Across the country, high school students organized walk-outs on Friday, Jan. 30, protesting the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in solidarity with immigrant communities and protestors in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In Carbondale, teenagers lined the roundabout with signs declaring their sentiments. In Glenwood Springs, the high school canceled classes after nearly all teachers were absent. Sopris Sun Correspondent Mike de la Rosa witnessed “at least 200 high school students” march down Midland Avenue in Basalt.
Teachers greeted students at Roaring Fork High at the start of the day with a “walk-in,” showing support for immigrant families amid increasing ICE enforcement activity around the country and clashes with protestors. Most (but not all) of the students who left during the class to participate in the protest returned after lunch. These protests took place days following an ICE arrest in Old Snowmass.
Photo by Jane Bachrach
Photo by Vivienne Shapiro RFHS teaches, photo by John Stroud
Photo by Vivienne Shapiro
Photo by Clay Hawkins
Let’s put AI in D.C.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the film “Idiocracy.” Have you seen it? While not an award-winning film, I have to recommend watching this movie once. Starring Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph, this low-brow comedy uncannily mirrors our society with its cast of misfits, including the elusive third Wilson brother, Andrew, as Beef Supreme (non-speaking role), master of ceremonies for the demolition derby-esque grand finale.
Like I said, not award-worthy and eerily similar to the situation we Americans find ourselves in today. How quickly we slid into this abyss of absurdity. Watching what seems like a prank or a parody play out in real life has left me wondering: What if listening to all these podcasts and texting through emojis makes us forget how to read in the future?!
But I guess if artificial intelligence (AI) takes over our day-to-day tasks, then it won’t really matter if we can’t read. All the signs will be in pictures and the content creators who call themselves “newscasters” will still feed us our daily slew of greed and avarice. Rather dystopian, I know, but the alternative would require something besides the apathy to which we have all become accustomed.
know, the farther up the ladder you go, the less actual work there is to do. In the spirit of solipsistic corporate leadership, who better to ask about AI’s qualifications than AI?
I asked AI if it would like to have another initial — you know, in case we want to get some towels monogrammed or something. Here’s the response I got: Yes, let’s give A.I. a monogram. It deserves one. Two letters just feels like it’s showing up to the formal event in a hoodie. So what should the third initial be?
OPINION
Ps & Qs
By Jeannie Perry
Humans are still here because we are copycats. I think the majority of us are pretty good on an individual level, but once we get into groups we morph to fit in with the lowest common denominator. Speaking of lowest common denominators… Trump has gone around the bend and left us all here in his crazy wake. But can we at least agree to discuss our differences calmly, instead of shooting each other in the street?
I know that empires fall. I just didn’t realize how quickly it could all crumble with a madman who thinks he’s king surrounded by sycophants and cowards. I’m ashamed of my country’s actions and it’s hard not to feel hopeless watching anyone with any influence cave to the lunacy.
Frankly, I think we might be safer with AI in charge. Replacing humans with robots makes sense in some instances: bomb diffusers or catbox cleaners, and I see no reason why we can’t start with Congress. It would eliminate all the time they have to spend earning their keep with Corporate America, and as we all
LETTERS
CORRECTION: Last week’s Carbondale Report mixed up some WE-cycle statistics. WE-cycle’s Carbondale network has in fact seen 6,732 riders complete over 152,000 trips since opening on Aug. 1, 2023. Re: ICE
Enough is enough. ICE is violating the Constitution, killing innocent people, snatching up people, including children, to meet their ridiculous quotas. Just as promised, Trump is taking revenge on blue states and cities. So, what can we do? Anything we can.
Protest and build networks of resistance. Pay attention and learn from history, such as the small booklet by historian Timothy Snyder, titled: “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.” What he describes is exactly what we are now experiencing, the attempt to create a fascist government.
Build community wherever you are; expand your circle of connections. Support activists on the frontlines of resistance. Keep calling your Congress people and let them know you are not okay with funding ICE with billions. Say no to prison camp detention centers.
The brave people of Minneapolis showed up in the bitter cold, and when ICE increased in numbers and cruelty, more and more people showed up, rose up. People organized, turned out, opened their hearts and helped their neighbors and found themselves in beloved community. Do whatever you can. It all counts, it all matters. Join a group. Write letters. Make
Some contenders for the third letter, depending on what vibe you want:
Classic Elegance: “A.I.M.” Artificial Intelligence Machine – Leans old-school tech, like something IBM would have filed a patent on in 1959.
Edgy Sci-Fi: “A.I.X.” Artificial Intelligence Unknown/X-factor – Mysterious. Cool. Sounds like it might be a secret project in a Bond movie.
My Personal Pick: “A.I.Q.” Artificial Intelligence Quotient – Suggests brains, mystery, and possibly a wine-drinking habit. A monogram with gravitas. Definitely owns a trench coat.
…I aim to terrify and impress — like a tuxedoed velociraptor with a patent portfolio. If you ever want to develop a backstory or full identity for one of those A.I. monograms (like A.I.X. as a rogue intelligence hunted by its own creators), I’m 100% in. We can give it a logo, a motto, and probably a tragic flaw. (My money’s on arrogance. It always is.)
Whoa. Seems like AI has a pretty good grasp of whose image it was created in, am I right?
When I was a kid, I loved to read Choose Your Own Adventure books. Now, it’s like we’re living in one: everyone on their own page, choosing their own reality, instead of one story. We need to get back on the same page and leave the arena of Beef Supreme, ringleader of the idiot circus, behind. But it will take all of us, choosing our future together.
As much fun as I’ve had chatting with my tuxedoed velociraptor, I am boycotting Big Tech this month.
signs. Make phone calls. Make time to protest. Make donations. Make soup.
Diane Kenney Carbondale
Helpful volunteer firefighters
Big shoutout to our wonderful friends from the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District for assisting an 85-year-old lady who doesn’t go up ladders anymore (even though she still prances around in the middle of the Mountain Fair drum circle). These wonderful folks checked out my smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which were malfunctioning due to age (over 10 years old), and assisted me in installing new ones. These volunteers are so well-trained, kind and helpful, from performing assistance like this, to serving at senior lunches and, of course, dealing with fire and health emergencies. We’re so fortunate to have them in our community! Big thanks!
Laurie Loeb Carbondale
Literal ice
About three weeks ago we had a day of light snow which was gone the next day. I was out on my bike; the roads were 99.9% dry and as I approached an intersection to stop, my wheels hit the one and only patch of black ice in town, and slid out from under me. My face hit the blacktop faster than I could blink.
My first thought was, “Wow! I wasn’t expecting that.” Fortunately the brim of my helmet took the brunt of the fall and broke off, then I bounced off my nose. I
quickly picked myself up, got my bike out of the street and, when I saw I was bleeding all over the sidewalk, I quickly applied pressure to my face with my handkerchief and walked my bike 2 blocks home.
I laid down with an icepack over my nose for the rest of the day and got evaluated at the Family Practice clinic. Fortunately, I did not break anything, lose any teeth or need any stitches. I do still have a few minor aches here and there on wrists, knee and leg, but most of the scabs have healed, the swelling subsided, and my two black and blue eyes have returned to normal.
The point is, our streets are sometimes covered with an ice layer like a polished skating rink. I saw several folks out on bikes recently, including at night, and not all even wear a helmet. As we get into more melting and refreezing, the black ice returns.
As a member of the Bike Ped Trails Commission, I implore folks to please ride the ice (if they must) with extreme care, and be ready for all unexpected surprises. Bad things can happen so, so quickly.
Ted Zislis Carbondale
Fear is not safety
ICE is creating fear in our communities, not safety. I am not opposed to immigration enforcement. But the so-called crackdown in Minneapolis has left me heartbroken — not reassured. Not safe. If left unchecked, it is only a matter of time before this cruelty reaches our valley. Recent events nearby are deeply alarming. On Jan. 21, ICE agents in Eagle
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 Nieslanik
Advertising Department adsales@soprissun.com
Sol del Valle Marketing and Development Manager
Margarita Alvarez margarita@soldelvalle.org
Advertising Designer
Emily Blong
Delivery
Frederic Kischbaum
Youth Journalism Instructor
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
Proofreaders
Lee Beck
Tracy Kallassy
Ken Pletcher
Hank van Berlo
Executive Director
Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246
todd@soprissun.com
Board Members / Mesa Directiva board@soprissun.com
Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke • Eric Smith
Roger Berliner • Elizabeth Phillips
Anna Huntington • Loren Jenkins
Carlos Ramos • Gayle Wells
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
Michael & Nancy Kish
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 #26 970-510-3003 soprissun.com/Donate
The Sopris Sun, Inc.
is a proud member of the Carbondale Creative District
OUR UNDERWRITERS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS!
SCUTTLEBUTT
Free wood chips
The Town of Carbondale is giving away free wood chips created from the recycling of Christmas trees. The chips will be available until Feb. 8 (while supplies last) from the dumpster container in the dirt parking lot at 4th and Colorado.
Harvest Roaring Fork
The Jan. 28 Garfield County Planning Commission public meeting to review Harvest Roaring Fork’s application for a new development between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs — with 1,500 residential units, 450 accessory dwelling units, 55,000 square feet of commercial space and a 120-room hotel — was rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley campus in the Ascent Center beginning at 6pm.
