Issuu

Photos by Klaus Kocher

More moms and babies on pages 12-13

Meg Ravenscraft, Zoe

Alana Shah, Carmen and Demetri

Liza Mitchell, Lewis

Julia Tallmadge, Connor

Li McBrayer, Emily

Kenna Crampton, James Titus

Natalie Acosta, Julieta

Karlee Cashel, Wesley

ANB Bank banks on a new bank

RALEIGH BURLEIGH

Sopris Sun Editor

On April 8, ground broke on another new development adding to the Carbondale Marketplace complex. Nestled between Highway 133 and Hendrick Drive, ANB Bank’s 27,000-square-foot “Sopris Station” mixed-use development was approved in October 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2026.

In addition to a new banking center — relocating ANB Bank from its current address less than half a mile north — the building will include 16 apartment units and around 10,000 square feet of commercial space available for lease. The residential portion includes one and two-bedroom apartments for rent and the commercial space will be equipped for potential restaurant use.

“Our local Carbondale bank team is very excited about the construction of our new energy-efficient bank and apartments,” stated Community Bank President Tony Spires in a press release. “This new location will allow us to service our customers more efficiently along with providing housing for ANB Bank’s Mountain

Region employees and the Town of Carbondale community.”

The energy efficiency Spires refers to involves on-site solar panels offsetting 33% of estimated energy usage, electric vehicle charging stations, locally sourced materials and design features making use of passive solar. The project is all-electric, with the exception of gas hook-ups for that potential restaurant.

The road to approval involved a significant detour in 2021, when ANB Bank went back to the drawing board after receiving an underwhelming response from the Carbondale Board of Trustees. Back then, the plan was to subdivide the lot, purchased by ANB Bank in 2019, and sell the southern portion. The redesign makes full use of the entire lot with a two-story building that adds to Carbondale’s housing stock, including three deed-restricted dwelling units. Also, a scrutinized drive-thru was removed from the design.

Along with the new building there will be a public pedestrian corridor cutting across what was formerly a field to connect a sidewalk along Highway 133 with Hendrick Drive. Additionally,

the outside lane of the roundabout will be extended back to the turnout connecting Highway 133 and Hendrick Drive. Carbondale Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman estimates that road work will take place this summer. He explained that an extended lane was favored over an acceleration lane so motorists aren’t distracted by merging just ahead

of the roundabout.

As for the current building at the corner of Dolores Way and Highway 133, approval of the new development came with the condition that ANB Bank reach out to the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) to entertain a possibility of RFTA acquiring that property, conveniently located just next to the Park and Ride.

According to Laura Schmult, first senior vice president and senior digital officer at ANB Bank, “Now that the project has received its permit and construction is underway, ANB will be engaging a real estate broker to begin the disposition effort of the Dolores Way property. This effort will include reaching out to RFTA regarding their interest.”

ABOVE: ANB Bank’s Sopris Station will be more than just a bank. It includes 16 residential units and around 10,000 square feet of commercial space. Courtesy graphic

RIGHT: Where once there was a field, excavation began on April 8. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

Rita Marsh honored as county’s Wellness Visionary

KATE PHILLIPS

Sopris Sun Correspondent

The evening of April 7, Carbondale resident Rita Marsh was announced as the Garfield County Humanitarian Awards’ Wellness Visionary honoree. Presented by Garfield County Human Services Commission and the Garfield County Board of County Commissioners, the award is a testament to Marsh’s decades-long career cultivating connection, wellness and balance. Marsh is the co-founder of the Center for Human Flourishing (CHF) based in Carbondale. The night also honored Quinn McSwain (Taking Flight award), Dee Warwick (Heart & Soul) and Patricia Horwitz (Lifetime Service). Marsh told The Sopris Sun that she was proud to be recognized alongside these admirable community leaders.

This interview with Marsh has been edited for clarity and length. First of all, congratulations on this incredible achievement!

It was a real honor to be nominated in the first place. My colleague, Dr. Greg Feinsinger, was the one who initiated that. We’ve worked together for a number of years raising awareness for [a] plant-based lifestyle to reverse chronic illness and prevent significant disease. He gathered

people who wrote letters of support. At the dinner, I was listening to what people were saying and then the commissioner started talking about the recipient and I thought, ‘Oh, really? He’s talking about me!’ I had to take some deep breaths and really take it all in. I was really surprised.

What sparked your career in medicine?

