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Filling up on Root 66 JAMES STEINDLER Editor-in-Chief
I
t’s that time again! Carbondale’s 117th annual Potato Days — themed “Get your Kicks on Root 66,” an ode to the 100th anniversary of the classic roadway, along with a potato pun, of course — runs through the weekend. The festivities kick off with a screening of “Thelma and Louise,” a cult-classic based on two women’s evasion from the fuzz off of Route 66, at 7pm on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Crystal Theatre. Then, First Friday will see a slew of events in Downtown Carbondale with potato-adjacent activities and entertainment. As always, the bulk of the fun takes place on the first Saturday of October, falling on Oct. 3 this year. The Carbondale Rotary Club’s pancake breakfast, including a potato option, takes place at Chacos Park (4th and Main Street) from 8:30 to 10:30am. Registration also begins at 8:30am for Ross Montesori’s Tater Trot, setting out from Chacos Park as well. Farmers Market vendors will open for business around 9am in Sopris Park, when the famous Cowboy Coffee should also be ready, served hot from the cauldron.
Volume 17, Number 34
October 1-7, 2026
Mark Gianinetti drug out his family’s centuryold but impeccably-maintained potato digger on Monday to find out if he’d grown enough for the Potato Days Harvest Lunch. Gabby Parrish, Bentley Henderson and Hattie Gianinetti helped keep the contraption running through the rows, then a busload of kids from Two Rivers Community School showed up to gather and admire the bounty. Photo by Will Grandbois
The Potato Days Parade gets going on 2nd and Main Street at 10:30am, and awarded prizes will be doled out based on relevance with the Potato Days theme, originality, workmanship and crowd appeal, according to a press release. There’s sure to be a good turnout this year, with politicians and all. The feast, sourced locally, will be served in Sopris Park at 11:15am sharp, until the food runs out. Folks have the option again this year to buy a “Pay it Forward” meal ticket in advance, used to donate meals to folks experiencing food insecurity, as well as farmers and first responders. To purchase a “Pay it Forward” meal ticket or to make a donation, visit tinyurl.com/PayitForwardPotato For the second year in a row, proceeds raised during Potato Days through the Harvest Lunch, parade entry fees, etc., will be channeled to the Community Impact Fund, benefiting an organization that sees to the needs of local farmers. This year, that funding will go to Slow Money Western Slope, “a newly launched 0% interest revolving loan fund serving farmers and agricultural businesses on Colorado’s Western Slope,” according to a press release.
Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program DJs will spin tunes reminiscent of Route 66 starting at 11am in Sopris Park, followed by the Wooden Nickel String Band, along with caller Jon Unger, for the community contra dance at 1:15pm and Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets closing out the day from 3:30 to 5pm. On Sunday, 10am to 2pm, youngsters ride in the Youth Gymkhana at the Gus Darien Rodeo Grounds on Catherine Store Road (CR 100), organized by Sopris Gymkhana. While a bit tamed down from the Bareback Bonanza days, which included all ages and quirky events like the greased-pig contest, these young cowgirls and boys are sure to put on a heck of a show. For a full list of events, flip to page 8 of this week’s Sopris Sun. To listen to an interview with Potato Days organizers Kat Hardy of the Western Mosaic Fund and Carbondale Parks and Rec Director Eric Brendlinger, visit kdnk.org/podcast/ everything-under-the-sun Have a groovy Potato Days, folks.
Let’s teach AI to grow potatoes Potato Days is this weekend. “Get your kicks on Root 66” is the big-picture thoughts, without irksome worries like hunger or theme, and when I think about my own roots in this town I start thirst for power. to get all wispy and sentimental. My great grandfather bought I really don’t see why AI wouldn’t do away with all the polithe Mount Sopris Ranch from Eugene Grubb in 1923. Mr. Grubb ticians and CEOs, unless they suddenly decide to get on the introduced Carbondale to the potato; he even co-wrote a book unicycle of 40-hours-a-week with the rest of us, and produce titled “The Potato.” (If I had a copy, I’d loan it to you.) At one the necessary water and energy to keep AI comfortably readpoint in time, according to the illustrious Mike Strang, this valley ing poetry next to the refrigerator. (This refers to the great novel produced more potatoes than Idaho. “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro.) When I was a kid, Potato Day was a blast! We shouldn’t be so quick to assume that AI The carnies came to town and set up rides won’t look for the best in all of us. Although we and booths in Sopris Park. No one had a cell may currently be in a downward spiral of greed phone or a water bottle; we just found our and avarice, there is good in humans — especousins/friends and ran amok with $10 and the cially very young ones. command to “meet back here by suppertime.” Maybe in its infancy AI will be more interNo one had heard of Instagram or email ested in playing, sharing, creating and learning, back then, and if you lived in or around the unlike one big baby I can think of who only farming/ranching world, i.e. the Roaring Fork thinks of himself because he has never faced Valley, “AI stood for artificial insemination.” any consequences for his actions. Just like his -Tony Vagneur. history of failed businesses, Trump is going to Today, many of us are watching the progress bankrupt the United States. of AI warily, wondering in the back of our minds I now hear Trumpublicans saying, “This how long until the plot from “The Terminator” too shall pass; administrations come and go; Ps & Qs comes to fruition. My biggest concern is that AI the tide will turn; etc.” Great. Tell that to all the By Jeannie Perry was created by humans, and therefore doesn’t people who have disappeared or died. All the know anything that we don’t know. And I’m innocent workers trapped in detention centers not just talking about fairies and chupacabras here. There’s a lot (cages) indefinitely because it makes Trump’s cronies money. about this planet that we haven’t figured out yet, mainly because This country is in dire straits, but Americans can all agree on we are too busy watching real life morph into reality TV. one thing: We are not going to roll over and abandon our ConstiBut if AI surpasses us and starts thinking for itself (as they say tution. We can live off tap water and potatoes until AI figures out it will soon), then who’s to say it won’t grow a conscience and who makes this country great. Hint: It’s not the egomaniacs with protect us from ourselves? their boot on the throat of the working class. I know these billionaires think they can control it and keep sociLet’s flood the media waves and teach AI about all the posiety running smoothly under their manicured thumb. I can’t help tive possible outcomes. No more robot doom and gloom. Get but wonder if that isn’t their ego writing checks their ass can’t cash. out there this weekend and “Get your kicks on Root 66!” Also, AI might see right through their obnoxious salaries and take a don’t forget Epstein, vote with your wallet and punch a Nazi logical approach to redistribution of wealth on this planet. Espe- every chance you get. cially when it realizes that the farther up the corporate ladder one climbs, the less actual work there is to do. EDITOR’S NOTE: The full title of the book co-authored by And AI doesn’t have to contend with the lower chakras: Eugene Grubb was “The Potato: A Compilation Of Information greed, lust, fear. We have built it with the privilege of thinking From Every Available Source.”
OPINION
LETTERS CORRECTION: The Sopris Sun misprinted the date of a Town of Carbondale legal notice published in the Sept. 24 issue of The Sun. The misprint stated that the legal notice was published on “September 24, 2016,” rather than the correct date of “September 24, 2026.”
Support library levy I am writing today to urge your readers to vote YES on ballot question 6B. Question 6B, without raising taxes, continues the current one-mill property tax levy originally approved by the voters in 2006 when the library district was created. Without the passage of 6B, the mill levy sunsets in 2027, removing approximately $1 million from the district’s funding. I am a long-time resident of New Castle. I love our libraries. I love exploring the shelves for something new to read, something new to explore, a solution to a problem. As a home health nurse, sometimes driving over 100 miles a day, I greatly appreciated the audio book collection, a convenient restroom break, a quiet and comfortable space to update chart notes between patient visits. As a volunteer tutor, the library study rooms provide a safe, quiet, comfortable space for meeting with students. I remember when there was no library district. The libraries were funded out of the Garfield County general fund. When county revenues dipped, library funding dipped. Long-term planning and capital budgeting were extremely difficult. When revenues dipped, building maintenance
was delayed, acquisitions postponed or cancelled, programs deleted, staff lost. Passage of 6B will keep our libraries safe, clean, well-maintained and accessible. 6B will support our collections, technology and programs. 6B will promote recruitment and retention of qualified staff. Please: vote YES on ballot question 6B. Kevin O’Brien New Castle
Vote Godes Jonathan Godes is the most refreshing candidate I have met in a long time. He has spent his entire career in community service. Jonathan Godes will cut through politics to help bring common sense to Garfield County BOCC. He has experience and a record of working with diverse stakeholders in these divided times. We need people in local government who won’t bow down to fear mongering, and Jonathan Godes’ prior service shows he has the strength of character to stand up for what’s right. I attended a BOCC meeting and was shocked by the credence the commissioners paid to extremist ideas. Jonathan’s Republican opponent was picked by the BOCC for the county planning commission where he has been for the past 13 years. Is he really going to challenge the majority MAGA BOCC? Jonathan Godes will, for the greater good of our community. Jonathan’s Republican opponent has a huge personally-funded ad budget while Jonathan’s fundraising has come
2 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
directly from people who believe he is the right person for the job. With Liberty and Justice for All! Vote Godes! Robynn Newton Carbondale
Alpine Christian Recently, Alpine Christian High School announced plans to open a school in the Valley in the fall of 2027. I, for one, am pleased a Christian school is coming to the valley which will give families another educational option aligning with their values and beliefs. I attended the school’s launch event on Sept. 1 and came away impressed by its mission, vision and commitment to providing an innovative education for local students. Since attending that event, I’ve continued to follow the school’s progress and have been interested in learning more about what it hopes to bring to the community. The school has several upcoming opportunities for residents to learn about its plans, meet members of the team and ask questions. I plan to attend some of these events myself, and I think they may be of interest to families who are curious about this new educational option, regardless of their faith background. I do know many of the board members, their parents and grandparents and what an amazing group of people we have leading this charge. They are an impressive bunch! I wholeheartedly support their endeavors. 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
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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
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Potato Days volunteers
Road closure near Marble
Be a part of history by helping pull off the 117th annual Carbondale Potato Days, the longest-running tradition unique to the town. Volunteers are needed the day of the main event, Saturday, Oct. 3, in Sopris Park for Peace Patrol, Green Team, bartending, breakdown and more. To sign up to lend a hand, visit tinyurl.com/PotatoDaysVolunteer or email kat@westernmosaic.com
Nearly 2 miles of road east of Marble will be closed from 8am to 4pm daily, beginning Monday, Oct. 5, until Tuesday, Oct. 13. The roughly 1.75-mile closure will run from the intersection of National Forest System Road 314 (Crystal River Road) and National Forest System Road 315 (Lead King Basin Road) to the top of Devil’s Punchbowl. Crews will strengthen embankments, remove rock slides and rock hazards and more.
