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UNA NUEVA PUBLICACIÓN SEMANAL CON NOTICIAS Volume 13, Number 37 | October 21-27, 2021 LOCALES EN ESPAÑOL.
BEFORE THE GROUND FREEZES ...
Photos and text by Sue Rollyson
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) hosted their annual Harvest Fest under beautiful blue skies at Rock Bottom Ranch last weekend. This family event delighted all ages. Kids visited with chickens and bunnies, went on hay rides, carved pumpkins, pressed apple cider, played ranch games and picked radishes of all colors from the vegetable garden. They could even make their own silk-screened t-shirt with Reina Katzenberger and her business, The Project Shop. The event’s success was amplified by the amazing staff of ACES, who interacted with visitors at every station.
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For more info contact Todd Chamberlin adsales@soprissun.com 970-510-0246
Together we keep The Sun shining OPINION
by Kay Clarke It happened on Christmas Eve, 2008. Our local newspaper of 34 years was scrapped by corporate entities who completely underestimated this community. Less than seven weeks later, The Sopris Sun was born. At a time when other newspapers were disappearing (including the Rocky Mountain News, a daily newspaper published in Denver since 1859), a handful of dedicated Carbondale folks worked to create the independent publication you hold in your hands. The Los Angeles Times sent a reporter to cover the story, which was then picked-up in newspapers across the country. And The Sun has been shining brightly ever since. The Sopris Sun is a nonprofit newspaper, governed by a working volunteer board, with original content provided by our small
but incredibly talented staff plus a number of freelance writers, photographers, artists and columnists. You will never see an Associated Press story here. We cover local and regional news topics including recreation, the arts, schools and education, health, business, sports, the environment, government, nonprofits and features about local citizens and events, to name a few. We keep you up-to-date with Scuttlebutt and a weekly events calendar. We “watchdog” Garfield County Commissioner meetings and report on the Carbondale and Basalt municipal governments. While the staff works around the clock to produce news, columns, features, photos, special sections and creative ads, our volunteer proofreader Lee Beck is on duty checking every word. After the week’s edition is sent to the press, Frederic Stevie drives to Gypsum to pick up and deliver the paper on time, regardless of weather or conditions in Glenwood Canyon. Until recently, Crystal Tapp fulfilled that noble weekly task. We are very proud of our amazing team. We struck gold when local artist Brian Colley began providing cartoons and illustrations in The Sun, many months and favorite illustrations ago. More recently, we have taken great pleasure in drawings of local events and whimsical cartoons by Larry Day, who makes us look so good. The 50th Anniversary Mountain Fair Program was a genuine collector’s
item, skillfully produced by Graphic Designer Ylice Golden. Then, there’s Suzie Brady’s “Suzoku” and the local crossword puzzle by Chromostome (aka Stan Badgett). How fortunate we are that John Armstrong provides vital news of the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) and Geneviève Villamizar shares her intimate relationship with people, plants, animals, gardens and travels to places that feed her soul. Of course, Sun Signs by Whitney Will has been wildly popular. The list goes on, and we are pleased to provide a platform for sharing the abundance of amazing talent in this valley. This year, Editor Raleigh Burleigh created our Spanishlanguage section, el Sol del Valle, with local news not found in other publications. Skilled Latino writers and columnists have come into our fold, sharing their stories as well as translations of community news. Research shows that up to 40% of our valley residents identify as Latino or Hispanic. We are excited to connect with this vibrant segment of our population. It’s worth remembering that the First Amendment specifically protects freedom of the press. This semester, we launched our Youth Journalism Program for local high school students. Independent journalism is vital to the foundation of our democracy, and mentoring young journalists ultimately benefits us all. Students receive hands-
on, professional training from working journalists, photographers, columnists and other special guests. Look for stories in these pages from our talented and enthusiastic participants. Freelancer Jeanne Souldern leads the program with assistance from freelancer Myki Jones. If you tune in to KDNK at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoons, you’ll hear diverse interviews by Sopris Sun staff on “Everything Under the Sun.” Stories you read in the paper are expanded by the personal touch of live conversations. Editor Raleigh Burleigh and Contributing Editor James Steindler are no strangers to radio news and we share their enthusiasm for community access radio. Advertising sales and grants cover less than 80% of the quickly escalating costs of producing a newspaper. We have Todd Chamberlin to thank for his hard work to make ends meet. In addition, our Honorary Publishers pledge $1,000 or more every year. The balance of our funding comes from people like you who support The Sopris Sun and know the importance of independent journalism. We could not do this without your help. Tax deductible donations can be given online at https://soprissun.com or mailed to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623 We are proud to serve you, and grateful for your generosity.
LETTERS Trash kills bears As I left my house to go to work this morning, I observed – yet again – that a neighbor along my street had their trash can knocked over with trash strewn all over. With the many public information campaigns repeating the mantra that trash kills bears, I wonder how it can be that they have not gotten the message. Unfortunately, that one street in Satank is in Garfield County, which does not have a trash ordinance, so Colorado Parks and Wildlife can't issue a citation. We have had sightings of a large sow and her two cubs along with another large bear. It is very frustrating to know there are people in the community that just can't be bothered. Kae McDonald Satank
Thanks, Alpine Bank! In our ad in The Sopris Sun’s Oct. 14 issue for the Summer Music Series in the Park, we neglected one of our biggest and longest standing sponsors: Alpine Bank. Alpine Bank, you have been helping us from day one. Sorry you were not included, but thanks for all you do. Marty Silverstein Carbondale
R.I.P. Richard Compton Richard Compton’s life will be celebrated
with an informal gathering on Oct. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Pine Creek Cookhouse. All are welcome. Richard lived in Aspen, Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley for more than 40 years until his passing in December 2020. He was a consummate outdoorsman, volunteer and good friend whose quiet strength touched many. Please contact Sloan Shoemaker (970-6186022) or Ned Ryerson (970-948-4907) with any questions and to RSVP. Ned Ryerson Aspen
Ignorance is bliss Here we are in a little slice of “paradise,” tucked snugly into a little mountain valley, like the mythical utopia called “Shangri-la” in the novel “Lost Horizons.” Or like Garrison Keillor wrote: “Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are goodlooking and all the children are above average.” In about 1747, English poet Thomas Gray wrote of Paradise (in the first known use of “ignorance is bliss”): To each his suff 'rings: all are men, Condemn'd alike to groan, The tender for another's pain; Th' unfeeling for his own. Yet ah! why should they know their fate? Since sorrow never comes too late, And happiness too swiftly flies. Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise. As climate change rapidly gains strength, far too little is done to counter this disaster. Instead, the oft-touted goal of local community leaders is “vibrancy.” As in: “pulsating with life, vigor or activity.” What vibrancy really translates into is “growth.” The common credos of the promoters are: “growth is inevitable” or “if you aren’t growing, you’re dying!” But, let’s be honest. It’s about the money. There is a lot of money in growth. But what does it cost? A lot! Call it “growing pains.” Traffic is out of hand. Would-be employees are leaving in droves. Taxes are increasing to cover shortfalls in infrastructure. The stress of living in “vibrancy” creates a myriad of human problems, from shortage of food to substance abuse to mental health issues. My Carbondale native neighbor feels the difference; she said one of the things she misses most is “serenity.” Carbondale is now updating the Town’s comprehensive plan. Such plans are done to guide development. One thing is certain, more buildings and more people will not help us make desperately-needed preparations for climate change. Nor do they improve the quality of life; even in Paradise. Patrick Hunter Carbondale Continued on page 28
The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The community is invited to submit letters up to 500 words to news@soprissun.com. Longer columns are considered on a case-by-case basis. The deadline for submission is noon on Monday. 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
Executive Director
Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 • adsales@soprissun.com
Editor
Raleigh Burleigh 970-510-3003 • news@soprissun.com
Contributing Editor James Steindler
Graphic Designer Ylice Golden
Delivery
Frederic Stevie
Proofreader Lee Beck
Current Board Members board@soprissun.com
Kay Clarke • Lee Beck Klaus Kocher • Eric Smith Vanessa Porras • Megan Tackett Gayle Wells • Donna Dayton Terri Ritchie • Larry Day The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on first Thursdays on Zoom.
Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+
Lee Beck & John Stickney Kay Brunnier Michelle & Ed Buchman Toni Cerise CoVenture Sue Edelstein & Bill Spence Deborah & Shane Evans Greg & Kathy Feinsinger Peter & Mike Gilbert Gary & Jill Knaus Carly & Frosty Merriott Mama Sandy & Lee Mulcahy James Noyes Ken & Donna Riley Patti & George Stranahan Anne Sullivan & John Colson Megan Tackett True Nature Healing Arts Elizabeth Wysong Alpine Bank
Legacy Givers
for including us in their final wishes.
Mary Lilly
Donate by mail or online. P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 520 S. Third Street #26-B 970-510-3003
soprissun.com The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations are fully tax deductible. The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District
Forest Service reviews Crown Mountain Park plan By Dyana Z. Furmansky Sopris Sun Correspondent
The Crown Mountain Park and Recreation District (CMPRD) board of directors agreed at an Oct. 13 meeting to show Eagle County the conceptual master plan for recreational expansion on a portion of an expected land transfer from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to the county. The 71-acre parcel lies within the Forest Service’s El Jebel Administrative Site adjacent to Crown Mountain Park. CMPRD Director Rebecca Wagner told the board that Eagle County had “budgeted tearing down the old 16,000-foot building” on the site, but CMPRD may want to renovate it for indoor sports. “They want to clear that building out and flatten it as soon as possible,” said Wagner. The building, once part of the longclosed Mount Sopris Tree Farm, is considered “a hazard,” she said. The board discussed whether the structure might be eligible for historic protection. Wagner said that the deadline for the building’s removal meant that Eagle County needed to see CMRPD’s master plan, “like now.” The CMPRD board’s discussion came just days before the Forest Service posted a Federal Register Notice
that it would conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the administrative site. An EA is narrower in scope than an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). “The developed 31-acre Upper Parcel included several buildings, and the undeveloped 40-acre Lower Parcel included riparian habitat along the Roaring Fork River,” said White River National Forest Public Affairs Officer David Boyd. “Based on public and internal comments about conveying the important riparian habitat of the Lower Parcel, we’ve revised the proposal to include only the Upper Parcel,” Boyd said. This means that the Roaring Fork River’s riparian area must be managed to preserve the natural values, possibly by a local conservation organization. “With only the Upper Parcel being considered for conveyance, an Environmental Assessment will provide the appropriate level of analysis,” he said. The Forest Service expects the EA and public comment period to begin soon. The EA must be completed before any transfer becomes final, and before Eagle County or CMPRD can do anything with the land. Other options reported to be under consideration for development at the El Jebel site are senior and affordable housing, as well as a housing provision for
USFS personnel. Boyd explained to The Sopris Sun that administrative site transfers from the White River National Forest to adjacent jurisdictions are also possible in Summit County and in the Holy Cross District, where resort real estate prices are too high for government employee housing. “We’ll need a lot of time to plan what we want to do,” said CMPRD board member Leroy Deroux. “We would need to get the property under our control, and be at the table because we really do have a purpose for this land.” The conceptual master plan prepared by DHM Design includes two multi-use pavilions for year-round indoor and outdoor sports, and mini-fields for simultaneous games. An ice rink, trampoline center, Frisbee golf course and climbing area are some of the CMPRD amenities considered. Bike Park Director Nate Grinzinger showed the board photos of intensive-use recreational facilities in Crested Butte and Bend, Oregon. Board President Tim Power Smith asked about the scale of these developments, and whether they were suitable for CMPRD. “Crested Butte is a very touristy place, and doesn’t have a lot of locals there anymore,” he said. While CMPRD events like the recent lacrosse tournament had to find space for 800 cars, Wagner and
Crown Mountain Park conceptual mater plan by DHM Design. Courtesy graphic. Grinzinger expressed concern about how much paved parking would be needed for new sports facilities. “We don’t want a Walmart feeling, or anything too concrete or blacktoppish,” said Wagner. Smith agreed. “You don’t build church for Easter Sunday,” he said. The only member of the public who attended the CMPRD meeting was Mark Godomsky, executive director of the 85year old Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. Godomsky said he regularly attends CMPRD board meetings and has met with park staff and board members about Aspen Valley Club’s desire to provide youth athletic programs on the USFS parcel,
once transfer to Eagle County has been approved. “We’re going to fund a facility whether it’s here or somewhere else,” Godomsky told the board. “We’ve progressed enough to look downvalley for a place as far as Glenwood,” he said. “Whether we have to spend $5 million or much more, we need a place in the valley for kids to congregate.” Godomsky asserted the club’s interest in partnering with CMPRD to provide its brand of youth athletics, and to retain the tree farm structure slated to be torn down. “We need to engage with you soon before we shuffle off to somewhere else to make this happen.”
CALLING ALL ARTISTS! Decorate a guitar for a Veteran. We provide the guitar, you provide the talent. Guitars will be donated to the Veterans in our Music Therapy Retreats. Guitars will also be displayed on Nov. 17 during the Basalt Chamber of Commerce After Hours event.
“As a veteran journalist I participated in the nationalization of the news, and see how this is one factor in the demise of the local press. There has been a failure to appreciate the need for robust journalism in every town. The Sopris Sun is an energetically-led, independently-owned, nonprofit newspaper that sheds light on what’s happening in Carbondale. It feeds the locavore appetite for quality coverage of issues closest to home. Go Rams!” Dyana Z. Furmansky
Make a tax-deductible donation today! www.soprissun.com/donate/
Mail a check: PO Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623 Contact: Todd Chamberlin| 970-510-0246 | todd@soprissun.com
Contact Dallas Blaney to learn more. (970) 279-1323 or dallas@challengeamerica.com THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 3
SCUTTLEBUTT Glenwood leaf drop
Chart Carbondale
Glenwood Springs residents are welcome to drop off their fallen leaves at the old rodeo grounds near the airport, anytime of day, through Nov. 30. Folks that utilize the dropoff must remove leaves from plastic bags and assure that no stones, litter, branches or other debris are included, “to prevent equipment damage and work injuries.”
