT
C
All it takes is a table
arbondale residents, neighbors, families and friends gathered on Sunday, Aug. 16, along 4th Street from Main to Euclid for “Our Town, One Table,” Carbondale’s community potluck extravaganza, which included music, good vibes and great food. Photos by Bob Rugile
Clay & Moonlight The third annual “Clay & Moonlight” kicked off Thursday night, Aug. 13, at the Aspen Glen Club in support of Carbondale Clay Center. The evening included live performances from Mt. Cirque Entertainment, handmade ceramic cups and honoring emeritus board member James Surls ahead of his move to Texas.. Surls’ work has been featured in museums in Mexico City and Singapore, at the New York City Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian and more. (From upper left going clockwise) Anthia Gillick goes airborne in a hoop; attendees admire a long table filled with handmade ceramic cups; acclaimed artist James Surls imparts some departing words of wisdom; and stilt-walking flowers sweep the perimeter. Photo by Bob Rugile
Photo by Bob Rugile
Photo by Bob Rugile
Photo by Hal Williams
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 19
ASPEN & SNOWMASS Pitkin county Library Hyman Avenue Box Wheeler Opera House Box Snowmass Town Park Station Aspen Valley Hospital Mi Chola Snowmass Clarks Market Snowmass Mall Alpine Bank in Snowmass Alpine Bank in AABC BASALT & EL JEBEL Willits General Store Alpine Bank ANB Bank Basalt Quick Lube Basalt Regional Library Big O Tires El San Miguel Box Casa Tequila CC’s Cafe Whole Foods Eagle County Courts Crown Mountain Express Lube El Jebel Mobile Offices El Korita Hightone Autobody El Jebel Laundromat Mountain Family Health Cazadores Scottie’s The Basalt Store Timbo’s Hightone Automotive and Tires CARBONDALE 3rd St. Center Alpine Bank Carbondale Library Main St. Box Catherine’s Store Food Truck Carbondale Recreation Center City Market Carbondale CMC Edna’s Hair Salon Gloria’s Boutique Garcia’s Jalisco Grill La Fogata La Perla La Placita La Roca Lift-up Sunburst Valley Meats First Bank GLENWOOD SPRINGS Glenwood Springs Library Centennial Park Box Comfort Dental Coin Laundromat Glenwood Recreation Center Glenwood CMC El Yaqui First Bank Frida’s Glenwood Hot Springs Yampa Hotsprings Valley View Hospital Impuestos Seguros La Michoacana Mountain Family Health Post Office Garfield County Human Resources Sal Mex Tequila’s Tony’s Bakery Super Taco Alpine Bank on Grand Ave New Castle New Castle Library City Market Carniceria Elias Hacienda San Miguel Post Office Tapatios Alpine Bank SILT Silt Library La Placita 2 La Placita Market LeMora Pizza Silt Roundabout RIFLE Cafe y Pasteleria Galea East Ave & 3rd St. Box City Hall Box E 12th St. Box El Patron El Rincon Jalisco Grill Mercado San Jose Momma’s Nachos Mexican Dining Paleteria La Korita Promex Bakery Remington Square Spyderwash Tapatios La Baja Espresso Rifle Library Imperio Variedades Dinora Diversity Salon Alpine Bank on 4th St Alpine Bank on Airport Rd PARACHUTE Nalini’s Taqueria Jalisco El Tapatio City Hall Box Parachute Library Running Burrito Lift-up Fifty Shadz Salon Sinclair Vero’s Mexican Bakery
Look for stories like this in this week’s Sol del Valle!
Full edition is available every Friday afternoon on newstands and at businesses from Rifle to Aspen
‘There are infinite solutions and opportunities’ ‘First Gods, Lost Animals’ explores humanity, time and perception at the Aspen Art Museum BIANCA GODINA Sol del Valle
Argentinian sculptor Adrián Villar Rojas’ exhibition “First Gods, Lost Animals” has been on view at the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) since July 2 and will remain on display through April 11, 2027.The exhibition spans two floors of the museum and explores the ways humans attempt to understand and navigate a complex world through art, symbolism, technology and other systems of knowledge. According to AAM’s website, Villar Rojas’ work is based on “the premise that humans, as finite intelligences, confront a universe whose complexity far exceeds their cognitive scale,” and continues, “In this condition, symbolic tools arise—gods, art, mathematics—as adaptive technologies that render the world navigable.” In an email interview, Claude Adjil, Curator-at-Large at AAM, shared more about the artist’s work, the ideas behind the exhibition and what she hopes visitors will take away from experiencing it.