I’m from Ontario, Canada and I grew up in a very small village in the woods near a lake. My father was somewhat of a humanitarian, because he would rescue injured animals. Then, having a good family friend who was a nurse I became interested in what her career looked like. In high school, I thought I would want to be a physician, but my father said we couldn’t afford it. So that was a squelch, but the interest in nursing stayed with me.

I went to the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto that had a three-year experiential nursing program. I stayed in the Toronto area for a number of years working in labor and delivery, and wow what a special place to see the little ones entering the world.

How did you make your way to the Valley?

I was very athletic and interested in skiing. I asked my friend’s father, “Where is the best place in North America to ski?” and he said, “Aspen, Colorado!”

I took the train from Toronto to Chicago and then to Glenwood Springs. I planned to come down for four weeks, but found a place at the bottom of Aspen’s Lift 1A. I was amazed at the mountain, skiing and everything.

How did you fill those early years?

I spent four years skiing and finding jobs that could support my lifestyle. I went back to nursing in 1969 at the Aspen Hospital. We took care of every aspect of life from birth to death — and every broken bone in between.

When did you begin to integrate the philosophy of balance into your work?

While working in the emergency room I saw the impact of people’s decisions in life that put them in bad places. I started to realize I was not impactful there, and I wanted to get into intervention and prevention. I looked into a family nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado. I figured that if I moved into that career I could get to know people on a more personal level. What does a “life in balance” mean to you?

I work through the framework of the Integral Health Model — including biological health,

psychospiritual, wordly and interpersonal — because of my relationship with Dr. Elliott Dacher and the book he wrote: “Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing.” That was very impactful, looking at the whole person between mind, body and spirit.

Recognizing we’re held in a field of spirit — and that connection to the creator or greater good or whatever you believe in — is an essential part of being a human being. That model really gave me a way to express what I knew. More recently, I began to realize that health began from the ground up. The food that we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe are the resources for living a flourishing life.

Your career has had a big impact on our community. What are you most proud of?

A coalescence of the healing arts community is always the goal. We have the community [and] creative arts. Amy Kimberly always said the healing arts are part of that, and I try to hold that we are on parallel and complementary paths so that Carbondale shines and honors the talents that we have here with a capacity to celebrate life.

Most important question, what’s for dinner tonight?

Well, I don’t think we’re making dinner tonight because today [April 24] is our 55th wedding anniversary!

Congratulations!

What’s the secret to 55 years of marriage?

A few years back, I asked Dick what he thinks of having so many years of marriage and he said, ‘What else would I be doing?’ Marsh laughed. But truly, having similar interests, enjoying life, raising two daughters and agreeing to support each other day by day.

To keep up with the Center for Human Flourishing, visit www.thecenterforhuman flourishing.org

Rita Marsh, photo by Kate Phillips

Natalie Spears shares the TACAW stage with AMF String Quintet

MYKI JONES Arts Correspondent

IN A NUTSHELL

Who: Natalie Spears & AMF String Quintet

Where: TACAW

When: May 16 at 8pm

Tickets: www.tacaw.org

On May 16, Natalie Spears will grace the stage of TACAW with the Aspen Music Festival String Quintet — comprised of Delaney Meyers, Camille Backman, Ross Kribbs, Sarah Graf and Carl Meinecke — featuring compositions by Spears’ longtime collaborator and friend, Ilan Blanck, for an evening that will take the audience on a musical journey paralleled with the sounds of birds.

“We’ll begin with the dawn chorus, which is that chorus of sound you hear the birds making right as the sun rises,” Spears explained to The Sopris Sun. “We’ll move through different phases of the day. It won’t all be birds, but there’ll be different energetic snippets woven in.”

The performance is the result of a collaboration between the Roaring Fork Audubon Society and Aspen Music Festival. It will open with a presentation of works from “The Birdsong Project,” launched during the pandemic in partnership with the National Audubon Society. That project aimed to unite artists through bird songs, celebrate the intersections of art, music and nature and educate people on conservation efforts for avian populations.

the stage with collaborators again after embarking on some solo ventures.

“I think the success has been learning how my voice is outside of collaborations,” said Spears. “It was meaningful to put out the album, and it’s also been a year to rest and decide what’s next and continue to integrate the parts of the record process that I loved into my next projects.”

I think music, wild spaces, beauty and art is where we can find reprieve for our souls.