Conservationist of the Year
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 Colorado Wildlife Council is accepting nominations for its 2026 Conservationist of the Year award, which recognizes individuals and organizations making significant contributions to wildlife conservation, sustainability and public education in Colorado. The application is due by March 31. For details email dnr_wildlife.council@state.co.us
Fourmile forest treatment
The White River National Forest released a draft proposal and environmental assessment on Jan. 29 for forest treatments in the Fourmile area, 16 miles south of Glenwood Springs. The proposal involves selective thinning and vegetation clearing on 2,617 acres “to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk and provide timber,” a press release described. A 400-foot fuelbreak would be created on either side of the road for strategic fire planning and management. Public comments are due by Feb. 27. Find details at www.bit.ly/WRNF-Twin-Peaks
Ginny Soldner Poetry Collab
The Soldner Center in Aspen is launching A Year of Poetry and Introspection beginning in late May with a four-day immersion led by author Heather Swan and poet James Crews, followed by an 11-month online exploration with twice-a-month Zoom gatherings. Twelve poets of varying experience will be selected to participate with limited scholarships available. Applications are due by March 1. Learn more at www.soldnercenter.com/a-year-of-poetry
PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive families, including a for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount
Ollella on NPR
Former Carbondale resident Ellie Barber, once part of Pearl & Wood with Natalie Spears, recently fulfilled a personal dream by performing a Tiny Desk concert at NPR’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The archive hit YouTube on Jan. 30 and quickly began accruing tens of thousands of views. Check it out at www.bit.ly/Ollella-NPR
Fashionista
The Sopris Sun is proud to announce that Maeve Murray, a member of our very first Youth News Bureau cohort, has received a $10,000 award from the competitive Fashion Scholarship Fund as a fashion management student at Savannah College of Art and Design. Murray grew up in Glenwood Springs and graduated from Roaring Fork High School in 2023.
Math standards
The Colorado Department of Education is asking educators, parents, families, students and community members to share their feedback on proposed revisions to academic standards for high school math. The public can comment on proposed revisions (www.bit.ly/ CO-math-revisions) by: attending a focus
a great fit in your family, fill out an adoption survey at CARE today!
group over Zoom on Feb. 5 at 5pm, Feb. 9 at 5pm, Feb. 11 at 4:30pm or Feb. 12 at 5pm (registration at www.cdeinfo.org/focusgroup); completing a web-based survey (www.bit.ly/ CO-math-survey); or emailing feedback to costandardsrevision@cde.state.co.us
Populous
According to the Census Bureau, Colorado’s population exceeded 6 million on July 1, 2025. “The secret is out,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Colorado is the best place to live, work, play, start a family and grow a business.” He added, “I look forward to welcoming even more people to Colorado as we move further into the new year.”
They say it’s your birthday! Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Patrick Hunter, Sandra Lopez and Andrew Scott (Feb. 6); Kelly Rinick (Feb. 7); Michael Kinsley, Ashton Taufer and Amanda Villalobos (Feb. 8); Charley Hill, David Lubrant and Ellen O’Gorman (Feb. 9); Diego Gonzales, Sara McAllister and Pam Rosenthal (Feb. 10); Sara Berry, Georgia Chamberlain, Linda Criswell, Anne Goldberg, Thomas Mack, Sydney Courier McBrayer and Hamilton Pevec (Feb. 11).
HILARY
Carbondale Clerk Patrick Thibault drew the order of names to appear on the municipal elections ballot from his “Town Clerk” trucker hat on Feb. 4. On April 7, Carbondale will elect a new mayor as well as three trustees. The candidates (in the order he drew them) for mayor are Patricia Savoy and Erica Sparhawk; running for three trustee seats are Joanne Teeple, Kade Gianinetti, Colin Laird and Chris Hassig. Do
Photo by Raleigh Burleigh
Carbondale judges settling in at 9th Judicial District
RALEIGH BURLEIGH
Sopris Sun Editor
On Sept. 3, 2025, Governor Jared Polis appointed two Carbondale residents to serve as 9th Judicial District Court judges. Susan Ryan’s appointment was created by the retirement of Judge John Neiley. Alexander Haynes takes the place of Judge Denise Lynch, who also retired last year. The 9th Judicial District has five district judges, four county court judges and a magistrate.
The 9th Judicial District, seated in Glenwood Springs at the Garfield County Courthouse, oversees a wide variety of legal cases for Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties. The Sopris Sun made a recent visit to the courthouse to learn more about these judges and their new responsibilities.
According to Ryan, who got a headstart on Haynes, you never know exactly how a day will go. All district court judges have mixed dockets, overseeing criminal and civil cases. “For me so far, it’s been learning how to be really adaptable,” which she likes, she said. “It keeps you engaged.”
Haynes concurred. “It’s a very unique job where we know that it’s just absolutely never going to get boring and there’s always something new to see.”
Ryan is handling all Rio Blanco
district court cases, with two docket days per month, as well as off-docket hearings. “I do a lot of those virtually,” she said.
Both judges commented on how court proceedings adapted when COVID-19 struck. “Before COVID, nobody did anything virtually in the court realm,” Ryan said. “Even a telephone conference.” At the time, she was a district court magistrate. The virus caused a “massive pivot” overnight, and some of the changes stuck.
“Largely speaking, it’s had a benefit for general access to justice,” remarked Haynes. “Meaning, more people have access to the courts if they don’t have to travel from far away, or they can’t afford to take time off.” The downside, he added, is that virtual appearances make it harder to connect with a person.
Asked about the influence a district judge has on the overall culture of the court, Ryan said, “Just having the role of a judge and the title and wearing the robe, you are a leader in the courthouse and in the community. In that regard, I think leading by example you do have a lot of influence over how people perceive you and the justice system and the role of the courts, both internally and externally.”
Haynes added, “I want to make sure when I’m interacting with people in my courtroom, I’m
doing so with a level of respect and with a level of communication where people understand what’s going on.” As the former office head and managing attorney at the Glenwood Springs office of the Colorado State Public Defender, Haynes believes in all parties at the court being able to communicate and be understood.
Ryan holds the same standard of transparency. “One of my goals is when people appear in front of me, that they understand why they’re in court, what we’re going to accomplish that day, why we’re doing it, if I make a decision that day why I made that decision, how I got to that decision, and what they need to do next.”
She added, “Oftentimes, you see people in court who are having
the worst days of their lives, so they’re not at their best, they’re struggling to communicate.”
“I don’t know if I would have applied for this job if I hadn’t had such good experiences with our bench, including Judge Lynch and Judge Neiley and eveyone here,” Haynes said. “My experience with them on the other side of the bar was always getting treated well, always getting reasoned decisions, even if I disagreed with them, and it made me feel much more comfortable about stepping into a position where I respected the people that came before me.”
“All the judges here, they really truly care about the community,” Ryan concurred. “I think that really shows in how they make thoughtful decisions and how
they treat everybody in the courtroom with respect.”
These judges bring considerably different work experience to the bench. Haynes has had a lot of experience in criminal law, whereas Ryan has had more experience on the civil side of things. Ryan worked at Holland & Hart practicing out of the Aspen office and even filling in for Attorney Mark Hamilton as Carbondale’s town attorney on occasion.
Their diverse backgrounds play an important role, because judges can’t appear on certain cases depending on their previous employment. For example, Haynes can’t preside over cases he was working on at the Public Defender’s office. “It would be very inappropriate for me to preside over cases that I had a vested interest in at some point,” he said.
Ryan concluded, “Fundamentally my goal is to create a courtroom where people feel heard and respected regardless of whether they win or lose.”
“Everyone here is a public servant and they’re doing what they do because they care about this community and want to make it a good place to live,” Haynes said. “Public service is really the motivator for all of it.”
Ryan and Haynes will stand for retention by public vote in 2028 and then every six years.
Susan Ryan Alexander Haynes
Legal representation scams target immigrant community
SAM BRULE
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Advocates and attorneys in the Roaring Fork Valley say scammers posing as legal representatives are exploiting immigrants navigating the increasingly aggressive federal enforcement landscape.
“I have seen and talked to victims of these scams,” Alex Sanchez, executive director of Voces Unidas de las Montañas, told The Sopris Sun .
Voces Unidas, an organization fighting for equality for Latinos in Colorado, has opened 60 civil rights violation investigations, some involving fraud or abuse, according to Sanchez.
The Valley’s higher-than-average immigrant population means residents are more likely to encounter these scams. According to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data aggregated by Data USA, about 14% of Garfield County residents and 16% of Eagle County residents are foreign-born; both figures are above the Colorado average of 9.6%.
Heightened enforcement
Since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, immigration enforcement has increased nationwide. According to a December 2025 report from the American Immigration Council, the number of people held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention rose nearly 75% in 2025, increasing from roughly 40,000 at the start of the year to 66,000 by early December.
According to Colorado Public Radio, a Western Slope judge in April 2025 ordered ICE to stop civil immigration enforcement at courthouses in Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties, after courthouse workers reported that ICE had detained between five and 10 people in or around the Garfield County Courthouse since January.
In May 2025, the Vail Daily reported confirmed ICE activity across Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties. According to the Aspen Daily News in October 2025, ICE operates
a holdroom facility in Glenwood Springs where detainees are held before transfer to larger facilities.
Jennifer Smith, an immigration attorney who’s been practicing in the valley since 2007, said the enforcement climate has changed how immigrants approach their cases.
“In our current administration, the goal is to detain and remove people that don’t have status,” Smith said.
Debbie Bruell, co-founder of Mountain Action Indivisible, said her group has heard reports of ICE operations locally.
“Previously, they hadn’t been doing like big raids in our area,” Bruell said. “But now I just heard there was a raid in Vail, so who knows what they can do, what they are going to do. They’re doing whatever they want.”
Forms of fraud
Immigration scams take different forms. Some involve people falsely claiming to be attorneys. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one scam takes advantage of the term “notario”. A notario is a highly trained legal professional in Latin America, but only a document witness in the United States.
Smith said most scams she encounters are committed by non-attorneys who claim to have worked for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or the Department of Homeland Security, promising case approvals with their “special contacts.”
Social media has also played a role in this exploitation. Some scammers on TikTok even stage fake immigration hearings, Smith said. While an experienced attorney can spot these fakes, some people can’t, especially if the documents used are in English rather than their native language.
Sanchez also said individuals with experience in tax preparation have illegally expanded into immigration services without proper licensing in some cases.
He added that not all problems involve intentional fraud. Some issues come from confusion about the difference between an attorney providing general information
versus actually representing a client.
Regardless of the form a specific scam takes, victims lose money and time in these situations. In the worst scenarios, they submit fraudulent applications that create additional legal problems, according to Smith.