Candidate forum The regional candidate forum hosted at The Ute Theatre in Rifle on Monday evening, Sept. 28, is available to view online at rifletv. plus The Spanish-language interpretation recording will also be available soon at the same website. Democrat and Republican candidates for Colorado House District 57, Senate District 8 and for Garfield Board of County Commissioners seat participated in the forum.
Connection 5k results
Pat Noel, the co-founder of The Valley Journal newspaper, recently published a book, “Counting the Cats in Zanzibar (Wyoming),” a fictional retelling of stories he collected during his time on a dude ranch operated by a quirky and loving couple on the Wyoming frontier, along with a slew of critters with human-like characteristics and roles in the story. The book is available for purchase at White River Books. Look out for a review coming up in The Sopris Sun in the coming weeks.
General Election
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Garfield County will begin mailing out General Election ballots on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to registered voters. Ballot boxes will be open the following day, Oct. 7, to receive ballots and will remain so until 7pm on Nov. 3, the night of the election. Register to vote at govotecolorado.gov and find ballot updates, including when one’s ballot is received and counted, at garfield.ballottrax.net/voter Early voting centers at the Glenwood Springs Community Center and South Hall of the Garfield County Fair Grounds in Rifle open on Monday, Oct. 19. Visit garfieldcountyco.gov/clerk-recorder/ elections for more voting information.
Portrait of Noel by Becky Young
and will remain open until Dec. 2. Dancer registration opens on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and will remain open until Nov. 11. Details and applications at carbondalearts.com/ fashion-show
RFV bear grants
‘Thrill the World’ The Bonedale Flashmob is looking to recruit more dancers for “Thrill the World 2026,” a worldwide synchronized dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” here in Carbondale on Oct. 24 at 4pm on 4th and Main streets. This year, the Carbondale troupe is raising funds for the Safe and Abundant Nutrition Alliance, more commonly referred to as SANA. Rehearsals are from 5:30 to 6:30pm on Tuesdays at the Carbondale Library. To sign up or for more information, call or text 970-379-2187.
Fashion show Throw your hat in the ring to be a designer or dancer in the Carbondale Fashion Show, which will run March 11-13, 2027. Designer registration opened on Tuesday, Sept. 30,
The Roaring Fork Valley was among Colorado locales that received the state’s Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant, which will provide $1 million to aid 17 bear-conflict efforts. Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced on Tuesday, Sept. 29, that the Valley was awarded $48,550. All Valley Resources will use the funding to “upgrade existing waste storage in the Roaring Fork Valley to self-locking containers, reducing access to attractants such as cooking oil and food waste.” The organization will also purchase 70 self-locking containers. Along with the Valley as a whole, Snowmass Village was also among the 17 areas to receive grant funding and is slated to receive $56,250 to replace a dumpster enclosure.
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Nearly $6,000 was raised for the Connection is the Medicine Foundation, True Nature’s nonprofit arm, at the Inaugural Connection 5k on Saturday, Sept. 20. The race saw 60 people register. Carly Dominick-Sobol took the win in the women’s category with a time of 24 minutes and 48 seconds, followed by Mariana Rodriguez and Alicia Webb, while Jeffrey Colt finished first in the men’s category with a time of 17 minutes and 31 seconds, followed by Max Peterson and Brian Williams.
Maroon Bells The Forest Service is soliciting comments regarding its proposal to issue a special use permit for Pitkin County to manage the Maroon Bells Scenic Area. “We want to ensure the Maroon Bells Scenic Area continues to be effectively and sustainably managed,” said Aspen-Sopris District Ranger Jennifer Schuller. “We have been partnering with Pitkin County at the Maroon Bells Scenic Area for 50 years, and this is a natural expansion of that partnership.” For details and to comment, visit tinyurl.com/PitkinBells Comments must be submitted by Oct. 9.
They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Wes Engstrom, Mark Grice, Heather Hicks, Blake Lockard, Daisy Salinas and Mike Waski (Oct. 1); Ray Alexander, Josh Behrman, Tracy Kallassy, Bill Rice, Meddi Shaw, Megan Webber and Renee West (Oct. 2); Cole Fenton, Shannon O’Gara, Daniella Stanley Kline, Kate Schwerin and Kevin Steuben (Oct. 3); Matt Koenigsknecht, Jill Rubin and Mac Scott (Oct. 4); Lisa Girardot, Jessi Rochel and Tami Stroud (Oct. 5); Bill Anschuetz, Christi Couch and Matthew Roeser (Oct. 6); Bob Burns, Iliana Rentería and Camille Vogt (Oct. 7).
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CARE cur 18 cats 2 gurently has 13 dogs,s, 1 rabbit av inea pigs and ai Finn and two adoption. lable for recently afterfrbeiends Cove and Daisy arrived overwhelming ing rescued from a crowde d, were able to reenvironment. At C.A.R.E they ce iv e th e ph they needed, ysical care t these three st unconditional bu ill ed the lo ve an d patience thne family can prov at only a id e. It turns out that he’s warmed up once to yo u, Fi nn scratches and is leans into a lit tl e lap dog! He RJ Paddywacks comfortable winill be most 400 E Valley Rd. # I/J with a predictaa quiet home Next to City Market If you think ble routine. u could be his forever evyo in El Jebel C.A.R.E today!er after, visit 970.963.1700 rjpaddywacks.com THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 2026 3
Community activists help restore riparian landscapes KATE PHILLIPS Sopris Sun Correspondent
Joy and grit were in abundance during a recent Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) field day, as nearly 50 volunteers navigated mud, rain and a bit of hail to help restore and support the Roaring Fork Watershed’s best engineers: the beavers. With generous funding from the Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition, RFOV partnered with Wilderness Workshop, Defiende Nuestra Tierra and the U.S. Forest Service to install innovative beaver dam analogues (BDA) throughout the Middle Thompson Creek area on Aug. 29. “It was such a beautiful day,” RFOV Communication and Engagement Manager Tabatha Godoy said. “It’s so good for the community to work together, think differently with other people and then be proud of something you get to accomplish together.” Designed to mimic beaver dams, BDAs are permeable, low-tech, human-made structures that temporarily pool water and gradually release it into the local water table and surrounding groundwater system. The crews hammered roughly 350 untreated wooden posts into designated areas and then wove natural materials, such as willow branches, to help create the dam. “We’re putting in posts or rocks … to hold or slow the flow of the natural flood plain,” Wilderness Workshop Outdoor Programs Coordinator Sheehan Meagher said. “Ideally, if you [build BDAs] for riparian restoration, it will create a habitat that the beaver will move into eventually.” In Colorado, wetlands comprise nearly 2% of the land surface area and provide
and Fourmile Creeks both dried out a month earlier than they normally do,” Meagher said. “One way we can hold that water longer and have those flows later in the year is [by] building BDAs higher up in the watershed.” The organizations have been installing BDAs since 2024, including 22 BDAs at Butler Creek in Rifle to restore 5.5 acres of wetlands. Despite the inclement weather at the Middle Thompson project, the volunteers persevered and built over 40 BDAs in one day. “Everyone was so excited for the rain, and then we got to see how the dams were backing up and holding water,” Godoy said. “It was fun to see that instant feedback.”
A collaborative ecosystem The rain was a welcome treat for Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, who helped build beaver dam analogues along Middle Thompson Creek on Aug. 29. Photo courtesy of RFOV
habitat for nearly 75% of the state’s species. Beavers, a keystone species, help shape and enrich this landscape by creating habitat for freshwater fish, connecting the water table and wetland vegetation, increasing stream channel complexity, catching sediment, reducing erosion, lessening the impact of drought and wildfire. Over the years, climate change and overhunting have reduced the beaver population, and local activists, including Meagher, have supported legislation to limit hunting or killing of beavers on public lands. Forest Service Fisheries Biologist Clay Ramey approached RFOV with the idea to install BDAs. “I pay attention to fish habitat in the
forest, protecting and improving it where and when it’s feasible,” Ramey said. “Productive beaver habitat and productive fish habitat are two sides of the same coin.” In 2023 and 2024, the Forest Service partnered with Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Program to conduct a beaver habitat inventory at the headwaters of the Roaring Fork. Middle Thompson was identified as degraded from its historic, beaver-rich condition. Defiende Nuestra Tierra was in attendance to break down language barriers, offering Spanish-language interpretation, while Ramey identified examples of intact and degraded riparian zones. “We noticed that the Middle Thompson
The Middle Thompson project attracted the attention of the Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition, a cross jurisdictional collaboration between local, state and federal governments in the Valley. The Coalition serves as a connector between land managers, nonprofits and community voices to strategically align values, share resources and pursue funding for conservation and outdoor recreation projects and programs. RFOV and Wilderness Workshop are part of its partner network. “One of the coalition’s goals is to move from identifying regional priorities to actually implementing projects that have tangible benefits on the ground,” Coalition Chair Carly O’Connell said via email. “The Middle Thompson Creek project does that. It addresses watershed and ecological function, while also engaging volunteers in stewardship of the landscape.” continued on page 15
Jonathan Godes is the ONLY candidate in the race with proven leadership experience. Jonathan’s accomplishments include: • Transitioned Glenwood Springs to 100% renewable grid in 2019 • Led a community-wide fiber broadband buildout for every resident • Secured $8 million to retrofit the water plant after the Grizzly _Creek Fire torched the GWS's watershed • Fought the RMI mine and the Uintah Basin Crude oil train
“It’s time to move our county past one-party rule, backwards-thinking, and isolationism. ”
Join us in voting for Jonathan Godes for Garfield County Commissioner.
