08272026 Issuu

This Week: 5 - THIRSTY TREES 7 - SHELLEY FROM CITY MARKET 8-9 - GOVERNMENT 13 - RAMS REPORT 14-15 - OPINION Your nonprofit

Get to class They came by bike, foot, car and bus for the first full day back at Crystal River Elementary School. Principal Kendall Reiley was there to welcome them in, and their teachers were prepared to help them get settled and meet their classmates. Some were eager; some were in tears — and the same went for their parents. But ready or not, it’s that time of year again!

Don’t forget to slow down and drive extra cautiously on weekday mornings, particularly in school zones.

Photos and text by Will Grandbois

community newspaper

Volume 18, Number 29 | August 27-September 2, 2026

Staying curious about government Government is a core pillar of society. When choosing our leaders, there is a lot to unpack, and this column is intended to help readers do just that before election day.

bring true equality? Can we fulfill Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to not judge by color of skin (or a host of other subjective traits) but by content of character?

I still have an email in my inbox from the Colorado High What does functional immigration look like?

School Athletic Association (CHSAA) responding to my inquiry America was founded as a nation of immigrants and it’s about becoming a high school sports referee. I thought that with indisputable that we all have benefitted enormously from the a couple decades of politics under my belt, I might have thick immigrants who have preceded us. And it’s hard to imagine a enough skin to tolerate parents shouting over each other, and at future of economic prosperity for younger generations without a me. I’m always amazed at how loving, reasonable parents can functional immigration policy. be transformed into angry, unreasonable fans The pundits would have us believe that so quickly. They might get along great off the there are only two views: those who want open court, but as soon as they put on the jersey, it’s borders, and those who think that white people us versus them. are genetically and culturally superior and Unfortunately, the same has become true therefore should rule the roost. We are learning for members of Congress and the political party the hard way that immigration policy is tricky loyalists. They simply can’t see beyond the D or anyway you slice it. the R. My observation is that most Americans Is it reasonable to be concerned about largesimply want to unpack from the rhetoric what scale, rapid demographic change (a tripling of really matters — political party favoritism be foreign-born residents in my lifetime), without damned. But technocrats try to make the world punishing an inherently and uniquely pluralistoo complicated to understand, and populists tic country with cruelty and lawlessness? try to make the world too simple to function.

My sense is, if we simply got a little curious What does ‘America First’ about the challenges we face, we might learn DIG A LITTLE really mean? something. So, I thought I’d indulge my curiFor decades it has meant “America for all.”

DEEPER osity here …

For some it means “America alone,” and for

By Dan Richardson others it means “America the bully.”

Is government the problem For more reasons than one, we now have no choice but to scale or the solution? back our global presence and prioritize domestic affairs. I’ll be the All of us could probably cite examples of both. The fact that first to admit that no other country is better suited to be a global no one, including the government’s own auditors, can say with leader, but can America stop trying to be all things to all nations, confidence that the Department of Government Efficiency while still demonstrating respected international leadership?

(DOGE) resulted in any net-savings, certainly calls into question the claims of rampant fraud, waste and abuse. But it doesn’t Would we rather buy things, or make things? mean that our government, at all levels, couldn’t use a big dose of Free trade agreements from the ‘90s ushered in a new-world innovation and inspiration to break the bureaucratic log jam that order of consumerism, converting the world’s most industrious plagues many federal, state and even some local agencies. people into its most loyal shoppers. China and corporate America Can we be strategic about making government work well, made out like bandits, while we consumers grew our addictions instead of trying to hack it up with a chainsaw? Can we agree to the cheap, sweet and tweet. that the government’s role is to protect individual freedoms, Making things again in America is a worthy goal, but if we rather than restrict them whenever the party in power gets a bee can’t commit to new policies that truly support a working class, in their bonnet? at work and at home, then we better start teaching more Chinese

OPINION

When did we achieve equality in America?

language courses.

I have yet to hear a good answer to this one. Our society is fundamentally unequal in deep ways, but some see that inequality in the form of systemic racism and sexism, and some see “identity politics” as an over-correction that attempts to concentrate power in group identity instead of individual rights. That isn’t liberal democracy, and doing so has only marginalized more groups.

Is it possible that the things we have tried to change (e.g. racism) are real, even though what we tried (e.g. DEI) has failed to

The questions above only scratch the surface of the conundrums we face, and I’m optimistic that as a society we are up to the challenge. But we’ll either need to be willing to face these conflicts with curiosity in hopes of finding some common ground, or we’ll need some pretty skilled referees to manage the D’s and R’s childish antics. As for me, I’m not ready for any jersey yet, including the striped one!

LETTERS CORRECTION: The “New gray wolf pups make a new pack in Colorado; wolf deaths continue” article published on Aug. 19 misstated that a Colorado Wolf Tracker Facebook post had been created and erased in May. The post was made on Aug. 17 and was no longer visible by Aug. 18.

The real land grab Recently, the Trump administration shrunk two monuments in Southern Utah: Bears Ears National Monument and Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument. If this statement sounds familiar, you might remember them doing the same in Trump’s first term. Those cuts were rescinded during the Biden administration. These new cuts are more severe, reducing the monuments by close to 90%.

I live in Carbondale, but I have also lived in southern Utah, and have traveled in each of these monuments extensively. Some of my fondest memories and best friendships have been formed in twisting canyons, on late night drives down rutted dirt roads to

remote trailheads. I know many people in our town make the pilgrimage to the desert each spring and fall.

This type of visitation forms a major part of the economy of southern Utah. People travel from all over the world to come see the surreal landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, and they spend money in the small towns surrounding these parks and monuments. The outdoor tourism boom has revitalized many of these towns.

The protection of public lands is one of the few realms these days in which we can find strong bipartisan support. Utah is a firmly red state, but almost three-fourths of Utah voters support the protection of public lands, including these specific monuments.

So the question remains, why do Utah’s representatives consistently push this monument-shrinking, anti-public lands agenda since they were elected to represent their constituents? The answer lies in the extractive industry lobbyists who are padding the pockets of Utah’s representatives.

The fate of these lands is to be opened to mining interests, to oil and gas. They

2 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

will take land out of the public domain and sell it to the highest bidder. These companies can be foreign-owned, have a long track-record of not cleaning up their mess and I can guarantee you that none of the owners come from Escalante, Blanding or Monticello.

These cuts benefit no one — not the Utahns whose economies have a renewable resource in tourism to build their communities, not the indigenous tribes whose advocacy led to the creation of these monuments and have stewarded this land for generations and not for the other Americans whose tax money runs these monuments. The Trump administration consistently labels the original monument declarations as “land grabs,” but they are the ones moving public land into private hands to the benefit of multinational corporations and themselves.

The open space and beauty of the west is such an essential part of living here. The legacy of land protection was forward-thinking and certainly among the continued on page 18

Editor James Steindler 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Managing Editor Skyler Stark-Ragsdale Sol del Valle Editora Bianca Godina bianca@soldelvalle.org Digital Editor Ingrid Celeste Zúniga ingrid@soldelvalle.org Lead Editorial Designer Terri Ritchie Partnerships & Engagement Manager Luise Nieslanik Advertising Department adsales@soprissun.com Sol del Valle Marketing & Development Manager Margarita Alvarez margarita@soldelvalle.org Advertising and Special Section Designer Emily Blong Delivery Fred Kirschbaum Bartlett Proofreaders Lee Beck Tracy Kallassy Ken Pletcher Hank van Berlo Executive Director Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 todd@soprissun.com Board Members / Mesa Directiva board@soprissun.com Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke • Eric Smith Roger Berliner • Elizabeth Phillips Anna Huntington • Loren Jenkins Carlos Ramos • Gayle Wells Jamie LaRue • Adele Craft

The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6pm on second Thursdays at the Third Street Center.

The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible.

Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+ 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

Legacy Givers for including us in their final wishes.

Mary Lilly Linda Criswell

Donate by mail or online: P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 520 S. Third Street #26 970-510-3003 soprissun.com/Donate The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District

SCUTTLEBUTT

Send your scuttlebutt to news@soprissun.com

Sunflower deadline

OUR UNDERWRITERS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS!

The Deadline for the Tallest Sunflower contest is closing in! Submissions, including a photo and measurement, are due by email to news@soprissun.com by the end of the day on Aug. 31.

ASC internship The Aspen Science Center is offering the second year of its Community STEM Leaders Internship program, a paid opportunity offered to 10th, 11th and 12th graders.

Running from October 2026 to May 2027, the interns will design and lead community STEM programs, build connections with other teens interested in STEM and dive into their own relevant interests.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/ moreinformationSTEM

Eagle County land use

Alpine Bank Colorado Mountain College Nordic Gardens Hilary Porterfield Basalt Library

Eagle County is requesting public comment on its Land Use Regulation Rewrite Project, which “overhauls the regulatory framework guiding local development, environmental protection and housing,” according to a press release. Comments are due by Sept. 1. The Eagle Board of County Commissioners has an adoption hearing for the project scheduled on Nov. 3.

Find details of the regulation rewrite at tinyurl.com/regulationrewrite Submit public feedback regarding the project online at tinyurl.com/eaglecountylanduseregulations or by sending comments to ECLURproject@ eaglecounty.us

Kittle Fire

NONPROFIT PARTNERS Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Carbondale Arts Colorado Animal Rescue

Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner?

Email Todd@soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866

The White River National Forest announced Monday, Aug. 24, that the 28.7acre Kittle Fire burning southwest of Ruedi Reservoir is 100% contained. “Firefighters will continue to monitor the fire for the next several days,” the Monday press release read. The Forest Service reminded residents and recreators that White River National Forest Stage 2 fire restrictions remain in place, prohibiting fires, even in developed campgrounds. Human-caused wildfires would pull resources away from the efforts firefighters are continuing to put toward lighting-ignited blazes, the Forest Service said. Firefighters also achieved 100% containment of the six-acre Elk Knob Fire in the Flat Tops Wilderness on Friday, Aug. 21.

Roan Plateau The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a December 2026 oil and gas

A bear takes in the cooler evening temps near Miners Park on Aug. 23. “I’m sharing … to raise awareness about the challenges the bears are facing and to remind people why it’s so important not to feed them and to do what we can to minimize human-wildlife conflict,” photographer Jack Small said.

lease sale of the Roan Plateau, land located just northwest of Rifle, which follows the federal government’s “Unleashing American Energy” agenda. BLM released a draft environmental assessment, and is accepting public comment until 4pm, Sept. 11.

