With schools’ start just around the corner, and many lasts — last rodeo of the season, final summer concerts — the busy, bustling summer season is gradually transitioning to fall. Carbondale’s Sopris Park concert series concluded Sunday, Aug. 10 under a blanket of smoke from distant (but not so distant) fires. This didn’t deter Peach Street Revival, who traveled all the way from Sturgis, South Dakota and brought some rowdy rock ‘n’ roll with them. Prior to that, the Taylor Scott Band serenaded intrepid parkgoers and KDNK listeners. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh
Your nonprofit community newspaper
Coincidence and doll parts on Twining Flats Road
This life is crazy: full of beauty and wonder, but with a dark and dirty underside.
The enactment of Project 2025 has us sliding down a hill as steep as any slope on Aspen Mountain, right toward fascism. Before the Heritage Foundation took hold of our government by the short hairs, the old rats-in-a-cage analogy could explain many of our major crises. (Speaking of rats, did you know there are more humans than rats on the planet today? Yep, due to a lack of pirates, I suppose, and lack of access to birth control, we outnumber the little guys by about a billion. Gross, I know.)
I honestly don’t know if there’s a grand plan for resolution to all the obstacles we face, or if it’s just random violence and procreation by mammals floating around in space. And I know I don’t want to know how far and wide the sexual predator quagmire goes…
Some of us plucked all the eyelashes out of our dolls in the bathtub and some screwed children. Whether or not Trump is a pedophile is a moot point, he was aware of what was happening at Epstein’s parties, and he did nothing to stop it.
The Republican Party has, in a rather short time, jumped off the cliff of moral high ground, sliding fast and furious into a deep crevice of child abuse.
My own childhood was a little more “Little House on the Prairie.” There was a Jill Epstein who lived on Twining Flats Road, the same road where I lived during my doll-torture phase. She was arrested and hung herself with an extension cord in Pitkin County Jail. Just like Jeffrey Epstein “hung himself” in jail in New York, but I think her death actually was a suicide. Even though they were both from New York, ChatGPT says: “No relation.” Just a coincidence? Yes, that’s what it’s called.
OPINION
However, the world (especially the Roaring Fork Valley?) seems to be full of them. Big and small, dark and light: coincidence plays a part in all our connections. Just like the flip of a coin: fate, luck or a headhunter in the afterlife determines where we’re born, our access to life’s necessities and privileges and, ultimately, whether or not we feel worthy of all the love.
PS & QS
By Jeannie Perry
They are now the party prosecuting children in court without legal representation and starving children to death in Gaza. Obviously, their top donors comprise Epstein’s list of clients, otherwise they would release the files. When Congress went on vacation early to avoid the whole fiasco, I also toyed with the idea of taking a month off. I could’ve just re-released my own Epstein file from eight years ago.
In 2017 I wrote a column about Epstein’s parties, where underage girls and boys were brought in as entertainment, alongside top-notch drugs and top-shelf liquors. Trump’s association with Epstein was in the news even back then, as was Leslie Wexner’s, by the way.
Is it the innocence of youth Epstein’s clients were chasing, or the act of taking another being’s innocence away that excited them? Sick puppies, either way, and a fair chance that Epstein was abused as a child himself.
LETTERS
APR gratitude
The staff at Aspen Public Radio would like to thank everyone who made a gift during our summer membership drive! We started the week at $0 and by midnight on Friday had secured $25,055 in financial support from you, with donations continuing to come in … because listeners know this year is different.
Last month, Congress voted to rescind previously approved appropriations with real and immediate consequence: the station has lost $154,000 in federal funding which we now need to raise locally by December 31.
If you have the ability to make a gift of support. Now is the time to join in this fight to defend public media and the role of local journalism in our community.
Whether you tune in to 91.5FM/88.9FM or go online to www. aspenpublicradio.org for informative, entertaining and educational programming each and every day, depend on our team of local reporters for context and understanding or rely on the station to be on the air when the power is out, cell service is down or evacuation orders are underway, Aspen Public Radio has been on the air since 1981 because of local listener support.
With individual contributions, local governments and foundations, vehicle
I recently attended the celebration of life for a fellow native to the Roaring Fork Valley who led a life of prosperity and joy. This was the first time I read “The Optimist Creed,” and this is the world I want for all of us:
“Promise Yourself … To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.” -Christian D. Larson
donations, City Market rewards, underwriters and major gifts to support dedicated reporting desks, there are so many ways you make the work of this radio station possible. Thank you.
Breeze Richardson
Aspen Public Radio
Plan ahead and keep your cool
Family trips are coming to an end as school begins, so we might imagine less competition for our asphalt.
However, in the upcoming week — and for the rest of the school year — the Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen to Rifle) will find over 12,000 persons accessing our schools not only in the early mornings but throughout the day.
Allow extra time to reach destinations; you can thank yourself at the end of any driving trip. Danger is just one letter away from anger. Be safe, be community invested.
Diane Reynolds
Take A Minute / Slow Down in Town
HIPPA concerns
As a family physician, one of my priorities is protecting the privacy of my patients. Medical confidentiality is protected under a regulation known as HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This rule covers the way in which protected health
information is handled. It prevents details that could identify an individual, such as their birthdate or social security number, and information about specific health diagnoses, from being disclosed to others. I am extremely concerned about a variety of impending risks to this protected information.
The largest breach of confidentiality is sharing personal identifying and medical information between Medicaid and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The U.S. Health Department reported an agreement between Medicaid and ICE that allows ICE to use Palantir software to access information about approximately 79 million Medicaid enrollees. This data sharing is intended to help ICE more easily locate individuals that it believes are in the US illegally. The reality is that unless an undocumented person is in life-threatening distress, they will not qualify for Medicaid. According to the Congressional Research Service, in 2023, noncitizens represented only 6% or fewer than five-million Medicaid enrollees under the age of 65. The compromised information includes personal details of more than 74 million American Medicaid enrollees.
Sol del Valle Editora Bianca Godina bianca@soldelvalle.org
Digital Editor
Ingrid Celeste Zúniga ingrid@soldelvalle.org
Lead Editorial Designer Terri Ritchie
Partnerships & Engagement Manager Luise Wollesen
Advertising Department adsales@soprissun.com
Sol del Valle Marketing and Development Manager
Margarita Alvarez margarita@soldelvalle.org
Advertising Designer
Emily Blong
Delivery Frederic Kischbaum
Gus Richardson
Proofreaders
Lee Beck
Tracy Kallassy
Ken Pletcher
Hank van Berlo
Executive Director
Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 todd@soprissun.com
Board Members / Mesa Directiva board@soprissun.com
Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke
Donna Dayton • Eric Smith
Roger Berliner • Elizabeth Phillips
Jessi Rochel • Andrew Travers
Anna Huntington • Loren Jenkins
Carlos Ramos • Gayle Wells
The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6pm on second Thursdays at the Third Street Center.
The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible.
Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+
Lee Beck & John Stickney
Kay Brunnier
Frances Dudley
Michelle & Ed Buchman
Sue Edelstein & Bill Spence
Deborah & Shane Evans
Greg & Kathy Feinsinger
Gary & Jill Knaus
Eric Smith
Peter and Mike Gilbert
Patti & George Stranahan
Elizabeth Wysong
Alpine Bank
Emily & George Bohmfalk
Kathy & Carter Barger
Sandy & Paul Chamberlin
Karen & Roger Berliner
Donna & Ken Riley
Gayle & Dick Wells
Legacy Givers for including us in their final wishes. Mary Lilly
Donate by mail or online: P.O. Box 399
Carbondale, CO 81623
520 S. Third Street #26-B 970-510-3003
soprissun.com/Donate
The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District
SCUTTLEBUTT
OUR UNDERWRITERS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS!
Lee and Elk fires
FirstBank
Alpine Bank
Colorado Mountain College
Nordic Gardens
Hilary Porterfield
Basalt Library
NONPROFIT PARTNERS
Two Rivers
Unitarian Universalist
Carbondale Arts
Carbondale Rotary Club
Colorado Animal Rescue
Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner?
Email Todd@soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866
The Lee and Elk fires blazing a combined 135,200 acres (as of noon on Aug. 12) have placed the towns of Meeker and Rifle on high alert, with heavy smoke impacting nearby communities. Track air quality online at fire. airnow.gov and fire activity with Watch Duty, a nonprofit resource. Additionally, Colorado Parks and Wildlife closed public access to four state wildlife areas in Rio Blanco County: Park Ridge, Rio Blanco Lake, Colorow Mountain and Piceance, and the Bureau of Land Management closed public lands in the vicinity. As a precautionary measure, the Garfield Re-2 School District delayed the start of their school year from Aug. 11 to Aug. 13 and canceled athletic practices Monday and Tuesday. The Lee Fire is now one of the largest in Colorado history. With dry, windy conditions persisting, our coverage area remains under stage 2 fire restrictions, prohibiting fireworks, open fires (including in developed recreation sites and on private property) and smoking except in an enclosed vehicle, building or area cleared of combustible material.
Shooting range closures
On Aug. 8, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced the temporary closure of the Basalt Shooting Range due to extreme fire danger. On Aug. 11, in light of the Lee Fire, the West Rifle Creek Shooting Range was also temporarily closed. “After collaborating with our local and federal partners, and taking into account the extreme fire danger in the Roaring Fork Valley, we feel temporarily closing the range is the right decision at this time,” said
Area Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita of the Basalt range. Both ranges will remain closed until further notice. For a list of alternative shooting ranges, visit www.cpw.state.co.us/ shooting-ranges
Housing ‘mismatch’
A new report from the Common Sense Institute, “Colorado’s Housing Affordability Mismatch,” authored by its chief economist, Dr. Steven Byers, found that “60% of households in Colorado cannot afford the average home in the state — a sharp increase from 47% in 2010.” The report also indicated that “while 40% of [Colorado] households can only afford homes under $300,000, these make up just 15% of the state’s housing stock.” To read the report, visit www.tinyurl.com/ CommonSensehousingreport
Shoshone water rights
West Slope counties submitted a letter to the Department of the Interior requesting the release of $40 million in federal funding previously awarded to the Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Project, including Mesa, Garfield, Delta, Montrose, Moffat and Rio Blanco. Mesa and Garfield counties committed $1 and $3 million respectively toward the $99 million purchase, which would ensure farmers, ranchers, recreation enthusiasts, ecosystems and energy producers can continue to rely on instream flow from one of the oldest, largest water rights on the Colorado River. “When the Colorado River is healthy, it supports us all,” stated Garfield County Commissioner Perry Will.
Record sale
A luxury home near the Aspen Valley Polo Club, just east of Carbondale, sold for $11.9 million on Aug. 6, the Compass public relations team reported. The 13.4-acre lot has a 4,600-square-foot main residence built in 2021 with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, plus a pond, pickleball court and secondary barn structure at 3,000 square feet with two additional bedrooms and a kitchen, gym and expansive garage. According to Sam Augustine, the listing agent, there have been four sales above $10 million in Carbondale since 2020, three of which occurred this year. Augustine achieved the two highest residential sales for parcels under 15 acres in Carbondale (including this one) — both in 2025.
Colorado budget hole
In response to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and its effects on Colorado’s budget, Governor Jared Polis called the General Assembly to hold a special session, to commence on Aug. 21, to address the state’s strategy to navigate the significant funding shortfall. “H.R.1 will reduce state revenue by over $1.2 billion in the current year, and by roughly $700 million in fiscal year 2027 and fiscal year 2028,” read a press release from the governor’s office. “Unlike Congress, which has made the federal deficit and debt worse, Colorado actually has to balance our budget,” said Polis. “We have a responsibility to deliver a balanced budget to Coloradans.”
West Nile
On Aug. 6, Garfield County reported that West Nile has been detected in mosquitos mostly west of New Castle. While symptoms are relatively rare, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment reported the first known death this year due to the disease in July. There is no vaccine for West Nile, so doing the best to prevent bites is key. The county recommends draining standing water, using repellants and dressing appropriately, particularly during dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
They say it’s your birthday!
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Alex Fisher, Ariane Montez and Alejandra Rico (Aug. 14); Anna Broome, Jill Knaus, Cara Nieslanik, Maggie Seldeen and John Williams (Aug. 16); James Leonard and Jake and Heather Marine (Aug. 17); Rebecca Binion, Emily Good, Lindsay Gurley and Jonathan Shamis (Aug. 18); Kyle Bruna (Aug. 19); Emily Bohmfalk, Kirsten Keenan, Eric Skalac, Sid Smock, Sarah Tory, Torrey Udall, Dan Whitney and Katherine Whitney (Aug. 20).
Brave New Makes: Brave New Makes: An
Adult Hobby Workshop
Wed, Aug. 20, 5:30-7PM
Test out and discover your next hobby! All are welcome! No prior experience necessary. This week learn how to make a miniature clay pot and have a sip of wine.
When folks on Missouri Heights woke up on Sunday morning, they might have wondered where they were. Something was missing. Had they been kidnapped by aliens and relocated while sleeping? No. And Mt. Sopris hadn’t been moved; it just wasn’t visible due to smoke from nearby wildfires. Photo and text by Jane Bachrach
What’s ahead for the lands we love?
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
On Thursday, Aug. 21, outdoor enthusiasts will gather at the Third Street Center for a conversation about United States public lands, changing government policies and citizen conservation responses. From 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Carbondale-based nonprofit Wilderness Workshop will facilitate the free conversation with Tracy Stone-Manning, current president of The Wilderness Society and former director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Nada Wolff Culver, former deputy director of BLM.
Stone-Manning will share an assessment of the state of conservation work in the U.S. and perspectives on the potential impacts of policies suggested by the federal executive administration and Congress. She will also discuss how The Wilderness Society and other nonprofits and advocacy organizations are acting in defense of many uses of these public spaces, from recreation and resources to wildlife habitat and ecosystem function.
Wolff Culver will share details about Indigenous-led land management and the
ways that public land policy intersects with policy around tribal sovereignty and rights. Governmental policy and stance around environmental conservation and Indigenous rights has shifted significantly over the past few centuries. Each phase of change has had a variety of social and environmental influence, and those phases of history can inform decision-making today.
This local conversation comes on the heels of significant discussion around the now-defeated provision that Senator Mike Lee of Utah attempted to include in H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Before and after nationwide constituent pressure struck the provision from the bill, Lee claimed that selling off millions of acres of public lands would help solve a national housing crisis.
