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A grand return Only standing room was left at the Carbondale Middle School auditorium on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 29, as more than 400 audience members gathered for a performance marking the return of Carbondale public schools’ band, with over 110 fifth through 12th graders already enrolled. Band Director Arjen Wynja said, with a full-time music teacher at Crystal River Elementary School and full-time band director at Carbondale Middle School and Roaring Fork High School, Carbondale public schools are the place “for Carbondale kids to get a quality, comprehensive music education.” “Our administrators and faculty deeply value the arts, and we’re building something really special here,” Wynja said. “I’m excited that so many people have already gotten on board!” Photo by Caden Smith Sopris Stars Correspondent
Volume 18, Number 39 | November 5-11, 2026
Drug of choice For the record, my column was due two days before Elec- rebelling against the No Snacking Between Meals Rule. Like tion Day. Instead of trying to predict the unpredictable, I a moth to flame, I have always been attracted to acts of defipivoted and chose another topic. The burnout is real for this ance. As a teenager, I graduated from Red Hots to cigarettes little political junkie. and beer, eventually trying several types of mind-altering When I was a kid we lived in Woody Creek, at the very end substances … Yep, drugs. I’m talking about drugs. of Twining Flats Road. Well, maybe there was one more house Marijuana was called the “gateway drug” when I was young, past ours on the other side of the road, but I don’t ever remem- nothing like the kid in a candy store vibe we have going today. ber venturing down there. I do remember The powers-that-be claimed it would lead to playing for hours by the river under the spruce a degenerate’s life of corruption and peril. I trees, just a hop, skip and jump away from remember watching a film in the auditorium where, by all accounts, Hunter S. Thompson about a young man who took LSD in a sugar was hanging out at the Woody Creek Tavern, cube and then jumped out of the window imbibing and testing the boundaries of because he thought he could fly. “We’re conventional authority. never taking LSD!” my fifth-grade friends At that age I wasn’t aware of booze beyond and I went around saying to each other. But a the can of Coors my dad had after work and decade later when someone offered me acid, Mom’s special “clear juice” that she drank I thought, “Why not give it a try?” completely at the kitchen table with her friend Lyndie unaware that it was the same drug. And Gagne. Growing up on the Roaring Fork in that experience only reinforced my instinct the 1970s, my substance of choice was sugar, to trust myself more than any government probably because we never got any, with issued copy claiming to be the authority. Ps & Qs the obvious exception of Halloween. I gladly The true thing about drugs, whether they walked the entirety of Twining Flats in my are street or Big Pharma, is that you really By Jeannie Perry Princess Leia costume in the dark with an want to be able to trust the source. In my empty pillowcase to hold all the candy. Of course, Halloween youth, drugs held an aspect of bravado and defiance: breaking was bittersweet because we had our costumes all ready to go free from societal constraints, conventional expectations and and then inevitably had to cover them up with a down parka preconceived notions. But with age I began to see the revolvwhen the temperature dropped. ing door of pharmaceuticals, profit and legislation, trapping The Shannons, who lived across the road from us, gave the politicians like bugs in glass. And I was disgusted by the out little boxes of raisins on Halloween, which my sister and hypocrisy of supporting Lyndon “regular pants don’t fit me” I always bemoaned as we spread our candy out to take inven- Johnson sending boys who were barely old enough to vote tory and get down to the business of bartering. Sarah was to their violent deaths in the jungle, while Air America cargo my trusted comrade in all sugar-gaining efforts. Whenever flights were accused of transporting heroin. we went to our grandparents’ ranch in Carbondale, she was The War on Drugs is classic American warfare. Estabmy loyal and reliable lookout, positioned at the pantry door lish public enemy No. 1, rally the troops with propaganda to alert me of anyone’s approach while I stretched to the top and fearmongering, then sit back and let the big dog eat, i.e., shelf, reaching for the Red Hots. (Red Hots, chocolate chips, monitor war profits. I’m more jaded than that little girl seekbasically, sugar used for baking was the only kind we ever ing sugar on Twining Flats Road. I took an experimental path, found at the ranch.) questioned authority, and here I am, still hanging out by the Looking back, I’m not sure if it was more about the actual Roaring Fork River: older, wiser, moderately sober. I do enjoy a sugar — as addictive as cocaine they say, or the allure of glass of “clear juice” now and then …
OPINION
LETTERS CORRECTIONS: Last week’s Basalt Report incorrectly stated that the storageresidential development at 555 Basalt Ave. was approved. It was not. The second reading was continued to Nov. 10. Secondly, a photo by Corbin Anno on The Sopris Stars cover was misattributed to Kayla Steele. Lastly, Wallace deBeque’s wife, Betsy, was mistakenly referred to as Patricia Richmond in last week’s Historiography column.
Re: Historiography I enjoyed the Sue Gray column on the (Gordon Cooper) library. The library has been a wonderful asset for the community, and all those who participated in its genesis deserve our heartfelt thanks. I was lucky enough to be a patron from 1973 into the 21st century, and even luckier to meet “Gordo” when we cut
the ribbon at the dedication of the new library building on 4th Street! Bill Gray Las Cruces, NM
Thank you, community On behalf of Carbondale’s The Meeting Place, we would like to thank the community for its generous support of Astronaut Gordon Cooper (left) and former Mayor Bill Gray (right) cut the ribbon during the Gordon Cooper Library opening at 76 S. 4th St. in Oct. 1984. Valley Journal archive
2 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
our Trivia Night fundraiser. Your generosity directly supports our mission to provide a safe and supportive space for meetings, educational programming and community events for individuals in recovery, their families and friends. The impact of supporting those in recovery is exponential: When people achieve and maintain recovery, our entire community benefits. Thank you! ED Dylan Tibby and the Board The Meeting Place
Near New & Rebekas, We thank you very much for your kind and generous donation to help us celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 12 in Sopris Park and at the Third Street Center. Your generous donation helped us to pay for the plane ticket and hotel of our guest speaker and filmmaker, Brian Parras. 350 Roaring Fork showed his film, “The Condor and the Eagle,” at the 3rd Street Center to a full house with the co-sponsorship of the Roaring Fork Valley Circle. The film exposes the environmental devastation to native lands in Canada, the U.S. and the Amazon caused by multi-national companies destroying native landscapes to drill for oil and pollute the land and people with oil refining and transportation. Clean water and clean land are necessary for all life forms, and this film tells the stories of continued on page 18
Editor James Steindler 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Managing Editor Skyler Stark-Ragsdale Sol del Valle Editora Owen McArdle owen@soldelvalle.org Digital Editor Ingrid Celeste Zúniga ingrid@soldelvalle.org Lead Editorial Designer Terri Ritchie Partnerships & Engagement Manager Luise Nieslanik Advertising Department adsales@soprissun.com Sol del Valle Marketing & Development Manager Margarita Alvarez margarita@soldelvalle.org Advertising and Special Section Designer Emily Blong Delivery Fred Kirschbaum Bartlett Proofreaders Lee Beck Tracy Kallassy Ken Pletcher Hank van Berlo Executive Director Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 todd@soprissun.com Board Members / Mesa Directiva
board@soprissun.com Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke • Eric Smith Roger Berliner • Elizabeth Phillips • Anna Huntington Loren Jenkins • Carlos Ramos • Gayle Wells Jamie LaRue • Adele Craft • Stephen Shapiro Andrew Parrott • Rosa Santiago
The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6pm on second Thursdays at the Third Street Center. The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible.
Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+ Kathy & Carter Barger Lee Beck & John Stickney Karen & Roger Berliner Emily & George Bohmfalk Kay Brunnier Michelle & Ed Buchman Sandy & Paul Chamberlin Frances Dudley Sue Edelstein & Bill Spence Deborah & Shane Evans Greg & Kathy Feinsinger Peter & Mike Gilbert Michael & Nancy Kish Gary & Jill Knaus Jan & Warren Koster Bob & Dori Libson Lee Mulcahy Donna & Ken Riley Eric Smith Patti & George Stranahan Gayle & Dick Wells Elizabeth Wysong
Legacy Givers for including us in their final wishes. Mary Lilly Linda Criswell
Donate by mail or online: P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 520 S. Third Street #26 970-510-3003 soprissun.com/Donate The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District
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The Redstone Press Club
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It’s official! Crystal Valley Echo Editorin-Chief Tucker Farris, along with a group of 10 rag-tag founding members, introduces The Redstone Press Club, meant for current and former journalists in the area to gather and reminisce. Find Farris’ column introducing the press club in the Nov. 3 issue of Aspen Daily News, or online at aspendailynews.com Farris intends to host an inaugural meeting this fall at the Redstone Inn, where the club will regularly convene. Interested reporters can sign up at tinyurl.com/ RedstonePressClub Questions? Email editor@crystalvalleyecho.com
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hunting season, Nov. 15, when the gate toward the bottom of the road leading into Aspen will be closed for the season. The pass generally reopens around Memorial Day weekend.
This Week:
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| December 25-31, 2025
Lethal removals
HOLIDAY HARMONY
Structure fires
That’s the theme we gave local kids to inspire submissions to our annual Spruce Up The Sun cover contest. We thought 7th- grader Maya Annabel illustrated it perfectly, but we can never choose just one, so see pages 4-5 for more!
This Week: 5 - AFGHANISTAN 10 - REALITY TOWN 12-13 - CALENDAR
Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District responded to two structure fires the morning of Monday, Nov. 2. At 4:10am, crews arrived at 87 County Road 103 to find a “a plastic-covered, Quonset hut-style structure fully involved in fire,” according to a press release, and extinguished the blaze. The structure and everything inside were a total loss, the press release stated. At 11:21am, the department was dispatched to 331 Buck Point Road, where crews discovered smoke coming from the roof and second story of the two-floor, single-family home. The residence sustained significant damage, the release stated. “Responding to two significant structure fires in one day puts a tremendous demand on our firefighters With Halloween behind us, it’s on toward the holidays, and that and resources,” said Fire Chief Rob Goodmeans it’s time for young folks win. “Our crews and mutual aid partners to start thinking about their worked together to manage both incisubmissions for the 2026 Spruce dents, and I’m proud of the work they did. Up The Sun contest! Preschool While both fires resulted in significant through high schoolers are invited property losses, firefighters worked hard to submit artwork related to this to contain the fires and prevent further year’s theme — “Small Town damage. The department reminded folks Holiday” — for the chance to grace to check their smoke detectors and make the Dec. 24 cover of the paper sure everyone in a home is aware of at with their artwork. Entries can be least two exit points from every room. emailed to news@soprissun.com or 17 - GOVERNMENT
21 - WORKS IN PROGRESS
Your Your nonprofit
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44 | December 19-25,
Alpine Bank Colorado Mountain College Nordic Gardens
Wish Upon a Star…
that’s the title of
the overall winner
of the 2024 Spruce
Up the Sun contest,
themed “dreams ,” by 8th grader Penelop
e Mathis.