Results from Carbondale’s recent community survey regarding the comprehensive plan update are now available for review (https://bit. ly/Cdalesurvey). According to the consulting firm, Cushing Terrell, over 500 residents took the survey. Cushing Terrell’s draft recommendations are also public (https://bit.ly/ CdaleDraft). The next opportunity for engagement is a virtual meeting on October 28. Learn more at: www. carbondalekaleidoscope.org/chartcarbondale
Novel Writing Month Garfield County Libraries invite you to write 50,000 in 30 days. The challenge kicks off with an online workshop on Monday, Nov. 1, at 5 p.m. Then, on Nov. 17, a panel of local authors will present virtually at 4:30 p.m. A follow-up workshop is scheduled for Nov. 30. Find registration details at: www.gcpld.org/ nanowrimo
Soil health Colorado’s Soil Health Program Advisory Committee is accepting applications for volunteers to advise the state’s Department of Agriculture on soil health programs and grant opportunities. “Healthy soil is a leading strategy for fostering responsible stewardship of our natural resources,” announced Cindy Lair, program manager for the State Conservation Board. Applications are due by Nov. 30 at https://bit.ly/COsoilhealth
Wild and Scenic Wilderness Workshop has launched an online petition supporting protection for the Crystal River with federal ”Wild and Scenic” designation. The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was created in 1968 to preserve rivers and streams with outstanding natural, heritage or recreational features in a free-flowing condition for present and future generations. Find the petition at: https://bit.ly/wildcrystal
Let it burn The U.S. Forest Service will conduct prescribed burns of slash piles (forest cleared to prevent wildfires) in Garfield and Pitkin counties as weather conditions permit and through the winter. In Garfield County, approximately 150 slash piles are spread across ten acres in the 4-Mile
Creek drainage on Bureau of Land Management lands, and ten piles are on Uncle Bob Mountain, south of New Castle. In Pitkin County, firefighters will burn “a small number of piles” near the Chapman and Maroon Bells campgrounds.
Latino representation Voces Unidas, a local nonprofit that seeks to elevate Latino representation, has been involved in the legislative redistricting process. The organization expressed disapproval with the final congressional redistricting map submitted to the Colorado Supreme Court. “The final congressional map unconstitutionally dilutes the voting power of our Latino mountain communities — Aspen to Parachute area is in one district and Gypsum to Silverthorne in another,” reads a statement from Voces Unidas. “We are calling on the Colorado Supreme Court to reject the congressional maps and send them back to the commission.”
Día de los Muertos Amplifying RJ, an organization that teaches restorative justice philosophy, hosts “Decolonizing Día de los Muertos” on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 10 a.m. This online course highlights the indigenous origins of Day of the Dead, called Miccailhuitontli by Aztecs, and teaches educators how to respectfully honor the tradition. Registration is at: https://bit.ly/Miccailhuitontli
Counselor Liz Penzel (left), Assistant Principal Cora Carballeira (center) and Counselor Bo Takarabe (right) celebrate Spirit Week at Roaring Fork High School by dressing up in 1950s attire for “Decades Day.” The Rams play soccer against the Glenwood Springs Demons at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21 and football against Gunnison at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22. Photo by Sue Rollyson.
Photo contest
Holiday prep
The Roaring Fork Conservancy’s annual photo contest is now receiving amateur and professional submissions. This year’s categories are: “people enjoying the watershed,” “wildlife” and “streams and landscapes.” Entries are due by Nov. 14! Find details at: www. roaringfork.org
Carbondale Middle School’s annual wreath and poinsettia fundraiser wraps up on Sunday, Oct. 24. All proceeds benefit local students with experiential trips and after-school and enrichment programming. To place an order, call the school at 970-384-5700.
They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Heidi Hendricks and Caitlin Kinney (Oct. 21); Lisa Quint and Adam Ting (Oct. 22); JoAnna Caldwell, Babbu Cheema, Anderson Cole, Tamara Haynes-Norton (Oct. 23); Jeremy Cerise, Dave Kodama, Mary Kenyon, Olivia Savard, Ron Speaker and Alicia Zeringue (Oct. 24); Bill Dunn, Crystal Beltz and Jocelyn Murray (Oct. 25); John Runne (Oct. 26); Chip Brotzman, Julie Lang, Katrina Nelson, Annette Roberts-Gray, Kay Schaefer and Ellen Stapenhorst (Oct. 27).
TOWN OF CARBONDALE
wE wElCOME yOuR fEEDBACk
Virtual Outreach Meetings: October 27 | 6 pm – 8 pm | Spanish October 28 | 6 pm – 8 pm | English
Overview:
Feedback needed:
Our consultant team will present the draft plan, followed by an open Q+A and input session where participants will have the opportunity to type questions and comments into the chat.
• The draft Future Land Use Map
The purpose of these virtual meetings is to present key pieces of the draft plan for public feedback. We heard lots of good information throughout this process so far that we’ve used to develop recommendations for the future of Carbondale. We will be asking questions like:
• Key recommendations: > Housing > Mobility > Downtown + Downtown North > Climate Action > Aging in Community Key recommendations will be posted on the project website (in English and Spanish) by Friday, October 8 for those who would like to review them prior to the meetings: https://carbondalekaleidoscope.org/ chart-carbondale
• Did we hear you right? • Are these recommendations moving in the right direction?
Exhibit & Events Thinking Money for Kids is an interactive multimedia experience for children and families to help them better understand what money is, its function in society, financial responsibility, and charitableness.
October 11 through November 19 Glenwood Springs Branch Library
FREE!
www.gcpld.org 970-510-1202 • carbondalekaleidoscope.org/chart-carbondale
4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
CMC to offer new bachelor’s degree in 2022
By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent
Colorado Mountain College’s (CMC) board of trustees has approved the addition of a new bachelor’s degree program. The Bachelor of Science in Ecosystems Science and Stewardship program is anticipated to start accepting students in August 2022, when the fall semester begins. Once the program is reviewed and approved by the Higher Learning Commission and by the state of Colorado, it will educate students with a focus on the structure, function and processes of ecosystems and their responses to global environmental change. The program focuses on student training in the science and practices of stewardship and restoration while looking specifically at species, habitats and landscapes of the Southern Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. Twenty-five experts contributed to the design, review and revision of this program and its curriculum, including senior leaders and specialists from local and national nonprofits, state and federal agencies and public and private organizations working in CMC’s region of service. This gives prospective students access to a degree built by the very individuals leading current and future
ecosystem science and stewardship work in Western Colorado. The other five bachelor’s programs that CMC offers are nursing, leadership and management, business administration, sustainability studies and education. By popular demand, the new program has a strong STEM focus. The acronym “STEM” refers to “science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” In-field and lab settings will emphasize hands-on and experiential opportunities for students. David Gifford, the Dean of STEM for CMC, is based at CMC’s campus in Edwards and has been involved with the development of this program since its outset. He worked closely with faculty to determine the curriculum. “There are some prerequisite courses that [prospective students] would want in the sciences and other disciplines,” stated Gifford. CMC engaged with many stakeholders in their communities and beyond while designing the program. Their aim is to provide students with employment opportunities with state, federal and local agencies and organizations that specialize in ecoscience and climate protection. “At the federal level, that could be the U.S. Forest Service; at the state level, that could be Colorado Parks and Wildlife; and at the local level,
that could be one of our community 501c3 nonprofit organizations, environmental education, outreach and advocacy, as well as [with] county and local government,” Gifford explained. According to Nathan Stewart, an ecologist, faculty member of CMC’s Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability and one of the five co-architects of the new program, the degree is intended to lead to careers in conservation biology, watershed science, ecological restoration and natural resource management. “Colorado Mountain College is surrounded by public and private sector organizations at the forefront of ecosystem science [and] currently seeking to hire. We are particularly excited to prepare our students to engage in and, one day, lead the work required to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for our Western Slope,” stated Stewart. He also mentioned that the program should provide a wonderful engagement opportunity for the college to attract students to the fields of sustainable sciences, restoration and responsible stewardship. Learning within the program will be active, engaging, independent and highly-collaborative, incorporating field and laboratory training, remote sensing, statistics, modeling and
Daniel Farheth safely cores a tree to determine the age by checking tree rings. The tool screws into the tree with a hollow male threaded tip. The shaft of the tool holds a metal slider that removes the core without damaging the tree or compromising the sample. Courtesy photo. geographic information system mapping. The program will train students through community-based partnerships, projects and research and coursework will span multiple fields of study, including: earth systems science; organismal biology and ecology; soil, water and climate science; spatial and quantitative reasoning; experimental design and analysis; human dimensions of natural resource management; global change biology; ecological restoration and stewardship in practice. “The goal of the program is to equip students with the essential knowledge, skills and practice to generate resilient solutions to the ecosystem stewardship challenges of our time,” said Stewart. Salem Sumrall, a student of Colorado Mountain College who is
currently working toward completing CMC’s Associate of Science in Ecosystem Science and Management program, is hoping to continue her education with the new bachelor’s degree offering. Originally from Houston, Texas, Sumrall chose to attend CMC when the college was put on her radar by a friend who graduated in 2020. “I was wanting to go into forestry or environmental science because I am trying to be a park ranger.” She stated, “I am really looking forward to learning more.” For more information on the new program, updates about upcoming events, to apply and enroll in classes, or to make a donation to the college, visit https://coloradomtn.edu
Call on us. You’ll recognize the area code. Call us when you need us. Or we’ll call you to see what you need. Whether it’s financial advice or simply a friendly voice on the other line, we’re here. That’s local banking.
Talk to a personal banker today at 970-704 -1012.
anbbank.com
THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 5
Valley Meals fights for funding
GARFIELD COUNTY UPDATES
By James Steindler Contributing Editor
Once the Garfield County commissioners meeting commenced on Oct. 18, Mary Kenyon with Valley Meals and More, based in Carbondale, addressed the board. Valley Meals and More serves hot meals from local restaurants to roughly 100 senior citizens at their homes within, or near, Carbondale up to five days a week (Monday through Friday). “My original plan this morning was to come and remind you, the BOCC, that without your financial support, Valley Meals and More program would suspend service at the end of this year,” and, Kenyon continued, “to remind you that Valley Meals was only asking for financial support of the meals at the same level you support the Rifle meal site.” Kenyon expressed frustration that the commissioners have not committed the same support to serving seniors in the upvalley portion of Garfield County. “Being denied the opportunity to participate in the budget work sessions, Valley Meals once again requests funding for meals to serve 80 older adults, twice a week for 2022, at a cost of $85,000,” said Kenyon. “In the alternative, Valley Meals would like to know the plan that the county has to absorb these 107 current program participants in 2022, so that we may tell them and give them your contact information to sign up.” Part of what prompted Kenyon to approach the commissioners was a Department of Human Services (DHS) report in the board’s packet, which indicated that DHS may suspend its Senior Meal Program for the east side of the county. The Senior Meals Program for East Garfield County has contracted with Sunlight Mountain Resort since July to provide three weekly meals to recipients. Transporting the meals became a concern going into the winter months, with increased activity at Sunlight ski area and dangerous driving conditions. However, during the Monday meeting, Director of DHS Sharon Longhurst-Pritt updated the board that, since submitting
From right to left: Regina Cross, Mary Kenyon, Regina's daughter Mel and Rusty Burtard. Courtesy photo. the report, she was notified by Sunlight staff that they would deliver the meals themselves beginning Nov. 1. Therefore, Longhurst-Pritt said, it was a moot point and the DHS program would persist. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky, also the Chief Financial Officer, as well as a shareholder, of Sunlight, had connected DHS and the ski resort’s restaurant “so we could continue meals,” he stated. According to the DHS report, the Senior Meals Program served a total of 1,463 meals to 241 individuals throughout the entire county. Only 60 of those meals were distributed in Carbondale. In Glenwood Springs, the program served 482 of the total meals, including 163 which went to Sunnyside Retirement Center. Jankovsky mentioned that he has a meeting coming up with Carbondale Mayor Dan Richardson and Garfield County’s Senior Programs Manager Judy Martin. Richardson had inquired about
Valley Meals and More not being funded, prompting the meeting. Jankovsky said that he intends to learn more about how senior meal services impact the east side of the county. However, he also assured, “There is no way we’re going to be able to fund it [Valley Meals and More] at $89,000.” “We have offered our help,” said Kenyon. “We have offered to supply volunteers. We have done the leg-work and we have not one, not two, but three vendors who can accommodate these large numbers for lunch at a cost well below the $10.25 that Sunlight Mountain Resort is now charging. We just need the county’s financial support to continue forward. Isn’t it time to embrace efficiency?” No decision was reached in the matter, but the board intends to circle back after Jankovsky’s meeting with Mayor Richardson.
Be mindful BE STREET SMART.
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6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
970-963-2733 • carbondalegov.org
P&Z mulls “Downtown North” land-use changes By Ken Pletcher Sopris Sun Correspondent
Since early this year, the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has worked closely with consulting firm Cushing Terrell (CT) to update the Town’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan). Five components of the plan were identified for review, one of which was the plot of industrial land known as Downtown North. The 12-acre Downtown North parcel once housed maintenance facilities for the MidContinent coal-mining operations. Since then, it has been the site of a number of enterprises, notably the large Distinguished Boards and Beams lumberyard. Downtown North occupies a roughly triangular site just north of Carbondale’s central core, bounded by Merrill Avenue to the north, the Carbondale Nature Preserve (dog park) to the northeast and east and the Rio Grande Trail to the southwest; a small portion abuts Eighth Street on the west. It constitutes a large piece of nonresidential land between downtown and residential neighborhoods north of Merrill and currently is zoned “light industrial.” The site has been the focus of plans for residential development in the past, notably the Overlook Neighborhood project proposed by the C’dale LLC development group just before the onset of the 2008 recession; it was never realized. The 2013 Comp Plan left unresolved the future disposition of Downtown North, but interest has grown since then on redeveloping the site. Included in the methodologies CT employed to help formulate their recommendations were public open houses in English and Spanish, a community survey and meetings with community experts (e.g. architects and developers). As part of
Properties delineated as "Downtown North" in Carbondale's draft comprehensive plan update. Graphic by Cushing Terrell. its Downtown North research, CT met with the owners (i.e. C’dale LLC) of the property there. In a public survey of several hundred respondents conducted during the summer, the great majority of responses preferred converting the Downtown North area into parkland or some other civic use, such as museums or plazas. The next largest number favored a mixed-use (commercial and residential) approach. Only a small number proposed leaving it as industrial. Nonetheless, a number of other inputs to the CT team expressed concern about the possibility of losing the industrial jobs there (including what CT termed “the diversity of creative-oriented jobs”). There was also considerable support for residential development on the site. On Sept. 30, the CT team presented the report “Carbondale Comprehensive Plan Update: Key Recommendations DRAFT” at the
regular P&Z meeting. Regarding Downtown North, the report recommended that the “site work to create a balance of housing diversity and job creation as part of a new neighborhood mixeduse redevelopment of this property.” Local builder and real estate developer Briston Peterson is one of the principals of the recently formed MSP Development Group LLC, which has folded C’dale LLC and other entities into its operation. He was involved with the Overlook Neighborhood venture, and more recently his group was responsible for the construction of the both the completed City Market shopping area west of Highway 133 and Main Street Marketplace, a large housing complex being built between the new market and Main Street. The MSP group is also responsible for another new housing complex, Stott’s Mill, under construction south of Highway 82 near Basalt High School.