Yet the lands he proposed for incremental sale have been consistently assessed as unsuitable for high-density residential development. People from broad interest groups including hunters, staunch conservationists and even adventure sports enthusiasts banded together in opposition.
Data from past public lands sales also did not support Lee’s
assertions. A July ProPublica report shows that recent small-acreage sales yielded relatively low profits, and that the language of the failed provision did not establish adequate specifications to ensure sold land would be used for affordable housing development.
Stone-Manning has lived in Montana for decades; she is familiar with the American West and Rocky Mountains interest groups and ecosystems from her extensive work in legislative, service and advocacy. Prior to being named and approved as the director of BLM in 2021, she spent eight years as the director of the watershed advocacy Clark Fork Coalition, served as a staff director and advisor for former Montana Senator Jon Tester, directed the Montana Department of Environmental, was chief of staff for former Montana governor Steve Bullock and held leadership positions at the National Wildlife Federation.
Stone-Manning started with The Wilderness Society shortly after finishing her time leading BLM this past January. In an interview with Montana Public Radio in April, she shared her thoughts on the importance of public lands. “It is the
majority who owns these lands in common, who can figure out how to cut our peace on these lands and enjoy them for themselves and their grandkids, and that is the ultimate expression of democracy.”
Wolff Culver went from a legal background to nearly 16 years with The Wilderness Society and just under two years as vice president of the National Audubon Society before her service as BLM deputy director. She is based in Colorado and started Nashoba Consulting in February to advise conservation efforts, particularly those connected with tribal advocacy and empowerment.
Wilderness Workshop is a conservation advocacy organization and regularly hosts community events on related topics, including the winter Naturalist Nights series in partnership with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
IN A NUTSHELL
What: The future of our public lands
Where: Third Street Center
When: 5:30 to 7pm Aug. 21
Why: To learn about proposed and active federal changes to public lands policy and responses
Wilderness Workshop and other Roaring Fork Valley organizations have worked to establish permanent protections for federal, state and community-owned public lands such as the Thompson Divide and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness areas. Photo by Annalise Grueter
How changes to SNAP will impact local immigrants
HECTOR SALAS-GALLEGOS
Sopris Sun Correspondent
In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced states were to submit detailed information on all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants from the past five years. This move has raised concerns among immigrant-rights advocates, who warn that data sharing will lead to targeted deportations of undocumented people and further deny families the food they need.
The USDA requests “all household group members’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, residential and mailing addresses used or provided, as well as all data records used to determine eligibility or ineligibility.” A USDA Privacy Impact Assessment also mentions a request for immigration and citizenship status, education, employment and marital status.
Although undocumented immigrants are typically ineligible for SNAP benefits, their information may be at risk. Mixed-status households who apply for SNAP must provide details for every member, including undocumented individuals.
Beatriz Garcia, Western Slope organizer for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, said this kind of data sharing is a significant risk for immi-
also mixed-status families with citizens and lawful residents, due to the fear that their information will be used by the government to find them and have them removed from the United States for the simple fact of being an immigrant,” Garcia said. Her comments were translated from Spanish to English.
Adding to these concerns is the “public charge” rule in U.S. immigration law, which allows immigration officials to deny visas or adjustment of status if applicants are determined to be likely to rely on government assistance. Garcia noted some undocumented immigrants avoid programs like SNAP, fearing it
What results is a sensitive relationship between undocumented people and government agencies revolving around data privacy. The USDA defends its data request as a tool against “waste, fraud and abuse,” citing a March executive order granting “unfettered access” to state data. Advocates like Garcia view it as another way to exacerbate injustice.
“Children and families are experiencing food insecurity,” Garcia said. “And that’s not fraud. That’s a reality. If the government doesn’t want to see a reality and wants to call it fraud, it’s difficult because SNAP arose out of a need to protect families so they could have a plate of food on the table. And if that’s fraud to a government, then that means being against a humanitarian system.”
Data from the Urban Institute estimates that 298,000 families in Colorado will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits due to cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill. On average, households face a reduction of $88 per month, or $1,056 annually. With so many families potentially affected, local organizations are preparing for the rise in demand for their services.
Lift-Up has long acted as a vital safety net from Aspen to Parachute. From the collapse of the oil shale industry to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lift-Up created its many food security programs to meet the changing and growing needs of the Valley. Since 2020, Lift-Up states they’ve seen a 600% increase in demand and expect that number to keep rising.
Elyse Hottel, interim executive director at Lift-Up, explained that food assistance helps ease burdens. “There are a lot of people that commute a long way because they can’t afford to live closer to their job,” she said. “And so sometimes it comes down to some really hard decisions. Do I pay rent or do I buy food? Do I pay for medical care or do I buy food? Do I pay for gas to get to my job so that I have money, or do I buy food?”
To access Lift-Up food assistance programs, people need to register. They ask for a person’s name, phone number, email address and a form of ID to avoid duplicate customers and make sure they distribute resources equitably across Valley communities.
Lift-Up provides food security, education and support to families in need from Parachute to Aspen, regardless of immigration status. Photo by Klaus Kocher
New senior apartments fulfill longheld wish of late Aspen couple
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
A philanthropic intent to provide more affordable housing in the Roaring Fork Valley that’s been three decades in the making is finally about to become a reality.
Officials from the Denver Archdiocese Catholic Charities Housing were joined on Aug. 7 by state and local housing advocates and relatives and friends of the late Fritz and Fabienne “Fabi” Benedict of Aspen for the grand opening of the 34-unit Benedict Apartments for seniors in Glenwood Springs.
The Benedicts, among their many financial gifts to various institutions and causes in the Valley, had intended for some of their money to go toward affordable housing, via the Catholic Charities housing fund.
That was some 30 years ago, explained Justin Raddatz, the executive director of Catholic Charities Housing for the past 10 years.
Several previous attempts to build a local housing project using those funds didn’t pan out, he said.
That was, until one of their board members, local real estate advisor Darryl Grosjean, suggested the narrow slice of property fronting the 27th Street and Midland
Avenue roundabout, next to Roaring Fork Senior Living, which had come onto the market.
It wasn’t easy, given the small, half-acre size of the parcel, Raddatz said. But with the efforts of Shopworks Architecture out of Denver, and FCI Construction of Grand Junction, they were able to design and build a four-story, 34-unit apartment building that has elements of Frank Lloyd Wright-style architecture — appropriate, said Raddatz, since Fritz, a renowned architect himself, was an understudy of Wright.
“I have to say, this is probably the project that I’m most excited about … It’s just a beautiful project,” Raddatz said during the grand opening event. “And we get to honor a couple of folks who were really special in the community for so many years as the building’s namesake.”
The Benedicts’ daughter-inlaw, Jan Benedict, said Fabi in particular would have been proud of the accomplishment.
“I think it was truly Fabi’s vision to have something like this in the Valley,” she said during the grand opening event. “Whether [Fritz and Fabi] were doing something for affordable housing, or open space, or their efforts with
the [Aspen] Music Tent or the 10th Mountain Division [hut system], they did it for the community.
“It was always about the people. It was never about them.”
Raddatz noted that, across Colorado, 35% of households are considered cost-burdened when it comes to housing — meaning more than 30% of their income goes toward housing — and 13% of senior citizens are severely rent-burdened, paying more than half of their income toward housing. In Glenwood Springs, 44% of senior households are considered cost-burdened, he said.
To help combat that, the Benedict Apartments are offered to senior households (ages 55 and up) earning between $20,000 and $91,000 per year, or between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income. The project is supported by federal low-income tax credits that allow for rents well below market for the area (between $550 and $1,600 per month, based on the latest calculations), explained Shirley Diaz from the Colorado Department of Housing.
Also making the project possible was $1.7 million in construction funding through the state’s Affordable Housing Impact Fund, she said.
As a result, “there’s going to be a very broad range of seniors who will be able to have a home, who’ve been previously priced out of the market,” Diaz stated.
“Affordable housing for seniors can be really overlooked in broader housing conversations, but the truth is that it’s one of our fastest-growing populations in Colorado, and one of the most at-risk when rents rise and incomes remain fixed,” she said.
Also on hand for the grand opening was Glenwood Springs Mayor Marco Dehm, who spoke to a planning process that he said wasn’t rushed, but involved “smart, forward-thinking decisions every step of the way.”
He added, “From the very
beginning, it was guided by a clear vision to create high quality, affordable homes for seniors; homes that offer dignity, accessibility and a sense of community.”
Glenwood Springs resident Kathryn Grosscup oversees the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority’s Housing Tax Credit program, and was also involved with the project.
“This has been a tremendous community endeavor that will benefit not only those who will live here … but all of Glenwood,” she said.
The Benedict is just awaiting some final inspections before it will open to its first tenants, Raddatz concluded.
Darren Walsh, CEO of Catholic Charities, center, is joined by Glenwood Springs Mayor Marco Dehm to his right and other Catholic Charities Housing and state housing officials, members of the Fritz and Fabi Benedict family and others for a ribbon cutting to mark the completion of the 34-unit Benedict senior housing project in Glenwood on Thursday, Aug. 7. Photo by John Stroud
When First Amendment rights blur harassment allegations
JAMES STEINDLER
Contributing Editor
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Sopris Sun elected not to list a party’s name in this article, out of respect for their privacy, but did reach out for comment without success.
The Carbondale Historic Food Forest doesn’t seem like it’d be the place for a controversy to unravel. It’s off the beaten path, tucked away compared to other public parks in town and boasts a permaculture garden adjacent to the historic Thompson House.
For nearly 10 years, the Food Forest has been volunteer managed, and in no small part by Erin Anderson, who is listed as a liaison between the Roaring Fork Food Alliance — charged with stewarding the permaculture garden — and the Town in an MOU. The park has been decorated with LGBTQ+ flags over the years and Anderson said she will slap an occasional “safe-space” sticker on the public trashcan outside of the restrooms. Until recently, there have not been any complaints Anderson is aware of. However, discontent came to the surface with several calls to law enforcement and allegations of harassment plus the citing of
a “storage on public rights-ofway” violation — for the flags.
Ashley Stahl met Anderson earlier in the year when Cook Inclusive, a queer-affirming nonprofit of which Stahl is the executive director, provided Pride flags to replace ones at the Food Forest that had gone missing. In late June, according to Anderson and her now-girlfriend, Stahl, someone approached them on more than one occasion at the Food Forest and allegedly took issue with the Pride decor as well as their sexual orientation, identity and physical appearances. Stahl is a trans woman and Erin identifies as queer and goes by they/she pronouns.
At one point, the two installed
a trail camera at the Food Forest and determined that the person removing the missing Pride flags was the same they’d come into contact with. The couple had their 1-year-old daughter with them during at least one of these interactions, and stated that the individual was taking pictures of her while she was asleep in the car nearby. Stahl conceded that they were not directly threatened with harm, other than a suggestion of legal recourse. Anderson added, however, that she did fear for her and her loved ones’ safety.
“I think the behavior [was] inherently threatening,” echoed Stahl.
Both parties called the police a handful of times. There are four
associated incident reports from the Carbondale Police Department, with the first call coming in on June 2 for “graffiti on a trash can near the public bathrooms.”
That first police report concluded, however, that “Public Works had covered most of it with spray paint” — “it” being a sticker on the trash can. This was a point of confusion, because Anderson was convinced it was the other party, who she claimed to have witnessed removing stickers before, when, in fact, the Town had painted over it — partly in hopes of diffusing the situation, but also for the sake of maintaining consistency with other town parks.
On June 30 around 3pm, Stahl called and reported the flags being removed and she and her child being yelled at , according to a supplemental report. Later that day, officers responded again and “found both parties to be at fault” in a verbal disagreement, citing the argument over the placement of Pride flags. Anderson said she has yet to receive an explanation for what it was she or Stahl did to be considered “at fault.”
According to Police Chief Kirk Wilson, whenever officers attempted to mediate, no accusations articulated by either party amounted to criminal. The chief acknowledged that there was
some following and picture-taking, according to Stahl and Anderson’s report, but that the latter, at least, was not criminal in and of itself. “The fact of the matter is that no laws have been broken on either side,” said Wilson. The department had also consulted with the district attorney’s office. Anderson, particularly, was frustrated that the police would not file harassment charges for what she described to The Sun as “violent, in-your-face homophobia” occurring repeatedly. She claimed that the police’s inaction emboldened the problem.
The police considered it, in part, a First Amendment issue: the right to fly a Pride flag and the right to protest it. Wilson acknowledged that someone expressing their views to others can be uncomfortable, but is protected. He added that the Town can’t favor one side over the other in this respect, noting Supreme Court precedent.
Asked what the threshold is for someone to be charged with verbal harassment, Wilson replied, “That threshold is crossed when the speech creates an immediate breach of the peace. This tends to be words that by their very utterance are likely to provoke a violent reaction.
continued on page 22
Pride flag stands aside a bed of pansies resembling a rainbow at the Carbondale Historic Food Forest. Photo by James Steindler
Mark Johnson Memorial Fund success another step in funding school music
GUS RICHARDSON
Sopris Sun Correspondent
On Feb. 15, Mark Johnson, a local music educator and beloved community figure, tragically died in a car accident on Highway 82. In response to this, Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS), in collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and School, created the Mark Johnson Memorial Fund, a “community fundraising campaign in support of the Carbondale music program,” which set out to hire a new band director for the Roaring Fork School District and to honor Johnson’s legacy.
This stands as another example of what JAS is willing to do for the community, and how much this valley cares for music education.
To help to contextualize the Roaring Fork School District’s struggles — at the beginning of the 2025 school year, Carbondale’s middle and high schools lost their primary music educator: Christina Wenning.
She was an important fixture in the schools, accomplishing many tasks in her time, including but not limited to organizing the Roaring Fork High School pep band, fulfilling a massive role in the theater opportunities schools had access
to and encouraging all her students to push themselves to new heights.
However, due to budgetary constraints, the schools had to let her go. In the wake of her absence, the community was unsure how music education would look in Carbondale schools moving forward. Many parents and students were understandably worried that the high school and middle school would be without a band director that year, if not forever. This is when JAS stepped in, appointing Chris Banks to teach at both schools and assist in directing the band.