As a curator, why did you choose to feature the work of Adrián Villar Rojas? Throughout my career I’ve had the immense joy of witnessing many of Adrián’s spectacular exhibitions and many of these encounters have stayed with me long after. He builds worlds and challenges our expectations of what we define and conceive of as contemporary art. I wanted our audiences to have the opportunity to also encounter such sublime and surreal work. His work operates across many different thresholds and challenges systems of understanding,
categorisation and perception. These encounters have had a profound influence on how I see and understand the world. Adrián’s ability to metabolise and reconfigure subjects from robotics to linguists to prehistory takes visitors on journeys across time and species and delves into the beauty and suffering that engulfs us and it’s in these states where I marvel at seeing things through his eyes.
What do these pieces evoke for you personally as a curator, and what do you hope community members take away from experiencing the exhibition? Adrián is an incredible story teller and with this exhibition we see the capacity and power of artists to shape our understanding of the physical and digital worlds we inhabit. There has always been a human impulse to create art and develop systems and rituals of code. The exhibition features a series of various caves. The cave is an interesting apparatus and structure that becomes a possible site of projection and meaning
Attendees explore the “First Gods, Lost Animals” exhibition at the Aspen Art Museum on July 1 during the opening reception. Photo by Ingrid Zúniga
making. I wonder what projections and presumptions people will bring with them. Villar Rojas repeatedly asks what if we could see ourselves from the outside. I wonder how visitors will look at things differently after spending time in his worlds and realizing things do not exist in isolation.
What is one thing you would like to share with our community about the exhibition? An extraordinary group of people came together to make this exhibition possible. For over two years a team in Argentina has been working on the modeling and engineering of the show while for three months we had a team of 12 studio members in the US working on making and installing the exhibition. Adrián has been working with some members of his studio for over 15 years. I’ve never worked with such a dedicated, determined and passionate team before.
At various points throughout the project many people told us certain things would not be possible and throughout we continually pushed against this fear and continued to work and strategize on how to bring this exhibition to life. There are infinite solutions and opportunities if you are willing to take the time to listen and work together. The exhibition is free so I hope people will have the chance to come and spend time with the work and come again and notice things that may not have originally caught their attention.
Admission to the museum, located at 637 E. Hyman Ave., is free as a courtesy of Amy and John Phelan and access to exhibitions is free and accessible thanks to AAM Members. The museum is open from Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm. Translation assisted by AI.
Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week in Spanish.
Bianca Godina — Editor • bianca@soldelvalle.org | Margarita Alvarez — Advertising • margarita@soldelvalle.org www.soldelvalle.org • info@soldelvalle.org • 970-510-0234
20 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
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Linda’s Quilts By Kay Clarke Carbondale
“There is no recipe, you just make it.” - Linda’s Grandmother
These photos are of but a few panels of Linda Criswell’s beautiful and thought-provoking quilts.
“Go placidly ...”
For years, I have gazed upon, read and ruminated about Linda Criswell’s quilts. I did not know until she was gone that she considered them her legacy. I can see that now. Made almost entirely of organic hemp (some cotton, some linen) and completely hand-stitched. H-a-n-d s-t-i-t-c-h-e-d! These remarkable, handmade works of art are all the more amazing because of Linda’s captivating energy that radiates from each one.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
Her quilts speak to us, open us, awaken us. She sewed words, so many words, conveying a depth of life and living that one would not expect to find in crafted thread. Profound in one panel, introspective in another, spreading joy and wisdom and humor and a down-to-earth appreciation of life.