For more information about the draft and to provide public comment, visit tinyurl.com/ publiccommentroan

CPW meeting change Those weighing in during the general public comment portion of Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meetings can expect procedural changes next month.

The first-come, first-served sign-up routine that has prioritized in-person attendees is a thing of the past. All commenters will now be selected at random with two-thirds from the in-person bunch and one-third from those online. Public officials will no longer have more time to speak than others nor will they automatically go to the head of the line. The general public comment period will close for everyone at one hour. These changes take effect at the Sept. 2-3 meeting in La Junta. Meeting materials, including the agenda, are available at tinyurl.com/ cpwpubliccommentchange

When Your Teen Goes Quiet or Gets Snarky: Reconnecting Before the School Year Buries You

Gov. Polis request Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday, Aug. 23, requested President Donald Trump support the state’s efforts to recover from flooding and debris flows resulting from the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires. The $18 million funding would support “impacted families and homeowners, local governments, essential public services and long-term mitigation efforts as recovery continues in Pueblo, Custer and Ouray counties,” a state press release reads.

The ten members of Colorado’s congressional delegation doubled down on the request on Monday, Aug. 24, requesting the president expedite the review.

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Mason Frisbie, Joanne Howard, Jeremy Morris and Tommy Sands (Aug. 27); JoEllen Maynard (Aug. 28); Reina Katzenberger and Tyler Treadway (Aug. 29); Christina Cappelli, Lauren DeAre, Caito Foster, Elizabeth Henry, Lynn Kirchner, Emma Martin and Barbara New (Aug. 30); Sean Jeung and Chloe Shirley (Aug. 31); Veronica Smith and Ella Yeats (Sept. 1); Lori Haroutunian and Dean Perkins (Sept. 2).

Pop-Up Pottery Sale

we will accept

CASH & VENMO only

Multiple Artists Multiple Styles

Tues, Sept. 1, 5:30-6:30PM

In this free, down-to-earth talk, local child & family specialist Dr. Cleo Andersen-Green unpacks why preteens and teens pull away or push back and shares four research-backed, highly effective tools you can use immediately to reopen communication and ease the tension at home.

14 Midland Avenue | Basalt Colorado 81621 | 970.927.4311 | basaltlibrary.org

Sunday August 30th 9am-2pm

1333 Rock Ct, Carbondale

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 3

Division 5 water users weather the Cameo call JAMES STEINDLER Editor-in-Chief

Water rights are about as nuanced as the glistening streams that shimmer through the rocks. This year, unsurprisingly, has tested the limits of water’s reach within the Colorado River Basin.

Two calls generally affect Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) Division 5, which includes all of the tributaries from Grand Lake to Grand Junction, with the exception of the Gunnison River: the Cameo call and the Shoshone Power Plant call. The Shoshone call, as Carbondale Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman pointed out, does not directly affect the town because the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers is downstream of the power plant.

Typically, the Cameo call, which is reserved for a group of senior irrigators in Grand Valley, does have an effect on junior water rights holders in the Roaring Fork Watershed. Most years, up-river water users are insulated from the Cameo call due to releases from the Historic User Pool (HUP) in the Green Mountain Reservoir, which has a capacity of 66,000 acre feet. This year the HUP only filled to 44,000 acre feet.

“For the first time, this account in Green Mountain Reservoir did not fill completely due to extreme drought conditions in 2026,” DWR Division 5 Engineer Tyler Benton told The Sopris Sun.

By the time the Shoshone Call was made on June 29, the storage at Green Mountain had not filled due to declining flows.

“Beginning August 16, releases from the reduced HUP account were inadequate to replace demand from all HUP beneficiaries,” Benton said.

What makes up the Green Mountain HUP reserves this year is being administered to its most senior beneficiaries experiencing depletion, Benton noted. All water rights along ditches junior to Cameo are being curtailed.

Because of an emergency Substitute Water Supply Plan, introduced by the Colorado River Water Conservation District and the Colorado Water Conservation Board and approved by the state engineer on June 1, some lower priority Division 5 HUP beneficiaries can still divert water for municipal and domestic use from other sources, including Ruedi, Grandy and Wolford Mountain reservoirs.

“Irrigation water users with a junior priority to the Cameo call are affected by the DWR’s administration if they do not have an alternative state engineer approved replacement plan,” Benton explained.

“The town’s junior water rights are typically protected by the HUP when the Cameo call is being administered,” Schorzman added. “However, since the HUP has essentially been exhausted this year, the Cameo call has had some minor impacts to our ditch flows.” He clarified that ditches

Graphic courtesy of the Colorado Division of Water Resources

in town and up the Crystal include a mix of junior and senior water rights to Cameo, and only junior rights were affected.

“While the HUP is typically the first protection from curtailment, the town has other protections in place to avoid curtailment even when the HUP has been exhausted,” Schorzman continued. “We have the ability to divert for our municipal system based on senior water rights.

We also have contracted Ruedi [Reservoir] water that could be used in an emergency situation.”

Despite the record drought that has made for an “exceedingly challenging” year, Benton said that “cooperative efforts by

many water users in Division 5 — including, but not limited to Grand Valley Irrigators, Northern Water Conservation District, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Water, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Xcel Energy, Grand County, Ute Water, Colorado Water Trust and the Colorado Water Conservation Board — have helped manage demand and leverage carryover storage from last year.”

“These collective actions have allowed Colorado River water users to operate within the State’s prior appropriation system and delayed the onset of curtailments significantly longer than expected otherwise,” he said.

Growing Care for Our Community Aspen Valley Health is proud to welcome our experienced physicians to the Primary Care team—strengthening care for individuals and families across the Roaring Fork Valley.

Together, we continue a legacy of trusted care as part of Aspen Valley Health.

Mary E. Harris, MD, FAAP Pediatrician

Lisa Hicks, DMS, PA-C Women’s Health

Megan Hiles, MD, MBA, FACP Internal Medicine

Kelsea Loveless-Hoffman, MD, FAAP Pediatrician

Primary Care Medical Center | Aspen 0401 Castle Creek Road

Downtown | Aspen NEW! 101 Founders Place, Suite 109

Midvalley | Basalt 1460 East Valley Road

970.279.4111

Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm Virtual visits available

aspenvalleyhealth.org

4 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

Now accepting new patients

Balancing thirsty trees in town with riparian health ANNALISE GRUETER Sopris Sun Correspondent

Drought and heatwaves affect more than just humans, which is the case this summer as the Roaring Fork Watershed continues to experience “exceptional” drought — the most severe rating per the United States Drought Monitor. Human residents can see visible stress in local plant life as well as animals.

To learn more about drought stress on trees and local flora, The Sopris Sun reached out to Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC) Water Quality Technician Matthew Anderson and Carbondale Town Arborist Carl Meinecke.

“The effect of drought and low flows on plant life depends on the plant type, age and proximity to the river,” Anderson said. “Some will tolerate one dry year, but are impacted by prolonged drought.”

Riparian plants, especially native ones, struggle less than upland plants given proximity water, he said.

“The further plants are from the river,” he continued, “the more likely they are impacted by drought. Plant life closer to the river might show significant stress only after multiple drought years.”

Anderson said that RFC pays close attention to plant life at the headwaters of Roaring Fork tributaries. If those areas are drier than average, that doesn’t bode

well for downstream ecosystems.

“Vegetation health in upland headwaters areas are particularly valuable in any watershed, because these forested lands host the snowpack and filter water as it moves across the land,” he said.

“When the vegetation is dry in these headwater areas, poor plant health and increased fire potential are of particular concern.”

Anderson encouraged caution and preventative action to help protect these ecosystems. “Leave riparian vegetation intact,” he said.

“It provides shade, filtration and stability to rivers.”

As far as helping the trees along the river banks, he said that folks should “reduce outdoor watering and make sure sprinkler systems are watering the lawn, not the sidewalk.”

He added that, “Water used to grow lawns is water from the river,” and that, “During significant drought, only water your lawn once per week.”

Carbondale canopy Town Arborist Carl Meinecke offered recommendations on how people can identify and respond to stress symptoms of thirsty trees.

“Signs of drought-related stress on broadleaf trees include leaf scorch, premature leaf drop, wilting and reduced leaf size,” he said.

“On a conifer tree, look for needle browning, thinning in the canopy and reduced growth.”

“Once confirmed drought stress is the issue,” Meinecke continued, “consider if there have been any changes to the amount of water the tree usually receives. In general, trees like deep, infrequent watering.”

How much that water absorbs into the ground is important, he added.

“It’s important to observe how the tree responds, and adjust irrigation as needed,” he said. “It is possible to overwater a tree, and

in that case it may show similar signs of stress.”

Young and recently planted or transplanted trees are more vulnerable, Meinecke said. “I recommend closely monitoring trees planted within the last three years. Water is one of the most important factors in a tree’s ability to become established.”

He explained that after a tree is transplanted, it is important to keep the root ball moist. Otherwise, the tree may not make it through the year.

“This year, I am going around and checking on younger trees that I have planted, and giv[ing] supplemental water if needed,” he said of the trees in Carbondale. “The key is to water at least within the trees canopy and a bit further if possible.”

He noted that in Carbondale, many of the public-right-of-way

trees are alterations to the native ecosystem.

“In reality,” Meinecke said, “this area probably was sage brush with trees mostly along the river’s edge.

It’s really impressive the number of trees over the past many years various residents, volunteers and town staff have gotten established that our community now benefits from.”

But he expects that some trees on both public and private property may not survive the summer.

“I have two small ornamental lilac trees that will probably not make it through the summer,” he lamented, noting that recently planted lilacs are among the struggling species.

Multiple Carbondalians have reported stressed or dead trees around town, including in the City Market parking lot.

“The trees in the City Market parking lot are not maintained by the Town and are the responsibility of City Market,” Meinecke said.

“However, it is not uncommon for a few trees to not become established even if everything goes as planned. It’s kind of like putting flowers in your garden. You plant 10, but one might not make it.”