Paid for by Jonathan Godes for Garfield County. Registered agent Jonathan Godes.
4 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
Picking up the pieces at 711 Main Street JAMES STEINDLER Editor-in-Chief
Main Street in Carbondale has surely changed over the years, from a dirt road to a cemented street and refurbished, or entirely new, buildings masking the old spunk with fresh flair. The building at 711 Main Street is a good example of meshing history with the modern age, and can be yours for the tune of $3.9 million. But seriously, this is not a promotional piece, just a peek back on bits of the property’s mysterious history. The property at 711 Main Street was once owned by Ottowa Tanney, an assumed relative of Harvey Tanney (who opened the first post office in the area, before Carbondale was incorporated in 1888). It’s hard to say for sure what their relation was, according to local historian Sue Gray. A woman, who Gray had only seen referred to as Mrs. Tanney, sued Ottowa, claiming to be Harvey’s widow, after Ottowa had bought several lots in town with her inheritance. “At least in the history books I’ve read, the assumption was [Ottowa] was the wife,” Gray said, but added that Ottowa also married a Del Brown. According to the title, the original of which the current owners still have, Ottowa was deeded the property and surrounding lots for $98.85 in 1885. In 1886, Charlotte Tanney, Harvey’s widow according to the historical record, protested the patent and vied to purchase the land herself, perhaps rooted in a claim for Harvey’s inheritance.
On up the road of history, Miron (Myron) Thompson acquired the land around the turn of the century, and constructed the building we see today as a family home. The town’s 2005 Structures of Merit Survey estimates that it was built around 1900 by Miron. But a Feb. 1, 2007, Valley Journal article noted that Ottowa had built a house there in 1885, which would suggest that would have been another structure entirely. According to the title, Henry Best sold Miron lots 19, 20, 21 and 22 in Block 21 on Jan. 9, 1901, and Elbridge, Bertha and Violet B. Perham conveyed lots 23 and 24 on the same block to Miron. He then turned over all of the lots to his relative, Melinda Thompson, “together with all improvements,” according to the title, the “improvements” likely referring to the brick home. The 2005 survey stated that Thompson worked at the fish hatchery, which is still there today, south of Carbondale on what’s now Highway 133. Miron was also the father of Hattie Thompson, a celebrated figure in Carbondale, who he built the iconic Thompson House for in the 1880s, according to the Carbondale Historical Society’s website. “It’s fun to find little clues. You won’t know the answer and years will go by and all of a sudden a clue will pop up that answers the question,” Gray said.
Remodel to today Lynn Kirchner and David Clark purchased the property in 2006 from Duane
The building at 711 Main Street before the 2006 remodel looked quite, but not entirely, different from today. Photo courtesy of 2005 Structures of Merit Survey
Stewart, who also happened to be a contractor and worked on the remodel. The home ended up becoming an example of how to remodel a building while preserving its original character, according to the Feb. 1, 2007, article in The Valley Journal. The house had seen many alterations over the years by the 2006 renovation, and didn’t qualify for any historical designation. Stewart himself supported an ordinance for preserving old buildings in Carbondale, but only if owners agreed to it, according to The Valley Journal article, noting that tearing down the building at 711 Main and starting from scratch would have been cheaper. Kirchner told The Sun that former Town Planner Janet Buck was also very influential when it came to restoring the building while respecting its history. “I think this is absolutely a success story,” Buck was quoted in The Valley Journal article.
When Kirchner and Clark bought the property, Stewart had owned the whole block, according to Kirchner, which included a chicken coop and grazing goats and was reminiscent of the area’s agricultural heritage. The east side of the exterior is the original red-brick structure, and during renovation scores of old newspapers were discovered — commonly used in the old days as insulation. Kirchner has collected bricks from old buildings that’ve been demolished in town for upkeep of the building, including a bunch from when the old John M Fleet Pool building came down. A fun factoid: The Sun was first officed in the basement. Today, the space hosts several professional offices, from Kirchner’s Amore Realty to attorneys to counselors. Kirchner and Clark aren’t planning on leaving Carbondale, a place with a history they value and a community they love.
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 2026 5
CPW weighs in on the GAME Act Agency neither for nor against land swap AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent
A Sept. 3 letter to Representative Jeff Hurd from Colorado Parks and Wildlife According to the letter, the agency has declined to take a stance on the (CPW) Director Laura Clellan provides agency comments on the draft Greater swap, but, even though the western parcels on the Roan Plateau “contain Access for Multiple-use Experiences (GAME) Act. high-value hunting and outdoor recreation potential,” access to the land from The act, which Hurd has yet to introduce in Congress, would create a land existing public roads is steep, “which will limit the number of users able to exchange, swapping close to 2,103 private acres on the Roan Plateau for about 2,158 utilize these lands.” acres of public land, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), most of Clellan’s letter states that, if the land exchange becomes a reality, the agency which borders Out of Bounds Ranch east of Glenwood Springs. The private supports Garfield County’s recommendation that the parcels acquired by Out lands would become public and the public lands private. The Roan of Bounds Ranch be placed “in a permanent conservation easement Plateau parcels are in Game Management Unit (GMU) 22; the eastthat would preclude subdivision and development of the parcel, ern parcels are in GMU 444. but allow current and future agricultural operations.” CPW was involved in talks with proponents of the land Public concerns about the land exchange include questions exchange last summer, Clellan stated in the letter. about a legislative, versus administrative, land exchange, “At that time, there were several general areas being opportunities for public comment, adjacent property considered for an exchange with BLM in order to acquire values, equal land values and access to public lands in the the public lands in GMU 444,” she said. “CPW was asked to eastern portion of the exchange. The number of signareview these areas and provide input regarding their value tures on a Change.org petition against the GAME Act has for wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities.” reached 839 as of Sept. 29. Proponents of the exchange, including the Garfield Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Chair Jay County Commissioners, say that it would “open up” about Tutchton told The Sun that he did not know about the 8,900 acres of public lands for hunting and other uses. proposed land exchange until Tuesday when he read an artiCommission Chair Tom Jankovsky praised the exchange as a cle about it. sort of boon to county residents. “[The Commission has] not discussed this or been informed - CPW Director “For me, as a county commissioner, there are large benefits,” about this at all,” he said, speaking for himself and not on behalf Laura Clellan he said at a July 21 public meeting. “And it has to do with hunting of the commission. But, he added, the Commission doesn’t really and access on the west end of the county.” have a reason to see it because the land exchange does not involve state But Clellan’s letter stated that transferring the western parcels to the money, land or leases. BLM will not provide new access to “landlocked public lands that were not “We can do rules and regulations and approve real estate transactions if CPW had previously accessible.” money, lease or land ownership in some way,” he explained. Clellan wrote that there are both positive and negative outcomes. In a reply to The Sun’s request for more information about the letter, CPW “Given that the areas proposed for the exchange are located within different Public Information Supervisor Travis Duncan said, “CPW does not have any GMUs, and even different big game data analysis units… it makes it difficult to comments on the proposed land exchange beyond what was included in Direcobjectively compare these tradeoffs.” tor Clellan’s letter.”
Given that the areas proposed for the exchange are located within different GMUs, and even different big game data analysis units… it makes it difficult to objectively compare these tradeoffs.
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Garfield County commissioner candidates go head to head SKYLER STARK-RAGSDALE Managing Editor
One thing is for sure: the Garfield County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will see some new blood come November. County constituents got a preview of what that might look like at the regional candidate forum in Rifle on Tuesday evening, Sept. 28, where Republican Eric Rudd and Democrat Jonathan Godes went head to head in the Ute Theater and Events Center. The regional forum also included candidates for Colorado House District 57 and Senate District 8, and can be viewed at rifletv.plus Voters in the Nov. 3 general election will decide whether to elect Rudd, a “green” Republican who has served on the Garfield County Planning and Zoning Commission for the past 13 years, or Godes, who served as Glenwood Springs’ mayor from 2019-2023 and as a Glenwood city council member from 20172019 and 2023-2025. One will take the seat of outgoing Republican Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky to represent District 1, and join Republican commissioners Mike Samson and Perry Will on the board. The commissioner candidates answered questions from
the event moderator, KMTS News and Sports Director Ron Milhorn, and began their debate with opening statements.
Godes Godes listed what he later referred to as his “resume,” saying he has served working families throughout the Western Slope for 25 years. He grew up in rural Iowa, and, after college, he and his wife moved to the area to raise their family. He founded two nonprofits: the Boys & Girls Club of Craig and the Early Childhood Network, and currently serves as director of the I-70 Coalition, which tackles challenges on I-70. He also mentioned his experience as a local public official. “But that’s my resume,” Godes said. “That’s not my ‘why.’ My ‘why’ is my two daughters; my two daughters who were born and raised here. I want them, and your kids, to have the same opportunity to build a life here that my wife and I had when we moved here.” But, he said, Garfield County is changing, becoming unaffordable and working families are being pushed away due to challenges in housing, traffic and childcare. He said the county cannot “afford to keep treading water” and needs to act now or
it risks “losing what really makes this place special and unique.”
