After two summers without a municipal pool, Carbondale is proud to welcome the community to swim, lounge and play at its new all-electric, net-zero aquatics center.
The grand opening on May 23 followed years of planning, fundraising and construction. The John M. Fleet Pool of yonder opened in 1979 and was determined to be aging beyond repair about a decade ago. In 2020, the Town completed a formal feasibility study envisioning a new facility with multiple pools, a hot tub, recreation features including a climbing wall, improved accessibility and advanced sustainability.
COVID-era inflation presented a funding hurdle admirably overcome by the Let’s Make a Splash! Capital Campaign which raised $3.1 million in grants and private donations. This augmented a $8 million bond issue approved by 72% of Carbondale voters in 2022.
Land+Shelter, Connect One Design and AD Miller Services made the vision a reality. Find hours, pricing and other pool-related information at www.carbondalerec.com/aquatics or call the front desk at 970-963-2065.
Everyone was “having a ball” at the grand opening of the new Carbondale Aquatics Center on May 23. Photo by Jane Bachrach View from the roof. Photo by Brian Froelich
The “Let’s Make a Splash”
May 21. Five-hundred-forty-one
donor wall. Photo by James Steindler
The politics of amnesia
Government is a core pillar of local, state, national and global society. We trust it to make and enforce rules and responsibly spend tax dollars. We rely on it to operate core functions for health, safety and finance. We ask it to provide additional services that enhance our quality of life. We elect representatives to oversee these core needs and additional requests, and to provide leadership to guide our future. When choosing our leaders as voters, there is a lot to unpack, and this column, running once a month until Election Day, is intended to help readers do just that.
True story: A friend recently coaxed me into doing a cold plunge in the North Atlantic, resulting in a couple hours of more than usual forgetfulness. After I finally snapped out of it, I realized I had experienced a mild case of amnesia — transient global amnesia (TGA) to be exact. I suspect America suffers a bit from amnesia and I wonder when we will snap out of it. America’s recent shock to the system has been the colossal changes in almost every corner of our lives and every corner of the world. And like TGA, I may not have understood it beforehand, but I now know to take America’s symptoms seriously.
Think tariffs, worker protection policies and stronger anti-trust regulation. It proposes policies that favor family, community and tradition over individual freedoms. Think social conservatism and stricter immigration policies. It favors a stronger central government by prioritizing communal duties over self-expression and it rejects unrestricted free speech or pluralism.
This new ideology is a fundamental shift for America, and it’s causing chaos and conflict within both major political parties. And as the saying goes, “all politics is local,” so I genuinely want to understand what issues are important to the Republican and Democratic parties, and what they see as their roles during this election. Future columns will explore specific candidates and issues, but I started by interviewing the chairs of the Garfield County Republican and Democratic parties.
DIG A LITTLE DEEPER
Our collective amnesia seems to run in two-year cycles, when we are awakened by pundits and political parties reminding us that “this election is the most important ever.” This year, both parties are arguing that “our democracy is at stake.” If we dig a little deeper, we see that it isn’t just democracy at stake, but the very notion of liberalism, the very concept upon which America was born.
By Dan Richardson
The term liberalism, also referred to as classical liberalism, warrants a definition given how the term “liberal” has become so derogatory. Liberalism has three core ideals: 1) the individual as the focus of society, with individual liberty as the primary political value; 2) beliefs that are chosen by the individual and debatable within society, rather than imposed by the government; and 3) suspicion of power, and thus the notion that government’s role is to protect individual freedoms rather than restrict them. The United States was the first republic founded on these ideals.
America’s recent amnesia is a strong undercurrent surging beneath the waves as storms brew in the distance, and unfortunately the lifeguards are busy building sandcastles. The “progressive” Democrats are like kids plugging their ears and closing their eyes to avoid thinking about these changes, the “conservative” Republicans are content with letting the bullies run the playground, and powerful elites on both sides just keep banking on voters focusing on what’s popular instead of what’s important.
Increasingly more people, and people in positions of power, are arguing that liberalism has failed. Postliberalism, a new ideology, espouses entirely different values and an approach to governance that upends the doctrines of both progressivism and conservatism. Postliberalism prioritizes a reduced reliance on free markets and globalization by giving government more control of economics.
LETTERS
CORRECTION: Near New sales are reportedly down an average of $200 to $300 per day from last year, not per week as stated in last week’s article.
Gendering
Last week, you wrote an article about the Bonedale skatepark where you interviewed my brother, Zeb Burger. My family loved the article and everyone is excited about the revamp, but I couldn’t help but notice there were assumptions made and my brother was misgendered a few times. I’m transgender, so this hits close to home for me. I believe gender is a huge part of anyone’s identity, transgender or not, and my brother would be very happy if it was corrected. He uses he/him pronouns. Thank you so much! Carbondale is a wonderful place and we love living here. Skyelar Burger Carbondale
We are all human
After reading the article about the Glenwood Springs ICE detention center, I
Mae Gray is the chair of the Garfield County Dems, and was a lifelong Republican until she became an independent in 2016. She is inspired to focus on “joy and hope” and recognizes that the party “needs to do better” by reaching out to bring forth “compassion and love” and “earn the trust” of voters. She said that “people are not being heard” and acknowledged a disconnect between party ideals and reality, even in Colorado which is controlled by Democrat leadership yet has more than 50% unaffiliated voters and growing.
Spencer Thomas, the Garfield County Republicans chair, has always been a conservative but was also an independent before becoming a Republican. He served in the military and returned to the area frustrated by “bad ideas,” largely a result of the “liberal policy failure.” He can see past party lines, citing former Democrat Governor Dick Lamm as a good example of “plain old common sense.” He thinks it’s good when local government focuses on the economy, but believes “private enterprise is always better.”
