As Mountain Fair approaches each year, there’s a special energy in Carbondale that surges as the opening of the fair approaches. The inhabitants of Carbondale and beyond have a long-standing love affair with the tradition, as the entire community comes together for three days of fun, friendship, food and frivolity.
On Sunday morning during Natalie Spears’ performance on the main stage, true love reared its magnificent head during her song “Orchard of Dreams.” Suddenly there was an uproar in the audience and the crowd began clapping, disrupting the performance. On stage it appeared Spears was tearing up as she stared into the audience…
Michael McMillan had just proposed to Anna Mayer. The two recently moved to a ranch near Durango and were visiting friends back in Carbondale when McMillan popped the question. Spoiler alert: she said yes!
by
Photo
Tommy Sands
More Mountain Fair photos on pages 8-9
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Teddy Roosevelt — The Conservation President
For over a century, big game hunters have been coming to the rugged mountains of Western Colorado to escape their stressful everyday lives and lose their cares in the primal pursuit of deer, elk, sheep, lion and bear.
In 1905, Jake Borah was a successful hunting guide in the Glenwood Springs area. Most of his clients came from eastern cities, and were what Borah called “dudes,” which he defined as “a man who wears store clothes and a white collar and necktie” in an interview with the Denver Post and reprinted in the Glenwood Springs Avalanche Echo on May 18, 1905.
Borah explained in the interview:
“Nine times out of 10 they planned to hunt in the big-game country of the Rockies without the least idea of how to handle a gun. Most of the dudes had to be told which end of the gun you shoot through.”
One particular client, who came by train from Washington, D.C., surprised his guide with his ability to handle a gun, as well as endure the rigors and discomfort of outdoor life on a three-week bear hunt near Divide Creek in the spring of 1905.
Borah declared:
alone, and the guides and hunters with him will protect him. Roosevelt adored nature and spent as much time as he could outdoors. He was an avid bird-watcher and was responsible for the creation of America’s first national wildlife refuge at Pelican Island, Florida.
OPINION
“In the saddle, on the trail, eating camp dinner or sleeping under a tent, there was never a better all-around fellow than President Roosevelt. He was just one of the boys … The president did not stand apart as a dude, but joked and ate with us, rode and talked with us, as only a cow puncher could.”
In one of his many treatises on the environment, Roosevelt wrote: “Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.”
In his desire to preserve America’s natural resources for future generations, Roosevelt created the National Forest Service and conserved over 200 million acres of public lands by establishing national parks, forests and wildlife reserves, earning him the nickname: “The Conservation President.”
HISTORIOGRAPHY
By Sue Gray
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt had been hunting big game for many years before President McKinley’s assassination resulted in the 42-year-old VP stepping up to lead the nation. He continued hunting during his two terms as president, taking several trips to different parts of the country. According to Borah, Roosevelt confessed one day:
“Oh, you don’t know how good it feels just to be an ordinary man for three weeks, not to have those secret servicemen with me, to know that I can ride the hills without being followed and watched all the time.”
Indeed, the location of “The Famous Bear Hunt” was kept a secret in these parts, as reported in the Rocky Mountain News on April 15, 1905:
Just about 27 miles from Newcastle, in a little cluster of tall pines at the mouth of the canyon, with East Divide Creek hardly 20 feet from the mess tent and the mountains looming behind, is Camp Roosevelt. It is an ideal spot for secrecy, [and] an ideal spot for hunting for game abounds in every direction. In other words, it is an ideal camp for President Roosevelt. Provision has been made for just three members of the party; the President, P.B. Stewart and Doctor Lambert. No others will be allowed near the camp. Secret servicemen will be dropped at Newcastle. Secretaries, clerks and stenographers will remain in Glenwood. The president is going into the hills
LETTERS
Re: Crystal Theatre Alliance
I think (since the Crystal Theatre is now a kind of museum), that the way to preserve it and convert it into a money-making entity again would be to feature classic movies from the silent movie days, then the “talkies” and then the first technicolor movies — and, finally, classics of the last 50 years of the 20th century.
If someone is needed to play piano for the silent films, the traditional selections (the chase, the villain, etc.) are available in sheet music (my grandmother played piano for the silent movies), and I’m sure you could get an old upright piano and volunteers to play it.
Hope these ideas help. I have no idea what equipment might be needed — perhaps the old films have been converted to a 21st century format.
Clay
Boland Jr.
Carbondale
Gaza’s children
There are roughly 17,000 children in Garfield and Pitkin counties combined.
In 1887, Roosevelt cofounded the Boone and Crockett Club, now the oldest wildlife conservation organization in North America, which established ethical rules for hunters.
Today’s hunters are no less a part of the conservation movement. Hunting organizations promote strict regulations that protect wildlife from unethical practices and overharvesting. Revenue from hunting licenses helps pay for habitat conservation.
Roosevelt’s own hunting ethics were brought to the public’s attention during a bear hunt in Mississippi in 1902. After three days without success, one of Roosevelt’s guides roped a bear that had been chased and exhausted by dogs. He tied the bear to a tree so the president could shoot his prize, but Roosevelt refused, saying it was unsporting.
News of the President’s actions spread, illustrated in numerous newspaper cartoons depicting the gallant hunter’s mercy toward the helpless bear. The cartoons are featured in a 2011 book, “BULLY! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt” by Rick Marschall.
Capitalizing on the popular cartoons, Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn candy store owner, displayed his wife’s hand-made stuffed bears in their shop window, calling them “Teddy’s Bears.” When customers asked to buy them, Michtom first wrote the president for permission to use his name. Roosevelt allegedly replied; “I don’t think my name will mean much to the bear business, but you’re welcome to use it.”
Thus, the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. was created and the teddy bear was born, not (as local legend has it) during “The Famous Bear Hunt” in Glenwood Springs, but in Brooklyn, New York.
For more information about President Roosevelt’s local hunting adventures, visit the Glenwood Springs Historical Museum and the Hotel Colorado.
That’s 17,000 lives full of potential — lives we protect, nurture, and fight for. Meanwhile, across the world, children in Gaza are being starved, bombed, and denied aid by a genocide funded with $14 billion of our tax dollars.
Maybe you saw me standing outside Mountain Fair, holding signs with a donation jar for Palestinian families. Maybe you cheered me on. Maybe you yelled at me. Either way, none of that matters as much as this: We are all human beings. Our legislators, who sent those billions to Israel as food aid is destroyed at Gaza’s border and U.S. contractors gun down desperate civilians, are supposed to be human beings too.
I won’t pretend this isn’t political, but it’s also painfully simple. You don’t need to be an expert on Middle Eastern history to recognize cruelty. You just need to refuse to look away.
James Baldwin’s words must guide us: “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable
of morality.” There are 17,000 kids here. We see them as worthy of life.
Some of us have been warning of this outcome for almost two years. We’ve been met with ostracism, indifference, and fury that we’d call for an end to the deliberate murder of civilians. Now, as we watch Israel’s Final Solution play out in Gaza, the Knesset turns its genocidal attention to the Occupied West Bank.
We will keep speaking out. Join us. Stop playing along.
Robyn McBurney Redstone
Distractions
Forget Epstein and Trump’s NFL team name changes, those are just distractions to keep you from watching Trump’s agenda as laid out in the Big Beautiful Bill Act, empowered by Project 2025’s dismantling of the federal government.
Top of my list is the unprecedented $170 billion appropriated to build a personal ICE army that doesn’t hold fealty
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SCUTTLEBUTT
RFSD elections
The Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) is seeking board members to fulfill four-year terms representing District A (east of Highway 133 and south of Highway 82) and District E (north of Highway 82 and east of Carbondale). Eligible candidates must file a petition signed by 50 eligible electors by Aug. 29. So far, the only declared candidate is Elizabeth Cockrill Taylor, linked to an account called “DOGEtheSchools” on X (formerly Twitter). Find details on applying to run at www.bit.ly/RFSD2025
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The Town of Carbondale successfully repaired a main line pressure reducing valve delivering water from Nettle Creek, averting a potential crisis. “Average daily consumption decreased approximately 7% to about 1.32 million gallons per day,” likely due to community conservation efforts, a report from Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman stated. “Thanks to all who helped conserve treated water!” Rivers are flowing below average, so residents are asked to continue conserving water. A Town-owned well on the Roaring Fork River is also being replaced.
Public Lands, Public Voices
Tune in and call in as KDNK hosts “Public Lands, Public Voices,” a regional, live call-in show from Rocky Mountain Community Radio bringing together listeners from across the Mountain West to talk about the future of our shared landscapes. Carlie Ideker of the Wyoming Outdoor Council and Steve Bloch, legal director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, will discuss the growing threats to public lands and how communities are responding. Listen at 88.1 FM or kdnk.org this Thursday, July 31 from 6 to 7pm. Join the conversation by calling 800-737-3030. You can also email questions to dj@kgnu.org
Pitkin County Vision 2050
Pitkin County has initiated community engagement for its Comprehensive Plan update to guide countywide policy direction. A draft of the plan is available online (www.bit. ly/PitCoVision). Anyone who lives, works and recreates in Pitkin County is encouraged to participate in outreach activities, including an online survey (www.bit.ly/PitCoSurvey). Stay informed at www.pitkincounty.com/1606/ Pitkin-County-Vision-2050
Jerry D’s memorial
There will be a memorial gathering for longtime former Carbondale resident Jerry
The Sopris Sun received an alarm of apparently new fracking equipment spotted in the Crystal Valley near Huntsman Ridge. According to the Forest Service, it’s routine maintenance on existing injection wells with a mobile workover rig, Wilderness Workshop responded to an inquiry. Black Hills Energy is also planning to replace a natural gas pipe in the area without increasing reservoir capacity at the Wolf Creek Underground Storage Unit. However, all of this is happening on existing well pads, so there is no new fracking occurring, we were assured.
Photo by Jake Renner
Duckowitz at the Mt. Sopris trailhead near Dinkle Lake at 1pm on Saturday, Aug. 9, followed by a celebration of life in Sopris Park. All who knew “Duck” are welcome to come share some stories.