In a recent interview, Peterson recalled moving to Carbondale 35 years ago and how much he enjoyed living in a (now-demolished) apartment building downtown. He acknowledged that Downtown North (which he called “Carbondale North”) is “a great piece of land” and lauded its “walkability” in relation to the downtown core and its “connectivity with the Rio Grande Trail.” Peterson went on to describe the “need for a [larger] population base in downtown” and that “a lot of people think that more residential density [could] bring more vitality to the downtown core.” Which, of course, development of MSP’s 12-acre “strategic parcel” could provide. Still, during this year’s Comp Plan update exercise, “I listened closely to community desires. I’m a big fan of being transparent with the community.” He continued, “To me, my vision of what needs to happen is mixed-use residential. The surrounding neighborhood doesn’t want industrial use.” He saw a need for a “higher level of density — smaller housing units, rentals,” similar to what is under construction at Main Street Marketplace. That being said, Peterson had no plans to change the current light industrial zoning designation on the Downtown North parcel. “We’re waiting for the recommendations of [the Comp Plan] and will then evaluate the situation,” he said, noting that he was “busy enough” with his other projects at the moment. The Comp Plan update process is nearing completion, and P&Z will hold two final virtual public meetings on Oct. 27 (Spanish) and Oct. 28 (English). The commission is scheduled to approve the final version of the document in early November. For more information, visit www.carbondalekaleidoscope.org/chart-carbondale
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To learn more and apply, visit us at www.mtnvalley.org or email crogers@mtnvalley.org. Mountain Valley Developmental Services is a Colorado nonprofit providing support to people with intellectual disabilities since 1973. 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
RFSD board endorses 5B to up wages By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent
At an in-person meeting held at Carbondale District Office on Oct.13, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to support RFSD Ballot Issue 5B, a mill levy override, on the Nov. 2 ballot. The mill levy override would increase pay for RFSD teachers and staff, with a portion allocated to the district's retention and recruitment efforts. The RFSD board decision grants permission for the "We Are RFSD" campaign to use the district's endorsement publicly. In the public comment portion of the meeting, a handful of people addressed the board voicing their opposition to face mask and quarantine mandates, including one parent objecting to face mask requirements while playing sports. Regular RFSD board meetings, which take place the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, have been rotating between in-person and online Zoom meetings. RFSD Superintendent Rob Stein addressed the challenges of finding "a technological solution — to have interest in meetings, while we're broadcasting and while we're interpreting [into Spanish]." Stein said, "We're continuing to strive for a solution, but I am very
concerned that it has to be a stable platform that's reliable, and it doesn't seem like we've yet found that. So, to be continued." They will revisit ongoing meeting formats at their Oct. 27 board meeting. District D representative Jasmin Ramirez presented a language access resolution. She pointed out the disparities that Spanish-speaking parents encounter in actively participating in their children's education due to a lack of a definitive language access plan. Developing a language access plan would ensure that the school district communicates effectively with families with limited English proficiency. Ramirez said, "This is the reality that so many families in our district face, or have faced. Parents who so desperately want to advocate for their children and be engaged in their child's education are not given the proper access or support they need. We fail our district families and students when we fail to recognize that language access is imperative to their success. It's time to do the right thing for students and families." Ramirez reiterated that board members have had continued dialogue about equity challenges within the district. "Again, this is a conversation we've had. Even on equity, we have not come to an agreement; we have not created a
resolution or a policy that says we support it. So, this is like moving the ball forward because, in my opinion, we drag our feet. And this is not something that we can be dragging our feet on. In fact, Latino families, and COVID[-impacted] families and all families that are diverse in our community are not living the same experience as everybody else's privilege, including myself, in our district. And that's where this urgency comes from." The language access resolution was added to the Oct. 27 meeting agenda for further input and discussion. Before the board meeting, a school board candidate forum, co-hosted by the Roaring Fork Schools and Roaring Fork Community Education Association, was live-streamed on the GrassRoots Community Network's YouTube channel. Cristal Logan from the Aspen Institute moderated the forum, which included school board candidates Chase McWhorter and Kenneth "Kenny" Teitler, who are vying for the District A seat, and Kathryn Kuhlenberg, who is running for the District E seat. Kuhlenberg's opponent, Steven Fotion, was unable to attend. The audio recording of the board meeting is available at: https://bit.ly/ RFSDOct13 A video recording of the school board candidate forum is available at: https://bit.ly/RFSDOct13forum
Volunteers with "We Are RFSD" prepare to canvas voters in support of the 5B Ballot Initiative coming up on Nov. 2. If passed, the 5B Ballot Initiative would increase teacher and staff pay at local schools throughout the district. Courtesy photo.
1st & 2nd grade DInky dunkers begins November 1st Registration for 3rd-6th Grade league is open NOW! Visit carbondalerec.com or call (970) 510-1290 to register THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 9
Holiday Shopping Showcase Shop local this year!
LaFontana Plaza | Hwy 133 | Carbondale, CO 81623 | 704-0909 | www.IndependenceRunAndHike.com 10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
Holiday Shopping Showcase
Shop local this year!
SIP, SHOP + CONNECT Healthy Holiday Happy Hours at True Nature Healing Arts Join us at True Nature Healing Arts every Thursday in December for after-hours shopping specials, cafe offerings, and LIVE MUSIC! Sip, shop, and connect with our community. Boutique specialists will be on hand to explain the ethics behind our collection of consciously curated gifts. We want you to feel good about what you are supporting and bringing in this season while treating your loved ones.
THURSDAYS IN DECEMBER 6-8PM DECEMBER 2ND, 9TH, 16TH, 23RD, 30TH
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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 11
Holiday Shopping Showcase Shop local this year!
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Holiday Shopping Showcase “Hoodwinked” unravels limitations Shop local this year!
Larry Gottlieb, author of "Hoodwinked." Courtesty photo. By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor
“Hoodwinked” is a nonfiction book by Carbondale resident Larry Gottlieb. The title is derived from a word that means “to deceive or trick; to blindfold.” The work of this part-memoir, part-thesis is to remove that blindfold and welcome the reader into the myriad of possibilities existing just beyond their self-fulfilling beliefs. “Is it just a happy accident, a product of a particularly fortunate assembling of the elements of our physical world, that physics and chemistry should give rise to biology and consciousness?” Gottlieb asks readers. “Can molecular biology possibly explain the richness of human experience, the depth of feelings, or the pull of abstract ideas? Can it possibly explain love?” Gottlieb is perhaps best known locally for his musical prowess. Born into a family of professional musicians, he “heard music every day from the womb” and arrived in Aspen playing rock ‘n’ roll in 1970. He continues passionately to perform, now playing steel guitar with the country dance group Citizen Twang. Prior to making music his focus, Gottlieb studied graduate physics at MIT in California. His interest in physics never faded and he continues to think in terms of fields that affect reality. The physics topic that most interests him is cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the physical universe. “In the old cosmology, the world is real, we have no choice but to deal with it as it is, and our beliefs simply represent our best efforts at classifying and organizing whatever we recognize to be true,” writes Gottlieb. Thoughtfully-composed, this book challenges that cosmology. It tackles the same themes as Gottlieb’s previous publication, “The Seer’s Explanation,” and differs in that Kay Knickerbocker, Larry’s wife, partner and best friend, helped to anchor the concepts in a more accessible fashion. Knickerbocker, who describes herself as having “a layman’s brain,” patiently worked with Gottlieb to refine the book’s approach at explaining things that exist beyond common language. “It’s better for her participation,” Gottlieb affirms. Together, making focused use of their pandemic-imposed isolation, they crafted a book that skillfully employs metaphor to guide the reader into Gottlieb’s premise, that “what we think of as the real world, the physical world, is instead an interpretation of sensory input, a description which is conditioned by our past experience and our belief system.” According to this view, the essence of the world transcends our five senses, and our interpretations matter (make real). Therefore, a person’s experience is subject to the stories
that describe it, the “filter” through which they interact. Gottlieb works masterfully with metaphor to make these abstract ideas comprehensible. For example, the book opens with a story about fish in the sea. A mother fish may teach her offspring all about the colors, flavors and dangers of the ocean, but not the water itself. Something as all-encompassing and constant as water is to fish, Gottlieb suggests, is similar to the creative nature of reality that envelops people. We learn to interpret the limitlessly complex possibilities that surround us with stories which in turn define what we see and experience. Through that process, certain possibilities are inevitably filtered out. By realizing this, we may try on different —perhaps more expansive — stories, and new possibilities emerge. Gottlieb draws from five influences listed in the book: meditation teacher Prem Rawat; writer Carlos Castaneda’s descriptions of the Yaqui sorcerer Juan Matus; Werner Erhard’s “human potential” teachings; Esther Hicks’ channelings; and physics, both classical and quantum theory. “[New] possibilities must first be imagined and then declared by individual human beings,” Gottlieb paraphrases Matus, “so as to be available to themselves and perhaps to others.” Gottlieb compares the process to changing the channel on a television set, tuning our perception to a slightly different frequency. Admittedly, it’s no small task to change our core beliefs. Thankfully, “Hoodwinked” offers practical steps, along with personal life examples. “You are an extension of pure creative energy,” Gottlieb insists. “We're here to learn to be creators.” By honing the ability to use language deliberately, a person makes beneficial use of their creative potential, rather than reinforcing limitations. The book will also be available at an upcoming event hosted by The Center for Human Flourishing at the Third Street Center on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. To RSVP, email: info@davinikent.org “Hoodwinked” is available for purchase at Susan’s Flowers in Carbondale and online at https://www.larrygottlieb.com/hoodwinked
Opens November 19, 2021 Full details at carbondalearts.com
VISIT VINTAGE SKI WORLD’s
NEW Retail Showroom & Museum
‘Vintage Treasures’ for Gifts & Home Decor
970-963-9025 / Showroom 1676 County Rd 100, Unit N-2 Carbondale CO 81623 www.VintageSkiWorld.com rallen@vintageskiworld.com
"Hoodwinked" by Larry Gottlieb sets out to fundamentally change the way you see the world. Courtesy graphics. THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 13
COMMUNITY CALENDAR THURSDAY OCTOBER 21
WRANGLERS AND RHINESTONES
Dance, or simply move, anyway you feel at the 13 Moons Ranch Heart Barn beginning at 6:30 p.m. Those planning to attend are asked to be COVID-safe by getting tested beforehand. Masks will be optional. RSVP by emailing alyahowe@me.com
CLASSICAL CONCERT
ECSTATIC DANCE
FALL FESTIVAL
CD Release Party for Wild Flight Emily Jurick and Eric Gross with guests David Harding & Amy Hawes
Thursday, October 21st, 6pm
Sopris Lodge hosts a fall festival from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Families are invited to play games, take tours and enjoy live music and fall beverages. Masks are encouraged. RSVP at https://soprislodge.com/fallfestival-2021/ or by calling 340-4460. ARTIST RECEPTION
Colorado Mountain College and the Obermeyer Investment Counsel present “Polychrome: Paintings and Objects” by Denver artist Bruce Price, on display at CMC’s Aspen campus through Nov. 19. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Masks are required. MEZCLA SOCIALS
Dance salsa at Heads, Hearts and Souls (443 Main in Carbondale) on Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Bachata at The Launchpad at 8 p.m. REGENERATIVE LIVING
nsation e S e l l i v h s Na
han a l l a C y e l i Ba 2nd, 6pm ber 2 Friday, Octo
End of Season Party with Feeding Giants Saturday October 23rd, 6pm
Call for RESERVATIONS! (970)927-0151
166 MIDLAND AVE, BASALT | WWW. HEATHERSSAVORYPIES.COM “Daughter of America” Nicolette Toussaint speaker
Digging into family secrets, Nicolette found that her family’s divisions mirrored not only the civil war but also spanned the color divide. DNA revealed truths about how interconnected we Americans are. In-person & on Zoom and Facebook. For more info email: truu.office@gmail.com Live music by Ellen Stapenhorst
Sunday, Oct. 24, 10 am Third St. Center, Carbondale Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist
Saturday, Oct. 23 5-10pm
Spring Creeks Ranch 644 Cowen Dr Carbondale Grab your tickets at Windwalkerstrc.org
The six-week Regenerative Living course with Lisa McKenzie kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at the Third Street Center. It costs $180 for the entire course or $20 for a single session. For more info or to register, email lmckenzie1light@gmail.com HEATHER’S WEEKEND
Heather’s in Basalt closes out the warm season with a weekend of music. Wild Flight performs on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Nashville country star Bailey Callahan performs on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Feeding Giants performs on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 22 DAY OF THE DEAD
Border-band Jarabe Mexicano performs a Día de los Muertos show at the Basalt Library at 5:30 p.m. Tickets at: https://basaltlibrary.org/ CHILI COOK-OFF
The Western Garfield County Chamber puts on the 42nd annual chili cook-off at the Garfield County Fairgrounds starting at 5:30 p.m. Visit https://WesternGarCoChamber. com/ for info on entries and tickets. BEAR MANAGEMENT
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is updating its black bear population management plan for the Roaring Fork Valleys and hosts a public meeting at the Glenwood Springs Recreation Center at 6 p.m. GLENWOOD GHOST WALK
The Glenwood Springs Historical Society’s Ghost Walk event returns this and next weekend, with 90-minute cemetery tours at 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are at glenwoodhistory.com
14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
Wind Walkers puts on a fundraiser at Spring Creek Ranch in Carbondale from 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets are at http://www.windwalkerstrc.org/ High Country Sinfonia performs at the Third Street Center at 7 p.m. Masks are required. BEATLES TRIBUTE
Yesterday: The Beatles Tribute performs at The Ute Theatre in Rifle at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at: https://utetheatre.com/
SUNDAY OCTOBER 24
HEALING WITH ANCESTORS
Carol Shure hosts a Community Constellation workshop at the Third Street Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inviting folks to delve into generational trauma and explore how that history affects their and others’ lives today. To register (for $65) visit https://carolshure.com/ DAUGHTER OF AMERICA
Nicolette Toussaint speaks about her heritage with live music by Ellen Stapenhorst. The event is free to virtual (via Zoom or Facebook) and in-person attendees (at the Third Street Center) from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. For more info, email truu.office@gmail.com WATCH PARTY
Dance Initiative hosts a fundraiser watch party at The Launchpad at 6 p.m. for a behind-the-scenes film documenting the recent residency with konverjdans, whose final workshop and performance were canceled due to the pandemic.