Nearly all levels of politics have been dominated by these two parties, but the growing unrest of political ideologies warrants greater scrutiny of candidates and issues. So rather than automatically checking your political party box this election, perhaps there are deeper questions to ponder. Do the candidates welcome dissenting viewpoints and do they seek them out when they deliberate on difficult issues? How would they hold themselves and others accountable? Do their ideals align more with liberal or postliberal ideals? How have they demonstrated courage, humility and curiosity in previous leadership roles?
So, while the biggest changes are national and global, it all trickles down. Political parties, including the local ones, have the unique ability to provide a platform for ideas, to flesh out policies and to truly listen to voters. Or they can simply focus on getting members of their party elected. Thomas said that “voters need to wake up” and Gray wants “people to be heard.” With voters fleeing both parties to unaffiliate and be independent, just as Thomas and Gray once were, it would appear both parties have some work to do to break the cycle of amnesia.
started thinking more about how immigrants are treated and how a lot of people don’t really see what goes on behind everything. What stood out to me was how many people actually spoke out about it. It shows this issue affects real people and families, not just politics or headlines.
I think people should try to understand immigrants more instead of judging them, since many come to the United States searching for safety, opportunities, and a better life for their families. Immigrants are not any different from us, at the end of the day, we are all human and deserve respect and fair treatment. Immigrants also contribute greatly to America by working hard and helping communities and the economy grow while trying to build better futures for themselves and their families.
Mario Tellechea Roaring Fork High School Student
Flag Day
Flag Day is June 14. This year, our town will celebrate with a beautiful open-air
exhibit of “origin” flags behind Town Hall along the Rio Grande Trail. Age-Friendly Carbondale is collaborating with the Town and the Carbondale Public Art Commission to hang flags that represent whatever country or state our town’s inhabitants identify with personally, via birth or ancestry.
The American Flag and the Colorado flag will be large and on each side of the entry to the park behind Town Hall. We will hang the flags of states and countries that town people tell us they want to see representing their family history. The flags will be 12” x 18” and hang vertically from the top rung of the wood fence.
We celebrate the U.S. and Colorado flags as a welcome to all of us who were either born in Colorado or were born elsewhere and came here to be collectively Carbondale, now! If you wish to tell us which flag you would like to see to honor family history, please email info@ agefriendlycarbondale.org
continued on page 18
Editor James Steindler
970-510-3003
news@soprissun.com
Managing Editor Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
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 & Development Manager
Margarita Alvarez margarita@soldelvalle.org
Advertising Designer
Emily Blong
Delivery
Frederic Kischbaum
Bartlett
Proofreaders
Lee Beck
Tracy Kallassy
Ken Pletcher
Hank van Berlo
Executive Director
Todd Chamberlin 970-510-0246 todd@soprissun.com
Board Members / Mesa Directiva board@soprissun.com
Klaus Kocher • Kay Clarke • Eric Smith
Roger Berliner • Elizabeth Phillips
Anna Huntington • Loren Jenkins
Carlos Ramos • Gayle Wells
The Sopris Sun Board meets at 6pm on second Thursdays at the Third Street Center.
The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible.
Sincerest thanks to our Honorary Publishers for their annual commitment of $1,000+
Kathy & Carter Barger
Lee Beck & John Stickney
Karen & Roger Berliner
Emily & George Bohmfalk
Kay Brunnier
Michelle & Ed Buchman
Sandy & Paul Chamberlin
Frances Dudley
Sue Edelstein & Bill Spence
Deborah & Shane Evans
Greg & Kathy Feinsinger
Peter & Mike Gilbert
Michael & Nancy Kish
Gary & Jill Knaus
Jan & Warren Koster
Bob & Dori Libson
Lee Mulcahy
Donna & Ken Riley
Eric Smith
Patti & George Stranahan
Gayle & Dick Wells
Elizabeth Wysong
Legacy Givers for including us in their final wishes. Mary Lilly
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
Shoshone water
A Western Slope coalition last week gained a major step toward securing local water rights tethered to the Shoshone Hydroelectric Facility just east of Glenwood Springs on the Colorado River. The Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Coalition & Campaign announced on May 22 they secured $40 million in funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In a $99 million deal, the coalition is striving to purchase the water rights from the owner of the Shoshone Power Plant, Xcel Energy, a move they say would preserve the section of river’s flow into the future. With the $40 million, which was reappointed after it was originally awarded by the Biden administration then frozen by the Trump administration, the coalition has raised $97 million of the $99 million price tag.
River Report
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
Roaring Fork Conservancy released its first River Report of the year on May 21, reporting “rivers across the Roaring Fork Watershed are flowing well below average for this time of year, at 27-40% of normal.” The “historically poor” runoff is attributed to record-breaking low snowpack and unseasonably warm spring temperatures. Despite recent rainfall, the watershed is experiencing exceptional drought.
Speech and debate
Two students from Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) qualified for the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Competition. Juno Zislis and Maddie Lucks will be among 7,000 highschoolers representing 1,500 schools at the tournament from June 14-19 in Richmond, Virginia. The achievement marks the second and third time a student from the Valley has qualified for the national competition, according to RFHS Speech and Debate Team Coach Denise Wright. Lucks previously qualified in 2025.
RFSD accolades
Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) survey results reflect satisfaction among both student families and teachers. The annual Panorama Family Survey was administered to parents and guardians across the district and yielded 81% to 92% positive responses across all survey categories, including student learning, school culture and support from educators. Areas for improvement identified family engagement and communication and access to mental health services as priorities. Meanwhile, RFSD educators reported favorably in a separate survey administered by the Colorado Department of Education every two years, with an overall score of 86% compared with the statewide average of 81%.