Banks, alongside a rotating cast of fellow JAS employees, made it so not only the bands remained in the schools, but truly thrived. Under Banks’ leadership, the bands participated in contests, played at many sporting events and even grew their presence in the community. While Banks did an excellent job with the schools, this could never be a permanent appointment, as he had far too many other commitments.
This too had a solution: the Mark Johnson Memorial Fund. In a true celebration of all that Johnson stood for, the fund was able to raise enough money from charitable donations to successfully hire a new band director for both the middle and the
high school, a young music educator by the name of Jennifer Sutton. Sutton received her master of music degree in instrumental conducting from Florida Atlantic University. She also has received a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is excited to begin work in the Roaring Fork School District and will be teaching at the Carbondale middle and the high schools. She expressed an eagerness to start a vocal program at both schools, as neither have had a choir for some time now.
Sutton promises to continue the legacy of the Roaring Fork School District band directors, building ever toward something greater. This coincides with the legacy of Johnson himself, as he was eternally dedicated to pushing students to be better musicians as well as better people.
As prolific jazz player Charles Mingus once said, “My music is evidence of my soul’s will to live,” and here’s hoping that the music of the Roaring Fork School District, supported by the Mark Johnson Memorial Fund, will keep Mr. Johnson’s soul alive for many years to come.
The late Mark Johnson pictured at a JAS Academy Afro Caribbean Big Band Session. Courtesy photo by Steve Mundinger
Beach volleyball tournament goes off in Carbondale
The Maroon Belles launch a summer program for girls and open event for anyone
ALISON OSIUS
Sopris Sun Correspondent
For over an hour after the start time of 9am, organizers from the Maroon Belles Volleyball Club delayed its first-ever Carbondale Open, intended to be an annual tournament, checking and rechecking wind forecasts and air quality numbers. At 7am, as they set up nets, the numbers were moderate, but by 8am, they worsened. Then at 10am, the air improved. Surrounding hillsides hove into view.
For a summer event, you might expect to manage issues of rain and wind, maybe lightning. The Aug. 9 youth outdoor volleyball tournament at Miners Park contended with heavy wildfire smoke.
At 10:15am, the organizer, Laird Little, gave the assembled girls and parents the choice: “If anyone does not want to play or isn’t comfortable playing, we’ll refund your entry fee” ($20 per team), he said. “Come and see me.”
No one dropped. At 10:30am, the tourney proceeded, with shortened rounds.
Eleven teams, with 22 girls, had registered for age group 14U, and three teams with six girls for 16U, for a total of 28 at this inaugural event. The nonprofit Maroon Belles Volleyball Club (maroonbelles.com), established in 2019, has been an indoor girls’ volleyball program, with six-person practices and tournaments in winter and spring. This summer, the club launched a program for learning the outdoor game, with doubles in sand and on grass, for girls ages 12 to 20 (enrollees were 12 to 17) from Aspen to Glenwood Springs. The fee was $220 a player for the season.
The initiative took off. “The first practice, 30 girls showed up,” said Little, a Maroon Belles director. Practices, beginning in June, were not mandatory, but each drew 20 to 30 girls.
“I’ve been wanting to play beach,” said Macy Swann, 16, of Glenwood Springs, at the tourney. “A lot of my friends did, for United [Volleyball Club] so I wanted to try it, and it’s been really fun.”
She and her partner, Kaia Devine, also 16 and from Glenwood, were part of the new program. “I like our team, and I like all the girls,” Kaia said, adding that she’d return.
An exceptionally positive vibe marked the tourney. Throughout a hot day, with temps into the 80s, girls were heard to tell each other after errors, “that’s okay” or “my bad.” They might say to an opponent, “Nice one.”
“Hey, I’m happy with second,” Chloe Cherry, 14, of Glenwood Springs, told her partner, Emma Ragan, 15, of Edwards, in the championship round where the two “played up” from their age group. Autumn Sherwin and Andrea Lee, 16, of Aspen, prevailed. “Good game,” Emma told them as it ended.
Shelby Little (Laird’s daughter), an event volunteer and University of Colorado Law School student who has coached club volleyball for two seasons (one with the Maroon Belles), said, “We’re pretty excited about the turnout. It’s just fun to grow the game and give girls the opportunity to play year-round.”
The event format was doubles on both sand and grass courts for age groups 18U (none attended) 16U, and 14U. The tournament was open to boys as well, and two teams signed up, though neither arrived.
Shelby kept results, and other volunteers put up canopies and brought coolers of drinks. Two 15-year-old boys, Matteo Ritschard and Sawyer Ivansco, strolled by and offered to be DJs, producing hours of tunes.
The beach program has operated in partnership with the Town of Carbondale and Eric Brendlinger, Parks and Rec director. He and Laird, former volleyball teammates at the MotherLode Volleyball Classic in Aspen, have been working to upgrade the courts in Miners Park. The Town has put in new net brackets, boundary lines and safety pads. Girls in the program helped sift the river sand placed
there years ago, last week filling five five-gallon buckets (Laird and Shelby loaded up four more) with abrasive gravel fragments; the gravel is being used to shore up the ground at the in-town cemetery. The current sand also contains clay that creates dust, which floated up around the girls’ feet and knees, and Brendlinger has requested that the Town replace it with washed sand, potentially taking the old sand (400 tons) to the rodeo for use.
Laird earlier this summer arranged for a pro, Kris Bredehoft, to come teach a skills clinic, paying her with two ski lift tickets he got from bootpacking at Aspen Highlands.
Two or three teams from the Maroon Belles Beach Program will be able to compete in the MotherLode (where Shelby, too, has played, four times) on Labor Day weekend.
Participants on scene came from high schools including Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Roaring Fork, Basalt and Battle Mountain. Brian Arbuckle, another Maroon Belles director, said, “It was great seeing players from every town in the Valley in a fun and competitive event.”
Results: 14U: 1. Samantha Avalos, New Castle, and Lily Mondragon, Canyon Creek. 2. Ashlyn Sherwin and Hannah Lee, Aspen. 3. Alexis Meisel and Sylvie Leeds, Basalt. 16U: 1. Autumn Sherwin and Andrea Lee, Aspen. 2. Chloe Cherry, Glenwood Springs, and Emma Ragan, Edwards. 3. Macy Swann and Kaia Devine, Glenwood Springs.
The air cleared enough by 10am to let the games begin at the first annual Carbondale Open, Aug. 9, run with a shortened schedule.
Photo by Laird Little
New studies indicate how ecosystems respond to wildfire
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris
Sun Correspondent
As of late, sunsets have been spectacularly colorful and horizon lines remain hazy. The air carries a distinct scent many associate with camping — some with fear — and air quality ratings oscillate between moderate to hazardous. Understandably, wildfire is at the top of many folks’ minds. And it’s no surprise that the Roaring Fork Valley is experiencing a drought. Following a winter of low-precipitation, the water flows have already exhausted the high-elevation snowpack. As of the first week of August, Pitkin and Garfield counties, and most of Eagle County, are considered to be in “D3” drought conditions, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. The “D3” classification, or “extreme drought,” is due to soil moisture levels and streamflows being between 3% and 5%. Possible impacts include major crop and pasture losses, water shortages and restrictions and, of course, the increased likelihood of wildfire.
The Lee Fire, which started from a lightning strike outside of Meeker on Aug. 2, has continued to expand southward toward Rifle. As of Monday, Aug. 11, it had surpassed 113,000 acres, making it the fifth largest wildfire in state history. Its burn area is roughly equivalent to the stretch of the Roaring Fork Valley — from Glenwood Springs to Aspen.
Lower winds allowed response teams to better protect infrastructure and bolster breaks to bring the large blaze to 7% containment, an improvement from
0% the first week of the blaze. All of the state’s largest wildfires have occurred during major drought years in the last quarter century.
As a result of recent studies, Colorado scientists offer insights into how wildfire ultimately affects ecosystems and vice versa. Some readers may already be aware that quaking aspen trees are a pioneer species. The hardwood tree is particularly well-adapted to colonize disturbed earth, including angled slopes cleared by avalanches or burn scars. The tall, pale-barked trees grow quickly and expand by cloning.
New research by scientists based at Colorado State University (CSU), Western Colorado University (WCU) and the Forest Service indicates that not only do
aspen trees move in quickly after wildfires, but aspen stands can act as natural firebreaks to slow or even divert a wildfire. A study, published last month in “Ecological Applications,” analyzed two decades and over 300 wildfires in Southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region.
Aspen trees are considered “high-moisture” hardwoods. The study indicated that forests composed of 25% or more of aspen trees saw fire spread at a third of the rate as forests with aspen trees that make up just 10% or less of its canopy. Additionally, aspen groves at the edge of fires proved to slow or even change the direction of blazes.
“My hope is that this research can help inform fire and fuels management focused on propagation of aspen through prescribed fire [areas],” said Matt Harris of
WCU. “In some settings aspen might even be planted around communities to form green fuel breaks for fire protection.”
Another study, led by CSU, arose out of the drought and wildfire-heavy 2020 summer and autumn. Researchers were working on collecting data regarding Ponderosa pine photosynthesis patterns when the site’s air quality plummeted due to wildfire smoke. The photosynthesis test results from a day with heavy smoke were nearly zero — a significant change from the typical data. The Ponderosas appeared to be “holding their breath,” read a write-up for the study in July of last year.
The CSU team began investigating flora response to wildfire smoke and particulate pollution more intentionally. What they have found so far is a pattern. Many species of trees close the pores on their leaves in response to smoke or poor air quality, neither inhaling or exhaling until a few hours after air quality improves. Another hypothesis at work is that the particulates of smoke clog the pores of leaves, especially if the tree doesn’t quickly close those pores when the air quality deteriorates. This research is ongoing as the CSU team seeks insights on the longterm effects of smoke on both individual tree species and the broader ecosystem.
CSU and the Colorado State Forest Service have nearly three-dozen experts regarding various facets of wildfire and its impacts on ecosystems and communities. Highlights of their work can be found on the university’s website at www.source. colostate.edu/wildfire-research
The Lee Fire near Meeker grew rapidly on Aug. 8. Photo by Sami Dinar
Raizado
Festival 2025:
Come Together, Celebrate, and Be Inspired These events are open to the public. Join us!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 1:00 PM – 3:45 PM
RAIZADO MASTERCLASSES
From cooking birria to connecting with your energy and telling your authentic story, these intimate, hands-on sessions feature powerful voices like Chef Claudette Zepeda, Maria Hinojosa, Ivana de Maria, and more. Classes kick off Thursday, August 21. Each class is $50. Space is limited and registration is required.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
FREESTYLE: A LOVE STORY (A PLAY READING)
A pulse-pounding, immersive stage experience blending live performance, dance, and towering visual projections, culminating in a full-fledged dance party. Freestyle: A Love Story is where memory, music, and culture collide. Tickets are $35 and space is limited.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
FILM SCREENINGS
Experience bold, cross-generational storytelling through powerful short films like Courage, Sundown, and Following Harry. These screenings are free and open to all, spotlighting voices that move culture forward.
For more information, please visit raizadofest.org #RaizadoFest
Cary Morin brings his Western music to Steve’s Guitars
MYKI JONES
Arts Correspondent
Cary Morin, a renowned singer, songwriter and wickedly talented guitarist, will bring his unique sound to Steve’s Guitars when he returns to the venue on Aug. 22. Morin — who has graced stages such as NPR’s Mountain Stage, both The Lincoln Center and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Paris Jazz Festival and Telluride Blues & Brews — will bring his eclectic mix of country, folk, blues, rock and Native Americana back to Carbondale. He looks forward to connecting with audiences over the stories of his songs from the road. Morin performs as a solo artist and also in a duo with his wife and talent manager, Celeste Di Iorlio, as well as his band, Cary Morin & Ghost Dog.
Having spent his childhood primarily in Great Falls, Montana, Morin recalls house concerts his parents hosted and how listening to records helped to awaken his unending curiosity for music composition and how songs are made, something he carried into his own songwriting process.
“I always loved listening to records. I loved analyzing recordings. I was always wondering how certain songs and sounds were created,” Morin told The Sopris Sun. “It’s just something that’s always fascinated me. The first one that comes to mind is ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ I was fascinated with Elvis, and he was a huge deal at the time. There was no bigger pop star, and I was just really enamored with everything about him.”
Morin also credits the influences of country music, folk and rock ’n’ roll that were at their peak during his childhood in the early 1960s — specifically Charley Pride. “When I was probably 4 years old in Billings, [Montana] I remember my folks having a house concert. This would be in like 1965 or 1966, and I remember these musicians. It was a lasting impression. They had
Cowboy
MYKI JONES
Arts Correspondent
Up
at one point some folks who were Hawaiian come in and do traditional songs and dance, and I was just fascinated by all of it,” he stated.
In addition to a wide variety of musical exposure, which was partly due to the handful of times his family moved during his father’s military service, Morin also found inspiration from films. “[When] the Woodstock movie came out, my mom took me to go see it in the drive-in, and I couldn’t believe that all these performers were able to be in one place. I’d never seen anything like that before.”
Morin’s upcoming audience at Steve’s can anticipate hearing songs from his 2024 album, “Innocent Allies,”
which drew inspiration from Western paintings by Charles M. Russell. In addition to the visual inspiration, Morin said he listened to Western albums from the 1970s.
“Records are made differently these days, and back then, recording to tape on a limited number of tracks was something I think is really interesting,” Morin described. “I decided that I wanted to pursue that sound from the records that I remember from when I was a child. It turned into sort of a — not a country album — maybe more of a Western album. Still folky, still has elements of what I like to put in recordings.”
Morin has performed in a myriad of media over his extensive career, and due to this his audiences have varied and evolved. Discussing the intimate listening-room atmosphere at Steve’s, Morin said he looks forward to the stories he’ll share between songs.
“I’ve performed in several different capacities. Back in the ‘90s, my band was predominantly playing dance music. Those audiences influenced my songwriting as a younger man and artist. In more recent years, I’ve shifted the focus of my music to a more listening-roomstyle audience as opposed to a dance audience. I’ve noticed that people really pay attention in that situation. In having conversations with audiences after shows, they ask about specific songs and specific songwriting. I’m glad that people are so focused on the art. It always really inspires me.”