Ascendigo After Hours
Ascendigo Autism Services is offering an after-hours program for adults with disabilities, “blending life skills, community connection and summer fun.” Enrollees can participate in a four-week “Cook & Connect” cooking course, hosted at Ascendigo’s new teaching kitchen everyTuesday evening in August from 5 to 8pm, as well as “Thursday Throwdown,” when participants attend a community event — such as the Carbondale Rodeo — together. For more information and to sign up for Ascendigo After Hours, visit www.ascendigo.org/after-hours
Education funding
On July 25, Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced that, after a push from Colorado and other state governments, the Trump Administration capitulated to unlocking the remaining $5 billion formerly withheld in
education funding — $66 million in the case of Colorado schools. The week prior, $1.3 billion was returned for after-school programming nationally. Therefore, the entire $80 million in federal funding previously being withheld from Colorado schools has been reinstated.
Humanitarian crisis
Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined 37 Senate colleagues “to express unified alarm about the unacceptable humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,” a July 29 press release stated. The letter urges Secretary of State Marco Rubio to push Israel to enable a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance and resume diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement and end the war. The Senators affirmed they oppose Hamas rule in Gaza as well as the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Valley View tourney
Pickleball teams made up of medical doctors, physician assistants, athletic trainers and so forth from Valley View’s ValleyOrtho and Roaring Fork Family Practice clinics, hit the Carbondale courts on Wednesday, July 23 for a tournament benefitting Lift-Up, the local food-security nonprofit. Roaring Fork Family Practice doubles duo Susan Cheney and Daniel Rogers were tournament champions.
Journey Home grant
Journey Home Animal Shelter in West Garfield County is set to receive a $10,000 grant from Petco Love, a nonprofit founded in 1999 that has invested nearly $410 million since its inception for the care of lost pets. “Our investment in Journey Home Animal Care Center is part of more than $12M in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love.
They say it’s your birthday!
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Nancy Barnett, Debbie Bruell and Cheryl Loggins (July 31); Anibal Guevera and Sarah Uhl (Aug. 1); Jeff Dahl, Hattie Gianinetti, Catherine Masters, Maciej Mrotek and Justin Patrick (Aug. 2); Margarita Alvarez, Gavin Dahl and Sara Preston (Aug. 3); Megan Gianinetti, Kallie Hyer, Tony Madrigal and Andrew Roberts-Gray (Aug. 4); Cilla Dickinson, Rosie McSwain, Shiloh Merriott and Ixchel Muniz (Aug. 5); Steven Haines and Carly Merriott (Aug. 6).
Unique exhibitions take the spotlight at the Carbondale Arts Gallery
GUS RICHARDSON Sopris Sun Correspondent
Until Aug. 14, the Carbondale Arts Gallery is featuring two local, eclectic artists, each with a unique method to finding inspiration and creating their art.
“People say people are artistic or not. I think it’s most everybody’s artistic, and then somebody tells them that they’re not, and then they think they’re not,” said Vallee Noone, one of the two artists on display. Noone’s exhibition is called “The Muses Don’t Tell Me Shit.” Her artwork is psychedelic, freeform and seems to draw on forms from out of this world.
“It’s hard to explain, but throughout human history, people have known that there’s some higher-up creative force, and we have talked about it in different ways,” she told The Sopris Sun. “For me, they’re kind of like a panel of just spirits, and they push the art through me and use me as some kind of tool.”
She continued, “It just feels like there’s this kind of committee of muses creating the art apart from me. And that’s why the show is called ‘The Muses Don’t Tell
Me Shit.’ I feel like I watch what’s happening and it feels like they have a plan, often, and I’ll discover the plan after the drawings are done, and I’ll see the throughline. There’s some that I have zero recollection of doing.”
Noone credits these muses for all her art in the show. Although “the muses” do not disclose much, she said, they informed her there’s a self-portrait somewhere within the show. While unsure which piece it is, she has a hunch, as there’s one painting that depicts a figure with wide eyes and crazed hair, which Noone believes resembles her when talking about her muses.
She defined the work as follows: “I really don’t have any idea of where anything is going. I’ll have an idea, and it’ll go in an entirely opposite direction. It’s fun to watch happen, but it’s a bizarre experience.”
Noone is joined in the gallery by another local artist: a man by the name of Chad Knowles and his collection called “Oddly Familiar.” Knowles’ exhibition features mainly landscapes and natural spaces, with an emphasis on showing the beauty of average things.
“It’s a way for me to express
something that feels spiritually connected to the land, the animals and the whole universe,” he told The Sopris Sun. “I want to try to capture the fact that we’re all small humans, but we’re also powerful. We’re individuals, and we’re unique, but we’re also connected to this larger thing. We are connected to the earth, the land, the animals and everything. Everything is sacred, and everything is precious, and everything is beautiful. So when I paint a rock or an animal, I feel an obligation to paint every rock or animal the best I can to honor that rock or animal. I would like for the viewer to leave with a subconscious feeling of being humbled, as well as a connection to their spirituality.”
While Knowles doesn’t have as unusual of a process to his work as Noone, he does still have some eclectic features to these paintings that he was kind enough to share with The Sun.
“I use eyes a lot in my paintings as a way of showing consciousness.,” he said. “One of my paintings is called ‘In the Flow, In the Water.’ I drew a bunch of eyeballs, and I wanted to show
that the water has a consciousness, energy and feeling.”
Knowles is the first to tell you that his work varies quite a lot throughout this showcase, and for him, it all comes down to inspiration. Sometimes, Knowles has a clear image of what he wants, and sometimes he doesn’t. As he puts it, he likes “getting some mileage” under his brush, and if that doesn’t always produce something odd and mind-blowing, that’s okay.
In conclusion, the Carbondale Arts Gallery is hosting two incredible artists, and this reporter
would highly suggest taking a look at what their installations have to offer. And who knows? You may find a deep connection to the land, better understand our shared reality, discover your own artistic talent and maybe even create something you had no recollection of making.
“The Muses Don’t Tell Me Shit” by Vallee Noone as well as “Oddly Familiar” by Chad Knowles will be available for the public to peruse through Aug. 14 at the Carbondale Arts Gallery, 76 South 4th Street.
Artist Chad Knowles, photo by Gus Richardson
Chacos Park design proceeds with best intentions
RALEIGH BURLEIGH Sopris Sun Editor
Chacos Park, located at 4th and Main Street, is host to many Carbondale events throughout the year, including First Friday pop-ups and summer farmers’ markets. For many years, the land was leased to the Town for these purposes. In late 2021, the parcel was anonymously donated to Carbondale along with the Town Center properties, all previously tied to the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation. This granted the opportunity to dream up a downtown park named in honor of the late Chris and Terry Chacos, founders of the Village Smithy restaurant in 1975. The Chacos are credited with early efforts to beautify and enliven Main Street.
Back in May of 2025, Carbondale’s Board of Trustees approved a $200,000 contract with re:LAND as the primary consultant to complete construction documents for the redevelopment of this park and the plaza across the street. At that meeting, Dan Bullock, chair of the Tree Board, made it known he felt public outreach was insufficient. Shortly after, Meredith Bullock, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission and Dan’s wife, reached out to The Sopris Sun to share the same concerns.
Meredith missed the public engagement opportunities and was concerned that certain boards and commissions — namely the Bikes, Pedestrian and Trails Commission, Environmental Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Latino Advisory Board and Public Arts Commission — were not directly approached for input as the schematic design was being drafted.
The Sopris Sun followed up with re:LAND principal and owner Nicholas DiFrank and Parks and Recreation Director Eric Brendlinger for clarification. As noted by the Bullocks, there was no public open house in the traditional sense. Rather, a six-question survey lived online and on-site inside a red telephone booth donated by DiFrank to Carbondale Arts. On First Friday, December 2023, 113 responses
to one question were collected at a booth kicking off the process — “What is the most important feature or function for the Town to consider during the planning and design of Chacos Park?”
The online survey yielded about 30 responses. All in all, around 200 responses were collected to the six questions, documented in the master plan appendix. According to Brendlinger, this method was encouraged by Town staff, despite it straying from the initial request for proposals (RFP) guidelines.
The $28,510 contract to formulate a master plan was awarded to re:LAND on Aug. 23, 2023 and did not include a survey.
“It’s great to have that option and not be stuck to a certain prescribed method,” Brendlinger said of adapting the process and not adhering strictly to the RFP. “We did adapt it to the results we were seeing. We adapted it to what else was going on in town. I really felt and other community members felt that there was a master plan burnout. We were right in the middle of the MAP project, we were in the middle of the Town Center project, we were also starting our pool project and the first capital campaign the Town has ever gone into.”
Beyond the 7,500-square-foot park, DiFrank noted, the scope of the master plan also expanded to encompass the 4th Street plaza.
With movable bollards to block traffic, the master plan has the square easily transforming into a festival street, or “woonerf” (a Dutch design concept), he described.
“I feel like we already had part of this master plan written,” Brendlinger said, simply by satisfying the existing needs of the park. The design accounts for 26 vendor stalls during markets, for example, and designated space for the winter ice rink. A permanent raised platform will function as an ADA-accessible stage during events and a place to play and sit in other moments.
In addition to the survey and First Fridaycanvassing,re:LANDreceived guidance from a steering committee consisting of Charlie Chacos, Bob Ezra, Eric Mitchell, Jamie Abbott, Sue Zislis, Talya Dornbush and Steve Standiford. This group met four times and the master plan was publicly reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission as well as the Board of Trustees several times ahead of approval. The Chacos family was also consulted at the very beginning of the process.
DiFrank called the steering committee “an awesome mosaic” of community leaders representing different areas of focus. An artistic element that emerged from these meetings is a hummingbird motif decorating the shade structure in memory of Chris Chacos, who was often compared with that busybody of a bird, constantly
zipping around.
Still, Meredith insisted that engaging other Town boards and commissions would have resulted in a better outcome.
“The landscape plan allows sufficient unpaved root space only for small trees, not the medium and large trees on the final schematic drawings,” she wrote. “Larger trees planted under these conditions will grow as large as their roots will allow — at least double the size of their canopy — and then decline when they cannot mature.”
DiFrank, who is also chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, assured that his firm specializes in landscape architecture and is employing the necessary techniques to help future trees thrive at Chacos Park. He said there are very few foundational elements which would obstruct root growth.