River Edge rezoning
Garfield County approved a planned unit development (PUD) revocation application for the land encompassing the unrealized River Edge Colorado project, redesignating the zoning to residential/suburban. The roughly 159-acre, two-parcel property is located between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs near Cattle Creek. The application was submitted by Harvest Roaring Fork, LLC. Back in 2001, the Sanders Ranch PUD was approved for 62 single- and multi-family dwellings, but that development was revoked in 2007. The River Edge PUD included 366 units. According to Garfield County Planner John Leybourne, the residential/suburban zoning is consistent with future land use mapping densities and complies with the County’s comprehensive plan.
Water leasing
Garfield County is helping the West Divide Water Conservancy District meet its agricultural and domestic water needs by leasing the
Monday-Friday 8am-6pm
district 200 acre-feet of water from Ruedi Reservoir, half of the total leasable water the county holds rights to in Ruedi. District President Samuel Potter said the district might try and lease an additional 185 acre-feet from the county if available. “This is dependent on use with our augmentation plans,” Potter reportedly told Garfield County Commissioners. “We, potentially, would not use that whole 185 [acre-feet]… If it is available and you have no other use for it, or other people who are interested in it, West Divide would like to be in line for that water.”
CDOT Plan
The Colorado Department of Transportation announced last week it has approved a 10-year plan to fix roads, advance transportation safety and increase transportation options. “This 10-year Plan is part of our firm commitment to a safer, more connected future for every Coloradan,” CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said in a press release. The plan will focus on repairing and replacing aging bridges and fixing roadway across the state’s regions. It will implement “critical safety projects” to ensure travelers’ secure arrival at their destinations as well as increase multimodal connectivity and expand alternatives to single-occupancy transportation.
Firearms safety
The State of Colorado is seeking feedback to inform final guidance on SB25-003, requiring firearm safety training and an eligibility card issued by a sheriff to purchase and/or transfer specified semiautomatic firearms. The bill also prohibits the purchase and sale of all rapid-fire conversion devices, like bump stocks and binary triggers. Learn more and chime in at www.bit.ly/SB25-003
They say it’s your birthday!
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Louis Meyer, Alex Salvidrez, Amanda Seubert and Wayne Wander (May 28); Clark Cretti (May 29); Rianna Briggs (May 30); Tobin Haefle, Chip Munday, Shea Nieslanik, Debbie Romanus and Carolyn Sackariason (June 1); Li McBrayer, Easton O’Flannery and Tracy Trulove (June 2); Emily Elizabeth, Cheryl Frymire, Trary Maddalone LaMee and Anna Ramirez (June 3).
Power goes out in Glenwood, party’s on in Carbondale
Bonedale receives 2,000 more visitors due to Glenwood Springs’ power outage, data shows
RAY K. ERKU
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Carbondale Beer Works poured more taps. Sopris Liquor and Wine scanned more bottles and cases. Peppino’s Pizza eventually had to turn away customers.
“We sold 30 to 40% more pizzas,” Peppino’s employee Andrew Gillies said. “We sold so much, we ran out of dough.”
Three thousand one hundred residents from Glenwood Springs to Silt were without power for hours on Saturday, May 16. According to Xcel Energy, the prolonged outage was caused by a “large foreign object,” possibly a tarp, colliding with transmission and distribution lines.
This meant folks not only couldn’t keep the lights on, many downvalley businesses did not have the otherwise routine ability to serve customers. Since power wasn’t restored until shortly before 9pm that Saturday, Carbondale servers and bartenders licked their wounds the following morning after accommodating the ensuing influx of Glenwood-based consumers driving down Highway 82 for a bite to eat, or perhaps a much-needed drink.
The unanticipated rush manufactured 2,000 more visitors to Carbondale compared to an average Saturday night, according to Pacer AI data gathered by Andrea Stewart, Carbondale Chamber of Commerce CEO and president.
“We definitely saw more people due
to that,” Stewart said of Glenwood’s power outage.
The sudden rise in commerce comes as Carbondale battles typical off-season sales tax declines, with Stewart saying that some local businesses are doing well while others “are just hanging on.” Average monthly revenue from the town’s sales tax collections went from 92% and 97% in April and May to 108% and 118% in July, 2025 data provided by Carbondale Finance Director Ola Verploegh shows.
“While we do experience some seasonality, with slightly lower sales tax collections during the spring and fall months, our revenues are not nearly as seasonal as those of the upvalley communities,” Verploegh told The Sopris Sun.
Still, Carbondale Beer Works owner Patrice Fuller said the impromptu rush from that Saturday’s outage spurred about a 45% increase in sales and revenue compared to the same time last year. Doubling the business than a typical Saturday night, she called the rush “wild.”
“I was super stoked because I definitely needed the business,” Fuller said of having less customers due to off-season. “And it was nice seeing people come to Carbondale who don’t come very often.”
Sopris Liquor employee Kaya Isenhart was off that Saturday. Instead of manning the register, the Glenwood Springs resident said he spent his power-absent time listening to downloaded podcasts and reading National
Geographic magazines in his car, which he also used to charge his dying phone after the power went out around 2pm.
“You drive by a place and it was shut down,” he said of Glenwood during the outage. Sopris Liquor, his employer, reported a modest $1,000 increase in sales that day. “City Market wasn’t available. That kind of sucked if you needed to get some groceries.”
For Gillies, in response to downvalley consumers coming to Carbondale amid that Saturday’s power outage, he smiled when he remembered just how busy everything became.
“Hope there’s another one,” he joked. “It was a fun Saturday.
Carbondale’s 2025 sales tax collections data expressed as a percentage of average monthly revenue:
January: 87%
February: 82%
March: 92%
April: 92%
May: 97%
June: 108%
July:
Novanti Anggreni of Peppino’s Pizza working on an average Tuesday. Photo by Ray K. Erku
Schools honor longtime retiring bus driver brothers
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
They’re his “bus kids” for life, whether they’re still in school today or the parent or grandparent he drove around 40-some years ago.
That’s how longtime Roaring Fork School District bus driver and former Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling thinks of all the students he’s driven to and from school, sporting events and field trips.