Volume 16, Number
See more Spruce
Hilary Porterfield Basalt Library
NONPROFIT PARTNERS Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Carbondale Arts Colorado Animal Rescue
Indy Pass closure
Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner? Email Todd@soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) closed Independence Pass at Lincoln Creek Road on Oct. 31, ahead of incoming storms. The department reevaluated once the storms passed and opted to continue the closure through the winter, an annual shutdown that typically begins around Nov. 7. As of now, access up to the Lincoln Creek gate will remain open through the end of the third
winners on page
11.
dropped off at the submissions box outside of The Launchpad (76 South 4th Street, Carbondale). Submissions should be on 8.5-inch wide by 11-inch high paper, and please don’t include glitter. Include the artist’s name, age, grade and school on the back or in an email. Artwork is due by Dec. 18. Images (top to bottom) of the last two years’ winning submissions by Maya Annabel (2025) and Penelope Mathis (2024).
Check it out:
Harvest Village The Harvest Village application for a proposed 1,500-unit development between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs is back on the menu, but the Planning Commission hearing, initially scheduled for Nov. 18, has been continued. According to the Cattle Creek Confluence Coalition’s website (cattlecreekcc. com), a group opposed to the development, no new date has been set. The Sun reached out to Garfield County to inquire about the reason for the continuance and the rescheduled hearing date, but did not hear back as of press time.
Flooding Devastating flooding hit southwest Colorado for several days beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1, about a week after the region flooded in late October. Pagosa Springs was mostly separated from the rest of the state after roads and bridges were damaged by the high water. The San Juan River rose to its highest level since 1911. The Durango area, too, saw high water infrastructure damage while the Animas river surged to about 50 times its typical flow. As of Tuesday, Nov. 3, weather was predicted to clear for the rest of the week.
They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Niki Burns and Trina Ortega (Nov. 5); Beth Broome and Murry Daniels (Nov. 6); Lee Beck, Brett Nelson and Noreen Steiner (Nov. 7); Rick Carlson and Mira Winograd (Nov. 8); Wolfy Draper and Stephen Molloy (Nov. 9); Laura Criswell, Tim Ireland and Nuni Zee (Nov. 10); Jacquelinne Castro and Nicolette Toussaint (Nov. 11).
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) published its final reports for the three lethal removal efforts of wolves on Sept. 7 and 9, according to a press release. Two wolves were killed on Sept. 7 in both Rio Blanco and Pitkin counties, the third was killed on Sept. 9 in Jackson County. Each of the removals were based on livestock producers “[experiencing] chronic depredation,” the reports stated. “These removal efforts were conducted in line with CPW’s statutory and regulatory authority and were completed prior to the temporary suspension of CPW’s chronic depredation directive on Sept. 30,” the release stated. “This temporary suspension means CPW will evaluate any future removals of wolves on a case-by-case basis, using a very conservative approach to address the concern that population growth may not occur this biological year, which ends March 31, 2027.”
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 3
Surviving together: CRMS teacher starts breast cancer support group BETSY WELCH Sopris Sun Correspondent
Beth Krasemann recently went on a fly fishing retreat in Redstone. The Colorado Rocky Mountain School history teacher and endurance athlete has never really fished, nor is she that interested in fishing. “I kept trying to throw too much muscle into it,” she said, laughing. But she desperately needed that weekend up the Crystal. “I went for the fellowship,” she said. The retreat was hosted by Casting for Recovery, a Bozeman, Montana-based organization that hosts nationwide fly fishing programs for women in treatment or recovery from breast cancer. Krasemann, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2023 and completed treatment in March 2025, had heard of the organization before. But it wasn’t until she was sitting in a hospital gown, waiting for a routine mammogram at Valley View Hospital recently, that she finally picked up a flyer. While she didn’t come home from the retreat and buy a fly rod and waders, Krasemann is bringing home something that she learned from the weekend: She’s starting a breast cancer survivor support group in Carbondale. The group meets for the first time Nov. 10 and the second Tuesday of every month thereafter. Krasemann said that spending the
weekend with 14 other women in various stages of breast cancer recovery helped her realize what had been missing in her own process. “What do they say — you write the books that you can’t find to read? I’m starting this because I need this,” she said. One of the women Krasemann met in Redstone was Kim Jones, a leader of the Bosom Buddies of Southwestern Colorado, a Montrose-based breast cancer support group. The group has been meeting weekly for 35 years and also hosts an annual 5K/10K walk and run. While Krasemann has an incredibly supportive network of family and friends, what she didn’t have was a group of women like the ones she met in Redstone — or the Bosom Buddies — who could identify with parts of her own experience. “One of my doctors asked me, ‘what’s your support network?’ And I was like, ‘oh, I have so many people!’” Krasemann said. “‘I have my bike people and my skimo [ski mountaineering] people.’ And she said, ‘well how many of them have breast cancer?’” The answer, of course, was none. “And she was like, ‘you need those people,’” Krasemann said. While diagnosis and treatment were hard for Krasemann, she powered through with characteristic grit and an inordinate amount of physical movement. The
Beth Krasemann isn’t much of an angler, but a Casting for Recovery fly-fishing retreat in Redstone motivated her to start a breast cancer survivor support group in Carbondale. Photo courtesy of Casting for Recovery
harder part, she said, has been navigating post-treatment life. Medication questions have gone unanswered, and she’s dealt with side effects like lymphedema, neuropathy and sexual and hormonal dysfunction that no one prepared her for — these have been cancer’s parting shots. While Krasemann credits her treatment team at Valley View for eradicating the cancer, she has struggled with the lack of follow through with what comes next. At the fishing retreat in Redstone, she finally found some solidarity — a powerful treatment itself. “With Valley View it was like, ‘Okay, come here, get treated’ and then, ‘we saved you, go,’” she said. “The social and emotional fallout, there was no follow-up. So then when I met these other people, there was so much that I identified with,
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4 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
we had these common experiences, we just saw each other.” That’s exactly what Krasemann wants to provide with the new survivorship group in Carbondale. There won’t be an agenda or any pressure, just a welcoming space to talk about whatever comes up — namely, what it feels like to be in medicine’s “blind spot,” that space where cancer treatment is completed but the physical and emotional effects are still very real. “I just hope to support each other,” Krasemann said. “Like the retreat, it wasn’t about fly fishing, it was just us all being together.” The breast cancer survivor support group meets the second Tuesday of every month at 6pm at the Carbondale Library. The first meeting is on Nov. 10.
RE: Basalt Report correction JAMES STEINDLER Editor-in-Chief
Volunteer election judges (left to right) Kathy Ezra (first-year election judge), Pat Tomasko (35 years as an election judge in Garfield County) and Lilas Robinson (about 25 years) replicate ballots received digitally from voters overseas just after noon on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Photo by James Steindler
Unofficial election results: Democrats lead local races SKYLER STARK-RAGSDALE Managing Editor
Local Democrats led their Republican adversaries in local commissioner and state representative races, according to the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder and Colorado Secretary of State results as of the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 4.
GarCo commissioner seat Democrat Jonathan Godes led Republican Eric Rudd in the race for Garfield Board of County Commissioners District 1, as outgoing Republican Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky prepares to vacate the seat. As of Tuesday night, Godes, a former mayor of Glenwood Springs, saw 53.3% of the vote in his favor, compared to 46.7% for Rudd, who has served 13 years on the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
State Representative for District 57 Democrat Incumbent Rep. Elizabeth Velasco of Glenwood Springs beat out Carbondale Republican challenger Russ Andrews, a secretary of the Colorado Republican Party, to represent House District 57, which encompasses Garfield and Pitkin counties, and the southwest corner of Eagle county. As of Wednesday morning, Velasco tallied 62.51% of the vote to Andrews’ 37.49%. The Associated Press reportedly confirmed the win for Velasco on Tuesday.
Congressional District 3 As of 10:40am on Wednesday morning, the race for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District seat between Republican incumbent Jeff Hurd of Grand Junction and former Aspen City Council member Dwayne Romero, a Democrat, was almost even. With 48.6% of the vote, Hurd held a narrow lead over Romero’s 48.2%. Independent candidate Cory Robertson and unaffiliated candidate Clifton Brown tallied 1.6% of the vote each.