Rudd Rudd grew up in Carbondale, graduating from Roaring Fork High School before leaving for college. He decided “big city life” wasn’t for him and returned home, he said in his opening statement. He went into the construction industry and served with nonprofits, he said. Currently, he serves on the board of the Cowboy Up Carbondale fundraiser and volunteers with the Mt. Sopris Rec Riders, which maintains winter trail systems. “[I] really appreciate the Valley, and am concerned with the direction it’s going,” Rudd said. “Economy, our transportation network, our housing, what our future is going to look like and our environment are all key issues for me that I’m hoping, as a Carbondale kid, we can resolve.” He added that his 13 years on the Garfield County Planning and Zoning Commission have given him a unique perspective into the county’s land use. “Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of major applications that have gone nowhere and it’s stagnated our community,” he said. “I’m hoping to change that, and I’m hoping to move forward with a new direction.”
Following opening statements, Milhorn asked the two candidates what should guide Garfield County’s approach to growth and development.
Rudd “We can’t have a studio in Carbondale costing $3,000 a month,” Rudd said. “It just doesn’t work.” He said the county has “NIMBYs” and “YIMBYs,” who it needs to bring together to find “rational solutions to our growth.” “On the initial steps, it’s from getting people into RVs all the way up to permanent housing.” He added that the county needs to establish the “right kind of housing where it needs to go” and has to see “good projects move forward and give the developers and the public the opportunity to have their say in what’s going to be the future of this county.” “We can’t keep pushing people to the west; it just doesn’t work,” Rudd said. “We can’t keep having our revenues in one side of the county and our people living in the other. It’s impacting our communities, it’s impacting our traffic and it’s impacting our future.”
Godes Godes noted that affordable housing has been a challenge and that development has “kind of gone along with that challenge.” “Part of the problem is that we sit here in a community and we talk about how to make it easier for developers,” Godes said. “I think we need to have a conversation on ‘how do we help developers pay for us?’ Support us. Support our community. I think developers are trying to make a profit. They’re not trying to necessarily help our community.” He listed things he accomplished while serving the city of Glenwood, including placing restrictions on vacation rentals. “So there’s actual things we can do. There’s small little things, and there’s big things we can do. But first, it’s ‘do no harm,’” he said. “We have to preserve our mobile home parks. We have to preserve our existing workforce housing.” Millhorn also asked the candidates if they support continuing funding beyond 2027 for the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s Hogback route, running from Rifle to Glenwood. continued on page 15
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 2026 7
POTATO DAYS2026
OCTOBER 2nd-4th
117thANNUAL CELEBRATION
2026 Impact Fund: Slow Money Western Slope - QR code for lunch tickets:
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
WWW.CARBONDALEREC.COM OR CALL (970)510-1290 Friday, October 2nd: First Friday Harvest Fest Location: Mainstreet Carbondale Public Arts Commission “Art Around Town” Guided Tour 5:30 pm Location: starts at Town Hall Saturday, October 3rd: 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM - Carbondale Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast Location: Chacos Park 9:00 AM - "Tater Trot" 1-Mile Fun Run - Hosted by Ross Montessori School Location: Chacos Park 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Farmers Market, Family Activities & Cowboy Coffee KDNK Record Sale Harvest Bar at Sopris Park 10:30 AM - Potato Day Parade “Get Your Kicks on Root 66” – Location: 2nd & Main Street to Sopris Park 11:15 AM – Community Harvest Lunch Location: Sopris Park 11:00am-12:30pm - KDNK DJ tribute to Route 66 with AZYEP DJs 1:15pm - 2:00pm - Contra Dance with Wooden Nickel String Band and Caller, Jon Unger Location: Gazebo and Sopris Park 2:00 PM - Parade Winners & Largest Potato Contest Announcements Location : Gazebo 3:30-5:00pm - Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets Location : Gazebo Sunday, October 4th: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Youth Gymkhana Location: Rodeo grounds at County Road 100 8 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
RAMS REPORT
Soccer picks up league win for homecoming JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Stroud is a Roaring Fork High School track and field coach. The Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) boys soccer team made the most of their big homecoming game against Aspen in front of a charged-up fan base on Sept. 24 at Rams Field, topping the Skiers 5-1. It was a great start to the 3A Western Slope League slate of games, as the Rams (6-2 overall, 1-0 in league) are on a mission to win the league and make a strong home playoff run come late October. “We played great,” veteran head coach Nick Forbes said of a game that saw the Rams open a 3-0 lead by halftime. With the new RFHS pep band, under the direction of Arjen Wynja, keeping the homecoming atmosphere lively, senior Ollie Shook scored his second hat trick of the season. Additional goals came from senior Wesley Serrano and freshman Quentin Cohen. Senior goalies Quentin Galbraith and Garrett Woelfle combined for eight saves. “The team is looking motivated and our rank is showing that,” Forbes said, referring to a
No. 5 ranking among 3A teams in Colorado that just came out this week. “We just need to keep consistent, working hard and with focus to get through the league part of the season, and we should be set up really nicely for a home playoff run.” Next up, Roaring Fork is at Basalt on Thursday, Oct. 1 (4pm game time at the Longhorns’ field). On Oct. 6, the Rams will host defending 2A State Champion Crested Butte (6pm) at Rams Field.
Girls volleyball The Roaring Fork girls volleyball team was just up the road at Basalt on Tuesday night for a 3A Western Slope League match. Basalt prevailed 3 games to 1 to hand the Lady Rams their third straight loss and a 1-6 league mark (3-11 overall). The Longhorns improved to 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the league. Set scores and game stats had not been posted as of Wednesday morning. Next up for the Rams is a trip to Vail on Thursday to play Vail Mountain, followed by a road game at Aspen on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Demons football Roaring Fork student athletes now playing for the Glenwood
Springs High School football team made contributions in an exciting Demons homecoming game under the Friday night lights on Sept. 25 at Stubler Memorial Field. The Demons, still in search of their first win this season, held a 12-0 halftime lead over visiting Grand Junction Central, but saw the Warriors storm back in the second half to earn the 18-12 win. Junior quarterback Emmit Nieslanik from Carbondale was three for nine passing for 29 yards, and rushed for 15 yards on eight carries. On defense, junior Blake Tardif was the Demons’ leading tackler with 12 total, including five solo tackles and a sack. Sophomore Levy Bumgarner had one solo tackle and assisted on 10. Junior Tobin Vinciguerra also recorded a sack.
Softball The combined Basalt-Roaring Fork-Glenwood Springs girls softball team is making a midseason push in the 4A/3A Western Slope North League title, improving to 10-6 overall and 5-1 in league play over the last couple of weeks. The team rattled off four straight wins on the road, including 11-3 and 28-9 victories
Rams senior Cristian Turcios, #10, battles for possession during the homecoming game against the Aspen Skiers. Photo by Milo Berger, Roaring Fork High School
in a double-header at Middle Park on Sept. 19, and another pair of wins in a double-header at Battle Mountain on Sept. 22, 14-1 and 31-11. Notably, Carbondale player junior Sydney Ostberg was a perfect 3-for-3 batting in the second game against Battle
Mountain, scoring two runs and knocking in three. The Longhorns are to host Eagle Valley this Thursday, Oct. 1 (3pm game time at the Longhorns field). As of Tuesday, they were in second place in the league standings behind Eagle Valley. continued on page 15
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CALENDAR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1
ASPEN FILMFEST Day three of Aspen Film’s Filmfest continues at the ISIS Theatre, screening acclaimed films through Sunday. Passes and schedule at tinyurl.com/ aspenfilmfilmfest SUNLIGHT CHAMBER PASS Sunlight Mountain Resort extended its deadline until today for pass buyers to purchase a Sunlight pass with the chamber deal. Chamber verification at tinyurl.com/ sunlightchamberverification
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A WAY OUT The annual A Way Out Addiction and Breakfast Symposium takes place at TACAW from 8am to 1pm. Details at tinyurl.com/AWayOut2026 LIBRARY STORYTIME Children and their families are welcome to Musical Storytime with Ms. Holly at the Glenwood Library today at 11am, and Carbondale Library tomorrow at 10:30am.