Learn more about the Town of Carbondale’s trees at tinyurl. com/CarbondaleTrees, and/or Roaring Fork Conservancy at roaringfork.org/your-watershed

Riverfront Luxury in the Heart of Basalt 455 Gold Rivers Court 531 & 532, Basalt, CO 4 beds, 4 baths, 2,060 sq.ft., $5,995,000 Two thoughtfully combined residences.

Your Mid-Valley Real Estate Expert Professionally representing you with 19 years of experience.

970 319-5757 roaringfork-homes.com hilary@hilaryporterfield.com Call me. I love to talk real estate. ©2026 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated.

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 5

Redstone artist Sarah Uhl offers September watercolor workshops ANNALISE GRUETER Sopris Sun Correspondent

Redstone-based artist Sarah Uhl has long been interested in storytelling and movement.

She traveled extensively during her teens and early 20s as a professional bike racer. Even once Uhl moved from biking to other work, her passion for outdoor landscapes stayed the same. By 2013, when Uhl started a position with the 5Point Film Festival, she felt inspired by storytelling and creative expression.

“Stories are an ancient form of connection for humans and I felt like I had stories to tell!” she said.

Uhl told The Sopris Sun that she has always considered herself an artist. She experimented with a variety of mediums, but “watercolor kept coming back around as one of my favorite playgrounds,” and is the focus of two workshops she is teaching in Redstone next month.

“It’s a diverse medium that took time to make my own,” she said, “but in many ways, I think working with such a fluid waterbased art form has allowed me to overcome some of my rigidity and

experience more magic in life.”

While Uhl has worked as a professional artist since 2013, she said that in recent years she has moved toward more work teaching watercolor classes and leading art retreats. “I have had to find a balance between work and home life since I started my family six years ago,” she said.

Uhl took a year off of teaching starting last summer to focus on her young children. Now that her youngest son is several months old, Uhl is starting workshops again.

The first, on Sept. 12 from 3 to 6 pm, centers the theme of fall landscape painting through the five senses. Uhl plans to facilitate a somatic journey through the five senses, exploring mind, body and spirit through art. The second, on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 9am to 12pm, is titled Fall Equinox and the Four Elements.

Uhl will guide participants in drawing inspiration from the Crystal River Valley scenery as they develop their paintings.

Uhl said she loves introducing beginner-level artists to painting because “it’s fun for me

to focus on empowerment and helping people unearth their innate curiosity that comes out as creativity.” She explained, “I love leading workshops and retreats because I truly believe we are all creative beings.” Uhl wants watercolor to be a starting point for her students. “It’s my hope that painting can be a portal to more creative expression at large — not just more and better watercolor paintings.”

Uhl said she receives inspiration from the natural world. “I’ve always believed in the phrase ‘you are nature, nature is you,’” she said, “so from that perspective I think we are all connected and a part of a greater interwoven web of life.” Her process can be meditative. “I have enjoyed focusing on whimsical and imaginative landscapes because that is the place I feel and connect with beauty most easily,” she said. “Spending time in nature and drawing upon those experiences and memories feels like the way I connect most deeply with myself.”

Sharing that kind of connecting experience motivates Uhl. She views the autumn equinox

Watercolor students display their paintings at the end of a workshop with Redstone artist Sarah Uhl. Courtesy photo

as a time to reflect on balance as the seasons change. Holding workshops in Redstone allows her to combine her love of the outdoors and creative expression. “I am so grateful to have

Both the Sept. 12 and Sept. 20 workshops cost $150 per participant.

That price includes a paint kit from Greenleaf & Blueberry, an artisan paint company based in the Grand Valley. The Sept. 12 workshop includes guided meditation and journaling in addition to the paint instruction, and the September 20 event includes guided exploration of the Crystal River valley. To learn more about the offerings and register, visit sarahuhl.com/workshops

Empowering Your Life’s Journey We believe together, we flourish. Come home to supportive independent senior living—in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley.

For you. For life.

Discover how a little assistance can preserve your independence!

Openings Available Now

Whitcomb Terrace Aspen

0275 Castle Creek Road Call or email Maggie Gerardi to schedule a tour.

970.544.1530

mgerardi@aspenvalleyhealth.org

aspenvalleyhealth.org

6 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

found my home in the Roaring Fork Valley — such an amazing place to raise a family in such close proximity to nature,” she said. “Art just seems like the bridge between it all!”

Seeking clarity with Shelley at City Market for 32 years and counting

HECTOR SALAS-GALLEGOS Sopris Sun Correspondent

EDITOR’S NOTE: The quotes in this story have been translated from Spanish to English.

Most mornings at City Market in Aspen, you can find a local legend. Her name is Araceli Moreno, but most people know her as Shelley — a name her father gave her and one she’s gone by over her long career.

This September, Shelley will celebrate 32 years of working for City Market here in the Valley — from the old Basalt store to El Jebel to Aspen. She started in 1994, as a courtesy clerk for Western Union in the Basalt City Market. As the only Latina working mornings, she became a trusted point person for Spanish-speaking customers.

Over the years, she’s worked in many departments, like the bakery, the deli and even the old movie rental, back when that was a thing. These days, you can find her at the self checkouts in the Aspen store.

What makes Shelley iconic is her personal language-learning journey, and how she used her development thereof to serve her community beyond what’s outlined in her job description.

In the beginning of her career, she spoke very little English. Determined to learn, she carried a notebook, a dictionary and a pen around at work. When customers approached her for help, she would

ask them to repeat themselves two or three times, and sometimes to write down what they needed in her notebook.

If someone ordered a croissant, she’d have them write it out, say it aloud and then she’d write it phonetically in her notebook as best she could. She remembers having particular trouble with Black Forest ham.

“I just couldn’t understand what the connection was,” she said.

She’d study her notes in the mornings after dropping her kids off at school.

Her system of collecting commonly used words and practicing them led to learning the language.

“Maybe [the customers] found it funny that I’d ask them to write down the word or whatever they were telling me,” she said.

Other Spanish speakers ended up seeking her out for translation support. If Shelley didn’t know the words, she would work with a Spanish-speaking customer or associate to write it down in English as best they could to show it to a native English speaker. Sometimes she’d share her personal phonetic method, instructing others to close their eyes, sound out the word, then write it down.

Shelley credits her co-workers with helping her learn the language.

“They helped me a lot with pronunciation, identifying products [and] saying them out loud,” she said. “They were so kind. Nobody laughed at me or anything.

30 years in business

Full Line Pet Store

RJ Paddywacks Located in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley

Araceli “Shelley” Moreno takes a moment to smell the flowers at the City Market in Aspen.

Photo by Hector Salas-Gallegos

Everyone was ready to help” Her translation abilities went beyond the grocery store. According to Shelley, very few healthcare workers in the area spoke Spanish several years ago. Seeing that she was a familiar, trusted face, people asked her to tag along to doctors appointments.

Shelley recalled translating through 15 births, when doctors and nurses would give Shelley updates throughout the birthing process. She’d relay breathing instructions and important information, like whether a mom needed a blood transfusion. She’d translate questions to the doctor, as well as important birthing decisions, such as if the mom wanted to have the baby standing up.

“It’s beautiful to know that people trust you in those difficult moments during births,” she said.

Today, customers practice their Spanish

Community Classes ASTROLOGY w/Sus Kitchen What is Astrology - Tonight, 6-8pm, 8/27 Astrology 101 - Thursdays, 6-8pm, 9/3-10/8 BEGINNING SWING DANCE Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 9/2-9/23 PILATES MATWORK w/Pamela Mon, 10-10:50am, 9/14-12/7 PLEASANT DOGS AND PLEASED OWNERS Online Tues, 6-8:30pm, 9/15 OIL PAINTING Tues, 5:30-8:30pm, 9/15-10/27

Established in 1995

Open 7 days a week From live crickets to organic and raw food nutrition. RJ’s is the one stop shop for all your animal needs Home delivery and Self Service Dog Wash available

RJ Paddywacks next to City Market El Jebel 970. 963.1700

with her at the counter. She’s seen many of them go on to get married, have children, move away, come back and so on. And many continue to take a moment to share a smile and say hello, whenever they come through the automated sliding doors.

One moment of her career still stands out in particular. On her 50th birthday, while working the deli counter, she heard her manager’s voice come over the intercom inviting everyone to wish Shelley a happy birthday. Out came a cake with candles atop, while staff and customers alike said, “Happy Birthday!”

“The people here are so kind,” she said.

People have told Shelley over the years that if she ever wanted to leave City Market, they’d have a job for her; but she’s turned them down every time.

“I’ve always loved the store, honestly,” Shelley said. “What you love, you love.”

690 Colorado Ave, Carbondale

970 963 2172

Working To gether For Pets A nd Their Peo ple 2801 Glenwood S CR 114 prings, CO (970)947-9 173

CARE cu 19 cats, andrrently has 17 dogs,s , 2 available f guinea pigs or adoptio n. BAO

.E. offers a “C.A.R S K C A W Y D D RJ PA milies, ew adoptive fa package” for n s for Points” plan including a “Paw % discount e 15 and a first timpet. ew for your n

BUN ill has his energy! Hestlo puppy ves to plagyoowfy dog friends, ta ith his k e a di p flop) into e r belly pond for (o and get thethzo a swim, om ies. He ves attention nd affection, lo while he doaes and bone in his bon’t have a mean dy , h e does think chasing ch RJ Paddywacks fun (guilty!ic).kens is If are ready for you 400 E Valley Rd. # I/J friend and nsa best Next to City Market tant companion, co in El Jebel co m e vi sit Bao Bun toda y!

970.963.1700 rjpaddywacks.com

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 7

BASALT REPORT

One development tabled, another approved WILL BUZZERD Sopris Sun Correspondent

During this week’s regular meeting, the Basalt Town Council held second readings and public hearings for two new residential developments, voting to continue the hearing for one and approving the final plan for the other.

The first application discussed was for the special review of a mixed-use residential and commercial storage development at 555 Basalt Ave. in Basalt’s Southside neighborhood.

After a lengthy period of public comment and discussion among council members, the applicant requested that the hearing be continued to integrate changes requested during the meeting. The council approved the request to continue the second reading to Sept. 8 by a vote of 4-2.

Conversely, the council approved the final PUD for the 64-unit Black Mountain development at 431 Emma Road by a vote of 5-1.