Likewise for his brother, Mike Schilling, who hasn’t been driving for nearly as long as Gene, but who still takes fond memories of all the kids, teachers and coaches he’s had on the bus into his retirement.
The Schilling brothers, both Roaring Fork High School alumni, are hanging it up after about 40 years altogether in Gene’s case and 28 years for Mike.
Crystal River Elementary, Carbondale Middle and Roaring Fork High schools all paid tribute to the Schillings with a special day of appreciation on May 20, when they made the rounds, in a bus of course, and were greeted with homemade signs, cards, treats and lots of hugs.
“They can’t find record of when I actually started, but it was 1978. And then I was gone for a while and came back, then had to stop and came back again,” Gene Schilling said of his non-consecutive years with the district’s transportation department.
He joined the Carbondale Police Department in 1983 and a few years later, in 1987, then-Police Chief Fred Williams
allowed him to resume driving a regular school bus route on the side.
“I felt it was a good connection with the community, and especially the kids, because then they grow up and have that connection with the police department,” Gene said. “I believe it made a difference.”
He eventually succeeded Williams as police chief in the late 1990s, and though there was a period of time when the Carbondale Town administration didn’t allow him to continue driving a bus, he came back again and kept a regular morning and afternoon bus route, most recently the Marble route.
Today, one of the students on his bus is the granddaughter of a former “bus kid” who’ll be turning 62 this year.
“They’re always going to be my bus kids, no matter what,” he said.
Some of his best memories came with driving the various Roaring Fork High sports teams to games, including the 2021 state championship run for the Rams boys soccer team.
“That was awesome, just being able to take a team to the state championship and being a Roaring Fork alumni myself,” he said. “I called Alpine Bank, and I said, ‘Hey, when we win today, are you guys buying dinner?”
The Rams of course won, and dinner was provided.
Gene also remembers driving to nearly all of the road games for the Roaring Fork boys basketball teams in the mid-2000s for
by John Stroud
coach Roger Walters, including two state runner-up showings at Moby Arena on the CSU campus in Fort Collins.
Walters came up to Gene on the bus early on and told him something that was about as meaningful as anything anyone has ever said to him.
“I didn’t know Roger from anyone, but we talked for a little bit and then he said, ‘Well, this is what I’m going to tell you. We’re a team, and you need to be part of the team and drive all of our trips,’” Gene said.
“So, for over five years I think I drove for all except for two of their games,” he added.
Brother Mike started driving the bus in
1997 after selling his hunting outfitter business, and with Gene’s encouragement.
“I told him to quit pressing the couch and get a job!” Gene quipped in typical little brother fashion.
Mike said it was actually something he’d been thinking about for some time, but his hunting business kept him too busy.
Once he started, though, he found he enjoyed it as much as his brother — especially seeing the wildlife out on those early morning school bus routes up on Missouri Heights, and then driving for the different sports teams and for student field trips.
continued on page 13
Brothers Gene, left, and Mike Schilling were greeted with lots of fanfare, high-fives, hugs and treats at Crystal River Elementary School as part of Schilling Appreciation Day on Wednesday, May 20. The Schillings are retiring from their longtime gigs as school bus drivers.
Photo
Stagnant, growing or mature: Where does Carbondale fall?
SKYLER STARK-RAGSDALE
Managing
Editor
Out-of-town experts came to Carbondale this week to discuss — and potentially improve — the downtown.
Denver-based Downtown Colorado, Inc., an organization founded in 1982 with the goal of helping to get downtowns “where they need to be,” spoke with the Board of Trustees, local business owners, residents and others to get a sense of where things stand and where the town might be headed. Executive Director Katherine Correll described the importance of their mission with a reference to a book by Peter Kageyama, “For The Love of Cities.”
“And the premise behind this book is exactly what I said, you can do the basics, you could fill every pothole in town, and that will not make people love Carbondale, right?” Correll told the Carbondale Board of Trustees at the Tuesday regular meeting. “It is the things that go above and beyond.”
The major players in Carbondale responsible for downtown’s functioning are the Town of Carbondale, Carbondale Arts, the Chamber of Commerce and the
newly-formed Main Street Business Alliance, according to Town Manager Ryan Hyland. Downtown Colorado, Inc.’s role is to help the Town identify areas it could improve upon, and then help align it with the resources to make those changes.
“At the beginning of the adventure, you just say where you’re headed,” Correll said, “and we can kind of help direct you toward the right resources to get you there.”
The organization conducted a survey earlier this month with business owners, employees, property owners, residents, customers and visitors to get a grasp on Carbondale’s challenges and areas to improve upon.
Housing affordability, the survey found, is the dominant issue worrying the community. Business viability relies upon housing, prices and foot traffic. Parking, mobility and access are “persistent tensions,” and the community desires a more vibrant, year-round downtown.
Gathering feedback from the Board, Downtown Colorado, Inc. asked each trustee to rate downtown Carbondale’s state as “stagnant,” “growing” or “mature.”
CAREGIVER CONFERENCE
June 3, 2026 10am-3pm
Correll defined “stagnant” as “a challenged business district with high vacancies, underutilized properties, uninviting public realm and a poor regional image.” “Growing” was defined as “an up-and-coming business district with a sprinkling of new business, pioneering new investments and an image of district in transition.” “Mature” represented “an established business district with a strong mix of retail, restaurants and jobs, [an] inviting public realm and a strong regional image.”
Trustees Colin Laird and Chris Hassig defined Carbondale as near the end of “growing” and pushing toward “mature.” Hassig said, right now, it’s more about sustaining momentum downtown than generating new ideas. Laird added that one of the challenges of moving Carbondale to “mature” is housing, or lack thereof, barring some employees and resources from remaining local.
“So this whole kind of affordability crisis is really complicating everything that we’re trying to do,” Laird said.