To learn more, visit www.carymorin.com
IN A NUTSHELL
Who: The Cary Morin Duo
When: 8 p.m. Aug. 22
Where: Steve’s Guitars
Tickets: $20 at www.stevesguitars.net
raises funds for Carbondale Education Foundation
The 16th annual Cowboy Up Carbondale fundraiser will take place Friday, Aug. 22, at Chacos Park from 6 to 10pm. Each year, Cowboy Up selects one local cause to benefit while gathering the community to celebrate Carbondale’s Western heritage. This year will feature live music from the Highway 82 Band plus games, arts and crafts, food trucks, ice cream and both a live and silent auction, all to help fund the Carbondale Education Foundation (CEF), the first beneficiary chosen for two years in a row.
“All of the money raised from Cowboy Up this year will go toward teacher grants again this year,” Katy Nardecchia with CEF explained. “We have earmarked roughly $30,000 to go toward teacher grants for the 2025-2026 school year. As soon as the school year starts … that’s when we’ll open the application process for teachers for those grants.”
CEF was founded in 2023, inspired by other education foundations supporting local schools. According to Jamie Nims, another member of CEF, they have been successful since early last year with fundraising efforts.
“Our sole mission is to raise funds on behalf of Carbondale schools to support our teachers, our students, our staff members and our schools,” Nims stated. “We have been really fortunate in our early launch and having been selected last year as the beneficiary for Cowboy Up, which served as a catalyst for us to get our name out and do some significant fundraising that was hugely beneficial directly to our teachers.”
His sentiments were shared by Nardecchia, who stated that the event helped the organization to hit the ground running.
“We provided the volunteers, organized a silent auction and did a lot of the leg work, but the structure of the event and a lot of the pieces of the event were already orchestrated by the Cowboy Up board. That made it very easy for us to jump in and do some significant fundraising for our organization. We were psyched to be able to do it again this year,” she said.
A big way these funds come in is through the auctions. Some of the items and experiences folks can bid on this year include a stay at an Airbnb in Mexico, wisdom teeth removal through Roaring Fork Oral Surgery, original work from local artists, hotel staycation packages from places like Aspen’s The Little Nell, Belly Up tickets and a plethora of gift certificates for Carbondale businesses. In discussion with Eric Rudd, a member of the Cowboy Up board of directors, these events bring the community together and it all begins when folks lend their time to volunteering to make it happen. He encourages folks to come out not only to support the efforts of the CEF but to interact with neighbors in a family-friendly, laid-back and fun setting.
“It’s amazing to me how much the community supports,” Rudd shared. “Everybody’s a volunteer, everybody’s here to make our community better, and the people that can do the most to make it better is the community coming to support the beneficiary. Some of them bring tears to your eyes after you listen to their story about what they do for the community. For us never to have a back-to-back beneficiary showed how important and critical [CEF] is.”
Bust out your boots and dust off your hat, the 16th annual Cowboy Up Carbondale is on Friday, Aug. 22. Courtesy photo
For additional information on CEF, contact info@carbondaleeducationfoundation.org. For more information about or to get involved with Cowboy Up, visit www.cowboyupcarbondale. com or follow @cowboyupcarbondale on Instagram.
IN A NUTSHELL
What: Cowboy Up Carbondale
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 22
Where: Chacos Park (Fourth & Main)
Why: Community and heritage
Cary Morin will perform at Steve’s Guitars with Celeste Di Iorlio, his life partner, on Aug. 22. Courtesy photo
Fall Classes in Aspen, Basalt & Carbondale are Starting Soon
ART
CERAMIC SCULPTURE
ART 1075-AS001
Thursdays, 10:10am-2:30pm 9/4- 12/11, Aspen
VISUAL CONCEPTS 2D ART 1002- AS001
Mondays, 4:10-8:30pm 9/8-12/8, Aspen
BRICOLAGE
ART 1075-AS001
Thursdays, 5:10-9:30pm 9/4-12/11, Aspen
MIXED MEDIA: DIGITAL ART ART 1405-AS001
Wednesdays, 5:10-9:30pm 9/3-12/10, Aspen
EXPRESSIVE DRAWING ART 2001-AS003
Wednesdays, 10:10am-12:15pm 9/3-11/5, Aspen
MIXED MEDIA PAINTING ART-2306-CB001
Mondays, 5:10-9:30pm 9/8-12/8, Carbondale
BUSINESS
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS BUS-1015-CB001
Tuesdays, 6-8:30pm 8/26-12/9, Carbondale
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION & REPORT WRITING BUS-2017-CB001
For more information and registration, contact your local campus.
REGISTER TODAY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14
YOUNG AT HEART
The Art Base offers an art class for senior citizens at the Eagle County Community Center (20 Eagle County Drive, El Jebel) from 12:45 to 2:30pm.
MUSIC AT THE LIBRARY
The Aspen Music Festival and School showcases students performing chamber music from 5:15 to 6:30pm at the Basalt Library.
CRYSTAL THEATRE
“Naked Gun” shows at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm tonight. Then, “The Life of Chuck” returns Friday, Saturday and Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7pm — catch a 5pm showing on Sunday, Aug. 17.
COSMIC SOUND JOURNEY
Danielle Klein leads a healing sound journey at True Nature from 6 to 7:15pm. Tickets at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
HOT BUTTERED RUM
Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets opens for Hot Buttered Rum at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’
SoL Theatre presents “The Sound of Music,” opening tonight at Roaring Fork High School. Thursday through Saturday shows, this weekend and next, are at 7pm and Sunday matinees are at 2pm. Tickets at www.soltheatrecompany.org
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15
CHRONIC PAIN
Sopris Lodge welcomes Dr. Caleb Seale for an informative talk on chronic pain with insights into procedures and medications from 3 to 4pm. RSVP for free by calling 970-678-0057 or visiting www. soprislodge.com/events
CEREMONIAL BREATHWORK
Join Davis Cowles for a ceremonial breathwork session at True Nature from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Tickets at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
COMEDY BENEFIT
LA-based comedian Richard Sarvate performs at The Collective Snowmass at 7:30pm. All proceeds benefit HeadQuarters, a mental health nonprofit in Basalt. Tickets at www.tinyurl.com/ mentalhealthandcomedy
TAUK
TAUK, a Mountain Fair favorite from 2024, performs at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
THE KEARNS FAMILY
Catch The Kearns Family, a husbandwife duo, performing for their first time at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
NATURE JOURNALING
Explore the “artistic, scientific and reflective practice” of journaling and watercoloring in nature from 9am to 3pm today and tomorrow at the Catto Center at Toklat. Register at www.aspennature.org
COMMUNITY YOGA
Ellen Bradley leads a free, all-levels yoga class at True Nature from 11am to 12:35pm. Later, from 5 to 6:30pm, she will guide a workshop about motherhood from 4 to 6:30pm. Learn more at www. truenaturehealingarts.com
DANCE OPEN HOUSE
New and returning dancers and families are invited to tour Legacy Dance Company in Glenwood Springs and register for fall classes which begin on Aug. 18, from 2 to 4pm. More details at www.legacydancegws.com/openhouse
CELEBRATING JOHNNY
Friends, family and fans gather to celebrate the life of Johnny Weiss, a founder of Solar Energy International (SEI), with a potluck and party at 39845 Mathews Lane in Paonia starting at 4:20pm. Bring a dish, chair, an instrument for an informal jam session and dress in your most Johnny-esque attire — an SEI shirt, tie-dye or anything colorful, tropical or fun. Parking is limited.
RECOVERY BREATHWORK
The Meeting Place hosts “Resonate: Community Breathwork and Sound Healing Experience” from 4:30 to 6pm. Details at www.meetingplace carbondale.org
BALLET PERFORMANCE
The Crystal River Youth Ballet Company performs an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at The Launchpad tonight and tomorrow at 7pm.
REDSTONE CONCERT
The Magical Moments Summer Concert Series presents Shawn Mayer performing at Redstone Park at 6pm.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17
OPEN DISCUSSION
Anyone is welcome to join an open discussion, with topics inspired by participants, at A Spiritual Center, room 31 of the Third Street Center, from 10 to 11:30am.
EQUINE EXPERIENCE
WindWalkers welcomes horseman Josh Aikens for a free clinic on the art of connection, trust and understanding between horses and humans at 1030 County Road 102 from 1 to 3pm — no RSVP needed.
PICNIC IN ASPEN
The City of Aspen hosts a community picnic, catered by Slow Groovin and The Rolling Fork food trucks, from 1 to 3pm at Paepcke Park. The first 750 attendees receive a complimentary meal! Buffalo Joe will provide bluegrass tunes. More details at www.aspenspecialevents.com
POETS & WRITERS
The Carbondale Library hosts a group of writers and poets on the third Sunday of each month from 3 to 5pm.
FOOD FOREST WALK
Sheehan Meagher guides a walk through Basalt’s Food Forest teaching participants about ethnobotanical uses of various edible and medicinal plants from 5 to 6:30pm. Register for this Colorado Mountain College community education course at coloradomtn. augusoft.net
OUR TOWN ONE TABLE
Carbondale’s townwide potluck returns to Chacos Park (4th and Main). This year’s theme is “Wild West” and dinner begins around 5pm. To reserve a table, contact Robin Jacober at rjacober@ carbondaleco.net or 970-510-1290.
Town One Table — Carbondale’s townwide potluck — returns this Sunday, Aug. 17 at Chacos Park (4th and Main). This year’s theme is “Wild West” and dinner begins around 5pm. To reserve a table, contact Robin Jacober at rjacober@carbondaleco.net or 970-5101290.
MONDAY, AUGUST 18
TEEN POETRY WORKSHOP
Renowned poet and author Reginald Dwayne Betts guides a poetry workshop for high schoolers from 4:30 to 6pm at TACAW. RSVP at www.tacaw.org
AFRICAN DANCE
Enjoy dancing to live drumming with the Carbondale Rhythm Collective at the Glenwood Springs Library on Mondays from 6:30 to 8pm.
DANIELS AND BAKER
Steve’s Guitars welcomes Daniels and Baker, an acoustic duo, at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net
TUESDAY, AUGUST 19
CONCENTRIC RECOVERY
Join a multi-dimensional recovery community in support of moving beyond addiction in all its forms at True Nature from 5:30 to 6:45pm.
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club sketches together at Basalt River Park at 6:30pm. All are welcome.
‘FIRST DRAFT’
“First Draft” podcast host Mitzi Rapkin speaks with Reginald Dwayne Betts, a poet and lawyer known for his work to improve reading access in prisons, about his newly published collection of poetry, “Doggerel,” at 6:30pm at TACAW. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20
FENCE REMOVAL
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers needs help removing barbed-wire fencing at Sky Mountain Park from 9am to 1pm. Volunteers will meet at the Snowmass Village Rec Center. Register at www.rfov.org
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
POTTERY WHEEL 101
Want to test the waters before committing to a several-week class? Crave an evening out of the house? Interested in trying something new? Carbondale Clay Center’s teen and adult one-day “Intro to Wheel Throwing” is perfect for learning the basics and opening your eyes to the possibilities of clay. These classes are offered every Monday through Oct. 6, from 6 to 8pm. Register at www.carbondaleclay.org
MONDAY MEDITATION
‘ART = COMMUNITY’
“ART = COMMUNITY,” a mixed-media exhibit in partnership with Glenwood Springs-based nonprofit Community Builders, opens with a reception at the Aspen Chapel Gallery from 4 to 7pm.
RAGING GRANNIES
Women nationwide have united as “raging grannies” to rewrite the lyrics to well-known tunes to sing for social justice for all! The group meets at the Carbondale Library from 4:30 to 6pm and welcomes attendees to bring along a song or two.
BASALT MUSIC
Basalt’s summer of music continues with Grupo Ascenso opening for Graham Good and the Painters at 5:30pm at Basalt River Park. The headliner begins around 7pm and KDNK will live broadcast the concert.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21
RAIZADO 2025
The Raizado Festival returns to Aspen, celebrating Latino culture, culinary excellence, transformative leadership and more through Sunday, Aug. 24. Visit www.raizadofest.org for more.
FINAL RODEO
The Carbondale Wild West Rodeo season at the Gus Darien Riding Arena wraps up tonight with finals and awards! Gates open at 5pm, slack starts at 5:45pm and grand entry is at 7:30pm.
FUTURE OF PUBLIC LANDS
Wilderness Workshop partners with The Wilderness Society to welcome two former Bureau of Land Management employees to discuss public lands from 5:30 to 7pm at the Third Street Center.
YARN GROUP
Basalt Library hosts a weekly yarn group on Tuesdays at 5pm. All are welcome.
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.
FARMERS’ MARKET
The Carbondale Farmers’ Market season is underway, every Wednesday from 10am to 3pm at 4th and Main.
COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE
Colorado Community Acupuncture offers community acupuncture sessions on the third Wednesday of each month with sliding scale payment options. To schedule an appointment, text or call 970-963-2150 or visit www.cocommunityacupuncture.com for more offerings.
GROUP RUN
Independence Run & Hike leads a weekly group run on Thursdays departing from the store’s location, next to the Carbondale City Market, at 6:30pm.
COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR
Carbondale Mayor Ben Bohmfalk posts up at Bonfire every Friday from 8 to 9am, and everyone is welcome to stop by to chat.
SOBER QUEER CLUB
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.
The Meeting Place hosts an LGBTQIA+ specific recovery meeting every first and third Saturday at 5:30pm. For more details, visit www.meetingplacecarbondale.org
Our
Pictured: Hank Weaver in 2022. Photo by Will Sardinsky
New pedestrian crossing — and a major detour — coming to 133
RALEIGH BURLEIGH
Sopris Sun Editor
Beginning Monday, Aug. 18, work will begin on a Highway 133 pedestrian crossing with a detour simultaneously rerouting north and southbound traffic for about a month. The new crossing, located at Nieslanik Avenue — from the Dollar Tree to FirstBank, approximately — was unanimously approved during the regular Board of Trustees meeting on Aug. 12.
But first, trustees approved a consent agenda including meeting minutes, a special event liquor license for the senior prom at Sopris Lodge on Aug. 28, a liquor license renewal for Carbondale Beer Works and accounts payable.