Local ballot questions: Issue 6B (extending 1-mill property tax for the Garfield County Public Library District, estimated to generate nearly $2.7 million in 2028 and whatever annual amount thereafter to recruit and retain quality staff, keep libraries in good repair, provide library materials, support library programs and more; requires simple majority to pass): Yes: 66.9%; No: 33.1% (as of Tuesday night)
Issue 5C (increasing property taxes in the Roaring Fork School District by “up to $5.6 million in 2026 (for collection in 2027) and in such amounts generated annually thereafter,” to increase teacher and staff pay, retain high quality teachers and staff, strengthen academic outcomes and eliminate achievement gaps; requires simple majority to pass): Yes: 57.7%; No: 42.3% (as of midday Wednesday) State ballot questions
(as of 11am on Wednesday) • Amendment 81 (requiring law enforcement to report certain crimes that bring legal immigration status into question to the Department of Homeland Security; needs 55% vote in favor to pass): Yes: 45%; No: 55% • Amendment 82 (enshrining constitutional right to purchase and sell natural gas; needs 55% votes in favor to pass): Yes: 46.1%; No: 53.9% • Amendment 83 (enshrining constitutional right to hunt and fish; needs 55% vote in favor to pass): Yes: 44.8%; No: 55.2% • Amendment 84 (requiring last four numbers of social security number of driver’s license or identification card number to vote; needs 55% vote in favor to pass): Yes: 36.7%; No: 63.3% • Amendment 85 (requiring ballot language to be written at no more than an eighth-grade reading level; needs 55% vote in favor to pass): Yes: 50.8%; No: 49.2% • Amendment 86 (increasing regulations around congressional redistricting; needs 55% vote in favor to pass): Yes: 46.61%; No: 53.4% • Amendment 87 (increasing state taxes for those making over $510,000 in annual taxable income for households and businesses, decreasing state taxes for lesser incomes, to benefit public schools, health care and early childcare education; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 50.5%; No: 49.5% • Proposition NN (increasing state investment in public education to improve teacher pay, lower class size, improve access to career and technical education; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 55.4%; No: 44.6% • Proposition 132 (increasing felony classifications of crimes related to continued on page 6
You can count on The Sopris Sun to point out when it makes a mistake, and we let a doozy slip by last week. The Oct. 29 Basalt Report in The Sun incorrectly stated that the proposed storage-residential facility at 555 Basalt Avenue was approved by Basalt Town Council during its regular meeting on Oct. 27. It was not. The second reading was continued to Tuesday, Nov. 10, on a 5-2 vote from council. “No approval or denial occurred on Oct. 27,” Town Planner James Lindt reiterated in an email to The Sun. Based on the council’s review and feedback, the applicant reduced its proposed number of units, which now sits at 42 residential units (down from 48) and 42 “storage/light industrial business spaces” (down from 54 commercial spaces), according to Lindt. Twelve of the residential spaces would be considered “live/work” units. The current application also includes two community-serving commercial units. A proposed amendment to the town’s Master Plan was also discussed and continued to Nov. 10. The amendment “would remove the ‘existing land use designation’ from the property to permit redevelopment of the site,” Lindt continued. The lot is currently zoned as industrial. The application has been reviewed extensively by council in 2026, including during its March 24, April 28, May 12, May 26, June 9, June 23, July 14, Aug. 11 and Aug. 25 meetings. The Planning and Zoning Commission
recommended approval if the applicant increased the amount of affordable housing from its original proposal, which it has, increasing the deed-restricted housing to include nine price-capped units and 18 primaryresident units, according to Lindt. The applicant also proposed to fund a down-payment assistance program for three of the deed-restricted units and to sell the two commercial spaces at 80% of market value. At the Oct. 27 meeting, Mayor David Knight and Councilor Greg Shaffran supported a motion to deny the amendment to the Master Plan, which failed by 5-2. The same five councilors who denied that motion voted to continue the public hearing regarding the amendment to the Master plan. A second motion was also passed (5-2 as well) to continue the hearing for Ordinance 18-26, which, if passed in conjunction with the Master Plan amendment, would pave the way for the development. The continuance to Nov. 10 was meant to give staff time to address additional amendments and conditions with the applicant. Opposition and support are split among the public as well, with several members of the community, particularly from nearby neighborhoods, encouraging the council to deny the project. The Sopris Sun apologizes for the mistake and appreciates the opportunity to correct the record. Coverage of the Nov. 10 meeting will be included in the Nov. 12 issue of the paper.
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 5
RESULTS from page 5 fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 52.7%; No: 47.3% • Proposition 133 (increasing the penalty for human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to life in prison without parole; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 61.8%; No: 38.2% • Proposition 134 (restricting participation in K-12 and collegiate sports based on a participant’s sex and certain aspects of one’s reproductive system; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 52.4%; No: 47.6% • Proposition 135 (prohibiting surgery on a minor to modify biological sex characteristics; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 51.9%; No: 48.1% • Proposition 136 (“capping the state income tax rate at 4.4% of federal taxable income”; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 47.3%; No: 52.7% • Proposition 137 (increasing funding from state sales tax on sporting goods for land and water conservation to “conserve and protect Colorado’s water, land and forests, prevent wildfires, support outdoor recreation training and activities”; needs simple majority to pass): Yes: 50.3%; No: 49.7%
Roaring Fork Safe Passages asks for community support tracking wildlife collisions
RACHEL OWENS Sopris Sun Correspondent
Roaring Fork Safe Passages (RFSP) was created in 2022 by Cecily DeAngelo, and since then the group has come to be made up of a variety of people from different walks of life who are all passionate about helping wildlife cross highways safely and keeping drivers safe. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, roughly 7,000 animals get hit each year in Colorado. And, according to the World Wildlife Fund, there are over one million collisions in the United States each year. There are many tools that are used to help wildlife circumvent roadways, including crossings, fencing, guards and jump outs. Leading up to any future brickand-motor changes, RFSP created a new program collecting data specific to the Valley and Highways 82 and 133. With the help of the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office — which has seen its fair share of wildlife accidents — the data collection program started on Sept. 22, ahead of the national 2026 Roadside Wildlife Count, which took place from Oct. 2 to 11 and is facilitated by Environment America Research & Policy Center in partnership with Environment
6 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
A buck deer meanders through tall grass in Emma a couple of winters ago. Photo by Rachel Owens
Colorado Research & Policy Center, Wild Aware, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and state partners, including RFSP, according to a press release. Anyone can participate in RFSP count by filling out a form at roaringforksafepassages.org/helpus-with-wildlife-data-collection Tucker Vest Burton, who is in charge of community engagement on behalf of RFSP, was asked how the program has been going. “It is going really well. People are using this and it’s really cool to see,” Burton said. “This gives us so much more power as a community to capture the full picture of what’s going on across our roads in terms of
wildlife-vehicle collisions.” Since the launch of the program, and as of Oct. 27, community members logged 27 dead carcasses or wildlife-vehicle collisions along highways 82 and 133 (and some on I-70), Burton explained, noting that there were around five duplicate entries, meaning that people logged the same animal, in the same location around the same time. The animals involved in the recorded instances have ranged from elk, deer, bears, raccoons and coyotes. “We are really happy to see folks are also tracking the smaller animals, like raccoons,” Burton said. “Obviously, a collision with a
deer, bear or elk is more dangerous for humans, but there are many smaller creatures that cross our roads and are hit all the time.” The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office also logged five relevant incidents since Sept. 22. “We all can’t be everywhere, including the sheriff’s office, so this is a powerful tool that leverages all drivers commutes throughout the entire Valley,” Burton said. As far as the national count, Burton relayed that, according to Andrew Rothman of Environment America, 76 signed up in Colorado, collecting 201 data points between Oct. 2 and 11. Burton added that that number didn’t include nine additional observations in the Valley. Nationally, 548 participants logged 1,635 instances in 33 states. He added that data for Oregon was still pending. With this tool, RFSP hopes to expand participation and get more people helping to track collisions. It also opens up funding for future projects, such as building wildlife crossings. Folks can find out more about Roaring Fork Safe Passages at its website, roaringforksafepassages. org, and navigate to the “Get Involved” tab to participate in the data-collection effort.
Spring Gulch trail system turns 40, looks ahead with optimism ANNALISE GRUETER Sopris Sun Correspondent
In late September, cross-country ski enthusiasts gathered at the Old Thompson Barn in River Valley Ranch. The occasion? Celebrating 40 years of nordic skiing outside of Carbondale. The event sold out, with skinny skiers from around the Roaring Fork Valley turning out for the four-decade milestone. “It was incredibly special to hear from many of the founders about the vision and ethos that laid the foundation for Spring Gulch,” said Rachel Bachman Perkins, executive director of the Mount Sopris Nordic Council (MSNC). “There were plenty of emotional moments, and it was so moving to hear each of the speakers reflect on their experiences and the broad, lasting impact Spring Gulch has had and continues to have on our community,” Bachman Perkins added. “Some of the themes that resonated most with me were the importance of creating an inclusive, welcoming trail system: free public access, beginner- and intermediate-friendly trails, and grooming that exceeds expectations for a small, grassroots Nordic area.” Bachman Perkins said she feels that Spring Gulch still has the same grassroots spirit from when it was founded. “The trails exist because people have been willing to volunteer their time, contribute financially, lend their expertise, and work together
toward a shared vision. Just as essential is the generosity of the landowners who’ve allowed us to build and grow the trail system over the past four decades, all to support our community. Without their continued partnership and belief in our mission, Spring Gulch as we know it simply wouldn’t exist.” She and the MSNC board look to carry the same stewardship forward by organizing and fundraising to protect cross-country ski access. “We want Spring Gulch to be here for the next generation of skiers,” she said, “which means continuing to invest in our trails and equipment, adapting to changing winter conditions, and preserving the welcoming, community-driven spirit that has defined the ski area from the beginning.” Chris Landry, one of Spring Gulch’s founders, said, “Creating a community ski area at Spring Gulch seemed like a pretty good, but pretty risky, idea … Would anyone else really think it was worth building, or actually use it?” Landry supported the September celebration remotely, but thanked the community and encouraged them to thank one another. Bachman Perkins reported that around 160 community members attended the event, which was held with support from Alpine Bank, Pitkin County Open Space & Trails, Destination Holdings, Dos Gringos, Aquila Cellars and Mountain Heart Brewing. The Mount Sopris Nordic Council is
Nordic skiers and friends gathered for Mt. Sopris Nordic Council’s 40th anniversary at the Old Thompson Barn in River Valley Ranch on Sept. 26. Photo courtesy of Sarah Kuhn
looking forward to the upcoming 40th winter. “This wet fall certainly gives us reason to hope that our 40th winter will make up for the last one,” Bachman Perkins said. “We’re incredibly grateful for all the shoveling and snow farming our staff took on last season, but we’d much rather be buried in snow and have our snowcat working hard on the trails rather than parked in the barn!” She added that the organization continued investing in climate resilience throughout the summer thanks to its recent capital campaign supporters. Community volunteers have helped complete work including widening and regrading trails and vegetation management projects to rejuvenate aspen and oak groves. “Using wood chips produced on site, we’ve also improved the base of Finlandia, Heja and Tipple, covering dark, coal-slaggy soils to reduce heat absorption and slow early snowmelt,” Bachman Perkins said. “These improvements Working To gether For Pets And Their People 2801 Glenwood Sp CR 114 rings, CO (970)947-9 173
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should help the trails hold snow longer.” The excitement for the coming winter includes new sport access and several already-scheduled events. This year, MSNC purchased three laser biathlon kits to supplement five owned by the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club (AVSC) following successful trial use last winter. The investment will help support safe community biathlon events. “Biathlon is super dynamic and growing rapidly across the country, so we’re excited to introduce more of our community to the sport,” Bachman Perkins said. Next month, MSNC is hosting a startof-winter Nordic Social at El Dorado in Carbondale from 5 to 7pm on Dec. 17. The Spring Gulch Rat Race, part of the Aspen Nordic Cup citizen race series, is slated for Jan. 16. MSNC’s annual fundraising ski event, Ski for Sisu, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7. You can learn more about the Spring Gulch ski trail system and Mount Sopris Nordic Council at springgulch.org
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Holiday Grief Gathering Wed, Nov. 11, 6-7:30PM This gathering will be an opportunity to honor our loved ones and the weight of grief we carry when entering this season without them with us. There will be a guided meditation, meaningful sharing and an opportunity to bring forth and gather some light that we can carry with us through the holiday season. Registration required. 14 Midland Avenue | Basalt Colorado 81621 | 970.927.4311 | basaltlibrary.org
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 7
Thanks for The Do-re-Mi!