One element DiFrank admitted is controversial is the inclusion of a seasonal splash pad water feature. This would necessarily utilize potable water (to be sanitary), which could then be reused to irrigate the park and The Launchpad lawn next door. The feature was requested in several public comments, having been removed from the new Aquatics Facility down the street. Its inclusion was “very thoughtful and very well calculated,” DiFrank said.
“I can’t tell you how many times
I’ve bought nachos over in Willits because of the water play in Triangle Park,” he continued. “It brings kids who bring their parents who stay, who want to go buy a cheeseburger, buy a slice of pizza, who hang out and bring that energy.”
Brendlinger shared that the Master Plan design (www.bit. ly/Chacos-plan) will inform the construction documents, but modifications may still be made according to funding and other factors. He invited the community to continue giving input. The Historic Planning Commission, Public Arts Commission and Tree Board will each be asked to weigh in as the construction documents are drafted.
The estimated cost given in November 2024 for the design was $2,883,985, increasing 7% annually with projected inflation. Attempts to obtain a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund were unsuccessful. DiFrank revealed that applying for that grant inflated costs because of certain requirements like using American-made steel. The Town is now looking toward Great Outdoors Colorado — state grants using lottery proceeds — as a possible funding source. The first work to get done will be undergrounding power lines, a cost covered by Xcel Energy.
As a father of two with every intention of remaining in Carbondale, DiFrank is proud of the plan they’ve come up with and is honored to work on such a central and lasting project. He explained how the team of firms working on the construction documents is mostly local, with people who live and work and have families here. “I don’t think any one of these groups would want to put anything less than amazing into the heart of Carbondale,” DiFrank remarked. “I know a lot of us have put extra time, off hours, into assuring this thing we get to put into town is exemplary, to say the least.”
Parks and Recreation will soon undergo a 10-year master plan process. The public should be on the look-out for more engagement opportunities on the horizon.
This schematic design represents the version of Chacos Park approved by the Board of Trustees. Courtesy graphic
Grand River Health faces funding cuts; state proposal could help
AMY HADDEN MARSH Sopris Sun Correspondent
Grand River Health (GRH) in Rifle is not closing. That’s the word from CEO Jim Coombs in a July 11 letter to The Sopris Sun. Coombs said media coverage, at the time of proposed Medicaid cuts included in the Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB), was incorrect. “The criteria used to identify at-risk hospitals included having negative operating margins for the past three years,” he wrote. “Grand River Health does not meet this criterion — we have maintained positive operating margins during that period.”
It all started in early June when U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) formally asked the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Research at the University of North Carolina for information about the budget reconciliation bill and potential impacts to rural hospitals.
The Sheps Center report pointed to six hospitals in Colorado — GRH in Rifle, Delta Health Hospital in Delta, San Luis Valley Health Conejos County Hospital in La Jara, Prowers Medical Center in Lamar, Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez and the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center
in La Junta — that could close if Medicaid cuts were passed.
President Donald Trump signed the BBB into law on July 4 with almost $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next 10 years.
In Colorado, one out of every four people receive Medicaid, according to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (CDHCPF). Some BBB Medicaid changes do not take effect until December 2026, including an increase of eligibility renewals from once a year to twice a year and adding new work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
The big financial blow could come in October 2027 when provider fee decreases and related federal funding cuts take effect. This is where revenues to
cover Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus program would decrease, says the CDHCPF.
But Colorado put a statefunded program in place eight years ago. The Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise Act of 2017 created the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE). Through this program, hospitals pay a fee which is matched with federal Medicaid funds. These funds increase state Medicaid and Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP) payments to hospitals and expand health care coverage in the state Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus programs among other things. CICP covered the gap when Medicaid costs outpace
Medicaid payments. The state has other options such as hospital discounted care or individual clinic programs, but CICP sunsetted on July 1.
GRH’s total net income last year was over $20 million, according to the 2024 Community Report. Coombs states that the hospital district has maintained positive operating margins going back to 2021, contrary to the Shepp report criteria of negative operating margins for three years. He also stated that 17% of GRH’s patients are on Medicaid, which is lower than the state average of 25% and the national average of 20%.
He said “2024 was a record year” for GRH and that the hospital is “well-prepared to navigate” reduced
property taxes. But Coombs does not mention that GRH did not receive payments from government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, according to the 2024 report, to the tune of $59,379,500. Medicare patients make up 39% of GRH’s overall patient population. That means 56% of GRH’s patients are dependent on federal programs with 17% in danger of losing that coverage.
Only 10% of GRH funding comes from tax revenue, including property tax; 90% comes from payments for patient care, including self-pay, private insurance and state and federal government programs. Coombs has yet to respond to The Sopris Sun’s request for comment.
How will GRH cope with the loss of CICP combined with Medicaid cuts down the road? One option could be the State Directed Payments (SDP) Program Proposal, which was submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in June. According to the proposal, SDPs are used in 40 states and bridge the gap between low Medicaid rates and the actual cost of healthcare. Perhaps this is one of the sustainable solutions Coombs urges lawmakers to consider for rural hospitals.
Around 17% of Grand River Health’s patients are on Medicaid, lower than the state and national average. Courtesy photo
New NEPA regulations reduce public voice in energy development
WILL BUZZERD Sopris Sun Correspondent
In response to President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order, multiple governmental agencies have introduced new rules for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Eight federal agencies have introduced policies like faster deadlines, page limits and removal of public input in order to expedite domestic energy production.
The White House lauds these new policies for enabling rapid development. However, environmental groups like Wilderness Workshop (WW) protest the new policies for undermining the intended purpose of NEPA and putting vital ecosystems at greater risk of being irreversibly damaged.
Signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, NEPA was initially drafted to protect the environment by requiring U.S. federal agencies to undergo an environmental impact review
process before taking any action which uses federal funding, employs federal workers or requires federal permits.
On June 30, the White House announced sweeping reforms to NEPA in a press release which called the new policies part of an effort to “dramatically reduce the burdens” of NEPA compliance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which includes the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Commerce which includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the Department of Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have all enacted similar NEPA reforms designed to speed up infrastructure development and reduce extraction costs.
More specifically, the reforms include page limits and expedited deadlines for environmental
reviews. Furthermore, USDA will no longer require the release of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the public.
An EIS is a public document which presents all environmental consequences of an action and its proposed alternatives in detail.
Under previous regulations, agencies would present a draft EIS to the public to obtain comment and direct action before the final EIS is released and the proposed action is announced.
According to Wendy Park, senior attorney at the Center of Biological Diversity, while the public can still offer comment
on a potential action while the EIS is being written, there won’t be a way for them to know what that action is and what its consequences might be without a draft EIS being published beforehand.
Faster EIS deadlines means the public will have less time to offer comments in the first place. Furthermore, there is no longer a requirement to delay the implementation of any action once the EPA has notified the public of the availability of the EIS.
Additionally, the USDA’s interim final rule states that, while responding to public comments is encouraged in order to demonstrate the rationale for final
actions, providing responses is not mandatory and can lead to “burdensome and time-consuming efforts” which conflict with the new policies’ explicit aim to “reduce paperwork” and quicken the development process. These new provisions are the latest in a series of potential federal rulings in the past several months which would alter or reduce the scope of NEPA.
On June 4, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works released a draft budget reconciliation proposal as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that included a provision
continued
WANTED
Public comments for environmental impact statements were effective in preventing additional oil and gas development in the Thompson Divide back in 2016. However, new federal policies will affect the public’s ability to respond to similar developments in the future. Photo by Amy Hadden Marsh
Mountain Fair 2025
CONTEST RESULTS
That special time that only comes around every last weekend of July, wrapped up for the 54th time Sunday evening. In that time of communal bliss, contestants put their most fun foot forward in Mountain Fair’s old and new competitive traditions. Here is a tally of this year’s winners.
PIES
EXOTIC
Nora Bilby - Citrus/Carrot
Peter Davidoff - Peach and Pepper
Jenetta Howell - Dancing Shoes
FRUIT
Gigi Richards - Peach/Blackberry
Jess Davidoff Meyer - Pear
Brenda Buchanan - Labor of Love
CREAM
Jenna Koval - White Chocolate Matcha
Gigi Richards - Pistachio Cream
Jeff Liddington - Macnut Caramel Cream
BEST IN SHOW
Nora Bilby - Citrus/Carrot
CAKE
Olivia F.
Peter Davidoff
Kerry T.
EXOTIC
Laurie Stone
Bonnie Pletcher
Jess Davidoff
Photo by David Vasquez
Courtesy photo
Photo by David Vasquez
Photo by David Vasquez
Photo by David Vasquez
Photo by John Stroud
Photo by Klaus Kocher
Photo by Klaus Kocher
Photo by Klaus Kocher
Photo by John Stroud
Photo by David Vasquez
More contest results on page 22
Photo by David Vasquez
Mountain Fair 2025
Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2025
In honor of World Breastfeeding week, join AVH for an Ice Cream Social to recognize the Roaring Fork Valley’s families.
Where: Aspen Valley Health Lawn When: Thursday, August 7, 2025 Time: 12-2:00 pm
Enjoy complimentary ice cream and meet our team of experienced Lactation Consultants. No RSVP necessary, just come by!
To stay up-to-date on all things AVH, join our social media community. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, @aspenvalleyhealth, and sign up below for a chance to win an Osprey Child Carrier Hiking Backpack. One lucky winner will be notified on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Photo by John Stroud
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Raleigh Burleigh
Photo by John Stroud
Photo by Lynn “Jake” Burton
Photo by Terri Ritchie
ABOVE: Mary Bahr performs aerial silks with Sopris Soarers. RIGHT: Emerson Hayes busts a move.
Blending cultures and cocktails at Carbondale’s
502 Diner
JAMES STEINDLER
Contributing Editor
The silver bullet shaped building on the north side of Carbondale off of Highway 133, where the Red Rock Diner served burgers and fries for more than two decades, has harkened back to its origins, but with another twist. Not fried chicken this time, as the previous business in the space, Honey Butter, specialized in, but rather a mix of Mexican and American food makes up the menu of the recently opened 502 Diner.