During public comments, two 8th Street residents expressed frustrations with a Comcast fiber internet project that’s stalled. “I’m not sure why it’s taken us eight months to hopefully get a contractor that’s acceptable,” said one. “Please help.”
Ed Buchman, owner of 99 Main Street, then stood to
BASALT REPORT
address his grievances. “We’ve been trying to develop this property for 15 to 18 years,” he said, requesting a meeting “so we can present our case” for being annexed into city limits so affordable homes can be built. “From the staff we just get, ‘no,’” he said.
Mayor Ben Bohmfalk later explained he’s spoken with Buchman several times and “staff has given him a path forward” which he hasn’t followed. Bohmfalk asked that the new town manager, Ryan Hyland, circle back on the 8th Street Comcast problem to assure it isn’t being held up on the Town’s end.
During trustee comments, kudos were given for local firefighters and another successful Mountain Fair.
Trustee Ross Kribbs noted, “I like to take the opportunity to address public commenters” and encouraged those folks to “stick around” rather than leaving immediately.
“Anytime someone says, ‘we can’t get anywhere,’ it’s certainly concerning,” he said.
A four-week detour on Highway 133 will begin as soon as Monday, Aug. 18. The intersection of West Main and Shorty Pabst could be converted to a three-way stop. Courtesy graphic
Mobile home parks
Following the acceptance of an offer by residents of two mobile home parks to purchase the land beneath their homes, West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition Executive Director April Long returned to dig into conditions tied to the $1 million “loan” trustees approved in June toward the purchase.
Regarding conditions that all parties agree upon, Trustee Colin Laird said, “The good news is everybody has the same goals: affordability,
affordability, affordability.”
Carbondale, along with other municipalities, counties and businesses helped secure $14 million for the purchase of two parks for a total of $42 million. ROC Capital, working with the nonprofit Thistle, will lend all the money necessary, however $20 million in donations is needed to keep lot rents stable. Nearly 500 people live in these parks, including 150 children, and most are earning below the area median income.
“The only payback would be if [the residents] completely are in absolute, utter non-compliance with this deed-restriction,” said Long, calling it “our last claw into enforcement.”
Nieslanik crossing Next, Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman brought forth a contract with Bryan Construction for the installation of a new Highway 133 pedestrian crossing at $306,962.
continued on page 27
Proposed Emma Road development forges ahead
WILL BUZZERD
Sopris
Sun Correspondent
During this week’s meeting, the Basalt Town Council held a reading and public hearing for a preliminary PUD for a residential development at 431 Emma Road. The applicant, Jadwin Park LLC, seeks to construct 64 dwelling units and 12 commercial-lodging cabins.
The site for the proposed development is a nine-acre parcel located between Highway 82 and the Roaring Fork River, just half a mile west of the Basalt Post Office. The property, bisected by the Eagle-Pitkin county line, currently contains a single family residence and a mobile home. The property has also been used by the Town of Basalt as a lay-down area for the construction equipment used for the Midland Streetscape Update.
The council approved the sketch plan for the development in 2024, identifying that the development was consistent with Basalt’s 2020 Master Plan. Since then, the plan has changed so as not to include the initially proposed “glamping pads.” Dwelling units range from apartments in
four main buildings to duplex townhomes. The 12 river cabins, all freestanding, are planned to function as hotel rooms. In addition, the development will feature four acres of open space designed not to disturb important wetlands and riparian habitat.
The proposed development exceeds Basalt’s inclusionary housing requirements that 20% of the residential units be deed restricted. The project proposes that 50% (32 of 64) of the residential units be deed restricted, which will also be offered to a priority list of local employers including Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority, Roaring Fork School District and Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.
In addition to the significant quantity of deed-restricted offerings, Jadwin Park LLC has also proposed for 20 free-market units to be considered what it calls “first-track” units. As proposed, these units would be subject to a deed restriction requiring that, for the first 90 days, sales be offered exclusively to individuals who have lived between Aspen and Glenwood Springs for at least one year prior to purchasing the unit.
Mayor David Knight asked if it would be possible to apply a restriction to the free-market units such that they would not be able to be used as short-term rental properties.
“That just puts further upward pressure on prices as people continue to shop for properties they can use as short-term rentals around our neighborhoods,” Knight said. “We just can’t build another neighborhood where people can do that.”
While other councilors supported the idea of restricting short-term rental usage, others also acknowledged that restricting the free-market units would endanger the financing necessary to build the many other deed-restricted units. Without collective agreement, the council did not ask for short-term rental restrictions on the free-market units.
The council unanimously approved the application with an amendment to the first-tracks program to include residents from Aspen to Parachute and, at the request of Councilor Hannah Berman, compost be added to the utility plan.
In other news…
CPW, in tandem with local sheriffs and Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, decided to close the Basalt Shooting Range in light of worsening fire conditions. Public Works and the Basalt Police Department reminded citizens that there are no campfires, fireworks or smoking outdoors under current restrictions.
Additionally, the Town of Basalt has not received any recent reports of sightings of the juvenile mountain lion seen around town last month.
Along Two Rivers Road, Pitkin County will continue enhancing Basalt’s whitewater park, beginning new construction in September. Remaining improvements to the park include seating areas, improved off-street parking, ADA improvements and the addition of restroom and changing room facilities at the parking lot. Pitkin County presented plans to complete these streamside improvements in May of 2024, hoping to complete the project by the end of the year. The county now plans to complete the remaining improvements between this fall and early spring.
Updates on housing, unhoused
JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent
The Glenwood Springs City Council convened for its first of two August meetings on Aug. 7. All council members were present, including six in-person and one attending remotely via Zoom. A late afternoon work session covered topics ranging from a community-led initiative to protect bees and other pollinators to issues with recycling collection in public parks and spaces. Council then tackled its regular meeting agenda beginning at 6:15pm.
Bennet Avenue resident Rachel Windh appeared before council to request the City paint lines to delineate parking spaces on the street. This would prevent large gaps between vehicles that can reduce available on-street parking for residents, she said. Council agreed it’s a good idea.
Three topics related to housing were then presented and discussed.
Homelessness
The first was a report from West Mountain Regional Health Alliance (WMRHA) Executive Director Cristina Gair about their efforts to house the chronically unhoused population in the Glenwood Springs area. One of WMRHA’s initiatives is the Valley Alliance to End Homelessness, which was formed in partnership with Catholic Charities, Salvation Army and Recovery Resources, among others.
In 2021, they were successful in finding stable housing for 22 people who were struggling with housing security. In the years since, they’ve helped 400 people find housing, Gair reported. Some of that was accomplished through a regional grant to help provide emergency shelter and rental assistance. Those funds must be expended by September 2026, Gair said.
A second federal HUD grant has allowed the organization to secure eight rental units scattered around Glenwood Springs that are being used to transition those who struggle with housing security into more permanent housing, Gair reported. Through that effort, 65 individuals have been housed with assistance until they could go it on their own, she said. About 80-90% of those served by this program do not return for further assistance, she added, speaking to the program’s success. Most of those being served are not transient, she said, and have been living in the area from Glenwood Springs to Aspen for quite some time.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is cost of housing, and lack of inventory,” Gair said.
Workforce Housing
Next up was a joint meeting with the City’s appointed Workforce Housing Fund Advisory Board. The board was formed to oversee and advise on use of funds generated by a 2.5% lodging tax that was approved by voters (Question 2C) in 2022, and earmarked for affordable housing. That tax now brings in about $1.7 million per year. Since it went into effect in 2023, funds have been used to establish a pilot program to buy available properties for future housing projects, help the Mountain Mobile Home Park in West Glenwood become resident-owned and establish a down payment assistance program.
The latter was made possible by leveraging the City’s funding with a Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant, board chair Matt Spidell said. The board has established a goal to increase the number of affordable housing units in Glenwood Springs by 3%. Being able to leverage other available funding sources is key in meeting that goal, he said.
Council member Sumner Schachter urged the board to not take on too much at once, and to focus on what’s already working.That said, Schachter said he has growing concerns about mobile home parks in the region, namely the Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park near the CMC turnoff on Highway 82 that he fears is “slipping through the cracks” in its efforts to become resident-owned.
The City’s affordable housing funds can only be spent on projects within city limits.
Council also addressed a City staff proposal to combine the housing fund board and the separate Housing Commission. Both boards address similar issues, but struggle to find enough volunteer members. Council agreed in concept but asked staff to report back after talking to the respective members for their input on how the two boards could operate as one.
ADU grant opportunity
Council then voted 5-2 on a resolution to go after a $150,000 DOLA grant to assist in the creation of more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Glenwood Springs. The grant, if awarded, would require a $37,500 match, explained Senior Planner Watkins Fulk-Gray. ADUs are smaller residential units that exist alongside a primary residence, either attached to the main dwelling, free-standing or oftentimes above a garage, he explained. ADUs are not allowed to be short-term rentals by the City’s code, which would be a requirement for obtaining the grant, he said. Since 2021, the City has permitted 20 new ADUs, including four free-standing, two over garages and the rest attached to the main dwelling. There’s a significant cost difference to build an attached unit ($22 per square foot) compared to a detached unit ($246 per square foot), so a focus if the grant were awarded could be to offset some of that cost, and to designate those units for local workforce housing, Fulk-Gray said.
Council members David Townsley and Ray Schmahl were opposed, saying it would be money better spent elsewhere.
“It seems we’re just buying into what Denver’s pushing, and spending our money to do it,” Schmahl said.
Council members Schachter, Steve Smith, Erin Zalinski, Mitchell Weimer and Mayor Marco Dehm all supported the resolution.
In other business...
Council heard an update on various public works projects around the city, including the Sixth Street/North Landing project. That work is slowing down now, with the final work wrapping up on the North Landing parkway area, City Engineer Ryan Gordon said. Council also voted unanimously to adopt a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan that was developed with help from consultants to address traffic and pedestrian safety concerns.
Redstone Magical Moments Summer Concert Series
August 16 - Shawn Mayer
REDSTONE PARK | 6:00-8:00 PM
Shawn Mayer is a rock superstar and international country artist whose commanding voice and electrifying stage presence have earned her legendary status in the music world. With a career that spans multiple genres, Shawn’s music blends the raw energy of rock with the heart and soul of country, creating a sound that is both timeless and bold. Parking available at Elk Park and behind the coke ovens
Town hall with Hurd, new natural gas pad, nonprofit grants
AMY HADDEN MARSH
Sopris Sun Correspondent
After thanking firefighters for their work on local fires and praising Aspen’s gondola transit system idea, Steve Kuschner of 350 Roaring Fork asked the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) Monday to support an in-person town hall with Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-CD3). Hurd has been on the hook with constituents since last March for having tele-town halls rather than showing up in-person to answer questions.
”Personal connection and personal gatherings foster a sense of community and allow for more personal interactions,” said Kuschner. “We also are looking for focus and engagement, community spirit, accessibility and an impactful discussion — more than we’ve been seeing online with those kinds of town halls.”
Commissioner Mike Samson committed to calling Hurd later in the day.
The BOCC also honored discretionary fund grant requests made last week.
The Glenwood Arts Council, Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program (AZYEP), Grand Valley Parks Association, YouthEntity and Roaring Fork Public Radio (aka Aspen Public Radio) requested a total of $25,000. All but AZYEP received $5,000.
Commissioners agreed that AZYEP did not have enough of a presence in the Colorado River Valley to warrant $5,000.
AZYEP Director Brendan Girardot stated last week that the organization hopes to make more headway into schools in the western part of the county. “But, I question
LIBRARY REPORT
the sincerity of that statement, to be quite honest,” said Chairman Tom Jankovsky.
“We heard it last year,” said Samson.
“And the year before,” added Jankovsky.
The BOCC awarded AZYEP $3,000.
“AZYEP has consistently pursued the goal of reaching more students in the RE-2 and RE-16 school districts, with varying results,” Girardot told The Sun.
“We look forward to presenting on our expanded reach next year.”
Commissioners approved funding for a dividing wall for the county jail and a promotion for the legal assistant to move into a paralegal position in the county attorney’s office. But in a 2-1 vote, citing the recent hiring freeze and a tight budget, they denied a new hire to replace the assistant county attorney whose last day is Aug. 18. Jankovsky cast the dissenting vote. Samson said it would be worth revisiting if the office’s case load becomes too much of a burden.
The appointment process for three Garfield County Libraries Board of Trustees will begin in the fall. Myrna Fletchall resigned in July, six months before the end of her term, leaving the Rifle position open. The New Castle and Parachute positions also expire Dec. 31. But instead of going through the appointment process now for the Rifle position and repeating the process later for the other two positions, County Manager Fred Jarman suggested they do one process for all three.
County attorney Heather Beattie said that library bylaws require that trustee vacancies be filled as soon as possible.
“I think that can be read to include that it be done efficiently and in a reasonable manner,” she said.
Jankovsky brought up the intergovernmental agreement between the library and the BOCC about trustee appointments that has yet to be signed, and added that he plans to return a call from the library board’s chair, Adrian Rippy-Sheehy. Cheryl Strouse, executive director of the Garfield County Housing Authority, introduced the new deputy director, Ben Ogden.
In the afternoon, commissioners approved a permit for 39 directionally drilled natural gas wells about five miles northwest of Rifle on private land owned by the Clough Sheep Company. The plan, offered by Terra Energy Partners, or TEP, includes about 12 acres of new surface disturbance plus pipelines for natural gas, produced water and condensate. Total surface disturbance is expected to be about 53 acres, including remote storage and hydraulic fracking facilities.
According to Garfield County staff, there are no buildings, schools, childcare centers or designated outdoor activity areas within 2,000 feet of the pad. But it is within an “aquatic sportfish management waters high priority habitat” boundary and
high priority mule deer winter range. The Highway 13 bypass will provide access to operations via County Road 244.
Leslie Robinson, chair of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, was the only member of the public to comment on the project. She requested a delay of approval until damages to mule deer populations and habitat from the Lee Fire are assessed. She also questioned if TEP plans to build temporary housing for rig operators. “We’ve had previous problems with sanitation, garbage and litter at these man camps,” she said. “Will Garfield County be sending inspectors to these man camps?” TEP replied that only a small number of employees will live near the pad.
Robinson also said that she has spoken with Rifle City Council members who have had no interaction with TEP about the project. “And I don’t see any references to the special Roan Plateau planning boundary that puts special limits on disturbances on the top and sides of the Roan Plateau,” she added.