What light through yonder generosity breaks? ‘Tis the kindness of our beloved donors! With hearts full of gratitude, we thank all who have helped The Sopris Sun raise $40,005 toward our $300,000 goal. We appreciate any additional donors who would like to join in supporting award-winning local journalism in English and Spanish and mentoring the next generation.
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8 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
SPORTS
New Carbondale AVSC gym brings training closer to home JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent
A new Carbondale facility for the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC) expands dryland training opportunities and limits long commutes for young snowsport athletes and their families. Located in one of the warehouse spaces on Industry Place, the Carbondale Athlete Development Center (ADC) began seeing its first training sessions last week, as athletes work on their preseason conditioning ahead of the winter sports season. It has long been a goal for AVSC directors and coaches to make training more accessible for the growing number of member athletes and their families who reside between Basalt and western Garfield County, said Colin Suszynski, marketing and communications manager for AVSC. “We have a pretty even split between athletes who reside upvalley and our downvalley residents who utilize our clubhouse on a regular basis,” Suszynski said of the main AVSC Clubhouse located near Aspen High School, at the base of the Aspen Highlands ski area. “For a lot of those downvalley kids, it’s a pretty hefty drive to get up to the clubhouse, especially for our after-school dryland training sessions,” he said. “Having this facility splits the distance, and for our Carbondale athletes it’s right here in their hometown.” Currently, about 58% of AVSC athletes reside between El Jebel and Parachute,
including a total of 1,184 athletes living between Carbondale and El Jebel/Basalt, Suszynski said. “A quarter of our registrants this year [743] came out of Carbondale alone,” he said. The training center features the Valley’s only indoor super trampoline, where snowboard and freestyle ski athletes can work on their aerial skills. There’s also an indoor skate park, a roller ski treadmill for Nordic skiers to do their workouts, weight equipment for strength training, plus office and meeting spaces for staff. A grand opening party for the Carbondale ADC is planned for 3 to 6:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 770 Industry Place. Nordic skier Sadie Silcox of Carbondale is entering her 13th year with AVSC, and last year competed at the junior nationals for the first time, racing in both classic and skate skiing events. She said her typical dryland training during the offseason includes roller skiing, running, biking and training in the gym. “Having a gym facility closer to home will help my teammates and me because there’s a lot more to the sport than just skiing on snow,” Silcox said. “Strength training helps us build power and endurance and become more efficient skiers.” Since Nordic skiing is such a seasonal sport, she said that having access to a gym during the offseason is especially helpful. “We can continue developing as athletes even when we aren’t skiing,” she said. “This
U12 freestyle skier Abel Hawley works his moves on the indoor super trampoline that’s part of the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club’s new Carbondale Athlete Development Center, while fellow athletes Isaiah and Grayson (last names not provided) give encouragement. Photo by John Stroud
will make it easier to stay consistent with that training throughout the year.” For families with younger AVSC athletes, and for the many coaches who also reside downvalley, the new gym makes things more convenient, said Jetzen O’Connor, coach for the U12 freestyle competitive ski team. Having two indoor training facilities also helps spread things out when it comes to demands for training time between the different age groups, he said. The indoor trampoline is in addition to an outdoor trampoline located at the main AVSC clubhouse, which is limited for use depending on the weather and often reserved for the older athletes. “Having this as an opportunity for them to get the same kind of trampoline experience is huge,” said O’Connor, a former AVSC athlete himself who now has kids. It can also help grow the program when
more downvalley kids learn that there is a gym close by, he said. “It also gives us a chance to spend some extra time with these developmental level athletes and bring them along a little faster,” O’Connor said. AVSC Executive Director August Teague said the Carbondale facility helps the organization to fulfill its mission. “Ultimately, combining these spaces with the people is what we do,” he said. “To create great kids and provide great programming, we need to have a great environment where we can interact with the kids. This is yet another step for us to be able to support kids from Aspen to Parachute.” A grand opening party for AVSC’s Carbondale Athletic Development Center is planned for 3 to 6:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 770 Industry Place.
Roaring Fork rolls on to 3A soccer quarterfinals with 3-1 over Coal Ridge JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent
A clash between Garfield County soccer rivals Roaring Fork and Coal Ridge Tuesday night in Carbondale had the added frenzy that naturally comes with the state playoffs. In the end, it was the thirdseeded Rams of Roaring Fork who claimed the 3-1 win over the No. 19 Titans, who’ve perennially been one of Roaring Fork’s strongest foes in the 3A Western Slope League. League champions this year, though, Roaring Fork looked the part of a top-three contender for the 3A state title with a commanding second-round win. “It was a tough battle against a league opponent we know well, and it’s always sad when two Western Slope teams have to play for elimination,” veteran Roaring Fork head coach Nick Forbes said. “We always want our league represented on the business end of the playoffs.” Rams senior Cristian Turcios got things going 8 minutes into the game, scoring a goal on a breakaway run up the middle. Roaring Fork held the Titans to just one shot on goal late in the half, and
maintained the 1-nil advantage going into the locker room. Senior Ollie Shook scored his first of two second-half goals 10 minutes in, before Coal Ridge answered with a goal of its own with 17 minutes left to play. Shook found the back of the net again a short time later for the insurance goal. Forbes credited Titans head coach David Romero for a wellcoached season. “He did a great job with them this year,” Forbes said. “But all credit to our boys. They
played our game and weathered some adversity to come away with a pretty convincing win.” The Rams remain on their home turf in Carbondale this Saturday, against No. 6 Eagle Ridge Academy, 3-1 winners over No. 11 Stargate School on Tuesday. Game time was still to be determined as of press time. In the opening round game on Oct. 28, the Rams defeated No. 30 Peak to Peak, 3-0. Goals were scored by seniors Kevin Morales, Oliver Shook and Michael Parada, with assists from juniors Freddy
Marin and Felipe Oliva, and freshman Quentin Cohen.
X-country championships Representing Carbondale and Basalt at the Colorado High School Cross Country Championships in Colorado Springs on Oct. 31 were the combined Basalt-Roaring Fork boys and girls teams in the 3A races, and the Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) girls team and one individual boy in the 2A races. Top finish among the local runners came from CRMS junior
Ram senior Davis Gallardo (#17) works to get around a Coal Ridge defender to attempt a shot in the second half of Tuesday night’s playoff game. Photo by Milo Berger, RFHS senior
Kayla Steele, who took second overall in the 2A girls race to earn a medal with a time of 19 minutes, 46.6 seconds over the 5-kilometer course at the Norris Penrose Events Center. She was 32 seconds off the winning pace set by Rangely senior Taya Wren. Rounding it out for CRMS among 138 qualifying runners were junior Abigail O’Keefe (37th, 21:39.2), senior Tacie Simmons (84th, 23:57.3), freshman Liv Simmons (85th, 24:00.7), freshman Camille Moore (99th, 24:57.5) and freshman Sylvi Hanrahan (101st, 25:00.7). In the 2A boys race, CRMS senior Max Peterson placed 78th out of 145 state qualifiers with a time of 19:08.75). In the 3A boys race, Levi Friday, a junior from Roaring Fork, was the Longhorns’ top finisher in 23rd place overall in the field of 159 runners with a time of 17:03.2. He was followed in order by Longhorn runners sophomore Elliot Galbraith (70th, 17:55.7), sophomore Bode Shoenbrunn (113th, 18:42.6), senior Kian Sullivan (123rd, 18:55.8), junior Henry Ogburn (135th, 19:19.4), junior Maximus Rooding (145th, continued on page 19
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 9
CALENDAR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5
NORDIC WORK DAY Join Mount Sopris Nordic Council for a work day on Marion Cemetery Road, west of Carbondale, from 9am to noon. Volunteers are advised to bring gloves, water, snacks and layers. Bringing tools is optional. Register at tinyurl.com/ workdaysoprisnordic MOVE WITH ME Children 18 months to 3 years old are welcome at the Basalt Library from 10:30 to 11:15am to discover the joys of dance. Details at basaltlibrary.org RF CONSERVANCY AT 30 Roaring Fork Conservancy celebrates its 30th birthday at The River Center, 22800 Two Rivers Road in Basalt, from 11:30am to 1pm. The event is free. RSVP at roaringfork.org RFOV TOOL MAINTENANCE Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers invites volunteers to its tool maintenance event, focused on cleaning, sharpening and prepping tools for storage, from 1 to 5pm at its office in the Third Street Center. Register at rfov.org/calendar TEEN VOLUNTEER BOARD The Basalt Library’s Teen Volunteer Board meets at the library from 4 to 5pm, giving teens an opportunity to weigh in on library events, recommend books and more. Details at basaltlibrary.org LIBRARY MUSIC Catch guitar-driven Valle Musico Quartet at the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Details at basaltlibrary.org FOCUSED KIDS FALL FLING Focused Kids hosts a fundraising event, including a silent auction that goes live online on Nov. 2, at the Old Thompson Barn in River Valley Ranch from 5:30 to 8pm. Tickets at focusedkids.org RFTA MASTER PLAN Roaring Fork Transportation Authority hosts an open house, filling folks in and taking comments regarding the direction of its 20-year Master Plan, at 6pm at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. Learn more about the Master Plan at rfta.com SPANISH YOGA True Nature hosts a yoga class in Spanish with Alejandra Rico from 6:30 to 8:15pm. Details at truenaturehealingarts.com ‘V FOR VENDETTA’ The Crystal Theatre screens “V For Vendetta” at 7pm. Tickets at the door. LEARN TO SKATE Learn to Skate from 7 to 7:25pm at the Glenwood Springs Ice Rink. This is an advanced class designed for skaters who have already learned basic skills. Tickets at tinyurl.com/ learntoskate2026glenwood