Just like at the old-time restaurant, customers are greeted by friendly folks who are steadily getting to know their regulars. While it’s missing the quintessential ‘50s memorabilia, it seems to have that familiar feel.
Alan Justo manages the new diner and is akin to the face of the operation, while owner Edgar Cuc prefers to remain behind the scenes, being a modest character and perhaps a bit shy. But Cuc and his wife, Keila Valenzuela, are one heck of a business-minded power couple, owning a slew of other restaurants from Willits to Clifton, including: Casa Tequila in El Jebel, Daily Bread in Glenwood Springs and Dos Hombres in Clifton.
The 502 Diner gets its name from Guatemala’s country code, where Cuc grew up. However, other than the breakfast and
traditional diner options, the menu consists of Mexican-style recipes.
While he’s stacked up a number of restaurants, Cuc got his start in construction here in the Valley. Justo and Cuc balance each other out and have discussed going into business together since they first met several years ago at a local gym.
Justo worked at the notorious Boogie’s Diner in Aspen for many years, so he knows the food and the culture. He said that it was important to the team to honor the original Red Rock Diner, and that his favorite item on the menu — despite all that time working at Boogie’s — happens to be the cheeseburger.
The Mexican food specialties, which make up the bulk of the menu, are tantalizing to the senses and when, say, the chicken, having been roasted whole for a couple of hours, reaches the table it is so tender it falls right off of the bone. Having grown up in Mexico, this side of the menu reminds Justo of home, but perhaps with less spice.
According to the owner, the 502 Diner’s breakfast menu is influenced by Daily Bread’s. Justo recommends, and this critic agrees, the chilaquiles as a solid breakfast choice, which comes with red or green sauce or can be made Christmas style. The mimosas are quite popular and just as diverse as the menu, with natural flavors
The Supply Collective opens in Carbondale
SAM BRULE
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Residents of the Valley looking for quick and easy takeout meals now have a new establishment to try out. The Supply Collective, located at 655 Buggy Circle in Carbondale, offers a rotating menu of quality takeaway meals to those looking for a quick lunch or a pre-made dinner.
The Supply Collective officially opened on May 27 of this year. Tuesday through Friday, from 11am to 6pm, they provide pre-prepared, heat-and-eat meals created by in-house chefs. Currently, some of the featured menu items are pastrami-braised short ribs, roasted sweet potatoes with lime yogurt, and a threecheese mac with green chili, bacon and chives.
The Supply Collective is owned by Mark Hardin, who also operates Field to Fork Kitchen — a catering company in Carbondale. The concept for The Supply Collective grew from the catering work, where surplus ingredients are common.
That minimal-waste concept influences some of the menu items at The Supply Collective, which vary based on what’s fresh, seasonal, or unused from events.
“A party might add or drop people and we’ll end up with excess produce in the walk-in,” said Grace Mumm, who works in food production and creating dishes. “This program is a really good way for us to use a lot of that.”
Another one of the employees at The Supply Collective is Mitch Holdsworth, who manages the logistics and organizational aspects of the business. “I do all the ordering, shopping, scheduling,” said Holdsworth.
Each team member’s role is essential to keeping the operation running smoothly.
“Mondays we’re always restocking The Supply Collective. Coming in, making an order list, getting an inventory of what we have and what we need and cooking,” said Mumm. She added that throughout the week, they’re tasked with coming in every morning and making sure that the deli case is full and serving customers.
“There’s always stuff to organize here,” said Holdsworth, who, in addition to his work with The Supply Collective, continues to work in Field to Fork’s catering business. “Usually we’ll have a big event,” he said. “Grace holds it down for The Supply Collective,
such as watermelon, peach, strawberry, orange and others.
Business has been a little slow, Justo explained, with breakfast seeing more traffic than later in the day, which he said might be due to the previous establishment’s hours being 8am to 2pm. Now, 502 is open from 7am to 9pm, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There’s been a combination of Latino and Anglos coming through the doors, but mostly the latter. While some customers have pointed out that the menu isn’t that of a traditional diner, it’s certainly unique and not a replica of another restaurant in the area. In a way, it’s a melting pot of the Valley’s demographic and satisfies its
and then I’ll do a lot more jumping back and forth.”
The Supply Collective prides itself on its connection to the local community and a do-it-yourself work ethic, even going so far as to cure meats in-house. In addition to locally sourced ingredients, they also have a section in their storefront for locally made products. Cutting boards and dog treats, among other items made by residents in the Valley, occupy the entrance space to the business.
Despite strong word-ofmouth, increasing foot traffic remains a current obstacle for the business. The Supply Collective is situated away from busier
various palates.
Before opening, the team did a two-month deep clean and remodel, replacing seating and much of the kitchen equipment. They haven’t done a lot of promotion, other than social media posts, so business has mostly been from word of mouth or passersby. There are about eight employees, and Justo said that keeping them content is a top priority. Because keeping the team happy means keeping the customers happy, he added.
So belly on up to the bar or slide into a booth at Carbondale’s new melting pot, the 502 Diner. For a menu and more details, visit www.502Diner.com
streets in Carbondale so the chances of someone randomly stumbling in are lessened.
To address this, the team is looking at incentives and curb-appeal improvements. Holdsworth mentioned they are thinking of running promotional deals and getting a glass door that’s more inviting.
While it’s difficult to get newer customers, those who do stop are likely to return. “I see a lot of the same people return once they’ve tried it,” Mumm said. “But the tough part for us right now is getting people to come.”
Still, both Holdsworth and Mumm are optimistic about
the future.
“I’m really excited for the fall, when we can transition what you see in the deli case into more seasonally oriented things,” said Mumm, who is specifically looking forward to adding butternut squash dishes to the menu. The team recently purchased another fridge for the store which they plan to fill with many different cuts of meat soon.
For more information, visit The Supply Collective’s website at www.thesupplycollective.com or stop by in person at 655 Buggy Circle in Carbondale, Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm.
Employee Dana and Manager Alan Justo behind the bar of the new 502 Diner in Carbondale.
Photo by James Steindler
Mitch Holdsworth, Grace Mumm, and Mark Hardin at The Supply Collective in Carbondale, CO. July 23, 2025.
Photo by Sam Brule.
Alpenglow Books & Gifts
illuminates community and the value of reading
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Last October, Katie Hake and Spencer Chu opened the doors to Alpenglow. The independent bookstore sits along Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs, just a few doors down from the Bluebird Cafe and Doc Holliday’s Saloon. Light filters into the wood, snow and floral aesthetic of the shop through west-facing windows.
In just 10 months, Hake and Chu have made their mark on downtown Glenwood. When Alpenglow opened, the couple were the only staff, which initially limited their hours of operation. They assembled much of the store’s furniture at their home ahead of move-in, and started the business with a belief in the power of literature and high hopes.
Since, they’ve built their genre sections, brought in jewelry and gift products from local artists and expanded an arts and crafts supply section in addition to a children’s corner. Alpenglow also started partnering with a variety of local organizations to put on events starting this spring, and was even the official bookseller at this year’s Aspen Summer Words conference in June.
Hake recently spoke with The Sopris Sun to share more about the first almostyear of business. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
What first inspired you to open up a bookstore?
We really felt like Glenwood is the kind of town that needs a bookstore. We had a wonderful used bookstore in town when we were considering the idea but there hadn’t been a new bookstore in years, especially not downtown. A bunch of factors came together, the space opened up, so we jumped on the opportunity. Things coalesced in a really nice way.
What is one of your favorite things about reading and books?
I’ve been a big reader since I was a kid, I love being able to immerse myself in another world. I’m a physical book person, and I like the mindset of not doing anything else, especially in the society we live in with lots of distractions.
What were some of the big initial challenges in opening Alpenglow?
We built almost all of the shelves in the store in our driveway. That was a big lift physically. We had to determine what books we wanted to carry, so we worked with our supplier to identify an initial list. We were able to start hiring staff this spring and summer which was helpful for our schedule and to expand store hours. What are two or three of the highlights of the past 10 months of operations?
Hard to say, there are so many highlights. It feels really good when people come in and have great things to say about the store. That consistently has been very rewarding. We’ve worked with the library, with Glenwood Rec [on events]. I love seeing kids’ faces light up. It’s such a joy to see them get excited about books.
How has the event series been going?
Most bookstores will have a dedicated events person. Right now that’s just me. I try to do things I’m excited about and that people will get a lot out of while also keeping it sustainable for the store and my time. Overall it’s been really good.
We’re doing a lighter August intentionally, but we have a monthly book club, and we’re hoping to do a couple author events
and other local events in September. Likely sometime in autumn, late September or early October, we’re planning an anniversary event. Stay tuned!
What are your thoughts about the proposed Barnes and Noble in the Meadows mall complex?
That’s something we don’t have any control over. We’re staying focused on what we do best and the value we bring to Glenwood and the surrounding community. What are some thoughts you’d like to share on the value of independent bookstores?
We have lived in this town and feel like we’re able to really enmesh ourselves in the community. We feel like this is a really special place. Independent bookstores
continued on page 19
Katie Hake and Spencer Chu stand in front of a section of Alpenglow’s shelves. They’ve been thrilled by enthusiastic community response since opening the independent bookstore in downtown Glenwood Springs in October 2024. Photo by Annalise Grueter
CREATIVE THINKING THRU
DRAWING
Monday-Thursday, 8/4-8/7, 10:10am-3:30pm, Aspen
Join Jessica Mansor to build your drawing skills through creative thinking and observation in this 4-day intensive. Focus on nature, design elements and creating realistic or abstract compositions.