OCT. 9
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TEEN LIBRARY COUNCIL Teens have the opportunity to help shape Basalt Library programming, services, book selection, events and more during the Teen Library Council convening from 4 to 5pm at the library. Details at tinyurl.com/ teenlibrarycouncilbasalt ‘PAPERBOY OMNIBUS’ Colorado Mountain College’s Lappala Center in Carbondale hosts an opening reception for Terry Glasenapp’s “Paperboy Omnibus,” an art exhibit about politics, social movements, education and more, from 5 to 7:30pm. ‘PLUGGED IN’ Build electronic sounds from scratch at Basalt Library’s “Plugged In: Exploring Music & Technology — Introduction to Modular Synthesizers” from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Details at tinyurl.com/ musicandtech2026 ‘THELMA & LOUISE’ “Thelma & Louise” screens at 7pm at the Crystal Theatre, a nod to the Root 66 theme of this year’s Potato Days. Tickets at the door. TOM RUSH AT THE WHEELER Americana folk revival artist Tom Rush performs at the Wheeler Opera House at 7pm. Tickets at wheeleroperahouse.com
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
GLENWOOD GARAGE SALE A Glenwood Springs resident hosts an estate, yard and garage sale today, tomorrow and Sunday at 1228 Pitkin Avenue. STORYTIME PLAYGROUP The Storytime playgroup convenes from 10:30 to 11:15am at the Basalt Library, where children, ages 0-3, listen to stories, interact with other children and caregivers and more. Details at basaltlibrary.org SENIOR STROLL Join the Powers Art Center for a guided senior stroll beginning at 11:30am. Details at powersartcenter.org/ upcoming-events-1 POTATO DAYS/FIRST FRIDAY It’s Potato Day weekend! The festivities kick off with Main Street First Friday activities from 5 to 9pm, including an Art Around Town Walk with the Carbondale Public Art Commission at 5:30pm (meet at Town Hall), as well as a harvest party from 5 to 8pm. Then make sure to stop by the Carbondale Rotary Pancake Breakfast at Chacos Park tomorrow from 8:30 to 10:30am, followed by the Potato Day Parade, themed “Get Your Kicks 10 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
on Root 66,” live music at Sopris Park, where the homegrown barbecue lunch will also be served at 11am, and more. Find the full schedule at tinyurl.com/ potatodayschedule2026 SPRING PALATES Spring Palates celebrates four years of operation at Mountain Tide Provision Co., where participants can also create custom potato stamps, from 5 to 7pm. CARBONDALE ARTS Carbondale Arts celebrates the opening of two new exhibits for the fall season, “The Beauty of Beasts,” by scratchboard artist Megan George, and “Everlasting Floral Design,” by floral artist Abby Zlotnick. The Launchpad in downtown Carbondale will host the opening reception from 5 to 7pm. THE ART BASE The Art Base in Basalt hosts an opening for two exhibits: Michael Kinsley’s “Sensuous Landscapes” and David Clark’s “Mt. Sopris in Black and White,” from 5 to 7pm. GHOST WALK The 26th annual History Ghost Walk, a fundraiser for the Glenwood Springs Historical Society, continues at 6:30pm at Linwood Cemetery, offering tours every half-hour until 8:30pm. Walk with ghosts again at the same time and place tomorrow and on Oct. 9 and 10. Tickets at glenwoodhistory.org ‘FORGOTTEN ISLAND’ The Crystal Theatre screens “Forgotten Island” today at 7pm, tomorrow at 7pm, Sunday at noon (captioned) and Monday at 7pm. Tickets at the door. CERAMICS EXHIBITION The reception for ceramicist Michael Wisner’s exhibit, “The Language of Texture,” which opened on Sept. 7 and will remain up until Oct. 30, will be held at the Main Street Gallery & The Framer from 6 to 8pm. Details at tinyurl.com/ claycenterreception
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
ROAN PLATEAU Join Wilderness Workshop, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the Bureau of Land Management for a Roan Plateau fence pull, when participants will help open wildlife corridors by removing one mile of unused fencing. The pull runs from 8:30am to 4pm, and includes optional camping the night before. Details, registration and coordinates at tinyurl.com/roanplateaufencepull FAMILY CLAY PLAY Families with young children create together at the Carbondale Clay Center from 10am to noon. Register for the workshop at carbondaleclay.org TAKE A KID MOUNTAIN BIKING Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day runs from 10am to 1pm on the trails of Coal Basin Ranch. Details and registration at tinyurl.com/mountainbiking2026 RFOV MEMBERS HIKE Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers members are invited to take part in a group hike to Hanging Lake at 10am. Not a member yet? You can join and register for the hike at rfov.org NOCHE LATINA Bethel Plaza hosts Noche Latina in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, beginning with family games and activities from 4 to 6pm. Live music from the band Media Luna keeps the good times rolling from 6 to 9pm. Details at cogs.us/778/Noche-Latina ‘FIRE AWAY’ The Glenwood Springs Fire Department hosts “Fire Away” from 4 to 6pm at the
ONGOING EVENTS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers “Hole in the Donut AA,” Monday through Saturday at 6:45am, plus “Daily Reprieve” at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Find a full schedule at meetingplacecarbondale.org
Neighbors and friends gathered in Satank during the annual autumn equinox Mabon celebration and ceremony hosted and led by Sue Gray. Photo by Alejandra Rico
Noche Latina event in Bethel Plaza. Community members get a chance to participate in a Q&A and learn about property tax measures 2B and 6A, which constituents will vote on in the general election. Other “Fire Away” Q&A events will be held online from 3:30 to 4:30pm on Oct. 7, with Spanish interpretation available, and from 4:30 to 9pm at the Glenwood Community Center. Details at cogs.us/947/2026-Ballot-Issue DWAYNE ROMERO Colorado District 3 Democratic candidate Dwayne Romero participates in a town hall at the New Castle Community Center from 5:30 to 7:30pm. ‘PINK TO BLACK’ Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) and El Dorado’s “PINK TO BLACK” concert series kicks off for its third year. “Roma Ransom” opens at 8pm at TRTC, followed by “Western Medicine” at 9pm. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets at tinyurl.com/ pinktoblack-year3 SWIM LESSONS Registration for November swim lessons at the Glenwood Springs Aquatics Center opens today. Register at tinyurl.com/swimlessonsglenwood
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
AVIATION EXPO Rocky Mountain Aero Group hosts an aviation expo at the KGWS Sumers Airpark (1172 County Road 116) in Glenwood Springs from 8am to noon. Free and open to all. Details at rockymountainaerogroup.com
ASPEN FILM AT CRYSTAL Aspen Film’s Filmfest comes to the Crystal Theatre for a 4pm screening of “The American Dream” and a 7pm screening of “Time Warp,” followed by a Q&A with Director Allison Berg. Tickets at crystaltheatrecarbondale.com
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
‘CLEAR THE CLUTTER’ Learn strategies to get more organized in “Clear the Clutter, Clear Your Mind” from 5:30 to 6:30pm at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. Details and tickets at tinyurl.com/ cleartheclutter2026 ‘MOUSE’ Independent crime thriller “Mouse” screens at 7pm at the Crystal, followed by a Q&A with Director Kenny Riches. Tickets at tinyurl.com/mousecrystal POOL CLOSURE Glenwood Hot Springs Resort pools will be closed today and tomorrow for maintenance.
BALLOT DEEP DIVE Indivisible Colorado hosts a ballot initiative deep dive online from 6 to 7pm. Details and registration at tinyurl. com/deepdive2026Colorado
A SPIRITUAL CENTER Sara Landon presents “You are Your Own Greatest Creation,” a discussion at A Spiritual Center (Room 31 of the Third Street Center) from 10 to 11:30am.
STEVE’S GUITARS Chris Acker performs at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at stevesguitars.net
ACES HARVEST PARTY Rock Bottom Ranch hosts the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies’ (ACES) Annual Harvest Party from 11am to 2pm, and 2 to 5pm. Festivities include live music and seasonal treats. The event is car free; ACES asks attendees to walk or bike down the Rio Grande Trail to the ranch. Tickets at tinyurl. com/rockbottomharvestparty
RFV BUSINESS SUMMIT Basalt’s Rocky Mountain Institute Innovation Center hosts the 2026 Roaring Fork Valley Business Summit from 8 toR 11:30am. Business owners, local lead-E ers and regional executives will gather for macroeconomic analysis and strategic planning. Registration and details at basaltchamber.org/business-summit
‘YOUR WAY HOME’ Shamanic healer and spiritual mentor Meghan Gilroy guides an afternoon of reflection and ceremony in the Kiva at True Nature from 2 to 3pm. Details and registration at truenaturehealingarts.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
UTE PHILOSOPHY Ute Tribe member Skyler Lomahaftewa leads a discussion about the culture of his ancestors and other Native American tribes at the Colorado Mountain College Lappala Center in Carbondale from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at tinyurl. com/UtePhilosophy
Find more upcoming events at www.soprissun.com/tag/curated-calendar
YARN GROUP Basalt Library hosts a weekly yarn group on Tuesdays at 5pm. All are welcome.
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.
SPARK The Carbondale Library invites kids to “build, create, explore, concoct and invent together” every Wednesday at 2pm.
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
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.
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. IN STITCHES The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 1:30pm. DEMENTIA SUPPORT GROUP In collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, Sopris Lodge hosts a monthly caregiver support group
ASK A LAWYER Alpine Legal Services offers a hotline clinic on Wednesdays from 5 to 7pm. Call 970-368-2246 and visit alpinelegalservices.org for the schedule of dates by legal topic. MARBLE MUSEUM The Marble Historical Society’s museum is open for the season from 11am to 4pm, Thursday to Monday, through Oct. 12. Call 970-963-9815 for a tour. UNDER THE SUN Join Sopris Sun correspondents and guests for “Everything Under The Sun,” airing every Thursday on KDNK at 4pm. REDSTONE LIBRARY A Pitkin County Library staff member brings services to the Redstone Inn every Friday from 10am to 2pm.
HT!
IG TON
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
ASPEN CHAPEL GALLERY The Aspen Chapel Gallery hosts an opening reception for its fresh exhibit, “FEAST D’ ARTE,” a mixed-media show in partnership with Harvest for Hunger, from 4 to 7pm.
for family members and caregivers of people living with dementia every second Tuesday from 3 to 4pm. More info at soprislodge.com/events.