One of my favorites is themed “Giving.” In Linda’s own words: “The hands and heart at the top surround words my grandmother said when I asked her for a recipe ... It applies to any work of the hands, I think. You just do it, you keep doing it, and then you did something. No one can tell you exactly how. You make your own way.” Of Linda’s “Sayings” quilt, she wrote, “… My favorite quotation is here: ‘If he is indeed wise, he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.’ I wanted to be such a person, leading others to the thresholds of their own minds.” This is so Linda. She was a genius in helping us to know ourselves, to be our best
selves. She deeply valued community and family and made it her life’s journey to bring people together … I never knew how profound her handwork was. Or how much it would affect me, affect all of us. It was so gratifying to watch people, at Linda’s Celebration of a Life Well-Lived, lingering at each quilt, remarking on what it meant to them. I heard declarations of joy, of pain, of amazement. And quite often, laughter. Lots of laughter. Made it seem like Linda was there with us. Her laughter was the best in the world! On one panel Linda sewed the words, “Give me work till my life shall end and life till my work is done.” How I marvel at her beauty and wisdom and joy. I miss her terribly, but know with certainty she is still here with us in her amazing quilts.
“Make do ...”
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LETTERS Colombia earthquake Colombia has been hit hard by the 7.4 earthquake on Aug. 10. This is a poor country and it’s often the poor who lose their homes entirely because they are not well built. The destruction is worst in the cities where multi-story buildings have collapsed. I am in a rural area where mostly the water system for many people doesn’t work. I am lucky because I was already awake and dressed and simply ran out of the house to sit on the ground away from it in case it collapsed. It looked like the house danced with the northto-south, south-to-north waving earth. Besides debris from china, glass, potted plants and plaster, the house itself is fine. My water, electricity and internet are restored but that is not the case for many. If you wish to and can help, CARE and World Central Kitchen are active here, so is a medical organization called Direct Relief. You can check out your favorite charities to see who is doing what, where in our world full of needs and help. Now, Indonesia has been hit too. I have been in Colombia the past three weeks working on an environmental education program with children ages 5 to 12 and university students. All the schools are shut down as each is examined for damage. The video one of the university students shot as she ran from a building was entire sections of walls falling down at the University of Quindío. We can’t restart the younger children’s program until we have water in the buildings we use. I have no idea how working parents are managing this lack of care and safety for their kids with no classes, no school lunch. Once we can restart our program, our focus will be bird-related activities, as Colombia has more bird species than any other country in the world. They are truly a national treasure. I am also collaborating with the local school on a bird education project. The birds were all singing within a half hour of the quake. Illène Pevec, PhD Carbondale
AVLT on South Bridge If you have followed recent news about South Bridge, you may wonder why Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) is involved. AVLT’s mission is to protect open land for agriculture, wildlife and community
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benefit — forever. We work with willing landowners to conserve their land using perpetual conservation easements. Landowners continue to own and manage their property, while AVLT assumes the legal responsibility to protect the land’s conservation values by upholding an easement in perpetuity. The Jackson family has lived and ranched south of Glenwood Springs for decades. Beginning in 1995, the family permanently protected its ranch with an easement, including land now proposed for South Bridge, and they received a commendation of appreciation from the city. The ranch and its easements provide an important agricultural and scenic buffer and protect sensitive wetlands, river habitat, wildlife resources and rare native plants. The conservation easement prohibits South Bridge from crossing the ranch. The city must use eminent domain to acquire the conserved land that it needs for the project, and it must terminate (through judicial proceedings) the portion of the easement that protects that land. Therefore, AVLT cannot enter into a “friendly” agreement that bypasses the required court oversight for any easement termination. We must vigorously defend an easement and its conservation values forever, unless or until it is terminated by a court. AVLT supports meaningful public review of this easement’s condemnation before irreversible environmental impacts occur. South Bridge deserves to be examined by the public through a transparent and thorough review process. To that end, the county requested that the city submit a 1041 land-use review application, and the city declined. So, the county filed a lawsuit asking a court to determine whether that review is required. AVLT believes the 1041 process would allow for thorough vetting of South Bridge and its environmental impacts, with ample opportunities for public review and comment. Conservation easements are lasting commitments. Families like the Jacksons, together with the broader community, rely on AVLT to uphold them, even when doing so is difficult. We will continue to fulfill that responsibility in good faith throughout this process. Annie Perry Stewardship Director, AVLT
LETTERS POLICY: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please, no smearing, cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.