Trustees Kade Gianinetti and Jess Robison characterized downtown as hovering on either side of
“growing,” depending on the area in which one rates it. Gianinetti said there might be tension between newcoming businesses and the long-term, “established old guard.” He also pointed to housing difficulties and a lack of tourism as issues for the workforce, deliberating how the Town could keep those who live in Carbondale working in Carbondale, rather than working in Aspen.
Robison added that, from a perception standpoint, downtown Carbondale’s regional image might be stronger than it is in reality for those that “live here and own a business here.”
Mayor Erica Sparhawk said she “leaned toward ‘mature’” on her rating assessment, “focusing on retaining and growing businesses that are here, as opposed
to attracting new businesses,” though she said that Trustee Ross Kribbs persuaded her that downtown is closer to “growing.”
“The idea that some of the folks who may want to sort of not grow at all may still really like having restaurants … downtown,” Kribbs said. “And so understanding that, in order to sort of support that, you need … a certain critical mass that’s out and about and patronizing these establishments — and that’s an element that you lose sight of.”
Downtown Colorado, Inc. also asked the trustees to think of one word that exemplifies what they currently love about Carbondale. Multiple trustees mentioned “vitality” and “community.” Other words listed included: volunteerism, artistic, creativity,
continued on page 7
Colorado Downtown, Inc. Executive Director Katherine Correll discusses downtown Carbondale with the Carbondale Board of Trustees on Tuesday, May 26. To her left sits Monica Kurtz, vice president of client success at public relations firm dovetail solutions, as well as Sarah Wiebenson of the Grounded Collaborative. Photo by Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
eclectic, gritty, nature, bikes, creatives, humane, rural, partnerships and authentic-inspired.
The trustees also listed words they would like to see describe Carbondale in five years. “Housing” landed at the top of the list. Others included: grocery market, Chacos Park, space to stay, healthy community, The Pour House, town center, busy on sunday, affordable and world-class.
Downtown Colorado, Inc. will remain in Carbondale, continuing its research through Friday. The organization will release a report about its findings and recommendations for downtown Carbondale’s future direction in roughly a month.
In other news…
The Carbondale Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Anne Krimmer and Franco Palumbo as regular members of the Planning & Zoning Commission. They reappointed Cindy Suplizio as a regular member of the commission.
The Board also granted Glenwood Springs-based contractor Grand River Construction their $260,000-plus bid to build the Weant Boulevard Pedestrian Crossing this summer. The crossing will create a crosswalk and pedestrian median across Highway 133, connecting the area outside the Third Street Center to the northern corner of Triangle Park.
BASALT REPORT
Homestead residents brace for summer traffic
WILL BUZZERD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
A neighborhood advisory committee consisting of residents along Homestead Drive has been working with the Basalt Police Department (BPD) and Town Staff to address traffic and parking concerns ahead of this year’s summer season. However, after two monitoring periods, Town Staff has yet to gather sufficient data to make a policy decision and intends to see how the summer goes.
“Right now, we don’t see the data lining up with [the claim] that we have a significant issue that would warrant us to go any further into parking, residential tags, or something like that,”
Town Manager Gloria KaaschBuerger said.
Residents of Homestead Drive have formed the Homestead Parking Committee to give voice to the concern that their residential road too often becomes inundated with traffic trying to divert around Midland Avenue, as well as a place where employees of Midland businesses tend to park. In order to address this issue, the committee requested the construction of speed tables and speed dips to slow traffic, plus replacing the existing
72-hour parking limit with a two-hour daytime parking limit while establishing a residential parking permit system.
Basalt Town Staff has been working with residents of the area to address their concerns. In order to evaluate speeding, BPD installed monitoring cameras during the autumn of last year but stated their data did not warrant additional mitigation efforts. BPD also monitored the quantity of available parking spaces at different times in the day to evaluate parking difficulty for residents. However, they have yet to observe a day without any parking both during the monitoring period last year and so far in the month of May. As a measure to help mitigate traffic speed, Basalt Public Works installed signage including reflective stop signs and flags on Jan. 29 of this year.
While residents have noted that the new stop signs and flags have helped, the committee still requests the construction of speed tables and dips. Basalt Town Staff recognizes that the Roaring Fork Valley is still in its “off season” and present data may not reflect actual traffic density come summertime. For now, Town Staff instructed
residents to call the Town should parking become full so that an employee can record the data.
The committee urged Basalt Town Staff to employ some mitigating measures as quickly as possible in order to put the Town in a proactive rather than reactive position. The committee submitted a three-step plan in order to address the issue. First, members requested the immediate waiver of 72-hour parking limit fines for residents with proof of residency and ending the parking limit as a whole. The committee argued that, while the limit is in place for abandoned vehicle control, it is unfairly penalizing residents who opt for more sustainable transport options and prefer to drive their cars less frequently. Town Staff recommended against removing the 72-hour parking limit on Homestead Drive exclusively as it is a town-wide measure and local exceptions would complicate enforcement.
The second strategy is to designate the area as two-hour daytime commercial parking. Third, the committee requested the creation of a residential parking permit system and presented to Town Staff various systems employed by communities like Crested Butte, Breckenridge and
Aspen to mitigate the same issue on commercial-adjacent residential streets. Speed tables and dips are a possible long-term solution for the issue.
Public Works Director Justin Forman was reticent about altering the road surface, stating that speed tables and dips pose problems for snow removal. “In some particular scenarios, it can actually reduce parking even further,” Forman said.
“The speeding is a problem in the entire town,” Councilor Angele Dupre-Butchart said. Dupre-Butchart said she has noticed speeding and the running of stop signs in many residential areas of Basalt.
Mayor David Knight echoed Town Staff’s intent to wait for additional data over the summer before taking further action. However, he suggested that speed cameras like those in Glenwood Springs might be an effective solution.
“That whole hillside community was built before Basalt blossomed into what it is now,” Councilor Elyse Hottel said. “I do think that it’s due for some love … I’m very supportive of seeing what the summer numbers look like and coming back together in the fall to dial in a solution.”