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
WATERSHED SUMMIT Catch up on all things water at the Roaring Fork Watershed Summit, hosted at the Third Street Center from 9am to 3pm with speakers from the Colorado River District, the state climatology office, Roaring Fork Conservancy and more. RSVP at tinyurl.com/ watershedsummit2026 STORYTIME PLAYGROUP Basalt Library’s Storytime Playgroup meets from 10:30 to 11:15am, giving children ages 0-3 the chance to listen to stories, participate in large motor movements and more. Details at basaltlibrary.org 10 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, kicks off at the Carbondale Library with crafts and face painting from 4:30 to 6:30pm, along with offerings of pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and hot chocolate. The procession starts from the Third Street Center at 6pm and continues on to Chacos Park. Food trucks will be open for business at 5pm at Chacos Park, plus more face painting and hot chocolate. The party continues at Chacos Park with performances by Folklórico, Cumbre Sol, Mezcla Socials, Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra and el Proyecto de Mariachi until 9pm. Carbondale Arts is seeking volunteer support; people can sign up at tinyurl.com/diadevolunteer CLAY CENTER EXHIBIT Carbondale Clay Center guest artist Theo Hirschfield presents “Blossom,” a weekend-long exhibition, at the Clay Center with a reception today from 5 to 7pm. ‘LEND ME A TENOR’ The Ute Players, a new troupe of local, seasoned theater folk, present “Lend Me a Tenor” this weekend and next with Friday and Saturday showings at 7pm and Sunday matinees at 2pm at the Ute Theater in Rifle. Tickets at utetheater.com BENNY BLEU Benny Bleu, a “train-traveling” singer, songwriter, banjo player and guitar player, serenades True Nature with meditative licks at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets at truenaturehealingarts.com CONSENSUAL IMPROV Thunder River Theatre hosts Consensual Improv’s 10th anniversary performance at 8pm. Doors and bar open at 7pm. Tickets at tinyurl.com/consensualimprov ‘YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING’ Crystal Theatre screens the documentary “You Can See Everything” at 7pm today, 7pm tomorrow, 4pm (with captions) on Sunday and 7pm on Monday. Tickets at the door. STEVE’S GUITARS Emily Barnes and Lena Rich perform at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at stevesguitars.net COMEDY AT TACAW Standup comedian Ben Roy (with Nick Ellis) takes the stage at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at tacaw.org
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7
‘PERSISTENCE AND GRIT’ Historian Gail M. Beaton, the Glenwood Springs Historical Society and Garfield County Libraries present “Persistence and Grit: The Lives of Colorado Women Homesteaders” from 11:30am to 1pm at the Glenwood Library. ‘REAR WINDOW’ Age Friendly Carbondale (with support from AARP) brings Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” to the Crystal Theatre at 3pm. Tickets at crystaltheatrecarbondale.com C’DALE HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE The 50th Annual Carbondale Holiday Boutique, consisting of works by local artists and craftspeople, takes place at the Carbondale Fire House from 8am to 2pm. Five-percent of the sales will be donated to the fire department. CONTRA DANCE The Winter Contra Dance Series kicks off in the Community Hall at the Third Street Center this evening, with a tutorial beginning at 7pm and the dance running from 7:30 to 9:30pm. Music will be provided by the Wooden Nickel String Band. For more details, visit the group’s new website: balanceandswingrfv.com
Consensual Improv, a strong (and hilarious) troupe of more than a dozen members — including Jack Trembath and Cassidy Willey (pictured during the group’s 2024 holiday show at TACAW) — returns with a 10th anniversary special on First Friday, Nov. 6 at 8pm at Thunder River Theatre. Doors and the bar open at 7pm. Get your tickets at tinyurl. com/consensualimprov Sopris Sun archive photo by Will Sardinsky
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8
FEMININE LEADERSHIP Join True Nature for “Embodied Feminine Leadership” with Mindy Arbuckle from 9am to 1pm. Details at truenaturehealingarts.com A SPIRITUAL CENTER Gwen Garcelon presents “Diwali, and the Potential of Joy to this Evolutionary Moment” at A Spiritual Center (room 31 of the Third Street Center) from 10 to 11:30am. DANCE INITIATIVE FUNDRAISER Break it down at the 2026 Dance Initiative annual fundraiser, “Dance-A-Thon: Across All Decades!” from 4 to 7pm at the Third Street Center Community Hall. Details at danceinitiative.org/ events/dance-a-thon2026 MARGARET GLASPY Catch singer songwriter Margaret Glaspy on stage at 7pm in TACAW with Olive Klug. Tickets at tacaw.org
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
SOUP SOCIAL Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month, the Basalt Library hosts a Soup Social from 11am to 1pm, inviting individuals to bring their favorite soup to share, including those traditional to Indigenous tribes of Colorado. Details at basaltlibrary.org
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
POWER HOUR LUNCHEON The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and Roaring Fork Leadership host the power hour luncheon, “What Matters Most in the Age of AI & Rapid Change,” from 11:30am to noon at the Third Street Center, with White House Pizza for lunch. Tickets at chamber.carbondale.com/events MEMORY CARE SUPPORT A memory care support group, for caregivers of individuals living with various forms of dementia, meets at Carbondale’s Sopris Lodge from 3 to 4pm. WEAVING WITH THE UTE Learn how the Ute people used natural materials and more to express creativity at the Basalt Library’s “Weaving with the Ute: Stories, Materials & Place” from 3:45 to 4:45pm. Details at basaltlibrary.org
RUEDI RELEASE PRESENTATION Head over to the Basalt Library to learn how the Ruedi Reservoir served as a critical water resource this year with a presentation from Brendon Langenhuizen, director of technical advocacy at the Colorado River Water Conservation District, from 5 to 6:30pm. Register at roaringfork.org/events POETRY SHOWCASE Catch live poetry and spoken word performances at Aspen Words’ poetry showcase in the Crystal Theatre at 6pm. Register at crystaltheatrecarbondale.com DRAWING CLUB Roaring Fork Drawing Club convenes at 6:30pm in Snowmass’ Anderson Ranch. MINDFUL LIVING The TRI Wisdom Institute hosts “Cultivating Genuine Well-Being — A Mindful Living Series” with Laura Bartels, in person on Tuesdays (6 to 8pm) through Dec. 8 at the Third Street Center and virtually on Wednesdays (also 6 to 8pm). Register at triwisdominstitute.org
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
VETERANS DAY CLOSURES Happy Veterans Day folks! Town of Carbondale and Garfield County offices will be closed for the holiday.
Culinary Classes At the Aspen Campus AUTUMN SOUPS
Tuesday, 5:30-8:30pm, 11/11
HERBS
Wed, 5:30-8:30pm, 11/18
PASTA ALFREDO
Tuesday, 5:30-8:30pm, 12/2
Art Classes
BENEFIT CAIC Benefit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center by attending the center’s party at Phat Thai, beginning at 6pm. The party includes a gear raffle, food, draft beer and more. Tickets at tinyurl.com/CAICbenefit VETERANS DAY DINNER American Legion Post 100 in Carbondale hosts a Veterans Day dinner open to the public at 5pm. Free to Veterans, and $15 a plate for everyone else. VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION R The Glenwood Springs Elks Lodge invites the Glenwood community to itsE Veterans Day community celebration from 6 to 8pm, featuring complimentary hors d’oeuvres, an appreciation ceremony, cake, coffee and more.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
‘FRIEDL’ Learn about Aspen Skiing Company Founder Friedl Pfeifer in the Crystal Theatre’s screening of “FRIEDL” at 7pm. Tickets at crystaltheatrecarbondale.com
Find more upcoming events at www.soprissun.com/tag/curated-calendar
Scan for more info and to register for Culinary Classes
Call or stop by for more information and to register for these Credit Art Classes at the Aspen Campus HANDBUILT CLAY I SCREEN PRINTING
Mondays, 5:10-7:45p, 1/11-5/3
RINGS AND TINY THINGS
Tuesdays, 5:10-9p, 1/12-3/2
COMBINING MEDIA
Weds, 11:10a-3p, 1/13-3/3
FIBER DESIGN I
Weds, 5:10-9p, 1/13-5/5
BEGINNING SEWING
Thurs, 5:10-7:45pm, 1/14-3/4
DRAWING II
Thursdays, 10:10a-2pm, 1/14-5/6
Thursdays, 10:10a-2pm, 1/14-5/6
CERAMICS III MOLDS & SLIP CASTING
Thursdays, 5:10-9pm, 1/14-5/6
POTTERBOT - 3D PRINTING
Thursdays, 6:10-8:45pm, 1/14-3/4
JEWELRY AND METAL WORK
Thursdays, 10:10a-2pm, 1/14-5/6
HANDBUILT CLAY I
Thurs, 10:10a-2pm, 1/14-5/6
CERAMICS I-IV / WHEELTHROWING
Various days/times/dates
255 Sage Way Aspen in AABC
970-925-7740
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 11
GARFIELD COUNTY REPORT
Discretionary grant awards, Native American Heritage Month and King of the Yard AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent
Commissioner Perry Will was hailed as King of the Yard at this year’s Garfield County Fair for his 16 fruit-and-vegetable entries. Carla Farrand, county director for the Colorado State University Extension, made the announcement at Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting and told The Sun that the title is based on county fair horticultural entries. “He received first place on five entries, second place on nine entries and third place on two entries,” she said in an email. Will told The Sun in an email that he turned down the prize money and told the judges to do something else with it. “Give it to 4-H or buy me a BIGGER RIBBON for next year!!!” he wrote. Silt resident Lori Mentink is this year’s Queen of the Yard. Farrand presented the annual Garfield County Fair report at Monday’s meeting, which showed that the Demolition Derby drew the largest crowd of all fair events. But, let’s back up to the public comments from the beginning of the meeting. Ellen Dole talked about the upcoming library board of trus-
tees appointments. Her concern focused on comments from trustee candidate Kristi Gill at recent library board of trustees meetings, including fear that a One World Order of extreme liberals is indoctrinating children, that the Islamic movement is infiltrating the country and that the United States was founded on Jesus Christ and his word. Dole acknowledged Gill’s right to an opinion but said Gill’s facts were wrong, that there is no One World Order taking over the country and that the U.S. was not founded on Christianity. “Contrary to her comments, the freedom to worship by everyone in the United States, regardless of religious belief or the right not to worship any religion or God, is enshrined by the Framers in our Constitution,” Dole said. “I want to stress that the library’s core values are community, inclusivity, trustworthiness, accountability and service.” Dole urged the BOCC to “keep these values in mind” while choosing the new library trustees. The BOCC will announce the trustee appointments for the Silt and at-large seats later in November.