Warning signs
Some warning signs that legal aid might be a scam include pressure to sign documents without time to understand them, a refusal to answer questions and not receiving copies of documents.
continued on page 18
or
Legacy Donor Mary Lilly passed away at the age of 100 in 2016. She included e Sopris Sun along with other local nonpro ts in her will. At a time when e Sun’s nances were looking dire, that $55,000 gift helped pay o an outstanding line of credit and bolster our reserves fund.
Planned giving is one of the most meaningful ways to ensure independent, community-powered journalism continues in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys for generations.
www.soprissun.com/
In April 2025, Ninth Judicial District Chief Judge ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents not to carry out detainments in or around courthouses in Garfield (pictured), Pitkin or Rio Blanco counties. Photo by James Steindler
Glenwood group working to preserve historic greenhouse, establish botanical gardens
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
A Glenwood Springs citizen group is in the process of trying to rescue, relocate and repurpose a unique piece of the region’s history — the ornate early 20th century greenhouse that once adorned the front lawn at the Redstone Castle.
The nearly 122-year-old greenhouse for the past eight decades has resided in West Glenwood where it served as a growing facility at the Glenwood Gardens nursery, operated by the Nieman family.
Botanical Garden (GSRBG) group.
The group is raising money to try to preserve the greenhouse and eventually include it as a centerpiece for a botanical garden.
For now, it sits empty and at risk of being demolished when construction begins this spring, but for the efforts of the GSRBG.
Saving the greenhouse isn’t just about preserving history, it’s about creating something beautiful and meaningful for our community’s future.
That property is now slated to be developed as the Canyon Vista affordable housing project, in which the City of Glenwood Springs is heavily invested.
The greenhouse structure, with its signature pagoda-shaped dome, was established in 1903 as part of coal magnate John Cleveland Osgood’s Redstone Castle (aka Cleveholm Manor) estate.
“It was designed during the turn-of-thecentury era when horticulture, architecture and industry blended to create ornate, European-inspired conservatories,” according to historical accounts shared by the newly formed Glenwood Springs Riverside
It’s a race against both funding and time, said Laura Speck on behalf of the GSRBG board.
“We desperately need funding, and quickly,” she said. “We are looking for donations of all sizes, as well as founding donors who believe in the long-term vision of this project.”
The initial fundraising goal is $100,000 to facilitate the delicate process of dismantling the structure and storing it.
The “long-term vision” involves working with the City to relocate the greenhouse to the City-owned confluence property (former wastewater treatment plant site) next to the Roaring Fork River north and west of Seventh Street, to serve as a centerpiece for a community botanical garden.
“We see an opportunity to transform a former industrial parcel into a vibrant, accessible green space for everyone in Glenwood
Springs,” the board stated in a news release. “The greenhouse would be the heart of it — a beautiful blend of our history, our landscape and our community spirit.”
Speck said the group is working with engineers at SGM to scan the building and determine how best to dismantle and preserve its integrity.
“We would like to get it back to the glory of what it originally looked like at the Redstone Castle in the early 1900s,” Speck said. The original structure featured long greenhouse extensions on either side of the main dome, atop a red and white checkered stone foundation and root cellar. The remaining structure includes a stone chimney with the same red-white checkered pattern.
“Saving the greenhouse isn’t just about
preserving history,” the release stated. “It’s about creating something beautiful and meaningful for our community’s future.”
Glenwood Springs City Manager Steve Boyd said in a Jan. 15 staff report to City Council that the prospect of a botanical garden and relocation of the greenhouse to the confluence property is intriguing.
“The City greatly appreciates this group’s enthusiasm and commitment to enhancing public spaces,” Boyd wrote. “Their initiative demonstrates strong organizational capability and a commendable desire to contribute to the community’s quality of life.”
However, he also acknowledged some challenges related to environmental regulations, public safety, liability, long-term
continued on page 19
With Us, Your Health is Personal
This AI-generated image depicts a vision of the historical greenhouse from Redstone’s Cleveholm Manor — now in a dilapidated state at the abandoned Glenwood Gardens property where the Canyon Vista housing development is to be built in West Glenwood — as a restored centerpiece for a botanical garden at the City’s confluence property between Seventh Street and the railroad tracks. Photo courtesy of the GSRBG board
Village Smithy sale slated for Feb. 24
JAMES STEINDLER
Contributing Editor
Before opening the screen door to The Village Smithy — and typically having to hold it open for several other patrons coming or going through the narrow entry hall — folks might grab a paper from the line of news stands outside or get held up in an extended stop-and-chat with a friend. Inside, the cacophonous sound of conversations fills the air, mingling with the aroma of the most important meal of the day. The restaurant has faithfully served Carbondale for more than 50 years. With heavy hearts, owners Charlie Chacos and Jared Ettelson are bracing to turn it over to new leadership, a strategic move in their minds to ensure its longevity.
Chacos, whose parents, Chris and Terry, opened The Smithy in 1975, essentially grew up there. Ettelson got his start washing dishes as a teenager, and dined there since the age of 4. It suffices to say, neither of them are taking the transition lightly.
“This has been my life and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world,” Ettelson said, tears welling up. Chacos could hardly get
a word out when asked how he’s holding up, but noted the pressure to sustain the business his parents started. It’s not the first time The Smithy has been up for sale. Back in the late ‘90s, Chacos’ parents had the business listed for about two years before he agreed to assume ownership himself. The partnership with Ettelson came about 10 years later.
to remodel what needs to be done,” Chacos said. “It needs some love. It’s been here for 50 years and we’ve been Band-aiding it together for 55,” he laughed.
“It’s extremely bittersweet,” Ettelson continued. “It’s a really hard thing for us, but … I’d be bussing tables for the next 20 years to make that remodel pay off.”
Ettelson’s daughters, who grew up here and worked at the establishment for eight and 10 years, have moved on from the Valley. His wife is itching to get back to SoCal — where her family resides — after years of patiently waiting, so their sights are set on San Diego.
Part of what prompted the pending sale is the building is overdue for a remodel, Chacos explained, which they were on the verge of undergoing before COVID hit and construction costs skyrocketed. In 2023 or 2024, they almost bit the bullet again, considering large and small options, but realized, “We just couldn’t afford
“The thought of losing Jared and operating without him after 15 years was kind of frightening for me,” Chacos said. He plans to stick around and nurture coffee drinkers who've come to rely on Bonfire, another Carbondale business the two own together.
The Smithy business and property are a package deal. Chacos and his brother, Eric, the de facto handyman of the restaurant, inherited the property from their parents. Mike Mercatoris of Compass Realty helped with a pocket listing, meaning it wasn’t publicly posted.
of the Chacos, HP Hansen, put it. Photo by James Steindler
The prospective buyers, Samantha and Craig CordtsPearce of CP Restaurant Group, were not available for an interview ahead of press time, but offered to speak with The Sun once they’ve taken over operations. The deal is scheduled to close on Feb. 24.
“Craig and Samantha want a turn-key restaurant,” said Ettelson. “We’re going to close one day and they’re going to open the next.” As the sellers understand it, the menu, staff and name should stay the same. Jacob Behlow, who
continued on page 8
Co-owners Charlie Chacos (left) and Jared Ettelson have carried on The Smithy’s legacy for the second part of its lifespan, which amounts, thus far, to “50 years of smiles,” as longtime regular and lifelong friend
In addition to January’s planned regular board meetings on Jan. 14 and 28, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) also held a community meeting on school safety on Jan. 27 from 7 to 8pm to discuss its current strategies and protocols with families. The gathering complemented the regular meetings’ focus on updates to the 2025-2026 district budget and updates on the pre-collegiate program.
During the Jan. 14 meeting, the board heard several community comments. Parent Tanner Gianinetti shared concerns about his child’s kindergarten class lesson on knowing and understanding their bodies. Gianinetti stated that he felt the lesson plan introduced children to the concept of gender, “making our youth more susceptible to ‘woke’ ideology.” He read from a prepared speech, explaining that he felt the extent and language of the lesson was inappropriate, and asked that the lesson plan be struck from the curriculum.
was formerly at White House Pizza for 13 years, was hired as manager in November and will help bridge the transition.
“From everything that I’ve heard, it’s just going to be more efficient and maybe a little more professional,” said Chacos, compared to the mom-and-pop styled modus operandi to date. There’s a risk of
Two written comments received were both about RFSD’s Housing Master Plan. District residents Susan Sullivan and Karen Nudell expressed concerns about the proposed workforce housing developments for JW Drive in El Jebel. Sullivan wrote, “We ask that the District prioritize a joint impact study with Eagle County before submitting final applications for the JW Drive site” especially regarding traffic and infrastructure impacts. Nudell’s comment was shorter, but shared similar sentiments:
“Find a less impacted area, please.”
For the remainder of the Jan. 14 meeting, the board discussed budget amendments. A memo from RFSD Chief Financial Officer Christy Chicoine stated: “The expenditures of the District appear to be stabilizing, with no large adjustments necessary overall.”
Chicoine noted that the district anticipates a loss of $200,000 due to federal government funding reductions affecting the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program. The District will use supplemental budget to help cover that gap, and is working to secure other
the character that comes with that changing some, the two acknowledged, but “our goal was to find somebody who wanted to maintain the history,” said Ettelson. “It sounds like these are the people that want to do it.”
Some change is inevitable, they added, noting that Chacos made adjustments when he took over in ‘99, as did Ettelson 10 years later.
revenue sources for its Preschool Fund.
RFSD also anticipates decreased funding given a decline in full-time enrolled students. RFSD experienced a 4.2% decline in student enrollment this academic year, based on the October 2025 student count. According to data released by the Colorado Department of Education during a special press conference, schools across Colorado are facing declines in student enrollment. Statewide, student enrollment declined an average of 1.2% in October of 2025 compared with October of 2024.