MONDAY OCTOBER 25 MEDICARE MONDAY
The Garfield County Libraries and Senior Matters invite folks to a virtual Zoom lesson regarding Medicare from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Register at: https://bit.ly/medicaremonday PLANT BASED POTLUCK
The Center for Human Flourishing hosts its Whole Foods Plant Based Potluck at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8 p.m. More info at https://davinikent.com/
TUESDAY OCTOBER 26 AUTHOR TALK
Julian Rubinstein presents his book “The Holly” from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Basalt Library. Seating is limited and tickets are available at the front desk. More info at https://basaltlibrary.org/ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 27 PUMPKIN CARVING
The Carbondale Library hosts a pumpkin carving party starting at 2 p.m. One pumpkin will be provided for each group, but folks are encouraged to bring their own as well. More info at https://gcpld.org/
SOUND JOURNEY
“HOODWINKED”
Join Zachary Cashin for a vibrational sound journey beginning at 7 p.m. in the round room at the Third Street Center. Tickets are at: https://davinikent.com/
Join local author Larry Gottlieb while he discusses his new book, “Hoodwinked,” at the Third Street Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m. RSVP by emailing info@davinikent.org
DUNE PREMIER
THURSDAY OCTOBER 28
“Dune” opens at The Crystal Theatre and continues through Monday with showings at 7:30 p.m. except at 5 p.m. on Sunday instead. Proof of vaccination is required.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 23
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Focus 164 Group hosts a meeting at The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) from 10 to 11 a.m. HRHR
Music by Nashville’s singer/songwriter Bailey Callahan
Visit soprissun.com to submit events.
High Rockies Harm Reduction hosts a fall-themed fundraiser at Miners’ Park from noon to 5 p.m. MEET THE AUTHOR
Donna Lee Hubble, local author of “Seek, Not for Love,” presents her book at the Carbondale Library from 1 to 2 p.m. More info at https://gcpld.org/
CHART CARBONDALE
The Town of Carbondale invites the community to participate in a public hearing regarding the town’s comprehensive plan update, beginning at 6 p.m. More info at https://carbondalekaleidoscope. org/chart-carbondale BOOK DISCUSSION
Garfield Public Libraries invites you to read “Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna” by Alda P. Dobbs and join a virtual discussion with the author at 6 p.m. More info at https://gclpd.org/ ABOUT BORIS KARLOFF
The Art Center at Willits presents “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster,” a film about Boris Karloff — aka William Henry Pratt — at 7 p.m. Tickets are at: https:// tacaw.org/ Proof of vaccination is required.
Sol del el
Conectando comunidades
Valle
A este su agrpadec nu e o y o e m o vo p par s ro y a ecto .
Volumen 1, Número 34 | 21-27 de octubre de 2021
El perro Truman (12 años) está llevado a pasear en una carriola por su tierna madre, Eloisa Duarte, quien habla por teléfono con su hermana – y nuestra traductora – Dolores Duarte. Ambos Truman y su hermana Gracie (cinco años) fueron adoptades en Colorado Animal Rescue. Foto por Raleigh Burleigh.
Bibliotecas de GarCo amplían sus servicios Por Ken Pletcher Traducción por Dolores Duarte
La noticia en el boletín de octubre del Distrito de Bibliotecas Públicas del Condado de Garfield (GCPLD) fue emocionante: la ampliación gradual del horario en las seis sucursales de la biblioteca, a partir de noviembre. Este anuncio se esperaba desde hace casi dos años. A principios de 2020, las expectativas en el distrito eran altas después de que los votantes del condado aprobaron un aumento del impuesto a la propiedad (medida de votación 6A) en noviembre de 2019. Se esperaba que la medida proporcionaría 4 millones de dólares adicionales al presupuesto anual del GCPLD, que se utilizaría para ampliar el horario de la biblioteca, contratar personal adicional y restaurar los programas educativos que se habían visto gravemente reducidos por los recortes presupuestarios de los últimos años. Luego, el COVID-19 llegó a principios de año. Como sabemos muy bien, eso lo cambió todo. El sistema de bibliotecas se vio obligado a cerrar temporalmente. Sin embargo, como señaló el director de comunicaciones y marketing del GCPLD, James Larson, "fuimos
una de las pocas bibliotecas del estado que permaneció abierta [tras un cierre de aproximadamente dos meses] durante toda la pandemia". Cuando las sucursales volvieron a abrir, al principio los usuarios de las bibliotecas sólo podían solicitar materiales en línea para recogerlos y sacarlos (así mismo, no se permitía la entrada a los edificios). Incluso, después de que se restableciera el acceso limitado a las bibliotecas sucursales a finales de la primavera de 2021, se establecieron estrictos protocolos de COVID para los usuarios, incluyendo, al principio, que sólo se permitiera la entrada de dos usuarios a la vez. Uno de los servicios esenciales que se perdieron fue el uso de las computadoras, impresoras, fotocopiadoras y el acceso a Internet de las bibliotecas. Esto supuso una gran dificultad para las personas del distrito que dependían de las instalaciones para esos recursos. En el verano de 2021, la sucursal de Carbondale permitía a los usuarios reservar un número limitado de computadoras; esa restricción también se levantó posteriormente. Sin embargo, no todo era tan grave. El distrito había comenzado a recibir los ingresos del aumento de la recaudación de impuestos de 2019 y los utilizó para comprar
más libros o copias adicionales de los más populares. Los usuarios de la biblioteca probablemente hayan visto la calcomanía en el frente de muchos libros nuevos que dice: "Traído a usted por la aprobación de la medida electoral 6A en 2019. ¡Gracias, votantes!". Además, a medida que avanzaba el año 2020, los ingresos extra del referéndum de 2019 permitieron al distrito cubrir una serie de puestos de personal de nueva creación, así como ofrecer salarios más competitivos. Las cosas parecían prometedoras, a pesar de la pandemia. A pesar de estos pasos positivos, no todo era necesariamente bueno en el distrito – como se informó el pasado verano en el Post Independent. La implacabilidad de la pandemia era ciertamente un factor negativo para la moral del personal del GCLPD, pero también parecía haber un creciente descontento con el liderazgo del distrito. Durante varios meses, a partir de 2020 y hasta 2021, un gran número de miembros del personal renunció, especialmente cuatro de los seis directores de sucursal. También se marcharon varios empleados de tiempo completo del distrito, como el director de recursos humanos,
el técnico de instalaciones y el coordinador de voluntarios. A finales de agosto, el propio director ejecutivo, Brett Lear, renunció. El distrito se ha apresurado a cubrir esos puestos y, a su favor, ha encontrado personas calificadas para la mayoría de ellos. Una de las nuevas contrataciones, Tracy Kallassy, asumió el cargo de directora de la sucursal de la biblioteca de Carbondale a mediados de julio (“¡Justo a tiempo para la Feria de la Montaña!”, señaló), procedente de un puesto similar en Arlington, Virginia. La búsqueda de las tres vacantes restantes en las sucursales (actualmente con directores interinos) continúa. También se han cubierto otros puestos administrativos. En la reunión de la junta directiva de la biblioteca del 7 de octubre, Kevin Hettler, durante mucho tiempo gerente de finanzas del distrito, fue nombrado director ejecutivo interino. Muchos de los puestos vacantes restantes eran para trabajos por hora a tiempo parcial en las sucursales. "Estamos [ahora] en mucha mejor forma", observó Larson. Todas las sucursales están casi llenas de personal. La moral es muy buena, estamos emocionados". Sin embargo, la noticia más
importante fue el anuncio de la ampliación del horario de la biblioteca. A partir del 1 de noviembre, todas las sucursales abrirán a las 10 de la mañana. A partir del 3 de enero, las bibliotecas abrirán dos noches a la semana hasta las 8 de la noche. Kallassy está satisfecha con la ampliación del horario. "Nuestros usuarios desean poder llegar más fácilmente", dijo, poniendo como ejemplo a los padres con niños pequeños que quieren venir por las mañanas. Además, las bibliotecas han estado ofreciendo más eventos y actividades en persona, incluyendo horas de historietas en inglés y español. Muchos de ellos han sido al aire libre hasta ahora, como la actuación del Ballet Folklórico de Aspen Santa Fe frente a la sucursal de Glenwood Springs el 2 de octubre. Las seis sucursales organizarán celebraciones de tallado de calabazas durante todo el mes de octubre. Para conocer las fechas y horarios, visita https://gcpld.org/. Kallassy sonrió mientras comentaba: "Es genial tener a los niños de vuelta en la biblioteca... [están] tan emocionados de estar aquí". Y añadió: "¡Es bonito volver a ser una biblioteca!".
SALUD
Desde La Clínica
by Dra. Maria Judith Alvarez Las vacunas, incluyendo la vacunas antigripal y el COVID, son una de las historias de éxito más brillantes de la medicina moderna. Estimulan al sistema inmunológico para luchar contra las enfermedades infecciosas. Sin la vacuna, la persona puede padecer la enfermedad. Han salvado millones de vidas y prevenido millones de casos de discapacidad (por ejemplo, sordera por el sarampión, defectos de nacimiento por rubéola y parálisis por polio) en todo el mundo. Miles de estadounidenses mueren cada año a causa de la influenza y sus complicaciones, y la mayoría de estas muertes podrían prevenirse si todos se vacunarán contra la influenza todos los años. De menor preocupación, pero no menos importante, es que la influenza causa ausencia de muchos días de trabajo y
Tiempo de vacuna antigripal ausencias escolares. El Centro para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC) recomienda una vacuna contra la gripe para fines de octubre para todas las personas mayores de seis meses, con raras excepciones (la alergia al huevo ya no es una de ellas). Los niños menores de seis meses no deben recibir vacunas contra la gripe, por lo que es particularmente importante que los cuidadores de esos niños estén vacunados. Durante la temporada de influenza 2019-20, 166 niños de EE. UU. murieron a causa de la influenza, muertes que probablemente se habrían evitado si estos niños hubieran sido vacunados. Los adultos de 65 años o más necesitan una vacuna de concentración adicional. La influenza es causada por virus, que no responden a los antibióticos. Las formas más graves de gripe son la influenza A y B, y la gripe C es más leve. En climas templados como el nuestro, los virus de la gripe son generalmente activos durante los meses más fríos: finales del otoño, invierno y principios de la primavera. Se necesitan aproximadamente dos semanas para que las inyecciones "surtan efecto". Las vacunas contra la gripe se pueden obtener en la mayoría de los consultorios médicos, farmacias y oficinas de salud pública. Se modifican todos los años debido a la "corriente genética" de los virus de la influenza. Visite el sitio web de los CDC para conocer las
diversas opciones de vacunas contra la influenza disponibles este año, o hable con su doctor o con quien sea que le aplique la vacuna. Los efectos secundarios, además del dolor leve alrededor del lugar de la inyección durante uno o dos días, son raros. La gente a veces dice que la vacuna contra la gripe les dio la gripe, pero nunca se ha demostrado que eso ocurra. En promedio, un adulto contrae cinco infecciones virales no relacionadas con la gripe al año, como los resfriados, por lo que, de los millones de vacunas contra la gripe que se administran cada año, algunas personas contraerán casualmente una de estas otras infecciones virales y por esta razón suelen echarle la culpa a la vacuna contra la gripe que acaban de recibir. La influenza es muy contagiosa y se transmite por vía respiratoria, es decir, drenaje nasal y gotitas expulsadas al toser. El período de incubación es de uno a cuatro días. Los síntomas típicos incluyen fiebre, escalofríos, dolor generalizado, malestar en el pecho, dolor de cabeza, congestión nasal, tos seca y dolor de garganta. Los pacientes ancianos a menudo se presentan con fatiga y confusión, pero no otros síntomas. Las complicaciones comunes de la gripe incluyen infecciones de los senos nasales y del oído, bronquitis y neumonía (viral y bacteriana), y la neumonía suele ser la causa de las muertes relacionadas con la gripe.
¿Sabía que las vacunas contra la gripe pueden reducir la muerte por ataques cardíacos y accidentes cerebrovasculares? Las infecciones bacterianas y virales, como la influenza, pueden causar inflamación que puede desencadenar la ruptura de la placa arterial, que es la causa de ataques cardíacos y accidentes cerebrovasculares. Según Bale y Doneen en su libro "Beat the Heart Attack Gene", un gran estudio mostró que hasta 91,000 estadounidenses mueren anualmente de ataques cardíacos y accidentes cerebrovasculares provocados por la gripe. Las pruebas rápidas de la gripe realizadas en los consultorios médicos son útiles para el diagnóstico, aunque pueden producirse falsos positivos y negativos. Recuerde que las vacunas contra la gripe solo previenen la influenza A y B. No son 100% efectivos para prevenir la influenza, pero la enfermedad tiende a ser más corta y más leve en personas inmunizadas, y es mucho menos probable que ocurran complicaciones, incluida la muerte. Sea proactivo con respecto a su salud y vacúnese contra la gripe si aún no lo ha hecho. Las vacunas contra la influenza son particularmente importantes durante la pandemia actual de COVID-19, y se pueden administrar las vacunas contra la influenza y COVID al mismo tiempo.
EL PUEBLO DE caRBoNDaLE
The Sopris Sun está buscando a alguien para vender anuncios, a medio tiempo y por comisión. El enfoque será principalmente vender anuncios en español para el Sol del Valle. Hay que ser bilingüe. Por favor, mande tu CV a Todd@SoprisSun.com
VISITE UNO DE LOS SPAS MAS ANTIGUOS Y RESPETADOS EN AMERICA y las Cuevas históricas de Vapor
Baños naturales minerals termales “Más privado que una piscina” No WALKINS Por favor. Llame para citas Para información y reservaciones llame a 970-945-0667 • yampahspa.com El Spa esta abierto de 9 a.m. a 9 p.m. y el Salón de 9 a.m. a 7 p.m.