This was not the first time the application for the proposed development at 555 Basalt Ave. has been subject to debate. The first reading of the application had been continued four times since

it initially came before the council on March 24. It was only by a vote of 4-3 on Aug. 11 when the application moved forward. Since that meeting, the applicant’s renewed proposal factored in several requests, including adhering to the town’s dark skies exterior lighting standards, that the planned development be suitable for solar energy and that for the first 30 years the commercial spaces prioritize community-serving businesses.

As of Aug. 25, the proposed development at 555 Basalt Ave. included 42 commercial storage units, 30 residential units, 12 live-work units and two community serving commercial spaces.

A total of 64% of the units would be deed-restricted. Furthermore, the applicant would contribute $345,000 for the improvement of Fiou Lane and Cody Lane, two streets adjacent to the development that would need to be expanded in order to support the increased density.

Many residents of the Southside neighborhood offered comments.

The majority of commenters were explicitly against the development, primarily citing an existing traffic problem in the area they said

would be exacerbated and result in a public safety risk.

After the period of public comment, the applicant argued that the traffic resulting from the use of the commercial storage units would be less than that generated by more residential units or other types of business, and that the application in its current state reflects a priority to offer more housing opportunities than what is minimally necessary.

While Mayor David Knight and Councilors Rick Stevens, Angele Dupre-Butchart and Hannah Berman voted to approve the applicant’s request for a continuation, Councilors Angela Anderson and Greg Shaffran voted against it.

Councilor Elyse Hottel was absent from the meeting.

With regard to the comparatively less-contested Black Mountain development, Basalt Town Council approved the final PUD, which included a short list of changes compared to the application presented on July 28, from the town’s ability to buy down deed-restricted properties within the development to the applicant’s $700,000 community benefit contribution to be paid

The application that was approved was for Black Mountain, a 64-residentialunit development located between the Roaring Fork River and Emma Road.

The development has undergone a three-year process before finally taking shape during the meeting on Aug. 25. Courtesy graphic

prior to the issuance of the first building permit to miscellaneous items regarding irrigation, landscaping and drainage.

The development will be located at 431 Emma Road, west of

the Basalt Library, and will include 64 dwelling units, 12 commercial lodging cabins and an open space with trail connectivity along the Roaring Fork river. Fifty-percent of the residential units will be continued on page 13

GLENWOOD SPRINGS REPORT

Council forwards fire district mill levy question to voters JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent

Glenwood Springs city voters will join voters in the Glenwood Rural Fire District in deciding whether to raise property taxes by $3.6 million to support fire response and emergency medical services.

City Council, at its regular Aug. 20 meeting, voted 6-0 (with Councilor Mitchell Weimer absent) to place the question before voters at the Nov. 3 general election.

City staff have been in discussions with council about the ballot proposal for several months. That culminated in last week’s decision to seek a mill levy (tax rate) of 7.9 mills “for the purposes of meeting the operational and capital needs for providing fire protection, rescue and emergency medical services.”

The Rural Fire District board has also approved putting the question before its voters.

City Manager Steve Boyd outlined the proposal for Council members.

“The cost of providing fire and EMS services is rising, and in response to that several of the departments and districts around us have gone out and passed either a sales or property tax,” he said.

The reasons are common across the board, he said.

• To add firefighter capacity to meet the standard for coverage; • To increase firefighter and EMS personnel compensation to be able to compete in the market; and, • To build and improve stations and replace equipment.

Currently, the cost of fire and EMS are subsidized by a $1 million annual allocation from the city’s general fund, Boyd said. The goal is to eliminate that, and to help make up what amounts to a $3.8 million annual shortfall, he said.

The ballot measure, if approved, would also use existing tobacco and marijuana tax funds to build a fire and EMS reserve fund. As it is, fire and EMS are having to compete with other general fund priorities, Boyd added.

Councilor Steve Smith moved to approve the resolution placing the question on the Nov. 3 ballot; seconded by Mayor Pro-Tem Erin Zalinski.

“This seems to be the best option to fulfill the goals we’ve heard for consistent, predictable funding, and to relieve the general fund,” Councilor Sumner Schachter said.

Following approval of the resolution, council members were reminded by City Attorney Karl Hanlon as to what they can and can’t do to support the ballot measure collectively, and as individual elected officials, under the Fair Campaign Practices Act. Council expects to consider an allowed-for resolution of support for the measure at its Sept. 3 meeting.

Citizens Alliance (GSCA) said the day will be used to blanket the community with information about the quarry issue and the GSCA’s “Don’t Mine Glenwood” campaign.

• A presentation from Glenwood Springs Historical Society Executive Director Mark Jensen. Notably, the Frontier Museum has seen a 41% increase in visitors since expanding its hours; half of the museum’s visitors are from outside Colorado; and the Doc Holliday Collection exhibit at Bullock’s sees more than 12,000 visitors each year.

continued on page 9

ICE holding facility Council heard from two members of the public in follow-up to an Aug. 6 decision to file a lawsuit against the landlord of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding facility in West Glenwood over permit violations for exceeding a 12-hour hold limit.

Judy Haynes pressed the city to collect on a fine of up to $1,000 per day since the permit was revoked on April 28.

That money could be put toward legal fees, she said.

Resident Ashley Stahl also leveled criticism at city officials for being slow to investigate and enforce the code. She urged them to utilize the research done by private citizens to support the lawsuit against the landlord, JG Housing Solutions, LLC.

Also before Council at the Aug. 20 meeting was: • A proclamation celebrating Sept. 4 as “Love Glenwood Day,” related to the Glenwood Hot Springs Protection Act that has now been introduced in Congress, opposing Rocky Mountain Industrials’ plan before the Bureau of Land Management to expand the limestone quarry located off Transfer Trail. Jeff Peterson from the Glenwood Springs

8 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

The West Glenwood Fire Station No. 1 on Mel Rey Road is top of the list for some needed maintenance and improvements if a mill levy that’s on the Nov. 3 ballot for consideration by Glenwood Springs city voters is approved. Photo by James Steindler

CARBONDALE REPORT

Town withdraws from SPEAR SKYLER STARK-RAGSDALE Managing Editor

The Carbondale Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Aug. 25, unanimously voted to halt the town’s participation in the Special Problems Enforcement and Response (SPEAR) regional crime task force.

The withdrawal follows growing community concerns that SPEAR — which has full-time personnel assigned from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Rifle Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and in which Carbondale Police participated until Tuesday — has aided federal immigration enforcement efforts.

After Glenwood Springs City Council voted to withdraw from the task force in April, Carbondale Police Chief Kirk Wilson urged Carbondale trustees to allow SPEAR to revise its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) before making a decision about Carbondale’s participation, striving to clarify that the task force would not enforce immigration law. After reviewing the

draft MOU on Aug. 18, he recommended the trustees withdraw from the task force, but made clear that his recommendation was not based on a conclusion that SPEAR had acted unlawfully,

continued community trust in its law enforcement.

“There’s value that comes from participation in SPEAR and helping us to solve the crimes and adding some expertise,” Hyland said. “And there’s also value in making sure that our community is always comfortable, whether it’s walking in the door here to get services, calling 911 or calling … dispatch.”

The immigration enforcement concerns were brought to the public sphere this past February when Denver-based nonprofit Towards Justice served Sheriff Lou Vallario and the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office a cease and desist letter. The letter accused SPEAR of making data accessible to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with ICE to detain an individual — who the letter said was ultimately deported — and accused the sheriff’s office of holding inmates beyond when they typically should “for the purpose of immigration enforcement in violation of Colorado law.”

Sheriff Lou Vallario issued a public letter in March addressing

There’s value that comes from participation in SPEAR and helping us to solve the crimes and adding some expertise ... And there’s also value in making sure that our community is always comfortable, whether it’s walking in the door here to get services, calling 911 or calling just dispatch.

- Town Manager Ryan Hyland and should not be interpreted as a criticism of SPEAR, according to town documents.

Town Manager Ryan Hyland summarized the reason for the recommendation to withdraw, chalking it up to a balance between community expertise gained from participation in SPEAR and the need for

what he called “intentional misinformation being thrown around” regarding SPEAR’s involvement with immigration enforcement.

“To be clear, SPEAR does not work with ICE or provide information to them,” he wrote. He acknowledged, however, that the task force does have fulltime personnel assigned from HSI, which is the umbrella federal department that includes sub-agencies such as ICE. The cease and desist letter alleged that, given the Department of Homeland Security’s “open internal information-sharing policies,” data shared with HSI would be accessible by ICE. Prior to the Tuesday vote, trustees showed their support of Wilson’s recommendation to cease participation in SPEAR. “I think it’s a really bright day for the community to be able to do that,” Trustee Ross Kribbs said of Carbondale’s halted participation in SPEAR, “and a dark day in that we have to be in that position

in the first place, that maybe, at this point, some of the trust with federal enforcement is not there — and that’s unfortunate.”

In other news …

The Carbondale Board of Trustees unanimously voted to greenlight an approval ordinance of a proposed three-story, commercial- and residential-use development on Main Street, now that the design aligns with the town code’s height restrictions.

Applicants Forum Phi and Smith Mountain Builders originally requested that the proposed build at 242-256 Main Street reach 42 feet in height rather than the code standard of 35 feet, allowing for an elevator shaft on the roof.

The initial proposal also had a lower level floor-to-floor height of 12 feet rather than the code standard of 14 feet.

Their new design aligns with the standard town code dimension restrictions.

GLENWOOD REPORT from page 8 • An ordinance addressing regulations and permitting for electric vehicle charging stations, which are not specifically addressed in the land-use code. This was approved 6-0 on first reading.

Under council member comments, Councilor Smith called attention to state ballot Initiative 475 (Amendment 82). Smith warned that, if passed, the measure would essentially remove funding for the popular Bustang transit service, by redirecting all state motor vehicle tax funds to highways.

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 9

CALENDAR THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

Annual Community

Open House Saturday, August 29 | 10 AM – 2 PM

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 is required.

Details at aspensciencecenter.org TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts yoga in Spanish from 6:30 to 8:15pm. Details at tinyurl.com/ yogainspanish2026 YOGA, EAT & CHILL Iron Mountain Hot Springs hosts a yoga class with Cari from Kula Yoga at 6:30pm. The Yoga Collective will host yoga at the hot springs on Friday at 8:15am, followed by grilling in the meadow and chair massages on Saturday at 11am and noon, respectively. Details at tinyurl.com/ wellnesseventsironmountain

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28

STORYTIME PLAYGROUP The Basalt Library hosts “Storytime Playgroup” for kids ages 0-3 from 10:30 to 11:30am. Participants listen to stories, experience sensory activities, engage in large motor movement and more.