More Classes:
THE LITERATURE OF JANE
AUSTEN AND WOMEN’S ISSUES
Explore Austen’s social commentary on relationships, love, and societal expectation and why it is still relevant. Mondays, 6-8pm, 8/25-10/6, Basalt
AIKIDO (TRY IT FOR FREE)
Learn to re-direct, neutralize, or avoid an attack altogether without harm to the attacker. Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, 6-7:30pm, 8/26-10/9, CB
MEDICINE OF OUR TREES
Explore the healing properties of several local tree species and the gifts they offer us. Thursday, 5-7pm, 8/28, CB
BEGINNING SWING DANCE
Learn the basics of Jitterbug: basic step, turns, spins, dips, and other fun moves. Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30pm, 9/3-9/24, Carbondale
INTRO TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Explore A.I. - the ethics and impacts of this mega trendwith hands-on practice using the basic tools and their uses. Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30pm, 9/3-9/24, Carbondale
SEWING
Learn to sew with a simple project provided or bring your own project. Upcycling and thrifting is encouraged. Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm, 9/3-10/22, Carbondale
Register Today 970-963-2172
THURSDAY, JULY 31
MUSHROOM WORKSHOP
Mycologist Dr. Andrew Wilson guides a two-day exploration for elusive mountain mushrooms at Hallam Lake from 9am to 3pm today and tomorrow. Register at www.aspennature.org
TIE-DYE FOR TEENS
Teens and tweens are invited to a tie-dye party at 4:15pm at the Carbondale Library.
CHAMBER MUSIC
Aspen Music Festival and School students perform chamber music at the Basalt Library from 5:15 to 6:30pm.
CALL IN SHOW
KDNK hosts “Public Lands, Public Voices,” a regional, live call-in show from Rocky Mountain Community Radio bringing together listeners from across the Mountain West to talk about the future of our shared landscapes from 6 to 7pm. Listen in at 88.1 FM or kdnk.org and join the conversation by calling 800-737-3030. You can also email questions to dj@kgnu.org
SOL MUSICAL
SoL Theatre Company performs “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” at Roaring Fork High School tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets at soltheatrecompany.simpletix.com
COMMON ROOTS
The Common Roots women’s group reflects on this month’s theme, “manifesting,” at Headquarters in Basalt from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at www.headq.org/event
FUTURE OF JOURNALISM
The Aspen Institute’s Hurst Lecture Series presents “The Future of Journalism: Trust, Truth, and Technology in a Changing Media Landscape,” featuring Meredith Kopit Levien of The New York Times Company in conversation with Vivian Schiller of Aspen Digital, at 6pm. Register for free at www.aspeninstitute.org/events
CRYSTAL THEATRE
The Crystal Theatre shows “The Life of Chuck” at 7pm. “The Naked Gun” opens tomorrow and continues Saturday, Wednesday and next Thursday at 7pm. Sunday’s show is at 5pm.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
RED EARTH
Thirteen Moons Ranch hosts the ninth annual “Red Earth: The Mountain West Women’s Herbal Gathering” today from 11:30am through Sunday. More details at www.tinyurl.com/ RedEarthCarbondale
GENEALOGY
Join a welcoming group of people working together to solve family mysteries, share research tips and discover stories from the past on the first Friday of each month at the Glenwood Springs Library from noon to 1:30pm.
NATURE JOURNALING
Adults who love to write and draw in nature meet at the Carbondale Library from 1 to 2:30pm.
FIRST FRIDAY
Seeing as August’s First Friday is themed “recess,” pickleball, cornhole, four-square and other classic field games will fill Main Street from 5 to 8pm. The Valle Musico Quartet performs at Chacos Park from 5 to 9pm.
RIDES & REGGAE
New Castle Trails hosts its Rides & Reggae Festival, featuring live music and mountain biking and trail running
races, kicking off at 5pm today in downtown New Castle and continuing through tomorrow evening. Visit www.tinyurl.com/RidesandRaggae for a schedule and event locations.
VOICES TINY STAGE
VOICES’ ARTery Tiny Stage travels to The Bookcliffs Arts Center in Rifle for music and storytelling from 5:30 to 6:45pm. This free event will feature Colorado River Valley women sharing their stories, including Sol del Valle’s Bianca Godina and Ingrid Zúniga.
EXIT EXHIBIT
The Carbondale Clay Center celebrates the work of its artist in residence, Molly Altman, with her exit exhibition of “(IN)FLUORESCENCE” at Main Street Gallery and Framer from 6 to 8pm.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
THE BIRDSONG PROJECT
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies hosts a day to celebrate the birds — including a lecture by Daly Edmunds, director of policy and outreach for Audubon Rockies, and music performed by Aspen Music Festival and School — from 8:30am to 2:30pm at the Catto Center at Toklat. Register at www.aspennature.org
REDSTONE BOULDERS
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers tackles a barbed wire fence removal day at the Redstone Boulder Open Space, from 9am to 3pm. Sign up at www.rfov.org/calendar
CAR SHOW
The Garfield County Fair Grounds in Rifle hosts the “Summer of Thunder Car Show” from noon to 4pm. More details at www.garfieldcountyfair.com
PIG ROAST
Youthentity hosts its annual pig roast, bringing “community together for an evening of great food, music, and connection — all in support of Youthentity’s mission to empower youth through career exploration and financial literacy education,” at the Aspen Glen Clubhouse from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Tickets and details at www.youthentity.org
REDSTONE CONCERT
The Blue Canyon Boys perform at Redstone Park at 6pm.
STAND UP
Comedian Chris Voth performs at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
MAROON BELLS SERVICE
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers commemorates 30 years of service with a project at Maroon Bells from 8am to 4pm. Sign up at www.rfov.org/calendar
MONTHLY MEDITATION
True Nature hosts a donation-based meditation session, based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, every first Sunday from 9am to 10:30am. For details, visit www.truenaturehealingarts.com
SPIRITUAL CENTER
A Spiritual Center (Room 31 of the Third Street Center) presents “Autists on Water and Astrology,” a video presentation compiled by Pam Gregory and Veda Austin, at 10am.
WILD IMAGINATION
Kairos Futura hosts a campfire talk imagining interdisciplinary solutions for an ecologically grounded future. RSVP to know the location by emailing director@thefutureisonearth.org
ART OF CONVERSATIONS
Sopris Sun Editor Raleigh Burleigh hosts the Art of Conversations, where strangers talk to strangers, at the Carbondale Library from 6 to 7pm.
HILLTOP CONCERT
Oran Mor performs traditional and contemporary Celtic music at The Bookcliffs Arts Center in Rifle from 6 to 8pm.
MONDAY, AUGUST 4
‘TUNE INTO BIRDS’
Inspired by birdsong, over three musical performances at Hallam Lake — 7:30am, 1pm and 7:30pm — Pierre Laurent-Aimard will play Messiaen’s Catalogue d’oiseaux in its entirety. Register at www.aspennature.org
‘FIELD OF DREAMS’
Aspen Film partners with The Little Nell for Cinema Under the Stars at the base of Aspen Mountain. “Field of Dreams” will show around 8:45pm, after sunset.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
‘PRISM BREAK’
Rocky Mountain Puppets performs “Prism Break” at the Glenwood Springs Library at 1pm and Carbondale Library at 4pm.
COMPUTER TRANSFER
Learn how to transfer files and data from an old Mac or PC to a new computer at the Basalt Library from 2:30 to 3:30pm. More details at www.basaltlibrary.org
AUTHOR SIGNING
Participants in Basalt Library’s Creative Writing Summer Club share and sign their published works during a celebration at the library from 5 to 7pm.
FARM TALK
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Jessica Catto Dialogue Series presents “The Market Gardener” with Jean-Martin Fortier at TACAW at 6pm. Register for free at www.tacaw.org
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club visits the Farm Collaborative (220 Juniper Hill Road, Aspen) to get sketchy beginning at 6:30pm.
DEEP ECOLOGY
The Center for Human Flourishing
Rocky Mountain Puppets performs “Prism Break” on Aug. 5 at the Glenwood Springs Library at 1pm and Carbondale Library at 4pm. The puppet show will repeat on Aug. 6 at the New Castle Library at 11am and Silt Library at 2pm. The final two events shall occur on Aug. 7 in Parachute at 11am and Rifle and 2pm. Courtesy graphic
ONGOING EVENTS
ROARING FORK ZEN
A new Zen meditation community based in Carbondale gathers at True Nature to sit from 8 to 9am on Mondays weekly.
MOMMY MEET-UP
The Glenwood Springs Library hosts a “mommy meet-up” on Mondays from 11am to 12:30pm for mothers and their babies ages 0 to 3. There will be play items provided for the little ones and coffee and conversation for the moms.
IN STITCHES
The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 1:30pm.
‘EL PLACER DE LEER’
Delve into Spanish literature with Angélica Breña at the Basalt Library every Monday from 5 to 6:30pm. Spanish comprehension is necessary to participate. For more details, visit www.basaltlibrary.org
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.
YARN GROUP
Basalt Library hosts a weekly yarn group on Tuesdays at 5pm. All are welcome.
FARMERS’ MARKET
The Carbondale Farmers’ Market season is underway, every Wednesday from 10am to 3pm at 4th and Main.
SPANISH CLUB
Practice Spanish and enjoy specials at La Raza in Carbondale every Wednesday from 5 to 7pm.
RODEO TIME
It’s Carbondale WIld West Rodeo season at the Gus Darien Riding Arena. Every Thursday, gates open at 5pm, slack starts at 5:45pm and grand entry is at 7:30pm. Free shuttles run from The Orchard and 4th and Colorado between 6 and 10pm. Find the list of special events at www.carbondalerodeo.com
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.
SUNDAY MEDITATIONS
and friends invite you to an evening of circle sharing in honor of Joanna Macy, the Great Lady of Deep Ecology, at the Third Street Center from 7 to 8:30pm. Questions? Email info@TFcHF.org
OLLELLA
Ollella returns to Steve’s Guitars with a performance at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6
BACK TO SCHOOL
Basalt Library hosts a back-to-school fair from 11am to 1pm. All students, from elementary school through college, can pick up and decorate free school supplies and discover afterschool programs and resources based in the Valley.
DOCUMENTARY
Join 350 Roaring Fork for a screening of “The Fight for America’s Public Lands” at the Carbondale Library at 5:30pm.
HOBBY DISCOVERY
Adults are invited to try out three potential new creative hobbies each Wednesday, today through Aug. 20, at the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 7pm. Register at www.basaltlibrary.org
BASALT MUSIC
May Be Fern opens for Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille at 5:30pm. The headliner starts at 7pm and KDNK will live broadcast the concert.
FAIR ELECTIONS
Indivisible Colorado hosts Secretary of State Jena Griswold on Zoom talking about her efforts to protect elections from 6 to 7pm. Register at www.bit.ly/GriswoldAug6
GLENWOOD MUSIC
The Colorado Currys opens for The Williams Brothers Band at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs at 6:30pm.