County Commissioners come to town
DJ SUGAR MONKEY
Special to The Sopris Sun
It was standing room only in the Marble Community Church Fellowship Hall for the Gunnison County Commissioners visit on May 21. Laura Puckett Daniels, Liz Smith and Jonathan Houck had made the long trip from the County Seat accompanied by Assistant County Managers Martin Schmidt (Public Works) and April Kroner (Community Development).
Wasting no time, Houck explained how the County’s current funding system falls short.
Road and bridge improvements, he clarified, cannot be funded with property taxes, and sales taxes can only be applied to capital projects, not to ongoing maintenance. Revenue has struggled to keep up with demand; the County has not increased its sales tax since 1978, nor has its Highway User Tax Fund seen any meaningful boost since the 1990s.
Costs, he summarized, had outpaced revenues for decades and the County now finds itself in the unenviable position of having to manage a $38 million backlog of deferred road and bridge maintenance.
To address the shortfall, the County is seeking to introduce a dedicated 0.5% sales tax. Houck argued that such a measure would ensure that visitors and seasonal users share the burden of maintaining the roads along with full-time residents. In an effort perhaps to soften the blow, Daniels pointed out that the new tax would have little impact on Marble residents who do most
of their shopping down valley in Garfield County, and that the charge would not be applied to grocery, gasoline or utility bills.
An augmented and stable revenue source, she said, would allow the County to better leverage the extra funds with state and federal grants.
Schmidt added that poorly maintained roads are estimated to cost each motorist $831 a year, and that making the investment sooner would reduce the cost of more expensive reconstruction later, which he said can reach an eye-watering $3 million per mile.
Smith concluded that even if the measure were to be passed, the County would still be caught in “catch up mode.” The floor was then opened up to questions.
First up was Jerry Begly and his son Josiah, residents of Serpentine Trail high up on the North side of the Valley overlooking the town. They voiced their concern about the risk of mudslides and wildfires cutting off access to and from Marble at the point where Slate Creek crosses County Road 3.
The Beglys, who had produced a detailed handout including maps of the area, proposed the construction of a bridge at the junction of Serpentine Trail and West Village Drive to ensure the safety and security of Marbellites in the event of an evacuation order. They urged the County Commissioners to pursue funding for the project via the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program.
Martin Schmidt explained to the Beglys that the cost for a bridge would come in at
GLENWOOD SPRINGS REPORT
several million dollars and that an alternative, engineered solution in the form of a concrete “creek channel” to run across the road and covered by a cattle guard was being explored.
The guard, he explained, could be easily removed and the channel cleared of debris. In his view, this would be a preferable and more economically viable solution than the installation of a bridge and a vast improvement to the current system of 15 culverts, 13 of which are blocked.
Town Councilman Dustin Wilkey made the curious suggestion that a fix might come in the form of a footbridge. The idea was given short shrift by Daniels, who replied that “even those are expensive.”
Jonathan Houck reminded the audience of the necessity to focus on small, achievable and “digestible” goals.
“Take a look at our federal government where most of our money comes from,” he said, explaining the shift of responsibility from federal to state government.
“Opportunities [for federal funding] are getting harder and harder. We chase every dollar we can get.”
Resident Greg Staple expressed his worry over a potential lack of emergency communication mechanism in the event of a power outage, and requested County funds for an urgently needed backup generator for the fire station.
“$50k should do it,” he calculated.
Staple also criticized the County for making the decision to open up the backcountry to Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) drivers, wresting control of the matter from the hands of locals. Daniels assured him that the County was monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis, adding that “all the residents [of Marble] would like to have OHV access for themselves but (for) no one else.”
The tightly-orchestrated and largely constructive meeting concluded after an hour with thanks and a warm round of applause for the Gunnison County Commissioners.
Police pitch cost-saving move to Axon technology for body cam, surveillance, other bundled services
JOHN STROUD
Sopris Sun Correspondent
A light agenda greeted Glenwood Springs City Council for its second regular meeting of the month on Thursday, May 21, with all but Councilor Ray Schmahl present.
Two members of the public addressed Council under the public comments portion of the meeting for items not on the agenda. Glenwood resident Judy Haynes asked Council what it plans to do in follow-up to the Planning & Zoning Commission’s April 28 decision to revoke the special use permit for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in West Glenwood for exceeding the 12-hour hold limit on numerous occasions. City Attorney Karl Hanlon reiterated what he explained at that hearing, which is that the federal government is immune to the City’s action because of federal supremacy laws. Any legal action by the City would likely be dismissed by the courts as “frivolous” given that
knowledge, Hanlon said.
Council also heard from resident Myles Rovig questioning its April 16 decision to pull out of the inter-police agency Special Problem Enforcement and Response (SPEAR) task force. Rovig lauded the task force’s work over the years to rein in gang and drug activity through inter-agency cooperation.
Councilor Sumner Schachter defended the decision, saying it came down to a lack of assurances within the intergovernmental agreement that partner agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, wouldn’t violate Colorado state law by sharing information with the immigration enforcement arm of that same federal agency.
“We felt that it would put our police department in a bad position where we may not be in compliance with state law,” Schachter said.
Police services discussed
Also on the police and law enforcement front, Glenwood
Police Chief Joseph Deras proposed a cost-saving move to Axon technology for a variety of bundled services. This would include tasers, police body cameras, roadway surveillance cameras, use of artificial intelligence (AI) for writing incident reports, language interpretation and redacting video footage, and the use of drones to assist in certain police incidents, Deras explained.
The switch to Axon would replace the current use of Flock cameras for general surveillance and speed
enforcement, and do away with Motorola technology for dash and body cameras.
Bundling a variety of services would result in savings of between $100,000 and $150,000 per year on the proposed $2.4 million, 10-year contract, he advised Council.