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

STREET MARKET SEPTEMBER 4 In The Heart of the Carbondale Creative District Featuring extended hours and special events at local shops, galleries, and restaurants. Plus the second Bonedale Flea of the year, hosting local makers, vintage goods, and culinary delights.

The evening also includes live music, street activities with community booths, and food trucks.

Bonedale Flea Market 4th St Plaza | 4:30-8:30pm

Exhibitions Tiny Print Showcase & You Don’t Have To Be Perfect, But You Could Try Harder Carbondale Arts | 5-7pm

Live music by Harley Ellis & Youthentity bake sale Mountain Tide Provisions, 5-8pm

Live DJ set with the Sunfire Ranch Fire Truck Main & 2nd St , 5-8pm

Live music by Mountain Jam Chacos Park | 5:30-8:30pm

Painting demos and music | Kahhak Gallery 6pm Live music by Hell Roaring String Band Townline Trucks, 7-9pm

Live music on the patio with the Wowsers Carbondale Beer Works, 8-11pm Sign up to volunteer during First Fridays! Main St. is closed to thru traffic from Weant Blvd. to 2nd St. from 5 to 9pm. 3rd St. remains open to cross traffic.

Full details at carbondalearts.com 10 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

‘I AM ME’ “I Am Me,” a queer-youth focused artist workshop covering theater and writing mediums takes place every Tuesday and Friday, from 4 to 6pm, through Sept. 18 at The Space in New Castle. High school age students who identify as LGBTQIA+ are welcome.

Registration and details at tinyurl.com/ VOICES-IAMME ART KIDS Drop the kids off at the Glenwood Springs Community Art Center from 5:30 to 8:30pm for Art Kids Friday Night, when they learn to create and bake edible art to take home. Details at tinyurl.com/artkids2026 CHRIS KLUG GALA The Chris Klug Foundation’s annual Wine & Dine For Life Gala, when this year’s award recipients among the transplant community will be recognized, will be hosted at the Snowmass Club at 5pm. Tickets at chrisklugfoundation.org THE ART BASE The Art Base’s new exhibit “A Sense of Place,” featuring works by local artists Hunter Hogan, Sam Harvey and Sara Ransford, opens with a reception from 5 to 7pm.

CRYSTAL THEATRE “The Odyssey” screens at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm. The Crystal will screen the film again at 7pm on Saturday, 5pm (captioned) on Sunday and 7pm on Monday.

MUSIC AT TACAW Madeline Hawthorne plays Americana music at 8pm at TACAW. Tickets at tinyurl.com/madelinehawthornetacaw

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

HELPING THE BEAVERS Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) partners with Wilderness Workshop and the Forest Service to build beaver dam analogues in Middle Thompson Creek, south of Glenwood, from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Register to lend a hand at rfov.org WRITING RETREAT Environmental psychologist and author Dr. Lindsay Branham guides a two-day ecology writing retreat at the Catto Center at Toklat starting today at 9am.

Register at aspennature.org

YOGA Get limber with “Saturday Yoga” from 9:30 to 10:30am at Veltus Park in Glenwood. Details at tinyurl.com/ saturdayyogaglenwood CARBONDALE FIRE Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District hosts an open house, including food, free swag, fire safety tips and fun for the whole family, from 10am to 2pm.

Details at carbondalefire.org CELEBRATION OF ‘BIG BILL’ DAWE The Glenwood Canyon Brew Pub hosts a celebration of life in memory of William “Big Bill” Dawe beginning at noon.

SKIES OVER BASALT Explore the universe from the point of view of the Basalt Library from noon to 3pm. Details at basaltlibrary.org/events ‘BLAZING SADDLES’ Age Friendly Carbondale, with support from AARP, hosts “Blazing Saddles” at 3pm at the Crystal Theatre. Tickets at tinyurl.com/blazingsaddles2026 CITIZENSHIP BASICS Adults preparing to take a U.S. citizenship and naturalization exam can get assistance at the Carbondale Library from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Details at gcpld.org/events PAR-TEA Sopris Lodge Senior Living hosts the “Summer Garden Par-TEA,” with tea sandwiches, spritzers and garden-inspired treats from 2 to 4pm. The event is organized with Roaring Fork Home Care, Botany Houseplant Shop and Colorado Animal Rescue. RSVP at soprislodge.com/summer-garden-party BLUE GRASS El Dorado hosts a bluegrass jam session with Mac Benning and friends from 7 to 9pm.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30

A SPIRITUAL CENTER A Spiritual Center presents “Talks with John,” inspired by the book, from 10 to 11:30am at the Third Street Center (room 31).

RANDOM CONVERSATIONS The Carbondale Library hosts “The Lost Art of Random Conversations: Special Edition with the Author,” when Tom Karrel, “Random Conversations” founder and author, leads guided conversations. The event runs from 3 to 5pm. Details at gcpld.org/events CURBSIDE CHIPPING The Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley is hosting a free curbside chipping program in Basalt-area neighborhoods, allowing residents to offload vegetation posing a wildfire risk on their properties. The collaborative will begin today in Blue Lake, Dakota, El Jebel and Missouri Heights. It will continue the program in other neighborhoods on Saturdays, Sept. 6, Sept. 13 and Sept.

20. Piles must be stacked curbside by Sunday to be picked up that week.

Details at www.rfvwildfire.org

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

‘ART MINI MASTER STUDIO’ The Glenwood Springs Community Art Center hosts “Art Mini Master Studio” from 4:30 to 5:30pm, open to ages 7-13. These history-rich art classes will continue each Tuesday at the same time and place until Sept. 22. Details at tinyurl.com/artclassesglenwood ‘HAPPY HANDS’ Learn basic wheel-throwing and sculpting techniques with “Happy Hands,” an adult clay clinic at the Glenwood Springs Community Art Center, from

ONGOING EVENTS

Over 40 classic cars saw their refurbished tires hit the roads of Midland Avenue for Basalt’s annual “Motors on Midland,” a community event hosted by the Basalt Education Foundation in support of public schools, on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 22. One young attendee jumped behind the wheel of a classic Basalt Fire Department truck, though she may need some time to reach the pedals before she starts fighting fire.

Photo by Bob Rugile

6:30 to 8:30pm. The clinic continues every Tuesday at the same time and place until Sept. 22. Details at tinyurl. com/happyhandsglenwood

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

AI LAB The Carbondale Library hosts “Make More Room to Create,” a hands-on AI lab, from 5:30 to 7pm. Details and registration at tinyurl.com/ moreroomtocreate CLAY DAZE “Clay Daze for Teens” kicks off from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Glenwood Springs Community Art Center. Teens will learn wheel-throwing and sculpting techniques, and continue their education every Wednesday at the same time and place until Sept. 23. Details at tinyurl. com/claydazeglenwood

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

JAZZ FUNK The Glenwood Springs Community Art Center hosts “Adult Jazz Funk Dance” from 11am to noon. Participants can continue their jazz and funk education with classes every Thursday at the same time and place until Sept. 24. Details at tinyurl.com/jazzfunkglenwood AUTHOR TALK The Glenwood Library hosts Colorado Author Leslie Vedder, who will talk about her book, “The Siren’s Kiss,” at 3pm. For details, call 970-945-5958.

TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts a cosmic sound journey with Danielle Klein from 6 to 7:15pm. Details at tinyurl.com/ soundjourneytruenature

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

CLAY CENTER SALE The Carbondale Clay Center hosts its annual student art sale, when adult working artists roll out their ceramic creations, today from 2 to 8pm, tomorrow from noon to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 3pm. For HIP-HOP CLASSES Youth hip-hop classes kick off at the Glenwood Springs Community Arts Center from 4:30 to 5:30pm, continuing

every Friday at the same time and place until Sept. 25. Details at tinyurl.com/ hiphopglenwood FIRST FRIDAY Head on over to downtown Carbondale for September First Friday, featuring the Bonedale Flea Market, vintage goods, culinary delights, music by Mountain Jam, DJ sets by KDNK, street buskers, offerings from local businesses and more. The action-packed evening carries on from 5 to 8pm. Details at carbondalearts.com

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers “Hole in the Donut AA,” Monday through Saturday at 6:45am, plus “Daily Reprieve” at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Find a full schedule at meetingplacecarbondale.org

GRIEF GROUP Navigate grief in a supportive, group environment with a licensed facilitator from 11am to 12:30pm on the first and third Monday of every month. The group is hosted at a home in Carbondale. Call 516-242-9365 for more information.

ROARING FORK ZEN A Zen meditation community gathers at True Nature to sit from 8 to 9am on Mondays and 7:30 to 8:30pm on Wednesdays weekly.

IN STITCHES The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 1:30pm.

GRIEF IN MOTION Cath Adams, a certified grief coach, facilitates a weekly support group at the Glenwood Community Center from 9 to 10am. Call 970-384-6314 for more information.

TAI CHI Community tai chi sessions are hosted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10am at the Third Street Center. Newcomers are welcome. For details, email jhof@rof.net POWER PUNCH PARKINSON’S The Power Punch Parkinson’s classes are held every Monday from 9:30 to 10:30am at Defiance PT & Wellness in Carbondale (326 Highway 133, Suite 60), and the same time on Fridays at Midland Fitness in Glenwood (100 Midland Avenue).

MOMMY MEET-UP The Glenwood Springs Library hosts a “mommy meet-up” on Mondays from 11am to 12:30pm for mothers and their babies ages 0 to 3. There will be play items provided for the little ones and coffee and conversation for the moms.

BOARD GAMES Kids (5 and up) play board games in the Treehouse Room at the Basalt Library Mondays at 4pm. Snacks provided.

MARBLE MUSEUM The Marble Historical Society’s museum is open for the season from 11am to 4pm except on Mondays. Call 970-963-9815 for a tour.

CRES TOURS Crystal River Elementary School hosts tours for prospective kindergarten families every Wednesday at 8:30am. Call 970-384-5620 to sign up!