On to the agenda Highlights from Monday’s agenda included the fourth quarter discretionary grant awards, an update on the Western Slope Veterans Coalition tiny cottages project in Silt, results of the Sheriff’s Department staffing analysis, the Landfill Methane Mitigation Grant Program and a suggestion from Commissioner Mike Samson to increase the merit pay raise for county employees beyond what is suggested in the draft 2027 county budget. The fourth quarter discretionary grant requests presented a tough task for the BOCC. Requests totaled more than $67,000 but the fund held only $29,500. The BOCC, however, managed to give money to all who asked for it. According to Renelle Lott, Garfield County chief communications officer, the list of awards is as follows: Youthentity and Garfield County Search and Rescue each received $3,000. The Western Slope Veterans Coalition received $2,500. The New Ute Theatre Society, Colorado River Valley Chamber of Commerce, Bookcliffs Arts Center, Free for All Book Fair, KDNK Radio, Mount Sopris Nordic Council (Spring Gulch Nordic Trail System),
Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program, Glenwood Springs Historical Society, Symphony in the Valley and Glenwood Springs Arts Council each continued on page 19
“I’m the King of the Yard, see!”
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Megan Hiles, MD, MBA, FACP Internal Medicine
Kelsea Loveless-Hoffman, MD, FAAP Pediatrician
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12 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
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Sweet deal
My father took me to see the movie “Lawrence of Arabia” in New Bedford, Massachusetts, when I was 12 years old. Just the two of us, for three hours of a great movie. Lawrence is caught between being a self-described savior of the Arab people and being a secret agent for the British Army; two roles that demand hiding truths from both sides. He returns home, brutalized by the war, yet piqued by the allure of helping the Arab cause. He confronts his clever, duplicitous British commander, who cares only about statecraft and carving up the Middle East. In a heated exchange, the commander tells Lawrence, “If we’ve been telling lies, you’ve been telling half-lies. A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.” Driving home from the movies, my father spoke to me about the connection between truth and my identity, and that truth was not something that lived apart from my being. I needed to keep track of my truth, as it could be easily lost. And that it was a defining, if not the most essential, ingredient in my being. He said truth was what connects us as authentic beings. His words echoed my third grade teacher,
Ms. Ames, reading us versions of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” when we discussed who was heroic, and how truth gave our identity boundaries, forming relationships with each other and ourselves. My 45 years as a teacher have taught me that relationships are the heartbeat of teaching. My relationships with students have come to life — in class, on rivers, playing music, on soccer fields, taking trips to Juarez and Baja — when we mutually have offered essential truths about who we are, binding us to each other and to ourselves. The sheer physics of these connections calls both teachers and students to relentlessly put our best selves into the arena, our truest selves, where we learn to lean into the notion of “to dare greatly.” Showing up with vulnerability — daring to think, speak, run rivers, climb rock faces and offer our humanity — we live authentically and with a collective courage that takes us to places we don’t reach alone. On the first day of my teaching career, I was met in the Casey Jr. High parking lot by a senior teacher as he turned off his motorcycle. Asking if I was new, I told him I was a new social studies teacher.
OPINION
SEEKING HAYSTACKS By A.O. Forbes “Want some advice?” Before I could say yes, he said, “Don’t give the little fuckers an inch, and don’t smile until March.” That March I took some 20 junior high students on a ski trip to McNamara Hut. We drove up from Boulder and embarked on skis to the hut, arriving some six hours later. The kids were spent, except for Michael Logan. I asked him if he wanted to ski up to Bald Knob, and we skied up to the top, dug out a small area, heated some hot chocolate and watched the sunset. It was a beautiful dusk. Then we skied back to the hut; it was magical. This is the same Michael Logan who was my son’s mentor, principal at CMS, father of Mischa, who was in my class at Roaring Fork and who helped
write my retirement commendation from Colorado Rocky Mountain School. Our time together at the McNamara Hut, at Casey, in class, on trips and soccer sealed the deal. He was mine, and more importantly, I was his for life. Education is a tricky enterprise. I have spent most of my life as a student or a teacher, and I know it is an imperfect and less-than-revered occupation. Teachers are besieged by too much to do, too little pay, too many students, and face a daunting task coping with the systemic overload of large classes and so much more. Teachers and students feel the weight, the burden of this, and many can succumb to a predisposition of distrust and cynicism. Today, the corrosive presence of AI seeps into all education, eroding human relationships and leaving a toxic culture of suspicion and distrust towards students. Teachers are sold strategies intended to prevent “cheating,” offering assignments that AI can’t replicate. Marketing teams fabricate spicy pedagogical terms like “data management,” “two-lane assessment” and “cognitive friction,” as they so casually and without conscience trade profit for learning. It is a pedagogical bait-and-switch. We are living in an era char-
acterized by routine public lying, cheating and, now with AI, a suspicion that nothing is true, nothing is real. It is no accident that we also are experiencing a great loneliness — measured by rates of suicide, depression and chemical strategies to cope. But our lies and half-lies haven’t been called out for their most pernicious quality, which is that they separate us from each other, and from ourselves. Authentic relationships are the only antidote to this loneliness worth its salt and will be a lifeline as we face the uncertainty of our future. Many years ago, I took a group of students down the San Juan River. Our group hiked up to the precipitous Honaker Overlook, looking 1,000 feet down at the river. Joo Hee, a student and beautiful opera singer, began to sing part of an opera at our request. The notes drifted out over the canyon, and you could see them as they descended, drifting on the gentlest of breezes, still audible, floating forever on the deepest of truths — a beauty that bound us to each other and to ourselves. The other night, I watched my son Nick coach soccer. At the end of practice, all the kids were waiting, some forty of them. They were all waiting for a fist bump or hug from Nick; that sealed the deal. Those students are his, and he is theirs, and that is a sweet deal.
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BILINGUAL EVENT 14 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
I’m an oncologist. Here are 6 things I do to lower my risk of cancer As a radiation oncologist at Valley Make exercise a priority View’s Calaway-Young Cancer Center, I Regular physical activity is powerful see how cancer shapes the lives of people — and it’s something we should all try across our region — patients, families, to build into our daily lives. Even delibfriends and neighbors. It touches nearly erate walking can help to better manage everyone in some way. inflammation, strengthen your immune We have more system and support your advanced tools than body’s overall ability to ever to treat cancer and fight cancer. support patients through Studies suggest that treatment and recovery. about three to four hours But prevention remains a week is an ideal goal one of the most powerful for most people. What tools we have. matters most is consisThese are the simple, tency. Choose something everyday habits I talk you enjoy and build it about with patients and into your daily routine. community members — and the ones I try to GUEST OPINION Understand your follow in my own life. personal risk By Peter Rossi Family history and Don’t smoke genetics play a role in The evidence is clear: our cancer risk. Having that knowledge There is no safe amount of tobacco use. doesn’t have to be a source of added stress Avoiding smoking is one of the most power— it can be a powerful opportunity. Knowful ways you can lower your risk of cancer, ing your risk helps guide the decisions that and the benefits begin soon after quitting. Many people have turned to vaping as matter, like when to start screening for a “healthier” smoking alternative. While certain cancers, and what to watch more we have less long-term data about the closely over time. If you haven’t already, start that health risks than cigarettes, my message conversation with your parents or your is simple: vaping is not without risk. The grandparents and get to know your famisafest choice is to avoid it. ly’s health history. Share those insights with your doctor. When you know your Eat a balanced, personal risk, you can take a more proacmostly whole-foods diet tive approach to health. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to diet, but some general principles apply to most people. Personally, I focus on Regularly see your nutrient-dense, whole foods — fruits and primary care provider Yes, doctors see doctors, too. Regular vegetables, adequate protein, healthy fats checkups with your primary care provider and plenty of water. I also try to limit fast — along with recommended screenings food, saturated fats, sugary drinks and any — are essential to detecting problems other highly processed foods. Enjoy treats, early, when they’re most treatable. but in moderation. I encourage everyone to shift their A minimally processed, Mediterraneanmindset from seeing a doctor only when style diet, especially when combined something feels wrong to viewing primary with physical exercise, may help significare as an essential part of prevention. Staycantly reduce risk of cancer both before ing connected with your doctor helps you and after diagnosis. to stay ahead of your health and ensures you’re getting the right screenings at the Protect your skin from the sun This is especially important in Colorado, right time — whether that’s a colonoscopy, where high altitude and an outdoor lifestyle mammogram or routine skin check. I can’t emphasize this enough: Buildcan increase exposure to ultraviolet radiaing a long-term relationship with your tion and raise the risk of skin cancer. primary care provider is one of the most I don’t hide from the sun altogether, but important ways to support early detection I do try to be smart about it. Use sunscreen of cancer. SPF 30 or higher, wear protective clothing and try to stay in the shade during peak Cancer care, close to home sun hours. I also recommend niacinamide, which For those who need screening, guidance is a vitamin B3 supplement. Research or treatment when facing cancer, having suggests taking it daily may reduce the risk access to those resources close to home of certain nonmelanoma skin cancers. truly matters. It’s something we are fortuVitamin B3 is also naturally found in many nate to have here in our community with foods, including plant-based sources. Talk the Calaway-Young Cancer Center, and it’s with your provider to see if it’s right for you. continued on page 15 Peter Rossi, MD, is a board-certified radiation oncologist at Valley View’s CalawayYoung Cancer Center, offering the most advanced radiation oncology treatments in Western Colorado. He is an expert in several approaches to cancer treatment, including brachytherapy, SRS and SBRT. Dr. Rossi works with a multidisciplinary care team to deliver compassionate, personalized care to each patient. To learn more about the Calaway-Young Cancer Center, visit vvh.org/calaway-young-cancer-center or call 970.384.7570.