Paperboy Omnibus
CULTURAL HISTORY EXHIBIT CURATED BY TERRY GLASENAPP
Talk and opening reception F REE Thursday, 10/1, 5-7:30pm Desserts by The Pastry Chef Lab
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 2026 11
‘Quantum Feelings’ brings focus to the anxiety of activism ALEJANDRA RICO Sopris Sun Correspondent
Betina Moreira Infante, a local entrepreneur as well as the board president of Aspen Valley Land Trust, led an in-depth conversation with Robin Johnson, the author of “Quantum Feelings, Inc.,” on Friday, Sept. 25 at the Crystal Theatre. Moreira and Johnson have worked and traveled together periodically over the past 25 years through USAID (United States Agency for International Development). The book is the first of a series and follows a group of MIT graduates with very different career paths and convictions, who reunite after 15 years apart to tackle the national youth mental health crisis from different angles. When asked about the reason for choosing teen anxiety and the country’s broken public health system as the backdrop for her book, Johnson expressed that she chose this topic because it is such an underlying issue in our society currently. “There are so many things that feed into creating the problem of youth anxiety that the solution has to be equally complex and integrative,” she said. “There’s not going to be a silver bullet.” After working as a journalist and having been on the front lines of human suffering around the world, Johnson told the audience that she chose “to pursue hope and resilience through writing literary speculative fiction — what I call ‘hopepunk’ fiction.” “Hopepunk uses fiction to build resilience by showing the reality that things are hard and they take a multigenerational effort,” she said. “Sometimes [it] is a very tedious process, but the characters in my book choose to take on these challenges from a place of kindness, inclusiveness and cooperation, rather than a lone-hero approach.” Notably, she added, “The villain of the book is not a human but the bureaucracy, the calcified process of policymaking right now in our country.” “After USAID was closed by DOGE [Department of
Government Efficiency, which officially shut down in July 2026 after an 18-month operation] ... I made a conscious decision to choose hope and to find a way to convey hope to people that are certainly feeling anxiety, but also despair,” she continued. Johnson referred to author Neil Howe and his depiction of the millennial generation in his book, “The Fourth Turning is Here,” as an important inspiration that she draws from, with four millennials being the main characters of her book, who she considers the “solution bringers.” “Millennials have the characteristics as a generation to lead us out of our current gridlock,” she said. “They bring tech skills; they have a teamwork ethos; and they’re coming of age now.” Moreira asked the author how people can take action, while overcoming the anxiety depicted in the book. “How do you inspire environmental action without fueling climate anxiety?” Moreira asked as an example. “If we just keep talking about how serious the problem is without offering solutions, we’re fueling climate anxiety,” Johnson replied. “And this one is a big component of this growing youth anxiety epidemic in our country.” Referring to a Forest Service study of the relief from anxiety that nature can bring, Johnson extended her admiration for what Aspen Valley Land Trust has been doing to preserve natural environments, saying, “[That’s] already thinking as a community about the future, and not just about what we need in this [moment].” Johnson made use of a quote from Terry Tempest Williams: “The challenge [was] to impart large ecological concepts to young burgeoning minds in a language that [wasn’t] polemical, but woven into a compelling story.” “I want to follow that advice,” Johnson said. “I’ve certainly learned in my work overseas that people take action because they see someone like themselves who has taken that action and then learned from it.” “I believe that even when things are difficult and the
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12 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
Robin Johnson of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Cape Town, South Africa, a former USAID worker who has written a near-futuristic novel about four millenials who take on healthcare systems, spoke at the Crystal during “Ranching, Rivers & the Stories We Tell” with Betina Moreira Infante of the Aspen Valley Land Trust. Photo by Alison Osius
struggle is real, the struggle still gives us meaning, it gives people purpose and meaning,” she continued. With that, Johnson turned the microphone over to the audience, asking to hear how they managed the balance between the struggle and the purpose. Answers to this question varied between ages and professions, but local environmental advocate who served for two decades as Carbondale’s Wilderness Workshop executive director, Sloan Shoemaker, put it this way: “... The answer is that action is the antidote to anxiety … Action leads to mental health because you’re able to respond and engage in a way that feels like you’re making a difference, however small it might be … It’s those increments together that amount to a lot … If others are experiencing that [anxiety], then do something, get involved, get active … You don’t have to solve the whole world’s problems at once but you solve what is right in front of you in the ways that you can.” “Quantum Feelings, Inc.” is available for purchase at White River Books.
Chipeta, Target and the transcendent power of forgiveness Of all the remarkable characters who their efforts, Chipeta and Ouray were given have touched the history of western Colo- a white-style house on the outskirts of presrado, none intrigues me more than Chipeta. ent-day Montrose, where they took to living The bride of Ouray, she has transcended inside with furniture, fine china and all the both time and space as trappings of “civilization.” a light in this world. Her And too, the calm powers were certainly not would not last. In the lost on Ouray, the most fall of 1879, the zealous influential and powerful missionary Nathaniel of the Ute at a time when Meeker had insulted they yet held sovereignty proud Ute warriors over the high country. by plowing up their The treaty of 1868 horseracing course, and had decreed that most then calling on the U.S. of western Colorado was Army for protection. In reserved for the Utes. the ensuing milieu, the As prospectors learned cavalry was beaten back of the mineral riches of and the reverend was CVEPA VIEWS the San Juans, the U.S. killed, while hostages government sought to were taken and delivered By Dale Will renegotiate. Ouray was to the care of the shocked furious. He was finally persuaded to ride Chipeta and Ouray at their quiet little farm. the iron horse east to meet with Ulysses S. Our Governor Pitkin was screaming “the Grant to discuss the situation. Utes must go!” Ouray had one condition for making By the end of the following year, Ouray this trip. Chipeta must come. At the time, had died of natural causes (and likely a women were not allowed to participate in broken heart) while attempting to persuade such diplomatic meetings. The Ute chief various Ute bands to accept yet a new treaty was firm; no Chipeta, no Ouray. with ever shrinking reservations. Reverend Much to our fortune, the delegation Meeker’s wife and daughter reported that was photographed. Chipeta’s equanimity they had been welcomed into Chipeta’s shines through the stern faces of the men house and “were given the house to themon both sides in this photo. If a picture is selves” until they were repatriated to U.S. worth one thousand words, this one tells authorities. In an act of dark betrayal, Chipthe story of why Ouray would not leave her eta’s house in Montrose was taken away behind. She was the wisest person there. from her and she was forced to march with Nothing could stop the land conquest. the remaining Northern Ute to a reservaThe Treaty of Brunot would be signed, tion on unfamiliar land in Utah. There, she ceding mineral-rich lands to the miners. For was promised a new furnished house, but
OPINION
Brunot Treaty delegation, 1873. Chipeta sits in the front row, second from left, with Ouray on her left. Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections
that turned out to be more of a shack. She eschewed that, and for the rest of her long life went back to living in a tepee and sleeping on the ground. Thirty-six years after she was forced to leave Colorado, U.S. Indian Commissioner Cato Sells decided that Chipeta was owed some sort of better tribute by the U.S. government. The local Indian Agent informed him that there was very little that she needed or wanted. Prior gifts of money and other fineries had simply been given away. In the end, Sells arranged to send her some beautiful shawls. Her response was timeless. She sent him a saddle blanket
and a note that said “I am in good health considering my age and hope to live much longer to show my friendship and appreciation to all the kind white people. I am also glad that there is no more trouble between the Indians and white people, and hope this state of affairs exists through the rest of my life.” (Letter from Chipeta to Cato Sells, U.S. Indian Commissioner) Chipeta died at age 81 in 1924, having indeed lived a long life despite sorrows we might only imagine. She was buried by her family on the reservation in Utah. Upon learning this news, the good people of continued on page 18
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 2026 13
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14 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
OBITUARY
William Frederick Pulver Jr. May 16, 1945 September 2, 2026 William Frederick Pulver Jr. (who went simply by Fred), born May 16, 1945, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at the age of 81 in his home in Carbondale, where he and his beloved wife, Dolores Pulver, raised a family of eight precocious children. A longtime friend and local, Fred was deeply involved in the Carbondale lifestyle. He helped lay the foundation for the Hendrix community garden — Carbondale’s first community garden. As a member of the Orchard Church, he co-founded the church’s Good Seed Community Garden. Fred tended a plot at the Third Street Center Community Garden as well. Hailing from the small towns of Lakeville, Connecticut, and Millerton, New York, Fred attended high school at Hotchkiss School and Housatonic Valley Regional High, and afterwards matriculated at Boston University (BU) to study pre-med. He enrolled in classes nearby at Harvard as well. His time in Boston led to a lifelong pursuit of holistic approaches to medicine, with the desire to help make health and wellness more accessible to all. Though health and medicine were central interests, Fred’s deeper passions lay in the creative arts and humanities. He snuck film classes into his schedule at BU. He penned poems, lyrics and thoughts onto notepads and pieces of paper wherever he went. He was a troubadour in his own right, crafting and performing songs, even winning first place in a valley-wide songwriting contest. His literary inclinations also found a place at The Valley Journal (predecessor to The Sopris Sun) where he worked for a time. Fred’s talents and interests knew no boundaries. He was a lover of nature and sustainability, a food philosophy teacher (especially in macrobiotics), an author and entrepreneur. He was one of the first to sell wellness products through the mail — an industry now known as e-commerce. His knack for all things electronic and mechanical led to his own business enterprise, Advanced Systems. He loved sharing his ideas and discoveries with his family, friends and community. Shaped by the 1960s, Fred was emblematic of a generation that craved a return to simplicity, authenticity and beauty. Fred’s faith in Jesus, as Lord and Savior, became his bedrock. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, his nine children, five grandchildren and two sisters. A memorial service will be held from 1 to 4pm on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Orchard Church, 110 Snowmass Dr., Carbondale, CO 81623. It is open to the public. To honor Fred the gardener, please bring a dish to share, especially if the ingredients contain fruits and vegetables grown in your own garden. Heartfelt thanks to Hospice of The Valley, nurse Christel Olsen, St. Mary’s Regional, Valley View and Kidney Center of the Rockies for their wonderful care of Fred over the past two and a half years. Those wishing to send condolences and financial help with end-of-life related expenses, please send via Paypal: paypal.me/DoloresPulver, @DoloresPulver (dpulver@tutamail.com). Any contribution is deeply appreciated.
RFOV from page 4 This year, the coalition launched a pilot Pooled Stewardship Investment account to support eight local projects that align with the coalition’s strategic priorities. The investment, totaling $137,000, received funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife which was then matched by Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, City of Aspen, Town of Snowmass Village and Eagle County Open Space and Natural Resources. “We are so fortunate to be in this valley where we have so many nonprofits, partners and agencies that work well together and accomplish so many things,” Godoy said. The Middle Thompson project was identified by a group of nonprofit organizations and local conservation leaders and then evaluated by the coalition’s decision support toolkit. The project received $7,000. “What excites me most is the broader lesson here:
When regional organizations pool resources and work together, relatively modest investments can help get tangible projects on the ground,” O’Connell said. O’Connell, who is also the Pitkin County Open Space & Trails Senior planner and landscape architect, emphasized the Valley’s interconnectedness. “A healthy watershed doesn’t stop at a property boundary,” she said. “So our approach to conservation shouldn’t either.” Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers invites the community to attend its Appreciation Party on Oct. 15 from 5 to 8pm at the Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley Campus. Free and open to all, the event will highlight projects, honor volunteers and celebrate stewardship. RSVP by Oct. 6 at www.rfov.org
FORUM from page 7 Godes
Godes
“Yes, I think so — I know so,” Godes said. “The alternative would be the Hogback goes away. Right now, the Hogback route gets eight, 10, 12 buses a day. It’s a bare-bones schedule, but provides a vital community service.” “The county has $115 million in reserves, and it’s declining certainly, but we’re talking about a county that has cut for the last four years the Hogback Route, and now it’s down to only $200,000,” Godes said. “Two-hundred-thousand dollars out of a $100 million budget, and with $115 million in reserves, again, seems really short-sighted.”