RAGING GRANNIES All are welcome to join the Raging Grannies, singing for a healthy planet and a kind world, on Wednesdays at the Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists office at the Third Street Center from 4 to 5:30pm.

ENGLISH IN ACTION Volunteer English tutors and developing learners meet for informal conversational practice at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 6:30pm.

Interested in becoming a tutor? Email angela@englishinaction.org or call 970-963-9200.

COMEDY SHOWS Thunder River Theatre Company and Elvecino Shows host “First Friday Comedy” at the theater at 8pm. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets at app.arts-people.com/?show=353030

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

GRAND TRAVERSE RUN The 40-mile Grand Traverse Run kicks off from Crested Butte at 6am, with runners expected to finish at Ajax Park in Aspen between noon and 6:30pm. Details at cbnordic.org/ thegrandtraverse NATURAL FABRIC The Glenwood Springs Community Art Center offers a fabric dying workshop for adults from 10am to 1pm. Details at tinyurl.com/naturalfabric ‘TALK SAVE LIVES’ The Silt Library hosts Garfield County Public Health’s Mason Hohstadt for a discussion about suicide prevention, “Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention.” The event begins at 2pm. For details, call 970-876-5500.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

TRUE NATURE True Nature hosts the Self Realization Fellowship’s monthly community meditation from 9 to 10:30am. Details at tinyurl.com/ communitymeditationtruenature

FILM

GRAND TRAVERSE BIKE The Grand Traverse Mountain Bike race starts in Aspen at 7am, with an expected finish between noon and 4pm in Crested Butte. Details at cbnordic.org/ thegrandtraverse

WED. SEP. 2 7 PM

Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul

GET TICKETS: WheelerOperaHouse.com 320 E. Hyman Ave. Aspen, CO | 970.920.5770

Find more upcoming events at www.soprissun.com/tag/curated-calendar

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 11

YO U ’ R E I N V I T E D

THE SOPRIS SUN: AN AWARD-WINNING EVENING Raise a glass to The Sopris Sun as we celebrate the Colorado Press Association awards- and the community that keeps local journalism shining.

Wednesday, September 2 5:30 pm Hosted by Sue Edelstein and Bill Spence River Valley Ranch, Carbondale A P P E T I Z E R S • D R I N K S • C E L E B R AT I O N Space is limited. Invite a friend and reserve your places by August 30

SCAN TO RSVP

soprissun.com 12 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

RAMS REPORT

Roaring Fork High School junior Emmit Nieslanik cuts with the football during a 41-0 defeat against the Gunnison High School Cowboys in the Rams’ return to varsity football on Friday, Aug. 21. Photo by Indigo Michel

Fall sports season off and running JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent

Girls volleyball

Roaring Fork High School made its return to the varsity football ranks after a year’s hiatus, facing off against a tough Gunnison team at home on Aug. 21.

The Rams held their own defensively for much of the first quarter, during which the Cowboys were beset by several offensive penalties.

However, once the Class 2A contenders collected themselves, they went on to hand the 1A Rams a 41-0 defeat.

Next up for Roaring Fork is another home stand against 1A Salida on Friday, Sept. 11, with a 7pm kickoff.

Boys soccer Likewise, the Roaring Fork boys soccer team lost in their season opener at Forge Christian on Aug. 22, 2-1. The teams scored a goal each in the first half, including one by Rams senior Oliver Shook, assisted by senior Cal Stone. But the Fury found the net for the ultimate game-winner in the second half.

Rams senior goalie Quentin Galbraith recorded two saves on the day.

Next up, the Rams host Telluride at 3pm on Friday, Aug. 28.

Playing at the Glenwood Springs Demon Invite on Aug. 21-22, the Lady Rams took one of three matches on the weekend.

Playing in the shortened best-of-threesets format, Roaring Fork lost 2-0 to both Mullen (17-25, 19-25) and Rifle (14-25, 15-25) on Friday, and again 2-0 to Steamboat Springs (23-25, 19-25) on Saturday morning, before notching a 2-1 win over Coal Ridge (25-21, 22-25, 15-13).

This week, the Roaring Fork volleyballers were set to play Grand Valley on Tuesday at home, at North Fork on Thursday and then back home on Saturday, Aug. 29, against Gunnison (varsity game time at 1pm). The Rams are at Coal Ridge on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6pm.

ninth (19:39.03); junior Kaiden Werth, 10th (19:39.18); sophomore Bode Schoenbrunn, 20th (21:04.64); and junior Henry Ogburn, 25th (21:16.47). As a team, the Longhorns placed second with 71 points behind Coal Ridge (42).

And, among 86 runners in the girls 5K, sophomore Scarlett Jones was eighth (21:13.64); sophomore Jude Tiernan, 14th (22:12.33); and senior Miley Stuart, 17th (22:48.83). The lady harriers were fourth in team points.

Runners from Carbondale Middle School (CMS) and Ross Montessori also competed in the shorter 2.5K event. For CMS, Everett Conklin was the top finisher among the boys coming in 12th (12:09.96), and Shiloh Bogan was the top girl, placing 71st (15:34.48).

For Ross, Tillie Vickers was the top girl, placing 20th (12:30.67), and Joey Steele was the top boy, placing 29th (12:58.99).

Boys Golf The combined Basalt-Roaring ForkGlenwood Springs boys golf team is already

a few weeks into their season.

Competing at the Montrose Tournament on Aug. 20, Roaring Fork’s Hudson Arnold took second place overall.

The Longhorns were set to host their own mini-tournament on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale, inviting teams from Aspen, Eagle Valley and Steamboat Springs high schools. Results will be reported in the Sept. 3 edition of The Sopris Sun.

Softball The combined Basalt-Roaring ForkGlenwood girls softball team is off to a 1-5 start to the season, the Longhorns’ lone win coming in the season opener on Aug. 14 at Gunnison, 18-0.

Next up, the team is at home (Basalt High School field) for several games, including Valley and Platte Valley at 10am and 12pm, respectively, on Saturday, Aug. 29, and then a double-header against Meeker at 3pm and 5pm on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Cross country

BASALT REPORT from page 8

The combined Basalt-Roaring Fork cross country team hosted the Longhorn XC Invitational at Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Finishing top 25 out of 71 runners in the five-kilometer varsity boys race for Basalt were junior Levi Friday, seventh (19 minutes, 20.65 seconds); sophomore Elliot Galbraith,

deed-restricted, and 20 of the units will be prioritized for purchase by locals as part of the development’s First Tracks program.

All but one of the councilors present voted to approve the PUD, with the exception of Shaffran, who argued that the First Tracks program was not as sufficient for meeting the need for affordable housing as outright deed-restriction.

The approval of the final PUD for the Black Mountain represents one of the final steps in the development application process since a sketch plan for the project first came before the council in 2023.

SKIN, HAIR, OR NAIL CONCERNS?

August Is

MAKE-A-WILL month

Now Accepting New Patients!

Same or Next-Day Appointments Available in Glenwood Springs, CO GENERAL, SURGICAL, AND COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY

consider KDNK in your Planned Giving Visit KDNK.org for more info or scan the QR to tell us your plans:

Thanuk!

Yo

GLENWOOD DERMATOLOGY, CO 919 Grand Ave Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 (970) 930-6490

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 13

What’s in a name?

For you. For life.

The Rocky Mountain News “Colorado Q & A,” Jan. 20, 1957: Q: Often, as I traveled the road between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, I have been impressed by the beauty of that solitary peak called Mt. Sopris. How did this lovely mountain get its name?

A: That beautiful mountain was named for an interesting Colorado pioneer, Captain Richard Sopris … [when] a small group of men headed by Sopris left July 1, 1860 and explored a number of areas … As they traveled up above Glenwood Springs, they were so impressed by the beauty of the great peak rising there that they named it for their leader.

Sopris and his men were “Fifty-Niners” — prospectors who came to the Rocky Mountains after gold was discovered in 1859 on the South Platte River. Their 1860 exploration didn’t yield any gold, but it did put Mt. Sopris on the map, along with other geographical features, according to Linda Bjorklund’s book “Richard Sopris in Early Denver”: Although the Sopris prospectors were disappointed about the lack of gold, the information they recorded along the way proved to be an invaluable resource for mapmakers trying to chart … what would become Colorado. Under the direction of the first territorial HISTORIOGRAPHY governor, William Gilpin, Ebert’s 1865 Map of

By Sue Gray Colorado Territory was drawn using much of the information provided by the Sopris party.

At that time, maps showed the Rocky Mountains’ Western Slope as “Ute Indian Territory,” in accordance with U.S. Government treaties. The Utes, or Nuche as they call themselves, traveled through the mountains in the summer, hunting and gathering food for winter, which they’d spend in the lowlands.

Just over a hundred years after the U.S. government removed the Northern Ute tribes from Colorado, Carbondale residents considered returning the original Indigenous name to the iconic landmark, according to Pat Noel’s commentary in The Valley Journal on Dec. 10, 1987: … [P]erhaps it’s time we rectified the situation. After all, who was Richard Sopris? An itinerant surveyor who wandered through the Valley a relatively short time ago … who had the audacity to pencil in his name on the midvalley’s most dramatic geologic feature … [W]ouldn’t it be more fitting to call the mountain by its older, Indian name? But what is the old name?

After making a host of phone calls this week to people who should know (who in turn made even more phone calls to others), this writer was unable to learn of it. One local historian … even suggested that the Utes had no name for the mountain and called it in their Nahuatl language merely “the big mountain with snow on top.”

The subject was raised again in 2009, when a group of elders representing the three Ute tribes were gathered in Carbondale. According to an eyewitness, the elders were asked if they knew what their ancestors called the mountain. Their answer was unequivocally, “No.” The name, if there ever was one, had been lost for generations.

Undeterred, one well-meaning local requested the Ute translations for several individual English words, then assembled them into a phrase: “Ancient Mountain Heart Sits There,” which was enthusiastically shared throughout the Carbondale community. Now, some people mistakenly believe that phrase was the original Ute name for Mt. Sopris.

Unfortunately, although the intention was to apply an Indigenous name to the beloved landmark in recognition of the First People, appropriating their language does not honor the Ute’s cultural naming practices.