During the Jan. 28 meeting, district employee Dave Smith provided a presentation on RFSD’s PreCollegiate Program. He included numbers on student participation, noting 260 students across the District’s three high schools, as well as demographics. Later in the meeting, the board reviewed RFSD’s first quarter financial statements and high-level revenues. Board members discussed 2025-2026 goals and the amended 2025-2026 budget as discussed at the previous meeting.
from page 7 FULL-TIME POSITION in the Roaring Fork & Colorado River Valleys (hybrid/remote with local presence preferred Office is located at the Third Street Center in Carbondale
CP Restaurant Group began with just one restaurant, The Wild Fig in Aspen in 2003, and has since opened several others in the Valley. According to a write up in Modern Luxury Aspen last year, the Cordts-Pearce couple got their start as a bartender and busser. They’ve bought up other locally iconic eateries, including the Woody Creek Tavern and The Red Onion. In another interview with Modern Luxury
During the Jan. 27 school safety community meeting, the RFSD board hosted local law enforcement to cover facets of the District’s safety initiatives. The meeting covered details on school security measures and secure entry procedures, mental health and counseling resources available to students, partnerships with local organizations, resources for families and future planning for long-term safety and wellness strategies. Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole said, “Safety is always our first priority; it is important our community understands current strategies, protocols and investments to keep students, staff, school and our community safe.”
The February RFSD Board of Education regular meetings take place on Feb. 11 and 25 at 6:15pm in the Colorado Room of the District Office, 400 Sopris Avenue, Carbondale. RFSD board meeting agendas are available on the board website. Meetings are livestreamed on YouTube and recordings become available soon afterward.
in 2024, Craig had this to say about The Red Onion: “We’ll make a few changes here and there, but really, we want to save it for Aspen.”
“Ultimately, we’re trying to save The Smithy for Carbondale, and give it the new life that it needs,” Ettelson said. Chacos, choking up, added, “We just feel fortunate that we’re able to hand it off to good stewards that will take it to the next level.”
Sopris Sun is an independent, nonprofit, community-supported newspaper serving the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys. We publish weekly in print and maintain frequent engagement online, with a commitment to local and accountable journalism, diverse voices, bilingual access through Sol del Valle, and youth journalism through the Sopris Stars Youth News Bureau. We are certified by
Another barn-burner high school boys basketball matchup between Roaring Fork and Coal Ridge in Carbondale Tuesday night proved to be one for the scrapbooks.
After a huge 50-39 win last week at Class 4A Aspen to help improve Roaring Fork’s 3A state power ranking to No. 7 coming into the week, the Rams needed another win over the visiting Titans, also a 4A team, to prove themselves worthy.
After falling behind by 10 points early on, Roaring Fork battled back to tie it 23-23 just before the half, and upped the intensity in the second half to come away with the 51-46 win.
“It feels amazing, and I think everybody in that locker room knows we can hang with the biggest teams and continue to win those kinds of games throughout the year,” said Rams senior Lucas Carballeira, who finished with 17 points on the night to lead all scorers. “It's going to show up in the postseason, as well.”
A back-and-forth battle into the fourth quarter saw the Rams down 46-41 with under 3 minutes to play. But the home team took
charge, shutting down the Titans on the defensive end and exploding for a 10-0 run to steal the victory and avenge a one-point loss to Coal Ridge last season.
If the defense does its job, it can make up for a lackluster offensive output, Carballeira said.
“We're excited for the games ahead, and these measuring stick games show us where we are and what we need to improve,” he said.
After the Aspen win on Jan. 30, the Rams topped 3A league foe North Fork, 74-56 the following afternoon.
The Rams improved to 13-2 overall with the Tuesday win, and are in command of the 3A Western Slope League at 6-0.
Girls regroup for win
After a disappointing 57-41 loss to 3A Western Slope League foe North Fork on Jan. 31 to fall into fourth place in the league at 6-2, the Lady Rams rebounded for a 70-39 win over Coal Ridge on Tuesday to improve to 14-2 overall.
“I know we can play a lot better than we played at Meeker (a 47-40 loss) and against North Fork,” said junior Riley Bevington, who poured in 37 points against the Titans. “It just felt good to
come out with some intensity and remember who we are.”
The Rams are having to do it without senior post player and leading rebounder Nikki Tardif, who is on the bench with a leg injury and not expected back until later in the season.
After demolishing Aspen 72-5 the night before, North Fork found a way to stop the depleted Rams offensive attack.
“They ran a box and one defense, double- and triple-teaming Riley for most of the game, and limiting her to six-for-six free throws,” Rams head coach Mike Vidakovich said.
Sophomore Annelise Bumgarner and junior Hazel Jenkins picked up the slack, scoring 12 and 8 points, respectively. Vidakovich said he will be looking to his other younger players to step up with key league games coming up against Gunnison (Saturday, Feb. 7), Meeker (Feb. 10) and Cedaredge (Feb. 20), all at home.
“We have other kids who are very, very capable of stepping forward and filling the void,” Vidakovich said. “We’ve also got to do a better job of keeping our composure on the court in times of adversity.”
Girls swimming
The combined GlenwoodRoaring Fork-Basalt girls swim team had a pair of local meets, Jan. 30 in Aspen and Jan. 31 at the Glenwood Springs Community Center pool.
At Aspen, Glenwood won the team competition with 828 points to Summit’s 554. Top swimmers for the Demons were Sylvia Duchscher, who won the 50 free,
and the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams.
The home meet served to honor the team’s seniors, Grace Anson, Caroline Cole, Avery Barth, Taylor O’Neil, Vespera Steiner, Addison Raymond, Lila Richards and Alexa Sampson.
The Conference Championships in Grand Junction this weekend will conclude the regular season.
Ram Abraham Ledezma wards off a Skier during the game against Aspen on Friday, Jan. 30. Photo by Kate Ott, youth correspondent
Ecosystem Importance of Beavers
Thursday, 7-8pm, 2/19 in Carbondale Beavers create ecological benefits and habitat, and make landscapes more resilient to drought and wildfires. Explore how we can co-exist with beavers in the Roaring Fork Watershed. Space is limited. Pre-register to save your seat.
Community Ed in Carbondale
CHOCOLATE TASTING/MAKING
Thursdays, 5-7pm, 2/5-2/12
DECORATE CUPCAKES FOR VALENTINES - ages 8-16
Wednesday, 3-4:30pm, 2/11
OPEN PAINTING STUDIO
Tues, 1:30-4:30pm, 2/17-3/24
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
Tuesdays, 6-8:30pm, 3/3-3/24
BEGINNING SWING DANCE
Wed, 6:30-8:30pm, 3/4-3/25
FRUIT TREES & SHRUBS
Pruning and Grafting Series
Saturdays, 12-4pm 3/7, 4/4, and 5/2
AIKIDO
Tue/Thur, 6-7:30pm, 3/17-5/7
PHILOSOPHY FOR MODERN LIVING with Bo Persiko Tuesdays, 6-7:30pm, 3/17-5/5
PLEASANT DOGS AND PLEASED OWNERS Tue, 5:30-8:30pm, 3/17 ONLINE
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE II Wed, 1:30-3:30pm, 3/18-4/8
PILATES BLEND with Natalie Wed, 9-10am, 3/18-5/6
*Credit Art Classes in Carbondale
ART OF THE POSTER - Jones Mon, 5:10-8:50pm, 2/9-3/9
INTRO TO PRINTMAKING - Bell Thurs, 9-11:50am, 2/12-4/2
*Senior tuition discount. Call for registration info.
CALENDAR
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5
CURLING ON THE RINK
New and seasoned curlers take to the rink at The Collective Snowmass every Thursday from 2 to 4pm through March 12. Details at www.thecollectivesnowmass.com
ANDERSON RANCH
Spring artists in residence present a slide show at Anderson Ranch Arts Center from 4 to 5pm. In-person and virtual attendance options are available. Register at www.andersonranch.org
NATURALIST NIGHTS
Author Zak Podmore’s presentation, “Life After Dead Pool: Lake Powell’s Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River,” repeats at ACES’ Hallam Lake at 6pm. Register for free at www.aspennature.org
COMMUNITY DANCE CLASS
Dance Initiative offers a community dance class at The Launchpad in Carbondale every Thursday in February from 6:15 to 7:30pm. Register at www.danceinitiative.org
All levels welcome.
‘THE LIBRARIANS’
Garfield County Libraries screen “The Librarians,” an acclaimed documentary about how restrictions on library content are shaping communities across the country, at 7pm at The Crystal Theatre.
FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 6
SENIOR STROLL AT POWERS
Seniors are invited to the Powers Art Center for an exclusive tour followed by an interactive art activity inspired by Frank Stella from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Details at www.powersartcenter.org
SKETCH, PAINT, PLAY
Share an open studio setting with other artists of all levels inviting collaboration and encouragement the first Friday of the month at the Carbondale Library from 1 to 3pm. Bring your own supplies and whatever project you’re working on.
FOREST SERVICE DEDICATION
LIVE PAINTING
Marcel Kahhak will paint Ted Frisbie playing the mandolin at 411 Main Street, Carbondale, beginning at 6:15pm.
CRYSTAL THEATRE
“The Secret Agent” screens at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm tonight, tomorrow and Monday. Sunday’s show is at 3pm. The 2005 “Pride & Prejudice” film shows on Feb. 7 and 11 at 3pm.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7
AVALANCHE WORKSHOP
Mountain Rescue Aspen offers a free community avalanche workshop for the first 100 people to arrive at Gondola Plaza by 8:30am with a modern three-antennas avalanche transceiver, a shovel and probe, equipment for traveling over soft snow and clothing and food suitable for a full day in the backcountry. The workshop will conclude by 3:30pm.
ZUMBA
Helen Cayoja teaches a free, bilingual zumba class at the Carbondale Library from 9 to 10am on Saturdays in February.
BABY CLOTHING SWAP
Parents exchange newborn through 5T baby and toddler clothes at The Orchard in Carbondale (110 Snowmass Drive) from 10am to noon.