Spears had the opportunity to work with The Birdsong Project last summer for the title track of her album, “Hymn of Wild Things,” inspired by the sandhill crane. Many of the songs on Spears’ album were inspired by avian wildlife, woven with themes of grief and transformation.

- Natalie Spears

Spears discussed how many people live in the Roaring Fork Valley because of the access to nature and the outdoors, and how the intersection between music and nature can be good for folks to be open to and explore.

“The Birdsong Project did some programming with the Aspen Music Festival last summer which is how I became involved,” said Spears. “Aspen Music Festival gave us funding to go into some of the schools and to demonstrate what happens when you take folk music traditions and mix them with more traditionally classical string arrangements to demonstrate their versatility.”

Coming up on the first anniversary of the release of her latest record, Spears looks forward to sharing

“A lot of us come here just to live close to the wilderness. For me, I feel like the birds are my umbilical cord to that,” said Spears. “The world feels like such a shit show right now and I think we get really far away from our hearts when life is hard, because we get into fear based mode. I think music, wild spaces, beauty and art is where we can find reprieve for our souls.”

“We can’t always think our way through things,” she concluded. “Sometimes we just need to feel a heart connection to the world, and I think that music and art is a wonderful way to do that.”

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Natalie Spears, photo courtesy of Andrew Sturtz

Aspen Music Fesitval String Quintet, san Carl Meinecke, photo courtesy of Ross Kribbs

LITTLE

RIDERS, BIG FUN

Roaring Fork Cycling invites 4 to 7 years olds to learn the basics of BMX biking, with a focus on coordination and building confidence, at Crown Mountain Park Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 27 from 3:30 to 5pm. Bikes and equipment are available to borrow. More info and sign up at www.roaringforkcycling.org/bmx

SACRED BROTHERHOOD

Kyle Leitzke leads a “Sacred Brotherhood” conversation at True Nature from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at www. truenaturehealingarts.com

DRAWING CLUB

The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at The Launchpad in Carbondale at 6:30pm.

FIRST DRAFT

Mitzi Rapkin interviews Kristin Koval, author of “Penitence,” for a live recording of the podcast “First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing” at TACAW at 6:30pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

CA FELLOWS

Meet Carbondale Arts’ 2024 fellowship recipients, Dustin Eli, Erik Hesselman, Jan Schubert and Mellie Test, present ing on their projects at The Launchpad from 6 to 8pm.

ZOËKEATING

Zoë Keating returns to TACAW for a musical performance in honor of Missie Thorne at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

THURSDAY, MAY 15

CAREGIVER SELF-CARE

A free caregiver self-care event takes place at the Garfield County Administrative Building in Rifle (195 West 14th Street) in the Grand Valley Room (210) from 10am to noon with a keynote by mental health specialist Meghan Backofen, followed by lunch and pampering.

Senior Living residents, connecting often disconnected generations, at the Basalat Library from 4 to 5:30pm. More details at www.basaltlibrary.org

MOVIE NIGHT

KDNK screens “The Commitments” at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm. “Featuring a triple-platinum soundtrack, the classic cult comedy-drama of a ragtag soul band in ‘80s Dublin comes back to the big screen!”

SPEAKEASY

Lynn Aliya leads a public speaking workshop, incorporating her Speakeasy Method and complete with cocktails (and mocktail options) provided by Marble Distillery, at the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 7pm. Bring an ID if you plan to imbibe. More

ONGOING EVENTS

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

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

MOMMY MEET-UP

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

ENGLISH IN ACTION

Volunteer English tutors and developing learners meet for informal conversational practice at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 6:30pm. Interested in becoming a tutor? Email angela@englishinaction.org or call 970-963-9200.

MONDAY MEDITATION

Roaring Fork Insight guides a weekly meditation group meeting at the Third Street Center (Room 31) from 7 to 8:30pm. A Wednesday session takes place at St. Peters of the Valley in Basalt from 11:30 to 1pm with a Zoom option.

PILATES

Coredination offers weekly pilates mat classes for all levels at The Launchpad in Carbondale. Tuesdays from noon to 1pm intermediate/advanced students are welcome. Beginners are encouraged to attend on THursdays from 8 to 9am. For more info, call 970-379-2187.

BIKE PROJECT

The Carbondale Bike Project Shop helps people repair their bicycles on Tuesdays

and Thursdays from 2 to 6pm and Sundays from noon to 6pm on the east side of Third Street Center.