The BOCC unanimously approved the project with 13 conditions, including prohibiting firearms. TEP said that the Bureau of Land Management will provide an environmental assessment by the end of the year.
Trustees dismiss age-restricted library card idea
MEGAN WEBBER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Garfield County Public Library District trustees voted on Aug. 7 to keep the status quo of current library cards without introducing a new age-restricted one, saying they could discuss the issue again in the future if desired.
The vote was 4-1, with trustee Tony Hershey giving the dissenting vote and trustee Stephanie Hirsch absent. Following last month’s meeting, Myrna Fletchall is no longer a member of the board and there is no representative for the community of Rifle.
“I would vote no,” trustee Brit McLin said before the vote, adding, “If not this particular mechanism — what it’s trying to address should still be on the table.” McLin made the motion to table the issue and not introduce the new card.
Hershey, who voted against tabling the discussion, said he was in favor of the new card and would have supported it. “I thought it wouldn’t be the worst idea and I think it could be fun to have a card that is child-oriented,” Hershey said. “Maybe it has Horton [the Dr. Seuss character] on the front.”
Hershey and other proponents of the card from the public said they were in favor of restricting minors’ access to adult materials, specifically mature images in manga books. Dissenters disagreed, saying it shouldn’t
Comic by Arthur Cherith, youth correspondent
be the job of the library to insert itself into a discussion between parents and their children about what materials are acceptable to look at.
“I understand that the library can’t act as the parent, but you know, there’s just some things that kids can’t do,” Hershey said.
Board President Adrian Rippy-Sheehy said that since last month’s meeting, she researched the issue
and came away with a list of reasons why an age-restricted card would not be necessary. She said she saw no evidence it should be implemented, and the card would not stop anyone from reading any materials in the library without checking them out, or finding the book at another library or online, or getting an older person to check an item out for them.
Furthermore, she said the part that bothered her most was the notion that the card might lead to discussions about restricting access to other sorts of materials. “Today it’s children and it’s graphics, tomorrow it’s religion. Tomorrow it’s something science-based,” Rippy-Sheehy said. “This feels like an attempt to change the mission of the library.”
Trustee Michelle Foster agreed, saying she was “against censorship of any kind.”
The vote was the result of more than a year of debate involving the trustees and members of the public over a series of manga books that were found in a public area of the library. The board does not currently plan to discuss the issue further at their next meeting, Sept. 11 at the Carbondale Branch Library.
In other news, the board voted to appoint McLin to replace Fletchall on the library budget committee. The committee is responsible for preparing the budget for the coming year for the entire library. McLin said he would be happy to serve, and his appointment was unanimous.
PEAK learning comes to Marble Charter School
KATE PHILLIPS
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Known for its welcoming community and premiere outdoor education, Marble Charter School (MCS) is reimagining the transformative education years with the launch of PEAK, its innovative and newly developed middle school program. Beginning this school year, the PEAK (Project-based, Experiential, Action-Oriented and Knowledge) curriculum will capitalize on expertise from community leaders and Marble’s awe-inspiring location to create a profound experiential education opportunity for students.
“PEAK is designed to leverage community partnerships to provide integrative and meaningful learning experiences for students,” explained Sam Richings-Germain, director of MCS. “This will get students outside of the classroom and into the wilderness and neighboring communities.”
Breaking free from the standard classroom model, PEAK will implement a project-based learning curriculum that cultivates a comprehensive and interactive student-centered approach. Alongside MCS educators and expert voices, students will immerse into block-style courses that weave rigorous academic content with engaging fieldwork. Specifically, MCS is building out courses that focus on issues pertaining to snow, fire and food.
“It’s really meaningful, place-based learning for kids,” said Richings-Germain. “We want them to have autonomy and their voices heard.”
Marble Charter School’s new PEAK middle school program is a personalized and rigorous adventure that blends academics with fieldwork for students to connect with wilderness, community partners and each other. Courtesy photo
Skills acquired through PEAK will translate across the academic spectrum and foster a deep appreciation for lifelong learning.
“Our project-based learning curriculum ensures that knowledge is meaningfully connected to each student’s strengths and interests and reinforced through action,” stated Lucie Yunevich, MCS’s sixth to eighth grade lead teacher. “Students are encouraged to take ownership of their education, share their passions and try new things.”
PEAK’s three-year program will be enhanced by MCS’s ability to attract partnerships with notable organizations. Currently, the program has secured grant funding from Pitkin County Healthy Rivers and Aspen Skiing Company’s Environment Foundation.
The school will partner with the Marble Wetlands stewardship program, Container Farm and Marble Museum. Talks are underway for partnerships with other Roaring Fork Valley organizations. For MCS, these partnerships are meant to be reciprocal as students and organizations can build sustainable relationships and possibly create future networking opportunities for its students.
“These collaborations ensure that knowledge goes beyond theory, inspiring students to take action and apply what they learn in real-world contexts — directly reflecting our goal as teachers to cultivate engaged, capable and community-minded learners,” said Yunevich.
MCS middle schoolers will round out their education by participating in four nonconsecutive week-long outdoor focused courses. Together, they will learn about local history and public policy and conduct scientific investigations, while mentoring younger peers and building wilderness and leadership skills.
Access for all students
Situated at 412 West Main Street in Marble, MCS is nestled in the pristine Crystal River Valley and surrounded by
the towering Elk Mountains. Open to all kindergarten through eighth-grade students, the school is a tuition-free, public charter school that offers free daily bus transportation from Carbondale.
MCS serves approximately 40 students who learn in multi-grade classrooms (kindergarten through second, third through fifth and sixth through eighth) where leadership, mentorship and collaboration take precedence. Classes are small, meaning teachers can provide personalized instruction to help students grow academically, emotionally and socially.
“We have full classrooms with vibrant conversations, smiling kids, great teachers and awesome community support,” said Richings-Germain. “We’re doing everything on a very small scale, but we’re offering a very high-quality education just like the other schools in the Roaring Fork Valley.”
Richings-Germain said that the PEAK endeavor is possible because of the staff’s dynamic skills. Alongside herself and Yunevich, MCS educators Nicole Ludlow and Karly Anderson will help develop PEAK and ensure all students, regardless of abilities and needs, can access its courses.
“The goal is to make it a really meaningful learning experience for all middle school students,” concluded Richings-Germain. “I hope that people are curious enough to visit us and see that there is value in being here.”
Adventure awaits! Visit marblecharter. gunnisonschools.net to learn more about MCS and its new PEAK program.
Local organizers aim to resurrect design conference in Aspen
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Over two decades after the International Design Conference in Aspen, a group of Aspenites are bringing a new design-centered event back to the Roaring Watkins, Chanel Host, Sarah McLellan and Eli Bucksbaum — it is “shaped to welcome both seasoned professionals and curious first-timers.” Their objectives include promoting dialogue, creating friction and
Where the Valley Gathers: Local Restaurants & Bars
Summer’s in full swing, and so is the local dining scene. From backyard patios to sidewalk tables, happy hours to live music, these spots bring neighbors together and keep the valley buzzing. Whether you’re grabbing a cold drink, catching a band, or chasing your favorite dish, there’s always something to enjoy. Here’s where to eat, sip, and gather this season. favorite dish, there’s always something to enjoy.
The Aspen Design Conference logo gives a nod to Bauhaus design and the preceding International Design Conference in Aspen, which ran from 1951 to 2004. Courtesy graphic
El Dorado Spirits & Legends Plosky’s Delicatessen La Raza The Garage Bar
Superfoods — What are they and why are they called ‘super?’
Use them in everything from smoothies and salads to edible garnishes. Spinach, chard, kale, collards, arugula, mustard and even beet greens can be roasted, sauteed and added to soup/ stews for flavor, color and disease prevention. Basil and other leafy herbs provide zest, delicious aroma and protection from colds.
4. Nuts. such as almonds, Brazil, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts. etc., are good sources of plant protein. They contain monounsaturated fats, lots of vitamins and minerals that may also help reduce the risk of heart disease. A great late-evening snack, nuts can help your brain (walnuts) and Brazil nuts are a good source of selenium.
Besides snacks, nuts add texture, protein, good fats and flavor to baked goods, muffins and other food creations. Toss them into plain yogurt or cottage cheese, smoothies or cereals. They’re great chopped with sweet potatoes and add more crunch to salads. Or blend up some nut butters.
One more hack for the nuts: Once you get them home, please put them in sealed glass jars or containers with good seals. Nuts have oils and are subject to rancidity, which makes them good candidates for keeping in the refrigerator. They need no thawing, can be eaten roasted or raw and will keep longer and fresher in the cold environment.
4. Olive oil is one of the best oils for cooking — and dressing salads. High in vitamin E, polyphenols and
monounsaturated fats, it’s another food that helps reduce the risk of heart attack. With a fairly high flash point, it’s good for sautéing and flavoring vegetables, fish and meats.
Use olive oil in place of butter with pasta or rice dishes. Combined with butter, onions and garlic, it brings out the flavors of most foods, especially mushrooms. Drizzle on salads with lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar and it’s an easy, bright salad dressing.
These “superfoods” should give you some “food for thought” as well as a few sure additions to your choices of food for the week and beyond. Choose a few different ones to consume weekly, such as fish, two or three times per week, which is recommended by most nutritionists and other health professionals.
A changing variety of greens is a staple in my refrigerator for making cool salads and tummy-warming sides. And yes, even things like beet greens and collards can be chopped raw into a salad along with your lettuces or cabbages, or sauteed with other veggies. They both contain an amazing amount of vitamins K, A and C, as well as calcium, magnesium, and folate.
Ricki McKenna, CN, is an intuitive chef, speaker, author and lover of food. Subscribe to her Patreon (www.patreon.com/rickiskitchen) or book a free 20-minute chat at www.rickiskitchen.net where you can also find information about “Come Cook with Me,” a live cooking show with commentary at 11am on Thursdays.
Seeing through your money dysmorphia
I know this to be true: If you were talking to someone with triple your income and they were lamenting how they’re living paycheck to paycheck, you would scoff, roll your inner eyeballs and think, “If I was making that much, I wouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck.”
OPINION
You are both people in this story; the eye-roller and the triple-income earner. You are currently making 3x what you thought you’d ever make at some point in your life and you still feel stretched and out of touch with your money. We call this phenomenon “lifestyle creep.” Generally speaking, it is the idea that if you make $5,000 more per year, you will upgrade your jeans, coffee, cell phone and hairstyle to spend that $5,000. Most of us don’t stop there, though. We also take on more debt because we have the sense we deserve it or we’ll be in a better position to repay it.
Do you drink wine? Do you buy it from the $12 shelf, the $26 shelf, the $80 shelf, the $420 shelf? I bet your shelves have inched up over time. This is how people who earn $150,000, $350,000, $850,000 and beyond wind up feeling like they’re not quite making it, needing to find more cash. So when you’re talking to someone who earns a bazillion dollars and they’re stressed about getting their kid through college, you can have a bit of empathy because you too, my friend, are this person in someone else’s eyes.
MONEY JUICE
By Megan Janssen
This is why “more than 70% of Americans feel financially stressed” according to a 2025 CNBC poll. This is a ridiculously large portion of our population. We can safely assume not all of these folks are living in poverty, so this means that wealthy people are feeling the stress, too. It turns out our financial stress is as American as apple pie or, well… financial stress.
It seems crazy, right? But we’re all so unbelievably human that we wind up here.
This is why it is so damn important — so important — to understand what’s coming and what’s going out each and every month. You will unearth the creep. You will excavate the slimy goo you spend money on that doesn’t actually fill you with joy. You will find the fossils of subscriptions, forgotten late-night purchases and expensive, but not tasty, wine.
I’ll say it again (I don’t know who to attribute this quote to, sadly): “Tell your money where to go now instead of wondering where it went later.”
This does not mean only shopping at the thrift store! This does not mean driving a lemon if you don’t want to! This means elevating the essentials and the things that bring you the most joy and trimming the rest so that your money can go to a good home.
When I work with people, one of the first things we do is find them more money. This isn’t via a new job or getting a roommate; it’s via an inventory. Simply combing the last six to 18 months of expenses is wildly illuminating and it reveals money that’s seeping from your accounts.
Imagine if you wanted to lose weight and your personal trainer found 15 pounds you could shed right away within your first meeting. It’s inspiring! Most commonly, people come to Money Juice saying “I need more money” and they find they have more than they think. They have money dysphoria. They’re just not paying the right kind of attention to it.Just as you need to be kinder to your body (I look good today! My pants are the perfect size for me!), you also need to be kind to your money.
Shepherd it to a wonderful home. Stop sending it places you’ve never heard of and will forget instantly. Spend on things you adore that lift you up. Appreciate the moolah you’ve got. Send it a thank-you letter in your mind. Let it grow and thrive. Let it blossom for you. Let it take care of you so you are work-optional sooner rather than later.
Get clear on your money body and stop believing you’re starving — you’re just seeing it all through a funhouse mirror, the mirror of money dysmorphia.
Megan Janssen is the founder of Money Juice (www.money-juice.com) and a financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, LP. The ideas and language written here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Forum.
Being that the First Amendment protects speech we have to be very careful when it comes to taking enforcement action when we are dealing with speech.”
However, seeing that Stahl and Anderson truly felt harassed, the police suggested they seek a protection order.
On July 1, Stahl provided the police with a copy of a temporary protection order, preventing the respondent from coming into contact with Stahl, her child or within 100 yards of the Food Forest. Following a court hearing, the temporary protection order was adjusted to permit the respondent to approach the perimeter of the Food Forest, but not venture inside. The respondent is to appear back in court in April, when they’ll have “the opportunity to explain (show cause) why this order shouldn’t be made permanent.” Anderson is not listed on the protection order.
Anderson said she doesn’t want to invite hostility to the Food Forest, a public space that is utilized for the sake of permacultural and historical education for all ages. “I definitely had a moment when I contemplated, ‘Is it just safer to take [the Pride flags] down and not fight this?’” she confided.
Stahl concluded with a call to the community: “Every Pride flag that gets pulled down, let’s put two up.”
“We’re not looking at whether they have a driver’s license or a passport or anything. They can bring in a piece of mail that has their name and address on it,” Hottel said.