As for the man whose name is still on the map, Richard Sopris achieved a lasting legacy, recorded in his obituary in the Weekly Register-Call (Denver) on April 14, 1893: A Prominent Denverite and an old Colorado pioneer passed away… For the past [30] years he had been a resident of Denver. In 1861, he organized Company C of the First Colorado Infantry Regiment, and was commissioned its captain … In 1864 he was elected Sheriff of Arapahoe County … and in 1878 was elected [Denver’s] mayor for two terms … [H]e was appointed Park Commissioner in 1881, serving until [1892].

Decades later, Sopris’ work as head of the Denver Parks Department was cited as a reason to rename the city’s largest public park after him in the letters section of Rocky Mountain News on Dec. 14, 1949: … [R]egarding a proposal to change the name of City Park … I quote from [the book] “Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story”; “Capt. Richard Sopris was a pioneer of 1859 … and [when] he was appointed Park Commissioner [he] immediately began the difficult task of making a park out of the 320 acres which the city had purchased from the state.” [As] a lasting testimonial to the public-spirited pioneer … may I suggest the name of “Sopris Park.”

The renaming of Denver’s City Park never happened, but the name “Sopris” was given to the new public park in the center of the little town of Carbondale, which had bloomed under his namesake mountain.

Were he to return to Carbondale today, Captain Richard Sopris might be surprised to see his name everywhere: on street signs, elementary schools, businesses, even in the title of a weekly newspaper.

OPINION

Supporting Your Vibrant Life Don’t let life’s surprises get in the way of making the most of every moment. After-Hours Medical Care in Basalt is here for you, offering convenient and compassionate services for non-lifethreatening emergencies—7 days a week.

After-Hours Medical Care

970.544.1250

Basalt 234 East Cody Lane

Weekdays: 2-10 pm Weekends: 8 am-5 pm

No appointment necessary, walk-ins welcome!

aspenvalleyhealth.org

Connection, Community and Care August Event

Free and Open to the Public.

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

295 Rio Grande Avenue, Carbondale Assisted Living | Memory Care | Independent Living WellAge Senior Community 14 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

Take us to the river OPINION BY JOHN ARMSTRONG CVEPA Views

Under the elegant rusticity of the hand hewn logs and mortise and tenon beamery of the 1879 Thompson Barn, the tiny but mighty Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) held its 54th annual meeting and gathering. The beams had been crafted by Myron Thompson and family years before the founding of Carbondale (or even Satank!). Board and beam, this historic gem was reconstructed at the River Valley Ranch location in 1998. CVEPA is grateful to Brian Leasure for making the barn available to us.

Sixty-five members and friends gathered to share companionship, stories and a drink prior to hearing from two speakers.

CVEPA’s successes have been hard earned and include limiting development, fostering reclamation and day-lighting environmental transgressions in our valley. What makes CVEPA different from other environmental organizations is that we are all volunteer, lacking fundraising and frequent events, free to concentrate on environmental defense.

Raising memberships is vital in order to maintain a united voice when working with land managers and elected officials. New members are always welcome.

In this past year, there has been more development pressure and construction in the Upper Crystal River Valley than in the last half century, primarily focused on the Crystal City and McCLure Pass areas.

If there was a theme on Sunday, it was environmental journalism. Aspen Journalism writer, author, poet and activist Paul Andersen was awarded CVEPA’s prestigious Founders Award for Environmentalism. Anderson’s work is historical as well as current, and woven into our Elk Mountain Region. Always the entertainer, Anderson regaled the group with his wit.

The audience then had the pleasure to hear from a maven of all things Colorado River. Reporter Luke Runyon is heard very frequently on National Public Radio. He is the president of the University of Colorado’s Water Desk and the former president of the Society of Environmental Journalists, among other accomplishments. Runyan is also a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award and a Scripps fellow.

Runyon lives near the “Fifteen Mile Reach,” which is an area of the desiccated river between the Cameo Roller Dam above Palisade and the mouth of the Gunnison River at Grand Junction.

In the reach, the powerful Colorado River is struggling at 42 cubic feet per

OBITUARY

second (cfs). (Two cubic feet is equal to 10 gallons of water.) This is plenty enough to take a bath in, and probably as warm, but hard to survive if you’re a fish. Cameo serves the lower Grand Valley and has very senior water rights by decree. It is now drawing 700 cfs from Reudi Reservoir, dropping the lake’s level almost nine feet this last week. The huge ditches in Grand Junction are running full, but the end is in sight and they may run dry within a month.

Runyon does not speak of “the drought,” rather he believes we have entered, or re-entered, a period of “aridification,” which is not likely to change with a great winter this year or any other weather events in the near future.

We are, unrealistically, expecting way too much out of the Colorado River and have set ourselves up for failure if we intend to continue present trends. Forty-million people have lifestyles and livelihoods, dreams and ambitions wrapped in unrealistic legal constructs for a resource that may not exist in the near future.

Runyon’s favorite photo is of the razorback sucker. The fish is a pre-historic, beautifully ugly example of adaptability over millenia. Not unlike the sucker, all our best intentions, and perhaps inventions, will not suffice when we turn on the tap, go to the spring or climb the mountain and there is nothing there.

Having covered the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins conferences for years, Runyon admitted that where there had been viable compromise in the past he sees failure now. Runyon also believes that the federal government is reticent to enter the fray, seeing a dead pool of solutions.

Runyon is not buying the proposals for a pipeline from the Great Lakes or even massive de-salinazation projects, when conservation efforts are still unimplemented. His personal belief mirrors what CVEPA has always supported. Universal conservation is essential to the well being of our society.

After a captivating 40 minutes, Runyon opened the floor to a robust Q&A, which could have gone into the night. Afterward, the group sat on the patio, enjoying BBQ with a view of Mount Sopris after a brief rain shower graced the fairways.

In a time when all that is precious to us seems threatened, support of journalism has never been more important.

If you want to learn more about the CVEPA mission or become a member, visit cvepa.org or find us on Facebook.

NPR correspondent and University of Colorado Water Desk President Luke Runyon speaks during CVEPA’s 54th annual event, while his favorite photo, that of a razorback sucker, fills the screen.

Photo by John Stroud

William Benton Phillips January 10, 1981 August 1, 2026 William Benton Phillips of Hesperus, Colorado, known to friends and loved ones as Ben, passed away in a tragic car accident on Aug. 1 at the age of 45 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Ben was a beautiful combination of quiet depth and bright humor. He was a man of immense patience and compassion, yet equally quick to make a joke and take part in harmless mischief. A listener above all else, Ben spoke intentionally — only offering words laden with meaning. His confident, sparkling eyes provided a calm, grounding anchor to everyone fortunate enough to know him.

Ben was born on Jan. 10, 1981, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to William and Mary Elizabeth Phillips. He developed an early and lasting love for the mountains, rivers and rugged wilderness of the American West. Summers were spent kayaking, mountain biking, climbing and rafting, while winters brought skiing, both at resorts and in the backcountry. Ben attended Aspen High School, graduating in 1999, and went on to the University of Colorado Boulder, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors in 2004 with a degree in Environmental Science.

After circling each other’s orbits for over a decade, Ben quickly fell in love with Kate Lackemann when she moved to Southwest Colorado after law school in 2008. Their complementary personalities wove together to create a union filled with fun and adventure. Whether working on Ben’s eclectic farmhouse in Mancos, or traversing the backcountry, they loved being together as much as possible.

Ben and Kate had a mountaintop elopement on Earth Day 2012 with dear friends by their side, and celebrated with their community of loved-ones with a memorable party a year later. They welcomed two sons, Thorne in 2014 and Raef in 2017. For the last decade, Ben and his family made their home in La Plata Canyon, loving the snowy winters and alpine summers. Ben was the rock of the family, grounding and leading Kate and the boys in everyday life and on countless adventures.

Professionally, he excelled as a boat builder, filmmaker, backcountry guide and stuntman. However, when it came to his true priorities, Ben made the deliberate choice to step back from work to focus fully on raising his two sons.

Ben was a dedicated father. He poured his heart, patience and time into his wonderful boys.

He had a deep affinity for rivers and wilderness adventure. Ben was a world class whitewater paddler who pushed the frontier of his sport across multiple continents. He often guided those he loved away from the chaos of modernity and into the uncluttered present, where the artificial constraints of unit-based time fell away. Untethered from schedules, his life force burned brightest in the wild — a quiet, steady presence anchored not to a clock, but in the timeless expanse of human connection and open land. He had a flexible view of the future and rarely said “no” to any invitation to travel or be with friends and family, anywhere, anytime.

He lived with a humble perspective, and understood with clarity what truly mattered, often reminding those around him that life isn’t defined by what you do or where you go, but by who you spend your time with. Where others saw hardship, Ben saw a catalyst to learn, evolve and deepen his understanding of the human experience.

Ben is survived by his wife, Kate, their sons, Thorne and Raef, his parents, William and Mary Elizabeth Phillips of Carbondale, Colorado, brother, Taylor Phillips, sister-in-law, Anisa Qureshi, niece, Zara of San Anselmo, California, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as a community of friends and loved ones who were shaped by his quiet strength and friendship.

In honoring Ben’s memory, his loved ones hold fast to the wisdom he embodied: to listen deeply, to forgive radically, to love water and open spaces and to treasure the people sitting right beside them above all else.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you take an extra moment with loved ones. Gifts in Ben’s name can be made to Western Resource Advocates (westernresourceadvocates.org) or Grand Canyon Trust (grandcanyontrust.org) to help protect some of the places Ben held most dear.

A Celebration of Ben’s Life will be held on Sept. 26 at 11am on the Smiley Building lawn in Durango, Colorado. All are welcome.

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 15

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

‘When the Cicadas Sing’ ‘Verses of the Soul’ BIANCA GODINA Sol del Valle

If someone could open your book and read just one poem, which one would you recommend?

Raquel Rivera López has lived in the Valley for 10 years and is originally from El Salvador. Since she was a child, she found in poetry a way to express the things that are sometimes difficult to say out loud. Now, she shares that part of her story through her first book of poetry, “When the Cicadas Sing.”

Poem number 31, “Only Mine.” I think many people will be able to identify with it because sometimes we give everything we have to others and end up forgetting about ourselves.

What advice would you give someone who has an idea or project they haven’t yet found the courage to pursue?

What kind of art do you create?