SENIOR LUNCH

Every Wednesday at noon, Garfield County Senior Programs provides a nutritious meal for seniors at The Orchard. To reserve a place at the table, call 970-665-0041.

FARM DAYS

Wild Mountain Seeds invites you to volunteer at Sunfire Ranch every Thursday from 12:30 to 4pm. Bring a water bottle and gloves and leave as early as you need to.

GERI-FIT

The Carbondale Library hosts an olderadult fitness class every Thursday from 12:15 to 1:15pm. Call 970-625-5282 ext. 3084 to register.

TEEN LIBRARY COUNCIL

The Teen Library Council convenes every first Thursday at the Basalt Library at 4pm.

GROUP RUN

Independence Run & Hike leads a weekly group run on Thursdays departing from the store’s location, next to the Carbondale City Market, at 6:30pm.

COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR

Carbondale Mayor Ben Bohmfalk posts up at Bonfire every Friday from 8 to 9am, and everyone is welcome to stop by to chat.

SOBER QUEER CLUB

The Meeting Place hosts an LGBTQIA+ specific recovery meeting every first and third Saturday at 5:30pm. For more details, visit www.meetingplacecarbondale.org

TRAIL RUNNING FILMS

Independence Run & Hike hosts the Trail Running Film Festival as part of its family-friendly Mt. Sopris Run-Off weekend. Doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm.

ROARING FORK RISING

BOOK CLUB

The Third Thursday Book Club discusses “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson at the Carbondale Library from 2 to 3:30pm.

CARE FOR CAREGIVERS

True Nature continues its Care for Caregivers monthly support series from 5 to 6:30pm. Find details and registration at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

POSTCARD PROJECT

Middle and high school students create multi-media postcards for Heritage

The Wheeler Opera House’s Roaring Fork Rising series, highlighting local talent, kicks off with Emery Major and David Uhlfelder at 7pm. Find tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

EDIE CAREY

Steve’s Guitars presents Edie Carey performing at 8pm. Tickets at www. stevesguitars.net

NATALIE SPEARS

Catch a performance of “Hymn of Wild Things” by Natalie Spears, backed by a string quintet, at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

Roaring Fork High School AP art students, along with teacher Leslie Keery, show some of their work that will be on display at the free Art and Woodworking Exhibit running May 14-16, from 8am to 6pm in the high school’s library. Photo by Sue Rollyson

Day

Katie W, Barrett

Vanessa Evans, Olive

Eunice Prieto, Priscilla Becerra

Keera Kirchenwitz, Owen

Rachel Kelmanson, Brady Martin Fife

Heather Hicks Stumpf, Rhodes

Megan Westfelt, Wendy Erin Sherman, Abalon and Eisa

Jolene Schillaci, Monty

RAMS REPORT

LEAGUE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Roaring Fork girls and boys track teams competed at the 3A WSL Championships at Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction on May 2-3, bringing home top-eight performances in several events and lowering their event times in the process.

Athletes scoring points among the 3A teams for the Rams included, for the boys:

Junior Eli Norris — 200-Meter dash, sixth (24.55 seconds)

Sophomore Quentin Galbraith — 400M dash, seventh (54.58 seconds)

Freshman Levi Friday — 1600M, eighth (4:58.32).

And, for the girls:

Junior Nikki Tardif — 300M hurdles, third (49.76 seconds), and 200M dash, fourth (28.83).

Senior Isabella Moon — 800M run, third (2:27.72), and 1600M run, third (5:32.64)

Junior Caroline Cole — 800M run, eighth (2:34.12), 1600M run, seventh (5:47.48)

Freshman Kinley Richmond — 3200M run, eighth (13:49.56)

4x800 Relay (Richmond, Sadie Silcox, Cole, Moon), fourth (10:43.93 – new school record)

A handful of Rams track athletes are in 3A state qualifying positions heading into this Saturday’s “last chance” meet at Montrose. The Colorado Track and Field Championships are slated for May 15-17 at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood.

FORESTS

said. “Categorically excluding projects up to 15-squaremiles in size from any meaningful analysis or public input does a great disservice to our communities, wildlife and forests alike. At a time when our public lands are under attack, limiting public participation while undermining environmental analysis and the Endangered Species Act is altogether the wrong way to go.” Wilderness Workshop noted specific objections to provisions in H.R. 471. The organization takes issue with: the exclusion of a variety of logging projects across as much as 15.6 square miles of National Forest from requirements for public input and scientific analysis; the limitation of judicial review to 150 days from the standard six years; and negation of the Cottonwood Decision, which requires the Forest Service to reinitiate forest planning consultation when a new endangered species or critical habitat is found.