ENERGY FUNDS from page 8 McLaughlin said that Pitkin County, which includes much of the Crystal River Valley, “plans to use project funds to bolster residential rebates programs, with at least 40% designated to community priority participants.” These types of programs help reimburse qualified community members for energy-efficient utilities, from solar installations to water and heating updates to waste management options. The jurisdictions are able to apply their portion of funding to a variety of eligible costs. These include policy funding to support or develop stakeholder outreach, education and facilitation; consultant support for technical analysis; studies that inform policy adoption and small pilot projects. Also eligible is project funding to cover expenses including equipment purchases, rebate programs or reduced fee programs, consultant support and studies for project implementation, larger pilot projects and incentives or similar efforts to increase policy impact. For more information about the IMPACT Accelerator Grant program, visit energyoffice.colorado.gov 22 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026
LEGAL NOTICES
PARTING SHOT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission for the purpose of considering a Rezoning, Major Site Plan Review and Alternative Compliance request for the construction of a new mixed-use building at 155 Main Street. Project Description: The application includes the demolition of the existing building, rezoning the property from Commercial/Transitional (C/T) to Historic Commercial Core (HCC), the construction of a new mixed-use building with five rental apartments and commercial space. The alternative compliance request is to allow for increased building height exceeding 35’. Property Location: 155 East Main Street (Lots, 17-19, Block 1, Carbondale Original Townsite)
Carbondale, CO and may be examined during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The application may also be viewed on the Town’s website at: https://www.carbondalegov.org/ departments/planning/current_land_use_ applications.php If you would like to submit comments regarding this application you must send them via email to jbarnes@carbondaleco. net by 5:00 pm on September 10, 2026. The comments will be entered into the record. If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Jared Barnes, Planning Director at 970-510-1208. Published in The Sopris Sun on August 20, 2026 TOWN OF CARBONDALE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Applicant: Land + Shelter Architecture Studio Owner: Patrick J. Keelty Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 7:00 p.m. on September 10, 2026. Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue,
Per HB 26-1318, the Town of Carbondale will hold a public hearing at the September 22, 2026, Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees regarding maintaining the school zone size in Carbondale. Written comments may be submitted to the Town: 511 Colorado Ave. Carbondale, CO 81623 or via email to the hearing. Published in The Sopris Sun on August 20, 2026
The Sopris Sun recently accompanied Scott Ely and Chrissy Leonard to Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. “Of course we brought The Sun,” the couple said. Courtesy photo
WOLVES from page 7 huge regulatory gap around coyote killing results in the death of endangered wolves,” Delaney Rudy, WWP Colorado director, said in a statement. “The permissive rules for killing coyotes are a serious threat to Colorado’s wolf program and to the recovery of the endangered gray wolf nationwide.” Perkins told The Sopris Sun in an email that 2504 “died of an accidental gunshot wound. There were no leg-hold or foothold traps nor [sic] other snares involved in this incident.” But at least two wolves in Colorado — one collared in 2025 and a naturally dispersed wolf in 2024 — have been caught in leghold traps since reintroduction began. Samantha Miller, senior carnivore campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), said,“In the wake of this
tragic shooting it’s clear that Colorado’s wolves need stronger safeguards, especially from coyote hunting and trapping.“ Miller has submitted a rulemaking petition to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission that would put backstops on chronic wolf depredation removals and make the issue consistent and transparent. “Right now, [CPW] manages wolves by region, and each regional director is able to define whether or not they want to investigate things or define how those investigations occur,” she said. “There really is a better way to do that where we’re more transparent with the public, where we’re documenting those kinds of wolf deaths.” More information about wolves in Colorado is available at cpw.state.co.us
August Is
MAKE-A-WILL month consider KDNK in your Planned Giving Visit KDNK.org for more info or scan the QR to tell us your plans:
Thanuk! Yo
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 6:00 - 10:00PM
CHACOS PARK 82 HIGHWAY DOWNTOWN CARBONDALE BAND !!
BENEFITING COLORADO ANIMAL RESCUE ELLA LANGLEY (AVAILABLE SOON)
LIVE MUSIC
BBQ
TICKETS AT THE DOOR TICKETS
ADULTS...................$10 KIDS (6-17)...............$5 UNDER 5.............FREE
DRINKS
AUCTIONS
EVERY DOLLAR EVERY DOLLAR STAYS STAYS LOCAL LOCAL PROCEEDS BENEFIT C.A.R.E. AND THE PETS & FAMILIES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SADDLE UP SADDLE FOR AA GREAT GREAT CAUSE!
LEARN MORE ABOUT COWBOY UP AND C.A.R.E.
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 20-26, 2026 23
24 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 20-26, 2026