MOVIE TRIVIA
Gather your friends and prove your cinema knowledge at a Crystal Theatre Alliance fundraiser at Carbondale Beer Works. Doors at 6:30; questions at 7pm. Email will@crystaltheatrecarbondale. com to reserve a table in advance for a discount!
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.
Dr. Elliott Dacher guides Sunday morning meditations each week over Zoom at 8am. The Zoom meeting ID is 819 5897 2394 and the passcode is 202224
SUNDAY MARKET
Basalt’s Sunday continues every Sunday through Sept. 28 along the Midland Spur from 10am to 2pm.
Colorado’s DNA kit backlog impacting sexual assault investigations
MYKI JONES Sopris Sun Correspondent
Criminal investigations in the State of Colorado — more specifically, sexual assault investigations — have been facing hurdles due to internal factors at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since September 2023.
For one, Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a former CBI forensic scientist of nearly 30 years, is facing 102 charges related to perjury, forgery, attempting to influence a public servant and a cybercrime, all for allegedly manipulating DNA evidence from hundreds of criminal cases.
“The CBI had to review more than 10,000 cases she worked on over her 29-year career. In the calendar year of 2024, this meant approximately 50% of the work our DNA scientists did was related to reviewing Woods’ work, and this reduced our testing capacity accordingly,” CBI Strategic Communications Director Rob Low told The Sopris Sun.
This inevitably created a backlog as scientists at CBI were unable to perform day-to-day case loads due to having to retest evidence Woods had processed.
“Fifty percent of their time that year was devoted to assisting in the review,” said Low. “So we got further behind on actual case work.”
According to reports from Colorado
Public Radio, victims of sexual assault are waiting more than 90 days to receive results from sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) kits. As of June 30, the backlog for SANE exams across the whole state sat at 1,236, with an estimated turnaround of 570 days. There were 838 cases submitted between July 1, 2024 and June 30 this year, making up the bulk of the current backlog.
There has been some progress, however, and CBI outsourced over 1,000 SANE kits to private laboratories following a decision by the state legislature earlier this year, which also allocated $3 million to addressing the backlog.
“This project will allow CBI to cut the backlog in half by early 2026 and to be able to meet our goal of completing testing within 90 days by late 2026,” said Low.
“I can tell you any case that was in the backlog at the beginning of 2025 should be tested by the end of 2025.”
Low shared that CBI typically processes results on a “first in, first out” basis, but some cases may be prioritized to meet court case deadlines. DNA results are also run through the National Combined DNA Index System, better known as CODIS, in order to identify a suspect, but only if their DNA is already on file.
The Carbondale Police Department (CPD) has been investigating a reported
Where the Valley Gathers: Local Restaurants & Bars
A technician processes DNA at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) forensics lab in Arvada. Photo courtesy of CBI
sex assault since November, and a significant barrier was that the evidence submitted was “taking longer than expected” to be processed, CPD reported in April.
The Sopris Sun reached out to CPD and the District Attorney’s Office for an update on this case, but did not receive an update as of press time.
For more on CBI’s backlog, visit www.cbi.colorado.gov
ElDoradoStayGold.com
Hours: Tue - Sun: 2:30pm - 9pm
Address: 580 Main Street, Carbondale, CO 81623
Website:
GarCo and Glenwood discuss homeless issues at public webinar
AMY HADDEN MARSH
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Just 90 minutes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the White House on July 24 to crack down on homeless people across the nation, Garfield County elected officials and staff from the City of Glenwood Springs hosted a webinar about the local unhoused population. Prompted by a fire that ignited in late June in an encampment on a hillside adjacent to Palmer Avenue on the east side of Glenwood Springs, the webinar held the promise of solutions to the recurring problem of several tent camps on private property and federal land east and south of the city.
Glenwood Springs businesswoman Laura Speck, whose mother’s home is a “stone’s throw” from the camp that burned, told The Sopris Sun that she was disappointed with the webinar. “I was hoping that it was actually going to give some answers, because we all know the problem. We all know why there’s the problem,” she said in an interview. “So rehashing it is a waste of everybody’s time.”
Speck has been involved with the encampment situation for five years, working with two previous owners of the property, leading massive clean-up operations and trying to find a solution for what she sees as a growing hazard. “There’s no accountability. [Law enforcement] won’t arrest ‘em on the spot,” she said. “The crime that they are committing is they’re trespassing and they’re starting illegal fires on land they don’t own. It’s as simple as that.”
For an hour on July 24, Glenwood Springs City Manager Steve Boyd, Parks and Rec
Director Rod Tarullo, Police Chief Joe Deras, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario, 9th Judicial District Deputy District Attorney Ben Sollars and Glenwood Springs Fire Marshal Robin Pitt took turns sharing thoughts about local homelessness with about 90 people tuning in via Zoom and YouTube. The webinar focused on those who choose not to use services to help find housing or mental health and substance abuse treatment. Common threads included the assertion that homelessness is a choice, education, fire mitigation activities and the complexities of arrest and legal limitations.
Sheriff Vallario mentioned revolving-door offenders: those who are arrested and released over and over again. Police Chief Deras said that the revolving door scenario does not mean law enforcement isn’t doing its job. One example Ben Sollars
used was how petty offenses contribute to that. “The maximum possible penalties associated with a petty offense is 10 days in jail,” he explained. “[The offenses] also mandate a person receive a personal recognizance bond, so the likelihood of somebody remaining in custody is zero, frankly.” He added that probation can help keep offenders’ focus on ways to get help but that’s for people who are convicted of a crime.
Conspicuously absent was the landowner, whose identity is unknown at this time. Eagle River Youth Coalition dba Mountain Youth, based in Eagle County, had held the deed to the land since 2023 when developer David Forenza donated a little over 36 acres to the nonprofit youth advocacy organization. But Mountain Youth sold the parcel on July 17.
“Initial hopes were to activate the land
to help serve our mission,” said Kevin Armitage, Mountain Youth board president, in an email to The Sopris Sun. “After many months of work and diligence, it was determined that the best course of action for the organization was to sell the land and utilize proceeds from the sale to help best deliver our mission.” He would not disclose the name of the buyer.
Mikayla Curtis, Mountain Youth director of strategic impact, told The Sopris Sun also in an email that they knew nothing of the homeless camps when they received the land in 2023. During the most recent clean-up of the encampment on July 10, Mountain Youth staff and board members helped out, said Curtis.
Mae Gray of New Castle said the webinar met her expectations, that she appreciated the effort to bring key decision-makers and officials together in one place. “I also appreciate that the meeting affirmed it’s a constitutional right for someone to choose to live without a home, especially as Trump’s “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” order pushes local governments toward more forceful actions,” she told The Sopris Sun. “It’s reassuring to know they’re mindful of those rights before making rash decisions about people who are often seen differently.” No decisions were made about existing homeless encampments. Meanwhile, Speck told The Sopris Sun that she plans to meet with ECOS Environmental & Disaster Restoration this week to dispose of human excrement, bullets, propane tanks and other hazardous waste at an encampment, remnants of the July 10 clean-up day.
Hazardous refuse, including propane tanks with fuel, pose a risk where homeless encampments have historically congregated in Glenwood Springs near the Walmart. Photo by Laura Speck
Explore Thrif� �nd Con�ignmen� ��ore� of �he V�lley
Address: 2412 S Glen Ave, Glenwood Springs (next to car wash)
Phone: 970-945-0234
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10-5pm
Sunday/Monday close
This Non-profit has been providing affordable, quality, second-hand items to the community since 1997. Our proceeds are used to support local organizations in the region, and employment opportunities through Mountain Family Development. Store profits and your donations are making a positive impact on the community and those in need.
Upscale Thri Shop: Habitat RFV ReStore
Address: 53 Calaway Ct., Glenwood Springs
Open Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm
The Habitat RFV ReStore offers high-quality home goods, furniture, and building materials - every purchase helps build affordable homes in our local community.
Deluxe Consignment Shop: Village Vintage
Address: 1429 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Village Vintage offers a mix of consignment fashion, furniture, handmade pottery, local art, and unique gifts - where style meets creativity and sustainability.
Upscale Thri Boutique: LuLu’s Thri Shoppe
Address: 574 HWY 133, Carbondale
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am - 6pm & Sunday 10am - 4pm
Phone: 970-963-1984
Consignment quality at thrift store prices. Lulu’s is the cleanest and most organized thrift store in the valley. We also have the fastest turnover of inventory, putting out 1000 new items every week.
Thrift and Thrive!
Address: 1676 County Rd 100 Unit N-2 Carbondale
Phone: 970-963-9025
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 AM–6 PM, Friday 10 AM–5 PM, Saturday 10 AM–4 PM Sunday Closed (unless OPEN Flag is UP)
We preserve the history of skiing, by finding classic images & vintage ski equipment that brings skiing memories to life, promoting the joy & passion of skiing. Our 1-of-a-kind, vintage ski items enhance any decor, provide special gifts, and supply a treasure trove for collectors of vintage ski products.
Boutique Consignment: Susie’s at Willits
Address: 0331 Robinson Street, Basalt (Reed & Robinson in Wilits Town Center)
Hours: Monday- Sat 10:30-5:30pm and Sunday 12-5pm
Always fresh, Always fun, Always affordable and Always Classy! Susie’s at Willits curates a range of consignment clothing, housewares, & furniture for our customers.
Since 2003, Heirlooms has been the Roaring Fork Valley's premier consignment store. From retro to trendy, they have been there for all of it.
Vintage Ski Store: Vintage Ski World
Thri Store: Defiance
GERALDINE “GG” PICHARDO Sopris Sun Correspondent
I’ve always believed that beauty and compassion have the power to bring us closer — to remind us of our shared humanity. That’s the heart behind this new series.
Our Town is an invitation; a space to explore who we are, where we come from and where we’re going — together. This column is about all of us who call the Roaring Fork Valley home. It’s about the moments we share, the ones we don’t, and the stories that weave us into a community.