Western Watersheds Project Public Policy Director Josh Osher said, “At one of the most crucial moments

for the future of our public lands, waters and wildlife, Congress is abandoning ship and handing over control to the cattle and timber barons who got us into this mess in the first place.” He continued, “What we need right now is a new paradigm that values life over profit and extraction, not the same tired ideas wrapped in deceptive new packaging.”

Western Watersheds Project prefers other legislation to address wildfire related decision making. “The Fix Our Forests Act will exacerbate the problems caused by decades of excessive logging, grazing and vegetation management on our public lands by prescribing more of the same with even less caution or foresight,” Osher stated. “In contrast, bills such as H.R.582, [the] Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act introduced by Rep Huffman, actually provides solutions to increased wildfire risk to communities.”

The public can view updates to H.R. 471 on the congressional website, www.congress.gov/ bill/119th-congress/house-bill/471

Carbondale celebrated Arbor Day on May 3 by planting a Douglas elm and Chinkapin oak between Rock Court and Greystone Drive along Hendrick. Town Arborist Carl Meinecke and the Tree Board gave a hands-on planting demo for children, parents, dogs and all people interested in celebrating trees. Cookies, coffee, donuts and juice were also served.

Photo by Dan Bullock

County residents demand apologies from two board members, ask president to resign

MEGAN WEBBER

Sopris

Sun Correspondent

Library business was once again overshadowed by high contention at the Garfield County Public Library District’s Board of Trustees meeting on May 1.

Before reaching the board’s scheduled discussion items, which included a new appointment to the Glenwood Urban Renewal Authority, a presentation from the Grand Valley Historical Society and a tour of the Parachute Library where the meeting was held, members of the public spoke to the board about the remaining manga books on display at the library and the disagreements between two members of the board.

At the board’s previous meeting on April 3, Board President Adrian Rippy-Sheehy adjourned the meeting after a brief squabble with Board Member Myrna Fletchall. Fletchall continued to request documentation about staff compensation that was discussed at a meeting earlier

in the year, and Rippy-Sheehy told Fletchall that she would not be regranted access for several reasons, including an assumption that she wanted to share the documents with specific community members. After that, Fletchall accused RippySheehy of bullying her.

“I’m tired of your behavior and treating me like that,” Fletchall said.

According to a letter submitted by Susan Use, Glenwood Springs resident and former library board member, to The Sopris Sun, printed on April 23, in the “early spring Fletchall’s emails were subject to a Colorado Open Records Request, which provided proof that Fletchall received the documents, spreadsheets, etcetera she keeps demanding.”

that Rippy-Sheehy said she assumed Fletchall would share the data with, read aloud a letter that she wrote to the board in response and said she agrees with Fletchall calling the president a bully.

difficult to express this, but I have felt that from you also, and toward her. You just know it when you see it.”

O’Grady requested that Rippy-Sheehy make a formal public apology to Fletchall at the meeting and consider resigning from her position as board president.

I am asking as a participant of these meetings that something change, because it is far too much, and I believe that we all need to recognize where the problem is and deal with the issue. It’s affecting us.

- May Gray, New Castle

On May 1, different members of the community appeared to defend either Fletchall or Rippy-Sheehy. Rifle resident Trish O’Grady, who is one of the citizens

“I have witnessed in previous board meetings your continued disrespect toward Myrna,” O’Grady said. “You have talked over her, cut off her sentences, spoke in a loud, condescending tone. It’s

After O’Grady spoke, two community members made similar statements in defense of RippySheehy. New Castle resident Carol O’Brien said that Fletchall’s behavior “has been horrible” and “unprofessional,” and added, “especially toward Adrian.” Use said that she believes Fletchall has been “out to get Adrian since day one,” and that Fletchall retaliated against her when she wouldn’t push back on Rippy-Sheehy.

“Myrna bullies,” Use said. “She harasses Adrian any chance she’s gotten. It’s a constant harassment.”

She requested that Fletchall

make apologies to RippySheehy, herself and to the library district’s executive director, Jamie LaRue, for her behavior towards them.

New Castle resident May Gray, who frequently attends the board’s public meetings, was the last member of the public to speak and said that she felt like a child asking her parents to stop fighting.