Global and personal shifts How are we doing out there? I ask genu- investigative work of your mind to find inely in effort to prompt sincere reflection. connections that tie your life together. Astrologically, we haven’t had stability or In Scorpio, Mercury plays Sherlock ease for at least two years. Arguably, six. Holmes, able to connect the dots between Even 2026’s most auspicious days, when material and spiritual life, between what’s Jupiter met Venus in Cancer in June, were apparent and what drives undercurmarked by a hot-headed Moon in Aries. rents. Using Mercury to understand your In the midst of personal Venus retroAugust’s eclipse season grade story will give him and the South Node good work to do. shifting into Leo, we A few days later, on lost two larger than life Nov. 16, Mars meets Jupicelebrities, pioneers ter in kingly, exuberant who showed the world Leo. Here they both join authenticity and how the South Node indicatto shine through art — ing excess and purge. RIP Dolly and Tim. We Mars adds motivation seem surrounded by to hog the spotlight or a death and loss, and a swing towards anger. prompt for reinvention, Our best manifesting impetus for rebirth. The is to call in a large magnishift is happening on a tude of transformation, COSMIC global scale as well as a of which Pluto and the CHATTER personal one. North Node desire in By Susanna Kitchen As I write to you, we Aquarius, the opposite have two more weeks sign of Leo. The North of Venus retrograde in Scorpio and Libra. Node represents something we have yet to The process of reviewing and realigning learn, where we have action and expresour values, our connections and getting sion to engage with. Known as Rahu or to the heart of it all, began on Oct. 3. The the head of the dragon in Vedic astrology, Venus retrograde process can be under- the North Node indicates deep, primal stood through a Sumerian myth. hunger. In Aquarius, let’s be ravenous not Inanna, goddess of war, love and sex, for technology to save us but for collective descends to the underworld to attend the human liberation. funeral of her sister Ereshkigal’s husband. As I’ve written about all year, the On her way, she passed through seven connection by aspect between the three gates, each of which demands she leave outermost planets has been represented in something behind. At the final gate, she a global shift of power, order and predictis stripped bare without any worldly or ability. In December, Neptune and Uranus spiritual protections. Seeing the loss of turn direct and their expression shifts her husband as Inanna’s fault, Ereshkigal back outward from their muted, interhangs Inanna by meat hooks, intending nal retrograde periods. It is not just the to forever entrap her in the underworld. larger world that is shifting. Our individual Luckily, Inanna alerted her assistant to her lives are also being challenged by these journey, giving him instructions for recon- aspects. This work began in July of 2025 naissance if she does not return in a timely and persists through early 2027, tapering manner. After pleading with the gods, off by mid next year, but surely not withEnki agrees to help rescue Inanna. Life is out life altering implications. At just about returned to her through worldly food and the middle of this kite alignment, I wonder drink, and she returns to her domain. what new, nascent dreams have come In the myth, we see Venus retrograde into view and started materializing in your themes of stripped materialism, death life? This is Neptune in Aries. How are they and grief, and the ability of loyalty and connected to revolutionary community assistance to turn the tides. We also see building? This is Pluto in Aquarius. And the theme of Venus retrograde in the bibli- what turns of fate, unexpected opportunical telling of the temptation of Jesus in the ties or multiplicity of connection have you desert. The time he spends in the desert is experienced? This is Uranus in Gemini. the same amount that Venus retrogrades Truly, it may be difficult to parse out — 40 days and 40 nights. each of these, as they are closely tied On Oct. 24, Mercury also stationed together in supportive relationship and retrograde in Scorpio and will join Venus action, but a reflection during the end of on Nov. 13 to turn direct, although the year astroweather is prime for reaping. planet of love has moved back into Keep on the path of new world building Libra, one of her home signs. From now and see the fates unfold in your favor. Until until then, pay close attention to the next time, dream on.
OPINION
As always, this astrological outlook is meant for insight, not fear. For more, follow Crystal City Astrology on Substack or book a personalized astrology reading at crystalcityastrology.com
ONCOLOGIST from page 14 something I’m very proud to be a part of. There’s no guarantee when it comes to cancer, but many of the most effective prevention strategies are also the most accessible. How we eat, move and care for our bodies each day can make a meaningful difference in lowering our risk. It’s a message I share with the community and one I try to follow as best I can.
Bringing world-class music to our community since 1947.
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 15
ASPEN & SNOWMASS Pitkin county Library Hyman Avenue Box Wheeler Opera House Box Snowmass Town Park Station Aspen Valley Hospital Mi Chola Snowmass Clarks Market Snowmass Mall Alpine Bank in Snowmass Alpine Bank in AABC BASALT & EL JEBEL Willits General Store Alpine Bank ANB Bank Basalt Quick Lube Basalt Regional Library Big O Tires El San Miguel Box Casa Tequila CC’s Cafe Whole Foods Eagle County Courts Crown Mountain Express Lube El Jebel Mobile Offices El Korita Hightone Autobody El Jebel Laundromat Mountain Family Health Cazadores Scottie’s The Basalt Store Timbo’s Hightone Automotive and Tires CARBONDALE 3rd St. Center Alpine Bank Carbondale Library Main St. Box Catherine’s Store Food Truck Carbondale Recreation Center City Market Carbondale CMC Edna’s Hair Salon Gloria’s Boutique Garcia’s Jalisco Grill La Fogata La Perla La Placita La Roca Lift-up Sunburst Valley Meats First Bank GLENWOOD SPRINGS Glenwood Springs Library Centennial Park Box Comfort Dental Coin Laundromat Glenwood Recreation Center Glenwood CMC El Yaqui First Bank Frida’s Glenwood Hot Springs Yampa Hotsprings Valley View Hospital Impuestos Seguros La Michoacana Mountain Family Health Post Office Garfield County Human Resources Sal Mex Tequila’s Tony’s Bakery Super Taco Alpine Bank on Grand Ave New Castle New Castle Library City Market Carniceria Elias Hacienda San Miguel Post Office Tapatios Alpine Bank SILT Silt Library La Placita 2 La Placita Market LeMora Pizza Silt Roundabout RIFLE Cafe y Pasteleria Galea East Ave & 3rd St. Box City Hall Box E 12th St. Box El Patron El Rincon Jalisco Grill Mercado San Jose Momma’s Nachos Mexican Dining Paleteria La Korita Promex Bakery Remington Square Spyderwash Tapatios La Baja Espresso Rifle Library Imperio Variedades Dinora Diversity Salon Alpine Bank on 4th St Alpine Bank on Airport Rd PARACHUTE Nalini’s Taqueria Jalisco El Tapatio City Hall Box Parachute Library Running Burrito Lift-up Fifty Shadz Salon Sinclair Vero’s Mexican Bakery
Look for stories like this in this week’s Sol del Valle!
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Creative Corner A little ray of Sol
Little tributes
OWEN MCARDLE Editor of Sol del Valle
Moisés Inostroza, a musician, composer and guitarist, writes pop music songs with folk roots. “I’m not a folk musician, much less a conservatory-trained musician, but I like to honor the roots of Latin American music. So I make what I call little tributes,” he said. Originally from the “land of dreams” in Iquique, a city in the north of Chile, Inostroza has lived in the United States for seven years and currently teaches Spanish at Glenwood Springs High School. Rather than viewing his connection with music as a job or as a hobby, he sees it as his “social function.” This special connection was formed when Inostroza was just 6 years old. Sitting in front of a little music box decorated with Christmas lights, he
Moisés Inostroza. Courtesy photo
watched as the pattern of the lights changed according to the rhythm of each carol. Once he had the melodic sequences of the songs memorized, he began to harmonize naturally. Inostroza said that this is the earliest memory he has of music. “Later, when I was in school, my teachers would always tell me ‘Inostroza, stop!’ because I was tapping the table, always to a beat,” he said.
Inostroza began to write original songs at age 14, looking for music in everything. His initial obsession was rock, which he listened to almost exclusively. Then he discovered folk. “I started to play folk music because it connected more to a story, a story of a people, and I thought: ‘This is it. Music should be identity,’” he said. For Inostroza, the importance of identity
comes from a long history of struggle, protest and resistance that is “etched in the memory of the [Latin American] people, especially in the memory of Chileans.” He said figures of Chilean folk music such as Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara were voices of such inspiration because they sang the stories of the people. “And that, I think, inspires any Chilean,” Inostroza said.
“The power that your music can tell a story and people can identify with it. It can be any style or genre, but it tastes Latin American.” Inostroza has no intention of competing or earning large sums of money with his music. He simply wishes to continue to sing and write. “What’s most meaningful to me about sharing a song is when it represents someone else or resonates with them, when it speaks to them and holds meaning,” he said. “That in itself is its own reward.” During Noche Latina, on Oct. 3 in Glenwood Springs, Inostroza sang an original song titled “Árido.” You can listen to more of his original tracks on Spotify at tinyurl.com/AbstraCL. He also has a music video published on YouTube, which you can watch at tinyurl.com/elimaginario Translated by Owen McArdle
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16 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
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A town and its paper(s)
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By Just Jim Glenwood Springs
Fifty-ish tried-and-true locals gathered at the Carbondale Library on Thursday, Oct. 29, to reminisce about the “quirky” and “fun” days of The Valley Journal, two words Becky Young, the co-founder of the Journal along with Pat Noel, chose to describe the ragtag paper of humble origins that grew up to be bought out, and eventually tanked, by corporate media. Tales of the Journal stretched from when it was nickel and dimed together in the early days, literally costing a dime. Those modest proceeds all depended on trust, as the newspaper boxes were made of wood and it’d have been a cinch to cheat the honor system, Young recalled. When the pair decided to
attend their first Colorado Press Association Convention in Denver, they drove around and emptied whatever dimes were deposited to cover gas. After Young and Noel shared some memories — including when Noel was “abused” by his readers for suggesting to change the name of Carbondale, soliciting names for a contest in the Journal — folks formed a large circle and organically piped in their two cents, filling in some gaps of the in-between years. John Stroud shared that on Christmas Eve 2008, they were notified that it would be the final issue of the Journal. It was an abrupt end but they had one hell of an adventure.
For you. For life.
Pat Noel and Becky Young sit side by side during the Oct. 29 event at the library, celebrating the complete digitization of the Valley Journal archives at coloradohistoricnewspapers.org Art by Larry Day
But it didn’t stop there … Former Valley Journalians and locals banded together to make the first Sopris Sun rise on
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, and, other than that brief lull in between, neither of the papers ever missed a week.