16 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 21-27 de octubre de 2021
Donaciones por correo o en línea P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Executive Director Todd Chamberlin • 970-510-0246 adsales@soprissun.com Editor Raleigh Burleigh • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Directora Artística: Ylice Golden Traductoras: Jacquelinne Castro y Dolores Duarte Distribucion: Crystal Tapp Miembros de la Mesa Directiva Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke • Lee Beck Megan Tackett • Gayle Wells • Donna Dayton Terri Ritchie • Eric Smith • Vanessa Porras The Sopris Sun, Inc. Es un miembro orgulloso del Distrito Creativo de Carbondale The Sopris Sun, Inc. es una 501(c) (3) organización benéfica sin fines de lucro. Contribuciones financieras son deducibles de impuestos. ¡ESCRÍBENOS! Para contribuir ideas y contenido al Sol del Valle, escribiéndonos a: sol@soprissun.com Para comprar espacio publicitario en español, inglés, o ambos, mándanos un correo electrónico a:
adsales@soprissun.com También se puede contactarnos llamando a 970-510-3003.
Noticias
FiNaListas paRa EL caRgo DE aDmiNistRaDoR paRa La muNicipaLiDaD - gRupo REDuciDo a tREs: El personal de la municipalidad guiará a los tres finalistas postulantes para el cargo de administrador de la municipalidad en un tour para conocer las instalaciones de la municipalidad este jueves. También el jueves, el personal de la municipalidad y miembros del público se verán incluidos en una entrevista a manera de panel. El viernes, cada candidato será entrevistado individualmente por la mesa directiva de la municipalidad.
EL DEpaRtamENto DE paRquEs y REcREacioNEs Da Las gRacias: Durante la reunión de la mesa directiva de este mes, el personal del Departamento de Parques y Recreaciones y miembros de la Comisión de Parques y Recreaciones reconocieron la participación de Tracy Wilson y Rebecca Moller, miembros de la comisión, por su valioso y prolongado servicio. Becky actuó como vice-presidente de 2009 a 2012 para posteriormente tomar la presidencia, junto con Tracy como vice-presidente, de 2013 a 2019. También se dedicó un agradecimiento adicional a Celeste Fullerton, por su perspectiva crítica como miembro juvenil de la comisión en 2020. Faith & BLuE: Gracias a todos los que participaron en el primer evento de Faith & Blue en Carbondale. Un agradecimiento especial para la iglesia Orchard Church por colaborar con el Departamento de Policía de Carbondale para la organización y presentación de este divertido evento comunitario. pREsupuEsto DE La muNicipaLiDaD: El presupuesto propuesto para la municipalidad de Carbondale en 2022 está disponible para revisión pública en CarbondaleGov.org o en Town Hall. guaRDE Las FEchas: chaRt caRBoNDaLE REuNioNEs comuNitaRias ViRtuaLEs paRa DiscutiR EL pLaN ExhaustiVo | 27 DE octuBRE (EspañoL) y 28 DE octuBRE (iNgLés) ¿Hemos escuchado correctamente? Comparta su opinión sobre el futuro de Carbondale durante dos reuniones virtuales para toda la comunidad, el 27 de octubre (español) y el 28 de octubre (inglés). La actualización del plan exhaustivo es una guía que marcará la ruta para que la comunidad pueda alcanzar una visión colectiva y cumplir con los objetivos compartidos. Los resultados de las encuestas y el material actualizado, incluyendo un reporte de las condiciones existentes, ha sido agregado a la página web de Chart Carbondale, misma que incluye un resumen detallado sobre la participación comunitaria, así como los comentarios y sugerencias. Usted puede informarse y solicitar notificaciones en CarbondaleKaleidoscope.org.
970-963-2733 • carbondalegov.org
CHISME DEL PUEBLO Tabla de Carbondale La ciudad de Carbondale invita a los hispanohablantes a participar en una reunión pública con respecto a la actualización del plan comprensivo el miércoles 27 de octubre a las 6 p.m. Los resultados de la encuesta comunitaria reciente con respecto al plan comprensivo está disponible (https://bit.ly/ Cdalesurvey). Según la empresa de consultoría, Cushing Terrell, más de 500 residentes tomaron la encuesta. Las recomendaciones de Cushing Terrell también están disponibles al público (https:// bit.ly/CdaleDraft). Para más información, visite: https:// carb onda leka leidosc op e.org/ chart-carbondale
Seguro médico El distrito de bibliotecas públicas del condado de Garfield y Senior Matters invita a la gente a una clase virtual por medio de Zoom con respecto al seguro médico de 3:30 a 4:30 p.m. Esta clase será transmitida simultáneamente en español. Para inscribirse, visite: https://bit.ly/ medicaremonday
Que quema El servicio forestal llevará a cabo quemaduras controladas (bosque despejado para prevenir incendios) en los condados de Garfield y Pitkin mientras que el clima lo permita durante el invierno. En el condado
de Garfield, aproximadamente 150 desechos de talla se han repartido a través de diez acres del drenaje del arroyo de Four Mile en los terrenos de Bureau of Land Management, y diez desechos más en Uncle Bob Mountain, al lado sur de New Castle. En el condado de Pitkin, los bomberos quemaran “una pequeña cantidad de desechos” cerca de los campamentos de Chapman y Maroon Bells.
Representación Latine Voces Unidas, una organización sin fines de lucro que busca elevar la representación latine, se ha involucrado en el proceso de redistribución legislativa. La organización expresó desaprobación con el mapa de distribución final que fue enviado a la corte suprema de Colorado. “El mapa del congreso final diluye inconstitucionalmente el poder del voto de nuestras comunidades latines en las montañas — Aspen a Parachute es un distrito y Gypsum a Silverthorne es otro”, declaró Voces Unidas. “Estamos pidiendo que la corte suprema de Colorado rechace los mapas del congreso y que los envíen de regreso a la comisión.”
Vertedero de hojas Residentes de Glenwood Springs son bienvenides a desechar sus colecciones de hojas en los terrenos del viejo rodeo cerca del aeropuerto,
a cualquier hora del día, hasta el 30 de noviembre. Gente que utilice este centro de desechos debe retirar las hojas de las bolsas de plástico y asegurarse de que no se encuentre piedras, basura, ramas ni escombros entre ellas, “para prevenir daños al equipo y lesiones laborales.”
Miccailhuitontli Simply RJ, una organización que enseña la filosofía de justicia restaurativa, presentará “Descolonizando el Día de los Muertos” el sábado 23 de octubre a las 10 a.m. Este curso en línea destaca los orígenes indígenas del Día de los Muertos, llamado Miccaihuitontli por los Aztecas, y enseña a les maestres como respetar esta tradición con honor. Para inscripciones, visite: https://bit.ly/Miccailhuitontli
Preparación de festividades La recaudación de fondos anual de guirnaldas y flores de pascua de Carbondale Middle School concluye este domingo 24 de octubre. Todos los fondos beneficiarán a estudiantes locales con excursiones y actividades después de la escuela. Para hacer un pedido llame a la escuela al 970-384-5700.
Mamografias gratis Community Health Services en asociación con Women 's Wellness Connection alienta a las mujeres
Estudiantes de Roaring Fork High School disfrazaron de "las noventas" para "Día de Décadas" durante la semana espíritu para Homecoming. Los Rams juegan fútbol contra Glenwood Springs as las 6 p.m. el 21 de octubre y fútbol americano contra Gunnison a las 7 p.m. el 22 de octubre. Foto por Sue Rollyson. de 40 años o mayores a hablar con sus doctores este octubre, durante el Mes de Concientización sobre el Cáncer de Mama, acerca de una detección del cáncer de mama. Las mujeres del condado de Pitkin, Eagle y Garfield pueden ser elegibles para una detección gratuita de Community Health Services en el Aspen Valley Hospital. Para programar una cita por medio de Community Health Services, visite aspencommunityhealth.org o llame al 970-920-5420.
Concurso de fotografía El concurso de fotografía anual de Roaring Fork Conservancy está recibiendo entregas de fotografía aficionada o profesional. Las categorías de este año son “gente
disfrutando la vertiente”, “fauna silvestre” y “arroyos y paisajes”. ¡Las obras deben ser entregadas antes del 14 de noviembre! Encuentre más detalles en www.roaringfork.org/
Salvaje y pintoresco Wilderness Workshop ha lanzado una petición en línea para proteger el Crystal River con la designación federal de “salvaje y pintoresco”. El National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act fue creado en 1968 para preservar los ríos y arroyos con características naturales, de legado o recreativa con condiciones de flujo libre para generaciones actuales y futuras. Encuentre la petición en https://bit. ly/wildcrystal
EL SOL DEL VALLE • Conector de comunidad • 21-27 de octubre de 2021 • 17
Colorado Extreme ofrece hockey juvenil sin costo Por James Steindler Traducción por Dolores Duarte
En Colorado, dicen que, si eres lo suficientemente mayor para caminar, eres lo suficientemente mayor para esquiar. Sheldon Wolitski remarcó esto, añadiendo que lo mismo ocurre con el hockey en Canadá. Wolitski creció en British Columbia y ya patinaba sobre hielo a los tres años. Está poniendo en marcha un programa de hockey llamado Colorado Extreme, para niños del valle de hasta ocho años. Todo, incluido el equipo, es gratuito. El Crown Mountain Park de El Jebel proporcionará la pista de hielo (que debería estar lista a mediados de noviembre) e incluso una instalación de baños con una cabina para mantenerse abrigado. Hay unos 500 pares de patines a disposición de los participantes ansiosos. Para Wolitski, el hockey no es sólo un juego. Este deporte le ha llevado a nuevas alturas en su vida. De adolescente, al igual que muchos jóvenes, empezó por "el camino equivocado" y, mirando atrás, dice que el hockey fue su salvación. Wolitski obtuvo una beca de la Universidad de Alabama en Huntsville para jugar hockey. Allí estudió sobre iniciativa empresarial. Pronto se graduó y más tarde fundó su propia empresa tecnológica multimillonaria, The Select Group.
"Siendo jugador de hockey y ver cómo influyó positivamente en mi vida, y cambió completamente la trayectoria, estaba muy apasionado de dar a los niños esa misma oportunidad", dijo. Se alegró de decir que está "dedicando mucho más tiempo a este proyecto que a mi propia empresa, lo cual es muy bueno". De hecho, hace poco dejó el cargo de director general de la empresa. Wolitski ha formado parte de la junta directiva del hockey juvenil de Aspen y ha sido voluntario como entrenador en este deporte. Se dio cuenta de que sus vecinos de la zona media del valle no estaban capacitados para que sus hijos se inscribieran en la liga juvenil ni de Glenwood Springs ni de Aspen. Parte de la misión de Colorado Extreme es atraer a un grupo diverso de niños. El objetivo es que al menos el 25% de los jugadores sean latinos y el 25% niñas. Según Wolitski, la Liga Nacional de Hockey (NHL) también se centra en la diversidad y la inclusión. Cuando se puso en contacto con la NHL, la institución se ofreció a comprar 100 equipos para el nuevo programa en Crown Mountain Park. "Me quedé con la boca abierta", dijo Wolitski sobre la donación. Hasta el momento, hay 120 niños inscritos y el 75% de ellos, según Wolitski, nunca habían jugado al hockey.
En el futuro, espera ampliar el programa para jóvenes de hasta 18 años. La pista de temporada que están creando este año no es una pista de hockey de tamaño normal, la cual sería necesaria para que los niños mayores pudieran jugar. Antes de COVID-19, Wolitski tenía planes para abrir en Crown Mountain Park un centro recreativo de usos múltiples, con una pista de hielo durante todo el año. Aseguró a The Sopris Sun que esos planes sólo se han pospuesto y que ese sigue siendo el objetivo final. "No he quitado el dedo del renglón", dijo Wolitski, "Sé que, para tener un programa de hockey continuo, debo tener una pista que tenga hielo todo el año". Wolitski espera que este año también participen algunos adultos en la pista de temporada, pero los equipos tendrían que ser más pequeños, como de tres contra tres, y ¡sin impactos! Wolitski espera que los posibles participantes no se desanimen por tener que inscribirse en línea. Dado que algunas personas no se sienten cómodas proporcionando sus datos, quizás por no tener un estatus de residencia, el invita a todos a "darle un vistazo" e inscribirse en persona. Para más detalles, visita https:// coloradoextreme.org
NO LE ENSEÑES TRUCOS NUEVOS A LOS OSOS SE AN VISTO OSOS EN LOS ALREDEDORES Y DENTRO DE CARBONDALE
¡La prevención temprana evita que los osos hagan un hábito al visitar los vecindarios!
Retire artículos que atraigan a los osos: • Parrillas • Basura • Comederos de • Abono orgánico • Comida para pájaros mascotas • Frutas
CODIGO DEL PUEBLO: NO BASURA ANTES DE LAS 6 AM EL DIA DE COLECCION:
El Pueblo de Carbondale aprobó una ordenanza prohibiendo la colocación de basura en lugares de colección antes de las 6 am y contenedores vacíos deben ser llevados dentro de un hogar seguro no más tarde que las 8 pm del mismo día. Abono orgánico y botes de basura deben estar en un área segura y cerrada o deben ser contenedores resistentes a los osos. Los botes de basura deben estar aprobados/ certificados por el comité de Inneragency Grizzly. (Sec.7-3-60) El olor de cualquier comida puede atraer a los osos. Mantenga basura en lugares cerrados hasta la mañana de colección y mantenga parrillas limpios y libres de olor. Una m Es mejor mantener ventanas y puertas aseguradas, especialmente ulta de has durante la noche. Si algún oso entra a su hogar, abra las puertas para t dejar una ruta de escape para el oso y si es posible y salga del hogar. $1,00 a
CONSEJO: Se alienta tener gallineros electrificados.