In a world that often highlights what divides us, I want to focus on what connects us. This isn’t about drawing lines between “us” and “them.” It’s about leaning into curiosity, empathy and the simple magic of getting to know one another — one story at a time. Sometimes, all it takes is a good question, a willingness to listen and a bit of “okay” writing to find common ground.
My first interviewee was a sweet local flower. Born and raised here in the RFV, her name is Magnolia. She is a delightful girl, who brings joy and sweetness to everyone she lets in.
What is your name and how old are you?
MAGNOLIA: My name is Magnolia Pearl Hall and I’m almost 10.
GG: Do you know why you were
named Magnolia?
MAGNOLIA: **Shrugs her shoulders**
GG: No… ok.
What is a hobby or passion you think people should know about?
MAGNOLIA: I just started silks and in the fall I’m going to do a Harry Potter performance.
GG: You are? Who are you going to be?
MAGNOLIA: We haven’t started practice.
GG: Have you read the books?
MAGNOLIA: I am on the fifth one.
GG: (very high-pitched/excited):
You are? Those were my favorite books growing up. I was 9 years old when the first one came out. All through my childhood and my teenage years I fell in love with the story so much. I was like, “Uhh… I wanna be in Hogwarts so bad.”
MAGNOLIA: I’ve also watched four of the movies. The third one is the scariest…
GG: But I’m gonna tell you something, and you will understand later on, it is the best one! Because of the storyline. Later you will know what I mean by that!
If you could be a character in Harry Potter, who would you be?
MAGNOLIA: Hermione.
GG: Yes! Me too, though I have to say also Luna.
What is a problem or issue you wish to solve?
MAGNOLIA: Hmmm… for everyone in my class to get along.
GG: You don’t think people get along?
MAGNOLIA: Well, they don’t fight people in my class. People are like choosing one friend to be with…
GG: Oh, I see. They are not trying to open up to other friends and other people.
MAGNOLIA: Yes, and so they are only choosing one friend, and just being with them and then protecting that friend and not letting anyone else play with them.
GG: Ohh! Interesting… How does that make you feel?
MAGNOLIA: **Long pause** I don’t know.
GG: Do you know what the word “empath” means?
MAGNOLIA: **Nods**
GG: So an empath is a person that does not necessarily have to go through the same situation as you but can relate to you, and understand your pain or sorrow because they can be attuned to it. Do you think you are an empath? Do you think you feel people’s sorrows and sadness, even when you are not going through some of that?
MAGNOLIA: **Thinks and looks up in agreement**
GG: I think you are an empath.
If you were granted three wishes, what would you do with the second one?
MAGNOLIA: Live really, really, really long with my dog, Lulu.
GG: Tell me a sound you like, and one you dislike?
MAGNOLIA: I have two that I dislike. The first one that I like is rain, falling rain. My first one for the sounds that I dislike is a spoon scraping on a metal bowl, and then my second one is nails scraping on a chalkboard! I’ve heard it once and I don’t like it!
continued on page 18
Magnolia Pearl Hall
Photo by Geraldine Pichardo
Louie Girardot
Most residents of the Roaring Fork Valley either know or have heard of Louie Girardot, and the I had the pleasure of playing music with Girardot, and I thought that Sopris Sun readers might like to know more about him. He has performed all over the Roaring Fork Valley, and he shows no signs of stopping. I wanted to know how he was drawn into the realm of music performance. Upon learning more about his family, I have learned that a musical life for Girardot was virtually inescapable. Girardot’s mom, Pat, was a piano teacher. She started teaching her son the piano when he was just 5 years old. She was also a cellist with Symphony in the Valley. Because his dad was in the music industry and owned a music store, Girardot’s dad had “tapped one of his connections” and got him
Girardot reported that he was quickly good enough to join all of the “honor bands.” Then, in high school, he switched to the tuba, and by his junior year, he was “making all the honor bands” once again. It was around that time he was courted to attend Colorado State University’s music program
He now appreciates many forms of music, but said that “one of the most transformational shows” he ever saw was The Samples at Red Rocks in 1993. Others of his favorites include Pat Metheney,
As for the state of music in the Valley, Girardot takes issue with big, live concerts with tickets that cost $150 or more. He believes that “enthusiasm for live music tends to ebb and flow in
Girardot said the only time he left a stage before the show was over was during the Coal Seam Fire in 2002. The band had two gigs that day — one in Carbondale and one in West Glenwood. When he heard the band’s equipment in West Glenwood was in danger due to the fire, he left Carbondale to rescue it. A musician can never afford to lose his instruments or his equipment. Although the smoke was thick, all of the equipment was success-
What is a song that makes you dance?
MAGNOLIA: “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and “Electric Avenue” by Eddie Grant.
If you could own a piece of art, what would it be and why?
MAGNOLIA: I have it in my bedroom. The one that I do have, when I was born, my cousin Mehgan painted it, and she is really into art because paintings are fun to paint, and they are really pretty, and then flowers are really pretty and they smell good.
**The painting depicts a cherry blossom — or a magnolia. What she likes the most is the details in it. This painting hangs above her bed.**
Disney princesses or K-pop stars?
MAGNOLIA: **Smirks and laughs** This is a funny one.
What’s a K-pop star?
GG: **Proceeds to explain what a K-pop star is using the comparison: if Taylor Swift was in a band and she was from South Korea. Keep in mind GG is a millennial and is not sure if this was an accurate assessment.**
MAGNOLIA: Ok! K-pop star!
What is your favorite snack while camping?
MAGNOLIA: Cheesy popcorn!
Which mountain in the Valley do you love to see over and over again?
MAGNOLIA: Ajax Aspen Mountain. I like skiing it!
GG: So I guess this question gave itself away, I think I know what your answer will be. If you had to choose one, skiing, hiking or mountain biking?
MAGNOLIA: Skiing! I can ski backwards.
What do you wish people knew about you?
MAGNOLIA: That I am funny at home.
GG: Funny because you do funny things, or funny because you make jokes?
MAGNOLIA: Funny things!
GG: **Asks Magnolia to give her the most recent funny thing she has done, to which Magnolia proceeds and does a bunny face!**
to NEPA which would have allowed for “project sponsor opt-in fees for environmental reviews,” also described as a “pay-to-play” rule. Under this proposed provision — which did not pass — a private entity could offer to pay 125% of the cost to prepare an EIS in order to shorten the review process and eliminate judicial review of NEPA documentation.
A USDA interim ruling also includes language specifically referencing a May 29 Supreme Court ruling. In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, a group of seven Utah counties applied for the approval of an 88-mile railroad in Utah to transport oil throughout the Uinta Basin.
The prosecution accused the U.S. Surface Transportation Board of not considering all “reasonably foreseeable effects” in the EIS as mandated by NEPA — specifically, not considering oil development at either end of the rail. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the defendant, limiting the scope of NEPA reviews to only immediate effects of development and not “geographically distinct” effects.
Local environmental nonprofit WW has decried these policy changes and has created an online action hub in response to these new policies wherein the public can track developments and learn how to make their voices heard. In addition, WW will host a free in-person community conversation on Aug. 21 at the Third Street Center to share how these policies will change the lands they are working to protect.
ALPENGLOW from page 11
know the community they’re serving. That local connection makes a difference in care and ability to give back. From an economic standpoint, the sales cycle back into the community at a much higher rate.
Anything else you’d like the community to know?
We’re really grateful for all the support people have shown us. We’re not even a year old and the community has really shown us how much they appreciate having a bookstore in town again. It’s a big reading community and one that supports the arts and is thoughtful and generous.
Alpenglow Books & Gifts’ summer hours are 12 to 7pm Monday through Thursday, 10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday and 10am to 7pm on Sundays. The shop updates events at www.alpenglowbooks.com/events
Arthur Waldron Ackerman Jr.
July 11, 1925July 23, 2025
Arthur Waldron Ackerman Jr. died peacefully on July 23, 2025, after celebrating his 100th birthday with friends and family.
Born on July 11, 1925 to Edith Marsh and Arthur Ackerman Sr. in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Art moved several times as a youngster before the family settled in Detroit. He graduated from Cooley High School where he met his loving wife of 68 years, Carolyn Gordon. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 and became a naval aviator as World War II was ending. After his service, he attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in business administration. Art worked for Ernst & Ernst and became a certified public accountant before starting his career at the Huck Manufacturing Corporation in Detroit. He retired as CEO of Huck Manufacturing in 1982.
Art and Carolyn had five children and enjoyed traveling, sailing and skiing, which brought them to Carbondale in 1983. He was an active member
of Rotary International and helped found the first Carbondale chapter of the Rotary Club. He was also an early supporter of Computers for Kids (now Youthentity) and a well-known DJ at KDNK for decades. Before his passing, he claimed he was the oldest living disc jockey in the world.
Art was preceded in death by his parents, sister Laura Jean Green and wife Carolyn. He is survived by his children Gwen (H.P.) Hansen, Skip (Susan) Ackerman, Steve Ackerman, John (Marianne) Ackerman and Cindy (John) Knutson, eleven grandchildren, five great grandchildren and his niece and nephew, Marsha and C.J. Green. He will forever be remembered for his sense of humor and love of family and community. In lieu of flowers, please support your local public radio station.
Don’t let life’s surprises get in the way of making the most of every moment. After-Hours Medical Care in Basalt is here for you, offering convenient and compassionate services for non-lifethreatening emergencies—7 days a week. For you. For life.
970.544.1250 Weekdays: 2-10 pm
Weekends: 8 am-5 pm
Introducing Beyond Borders Physical Therapy
BIANCA GODINA Sol del Valle
Dr. Jorge Esparza, owner of Beyond Borders Physical Therapy, was born in the Roaring Fork Valley and graduated from Colorado Mesa University and University of Colorado Anschutz. He studied exercise science for four years and then spent three more years becoming a physical therapist. The goal of Beyond Borders is to provide equitable physical therapy and patient-centered care beyond the borders of the traditional medical system. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What was the inspiration behind Beyond Borders?
From a young age, I had many experiences within the medical system, accompanying my parents, relatives and friends to their appointments and often interpreting for them due to the language barrier. I witnessed many difficult situations, such as when my parents were injured, and I spent a lot of time with them during their visits. That’s when I understood the deep impact medicine can have. Physical therapy isn’t just about a 15-minute appointment; it’s a continuous process, sometimes lasting weeks or months and it allows you to build meaningful relationships with patients.