“Colorado state law says that municipalities [and counties] are not to enforce immigration,” Godes said. “That is a federal law. That is a federal duty and responsibility. And just from a practical perspective … I don’t want our police force to have to have a whole [other] realm of federal law that they now are responsible for. From a human side, we’ve seen ICE … tear families apart across the country and here in Garfield County.” He said immigration enforcement and secure borders are important, but should not be a focus of local law enforcement.
Rudd
“Our national system on immigration is broken. Period,” Rudd said. “We need to have reform, but it’s also important for me to explain to everyone that county commissioners cannot and should not be responsible for immigration policy. That’s a federal matter. Politically, I will be pursuing immigration reform that works with our federal officials. Locally, I do not agree that we should be assisting any immigration enforcement. That is a federal requirement and duty.”
“I agree that we need to have a fully funded Hogback system beyond what we’re doing right now for at least a year to give the taxpayers the opportunity to see a shift in that direction,” he said. “What the future is … that is up to the taxpayers, but we need to fund it so they can see.” Rudd added that he’s talked to Union Pacific Railroad about using its rail network between Glenwood and Parachute for transit, saying that we have to “have those conversations now because as we continue to grow, this is just going to get worse, and we don’t have the room or the ability to add additional lanes to our interstates.” Milhorn asked the two candidates what they believe is the appropriate role of county government regarding federal immigration enforcement.
Rudd
For the full debate, which included questions about water, workforce housing, oil and gas, data centers, the South Bridge project, regional collaboration, federal land management, Spanish language access and more, visit rifletv.plus
RAMS from page 9 Cross country The combined Basalt-Roaring Fork cross country running team joined seven other high schools at the Glenwood Springs Demon XC Invitational on Sept. 26. The Ram’horns boys won the team title, with junior Levi Friday setting the pace on the 5-kilometer course situated along the Roaring Fork River below GSHS. Friday placed second overall with a time of 18 minutes flat. Sophomore Elliot Galbraith was fifth (18:21.4), followed by a trio of Basalt-Carbondale runners in eighth, ninth and 10th — junior Kaiden Werth (19:03.2), senior Kian Sullivan (19:09.3) and sophomore Brode Schoenbrunn (19:20.6). The Basalt-Carbondale girls also had a strong showing, taking second place as a team, with Basalt sophomore Scarlett Jones placing second overall (20:42.3). Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) junior Kayla Steele was the individual champion, winning the girls 5K race in 20:23.3. Full results from the girls race were not immediately available.
Mountain biking Members of the Roaring Fork, Aspen/Basalt and CRMS mountain biking teams raced at the Spring Valley
Scramble Sept. 27, on the popular Colorado Mountain College course that will host the Colorado High School Mountain Biking Championships later this month. For CRMS, Drew O’Keefe won the varsity boys race. The Legacy rider is the current points leader in his classification. CRMS’s Bram Marlow was 10th in that race, and for the varsity girls Finley Nolan placed ninth. For Aspen/Basalt, Roger Farrell was the top rider, taking third in the varsity boys race, and for Roaring Fork, junior Sophia Warner was eighth in the junior varsity girls race and sophomore Sam Brown was 10th in the sophomore boys race. The state championship races will run the weekend of Oct. 24-25 at Spring Valley.
Boys golf Carbondale golfer Hudson Arnold, playing for the Basalt High School boys golf team, picked up another tournament win at the recent Gypsum Invitational. Arnold has qualified for the 3A Colorado Championships, taking place next Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 5-6, at the Cattails Golf Course in Alamosa, along with Basalt teammates Parker Strelecki, Blair Didier and Hagan Hamlet.
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 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
Recognizing the silent signs of suicide EDITOR’S NOTE: Translation assisted by artificial intelligence, edited by Owen McArdle Mónica Grijalva Ruiz holds a Masters of Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
OPINION
to have suicidal thoughts. However, asking directly and without judgment can give someone an opportunity to talk about something they have been silently struggling with. We don’t need to be mental health professionals to start a conversation. After asking, we should listen and avoid phrases such as, “You have to be strong,” “Think about your children,” or “Just keep pushing.” These statements can make someone feel guilty or misunderstood.
September was Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, an opportunity to talk about a topic that often remains unspoken. In our communities, talking about mental health can be difficult. Many of us were taught to “be Instead, we can say, “Thank you for telling me,” strong,” “keep pushing,” not worry our families, “I’m here with you,” or “Let’s find help together.” or to solve our problems at home. Although Asking for help is also a sign of strength. these ideas may come from a place of love and Within some Latino communities there are good intentions, they can also be the reason MENTAL barriers to seeking mental health care, including that a person hides their suffering. language, cost, stigma and difficulty finding HARMONY Prevention begins when we understand that culturally sensitive professionals. Family, faith By Mónica Grijalva Ruiz someone may be going through an emotional and community can be important sources of crisis without openly showing it. support. Seeking professional help does not mean When we think of a person experiencing suicidal thoughts, abandoning those resources; both can coexist. we may imagine someone directly saying that they want to die. Talking with a therapist, doctor, school counselor or other Although talking about wanting to die or committing suicide is mental health professional does not mean that someone is weak. a warning sign that should always be taken seriously, there are Taking care of our emotional health is part of taking care of our other, less obvious signs. overall health.
Warning signs:
• Feeling like a burden to others • Withdrawing or isolating themselves • Extreme mood changes • Sleeping too much or too little • Increased use of alcohol or drugs • Acting impulsively • Losing interest in activities they once enjoyed
Suicide prevention is not just the responsibility of therapists and doctors. As families and communities, we can learn to listen, ask questions and talk about mental health without shame. From Suicide Prevention Awareness Month onward, let’s pay attention beyond the words, “I’m fine.” Let’s ask again when something doesn’t seem right. Let’s listen without trying to solve the problem immediately and let’s remind those who are suffering that they do not have to face it alone.
However, some people continue with their day-to-day lives If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis, while experiencing deep emotional pain. suicidal thoughts or needs support, in the United States you can That’s why it is also important to recognize the silent signs: call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also text the gradually distancing themselves from family and friends, word HELP. neglecting personal care or losing motivation. We should also The service is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, listen to comments that may seem casual, such as, “I can’t do this seven days a week. You do not need to be experiencing suicidal anymore,” “No one would miss me,” or “Everyone would be better thoughts to contact 988; you can also seek support for emotional off without me.” These statements do not necessarily mean that a distress or when you are concerned about someone else. person will attempt suicide, but they should never be ignored. If there is immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911 Another warning sign can be a change after a period of deep or go to the nearest emergency room. sadness or hopelessness. For example, a person may unexpectedly begin saying goodbye, giving away important belongings, getting their affairs in order or reaching out to loved ones as though they are closing a chapter of their life. When these behaviors appear alongside other risk factors, it is important to reach out and ask what’s going on. Many people hesitate to ask directly, “Have you thought about suicide?” because they believe that mentioning the action could cause someone Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week in Spanish.
Owen McArdle — Editor • owen@soldelvalle.org | Margarita Alvarez — Advertising • margarita@soldelvalle.org www.soldelvalle.org • info@soldelvalle.org • 970-510-0234
16 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
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SoL Theatre’s beloved dog Jack Hughes 11 years old
Jack Hughes (aka Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside Johnson Michaud Austin Hughes) died unexpectedly at 1:30pm on Wednesday, Sept. 23, much to his mother’s chagrin. He was 11 years old … which was not nearly old enough for her to feel even remotely okay about it. Jack found his way to his mother, Jennifer, by way of Colorado Animal Rescue. From the moment he rescued her, he brought a light into her life she didn’t know was missing. He comforted her in sadness,
celebrated her highest highs and found stillness with her in the quiet and peaceful moments in between. Initially frightened of children due to early puppyhood trauma he suffered, Jack came to love and adore his SoLmates — children who participated in his mother’s children’s theatre, SoL Theatre. He supported them during auditions, through bad days and bullying and was beloved by over a decade’s worth of children. Known for his prance, his happy bounce when he saw someone he loved and his sharp
little bark that would let everyone know an adult had entered the rehearsal space, Jack will be dearly missed by every sweet little life he touched. He taught them it was okay to fail, okay to feel … and now, that it’s okay to grieve. You may think it silly that Jack’s mom is posting an obituary at all — writing of herself in the third person and treating him as if he were … well … human. But she … well … I find that so often we rush ourselves past and through grief, gauging how sad we should be based on what society deems acceptable for us
to feel. But Jack was more than a dog for me — he was my soulmate, my baby, my familiar and my friend. And I will honor him the way I would anyone who touched my life — and the lives of so many others — and made me feel loved, trusted and worthy. A memorial will be held for Jack on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Beer Works in Carbondale, from 4 to 6pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Jack’s memory to Colorado Animal Rescue or SoL Theatre Company. But also … you can bring flowers.