0 por violar ordena nz de bas a ura
LA BASURA MATA A LOS OSOS: Los osos que visitan regularmente a los vecindarios puede que necesite ser movido o eutanasiados. Para poder mantener a su familia y a los osos seguros, por favor elimine cualquier atrayente y siga estos consejos y ordenanzas hasta que los osos hibernen. Los osos son el 90% vegetarianos y raramente cazan o matan animales, sin embargo, son animales salvajes y pueden ser impredecibles. No se acerque a ningún oso, especialmente a los cachorros. Para más información, llame a la División de Vida Silvestre: 947-2920. Llame al Departamento de Policía de Carbondale si ve algún oso en el pueblo al 963-2662.
18 • EL SOL DEL VALLE • soprissun.com/espanol/ • 21-27 de octubre de 2021
Sheldon Wolitski y su hijo, entrenando. Para Wolitski, el hockey no es sólo un juego, es una disciplina que le ayudó a mantener una vida sana y equilibrada. Por eso, Colorado Extreme enseña a niños del valle a jugar sin costo. Foto de cortesía. Municipalidad
de Carbondale
agradeCemos su oPInIón y ComEntaRIos
Reuniones informativas virtuales: 27 de octubre | 6 pm a 8 pm | Español 28 de octubre | 6 pm a 8 pm | Inglés
Perspectiva general:
Comentarios necesarios:
nuestro equipo de consultores presentará la redacción del plan, seguida de una sesión de preguntas y respuestas en la que los participantes tendrán la oportunidad de expresar sus preguntas y comentarios por escrito a través del chat. El propósito de estas reuniones virtuales es presentar las partes clave de la redacción del plan para obtener comentarios y sugerencias por parte del público. Hemos obtenido muy buena información hasta el momento a través de este proceso, misma que hemos utilizado para desarrollar recomendaciones sobre el futuro de carbondale. Estaremos haciendo éstas y otras preguntas:
• Redacción del mapa sobre el uso de la tierra en el futuro
• ¿le hemos escuchado correctamente?
• comentarios necesarios: > Vivienda > Mobilidad > centro y parte norte del centro > acción climática > Envejeciendo en la comunidad las recomendaciones clave serán publicadas en la página web del proyecto (en inglés y en español) antes del viernes 8 de octubre para toda persona que deseen familiarizarse con ellas antes de las reuniones: https://carbondalekaleidoscope.org/ chart-carbondale
• ¿piensa que estas recomendaciones están avanzando en la dirección correcta?
970-510-1202 • carbondalekaleidoscope.org/chart-carbondale
TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE
APRENDE A JUGAR HOCKEY GRATIS Our vision is to provide diversity & inclusion through youth hockey in the mid-valley
COLORADO EXTREME
Nuestra visión es proveer diversidad e inclusión atreves del hockey juvenil en el mid-valley
SHELDON WOLITSKI President of Colorado Extreme --Played at U. Alabama Huntsville
JAY WOLITSKI Goalie Coach --Quinnipiac University
CARLOS ROSS MAYBELLINE BEIRING Manager Hockey Ops. Defensive Coach ----Brown University Western New Eng. Univ.
JOIN US AT CROWN MOUNTAIN PARK FOR OUR INAGURAL YOUTH HOCKEY SEASON, FREE FOR ALL PLAYERS! ACOMPÁÑANOS EN EL CROWN MOUNTAIN PARK PARA LA INAUGURACIÓN DE LA TEMPORADA JUVENIL DE HOCKEY, GRATIS PARA TODOS LOS JUGADORES! DATES: TIME: LOCATION: EVERY MONDAY - SATURDAY 4:30-7:30PM Crown Mountain Bike Park (Starting Nov. 15 - Mar. 31) To register for free: call, text, or email Carlos (585) 406-3716 | Carlos@coloradoextreme.org All ice time, skills coaching, hockey equipment and gear will be provided for FREE by Colorado Extreme! Se proveerá todo el equipo de Hockey y el entrenamiento GRATIS gracias a Colorado Extreme! Ages: birth years 2012 - 2017 Edades: Niños y niñas nacidos entre 2012 a 2017 Join us Saturday evenings for pick-up hockey games, pizza, music and hot chocolate! Acompáñanos los sábados en las tardes para juegos de Hockey, pizza, música y chocolate caliente!
www.coloradoextreme.org THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 19
Uniting the nation with dance
By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor
What does it mean to belong — to a community, to a place, to our own bodies? Artist Helanius J. Wilkins and collaborator A. Ryder Turner are embarking on a massive project, spanning all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to hold that question like a mirror on the disparate states of America. It’s called “The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging” — a title that Wilkins admits “doesn’t roll off the tongue.” Nor should it. The work is born of unreconciled social injustice, centuries in the making. When Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the country in the summer of 2020, Wilkins began walking great distances in solitary solidarity. Made hesitant by the risks presented by COVID-19 and outright violence toward protestors, yet burning to support in his own way, these walks became for Wilkins a form of resistance. Witnessing socioeconomic stratification from the streets inspired, in part, “The Conversation Series.” “The project gains substance, momentum and direction from a series of conversations in and with different diverse and inclusive communities across America,” states a press release. Wilkins’ connections with Dance Initiative, as a member of the Carbondalebased nonprofit’s board, designated the Roaring Fork Valley as one of the earliest stops
in this epic exploration of one of the world’s most dispersed and divergent nations. As an interracial, male duet, Wilkins and Turner “share weight and responsibility, dancing to become better ancestors,” the literature continues. Their weekend in Carbondale began with a presentation at The Launchpad on Friday evening, Oct. 15. First demonstrating their choreography through a live performance, they also shared two short films and spoke in detail about the undertaking, to “disrupt the erasure of silenced stories.” As made evident by the “belonging conversation” hosted on the following afternoon, Wilkins and Turner receive the stories of their host communities with deep care. The conversation was facilitated by Wilkins, whose attentive listening elicited truths of the land transcending any single participant — the legacy of mining sacred places (minerals and other riches), the blatant absence of persons indigenous to these valleys, the emergence of place-based “rituals” (to celebrate dandelions, potatoes and mountain majesty), to name a few. With an artistic team in tow, materials gathered from these conversations will inform a “dance-quilt” stitching together a redefinition of what it means to be an American. Results from this multi-year project will include choreographies, a documentary film, a digital archive and a “toykit” (as opposed to a toolkit, humbly implying that the work can only hint toward fixing the intergenerational harms of history).
FALL into your best decision BECOME A MENTOR
Helanius J. Wilkins and A. Ryder Turner. Courtesy photo by Carlos D. Flores. Part three of the weekend’s offerings was a Sunday movement workshop led by Turner, to process some of the stories and emotions that may have been churned up by the previous day’s conversations. “The vastness of this project stands out, and the patience that’s required,” reflected Dance Initiative Executive Director Megan Janssen in conversation with The Sopris Sun. “It’s really unusual in this day and age to set out on something that’s sort of unclear, that blooms as it goes and is not super quantifiable in this moment. I really appreciate that.”
Janssen assures that Wilkins and Ryder will return to Carbondale as their work progresses. Meanwhile, Dance Initiative will continue to engage people of all ages, backgrounds and proficiencies in movement. Her vision is “that this mountain community, with so much access to incredible land and rivers, has just as much access and literacy with dance and art.” She continued, “as a common language we all get to share, not an elite privilege.” The best way to stay apprised of workshops, performances and other opportunities is to join the Dance Initiative newsletter at www.danceinitiative.org
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20 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
Love Zero Waste App finds treasure in trash By Dyana Z. Furmansky Sopris Sun Correspondent
The launch of the Love Zero Waste app in April 2020 is one of the little good-news stories that got trashed in the outbreak of the global pandemic, when practically the only news reported was bleak and related to COVID-19. “We didn’t get the coverage we expected,” remembers Alyssa Reindel. With her husband, David Reindel, she co-founded the company Evergreen ZeroWaste that created the app. COVID and its variants will be on the planet for some time to come. So, it seems, will the waste diversion company’s free Love Zero Waste App, which is useful for residents of the Roaring Fork region who care about the health of our planet. The Love Zero Waste App digitizes and expands Evergreen ZeroWaste’s printed recycling guide from 2016, says Reindel. She had wanted to turn the paper guide into a “live” app so that it could be updated with suggestions and, of course, not add to the accumulation of physical stuff in the world. It took time, however, for Reindel to persuade the Canadian company Recollect, which builds online community recycling platforms for individual municipalities. Reindel asked for a regional template for her “Love Zero” app.
“We wanted people to be able to look up a particular item they want to recycle and find out what facilities could take it between Aspen and Rifle.” After Evergreen ZeroWaste won the Recycle Colorado’s 2019 Recycler of the Year Award, “I guess we got Recollect’s attention,” she says. According to Reindel, there are about 5,000 Love Zero users and 8,000 materials that have found new purposes. After the launch of the first regional app, Evergreen ZeroWaste built one for Mesa County as well. Reindel wanted the app to help people decide whether their stuff was recyclable, compostable, reusable or, as a last resort, headed for the landfill. To build both a comprehensive list of items that could be diverted from landfills and the alternate sites that would accept them, “was definitely very labor intensive,” Reindel admits. Three Evergreen ZeroWaste staff members contributed many hours, while employee Tessarae Mercer worked on the project full-time for four months. Mercer says she made “hundreds of phone calls,” and came up with more than 300 items and dozens of reuse-focused organizations where stuff could be dropped off along the 68-mile corridor crossing Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties. The work connected types of materials to separate “waste streams.” Car and
truck tires, for example, required their own stream, says Mercer. “Bicycle inner tubes and tires” also get a unique stream. The Love Zero Waste App, which is bilingual, allows users to search for an item they want to recycle, and include suggestions for additional items and recycling sites if they don’t find what they are looking for. It also lists the most popular searches, which currently are televisions, food waste, batteries and leaves. There’s a tab to see what goes where, and a calendar of waste diversion events in each community. “I was really surprised to find out how many items can be kept out of landfills,” says Mercer. “A huge percentage do have another place to go.” One item that surprised her? An old wetsuit that she assumed was headed for the landfill could be sent to a textile recycling center instead. And old cell phones can get dropped into a recycle box at the Aspen City Hall, she says. “I learned a lot from Evergreen ZeroWaste’s holistic approach to waste diversion, and my zero-waste skill set really grew,” Mercer says. In part, it was her success in fulfilling Evergreen ZeroWaste’s desire for a regional approach to waste diversion that landed her a new job as the national sustainability coordinator for Chipotle, based in Newport Beach, California. Mercer moved to Los Angeles for the position last May. “I’m so proud of Tessarae,” says Reindel. “She is chasing her own adventure.”
Compost Collection Guidelines Visit LoveZeroWaste.com for more regional info about waste diversion.
Compostable Materials: All food scraps including meat, bones, dairy, fruits, veggies & coffee grounds.
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Paper without a plastic lining such as pizza boxes, cereal boxes, paper towels, construction paper & shredded paper.
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Yard waste and plants like lawn clippings, leaves, twigs, potted plants & flowers. No branches > 1” in diameter.
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Natural materials like fur, hair, cotton balls & swabs, fireplace ash, toothpicks, chopsticks & wine corks.
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Certified compostable to-go products. Any bags, dinnerware or to-go items must be clearly labeled “compostable.”
Common Compost Contaminants: Frozen food containers
Dairy & soup cartons
These labels DO NOT indicate compostable and should be landfilled:
Plastic-lined takeout containers
Plastic-lined disposable cups
Plastic bags
Disinfecting wipes
“earth-friendly” “made from plant starch” “biodegradable” “green” “oxodegradable” “eco-friendly” “bio” “made from plants” EverGreenZeroWaste.com
970.930.7900
info@EverGreenZeroWaste.com
PO Box 1661, Aspen, CO 81612
Learn to divert waste like a pro with the Love Zero Waste App! More info at: https://evergreenzerowaste.com/ Courtesy graphic.
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THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 21
& Roaring Fork Angels
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Spring Born (CEO Charles Barr) :: Bringing high-tech, climate-controlled and environmentally friendly agriculture to the Western Slope. This year-round production based in Silt, CO offers fresh, organic greens, and same day delivery in recycled packaging. NexWell (CEO Chris Beebe) :: Software app offering effective preventive care and lifestyle support for chronic illness patients. Fills gaps between appointments with humane technology by uniting healthcare’s extensive experience, data and the patient’s daily life. Jupiter Engraving (CEO Heather Bryan) :: Designs and develops its own diamond drag engraving system— the first to incorporate a custom template system. Jupiter is scaling their business through a home based franchise model. Thrijv (CEO Eric Amyot) :: Affordable, accessible, resilient family and home structures that can create and store its own energy, collect and purify water, filter air and create oxygen, grow food and plants indoors, and recycle its waste. Copper Key Tiny Homes (CEO Emily Hisel) :: Created to be the answer to the Roaring Fork Valley housing issue, Copper Key Tiny Homes is working to build high-quality homes in a pocket community that will offer a lifestyle free of clutter, cleaning and high costs. Iron-IQ (CEO Mike Ligrani) :: Provides a comprehensive hardware and software solution for the oil and natural gas industries. This Grand Junction company is the fastest-growing cloud based SCADA solution for the mid-market industrial sector.
22 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
Where do public lands factor into the homelessness crisis?
By Sarah Tory High Country News
Kunisha Fernandez, her husband, Steven Fitch, and their four children had spent five years in Las Vegas when, last spring, Fernandez saw a YouTube video of a family camping full-time: “A day in our life! Family living in a tent.” Fernandez found it captivating – four girls and their dad walking on the beach; dinner cooked on a campfire overlooking the ocean; life under starry skies. Fernandez watched another video like it and then another, over and over again, like a playlist, and she thought about how her family had never gone camping together. That night, she shared it with Fitch. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we did this?” she asked. Fitch agreed. The two met in San Diego, where they both grew up. Fernandez, 31, worked remotely for a company that retrieved medical records, while Fitch, 33, worked as a mover, but they struggled to find a two-bedroom apartment for less than $2,000 a month. In 2016, they moved to Las Vegas because they heard housing was cheaper there, but after a few years, rents started going up in Las Vegas, too, and Fernandez found the heat excruciating.