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THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 17
LETTERS the Indigenous people on both continents to bring these crimes against the earth to the public and the courts. 350 Roaring Fork focuses on lowering carbon emissions regionally to stop climate change, with a focus on lowering the use of oil and gas by all of us. Roaring Fork Valley Circle presents programs on Indigenous cultures to our community. Together, we are working for a healthier future for all our children and grandchildren, and we thank Near New for helping us by sponsoring this educational and cultural event. All these organizations are open to membership for all. The Near New volunteers and board members work all year to take our no-longer-needed items and sell them in order to donate the money earned to student scholarships and local nonprofit work that benefits our community. Near New volunteers do an amazing service with sorting, displaying and selling things so that they can be used again and not end up in the landfill. This reuse of manufactured items cuts carbon emissions and helps us get what we need in our own community. We thank you so much for making Carbondale a kinder, more affordable place for all of us to flourish. 350 Roaring Fork (350colorado.org/roaringfork) Roaring Fork Valley Circle
Grateful for Carbondale As the holiday season begins, take time to be still and listen to your heart. Give thanks to the community members making the magic happen every day. We live in a special place, and while the days get colder and darker, people around us make life warm and rich. I am especially thankful for my son’s school teachers and school administration at Colorado Rocky Mountain Preschool. They pour their hearts into creating experiences that make their students’ eyes sparkle and their minds bloom. A shout out to the residents of Old Town River Valley Ranch, the fire department, the police department and participants for a fun trick-or-treating tradition for the young and old. While I’m at it, thanks to the Carbondale pharmacy staff, local grocery staff, teachers far and wide, postal service workers, pediatricians and doctors, therapists, Carbondale Parks and Rec, the Creative District and everyone who puts on First Fridays and other celebrations. And to our Carbondale tree expert, who was out planting new trees last week. Life is precious and we’re all part of what makes each others’ lives well-lived. Through it all — mundane or difficult — so many people show up with effort and energy at their jobs and activities. It’s not always easy to be a helper or magic maker, so let it be known you are glad for those people. Willa Bonzi Carbondale
from page 2
An open seat There is a quiet kind of generosity that makes a community feel like home. It happens when someone notices that a familiar face has been missing from the coffee shop, when a neighbor checks on a person living alone or when a family makes room at the table for somebody who has nowhere to go. As the days grow shorter in the Roaring Fork Valley, I hope we remember that loneliness does not always look like loneliness. A person can greet us warmly at the market and still go home to a difficult silence. Someone may be trying to recover from grief, manage a household alone or face a hard winter without asking for help. My Christian faith teaches me that the command to love my neighbor is not limited to people who worship like I do, or see the world the way I see it. Jesus made a point of noticing people others walked past. That example invites me to listen longer, give more freely and remember that compassion must become something we do. Across a community, we will disagree about all sorts of things. We can still carry groceries, offer a ride, invite someone for supper and check on the person whose porch has been quiet. A good neighbor does not need to have every answer. Sometimes kindness is simply leaving a chair open and meaning it when we say, “There’s room for you here.” Douglas Vandergraph Fort Collins
Chacos Park I suggest our Trustees step back and take a long, hard look at what we have already spent half a million dollars for. The current “Final Design” for Chacos Park resembles a jungle gym in a concrete playground more than a green, shady oasis in the heart of downtown. The ultra-modern bandstand / shade structure is larger than two gazebos from Sopris Park side by side. Any large trees drawn in the plan are fictional. A single mature large-stature tree in that park will require “healthy, unobstructed soil” two to five times as large as its canopy to thrive. Notably, there is no provision for a restroom in the plan, leaving downtown Carbondale still with no accessible toilet and also removing several parking spaces. The current “pop-up” band platform works well for now and can be used, along with a porta-john, while more public input is encouraged. Minimal input the designer received from two dozen focus group meetings has barely been shared with the townspeople. Meredith Bullock Carbondale
LETTERS POLICY: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please, no smearing, cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print. 18 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026
SPORTS from page 9
PARTING SHOTS
19:47.8) and sophomore Hunter Raymond (151st, 20:21.9). And, out of 155 runners in the 3A girls race, the top Longhorn was sophomore Scarlett Jones in 15th with a time of 19:50.5. In order behind her for the Longhorns were sophomore Jude Tiernan (60th, 21:17.9), sophomore Maggie Cole (96th, 22:41.1), senior Sadie Silcox (98th, 22:45.6), junior Eva Feinsinger (108th, 23:08.6), junior Isla Friel (125th, 24:02.1) and freshman Nevee Campbell (140th, 25:08.7).
Catrinas come to life at Riverview
Mountain bike championships
JAMES STEINDLER Editor-in-Chief
Roaring Fork High School and CRMS were also represented at the Colorado Cycling League’s State Mountain Biking Championships, held at the Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley Campus on Oct. 31. Results for CRMS: senior Drew O’Keefe (third, Varsity Boys), senior Bram Marlow (17th, Varsity Boys), junior Finley Nolan (25th, Varsity Girls), junior Oliver Lowery (18th, JV Boys), senior Aurora Cherney (29th, Varsity Girls), junior Brody McDermott (22nd, JV Boys), senior Laia Ogilby (44th, Varsity Girls), senior Alonso Lopez De Hara (46th, Varsity Boys), senior Remi Brunson (38th, JV Boys) and sophomore Nils Aberger (28th, Sophomore Boys). Results for Roaring Fork: junior Bryson Fink (42nd, JV Boys), junior Sophia Warner (56th, JV Girls) and sophomore Oliver Goddard (53rd, Sophomore Boys).
2A football playoffs The No. 11 Basalt Longhorns got things rolling in the 2A state football playoffs with a 42-0 win at home over Florence on Oct. 31. Next up, they travel to play No. 6 La Junta at 1pm this Saturday, Nov. 7.
GARCO from page 12 received $2,000. The Roaring Fork Kayaking Club and Girls on the Run each received $500. The BOCC discussed a draft proposal to change the current discretionary grant program, which is ending after 2026, to the Garfield County Youth Opportunity Grant Program with a yearly funding cap of $50,000. The Western Slope Veterans Coalition (WSVC) project is through the pre-development phase, WSVC Treasurer John Pettit said. The plan is to build 22 studio cottages, two family units, a community kitchen and gathering spaces on two acres of land in Silt. The plan also includes on-site offices for case management and Veterans Administration providers. “The idea of this is not just to provide housing but to provide wraparound services in the community for our veterans here in this region,” Pettit said. Fundraising efforts are underway to purchase the land. The BOCC opted not to apply for funding from the state Landfill Methane Mitigation Grant Program by Dec. 1. Instead, the county will wait for three years, in accordance with program mandates, to install methane mitigation equipment, citing risk, costs to the county and potential increase in tipping fees. Commissioners and the county public health department began discussion about a possible tax on tobacco products in unincorporated parts of the county. And, November is now National Native American Heritage Month in Garfield County. The BOCC approved a proclamation requested by the Captain Richard Sopris Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “I thank you for this Native American Month proclamation to remember all of those who came before us and to remember those who were the stewards of these lands originally,” Chapter Regent Chandra Allred said.
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Miss Quetzali’s first-grade class’s first-place Catrina, courtesy photo
Mrs. Carolina and Señora Garcia’s second-grade class’s secondplace Catrina, courtesy photo
The fifth-grade class’s thirdplace Catrina, “Miguela,” courtesy photo
The Riverview School (kindergarten through eighth grade) has been celebrating Día de los Muertos for several years, but added a twist this time around. Each of the classes created Catrinas for a showcase at the school, which were on display for the community to check out on Oct. 29. The statuettes pop with color, traditional-looking attire and, of course, skeletal faces. Attendees were able to make contributions to donation boxes at the various Catrinas, which went right back to the respective grade to be used for school supplies, field trips and more. The competition was between classes within a grade level, and the winning Catrinas were based on the amount collected. Three school-wide winners were also recognized. Folks can still contribute by donating to the school and noting their favorite Catrina at tinyurl.com/RiverviewCatrinas “The purpose was simple: celebrate culture while giving back to the very students and teachers who make our school community so special,” Family Volunteer Organization Vice President Andy Arias told The Sun. The winning Catrina, created by Miss Quetzali’s first-grade class, was “inspired by monarch butterflies,” according to a write-up from the class, celebrating “life, remembrance and the beautiful connection between generations. Just as monarch butterflies make their incredible journey each year, we are reminded that love and memories continue to travel with us, even when our loved ones are no longer by our side.” Mrs. Carolina and Señora Garcia’s second-grade class placed second for a Catrina donning “the colors of the nopal cactus, a plant that grows in Mexico’s deserts,” the class wrote. “The nopal can survive in hot, dry conditions, so it is a symbol of strength and perseverance. Just like the cactus, people can stay strong and keep going through hard times.” Fifth grade came in third with their Catrina, “Miguela,” who “represents the vibrant colors and spirit of both Mr. Ruiz’s ‘Yellow Submarine’ classroom and Ms. Sahira’s ‘Desert Cactus’ classroom … incorporating meaningful elements from their everyday lives in fifth grade.” These students also created a book with individual entries detailing what Día de los Muertos means to them. The school hopes to make the Catrina Showcase part of its annual tradition celebrating Día de los Muertos. Though it’s not certain exactly where, the intent is to display the Catrinas on First Friday in Carbondale, so keep a lookout.
THE SOPRIS SUN | Your weekly community connector | November 5-11, 2026 19
In celebration of Veterans Day, Alpine Bank would like to say thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Let the participating restaurants below know you're a Veteran when you place your order.
Carbondale
• Bonfire Coffee | 433 Main St • Village Smithy | 26 S 3rd St
Basalt
• Two Rivers Cafe | 156 Midland Ave
Free breakfast for Veterans! November 11, 2026
Snowmass Village • Daly Diner | 16 Kearns Rd #103
Aspen
• Paradise Bakery | 3320 S Galena St • Poppycock's Cafe | 665 E Cooper Ave
THE COMMUNITY AD SPACE BELOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ALPINE BANK
From Page to Stage: Aspen Words Poetry Showcase Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 6-7 pm | Crystal Theater
FREE EVENT 427 Main St, Carbondale, CO 81623 Featured Poets Natasha Carrizosa “Natty” Logan Phillips Jasminne Mendez Enrique Garica Naranjo “Q”
Learn more and register at AspenWords.org 20 THE SOPRIS SUN | soprissun.com | November 5-11, 2026