CITIZENSHIP EXAM CLASS
Colorado Mountain College offers a six-part citizenship and naturalization exam prep course hosted at the Glenwood Springs Library every other Saturday from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Register at www.tinyurl.com/ CMCcitizenshipprep Classes are in English and Spanish.
LOGO LIGI
Aspen Dance Connection brings African drumming and dance with Logo Ligi to the Carbondale Library at 11am. The program will repeat at the Rifle and Glenwood Springs libraries tomorrow, at 1pm and 4pm respectively.
ARTFUL STORY HOUR
“We are primarily a philanthropic and grant-run organization, so we really do depend on funding partners. We use these funds to fulfill the most basic level needs for our community — those at the base of Maslow’s pyramid — food so people don’t go hungry.”
- Elyse Hottel, Interim Executive Director LIFT-UP is the leader in providing equitable food security for individuals and families: educating, building understanding, and supporting to end of hunger from Parachute to Aspen, and is a grant recipient of the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund.
The voter supported Healthy Community Fund assists the Pitkin County community by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that provide critical health and human services and community resources.
Learn more at: pitkincounty.com/hcf
The new Forest Service building in Carbondale opens to the public with a dedication ceremony at 3pm, followed by an open house from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Smokey Bear will be present for photos.
V-DAY PET & FAMILY PHOTOS
Journey Home Animal Shelter invites families to have a Valentine’s Day portrait taken with their pets (or each other) at the New Castle Library from 3 to 5pm. For details call 970-625-8808.
FIRST FRIDAY
February’s First Friday theme is “Spread the Love.” Find note-making stations scattered throughout Town among other wholesome activities from 5 to 8pm, including a Valentine’s Day giveaway at Mountain Tide Provisions Co., KDNK DJs spinning tunes at Chacos Park, an opening reception for Lauren Mayer’s “Chronometry” at Main Street Gallery and a sip and paint night at Rootz Salon.
TAVERN OPENING
The Tavern Carbondale (580 Main) hosts a grand opening celebration with live music beginning at 5pm.
CATTLE CREEK CONFLUENCE
The Cattle Creek Confluence invites the public to sign a petition and write postcards to the county commissioners regarding the proposed Harvest Roaring Fork development at Bonfire Coffee in Carbondale from 5 to 7pm.
CLAY CENTER
The Carbondale Clay Center hosts an opening reception for Lauren Mayer from 6 to 8pm.
The Powers Art Center hosts families for a themed story hour and hands-on crafting from 11am to noon. No sign up required. Details at www.powersartcenter.org
ACROBATICS CLASS
Kids and teens are invited to participate in an acrobatics class hosted every Saturday, from 3:30 to 4:30pm, today through May 16 at the Third Street Center. Register at www.danceinitiative. org Drop-ins welcome.
ART FILM
The Redstone Art Foundation screens “Woman in Gold” following a special dinner at the Redstone Inn beginning at 5pm. To make a reservation, call 970-963-2526.
CREATIVE DESTRUCTION
The Art Base in Basalt hosts an opening reception for Lindsay Jones and Michael Stout’s “Creative Destruction” at 5:30pm. The show will remain on display through March 6.
HOOT AT THE UTE
Journey Home Animal Shelter hosts a concert at the Ute Theater in Rifle, featuring Jake Statler, Hannah Haupt, Tyler Rust, Stone Kitchen, The Porch Pickers and Feeding Giants, at 6:30pm. Tickets at jhacc.org/events
MAGOO
Enjoy “progressive bluegrass” with Magoo at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8
SKI FOR SISU
Mount Sopris Nordic Council’s 34th annual Ski for Susu fundraiser takes place at Spring Gulch from 9am to 2pm.
BRIDGING GENERATIONS
A Spiritual Center welcomes Erik Wardell for a discussion on nurturing deep relationships between parents and grandparents with their children and grandchildren at the Third Street Center (Room 31) from 10 to 11:30am.
TWO RIVERS UNITARIANS
The Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist congregation welcomes Dr. Elliott S. Dacher speaking about awareness-based meditation from 10am to noon.
SOMATIC GROUNDWORK
Kula Yoga on Main in Carbondale offers “Nourish All of You,” a specialty class with Emily White, from 3:30 to 5pm. Register at www.kulayogaonmain.com
SUPER BOWL PARTY
The Homestead and Handlebar in River Valley Ranch hosts a Super Bowl watch party from 4 to 8:30pm.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9
SACRED BROTHERHOOD
Kyle Jason Leitzke leads a Sacred Brotherhood conversation at True Nature “for heart-centered men committed to self-leadership and fulfillment” from 6 to 7:30pm. Register at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
SONGWRITING WORKSHOP
Olivia the Bard begins a song-writing workshop at Steve’s Guitars on Monday nights from 7 to 9pm. On March 9, songs will be shared with an audience of friends and family. Sign up at www.stevesguitars.net
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
ARTIST LECTURE
Anderson Ranch visiting artist and filmmaker Alex Hedison speaks at the ranch from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Details at www.andersonranch.org
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club returns to the Powers Art Center for a social art-making sesh at 6:30pm.
Aspen Dance Connection brings Maputo Mensah and his troupe, LOGO LIGI, to local libraries for interactive African drumming and dance workshops this weekend. On Saturday, Feb. 7, the fun begins at the Carbondale Library from 11am to noon and continues at the Basalt Library from 3 to 4pm. On Sunday, Feb. 8, LOGO LIGI performs at the Rifle Library at 1pm and Glenwood Library at 4pm. Courtesy photo
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
‘THE LAST DROP’
New Castle’s Climate and Environmental Commission presents “The Last Drop,” a documentary film from National Geographic, at the New Castle Library at 6pm followed by a Q&A.
AUTHOR TALK
Aspen Words presents Tara Roberts, author of “Written in the Waters,” speaking at TACAW at 6pm with a book signing to follow.
SWEET STORIES SOCIAL
Kids and their grown ups are invited to the Basalt Library to pull a mystery book from its “Blind Date with a Book” station and craft at its Valentine’s Day making table from 5 to 6:30pm.
POTBELLY PERSPECTIVES
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies presents “Participatory Science: Exploring the Peruvian Amazon” with Patricia Goudvis at 6pm at Hallam Lake. Register to attend at www.aspennature.org
MENOPAUSE 101
La Clínica del Pueblo hosts a threepart, bilingual menopause education series each Wednesday through Feb. 25 at 6pm at the Third Street Center. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/ MenopauseLaClinica
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12
NONFICTION BOOK CLUB
The Nonfiction Book Club discusses artificial intelligence at the Carbondale Library from 2 to 3:30pm.
BANNED BOOK CLUB
The Banned Book Club discusses “Monster” by Walter Dean Myers at the Basalt Library from 4 to 5pm.
CROCHET VALENTINES
Carbondale Library’s Crafty Teens club makes crochet valentines from 6 to 7pm. Teens in seventh grade and above are welcome.
SUSTAINABILITY SOCIAL CLUB
Join fellow conservationists for a friendly Sustainability Social Club potluck at the Third Street Center from 4:45 to 6:30pm. To join the email list, visit www.bit.ly/Sustainability-Social
ONGOING EVENTS
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers “Hole in the Donut AA,” Monday through Saturday at 6:45am, plus “Daily Reprieve” at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Find a full schedule at www.meetingplacecarbondale.org
ROARING FORK ZEN
A new Zen meditation community based in Carbondale gathers for meditation at True Nature to sit from 8 to 9am on Mondays and 7:30 to 8:30pm on Wednesdays weekly.
TAI CHI
Community tai chi sessions are hosted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10am at the Third Street Center. Newcomers are welcome. For details, email jhof@rof.net
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.
PARKINSON’S EXERCISES
An exercise class for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, MS or any other neuromuscular conditions is offered at the Glenwood Springs Library every Monday from 1 to 2pm. For more details, email dnovak@parkinsonrockies.org or call 866-718-2996.
IN STITCHES
The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 1:30pm.
BOARD GAMES
Kids (5 and up) play board games in the Treehouse Room at the Basalt Library
Mondays at 4pm. Snacks provided.
RAGING GRANNIES
All are welcome to join the Raging Grannies, singing for a healthy planet and a kind world, on Wednesdays at the Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists office at the Third Street Center from 4:30 to 5:45pm.
CRYSTAL RIVER AIKIKAI
Crystal River Aikikai offers aikido classes for kids from 4:45 to 5:45pm and teens and adults from 6 to 7pm on Mondays at 13 Moons Ranch, south of Carbondale.
ENGLISH IN ACTION
Volunteer English tutors and developing learners meet for informal conversational practice at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 6:30pm. Interested in becoming a tutor? Email angela@englishinaction.org or call 970-963-9200.
AFRICAN DANCE
Dance to live drumming by the Carbondale Rhythm Collective at the Glenwood Springs Library on Mondays from 6:30 to 8pm.
BABY STORYTIME
The Carbondale Library hosts baby storytime at 11:30am on Tuesdays.
RAISING A READER
Basalt Library hosts an hour of storytime, activities and snacks Tuesdays at 10:30am.
PILATES
Coredination offers weekly pilates mat classes for all levels at The Launchpad in Carbondale. Tuesdays from noon to 1pm intermediate/advanced students are welcome. Beginners are encouraged to attend on Thursdays from 8 to 9am. For more info, call 970-379-2187.
Sharing awws and laughs at the Crystal Theatre
MYKI JONES
Sopris Sun Correspondent
The Crystal Theatre Alliance has been busy rolling films for audiences in Carbondale ever since taking over from the esteemed Ezra family last year and converting the beloved single-screen cinema to a nonprofit. The theater isn’t just inviting moviegoers, however, but is hosting various forms of live entertainment. Two such chances are on deck: the No Swipe Social, an interactive dating game, on Feb. 12 (7pm), and a comedy show on Feb. 26 (7:30pm).
General Manager Will Grandbois explained that experimenting with multi-use programming should help gauge what types of events the space can accommodate.