It was a system neither Fernandez nor Fitch wanted to be a part of any longer. “Why do I have to pay so much just to have somewhere to live?” Fitch thought. “What kind of life is that?” In the YouTube video, they glimpsed an alternative – a way to get out. So they showed it to their kids: Caliyah, 9, Prince’Ellijah, 5, Prince’JahZiah, 1 1/2, and Amoriah, 4 months old at the time. “How would you like to live outside fulltime?” they asked. Fernandez and Fitch were prone to spontaneity, and a week later, they had sold most of their possessions and traded in their car for a used minivan. They bought two large floor tents, six cots, camping chairs, a battery-powered shower head, solar lights, a fold-up table and a cooler. On June 5, 2021, they piled everything into their minivan and drove away from Las Vegas for good, heading toward the nearest green space on the map: Lake Mead. First, they drove east to Utah, and then to western Colorado, into the Elk Mountains. A few miles from the town of Carbondale, down a rugged dirt road, they found a free primitive camping area – fire pits, no amenities – on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. They set up camp on a large flat spot near a creek
Steven Fitch (left) holds 4-month-year-old Amoriah, Caliyah, 9, Prince’Ellijah, 5 (center) and Kunisha Fernandez (right) holds Prince’JahZiah, 1 1/2. Photo by Blake Gordon. shaded by pine trees. Fernandez was surprised by how much the kids loved their new life in the forest. Their clothes were often dirty and they got mosquito bites on their faces, but they could run around in the woods, picking up pine cones, collecting leaves, learning the sound a woodpecker makes and how water flows in a river. Instead of buying them toys, Fernandez was giving them experiences – and she liked that. Fernandez, Fitch and their kids are part of a growing contingent of Americans living nomadically in vans, RVs and tents on U.S. public land. Most of those approximately 625 million acres are managed by federal agencies, including the BLM, the Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife
Service. Many tribal, state and municipal agencies also allow camping on their public lands. Most nomads opt out of established fee-based campgrounds in favor of free dispersed camping – also known as primitive camping, boondocking and dry camping – a time-honored tradition across the West that often involves driving up a forest access road to a pullout without toilets, running water or other amenities. The rules vary across the different landmanagement agencies, but most allow campers to spend 14 days in one location. For some nomads, camping is a lifestyle choice, popularized by Instagram hashtags and the possibilities of remote work. For others, though, it’s a necessity owing to Continued on page 24
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Public lands from page 23 crises such as lost jobs, mental illness and housing costs. Longtime vehicle-dweller Bob Wells, the creator of CheapRVLiving.com and a guru for nomads on tight budgets, sees nomadism as a response to deeper societal crises. There’s no way to track the exact number of nomads, but one indicator is Wells’ website, which has surged in popularity since the 2008 recession, when 10 million Americans lost their homes. Wells was inundated with letters and emails from people saying, “I can’t live anymore” – something that’s continued as the country’s affordable housing crisis has worsened. If the recession shook the foundations of American societal norms – the belief that if you worked hard and saved money, you could have a stable middle-class life – the pandemic jackhammered the rest, said Wells, 66, who recently played himself in the Oscar-winning film Nomadland. “I think things are going to be very different going forward,” he told me, noting the “flood of people leaving California because it’s so expensive and crowded.” And climate change, Wells believes, will only accelerate that trend. With wildfires and extreme temperatures, he said, “We’re going to be a planet on the move.” In January 2011, Wells held a gathering in the desert outside of Quartzsite, Arizona, halfway between Los Angeles and Phoenix, for an event he dubbed the “Rubber Tramp Rendezvous.” That first year, 45 vehicles showed up. By 2019, an estimated 10,000 were there. One of Wells’ most popular YouTube videos, Living in a Car on $800 a Month, now has over 4
Family and friends from Los Angeles camp on public land in Mammoth Lakes, California on July 17, 2021. Photo by Max Whittaker. million views. Whatever the motive, the growing presence of campers on public land is having an impact, from trampled vegetation and improperly buried human waste to trash piles deep in the woods. The cleanup costs incurred by non-recreational campers in hotspots like Oregon’s Willamette National Forest were as high as $250,000 in 2018. Those biophysical impacts – as well as the growing threat of wildfires – spurred land managers to restrict or shut down dispersed camping in places like Colorado’s Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Boulder, the Tahoe National Forest in California and the BLM’s Carson City District outside of Reno, Nevada. As increasing numbers turn to the West’s public lands for solace and escape, the conflicts around
DON’T TEACH BEARS NEW TRICKS BEARS HAvE BEEN SEEN IN AND AROuND CARBONDAlE Early prevention keeps bears from making a habit of visiting neighborhoods!
REMOvE ITEMS THAT ATTRACT BEARS: • Garbage • Barbeque Grills • Bird Feeders • Fruit • Pet Food • Compost
TOWN CODE: NO GARBAGE BEFORE 6AM ON COllECTION DAy:
The Town of Carbondale passed an ordinance prohibiting placement of trash for pickup before 6AM on collection day and empty containers must be brought in no later than 8PM the same day. Compost and trash cans need to be in a secure and enclosed area or must be bear resistant trash can. Trash cans should be approved/certified by the Inneragency Grizzly Committee. (Sec. 7-3-60) The smell of any food may attract bears. Keep garbage indoors until the morning of trash pickup and keep outdoor barbeque grills clean and odorless. It is best to keep windows and doors securely locked, especially at night. If a bear enters your home, open doors to leave the bear an escape route and leave the house if possible.
TIP: It’s encouraged to have electrified chicken coops. GARBAGE KIllS BEARS:
Bears that make repeated visits to neighborhoods may need to be moved or euthanized. To keep your family and the bears safe, please remove any attractants and follow these tips and ordinances, until the bears hibernate in winter. Bears are 90% vegetarian and rarely hunt or kill animals, however, they are wild animals and can be unpredicatable. Do not approach any bear, especially cubs. For additional information, call the Division of Wildlife: 947-2920. Call the Carbondale Police Department if you see a bear anywhere in town at 963-2662.
24 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
dispersed camping are raising difficult questions over what exactly it means to camp, and what – and who – the public lands are for. Even before the pandemic, land managers noticed a growing number of non-recreational campers. A 2015 study found that Forest Service law enforcement officers and other officials in many parts of the U.S. were encountering a steady flow of people using public lands as a temporary residence. The largest share were transient retirees, followed by displaced families and homeless individuals. Nearly half of the 290 officers surveyed reported that encounters with non-recreational campers had increased over time. Officers in the Rocky Mountain Region, the Southwestern Region and California encountered nonrecreational campers most often; more
than half of the officers in both regions reported coming across such campers at least once a week, as did 42% of officers in California. The findings make sense in the context of America’s housing crisis and rising homeless population, said Lee Cerveny, a research social scientist with the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, which spearheaded the 2015 study. Western states have some of the highest rates of homelessness, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2020 Homeless Assessment Report. California tops the list, with 161,548 people experiencing homelessness – 28% of the entire country’s unhoused population. Mental health problems, addiction, childhood trauma, interaction with the criminal justice system and poverty all play a part in whether someone becomes homeless. But the main reason? They can no longer afford rent. In the San Francisco Bay Area, for instance, the median price of a home was over $1.3 million in 2021 and the median rent as of August was $2,795 for a one-bedroom apartment. Meanwhile, California’s homeless population rose 16% between 2007 and 2020. When the pandemic hit, the state rental market tightened and people lost jobs and income. In Marin County, the number of people living in cars and RVs nearly doubled between 2019 and 2020. During the same period, Sonoma County – where a series of devastating wildfires starting in 2017 had already pushed more people into homelessness – saw a 42% increase in homelessness among older adults, as well as an increasing number of people living
Dirk Addis poses for a portrait in his van in Mammoth Lakes. Addis has been dispersed camping in his van for 19 years. Photo by Max Whittaker. in vehicles. “It’s become a strategy or alternative form of shelter,” said Jennielynn Holmes, chief programs officer for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, a nonprofit that assists the unhoused. “People purchase a rundown vehicle and then park it somewhere and live in it for a number of years,” she said, often on city streets or in encampments on the outskirts of town. With dispersed camping banned in most urban areas, other long-term vehicle dwellers have left California entirely, living on the
ToWN of CarboNdalE
road in states where gas and other necessities are cheaper. For Cerveny, the survey was illuminating in less tangible ways, too. All the websites and social media promoting nomadic lifestyles seemed to ignore the more troubling social, economic and environmental conditions behind the trend. “What does it say about our society that so many people are feeling like they don’t have options for living except to move around in an RV or a camper?” The last time Dirk Addis paid rent was May 2002. A month later, he moved from San Diego to Mammoth Lakes, a popular mountain town in the Eastern Sierra, to work in a gear shop. Even then, the town had limited affordable housing options, so Addis decided to try living out of his van for the summer on the Inyo National Forest, which encompasses all but 4 of the town’s 24 square miles. When I met Addis, 54, one afternoon for coffee, he wanted me to know that he is not homeless – nor does he even really “live” in his vehicle. “I live on planet Earth,” he said. “I just happen to sleep in my van during inclement bouts of weather. Otherwise, I’m sleeping outside under the stars.” Addis averages 200 nights a year sleeping this way. His cousin calls it NUTS: Nights Under The Stars. But for all its romantic connotations, Addis’ lifestyle was born out of a housing crisis. Like Fitch and Fernandez, Addis is, what he calls, “homeless by design” – partly because the local housing alternatives are unappealing at best and nonexistent at worst. Like most ski towns, the majority of Mammoth’s homeowners do not live in Mammoth. They live in Southern California and come to ski on weekends or spend a few weeks during the summer. In the hills around Mammoth, empty lots sell for over $1 million, and new five-to-seven-bedroom mansions regularly sell for up to $5 million. Most of the more affordable housing is in a series of densely packed condominiums and small A-frames built in the ’60s and ’70s near the center of town. But with Airbnb’s arrival 10 years ago, many of the second-home owners who previously rented their condos to locals switched to nightly rentals instead, exacerbating an already strained housing market. According to a report from Mammoth Lakes Inc., a local housing nonprofit,
more than half of Mammoth Lakes’ households cannot afford market rate rents in the town. Addis, who currently works as a maintenance man for a condo complex, is blunt about Airbnb: “It has [screwed] ski towns,” he said. Addis quickly realized that he would have to work at least two, probably three, jobs, and spend at least half of his earnings on rent – most likely for a tiny studio apartment or a condo with multiple roommates. “What the hell!” he said. “No!” So Addis stayed in his van that winter. Then another winter, and another, moving every 14 days to a new site to stay within the law. He was not the only one who saw the forest as Mammoth’s best available housing option. In the early 2000s, when Addis began living in his van, he estimated there were at most 20 people living on the forest during the summers, and five who did it year-round like him. Now, he said, there are roughly 100 people in the summer and probably about 30 during the winter, when it can snow 5 feet at a time. When Stacy Corless, the District 5 supervisor for Mono County moved to Mammoth more than 20 years ago, a longtime local named Hal lived in the woods yearround. Other Mammoth residents thought he was quirky and rugged, but as more people took up residence in the forest, Corless saw people’s opinions about forest living change. “Somehow that was OK, when it was just this one individual,” Corless told me. “Now it’s less palatable to residents.” She recited the complaints she’s heard in recent years – trash, human waste, illegal campfires. During the summer of 2020, rising tensions over dispersed camping exploded when recreational visitors arrived to the Eastern Sierra in unprecedented numbers, eager to escape their pandemic-induced confinement. The surge of visitors combined with the unhoused put dispersed camping in the city’s crosshairs. On Labor Day weekend, the Scenic Loop, a road that circles through Forest Service land just outside of Mammoth, was packed with RVs and wall-to-wall campers. “It looked like a homeless encampment,” said Continued on page 26
NEWS
ToWN MaNagEr fiNaliSTS – doWN To ThrEE:
Town employees will lead the three finalists for Carbondale’s Town Manager position on a tour of Carbondale and town facilities this Thursday. Also on Thursday, town staff and members of the public will be included in a panel-style interview. Each candidate will sit for an interview with the Town Board on Friday.
a big ThaNK YoU:
The staff of Carbondale’s Parks & Recreation Department and members of the Parks & Rec Commission acknowledged the valuable, long-time service of commission members Tracy Wilson and Rebecca Moller at this month’s board meeting. Becky served as vice chair from 2009-2012 and then as chairperson with Tracy as her co-chair from 2013-2019. Additional thanks went to Celeste Fullerton for her critical perspective as the commission’s youth member in 2020.
faiTh & blUE:
Thank you to everyone who participated in Carbondale’s first-ever Faith & Blue weekend, with special appreciation to the Orchard Church for partnering with the Carbondale Police Department in launching this fun-filled outreach event.
ToWN bUdgET:
Carbondale’s 2022 Proposed Budget is available for public review at CarbondaleGov.org or in Town Hall.
SaVE ThE daTES: CharT CarboNdalE CoMprEhENSiVE VirTUal plaN MEETiNgS oCTobEr 27Th (SpaNiSh) oCTobEr 28Th (ENgliSh) Did we hear you correctly? Share your opinion on the future of Carbondale during two virtual town-wide meetings on Oct. 27th (Spanish) and Oct. 28th (English). The Update to the Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap for the community to achieve our collective vision and shared goals. Survey results and updated material including the Existing Conditions Report have been added to the Chart Carbondale website, which includes a detailed summary of community engagement and feedback. Check it out and sign up for notifications on CarbondaleKaleidoscope.org.
970-963-2733 • carbondalegov.org THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 25
Public lands from page 25 Corless. That Friday evening, the Creek Fire started near Shaver Lake, roughly 40 miles away. Mammoth residents watched as an apocalyptic-looking smoke cloud formed in the sky above them while the nearby forest grew more and more crowded with weekend dispersed campers. Corless’ phone started ringing. “You’ve got to do something,” people said. “There are so many people on the Scenic Loop – get the sheriff out there!” For Corless and other local officials, the chaos of last summer jolted them into action. The general feeling was, “We gotta figure this out,” she said. Last winter, Corless and other Mono County officials joined their counterparts from neighboring Inyo County on a 65-person Zoom call. Together, they came up with a plan to deal with the recreational visitors. The end result was a multipronged approach: a free app showing the entire Eastern Sierra with clearly marked boundaries indicating where dispersed camping was allowed and where it was not; an outreach campaign called “Camp Like a Pro” to educate visitors about the rules of responsible dispersed camping; volunteer stewards to remove fire rings and talk to campers; new porta-potties and dumpsters in popular areas; and a more consistent enforcement strategy among the various law enforcement agencies. Despite those efforts, the previous summer’s surge put an unwelcome spotlight on people living in the forest around Mammoth. As the summer of 2021 approached, some Mammoth residents began calling for an outright ban on dispersed camping in the Eastern Sierra – for visitors and locals like Addis alike. In late April, Chris Leonard, a teacher at Mammoth High School and a fly-fishing guide who’s lived in Mammoth for 17 years, penned an op-ed in the local newspaper after counting 10 RVs and vans camped in the forest east of town. “This is a major issue,” he wrote, noting that in summer 2020, Inyo National Forest was “overrun” with dispersed campers who might leave behind trash, drive through areas not meant for vehicles, harm or disrupt wildlife, and create major forest fires. Already, the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department had been called to the forest twice in the previous two weeks that summer to put out abandoned campfires.