“Sharing the data has been one of the biggest risks, and the government has been very clear that they are making it accessible to the Department of Homeland Security through many means,” Garcia said.
As the Trump administration takes steps to collect data from federal programs like the IRS and share it with immigration enforcement agencies like ICE, fears of personal data leading to deportation grow.
Going forward, local resources like Lift-Up may be critical for sustaining the most vulnerable among us.
Garcia emphasized the importance of spreading awareness about these community resources and encouraged people and local governments to support them. With enough support, she believes these resources can meet people’s basic needs and build a movement large enough to resist an oppressive system and bring resources to the people who need them most.
OBITUARY
Nancy Jeremy Davis Kish
May 25, 1946 - July 27, 2025
After a long illness, and with family nearby, Nancy peacefully returned home to God from her final earthly home at Sopris Lodge in Carbondale. She will be remembered as a beautiful and loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend who walked the earth with style and grace, always trying to do good for others. She will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched, most especially by her children and husband.
Nancy was preceded in death by her mother, Jeanette Noble Davis; her father, William Jeremy Davis; and her sister, Carol Ann McClenahan.
She is survived by her husband, Michael Kish of Basalt; sons Kyle of Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Corey (Lisa) of Broomfield, Colorado; Christopher (Laura) of Denver, Colorado; and four grandchildren, Mason, Katie, Adelynn and Keegan. She is also survived by two nieces, Laura and Heather, and her brother-inlaw, Edward McClenahan, all of Vancouver, Canada.
Nancy was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and attended South Plainfield public schools. She earned a B.A. in education from the University of Florida. After she and Michael married in 1968, she taught first, second and fourth grades for six years while Michael completed his military obligations and finished professional training. They then settled in beautiful Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and started their family. In time, Nancy developed a successful real estate brokerage career that she continued even after they relocated to Boulder in 1986. In 1988, they purchased a recreational home on the Fryingpan River in Basalt, before making Basalt their primary home in 2022.
Nancy loved needlework, antiquing, crosswords, home decorating, reading and traveling with Michael. She volunteered for many causes including La Leche League, Meningioma Mommas and Historical Boulder. But most of all, she loved her family and friends. Several staff members from Sopris Lodge
We are delighted to offer you, our community, the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost blood tests
October 3
ASPEN
Aspen Valley Health
Hosted at Aspen Ambulance 0403 Castle Creek Road
October 4 EL JEBEL Eagle County Community Center 20 Eagle County Drive
By appointment only 8:00-11:30 am
Lab Tests Offered
• HealthScreen w/CBC – $79 Includes CBC, CMP, Ferritin, Iron Panel, Lipid Panel, TSH and Uric Acid (Fasting Required)
• hsCardio CRP – $42
• Hemoglobin A1C & EAG – $44
• PSA, Total – $47
• Vitamin D – $54
• T3, Free – $32
• T4, Free – $32
• CBC (Complete Blood Count) – $32
Visit aspenvalleyhealth.org/health-fair or scan the code for complete details. Make your appointMent starting August 20.
and Hospice of the Valley said she was the kindest, sweetest person they had ever cared for.
That was Nancy. The family is forever grateful for the quality of care she received from Sopris Lodge and HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley.
A celebration of life will be held in Carbondale followed by a graveside service at Lakeview Cemetery in Wolfeboro this autumn. Memorial contributions may be made in Nancy’s name to HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley (823 Grand Avenue #300, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601) or Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation (PO Box 5585, Denver, CO 80217).
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) Town Of Carbondale Parks & Recreation Department
Thompson House Irrigation & Landscape Buffer Zone Project
Town of Carbondale is seeking proposals for the relocation of an existing irrigation system and the creation of a landscaped zone around the Historic Thompson House from bonded and insured landscape companies
Interested firms who would like to receive a copy of the RFP should contact Parks & Recreation Director, Eric Brendlinger, at (970) 510-1277(OR) ebrendlinger@carbondaleco.net.
A copy of the RFP is also available for download at www.carbondalegov.org RFP submittals must be received by September 2, 2025.
The Giving Network awards $675,000 to organizations supporting families, mental health and basic needs
FELIPE PEREZ Sol del Valle
The Giving Network is an initiative organized by the Aspen Community Foundation, whose mission is to bring together philanthropists from the Roaring Fork Valley to jointly learn about the community’s most urgent needs and collectively fund nonprofit organizations.
Since its creation in 2016, it has distributed more than $3.1 million in funding aimed at strengthening the overall well-being of communities between Aspen and Parachute.
Ramona Bruland, president and director of The Giving Network, explained the specifics of the program. According to Bruland, this year the initiative awarded $675,000 in grants to 18 organizations working in three priority areas:
Children and families:
Supporting programs that strengthen the holistic development of children and youth by providing educational resources, parental support, extracurricular activities and services for families in vulnerable situations. The goal is to create safe, stable and equitable environments from early childhood.
Mental health:
Funding initiatives that expand access to emotional and psychological health services, including crisis care, community support and professional training. The priority is overall well-being, especially in areas with limited access to these services.
Basic needs:
Supporting projects that ensure access to food, housing, medical care, legal assistance and financial stability.
These actions seek to guarantee minimum living conditions for individuals and families at risk or facing exclusion.
Bruland highlighted that “the new three-cohort model allowed for deeper and more meaningful conversations between donors and organizations.” She also pointed out that health and human services are scarce or in crisis, and that this collaboration is vital to meeting the region’s needs.
Among the organizations benefiting from the grants
are Food Bank of the Rockies, La Clínica del Pueblo, Aspen Hope Center, English in Action and the Family Resource Center of the RFV, among others. Bruland reiterated the network’s commitment to the Latino community, as many of these organizations serve Hispanic individuals and use funds to strengthen their work.
This year, The Giving Network received 63 applications in response to its annual call, which opens each January. The selection process
prioritizes organizations working in health and human services that aim to strengthen their operational capacity.
The organization is currently expanding and seeks to involve more entities for next year, as well as broaden its network of philanthropists. The leadership invites the donor community to get involved and help spread the network’s mission.
For more information or to participate in the next funding cycle of 2026, visit www. giving-network.org
Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week
Members of The Giving Network meet with the staff of English in Action. Courtesy photo
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
Country Cousins
By Fred Malo Jr. Carbondale
Not having the foresight to get married and raise children, I got exactly what I deserved. I’ve become a 76-year-old with no immediate family. What I do have is a bevy of first cousins on or near the Camas Prairie in north central Idaho. Each year I travel to the thriving metropolis of Craigmont, population 499, for June Picnic, commemorating the day in 1920, the year my mother was born, when two little towns, Vollmer and Ilo, united to form one little town, Craigmont. The cousins welcome me with open arms.
June Picnic is delightful, a true small town’s version of Mountain Fair. In fact, Mountain Fair’s organizers could learn a few activities from June Picnic. But the highlight of the trip is when the cousins get together for an impromptu family reunion.
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
The TV set is on, but the sound is off and nobody’s paying any attention to it. Nothing interferes with the storytelling. Country people always seem to be the best yarn spinners. That gene flows freely in that side of my family. All this predates TV, when people entertained each other with stories. Some of the tales are even true. I had an uncle who said, “I never let the truth interfere with a good story.”
When city folk make fun of the hayseeds, implying they’re not as intelligent, I resent it. Some of the smartest people I’ve ever met were from the sticks. “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Green Acres,” and Dixie Longate give a perverted view of the rural set. I never put much stock in intelligence quotients anyway.
I lived on the Prairie for four years in the mid-70’s, ostensibly looking for a job on a newspaper. What I found was seasonal work for various farmers and perhaps the most fulfilling period of my life. I have more memories of that time than any other.
My parents came to Craigmont for their yearly visit and I was sitting in a lounge chair on a cousin’s patio. “Fred, I’ve never seen you so relaxed,” my mother said. ”Never leave this place” — as she did 30 years before.
For not the first time, I didn’t follow my mother’s advice. Facing a winter with no work and rent, food and beer to pay for, I returned to the Chicago area to resume my toils in the steel industry. The plan was to make some bucks, then go back to the Prairie. Before you know it, I was paying off a mortgage and making car payments. I never returned to stay. Money is like a drug. All it does is make you need more. Every mistake I ever made was for money.
My family’s yearly trips to Craigmont started when I was quite young. Even this year, a cousin called me Freddie. I don’t mind. It gave me fond reminiscences of a more carefree, innocent time. I’ll continue to return to Craigmont for June Picnic every year as long as I can make it. It’s a reminder that the family I have left may not be immediate, but it is beautiful.
Sunday, August 24th
The Inn at Raspberry Ridge, Marble, CO at 3:30pm
Featured Speaker is Perry Will, Garfield County Commissioner, former Colorado state senator and representative, and longtime game warden with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Meeting at 3:30pm, followed by Commissioner Will’s remarks and concluding with food and beverages. Admission is free, donations are gratefully accepted!
Since 1972, CVEPA has been the environmental watchdog for the Crystal Valley. To learn more, go to cvepa.org
LETTERS
Other potential compromised health data relates to unhoused persons and autistic individuals. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, legislators are discussing laws to share health data on unhoused people with the intent of considering mandated medical treatment. While this is a population with a high prevalence of health issues, this legislation will not differentiate between those who might or might not benefit from treatments. The American Civil Liberty Union notes that the Department of Health and Human Services is advocating for an “autism registry” but hasn’t engaged with autistic populations to determine how this registry will serve their needs. The department also has not provided details of what data it will seek and how it will keep the data anonymous and secure.
These are gross violations of our protected health information. Regulations like HIPAA are in place for many reasons. Compromising our medical confidentiality also increases the risk of bad health outcomes. If patients fear for their privacy, they may not seek medical care until they are sicker and more desperate and their health issues are harder to cure. In the process of undermining our protected health information, we are putting at risk some of our most vulnerable populations. Contact your legislators and tell them to keep protected medical information confidential!
Maria Chansky
Glenwood Springs
Compromising science
The current administration’s actions are actively erasing and rewriting the foundational climate science I rely on as a climate educator. This isn’t just a political disagreement; it’s a direct threat to the integrity of our public education system and the future of our students.
As an environmental science adjunct faculty, I depend on the gold standard of non-biased government data from sources like the National Climate Assessment, NOAA’s climate.gov, and NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. These resources, which have long been the bedrock of scientific instruction, are now under threat or already being scrubbed from the public square. They are essential for teaching students about the worsening climate crisis and providing the credible data and accessible tools necessary for informed learning and research.
The recent announcement by the U.S. Energy Secretary that his team is “reviewing” and “updating” peer-reviewed national climate reports is profoundly alarming. This isn’t about updating research; it’s about deliberately undermining it. This move insinuates a plan to not just bury the scientific evidence but to replace it with outright misinformation to downplay the crisis. The cynical logic is clear: If the data is erased, the problem doesn’t truly exist and we can evade responsibility for addressing it.
This has immediate and tangible consequences for educators like me. As I plan my curriculum for the upcoming semester, I am scrambling to download and archive everything I can, not just for this year but for years to come. I’m being forced to become a digital archivist just
to ensure my students have access to the most accurate, reliable science available. Our schools, colleges and communities deserve access to the very best planetary and climate science. Our elected officials, including Senator John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet, and Representative Jeff Hurd, must stand up to these attacks on scientific integrity. We must protect these vital resources for our students. If we cannot trust our own government for unbiased data, where else can we turn to educate the next generation?
Sarah Johnson Basalt
Appalled and embarrassed
I grew up in Carbondale. Carbondale is my home town. I love my home town. It taught me the importance of acceptance, tolerance and working together, even with those with whom you disagree. It taught me how to come together, meet your neighbors and learn how to be a proactive part of the community.
I am appalled and embarrassed that my home town, which I love so much, has become a place where hate and homophobia can be accepted, tolerated and allowed to occur without adequate intervention from the authorities.
Recently, there have been reports of alleged harassment at our local LGBTQfriendly Food Forest. Apparently, the suspected perpetrator claimed homosexuality is evil. Frankly, people who cannot love and embrace all of God’s children are evil. I wish we could stand together in support of our LGBTQIA neighbors in solidarity and in opposition to their abuse.
Instead, radio silence. We are better than that. Carbondale is better than that. Can’t Carbondale be a hate-free zone? It can’t if we don’t care to be heard.
On Aug. 7, it was noticed that an online version of the United States Constitution, maintained by the Library of Congress, was missing parts of Article I — the part of the Constitution that lays out the rights and duties of Congress. Parts of Section Eight and all of Sections Nine and 10 were gone. Those include Congress’s control over the District of Columbia, Congress’s power to make the laws, the promise that habeas corpus would not be suspended, the stipulation that no money can be used by the government unless Congress has appropriated it, the requirement that no president can accept gifts from foreign countries and the specification that only Congress can levy tariffs
John Hoffmann
Carbondale
Letters policy: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please, no smearing, cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.
offered a refuge from the smoke last weekend, with live music, local vendors and friendly vibes.
CDALE REPORT
from page 16
The Town budgeted $500,000 for the crossing and directed staff to prioritize it based on findings in the Town-commissioned Mobility & Access Plan (adopted earlier this year) and a separate transportation study conducted by the Age-Friendly Carbondale group.
Bryan Construction is also involved with the ANB Bank project south of the City Market fueling station, which Schorzman called “an ideal situation” because both will require Highway 133 closures and can be done in concert. Because asphalt plants close in October, and only one bid on the project was received, work must begin as soon as possible. This will necessitate a major closure of Highway 133 in both directions, from the roundabout to the Dollar Tree.
“This is not going to be easy,” emphasized Schorzman. “I was just trying to be realistic with folks [regarding the four-week timeline] and not sell them a Chihuahua and deliver a Great Dane.”
Trustee Jess Robison expressed concerns with the detour aligning with the start of the school year, while acknowledging the project shouldn’t be pushed to next year. Because the bid came in under budget, she suggested offering the contractor financial incentives to expedite the project, by working weekends and nights, for example.
Dave Eisenson, owner of Plosky’s Deli, joined the meeting via Zoom to inform trustees he anticipates losing up to $80,000 in revenue due to the way this detour will impact parking at his business.
Trustees unanimously approved the contract and work will begin Monday, Aug. 18. Staff was directed to preserve as much parking as possible on Colorado Avenue and 12th Street and to offer Bryan Construction more money to expedite their work, within budget.