“Part of our vision from the very beginning with the Crystal Theatre Alliance has been to make the space more multi-use,” Grandbois told The Sopris Sun. “We have the makings of a really nice little auditorium with some minor sound, curtain and lighting improvements we’re working on, which is part of what we’re still fundraising for.”
“We’re experimenting with what we can do before we have the full financial ability to do everything we want to do,” he continued. “Of course, it comes at the same time as MovieLand’s closing, so we’re trying to find the balance.”
The two upcoming live events
are hosted by siblings Aubree and Zach Schiesser, respectively. Aubree, who is spearheading the No Swipe Social, hopes to make it a regular occurrence. Her intent: to bring people together.
She has a knack for organizing group socials, from full moon gatherings at Ruedi Reservoir to clothing swaps at the library. “I see events as fun puzzles to solve,” she said. “The community needs ‘x’ — how do we make it happen?”
“I’ve lived a lot of different lives and worn a lot of hats,” she continued. “Performing isn’t new
to me. I’ve done runway, roller derby and go-go dancing back home, and, locally, this will be my second year participating in the Carbondale Fashion Show. What is new is hosting. This will be my first time leading a full show on a microphone, and it feels like a fun, exciting challenge.”
The No Swipe Social will be set up similarly to classic dating game shows that were popular in the ‘60s, one of the most prominent being “The Dating Game,” but also plays on modern dating media. Attendees will get
a nametag of one of three colors: red indicating a person is taken, yellow that they’re there to mingle and green signifying they’re single and ready to roll. A contestant and three suitors will share the stage at a time, divided by a privacy screen, as Aubree asks "flirty" and "thoughtful" questions. The audience will also be able to chime in by raising yay or nay flags in response to each prompt.
“We’ll be pulling from different green name tag wearers each round so there’s variety,” Aubree said. “Folks with yellow name tags won’t go into the bowl for on-stage play, but they’re very much part of the mingling and audience interaction.”
It’s inclusive, and not gender specific. “When a contestant is chosen, they simply share who they’re interested in,” men, women, any gender, she explained. Of course, there won’t be any pressure to dive into a relationship or fling at the end of the night.
“This really started as a conversation about dating in the Valley,” Aubree explained. “There’s a common narrative that ‘There’s no one to date here,’ and I simply don’t buy into that. I have so many single friends who are absolute catches. The people are here; we just need better containers to bring them together.”
“Whether you’re single or taken, it’s a great night out,” she stated. “And if you are taken, bring your single friends.”
Comedy at the Crystal Zach is hosting Comedy at the Crystal on Feb. 26. The open-micstyle event invites folks to sign up at the door to get on stage for a five minute slot. Depending on turnout, some acts may be able to go longer. Comedians don’t have to pay the ticket price — “No charge for the brave,” as Zach put it.
“I will be hosting and emceeing, so I’m kind of having to work on in-between comics, shorten down bits,” Zach told The Sun.
“It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time,” he continued.
Zach is grateful to have landed the Crystal venue. The show is also a result of listening and heeding the call of friends who’d like to test out skits and step out of their comfort zones. He hopes the comedians will be inspired to network, practice bits and bounce ideas off of each other.
Enjoy the shows, folks!
Both events are 21+ and proceeds benefit the Crystal Theatre Alliance. For advanced tickets, visit www.crystaltheatrecarbondale.com
Siblings Aubree and Zach Schiesser are bringing two new live events to the Crystal Theatre this month, the No Swipe Social on Feb. 12 and Comedy at the Crystal on Feb. 26. Photo courtesy of the Crystal Theatre Alliance
Megan Hiles, MD, MBA, FACP
Redstone Art Foundation celebrates art and justice with movie night at Redstone Inn
WILL BUZZERD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
This Saturday evening, Feb. 7, the Redstone Art Foundation kicks off its third winter movie night series at the Redstone Inn with a combo of Mexican cuisine and screening of the 2015 film “Woman in Gold.” While the dinners are a paid affair, Crystal River Valley cinephiles can sit in on the screening for free.
“Woman in Gold” tells the true story of Maria Altmann, a Jewish refugee living in the United States who fought a decade-long legal battle with the government of Austria to reunite with a portrait of her aunt after it had been stolen from their family by the Nazi Party. That portrait is none other than Gustav Klimt’s iconic Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, otherwise known as The Woman in Gold.
Starring Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann, the film is “a powerful true story about resilience, the pursuit of justice and a woman’s battle to recover her family’s legacy” in the words of a press release from the Redstone Art Foundation, and a timely and inspiring story about the fight for heritage amidst dispossession.
Redstone Art Foundation began hosting movie nights in
collaboration with the Redstone Inn two years ago. The screening is the first of the season and marks the third year of the successful cold-weather attraction.
“We try and do movie nights in the winter months when there’s not a lot happening in the Crystal Valley,” said Dione Holt, president of the Redstone Art Foundation.
The movie nights also keep the board at the Redstone Art Foundation busy in the quiet months following the Holiday Market, which drew residents across the Crystal River Valley to Redstone for a festive day of snowy horsedrawn sleigh rides.
Previous movie nights have included screenings of “The Rise and Fall of Outlaw Art,” a documentary about the famed street artist Banksy, and “Frida,” a biography of Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo.
While the Redstone Art Foundation has always chosen art-centric films for its movie nights, Holt says the board is also taking a look at documentaries featuring local artists to present at future screenings.
While selections for those screenings are forthcoming, Redstone Art Foundation will also be featuring local artists in
person. Doug Graybeal, a Roaring Fork Valley resident who specializes in combining watercolors and pastels for vibrant landscape paintings, will share his techniques with the public during a free Artist Talk at the Redstone Gallery on Feb. 13 from 4 to 6pm.
In the midst of planning movie nights, the Redstone Art Foundation is also keeping busy this winter finding artists for its Plein Air Festival and the Labor Day Art Show, which will also celebrate the foundation’s 30th anniversary. “Last year was probably the most artists we’ve ever had,” Holt said. “We had 45 artists. We’re hoping to fill the grounds even more this year, and we’re trying to figure out how many we can accommodate to make it the biggest and best event yet.”
In terms of this Saturday evening, Redstone Inn’s own chefs will be preparing the dinner before the show from a fixed menu, including chile relleno and vegetable enchiladas. For dessert, guests can choose between a piece of apple crisp or a flourless chocolate cake. Those indulging in libations can also enjoy a margarita or an Aperol spritz for an additional charge.
Act Now Before Peripheral Neuropathy Redefines Your Days
Don’t let burning, tingling, and numbness steal ease and joy from your life.
Living in the Roaring Fork Valley means living in motion. Our community includes skiers in their 70s who still chase powder mornings, gardeners who coax life out of the high-desert soil, musicians who rehearse late into the evening, ranchers waking before dawn to move their herd to summer pastures. Whether it's nerve damage from chemotherapy, diabetes, or other causes, when neuropathy takes hold, it is about more than just discomfort: It's about the impact on identity.
The numbness, tingling, burning, and loss of dexterity in the hands or feet touches the activities that make a life feel rich and full. For some, it shows up as a missed foothold on a trail or the dropped guitar pick. For others, it’s the new frustration while tying a fly, holding a paintbrush, buttoning a shirt, or stepping into ski boots. Some describe it as stepping on pebbles during yoga; others as buzzing, restless sensations interrupting the quiet hours of the night.
Symptoms result in pulling back from meaningful activities, giving
up on projects, or even feeling less confident behind the wheel. Neuropathy isn’t just a medical condition; it can be the slow erosion of everyday freedom.
Many people hear a discouraging message from Western medicine: “Here is your medication to help with discomfort, there’s nothing more we can do.” While neuropathy is complex and challenging, the nervous system is not static. It retains the capacity to change, adapt, and regain function, especially when supported with consistent, thoughtful treatment. Medications can help with pain, but standard treatment does not improve nerve conduction or repair. Side effects like sedation, fogginess, physical dependence, rebound pain, and digestive issues can interfere with the very activities people are trying to return to.
A Clear Path to Relief
If you’re tired of pain keeping you up at night, frustrated by the loss of sensation that limits the activities you love and need, don’t wait. Zelena Medicine’s approach goes beyond managing symptoms to treat the underlying damage using a targeted combination of
In December, the Redstone Art Foundation drew Crystal
residents to Redstone for a snowier-than-expected Holiday Market. This saturday evening, the foundation invites local cinephiles for dinner and a movie sheltered from the elements in the Redstone Inn. Courtesy photo
The event will be held in the main dining room of the Redstone Inn. Dinner seating will begin at 5pm, with the film to follow at 6:15pm. Dinner is priced at $27.95, plus tax and tip, while the screening is complimentary and open to the public. Guests interested in dinner can register in advance with the Redstone Inn at 970-963-2526.
therapies. This includes: noninvasive ATP Resonance BioTherapy® to support healthy cell energy production, researchsupported acupuncture protocols to promote nerve signaling and repair, and manual therapy to improve circulation and decrease hyper-sensitivity. Unlike conventional methods, these treatments help relieve pain and discomfort, reduce inflammation, and repair damaged nerves.
“People seek my support because they want more from their care,” says Mishe Skenderova, clinician and owner of Zelena Medicine. “They know how precious each day is, and want to keep creating, hiking with friends, playing their instrument, dancing at weddings and showing up for those they love.”
What people experience with treatment
“I love hiking, but because of my neuropathy I kept feeling like my socks were getting wrinkled and balled up inside my shoes. It was kind of painful and very frustrating. Treatment got me back on my favorite trails, and I no longer worry about tripping and getting hurt.”
“I had more and more trouble with the buttons on my shirt. I was
dropping things like my car keys because my fingers just didn’t feel right. Treatment helped me have more control over my day to day. It’s such a relief.”
“Before, I used to wake up with pain in my feet all the time. I was crabby and foggy from so little sleep. I wasn’t sure about acupuncture but after a few weeks I noticed I was sleeping so much better.”
If neuropathy has reshaped the way you move or participate in the life you love, you have options.