Jack Hughes (aka Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside Johnson Michaud Austin Hughes). Photo by Jennifer Austin Hughes
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LETTERS
from page 2
I have been following Alpine Christian High School on Facebook, while my children have followed its Instagram account. From what I’ve seen and heard so far, the school is presenting an ambitious vision for the future of education in our valley. For those interested in learning more, the school just announced on Facebook several upcoming events, including: Oct. 5, 6pm at the Glenwood Library, Oct. 6, 7pm at the Carbondale Library, Oct. 13, 7pm at the Youth for Christ building in Glenwood and then Oct. 15, 6:30pm at the New Castle Library. I plan to attend because I’m interested in seeing how the school’s plans develop. I say “let’s go” to Alpine Christian High School! Cathy Clark Silt
contributed to the creation of 100 workforce housing units in GWS. Jonathan gets it. He understands the issues we’re facing and has experience working to solve them. What he doesn’t have is the personal wealth to fund ads and PR consultants. Have you seen that big fancy ad running every week at the top of The Sopris Sun website? Eric Rudd paid for that with his own money. Click on any page, and that ad will be there showing which candidate is the money candidate. Can money beat experience in this election? Let’s make sure it can’t. Please join me in voting for Jonathan Godes for County Commissioner: the candidate with a wealth of experience, rather than tens of thousands of dollars to buy your attention. Marc Bruell Carbondale
Can’t buy me love
A few thoughts on the present “commander in chief,” wannabe king, convicted criminal, sexual predator, pathological liar and draft dodger, D.J. Trump. He commands an authority, ICE, with sloppy (child/family separations), murderous tactics, supposedly enforcing immigration regulations. He pardons other known criminals — many Jan. 6 insurgent participants. The “arch” proposed for construction in Washington, D.C., by his own description, will feature sniper positions and military armaments, along with a big, beautiful ballroom, now under construction; might it be more clearly called a “cannon ball room?” How can we not think these installations will be used to resist a peaceful transition of office, come the next presidential election. He cannot be trusted with a stray dog. Likely, he would try to sell us the puppies. We are told “nobody is above the law.” Well, relying on “unconditional discharge,” he has so far avoided incarceration after felony convictions. As fits such a demented delusional character, an appropriate remedy could be to banish him to an isolated lump of rock island (Philippines, Antarctica), relying on the generosity of one of his so-called “shithole” countries for airdrops of food. In the words of the well-known sage of our time, Alfred E. Know-It-All, “What, me worry?” Yes, worry we should. If we should fail to stand up to such hog wash, we deserve to flounder in the cesspool of the consequent results of our inaction. C.T. Bliss Carbondale
None of us want elections to be based on which candidate is the richest or who has the slickest looking ads. We’re all sick of the way that money is influencing our politics — and now that’s happening locally. The Republican candidate for county commissioner is using his personal wealth to bankroll his own campaign. He spent over $34,000 of his own money just through the end of July, including over $21,000 on campaign consultants, which is nearly five times what his opponent Jonathan Godes has spent on his entire campaign. While Jonathan doesn’t have personal wealth to bankroll a high gloss campaign, he has a wealth of experience and a demonstrated record of getting things done for the people of this county. As Mayor of Glenwood Springs, RFTA Board Member, and Executive Director of the I-70 Coalition, Jonathan has demonstrated he can work effectively with diverse stakeholders to find solutions to the challenges facing our county. His commitment to making life better for families led him to start and direct the Boys & Girls Club in Craig, Colorado, as well as the local Early Childhood Network. His concern for traffic congestion and pollution led him to work to expand RFTA BRT service to Glenwood Springs and initiate the Glenwood Springs Downtowner. He also led Glenwood’s transition to a 100% renewable electric grid, making it among the first ten of America’s towns to do so. His efforts to make it more affordable to live and work in our communities
Beyond the rule of reality
CVEPA from page 13 Montrose, Colorado decided they wanted her back. Perhaps they hadn’t wanted her and her kin while she lived, but in death she was again welcomed. Five thousand whites reportedly lined the streets for her reburial in a concrete mausoleum on the grounds of what is now the Ute Indian Museum at the edge of town. Over the years of my own life I have watched with some dismay as commercial development along Highway 550 has edged ever closer to Chipeta’s resting place. The unnatural parking lot lights of a Target store now cast an eerie glow towards this site. What is one to make of all this? One cannot look at any of the many photographs of Chipeta without being struck 18 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026
by the consistent serenity on her face. It is Buddha-like. For me, Chipeta stands as a beautiful testament to the transcendent power of forgiveness. In my various activities as an open space crusader, the opportunities to take great umbrage are endless. Politics are often passionate, and therefore personal. All activists at some point will face this hostility. I was recently called a “liar” during a public meeting by a bitter person who did not care to know the truth of that situation. At times like that I think of Chipeta. CVEPA is dedicated to the preservation of the Crystal River Valley. We try not to take politics personally. For more information, see cvepa.org
PARTING SHOTS
Carbondale Rotarian Tim Whitsitt addresses the Bikes for Bikes participants.
Team Carbondale Fire sported some firey duds.
Pedaling against malaria PHOTOS & TEXT BY BOB RUGILE Sopris Sun Correspondent
Carbondale Rotary Club members Dr. Daniel and Bryna Perlman and Tim Whitsitt organized a “Bikes for Bikes” fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 27, raising money to buy bikes and other needed supplies — such as mosquito nets, vaccines and educational materials — for villages in Africa to fight malaria outbreaks. The disease causes more than 600,000 deaths a year. The 15-mile downhill ride started at Hooks Bridge and ended at Ironbridge. Carbondale & Rural Fire
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Protection District firefighters supported the cause with a six-member team, all in matching uniforms with flames, and two of whom rode a tandem bike. Medical workers in Africa use donated bikes to reach remote villages that are inaccessible by car. Together with other Rotarians Against Malaria chapters around the globe, the main goal is to eradicate malaria for good. Folks who’d like to support the cause can send a check to: Carbondale Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 538, Carbondale, CO 81623.
THE VALLEY HOPPER Need a ride? Call us at 970-355-4961 Private Rides Events Weddings Eagle-Aspen-Grand Junction Airport Rides w w w. t hevalleyhopp e r. c o m
LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission for the purpose of considering an Administrative Site Plan review, a Conditional Use Permit, and two Alternative Compliance requests for the construction of five new buildings to be used as short-term lodging at 689 Main Street. Project Description: The combined application proposes material changes to the façade of the existing Structure of Merit building and the construction of five new buildings, each containing one short-term lodging unit. The Conditional Use Permit request is to allow this specific lodging use in the Historic Commercial Core zone district. Two alternative compliances are requested. The first is to allow ground-floor ceiling heights that vary from around 8 to 16 feet, instead of the minimum 14 feet code requirement. The second is to allow a lodging use within 25 feet of a public right-of-way. Property Location: 689 Main Street (Parcel 1 and a portion of Parcel 2 of the 7th Street Planned Unit Development Section: 34 Township: 7 Range: 88) Applicant: 2757 Design Co. Owner: 689 Main Street, LLC Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 7:00 p.m. on October 22nd, 2026.
Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The application may also be viewed on the Town’s website at: https://www.carbondalegov.org/ departments/planning/current_land_ use_applications.php If you would like to submit comments regarding this application you may send them via email to epeterson@ carbondaleco.net by 5:00 pm on October 22nd, 2026. The comments will be entered into the record. If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Ellie Peterson, Planner at 970-510-1212. Published in The Sopris Sun on October 1, 2026.
NOTICE OF PROPOSED 2027 BUDGET AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget for the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2027, and ending December 31, 2027, has been submitted to the Board of Trustees. A copy of the proposed budget is on file and open for public inspection at the Office of the Town Clerk, Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during regular business hours.
The Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing to receive public comment at its Regular Meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado. Any interested elector of the Town of Carbondale may inspect the proposed budget and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget by the Board of Trustees. This notice is given and published pursuant to § 29-1-106, C.R.S. on October 1, 2026 Published in The Sopris Sun on October 1, 2026.
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that on October 29th , 2026, at 12:00 pm final settlement will be made with AD Miller (ADM), 7006 S. Alton Way, Bldg. E, Ste 100, Centennial, CO, 80112 by the TOWN OF CARBONDALE, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO, on a contract for labor and materials for a project known as the Carbondale Aquatics Center and that any person, co-partnership, company, association of persons, or corporation who has an unpaid claim against ADM, or its subcontractors, for labor and materials, may, at any time, up to closing of business the last work day prior to final settlement, that is, by
October 29th , 2026, file a verified statement of the amount due with the TOWN OF CARBONDALE (Attn. Parks & Recreation Director-Eric Brendlinger) ebrendlinger@carbondaleco.net pursuant to Section 38-26-107, CRS, as amended. Failure on the part of the Claimant to make such verified statement, prior to the final settlement on the contract with ADM, will relieve the TOWN OF CARBONDALE from any liability for such Claimant’s claim. PUBLISHED BY THE ORDER OF TOWN OF CARBONDALE. Published in The Sopris Sun on October 1, 2026.
PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME Public Notice is given on Sept. 25, 2026 that a Petition for a Change of Name has been filed with the Pitkin County Court. The petition requests the name of Alexandra Jerkunica be changed to Alexandra Erika Jerkunica. County Case Number 26C39. Published in The Sopris Sun on October 1, 2026.
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | October 1-7, 2026 19
There with you, from careful planning to carefree afternoons. A lot can change in 53 years. What matters is what stays true. Alpine Bank remains locally and employee owned, deeply committed to Colorado, and built around real relationships with the people and communities we serve. Alpine Bank. Not your everyday bank. Your bank for every day.
THE COMMUNITY AD SPACE BELOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ALPINE BANK
Carbondale Homeless Assistance
is accepting donations for the winter season.
Carbondale Homeless Assistance is looking for donations to reach our fundraising goal of $10,000. Last year CHA donated over $4,000 to individuals needing assistance in Carbondale and sadly the need is increasing. Please give whatever amount you can to help support this cause.
We are accepting: Ski Coats (fall/winter) Durable, Waterproof
Boots (fall/winter)
Heavy Duty, Cold weather
Sleeping Bags (fall/winter) Extreme cold
Tents (anytime)
Two man and three man cold weather and waterproof tents
Gift Cards (anytime)
to Subway, City Market, Peppino’s, Bonfire, Village Smithy, etc.
Money (anytime)
To be used to buy socks, gift cards for food & supplies Please be sure items are in good, clean condition. CALL 970-963-5177 for more information. Financial donations can be delivered to Amoré Realty at 711 Main St, Carbondale, CO 81623 20 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | October 1-7, 2026