In other news...
The meeting continued with approval of a new body worn cameras system for the police department with LensLock, Inc. for $90,520 over five years. Police Chief Kirk Wilson called it “far superior” to the old system being replaced.
Two new liquor licenses were approved. The first for Townline, the new food truck court at east Main anticipated to open in November. The second for Dos Gingos, which owner Julie Oldham said would provide flexibility for hosting events with local businesses and nonprofits.
Lastly, trustees received an update on the Aquatics Center. A mock-up wall has been installed on the corner of the property to show off how the glassbrick feature will look and trustees were invited to see it illuminated after their meeting.
A $100,000 grant from CORE (along with $500,000 from Garfield County, $100,000 from Pitkin County and $348,000 from Colorado Energy Office) brought fundraising past the minimum goal, but the capital campaign will continue to offset appropriations from the Town’s reserves.
Sealed bids for the construction of the Roaring Fork WTP Filter Improvements Project will be received from invited Bidders by the Town of Carbondale (“OWNER”) at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO 81623, until 11:00 AM on September 12, 2025, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. The Roaring Fork WTP Filter Improvements project includes installation of two (2) new cartridge filter vessels at the WTP and the procurement and installation of all associated filter equipment, piping, and instrumentation; the relocation of two (2) existing cartridge filter vessels, all associated filter equipment, piping, and instrumentation; and the demolition and removal of two (2) membrane filters, all associated filter equipment, piping, and instrumentation; demolition and removal of two (2) compressor/dryers and all backwash structures and piping. Procurement and installation of all associated electrical conduit and wiring, motor control centers, programmable logic controllers, and controls.
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 non-refundable 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. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office.
A pre-bid conference will be held at 9 AM on August 28th, 2025. This conference is non-mandatory but highly encouraged. In accordance with the Contract Documents (C-200 Section 5.03) the Contractor is required to conduct a site visit prior to bid submission. That visit can either be at the pre-bid meeting or arranged for another day and time with Town staff present.
A 5% bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bidders shall submit proof of qualifications to perform the Work as described in the Instructions to Bidders. Public Works Department Town of Carbondale
Fryingpan River Crossing Sewer Replacement Project
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Fryingpan River Crossing Sewer Replacement
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
MarbleFest
Photos by Raleigh Burleigh
The 54th Carbondale Mountain Fair was a successful celebration for our community. Thank you to all who made it happen. We appreciate you!
Chief of Operations Deborah Colley Entertainment Conductor Aly Sanguily Production Lead James Gorman Vendor Coordination Staci Dickerson Carbondale Arts Executive Director Jamie Abbott Carbondale Arts Staff Brian Colley, Deborah Colley, Staci Dickerson, Berry Hurst, Sarah Overbeck, Emily Reilly, Michael Stout Wise Elders Amy Kimberly, Laurie Loeb, Mark Taylor Production Team Mark Taylor, Kevin Lundy, Jeff Britt, Emmet Hood, Darin Binion, Blake McDonald, Brenden Peterson, Allan Porter, Aubrey Hood, August Strelau, Alex Tiernan, Andy McMichael, Jason Segal, Jeff Britt, Jeptha Hoffman, Justin Juarez, Kat McDonald, Kate Voss, Matthew Rader, Matt Hoogenboom, Matt Sherman, Mark Wisroth, Mike Monahan, Garret del Castillo, Tee Conrad, Darren Troy, Dean McMichael, Pete Rich, Pete Thompson, Ryan Jervis, Rodrigo Salcido, Robert Burch, Lucien Pevec, Dallas Erwin, Scott Levine, Stein, Chris Hassig, Teddy Levois, Patrick Fagan, Forest Faulkner, Gabriela Mejia, In Loving Memory of Casey Piscura Vendor Support Marianne Ackerman, Teri Bruna, Alta Otto, Phyllis Smilack, Penny McDill, Victoria Ackerman, Joanne Teeple, Robert Comey Electricians Bill Laemmel, Lance Dement, Rob Janssen, Joey Staron, Sean Hartman Stage Management Jeff Britt, Charlie Noone, Darin Binion, Matt Hoogenboom Audio Visual SNOB Productions Band Liaison Leslie Johnson Backline Support Charlie Noone, Trexler Hirn, Harley Ellis, Josh Behrman, Ashton Taufer, SNOB Productions Band Merchandise Coordination Veronica Lamaak Band Transportation The Valley Hopper Drum Circle Laurie Loeb, John Colson, Anne Sullivan, Mona Newton, Dave Lewis, Nancy Thal, Lori Patrick, Eric Baumheier, John DiBenedetto, Nicole Patrick, Dave Kanzer, Dave White, Jessie Lehmann, Marc Bruell, Luke Nestler, Chad Patrick, Morgan Williams, Lyn Byars, Holly Richardson, Scott Levine, JP Strait, Sloan Shoemaker, Gabriela Mejia Park Perimeter Kelly Phillips, James Nims, Jonathan Snodgrass, Ed Piccolo, Rodrigo Salcido, Hilary Stumpus, Cynda Larsen Green Team EverGreen ZeroWaste, Alyssa & Dave Reindel, Elisabeth Richardsen, Oliver Reindel, Malcolm McMichael, Jason White, Sarah Johnson, Kristin Mattera, Mark Weinhold, Brad Snyder, Adam & Cora Carballeira, Jared Barnes, Betsy McMichael, Dave Reed, Nick Lado, Debbie Bruel, Mona Newton Drinking Water Coordination Richard Vottero, Scott Levine, Alex Tiernan Poster Design Jen Grant Gazebo Stage Design Loren Wilder, Wilder Design, Corey Summers, Pika Furniture Studio, Brett Haynes, Bonedale Tattoo, Wylie Chenoweth Gazebo Stage Build Crew Gwen Garcelon, Candice Hart, Chris Hassig, Blake Linehan, Paul McQueeny, Ernestina Pavlovsky, Matt Roeser, Corey Stasinos, Cody Kosinski, Sunsense Solar Floral Design Eagle Crest Nursery, Eric Baumheier Photographers Sarah Overbeck, Jane Bachrach, Mark Burrows, Brent Moss, Jamie & Renee Ramge, Theo Corwin, Jim Ryan, David Vasquez Oasis Block Party Michael Stout, Emily Reilly, Jennifer Hughes, SoL Theatre, Simon Cox, Coxtopus Productions, Morgan Williams, Rachel Leigh Cohen, Gabriela Alvarez Espinoza, Emmet Garcelon, Joan Dizon, Dance Initiative, Mike Arnold, Mountain Heart Brewing, Bom Dia Bubbles, Bhodhisol Teak, Aspen Polynesia, 970 Beatkicks, Andrea Orrego, Caitlin Evans, Alya Howe, Lisa Dancing Light, Nikki Beinsein, Diana Alcantara, Holly Richardson, Thunder River Theatre, Meeting Place, Thompson Schoolhouse, MindfulMe, Nordic Gardens, Valley View Midwives, Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork, Colorado Mountain College, Robert Burch, Karyn Spiroppulos, Carbondale Chamber, Z Group Architecture + Interior Design Live Broadcast KDNK Community Radio Valley Artists Booth Brian Colley, Laura Wagner, Jesse Lee T-Shirt Coordination Laura Stover, Pam Williams, Christine Helling, Shawn Tonozzi, Melissa Rivera, Marina Skiles, Rachael Sellers, Melissa Rivera, Aisha Weinhold Volunteer Coordinators Kellyn Wardell, Sarah Kuhn, Brooke Bockelman, Brian Golden, Helene Gude Raffle Coordinators Rebecca Binion, Cortney McDougall, Jill Napiwocki, Jonathan Stokely, Sara Porter, Kerry Vandervoort, Annie Gonzales, Sue Drinker Raffle Grand Prize Sponsors Aspen One, Darin Binion, Peak Flow Designs, Brian Colley Silent Auction Katy Parr, Kathleen Sgambati, Amy Stangl, Ana Melayes Backstage Hospitality Rachael Gillespie, Jerry & Stephanie Gillespie, Evan Zislis, Dan Shnider, Bridger Langfur, Kristin Baker, Neal Luther, Olivia Pevec, Natasha Seedorf, Katie Brimm, Matt Kennedy, Jessica Hood, Kristen Levey, Shane Spyker, Hattie Johnson, Julia Morton, Lindsay Gurley, Lee ‘From Leadville’, Odell Brewing Co, BomDía Bubbles, Cocoa Club, Dos Gringos, Phat Thai, Peppino’s Pizza, Bonfire Coffee, Domingo Sausage Co., Plosky’s Deli, White House Pizza, Jalisco Grill, 3 B’s Bakery, Sweet Coloradough, New York Pizza, Village Smithy, Carbondale Beerworks, Up Root, Supply Collective, Dooley Creek Farms, Nieslanik Farms, Peak Microgreens, Sustainable Settings, Rky Mtn Adult Drinks, Wild Mountain Seeds, Big B’s Backstage Security Mugsy Fay, Lora Criswell, Christian Stack, Mark Wisroth Backstage Design Aly Sanguily, Eliza Demarest, Claire de L’Arbe, Anders Carlsen, Matte Curry, Matt Soltesz, Sheer Bliss Aspen, Nico Heins, Prismatica Art, Habitat for Humanity of the Roaring Fork Valley Trailer Support Amy Kimberly, Staci Dickerson, Steven Deliyanis Info Booth Bob Shultz, Amy Kimberly, Jean Marie Hegarty, Kat Rich, Mustang Molly Emcees Jamie Abbott, Aly Sanguily, Deborah Colley, Amy Kimberly, Pedro Rivera, Rebecca Binion, Emmet Garcelon, Ben Bohmfalk, Brian & Claudia Pawl Cantina Evan Cree, Jeff Lauckhart, Brett Nelson, Mike Mines, Kyle Wagner, Cal Viall, Chris Whaling, Kyle Pieti, Isabelle Delise, Shawn Gerum, Avy Harris, Matt & Kersten Gwost, Eric Mitchell, Bear & Beverly Patera, Fred Stover, Trevor Clapper, Kaleigh Wisroth, Odell Brewing Company, Big B’s, Marble Distilling, Montanya Distillers, Mountain Heart Brewing, Suerte Tequila, Stripped Mixers Money Honeys Amber van Berlo, Amy Kimberly, Ben & Christian Bohmfalk, Cara Agran, Berry Hurst, Dan Giese, Raychl Keeling, George Wear, Seth Goddard Peace Patrol Michael Gorman, Dave Kanzer, Elissa Rodman, George Wear, Carl Ellerbrook, Dallas Erwin, Allie Cryns, Marcus Thackston, Katie Alderson, José Roman, Lawrence Bond Rainbow Lounge Janet Gordon, Steve Mills, Jessi Rochel, Rocio De La Cruz, Allie Wettstein, Gay for Good, Free Mom Hugs Pie Contest Carly DeBeque, Alta Otto, Amber van Berlo, David Lubrant, Heidi Hendricks, Hilary Hendricks Preston, Penelope Mathis, Delaney Jaeger, Shaggy Fink, Ken Lubrant, Ben Ludlow Cake Contest April Crow Spaulding, Bryce Pizano, Grace Flash Gallo, Phi Filerman, Hunter Popkin, Rebekah Fulker, Britni Johnson, Katherine Rushton Potter’s Throwdown Carbondale Clay Center, Angela Bruno, Matt Eames, Hannah Bare, KL&A Engineers & Builders Limbo Dr. Limbo, John Foulkrod, Ken Lubrant, Billy Hammond, Eric Baumheier, Jessie Lehman, Dave Kanzer, Dave White Wood Splitting ACE Hardware, Dan Giese, Kat Rich, Blake McDonald, Darin Binion, Matt Hoogenboom, Nic Degross, SavATree, Kenichi Woodworking, Sopris Liquor & Wine Four-Mile Fair Run Brion After, Independence Run and Hike Porcupine Loop & Bike Parking Nic DeGross, Darin Binion, Matt Hoogenboom, Stomparillaz, Aloha Mountain Cyclery, Revel Bikes Horseshoes McCarra Baker Fly-Casting Gill Finn, Alpine Angling Singer Songwriter Competition Shanti Gruber, Morgan Williams, Craig & Sheena Patterson, Meagan Goodwin, Katie Houchin, Jennetta Howell, Glenwood Music, Cool Brick Studios, Steve’s Guitars, KDNK Above & Beyond Business Support Alpine Bank, Aspen Sopris Ranger Station, Bethel Party Rentals, Bonfire Coffee, Blue Heron Forge, Builders FirstSource, Cocoa Club, Dos Gringos, El Dorado, Haul It All, Hotel Colorado, Hoffman Hotel, Habitat for Humanity of the Roaring Fork Valley, Louie the Computer Guy, Main Street Businesses, Mountain Heart Brewing, Mountain Flow, Peppino’s Pizza, Poster Placement, Quality Brands, Rky Mtn Adult Drinks, Golf at River Valley Ranch, RE- 1School District, SNOB Productions, SoL Theatre, Sopris Liquor & Wine, Sheer Bliss Aspen, Sunsense Solar, The Valley Hopper, Thunder River Theatre, Z Group Couldn’t do this without 5Point Film, Ashley Buss, AspenOut, Brandon Deter, Bom Dia Bubbles, Casey O’Flannery, Chris Rullet, Carbondale Police, Carbondale Rural Fire Protection District, Chief Kirk Wilson, EcoProducts, Eric Brendlinger, Eric Strouss, El Dorado, Garrett Kennedy, Gay4Good, Hannah Bare, Jerry Gillespie, Josh Lange, KDNK, Kevin Schorzman, Leah Swan & Patrick King, Louie Girardot, Marla Barnett, Marty Calkins, Michael Arnold, Mike Wagner, Matt Soltesz, Patrick Thibault, Sopris Park Neighbors, Jesus Ortiz, Charlie Moore, Pablo Herr, Karl Oliver, Arthur Maynes, Rock Leonard, Sopris Sun, Town of Carbondale Carbondale Arts Board of Directors Marina Skiles, Rebecca Binion, Brooke Bockelman, Lawrence Bond, Dan Giese, Brian Golden, Lety Gomez, Andrea Harris, Isa Johnson, Raychl Keeling, Claudia Pawl, George Wear