Reclaim the activities that make your life feel like yours.
Book a consultation with Zelena
River Valley
Mishe Skenderova LAc, MSOM
Thunder River’s winter events turn attention to high elevations
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
This winter, Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) has mountains on the mind. Next week, the nonprofit opens its third show of the winter, “K2.” The play is named for its setting, the second-highest mountain in the world, where two men confront mortality and the meaning of life.
In preparation for that show, TRTC last weekend hosted real-life mountaineer Mike Marolt to discuss his experiences in high elevations. Audiences were also treated to a showing of the documentary “Shishapangma: Ski from the Death Zone.” The short film covers Marolt’s first 8,000-meter-peak ski descent with his twin brother, Steve, and their friend and mountaineering partner, Jim Gile, in 2000.
As a child, Marolt dreamed of being a baseball player, or a ski racer like his father, Olympian Max Marolt. But when he was 12 years old, his dad had the twins pack the family station wagon with ski gear, then drove them up Independence Pass to climb and ski what locals call “4th of July Bowl.” It was early July, and the young Marolt said that experience forever changed how he and his brother thought about skiing.
As they grew up, skiing and mountaineering became steadily more interwoven in their lives. The pair climbed and skied Alaska’s 20,310-foot Denali in their 20s before turning their sights to even loftier heights. They and Gile attempted 26,414-foot Broad Peak in 1997 as a pure climb; Marolt said they were dreaming of skis for nearly the entire endeavor. While they didn’t end up making the summit of the peak on the PakistaniChinese border, they did share their permit with Ed Viesturs, who encouraged them to attempt another 8,000-meter expedition when they had the chance.
The Marolts’ mountaineering passion and lingering question about skis above 26,000 feet led them to plan the trip to Tibet’s Shishapangma, which at 26,335 feet (8,027 meters) is the lowest of the world’s 14 highest mountains. They brought photo and video equipment on that trip. The footage turned into a film and an episode of the 2000s television show “Danger Diaries.” It also became the start to Marolt’s mountain film career, and a key piece to how the trio funded their mountaineering expedition trips moving forward.
During Marolt’s high-elevation endeavors, he and his climbing partners have had to face extreme natural hazards and human frailty. Early in their Shishapangma climb, they helped in the attempt
to save a Taiwanese climber suffering from highaltitude edema. Despite their efforts, the man died in Steve Marolt’s arms.
Thunder River will explore the dangers and the tedium of high-elevation mountaineering when “K2” opens on Friday, Feb. 13 until its closing night on Sunday, March 1. The two-man show’s characters, Harold and Taylor, are stranded at 27,000 feet on one of the world’s most dangerous mountains. The play contemplates personality, challenge, values and sacrifice as the two characters confront life-threatening circumstances in thin air.
“There is something so thrilling and completely challenging about producing this show,” said director Missy Moore, “because of the technical requirements that this play demands and the given circumstances that the actors must believably portray. This play has been on my bucket list to direct for decades and I think that it is so exciting that TRTC has the tenacity to produce it and to bring another exhilarating play to our patrons and community.”
Actor Elijah Pettet looks forward to the intersection of his passions in the project. “I’m extremely excited to do this performance because it combines my love of mountaineering, safety and the outdoors with my love of theater. Throughout the process of building the set [which is a mountain], stunt coordination, safety briefings and acting, I am absolutely in my wheelhouse 100 percent of the time.”
In conjunction with the show, TRTC will host a special Thunderchat evening on Wednesday, Feb. 18 with Alan Arnette, Fort Collins-based mountaineering journalist and climber. Arnette climbed the world’s Seven Summits (the highest mountains of each continent) between 2010 and 2011 while raising money for Alzheimer’s research in honor of his late mother. In addition to having climbed Mount Everest four times and all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks, Arnette summited K2 in 2014; at the time, he was the oldest American to ever do so, at the age of 58.
Tickets for TRTC’s K2 are available online at www.thunderrivertheatre.com or by calling 970-963-8200. General admission costs $45 per ticket, and premium seats cost $60 each. The show starts at 7:30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays after it opens next Friday, and matinee performances are at 2pm each Sunday through March 1. Tickets for the Feb. 18 conversation with Alan Arnette are $45 each for general admission.
Heads up on a national health threat
In this new year of the Horse, when cultures celebrate a fresh start, I recall my own in 1976, when I migrated to our Roaring Fork Valley. My first statewide joy was to contribute to the plan by Governor Lamm and John Denver to expand I-70 through Glenwood Canyon without blasting a “typical four-lane.” They worked tirelessly for us, wild creatures and our Colorado River. It was a huge effort to create a way for wildlife to pass under and quench their thirst. Despite a mindless federal agency, the project guided countless communities. Wildlife lived here, longer than man. Animals would still walk to their river to drink. What was the federal plan? To let cars going 60 miles per hour in darkness hit the large creatures, causing accidents and backups?
Today we face a national health threat that could cause a North American continental health crisis for thousands of humans and other animals. In December, the SPEED (H.R.4776) PERMIT (H.R.3898) acts were passed by our U.S. House of Representatives. Our Third District representative, Jeff Hurd, voted for both.
By Sarah Pletts
Standard protocol is that the bills now go to the Senate. If 51 senators say “no,” then they do not become law. Essentially SPEED & PERMIT propose to override the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970. We already have too much poison in our water and air. These would allow more. Most of us know someone with a health issue from pollution — a breathing problem, a skin rash or, worse, a life-threatening disease.
My mother, a Colorado resident for 25 years, was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer at 79. A Boulder doctor tracked her life-threatening illness to starting in childhood and DDT use on her Maine farm. His research shows that accumulated toxins in humans results in disease. I was an instructor at the New England School of Osteopathic Medicine. My class was “Moving Energy for Healing,” and both the head of nursing and the assistant dean of the medical school attended regularly. We helped treat fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and some cancers.
Physics proves that all matter starts as energy, so when we assess the energetic cause behind “dis-ease” we can heal. Countless scientists and true medical practitioners have proved that contaminants cause illness and death.
Through much effort over 1.5 years, my mother recovered from lymphoma, but many have died. Mother’s recovery required telephone consulting in Switzerland and following a local naturopath and an oncologist. She drank fresh juices daily and we kept her weight up. This toxin related disease also cost my family, Medicare and an insurance company thousands of dollars.
I’m a consumer in the Third District. I buy gasoline – though I saved years to buy an economical hybrid. I purchase used items and repair things. Instead of building more with few constraints, we need to retrofit and build green, because we must have clean water and air. Health comes first, for without that, we have nothing.
In consulting with Colorado Public Radio, I am told that these bills may be the House’s marker for negotiations and that they may not get a floor vote in the Senate. But how do we know? This is too big of a risk to take that chance. When I called Representative Hurd’s office on Friday, Dec. 12 and asked when the SPEED bill was planned for a vote, I suspect I was misinformed. I was told, “Not anytime soon, as we hope for more support.” I suspect the plan was to vote during the holidays because people were celebrating.
After 43 days and nights of worrying about poisoning more small animals and fish, I had another nightmare recently about our convoluted leadership system. More voters need to follow their heart and vote for individuals. Most vote for a “party” or the “lesser of two evils.” Do you? The U.S. is still the largest user of resources per capita on Earth. Are you thinking primarily of your own home, yard and family, or do you act to protect the lives of fellow humans and wildlife?
Each one of us can take responsibility for the governmental mess we’ve created. We must encourage honest people to run for office and serve, not combat. I am registered Independent and helped elect an Independent Maine governor, who then became a senator. He is not beholden to a destructive economy.
The solution to industry’s dangerous pollution is to require adequate filtering systems on equipment before releasing waste into our world. It is that simple. Were these bills to pass in our Senate, we could never clean it up. We are stewards of the watershed for the western states and our responsibility lies in protecting all life here and beyond.
Grateful that I live where I can write this.
Missy Moore and Mike Marolt discuss his mountaineering career and early film “Shishapangma: Ski from the Death Zone.” Photo by Annalise Grueter
CABIN WINETASTINFEVERG
Thursday Feb 19th 5-8pm Thompson
17th Birthday Celebration
The Arc of the Central Mountains: An open door for Valley families
ZULMA ASTRID GUARIN
Sol del Valle
EDITOR’S NOTE: The author of this article also works professionally with The Arc of the Central Mountains.
If you live in the Roaring Fork Valley, you’ve probably heard of many programs, benefits and acronyms that sound like another language altogether: Medicaid, IEP, CCB, Social Security. For many families, the challenge isn’t a lack of love or effort — it’s the complexity of a services system that can be difficult to navigate.
That challenge is compounded by the realities of life in a rural valley: long distances, unpredictable weather and packed schedules. Advice like “just call and ask” isn’t always so simple. Some families are juggling two jobs, some parents can’t leave their children home alone, others don’t have reliable transportation, and many simply don’t know where to start. In this context, community organizations like The Arc of the Central Mountains provide guidance and information to families seeking a way forward.
The organization describes its mission as promoting and protecting the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy and support services, so they can be valued members of their communities and pursue their goals with dignity.
According to the organization, The Arc’s work focuses on helping families understand processes related to education, access to services, continuity of support and the transition to adulthood.
“Families almost never come in with just one question,” said Jill Pidcock, executive director of The Arc. “They come with a whole story — fear, exhaustion, confusion and often the feeling that no one is listening. Our job is to help them regain clarity and a sense of direction.”
Based in Glenwood Springs, The Arc serves Eagle, Garfield, Lake and Pitkin counties, providing services in communities throughout the Valley.
The organization reports that its support can begin at many different stages of life, from early childhood services and guidance during school years to transitions into adulthood, employment, community inclusion and long-term services.
What The Arc does
The Arc’s work is organized into three categories: advocacy,
community outreach and education.
Advocacy includes supporting families as they navigate administrative and legal processes related to services and rights. This can involve organizing documents, preparing for meetings, explaining rights and available options and offering guidance on communicating with schools or service agencies.