“What is happening on the board is a lot,” she said. “I am asking as a participant of these meetings that something change, because it is far too much, and I believe that we all need to recognize where the problem is and deal with the issue. It’s affecting us.”

Neither Rippy-Sheehy nor Fletchall made a public apology during the meeting and as of press time The Sopris Sun was not aware of any apology being made since.

The board’s next meeting will take place on Thursday, June 5 at the Carbondale Library at 2pm.

Praise for the libraries, Pie Day and summer fun

AMY HADDEN MARSH

Sopris Sun Correspondent

Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting was short and polite. Garfield County resident Debbie Wilde opened the meeting during the public comment period, describing her love of and gratitude for the library system. She said she has been trying to set up a learning center in the Navajo Nation for the past four years, which has helped her see how good Garfield County residents have it with their libraries.

“I realized how easily I’ve taken our library system for granted,” she said. “It is a very important part of living in this county.” She said she’s noticed that the library has been discussed in the county commissioner chambers lately. “What brings me to this table is not only appreciation but the awareness that when we talk about the library, we talk about a whole system, an organization,” she said. “And I’ve not heard the recognition of that complexity in the library rumblings I’ve heard.”

She added that the library director must be competent in staffing, budgeting, finances and strategic planning, not to mention the physical plant issues and the wide variety of library materials. “A library is not just a shelf of books anymore,” she said.

Wilde pointed out that the current

library director is managing all of those things very well, adding, “What I’m clear [about] is that we must not take apart the foundation of an organization when that’s maybe not the issue at all.” She cautioned, “As the old saying goes, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Board Chair Tom Jankovsky reminded Wilde that the BOCC has jurisdiction over the library board and the director.

Commissioner Perry Will, interjecting a little humor into the conversation, asked Wilde about Pie Day, an annual event hosted by the Glenwood Springs Rotary Club during Strawberry Days. “It is on for June 20,” Wilde responded.

The BOCC moved on to consider a resolution to invite Interior Secretary Doug Burgham to deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Joint Organizations Leading Transition (JOLT) Energy Summit in Grand Junction. This year’s event is in Rifle in late June.

JOLT is the brainchild of former Craig mayor and Moffat County commissioner Ray Beck. In a 2023 interview on the Fire2Fission podcast, Beck said that a group of county and state elected officials began meeting to discuss northwest Colorado energy issues. They came up with the name JOLT after Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association’s January 2020 announcement to close coal fired power plants in Colorado and New Mexico. “It

was a jolt to this community,” said Beck. On Monday, Jankovsky questioned why a resolution and not a letter. “We go to the JOLT conference but we’re not on the committee that makes selections on who’s to speak,” he said. “I’m wondering where this came from.”

Commissioner Mike Samson responded by listing supporters from the Western Slope, including several counties and commissioners as well as the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC). He wants the national spotlight on Western Colorado’s energy resources.

“We are a treasure trove of energy potential,” he exclaimed before berating the Polis

administration. “We have a state legislature and a governor that has done everything it can to hurt us and endanger us in the development of energy here in Western Colorado,” he said.

Jankovsky suggested that the AGNC or the JOLT committee coordinate sending all the resolutions along with a cover letter to Secretary Burgham. The BOCC unanimously approved the resolution.

Other items on Monday’s agenda included nonprofit grant requests from the Glenwood Springs Historical Society, Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, Bookcliffs Council on the Arts and Humanities, the

continued on page 22

The Rhythm of Reflection

YouthEntity’s culinary team, with students from Glenwood Springs and Roaring Fork High School, earned fifth place at a national competition after emerging victorious at the 2025 Colorado ProStart Student Invitational State Championship in Denver. The National ProStart Invitational

Photo by Draper White

Public lands are one of our country’s great equalizers. It doesn’t matter how much money you have — a billionaire and a bus driver both get the same access to our parks, deserts, rivers and forests. Each one of us owns these lands together. They are literally America’s common ground.

Like so many Americans, I’ve built a life around public lands — exploring them, defending them and working to ensure they remain open to all. From my early days in Montana to leading the Bureau of Land Management and now as president of The Wilderness Society, I’ve seen what these places mean to people. And I’ve never seen a threat to them as seri ous and shocking as the one we face right now.