In response to recent public concerns about the use of Flock surveillance cameras, Deras said the use of Axon’s Outpost cameras also comes with better safeguards regarding data sharing.
Hanlon concurred, saying that the contract would come with a “clear policy” that data sharing is “very much our choice and not the vendor’s choice.”
Given public interest in the issue, Council decided to table the item until its regular June 10 meeting when the public can comment on the proposal before a decision is made. For anyone interested, the full discussion from the May 21 meeting can be reviewed on the City’s YouTube channel, tinyurl.com/glenwoodmeeting
Construction season
Council also heard from City Engineer Ryan Gordon with an update on City infrastructure projects throughout Glenwood Springs over the summer. As June 4 is the day after school lets out for the summer break, that’s when one major project, reconstruction of Coach Miller Drive behind Glenwood Springs High School, will commence. The road will be closed during the construction until about the middle of August, Gordon said. Work will also begin at that time on drainage improvements along Soccer Field Road next to Glenwood Springs Middle School. Work on that project is expected to last until Aug. 18.
Another biggie involves major upgrades to 19th Street, which is expected to be closed for the most part from June 1 until Sept. 1. And, work is ongoing to build a new shared use path and add curb and gutter to the section of Highway 6 & 24 near Traver Trail. That project is also expected to continue until August.
Gunnison County Commissioners Laura Puckett Daniels and Jonathan Houck discuss the county’s financial issues in Marble on May 21. Photo by DJ Sugar Monkey
Giddy up, GarCo!
KATALINA VILLARREAL
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Up until about 45 years ago, Garfield County relied on a Mounted Patrol Unit (MPU) for different kinds of law enforcement operations.
Although it never formally disbanded, the MPU began to fade as priorities shifted. Recently, it’s bringing patrol by horseback back into action. In July of 2025, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office formally announced their intention to resurrect the MPU. The unit has since been re-established and is now functional throughout the county.
“The [MPU] provides additional operational resources for accessing remote areas of the county more efficiently,” Shannon Stowe, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, explained.
The MPU figures primarily into crowd control during community events such as local parades, town fairs and the everpopular Carbondale Wild West Rodeo. According to Stowe, they also patrol remote and high-country areas of recreation — most heavily during holidays — like Coffee Pot Spring Campground and Meadow Creek Lake. “The MPU could potentially be utilized in support of search and rescue operations if a situation calls for it,” Stowe added. The MPU could even be a resource for ranchers dealing with disruptions like cattle theft during grazing periods.
The policy and procedure statement, released July 1, 2025, specifies a detailed list of eligibility requirements for both
deputies and horses. For deputies, prerequisites include having a minimum of three years of law enforcement experience, possessing and maintaining riding abilities and holding a rank of Patrol Deputy II or higher. The horses are also screened for the position and must be at least 4 years old, possess a gentle disposition and boast good physical condition without lame limbs. So far, all the horses in the program have come from Garfield County.
For training, the deputies and their horses attend a week-long mounted patrol course with emphasis on methods for interacting with and navigating through crowds, search and rescue and more. The horses belong to and reside with their partner deputies.
Beyond the week-long patrol course, deputies are encouraged to continue training their horses. “The biggest investment in training for both horse and deputy is time. The MPU attempts to hold one training day per month,” Stowe stated. “Outside of scheduled training, deputies are responsible for maintaining and continuing the training of their horse on their own time.”
Stowe added that the MPU largely operates through donated resources and the commitment of the deputies involved. This makes for a strategic asset that Garfield County can employ in response to situations where motorized patrol is less effective or wholly ill-suited. During the Meeker fires last August, the horses were deployed to provide support and relief. A
horseback option equips law enforcement with higher vantage points and maneuverability unachievable by foot or car on difficult, backcountry terrain.
“Deputies are also responsible for transporting their own horses to a central deployment location when needed so the team can spend time together,” Stowe said. Additionally, “The Sheriff’s Office does have a trailer that serves multiple operational purposes.”
Found in the original news release is a quote from Garfield County Sheriff’s Corporal Kendall Foreman — the prime advocate for efforts to revitalize the
program — stating, “Let’s keep western Colorado western.” The MPU integrates the history of this ranching community into the modern, yet still mountainous and rural, locale.
One of the biggest priorities of the MPU is community relations and outreach for recruitment. As the original news release stated, “Mounted officers and their horses often serve as ambassadors for the police agency.” That said, the MPU welcomes conversations and aims to encourage understanding and good relations among the community and its patrolling people and horses.
theSopris Stars
The abyss has ears
The Sopris Stars sees the sunset of the 2025/26 school year
Our world often threatens to swallow us whole. Even in our small town, with just enough people to fill a single section in a stadium, the bustling around us is constant and consuming. Our phones demand our attention with relentless notifications and rumors littering our “for-you” pages.
But tucked away in unit 26 at the Third Street Center is a space where the noise ceases for a while. Our news room here at the Sopris Stars is littered with the clicking of keyboards, the scratching of pens and the murmurs of the voices of writers, photographers, artists and editors. Here, we speak slowly, but with no lack of excitement.
OPINION
By Vivienne Shapiro
We pause for a moment and look at not just what we see when we open Instagram, but the story behind that photo. Here we speak freely about anything and everything, from political hierarchy to the dating life of Sopris Stars alum Gus Richardson. And then, when we’ve run out of things to say, we take a step back and write it all down. We apply the ethics of journalism and trust in the power of information.
The news room is, for me, like a bubble — overflowing with kindness, knowledge and intention. A place where it feels like what we have to say is important.
My colleagues never cease to amaze.
Anna Sophia Brown, Boettcher scholar and soon to be freshman at Colorado College, drives us to chase the hard-news stories. The controversial ones. Anna Sophia is not afraid of a punchy letter to the editor, but hasn’t received one yet due to the factual nature of her writing and insights from both sides of every argument.