In addition to writing poetry, I also enjoy flowers. But I believe the most difficult art of all is the art of being a mother. I have always loved poetry. I have enjoyed writing since I was a child, and sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I start writing. It’s a way for me to get out what I’m feeling inside.

What inspired you to start writing?

I have loved poetry since I was a little girl. My favorite subject in school was language arts and literature. I loved reading literary works and imagining myself in them. I also feel that I express myself better through writing than through speaking. Writing allows me to express my feelings in a way that I sometimes can’t when I’m talking.

What themes can readers find in your book?

There are poems about love and romantic relationships.

I’m a little bit of a romantic in that sense. But the book also explores loss and grief. It is divided into different experiences and emotions that I have lived through. I think one of the most important things is that everything written in the book is based on real experiences. These are not made-up stories. They are things I have lived through and that perhaps other people are going through as well.

I believe that anything we set our minds to in life can be achieved. Sometimes we think we won’t be able to do it, but when we truly commit to it, we find a way.

Raquel Rivera Lopez, photo by Ingrid Zúniga

Why the title ‘When the Cicadas Sing?’

In El Salvador, during Holy Week, the cicadas come out and make a very distinctive sound. Hearing them also brings me a sense of nostalgia.

Cicadas spend time underground, and then, after a year, they emerge and make that sound. To me, that represents something very personal.

I feel like I was asleep for a long time, and now I have

awakened. Now I want to come out, I want to make noise, and I want people to know that I am here. I haven’t forgotten the things I want to do.

I think that many times, as women, when we get married or enter into a committed relationship, we can forget about ourselves and the things we want to do. This book also represents that awakening and finding our way back to ourselves.

What can readers find in your book?

It is a paperback, bilingual book divided into four chapters, with a total of 33 poems.

Readers will find poems about love, relationships, loss, grief, and, above all, life experiences that they may also be able to relate to.

The book is available in Spanish on Amazon. The bilingual version can be ordered through bit.ly/ whenthecicadassing Translation assisted by AI.

Finding shelter at night, to make it through the darkness.

Waking up, realizing where we are.

That torch of life that lights the way, guiding us to keep moving forward.

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

16 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores.

Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com

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

May we learn from history?

Nancy Bo Flood

The many critical battles fought in the Pacific Arena are not as well known as those fought in Europe. But these battles in the Pacific were critical to ending the war, at a high cost of lives, military and civilian. The battles on Saipan and Tinian were essential to the eventual use of the atomic bomb. Many Americans are not aware that Saipan and Tinian are now a political part of the United States, similar to Guam’s status.

Today the U.S. military continues to be a strong presence in the Pacific. “In the end, all we are and all that we have, are stories.”

Rim were our students. Teaching happened in many ways and often in the sites where it took place. We stood in front of the pit that held the atomic bomb; we crawled into the caves where Indigenous families hid, trying to survive. We walked the secret tunnels created by the Japanese military that were “underground highways” for Japanese troops and war supplies. And we stood on the cliffs where many were forced to leap to their deaths. War. We smelled it in the caves, swam into the rusty tanks, felt the silenced cries and read the words carved on many monuments asking for peace.

Bill and I were teaching as part of the faculty for an educational colloquium, “Saipan and World I came to realize in a deeper way that Saipan is War II: Land & Sea, Living Stories of the Past, not just about WWII and WWII is not only about Present & Future,” a program sponsored by the planes, ships and bombs. War is about people.

National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH).

We asked teachers to write about our experience Sixty teachers from state-side and the Pacific on Saipan.

Here is a line from a “list poem” written by one of the teachers.

History will remember the war; families will remember the losses.

Jonas and War begets war, begets war, begets war.

Carolyn Bloomberg-O’Brien May we learn from history?

If funding is approved, this symposium will be offered again, summer 2027. Educators and librarians are encouraged to apply.

More information is available at facebook.com/ SaipanNEHprogram2026

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 17

LETTERS things I am proudest about being American. Having intact and pristine ecosystems is only going to become increasingly important in the decades ahead, both for those seeking refuge and respite from jobs or from the city, and for the locals who call these places home. It takes only moments to destroy a place, but constant vigilance to protect one. Let’s not make the mistake of letting this legislation slide. These are just the first places on the chopping block.

Nicholas Roman Carbondale

Support the library Hardly a day goes by when I don’t have the thought that I’m lucky to live in Carbondale. What a great town.

I think that one of the reasons that it’s so satisfactory a place to be is that we have a great library that is woven into our daily lives in many ways. The services available for our children are varied and are offered to toddlers, adolescents and everyone between.

If you go into the library after school, you’ll see the place busy with kids in their own world, using the computers, getting a snack from the librarian behind the desk, engaging with their friends and generally being very much “at home.”

It’s been my experience that when a young person finds this level of comfort and acceptance at the library, they’re hooked for life. The library will be a place of resource and community throughout their adulthood.

So many activities are offered — from a gingerbread house competition, an invitation to come in with your dog on a Sunday afternoon, to story times for infants through preteens. The librarians are terrific with the little ones and the teens, too.

Check out a Yoto player, a board game or a ukulele. There are many services and opportunities available at our hometown library that everyone should investigate.

These services are easy to become accustomed to, so I urge the community to vote yes on the Garfield County Public Library mill levy continuance on November’s ballot.

Ruth Hollowell Carbondale

MovieLand Hi RFV Residents, There is a very good chance that Basalt will not allow another hotel where MovieLand is now. It was voted down by the Basalt Planning and Zoning Commission and Basalt Town Council might do it also.

Would you be interested in helping to promote Crown Mountain Park in acquiring the building for an indoor recreation facility?

The current building as a recreation center would require absolutely minimal reconstruction as it has no windows; we do not want windows.

The building is sound proof as the

from page 2

movie speakers are way, way louder that a recreation center would ever be.

Heating and ventilation is designed for much larger crowds than a recreation center would have.

Parking lot is IN. The electrical power needed for the projectors, lights, heating and ventilation is perfect for a recreation center.

AND MOST IMPORTANT, it has a FORTY FOOT CEILING WHICH WOULD ALLOW, basketball, pickleball, volleyball, tennis and plus numerous second floor activities.

Let’s do it!!!!!!

The purchase would, should, or could involve Crown Mountain Park, Town of Basalt and Eagle County.

This is an amenity that would service the residents of the place where WE LIVE! Ted Bristol El Jebel

Snowmass Falls Ranch Pitkin County’s proposed transfer of the 650-acre, $34 million Snowmass Falls Ranch to the U.S. Forest Service is a grave mistake. Our local government — not the federal bureaucracy — is the only reliable steward for this legacy ranch at the threshold of the Maroon BellsSnowmass Wilderness.

This property is deeply bound to our valley’s heritage. Homesteaded in 1906

by Kate Lindvig and stewarded across eight decades by the Bob Perry family, it represents the living history of our working landscape. Decades ago, my husband Doug and I operated Moon Run Outfitters, sometimes with permission, we rode through Bob’s corrals to access Haystack Mountain. I know this dirt, I know these trails, and I know exactly what is at stake.

Surrendering local title to federal control places this wilderness in immediate jeopardy. Federal protections remain perpetually vulnerable to regulatory rollbacks, administrative rule changes and shifting political mandates. Weakening safeguards like the Roadless Area Conservation Rule risks opening pristine lands to commercial exploitation and extraction without local oversight.

Given the ranch’s extreme proximity to Aspen and Snowmass Village, losing local ownership creates a dangerous vulnerability: under shifting federal policies, wildlands could eventually be privatized into luxury compounds for the highest bidder.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 was intended to protect wild places in perpetuity, but federal administrations can no longer be relied upon to honor that mandate. I urge the Pitkin County Commissioners and Pitkin OST to pause this transfer immediately. Retain county ownership, preserve local control, and safeguard Snowmass Falls Ranch for our community before it is too late.

Holly McLain Carbondale

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.

18 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026

PARTING SHOTS

Cowboying at the Crystal PHOTOS AND TEXT

BY JANE BACHRACH Sopris Sun Correspondent

Due to popular demand, an additional last-minute opportunity to watch “The Last of the Cowboys in the Roaring Fork Valley” was extended to moviegoers at the Crystal Theater on Thursday, Aug. 20, ahead of the originally planned showing at 7pm.

Local cowgirl, writer and performer Anita McCune Witt had written the book “I Remember One Horse,” from which the film was adapted. The documentary, which premiered in 2006 at the Crystal, was produced and co-directed by Chip Comins and co-directed and edited

by Krysia Carter-Giez.

In the film, members of the Nieslanik family, along with many other local cowboys, cowgirls and ranchers, contribute tidbits — or chunks — of first-hand knowledge.

Both local filmmakers joined Jeannie Perry and Tony Vagneur on a panel after the screenings, taking questions from the audience and speaking to some of their favorite memories.

(Clockwise from top left) Co-directors Krysia Carter-Giez and Chip Comins made an appearance; Carbondale ranchers Marj Perry and Bill Fales “The stewardship and legacy of attended in traditional ranching garb; Longtime Valley cowpoke Tony Vagneur helped fill in some gaps; and Jeannie Perry speaks on behalf of these remarkable ranching fami- the longtime Carbondale Perry family, who settled and ranched lands in and around Carbondale for ages. lies allow us all to enjoy the beauty of their protected ranch lands today,” The Sopris Sun tips its hat to the cowpokes of Carbondale’s past.

Carter-Giez said.

Hats on for hounds

Carbondalians took to Chacos Park on Friday evening, Aug. 21, clad in their best Western wear for the annual Cowboy Up Carbondale charity event, which this year benefited Colorado Animal Rescue. The event included live music, Slow Groovin barbeque, a cash bar, auctions and helped ensure that Roaring Fork Valley pets get the care they need.

(Clockwise from top left) Colorado Animal Rescue volunteer Hanna Moreland and a dog share smiles, young cowboys take a look at some puppies, Colorado Animal Rescue Executive Director Wes Boyd (left) tips his hat alongside Board Chair Faith Lipori, a couple of Cowboy Up attendees hang with a pup.

Photos by Bob Rugile

THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | August 27-September 2, 2026 19

DONATE • SPONSOR • ADVERTISE

Support award-winning local journalism in English and Spanish and mentoring the next generation.

www.soprissun.com/donate P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623

The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible.

20 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | August 27-September 2, 2026