For weeks, there have been indications that the Republican-controlled Congress was going to sell off chunks of this priceless shared heritage to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Not too long ago, that would have been an unthinkable idea. Surely, Congress or the administration wouldn’t sacrifice prime wildlife habitat, access to favorite places, lands along a quiet stream or a wildlife refuge, right? Surely, they wouldn’t auction this extraordinary legacy of clean air, clean water and open spaces as a one-time favor to donors and corporations?

But earlier this month, the Senate proved just how serious they were about it. Democrats offered an amendment that would block selling off our public lands in the budget bill. The vote failed along party lines, with just two Republicans voting to oppose a sell-off. Those two Montana senators who supported the amendment completely understood how their constituents feel about public lands.

But it’s not only Montanans who care. Public lands are figurative common ground, uniting people across the country. Poll after poll shows that people of all stripes support public lands and want them conserved to protect wildlife habitat and outdoor recre ation areas for future generations.

While it is a nice proof-point to have, we don’t need polling data to tell us what people’s photo libraries, social media feeds, old family albums and bucket lists show us. Americans care deeply about public lands, intuitively understanding they are a national treasure.

These lands hold the long arc of the story of humankind, etched in petroglyphs on desert walls and handed down in the creation stories of Indigenous peoples that have stewarded them since time immemorial. Public lands are our shorthand for freedom and exhilaration. In car ads, they promise an escape from the ordinary. In books about finding ourselves, they are a proving ground for the soul. In our anthems, they bind us as one nation: “This land is your land; this land is my land.”

My nephew caught his first trout on a fly rod while standing on public land along a clear, cold mountain stream. Over 25 years later, he still remembers everything about that moment. I expect he’ll bring his kids there one day. His is a common story.

Last summer, I happened upon a young couple on a large rock outcrop overlooking a wilderness in Oregon. They had driven all the way from the Midwest to take in the view. I offered to snap a photo for them and then found myself documenting a remarkable moment as he dropped to one knee, pulled out a ring, and wove the magnificent scenery into the intimacy of his proposal. People make lifetime memories on our public lands. From that rim on Steens Mountain to that bank along Rock Creek, to Yellowstone and Yosemite, to the desert Southwest and the wilds of Alaska, to national forests in every state — these lands are our heritage, our common ground and a key part of our Ameri can identity and story.

Public lands must never be for sale — at any price. It’s not too late. Congress still has mountains of details to sort through to finalize the president’s budget and tax cut agenda. It’s up to them to stop the selloff of our national heritage, and it’s up to all of us to remind them that they must. When public lands are sold off for profit, we lose the places that define our country and unite us as Americans.

Tracy Stone-Manning is a contributor to Writers on the Range, www.writerson therange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She is president of The Wilderness Society and a former director of the BLM. She lives in Montana and Washington, D.C.

There will be a celebration of life for John Seidel, a long-time resident of Carbondale who resided lately in California, on Sunday, May 18, at the RVR Thompson Barn at 2pm. There will be food and beverages. Come and remember John, it will be fun, just as he would want it.

Online aspenhospital.org/health-fair, or by phone 1.800.217.5866

Monday–Friday, 9 am–4 pm

June 6 & 7

Aspen Valley Hospital Campus Hosted at Aspen Ambulance 0403 Castle Creek Road

Tests Offered

• HealthScreen w/CBC – $79 Includes CBC, CMP, Ferritin, Iron Panel, Lipid Panel, TSH and Uric Acid (Fasting Required)

• hsCardio CRP – $42

• Hemoglobin A1C & EAG – $44

Folklorico inspires community through dance

As part of her Capstone project, Roaring Fork graduating senior Jacqueline Flores Alvarez shared this column reflecting on her time with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s Folklorico program from the time she was in kindergarten.

The skirts flow with our movements, our shoes rhythmically stomp the floor and our steps coordinate beautifully with the music. There is grace and beauty in the way we all work together to present the dance. Most of us have known each other since kindergarten, when we all started dancing together. We have laughed, cried and traveled together. We have all become family — una familia de bailarines folklóricos.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklorico is an after school and summer program for students in grades K-12. It teaches students the culture, history and technique of traditional Mexican folk dances. This program holds yearly performances where all ages and skills are represented. Additionally, the advanced dancers give performances throughout the entire year including special shows for the Fourth of July, Cinco de Mayo and “The Nutcracker.”

I have been part of Folklorico since I was 5 years old. I am now 18 and about to graduate high school. It has been a huge part of my life, as I know it has also been for so many other students. Young people get many opportunities in this program, such as traveling and making new connections that will last a lifetime.