What’s your favorite part of being a physical therapist?
Being able to form close relationships with patients and become part of their community. Seeing them improve physically and mentally, regain their independence and restore their quality of life. It’s incredibly fulfilling to have a lasting impact not only for them but for their families as well.
Who has been part of your support team over the years?
My father passed away when I was 16, and I spent a lot of time with him within the health care system. That experience left a deep mark on me. I had to interpret for him many times, and
I saw my mother left to face it all alone. That became a huge motivation to pursue this career, in part as a way to give back for all the support we received from the community during that time. This business, along with my desire to offer a scholarship for medical students, is a way to honor that. I’ve received a lot of support from my family and from my girlfriend and her family, who have always stood by me. My patients are part of that community, too. They help me just as much as I help them.
Where did the name Beyond Borders come from?
It came from all the barriers that exist in the health care system. Things like referrals, hidden costs, lack of Spanish-language care and limited accessibility.
Our mission is to remove those barriers by offering services without requiring insurance, providing bilingual staff, extended hours and benefits like free gym memberships and access to mental health services. We want patients to feel supported from the very first step.
Would you share a story about a major obstacle you faced early on and how you overcame it?
Many of the obstacles stem from how the medical system is currently structured. Most people are used to only seeking care once something has already gone wrong, when they’re already sick or injured. A big part of the challenge is shifting that mindset and educating patients about the importance
of preventive care. You maintain your car because you put a lot of miles on it, you take it to the mechanic and it gets fixed. But your body is the only one you’ve got, and we need to take care of it.
Beyond Borders Physical Therapy hosted its open house celebration on Saturday, July 19, marking the official opening. The event welcomed community members to tour the facility, meet the staff, and enjoy an evening of celebration, highlighting a meaningful milestone for Dr. Jorge Esparza and his team.
For more information, visit Beyond Borders’ office at 25 Market Street, Unit A in Glenwood Springs or call 970-312-4042.
Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week in Spanish.
LEFT: Three guests lounge about, testing the waiting room furniture. RIGHT: Francisco Pineda, Dr. Jorge Esparza, Elisa Bianchi and Jack Ryan at the grand opening of Beyond Borders Physical Therapy in Glenwood Springs.
Photos by by Margarita Alvarez
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
Carbondale Treasure Hunt
The treasure vault awaits the clever mind, who reads the clues and seeks to find.
Before each First Friday’s celebration starts, this treasure will be hidden in Carbondale’s heart.
Through Main Street’s charm and gallery halls, past murals bright on building walls.
The treasure waits where artists gather, where community bonds grow ever stronger.
So, gather friends and family near, let the hunt begin without a fear.
For somewhere in this valley blessed, adventure calls — begin your quest!
For First Friday, August 1
Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com
Where dust-covered boots once gathered ’round, And thirsting souls sought liquid ground, Two worlds collided in days of old—
Those who dug deep and those who rode bold.
The black-faced miners with coal-stained hands Met leather-worn cowboys from distant lands. Now seek the spot where these tales converge, Where history’s echoes still emerge. The watering hole of yesteryear, Where fellowship flowed and talk was clear.
Look closely where the past still dwells, Your treasure waits where the old story tells.
A rufous hummingbird appears to suspiciously inspect a silent blackbird before deciding that it makes a suitable perch.
The treasure chest awaits its discoverer.
Photos by Tommy Sands
to the constitution but rather to Trump, and his $40 billion to build 100,000 beds in gulags for persons in America that are abducted by Trump ICE Troopers. Those funds herald the start of a Stalinesque era of repression and rapid reduction of rights like free speech. The reduction in Medicaid that’s kicking 11 million people off health insurance is harsh and predicts a rise in painful and preventable deaths. The bill could reduce college access for low-income and working students, divert public funds to private schools, and increase pressure on
A Fox News poll showed 59% of Americans oppose the bill, 29% are in favor, which is in line with most hypnotists’ prediction that one third of the folks in any population are easily hypnotized. That explains why so many people vote against their best interest. I recommend Wikipedia.org to understand the ramifications of the One Big Beautiful
With the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it is important to become hyper vigilant for scams.
There is a huge uptick in corporations that see folks as suckers to be pillaged. Now the ramifications of doing so have been reduced, so, eyes wide open. Don’t become one of the sleepy-eyed minions of master hypnotist President Donald Trump. Hold onto your clarity.
John Hoffmann Carbondale
War cry for rallies
Fire Trump!
Frankie’s gone
Patrick Hunter Carbondale
Frankie the cat, who I’ve written about before in this newspaper, has been loaded up in his cat carrier and sent to cat heaven. There was really nothing wrong with him except he was one month short of 19 years old, and just worn out.
Frankie was never anything more than a cat, and never anything less.
Fred Malo Jr. Carbondale from
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.
Mountain Fair CONTEST RESULTS
CUPCAKE
Jess Davidoff Meyer
Peter Davidoff
Alicia Tripp
BEST IN SHOW
from page 8
Laurie Stone - Blackberry Impeachment
MEN’S WOODSPLITTING
Danny Brown - 12.64 seconds
Matt Hoogenbaum - 14. Seconds
Mark Ross - 16.79 seconds
BEST FLAIR - Edgar and Driel Rojo
WOMEN’S WOODSPLITTING
WINNER - Kendall Riley - 22.75
Olivia Pevec - 25.0
Heather Henry - 25.2
BEST FLAIR - Kat Camara
LIMBO
Devi Sprague - Carbondale
Talia Kurtz - Denver
Cari Rotte - New Castle
PORCUPINE GROUP BIKE RACE
MENS
Hadley Henschel - 40:46
Dante Humphrey 43:46
Jordan Haffner 44:24
WOMEN’S
Emmaline - 48:48
Petty Vengance 49:54
FLY CASTING
The fly casting results were not available as of press time.
DOUBLE HORSESHOES
Shane Cevette (Clifton) Dan Jenkins (New Castle)
Justin Brintnall (Silt) Josh Johnson (Silt) Brandon Reynolds (New Castle) Robert Sullivan (New Castle)
SINGLE HORSESHOES
Brandon Reynolds (New Castle)
Shane Cevette (Clifton) Josh Johnson (Silt)
CLAY CENTER THROWDOWN
Bop to the Toppers - Aniela Kreie, Colt Wempe, Sky Wempe, Loch Wempe
Celedongs - Brian Chen, Gabby Gawreluk, Emma Martin and Nolan McPherson
Three Ladies and a PutzLori Dresner, Claire Green, Tania Dibbs, Paul Mersky
BEST DRESSED
Hero’s Just For One Kiln LoadDenae Statzer, Lilu Illouz, Carolyn Stuart, Ruth Cover
SINGER/SONGWRITER
James Freeborn
MOUNTAIN FAIR FOUR MILER
Ana Glainilova - 23:15:63
Kyle Lang - 23:21:58
Chris Bridges - 24:06:08
Fryingpan River Crossing Sewer Replacement Project
ADVERTISEMENT
FOR BIDS
Fryingpan River Crossing Sewer Replacement
Issue Date: 7/24/2025 | Closing Date: 8/19/2025
Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference: July 30th 2025 @ 10:30 AM at Two Rivers Road Bridge
Sealed bids for the construction of the Fryingpan River Crossing Sewer Replacement will be received from invited Bidders by the Basalt Sanitation District (“OWNER”) at 227 Midland Ave Suite C-2, Basalt, CO 81621 until 11:00 AM on August 19th, 2025, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read The Fryingpan River Crossing Sewer Replacement project includes realignment, replacement, and lining of the sewer main from the intersection of Midland Avenue and Two Rivers Road southeast to the intersection of Two Rivers Road and Cottonwood Drive.
Some key items to this scope include the following key items:
1. From Manhole AA-1 to A-2 line the existing sewer main.
2. From manhole A-2 to C-1, replace all piping and manholes
a. This includes replacement of the line buried under Frying Pan River
3. From manhole C-1 to LB-3, re-route sewer line in public ROW in parking area
a. C-1 will need to be removed and extended into the parking area
The construction process will include the use of cofferdams to allow excavation into the riverbed material to both remove and replace the existing pipeline. Final burial depths are limited to the gravity flow conditions of the sewage system.
Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bidding Documents will be provided to prospective Bidders as electronic PDF files
The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is Roaring Fork Engineering (RFE), 592 Hwy 133, Carbondale, CO, 81623 (Contact: Maggie McHugh, PE (614) 256-4714, MaggieM@rfeng.biz). Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below.
Bidding Documents are available as electronic portable document format (PDF) files Alternatively, printed Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing Office via in-person pick-up, for a nonrefundable charge of $75 per set. Checks for Bidding Documents shall be payable to Roaring Fork Engineering. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing Office will be considered the date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE
PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO TOWNLINE, LLC.
D/B/A TOWNLINE TRUCKS HAS REQUESTED THE LICENSING OFFICIALS OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE
TO APPROVE A NEW LIQUOR LICENSE FOR A TAVEREN LICENSE LOCATED AT 111 MAIN ST, CARBONDALE, CO 81623
HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: 511 COLORADO AVE. CARBONDALE, CO 81623 OR EMAIL
PTHIBAULT@CARBONBDALECO.NET
FOR A LINK TO THE MEETING TIME AND DATE: 6:00 P.M., AUGUST 12, 2025
DATE OF APPLICATION: JULY 10, 2025
OFFICERS: RICHARD CAMP & TERRANCE McGUIRE BY ORDER OF: PATRICK THIBAULT, TOWN CLERK ADDRESS OF THE PLACE AT WHICH PETITIONS OR REMONSTRANCES MAY BE FILED: Town Clerk’s Office, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, CO 81623
Published in The Sopris Sun on July 31, 2025.
PARTING SHOT
Beloved “man about town” Art Ackerman passed away on July 23, but not before celebrating his 100th birthday in a room full of friends and family on July 11. Amy Hadden Marsh captured the moment he was wheeled into the room and greeted by so many familiar, fond faces. Ackerman left an indelible mark in our community and will long be remembered for swing, swing, swingin’ us to the tunes of a bygone era every Tuesday evening on KDNK.