Chris Leonard poses for a portrait while guiding fly fishing on Hot Creek near Mammoth Lakes. Photo by Max Whittaker. “The threat is huge,” he added. “It is also very, very unsightly.” One afternoon in Mammoth, I met Leonard, who has a small fish tattoo on the left side of his neck and a direct, no-nonsense vibe. When I asked him about the op-ed, he acknowledged that he had been too extreme. “It was not the correct approach,” he said. “I realize that now.” Leonard told me that the new efforts to manage dispersed campers, plus a decrease in visitors compared to last summer, had helped soften his views. Still, he considers the RVs, in particular, an eyesore. He offered to drive me out to a popular dispersed camping area – a wide basin east of town near Hot Creek, one of his favorite fishing spots. We stopped at a pullout overlooking the creek. Leonard pointed to a group of RVs parked off on a hillside. “So, it’s an
26 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
unofficial RV campground,” he said. “Is it right, or is it wrong? I don’t have the answer to that question. I’d prefer they’re not there, but they’re there.” Later, he admitted he has the luxury of saying all this as a homeowner in Mammoth. “It’s easy for me to be up on the pedestal being like, ‘Get the [heck] out of the forest,’ when I can go home to my house every night,” he said. Recently, Mono County voted to ban overnight camping in the parking lots of county parks and on paved roads. Corless worries the ordinance will push people living in the forest farther from town, instead of solving the problem. Mammoth, like many mountain towns, has not protected its existing low-cost housing or built additional units to the extent necessary. A few years ago,
Mammoth purchased land in the town’s center for more affordable housing, but those units won’t be ready for another couple of years. “You can’t catch up from 40 years of policy that didn’t address housing needs in a year,” said Corless. For Fitch and Fernandez, nomad life turned out to be more challenging than it looked in the videos. A week after they arrived, they piled in the minivan for a day trip to some nearby hot springs. When Fitch pressed on the gas, the car didn’t move – the transmission had blown. Their campsite had no cell service, so Fernandez walked partway into town to call Triple A, but their car was too far from a main road for a tow truck. Without money for a new car, they were effectively stranded. This was not something Fernandez anticipated when she dreamed of their new life, but she told herself that everything happens for a reason. Instead of moving around as planned, they stayed where they were. Fitch found work as a mover in Carbondale so they could afford to buy a new car. For the first few days, he commuted the 18 miles roundtrip from their campsite into town using a bike someone gave him – until his boss discovered he didn’t have a car and loaned him a moped. Meanwhile, Fernandez cared for the kids back at their campsite.
Prince’Ellijah lived with his family at the Thompson Creek camping area during the summer of 2021. Photo by Blake Gordon. One afternoon, I visited. Fernandez emerged from the tent looking tired – Amoriah, normally an easy baby, had been crying all morning. Fernandez popped a marshmallow into her mouth and handed Amoriah to Fitch. Together, we walked down to the creek, which was the color of chocolate milk after the recent monsoon. The storms had surprised them. “People told us Colorado was dry,” Fernandez said. The last week of July it rained every day. The rutted road down to
the campsite became so slick with goopy mud, that Fitch couldn’t get to work. He lost his job. A few days later, a BLM law enforcement officer told them they had stayed there too long and had to leave. Fernandez, who was alone with the kids, tried to explain their situation, but it didn’t matter. The rules were the rules. The next day was Fitch’s 33rd birthday, but there was no time to celebrate; they had to figure out their next move. It felt like they were getting evicted, Fitch said. “We were getting kicked out with no
transportation and had no place to go,” he told me. I asked if the setbacks had made them reconsider their decision to live on the forest. If anything, Fernandez said, it had motivated them to keep going, to keep experiencing these wild places. This was land that belonged to them, but where they rarely saw other Black families like theirs. The situation reminded Fitch of a Lauryn Hill song he likes called “Get Out.” “I get out,” Hill sings, “I don’t respect your system/I won’t protect your system.”
A day later, the family rented a U-Haul and began moving to a new location. Next time, Fitch said, they would make their own campsite deeper in the forest, somewhere no one could find them. Sarah Tory is a correspondent for High Country News. She writes from Carbondale, Colorado. This story was published by High Country News (hcn.org) in collaboration with Bay Nature magazine.
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LEARN MORE AT VVH.ORG/URGENTCARE THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 27
LETTERS Buddy up In December of 2020, with my only daughter thousands of miles away in her first year of college, I turned my goal of becoming a mentor with the Buddy Program into a reality. Now, almost a year into my match, I can wholeheartedly say it is one of the best experiences I have had. Often mentors step in with the desire to help a child in need; and, while there is nothing wrong with the aspiration of helping to support a youth, know that the youth engaged with the Buddy Program shouldn’t be seen as “at-risk” due to the experiences they are navigating in their lives. I want to share that the kids who the Buddy Program serves are smart, resilient, capable, creative, funny, compassionate and athletic, to name just a few of their assets. I can certainly say this is true of my Little Buddy and the hundreds of other youth participants at the Buddy Program. So please, consider taking this opportunity to apply to become a Big Buddy, but when you do, know that you are choosing to be a part of a meaningful developmental relationship that has as much to offer to you, as you do to your Buddy. Kids need adults in their lives who see them for the strengths, sparks and talents they already possess, as well as helping them to navigate the challenges that might exist or arise in their lives. Can you be that adult? If your answer is yes, please contact Laura at lauras@ buddyprogram.org or call 970-317-2833. Jill Gruenberg Senior Case Manager, Buddy Program
Where eagles dare I’ve always believed the blue jay, rather than the bald eagle, should be our national bird. This notorious nest robber would be a more appropriate symbol for the nation that was built
Continued from page 2 with stolen labor on stolen land. I’ve had a great deal of respect for bald eagles ever since one swooped over my car and scared the hell out of me. I swear, I thought he was going to pick up my Ford Escort with his crane hoist sized talons and carry me back to his nest with his seven-foot wingspan. Its nest, which sometimes weighs a ton, would’ve been big enough. All of this has nothing to do with the controversy of whether the bald eagle nest protective zone at the Aspen Glen golf course should be removed because there is no nest there anymore. I’m sorry the video cameras placed there by residents and Parks and Wildlife scared the eagles away and a wind storm blew the massive nest down, but that’s not why I’m opposed to eliminating the protective zone. The purpose of abolishing the zone is to open up several parcels for development. That means more high rent townhouses and condominiums, just like we already have at Aspen Glen. The Roaring Fork Valley needs that like a hole in the 18th fairway. We need affordable housing so those who work in Aspen don’t have to commute from Parachute. That may not fatten the wallets of the contractors as much as they’d like, but it serves the common good. Fred Malo Jr. Carbondale
Haiku A gift from a tree Red leaf snagged in a long strand As I brush my hair Jampa Carbondale
OBITUARY
Dwane LaVar Niedens
August 20, 1930 – July 30, 2021 Dwane Niedens proceeded into Heaven on July 30 4:15 a.m. where he met his wife Phyllis, son Steven, his parents Reinhardt and Pauline and sister Mary. He is survived by his daughter, Dianne; grandchildren: Candace, Jackie, Paul and Cindy; Great grandchildren: Devynn, Avry, Dayzee, Maya, Naomi, Leandra, Oliver and Madeline. He lived most of his life in Colorado, mainly the North Denver area where he spent his teen years and met the love of his life, Phyllis A. Burkholder (aka Phyl). From there, they moved to the West Slope (Frasier) and started their family, having both Dianne and Steve there. There they lived during Dwane’s time serving in the Merchant Marines, at the time of the Korean War, while he also worked on the railroad near the Continental Divide, for the ski resort and the water board. Their adventures then took them to California for a year, where Dwane was pursuing an art degree, and back to Denver where he and Phyl owned and ran a Hobby Shop in North Denver. They then enjoyed many years together in Carbondale as they raised their family, were part of the church and community and Dwane had a successful contracting company, “Niedens Construction.” He and Phyllis spent their final years enjoying the sunshine in Yuma, Arizona, and he enjoyed being a member of the Yuma Aeromodelers Club, as well as faithfully serving in a Yuma church for many years.
He loved Jesus, his family and friends, riding motorcycles, airplanes, model airplanes, westerns, reading, animals, pizza, doughnuts, ice cream and John Wayne. He had a reputation for being a talented craftsman, no matter what the craft! He was an honest man with integrity who pursued excellence in all that he did and lived a good, long, honorable life. He will be dearly missed, yet we look forward to being reunited with him in Heaven one day! We are grateful that we have our hope in the Lord and are covered by the peace that surpasses all human understanding as we mourn the loss of Dwane and celebrate in recognition that all of Heaven is rejoicing for his return home to the arms of our Father!
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cbmasonmorse.com 28 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
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Neighbors challenge 480 Donegan Road PUD
The pastures at 480 Donegan Road on a recent quiet evening. Photo by Bobbie Meriwether. Opinion by Bobbie Meriwether
In West Glenwood, what has been missing for decades that would ease (as opposed to make much worse) the enormous costs and impacts of large-scale planned urban developments (PUDs) would be dedicated school land and parkland. There are already compounding impacts to residents as a result of unprecedented population growth, affecting safety, infrastructure, the environment and overall quality of life. Note, R2 Partners (the Ohio-based group seeking to develop 480 Donegan Road) has NOT proposed publiclyaccessible green space. The townhome complex where I live was built in the late ‘90s. It was built in obvious haste, in response to the apparent fortunes of the time. In a most glaring evasion of building code, the entire length of the southern boundary between this development and the older one directly behind it completely lacks an adequate retaining wall. The backyards of the block of units, including mine, have lost at least a third of ground, which is still eroding. Who will ultimately have to pay
for the retaining wall when the time comes? You guessed it. In the development behind this one, the summer of 2021 saw several units being purged of asbestos contamination, if you can believe it took so long. There is NO open space in almost all of these older PUDs. Nearby is a token “park” with a couple picnic tables, south of the Machebeuf Apartments, which hardly counts. Diesel fumes often offset its allure. Because children lack adequate space to play, West Glenwood has a growing safety issue for families with young children. Recently, a hasty HOA meeting was held by our complex for the very reason of child endangerment. The very young are apt to sometimes escape adult supervision and ride their little bikes and wagons in the curb drainage. This is an extremely dangerous situation, demanding helicopter parenting. Reaching out to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and citizen volunteer Parks and Recreation Commission, neighbor Greg Jeung found that these entities weren’t “invited” into the discussion, despite the inevitable impacts that dense development of the 16-acre pasture behind
safe space to walk, run and play. All humans have a common need for clean water, fresh air and space. Let’s talk about compassion and empathy, for a community’s sake. Here’s an inconvenient truth: times have changed. In West Glenwood, air pollution is often absolutely awful; let’s face the reality of it. Smoke, diesel fumes, auto fumes, mine dust and wood burning all contribute. Wet weather often brings with it the charred stench of drought-ravaged vegetation. To pretend these realities do not exist, leads to NO solutions at all. We shout “hallelujah” when the air finally seems fresh and when water restrictions are temporarily on reprieve. There are city leaders like Paula Stepp who recognize that the ability to keep on adapting to untenable situations has its limits. I have mentioned only one aspect of safety concerns. Why place a huge development in an area rated for extreme fire danger and notorious for traffic gridlock? The next city council meeting is on Oct. 21. The city council will vote on annexation or to deny the 300-plus unit, multistory urban development complex.
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the old West Glenwood Mall would have on their operations. Similarly, the developer failed to dialogue with the neighbors who would be most affected. R2 Partners and the City of Glenwood did not adequately inform residents of the potential magnitude of the 480 Donegan population bomb. There are some on the Glenwood Springs City Council content to allow R2 Partners to dictate that they “know better,” and that smart growth means a truly massive urban development complex in a rural area, a block from the Mitchell Creek drainage where eagles fly overhead. An equally dangerous situation exists at the Two Rivers Community School, during children’s recess and school drop-off and pickup hours. Trying to make unholy “adaptations” to dangerous situations like this should not be tolerated. All it takes for disaster to strike is for a child or a supervisor to have one momentary lapse of attention. These children and their caretakers need (must have) outdoor parkland and adequate parking for their schools. I have often seen children reduced to rightful tears of frustration for lack of a
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LEGALS NOTICE OF BUDGET : NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Town of Carbondale Board of Trustees for the ensuing year of 2022; that a copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of the Town Clerk at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, where same is open for public inspection; that such proposed budget will be considered for adoption at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees to be held at Carbondale Town Hall on December 7, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. Any interested elector within 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. Town of Carbondale; Date: 10/13/2021; Kevin Schorzman, Interim Town Manager
NOTICE OF BUDGET (Pursuant to 29-1-106, C.R.S.): NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District for the ensuing year of 2022; a copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District, where the same is open for public inspection; such proposed budget will be considered at the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors to be held at Carbondale Fire Headquarters, 301 Meadowood Drive, Carbondale, Colorado on November 10, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Any interested elector of Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District may inspect the proposed budget and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget.
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30 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • October 21-27, 2021
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PARTING SHOTS
The first-ever Squash Auction and Variety Showcase fundraiser for Seed Peace attracted a sizable crowd to Batch Provisions on Oct. 14. Prized selections of winter squash (bottom-left) were sold to the highest bidder by Executive Director Casey Piscura (center) along with vegetable-dyed aprons designed by Katie Browne of Box Eleven and printed at The Project Shop (center-left). Attendees also enjoyed samplings from the season's organic carrot trials at Wild Mountain Seeds (bottom-right), specialty cocktails and gourmet pizzas baked in Dustin Rowe's mobile pizza oven and in-house by Batch. Photos by Raleigh Burleigh. THE SOPRIS SUN • Your weekly community connector • October 21-27, 2021 • 31
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