During my time in the program, I have seen so many friendships form. We hang out outside of the program, go to school together and get to share in one another’s most grand moments outside of dance — like being included in each other’s quinceañeras and graduations. We learn from each other and help each other fix our mistakes. Being part of this group has taught me a lot, such as discipline, time management and so much more. Our teacher, Paco

BY JACQUELINE FLORES ALVAREZ Roaring Fork High School

Nevarez-Burgueño, shows us that it is important to have discipline to develop proper technique, have a sense of responsibility within the group and be able to improve our performances. We start learning discipline from the moment we start the program. This becomes very helpful not just for our dancing, but in our personal lives, too. When I dance, it feels like nothing else matters. I forget about everything else that goes on in the world. When I dance, I feel like I’m floating. I feel like I am in a safe space. During all of my years of dance, it has given me such a huge boost of confidence. When I

first started dancing, I was a very introverted kid — scared to talk to people, make new friends and ask for help when I wasn’t able to nail down a step or part of a dance. But with time I gained experience and confidence. Every presentation and dance I was in made me more and more confident. Dance has helped me become more comfortable in my body. It has helped me express myself in new ways through rhythm and movement. Through this, I have gained a sense of accomplishment and self-assurance that has helped me so much outside the world of dance as well.

While working on my Capstone project for school, I got the chance to interview former Folklorico students about what their time and experience was like in the program. I noticed while interviewing the former students that there were some things we certainly had in common. Here are a couple of excerpts from those interviews that stuck with me.

“Feeling that energy of us doing this form of dance in this little town [when] there’s so many other people that are practicing the same dance that we are,” is amazing, said Margarita Alvarez. “That dance has a whole history.”

“The part that stuck with me the most was just how welcoming the whole community was and how it does just feel like a family,” said Solana Teitler. “Paco brings everybody together.”

Being part of a group or doing something you are passionate about can really shape who you are as a person over the years. I did not notice how much of an impact Folklorico had on me until I started writing this down. This group has helped me through so much, has brought me out of my shell and helped me learn so much more about my Mexican heritage. The beauty of being part of this group is not only the dancing or learning about my culture, it’s the bonds and friendships. I am beyond grateful to be part of this group. I know I will always have these special people by my side.

Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week in Spanish.

Jacqueline Flores Alvarez (left) with fellow seniors Juan Lemus and Vanessa Mercado after the annual Folklorico performance at this year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Rifle Fairgrounds. Courtesy photo

Happy Mother’s Day

to our hairy, four-legged friends

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY JANE BACHRACH Animal Writes

A human mother’s love and inherent nature to nourish her young begins at birth. Our four-legged moms are no different. There’s an instant bond between mother and child, and as soon as the baby locates its food source, the suckling begins. The greatest difference between the humans and quadrupeds is that the latter have hairy bodies, and caprine and ovine moms usually give birth to twins or triplets. The Homo sapiens lucked out!

LEGAL NOTICE HELP WANTED

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

NOTICE is hereby given that on May 13th, 2025, at 12:00 p.m., final settlement will be made with EXCAVATION SERVICES INC., 226 N. 12th Street., Carbondale, Colorado, 81623 by the TOWN OF CARBONDALE, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, Colorado, on a contract for labor and materials for a project known as TOWN OF CARBONDALE WWTF DIGESTER BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS and that any person, co-partnership, company, association of persons, or corporation who has an unpaid claim against EXCAVATION SERVICES, INC., or its subcontractors, for labor and materials, may, at any time, up to closing of business the last work day prior

to final settlement, that is, by May 13th, 2025, file a verified statement of the amount due with the TOWN OF CARBONDALE (Attn. Kevin Schorzman kschorzman@ carbondaleco.net) pursuant to Section 3826-107, C.R.S., as amended.

Failure on the part of the Claimant to make such verified statement, prior to the final settlement on the contract with EXCAVATION SERVICES Inc., will relieve the TOWN OF CARBONDALE from any liability for such Claimant’s claim.

PUBLISHED BY THE ORDER OF TOWN OF CARBONDALE.

Published in The Sopris Sun on May 8, 2025

Carbondale Bike Project seeks an experienced bicycle mechanic 20 hours per week May 13 - Aug 31.

Retail sales experience is a plus. $25 - $29 /hr., commensurate with experience.

Please email your resume to carbondalebikeproject@gmail.com