Community outreach focuses on creating spaces for information-sharing and dialogue among families, people with disabilities and other community members, with the goal of increasing understanding of disabilities and awareness of available resources in the Valley.
Community education is offered through workshops, informational sessions and one-on-one guidance — initiatives designed to help families understand public service systems and make informed decisions.
While every situation is different, common topics come up again and again: school processes, Medicaid and long-term services, Social Security and other benefits, employment and the transition to adulthood, connecting with local providers and systems. According to the organization,
these questions reflect a strong need for clear information and steady support navigating complex processes.
In a valley with a significant Spanish-speaking population, The Arc provides services in Spanish as part of its community work. This includes guidance on how service systems function and support in making decisions related to independence and legal protections.
The organization notes that language barriers often overlap with other challenges, such as unfamiliarity with the system and social isolation.
Organizations like The Arc of the Central Mountains are part of the Valley’s local support network, offering guidance and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
Interested in learning more? Contact The Arc of the Central Mountains at 970-456-2065 to schedule an appointment, or visit 817 Colorado Avenue, Suite 304, in Glenwood Springs.
by Raleigh Burleigh.
This article was translated with AI assistance and reviewed
Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo
The Arc of the Central Mounts core team (from left to right): Executive Director Jill Pidcock, Assistant Director of Operations and Outreach Maribel Obreque, Advocate Zulma Guarin. Courtesy photo
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
All Lives Living
By Roaring Fork Senior Living residents Glenwood Springs
Noticing is inspiring. Perhaps it’s only inspiring when you’re really noticing all lives living.
Mt. Sopris with the sun shining down Giving alpenglow
The Roaring Fork River is pretty to look at Amazing to see the little ice floes
White House Pizza specialties on Mondays Are very good
People are awake, and it’s
good to be awake
So we know what’s going on in the world
Hearing people and what they’ve done
And what they deal with
Makes for a nice day when you look around
To see what people are up to, as they are in and out
I saw ducks down by the river, about 15 of them, or 10
Charlie and I saw a bear who comes around
The trees look like dinosaurs
on the flattops
When my son and I look up from our porch
I love Mt. Sopris, to stand and look at
The different lights that shine on it
Watching the shadows move along the mountain
There is a shadow of a gorilla on Mt. Sopris
There is a buffalo reflected On the Aspen side of Mt. Sopris
It’s not snowing, and I’m waiting for some now
I watch the whole mountain In front of me in Glenwood
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
And the sun comes around the corner of the it
Then pops! It’s like the birth of the sun
I enjoy the love of all
It’s so unique, and you can look and smile
And say we’ll get there, one way or another
There ain’t no snow, it’s way too hot
This southerner loves it, just the right temperature
It was cool and beautiful when I walked along the river
Exquisite!
I saw a bald eagle fly down the river
We must remember
All the things we’re doing here
And all the days when none of this was here
The people who brought this Here were overwhelmed
And had to crawl and set up on the dirt
Don’t worry, we’re taking care
All the people here in the mountains
Together, a beautiful sight I say thank you every day
Noticing is inspiring. Perhaps it’s only inspiring when you’re really noticing all lives living.
What are you noticing?
County carried out a series of fake traffic stops. Racist ace of spades cards, known as “death cards,” were left in the abandoned
We should not assume our peaceful community is immune. The man in the White House has already targeted Colorado — threatening to cut funding and end federal programs over the state’s refusal to comply with one of his personal vendettas. He has denied disaster aid to rural areas and blocked access to clean
Public safety depends on cooperation, not intimidation. ICE is casting an indiscriminate net, causing chaos and confusion. When people fear law enforcement, crimes go unreported, emergencies go untreated, and entire communities retreat. Everyone pays the price. When families are afraid to send their children to school, go to work, or seek medical care — and when neighbors hesitate to call for help — we are not safer. Trust erodes.
The facts matter: Non-criminal detainees now make up a large share of ICE arrests. As of early 2026, roughly half of people in ICE detention have no criminal conviction or only a pending charge. ICE’s own data shows up to 73% have no criminal convictions at all, and only about 5% have been convicted of violent offenses. So much for “the worst of the worst.”
ICE wields enormous power and must be held accountable. Our communities deserve transparency, restraint, and
Caroline Mooney New Castle
Many of us have spent time writing to Representative Jeff Hurd about issues important to us, such as defunding ICE, releasing the Epstein files, protecting NATO and our allies, and standing up to Trump on a number of issues important to western Colorado. Unfortunately, it’s not good enough to leave a message or just read from a script. We need to engage with
Here’s my recent experience: “Hi, how are you doing?” (Fine) “So you’re going to record my concerns and pass them
IMMIGRATION
from page 5
“Anytime someone files something with immigration, you should have a complete copy of that as a client,” Smith said. “If you sign a piece of paper, make sure you don’t leave that office without a copy of what you just signed.”
Smith also cautioned against promises that sound too good to be true and wiring money to strangers.
Smith recommended asking attorneys where they are licensed, how long they have practiced and whether they have handled similar cases. Colorado maintains an online database of licensed attorneys through its attorney regulation office.
Community response
For immigrants who believe they have been scammed, one solution might be to call Voces Unidas’ 24/7 hotline at 970-340-8586. The organization investigates civil rights violations, but also connects victims with free legal consultations and
on to Representative Hurd?” (Yes) “Can I share more than one concern?” (Yes) “ I think that Representative Hurd is a very likable guy, but I’m concerned that he’s not representing our interests in western Colorado. He voted for the big bill which took away insurance from thousands of Western Slopers while rewarding billionaires. He needs to demand that the Justice Department follow the law and release all the Epstein files. He needs to demand that Congress take up its role and block Trump‘s tariffs since only Congress can impose tariffs. He needs to stand up to Trump and defend NATO and especially Greenland. Did you get all that?” (Yes)
“So what was my message for Representative Hurd?” (Long pause. “You like him, but want him to stand up to Trump more.”) He couldn’t name one specific thing that I had said. I repeated my statement and he did better on the second try, but I doubt it will get passed on. Being a nice guy isn’t enough. We need better representation in Washington.
Peter Westcott Missouri Heights Gunnison caucus
The Gunnison County Republican Caucus & Assembly is being held on March 7 at the Fred Field Center at 275 S. Spruce Street, Gunnison. The doors will open at 8am for registration. The caucus will begin at 9am with an assembly to follow. All registered Gunnison County Republicans are welcome to attend and participate. Your registration must be updated no later than Feb. 12.
We have decided to make this a potluck event, as it could take several hours. Please bring a dish, snack or drinks to share.
ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: In order to comply with HB 24-1067 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you have a disability or require accommodations to participate in your precinct caucus, please contact the county leadership to least 30 days prior to caucus day so we can assist you and ensure full access.
Please contact me, the chairperson, with any questions or requests by email at cdobson13@protonmail.com, or visit our website: www.gunnisoncountyrepublicans.org
Cori Balch Gunnison
helps file complaints with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. Voces Unidas also maintains a legal defense fund for Western Slope residents caught up in immigration enforcement.
Also in the Valley, Mountain Action Indivisible has organized Know Your Rights workshops and shared resources with businesses to prepare for potential ICE visits. Smith, who has practiced immigration law for over 25 years, said the political climate has fundamentally changed how she advises clients. When counseling clients on their legal options, strategies she might have recommended in the past now carry significant risk of detention, forcing her to have different conversations with clients about whether certain actions are worth pursuing.
Other resources include Alpine Legal Services in Glenwood Springs, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Mountain Dreamers in Summit County and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network.
PEDALING FOR PEACE
Photos and text by Betsy Welch
On Saturday, people gathered on bikes around the world to ride in solidarity with each other and honor the life of Alex Pretti. Pretti, the ICU nurse who was killed by federal ICE agents on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was an avid cyclist himself.
The idea for a solidarity ride came from the folks at Pretti’s local bike shop in Minneapolis, the Angry Catfish. Their Instagram post on Jan. 26 honored Pretti as “one of us” and served as a call for action for other shops and clubs to organize their own rides. According to some sources, there were over 200 rides across the globe on Saturday, including two in Carbondale and Basalt.
GARDEN from page 6
sustainability and competing desires for future use of the property.
The GSRBG envisions the botanical garden as a community gathering place with demonstration gardens, pollinator habitat, educational spaces and possibly a small event lawn.
“We understand the City has many priorities, from housing to infrastructure,” the board’s news release stated. “We believe this project complements those goals by preserving history, adding public green space and strengthening community identity. There’s room in Glenwood’s future for both growth and preservation.”
The board hopes to work with the City to secure a long-term land lease for the property. The project itself would eventually be subject to a formal land-use review by the City, Speck said.
In the meantime, saving the greenhouse is the top priority. Without financial support, though, it could be permanently lost, she said.
To learn more about the project and to donate to the effort, visit the GSRBG website at www.glenwoodspringsriversidebotanicalgardens.com
BOTANICAL
For us, that’s Colorado and the people who call it home. When you bank with Alpine, you’re supporting a community-focused bank that reinvests in the neighborhoods we all
How Water Made the West
Author Talk & Book Signing
February 26th at 6 p.m. | Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs
Award-winning author and hydrologist Robert Crifasi explores the people, politics, and power of Western water. Presentation, Q&A, and book signing of Western Water A–Z. By donation | Books available for purchase
The American Southwest
Film Screening & Filmmaker Talk
March 28th at 5:30 p.m. | Vaudeville Theater, Glenwood Springs
A stunning, feature-length journey of the Colorado River from headwaters to delta, followed by a discussion with filmmaker and conservation biologist Ryan Olinger
$20 advance tickets | $25 at the door
Firewise Futures: Readiness & Resilience in the West
Film Screening, Expert Panel & Fire Safety Simulator
April 30th at 4:30 p.m. | Ute Theater, Rifle
A powerful wildfire documentary (Elemental ), expert panel discussion, and a hands-on, family- friendly fire safety simulator from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control. By donation