Giselle (Gigi) Rascon brings consistency with her effortless statement pieces, making us think a little longer before we get dressed in the morning. Her critiques are honest and her words bring light and dynamism to our paper.
“At school, it’s like, okay, you have to write this and about this … here, it's just, like, speak,” she said, adding that our Wednesday meetings at The Sopris Sun office are “the best part of my week.”
Hana Creyts, who’ll attend the University of Oklahoma in the fall and minor in journalism, has chased a variety of stories, and might be the only intern who turns stories in on time.
“It was a little strange at first because I didn’t know how I would fit in here, but it's a very accepting environment and I love it here,” she said. “It’s a positive place where you get to learn a lot and write a lot about things you care about.”
Kate Ott observes the world through a camera lens, but her perspective is nowhere near tunnel vision. Aside from giving us a glimpse into the culture at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, she arrives with snacks to share every week. Kate brings levity, which we’ve learned is important in this line of work, and delivers exceptional visuals time and time again.
“I also got to expand into more writing, which I was definitely nervous about because I'm not the most eloquent writer out there. But I’m really glad I did,” she said. Kate wrote four pieces this past year and took countless photos, including partnering with professional reporters, such as The Sopris Sun’s John Stroud on sports coverage.
Aurora Egan is compassionate and determined, her power of observation is essential. Aurora has a talent for maintaining artistic integrity while writing hard news. Her words flow from the page like she’s having a conversation with the reader.
Roaring Fork High School senior baseball player Donny Read was announced as the recipient of this year's Trent Goscha Memorial Scholarship. He is pictured here with his parents, Mandi and Mark Read, during the presentation on Saturday, May 9. Photo courtesy of Crista Barlow, RFHS Athletic Director
The innocent assassination
Swim goggles — the new fashion fab or a senior’s desperate grasp on a $500 prize?
Maybe you’ve seen seniors across the valley adorned with colorful goggles soaking in the last weeks of high school. Personally, you wouldn’t catch me getting lunch at Dos Gringos or sweating through the end of a workout without them. They’ve transformed into a necessary but agitating accessory. Why? They are the only protection in the face of looming assassinations.
Senior Assassins has swept the nation, becoming a core cultural experience for countless graduating seniors. To recap, seniors use apps like Splashin to assign targets and post videos; the motive: to shoot your targets with water guns. To advance to the next round, at least one person on each team must survive seven days, and each team must eliminate at least one other person. Goggles or other floaties act as “safety items,” except during the purge. Purge is a free for all, when anyone can get anyone — safety items don’t count — and where mayhem erupts.
OPINION
By Anna Sophia Brown
Don’t worry, we take precautions. Places of worship, school grounds, private property (except with an owner's permission), and moving vehicles are off-limits. On-theclock employees are safe, and the Roaring Fork High School resource officer gave us a strict talking to about ensuring our water guns are both neon and purely water-containing.
A particularly competitive spirit, and a minor longing for the prize money (each senior contributed $10 dollars to play) has made it to where I have far more experience getting people out in a brave warrior-esque style than becoming another casualty. So far, I have a 6-0 record. Not to say the opps haven’t
Fashion Alert
tried. From getting parked in my driveway for an hour, to a harrowing moment when three teenage boys tried to strike on my way into the house — which quickly turned worse for them upon discovering I had immunity (since I was on my own property) — I certainly have had no shortage of adrenaline-�illed close-calls.
Some of the assassins aren’t meant for battle. A dear friend showed up at my house while I was in the bath and desperately attempted to cajole my sister into letting her inside. Then she proceeded to take out her frustrations on my perfectly innocent sister, soaking her with her electric, hot-pink, spray-painted gun. (She’s out now, by the way.)
Despite their failures and feeble attempts at shooting me, I haven’t let my guard down. I find myself constantly on edge, with my head on a swivel.
Senior events — like senior skip day, senior prank and a million and one grad parties — are steadily approaching. In the beginning of the game, the stakes didn’t feel quite so high, and I was just fine with sacrificing all dignity and wearing goggles. (My goggles are blue with a great white shark and a shark-bitten surfboard.)
But now, as I write this, the deadline (Sunday, May 24) is looming, and there are only two teams left.
My incredible partner and I are the only team who have not had a single member get hit. Our opponents — “The Super Soakers” — are full of threats, none of which have come to fruition. (All bark, no bite.) Tensions are sky high, and we eagerly await the unavoidable face off. To make the last rounds more exciting, safety items, like goggles, no longer protect us.
Wearing white to graduation: an unofficial tradition forged through history
GISELLE “GIGI” RASCON
Sopris Stars Columnist
As high school seniors come closer to that long-awaited taste of freedom, one of our remaining concerns lingering beneath our agitation includes the decision of what attire should lay beneath our gowns. Considering the outfit may go unnoticed from a lower perspective of the audience, it's difficult and almost feels irrational to drop a pretty penny on a nice piece of clothing to lay beneath our robes. However, regardless of the outfit possibly going unnoticed, what is traditionally worn beneath is often a given at almost every graduation ceremony: white.
I was in the midst of researching the roots of this ceremonial tradition, and I came across a column online that also raised the question: “Why is white the unofficial color of graduation?”
“... Many graduations take place in the spring or ear-
ly summer, and as white is already a popular color for those seasons, that could be another contributing factor,” the Medium column reads, expanding on one of multiple reasons it lists. Another reason could be to prevent overheating in the sun's heat by reflecting the sun's rays rather than absorbing them — A.K.A. the albedo effect.
At first glance, we often associate the color white with purity and innocence, which is typically why the bride is dressed in white. However, in this case, many may interpret the color as a canvas for our future, awaiting its next brushstrokes as we begin to paint our lives and step into the threshold of new life.
Moving forward, I came across a few key points that kept me digging for further input. They circle back to politics, as fashion always does. In this case, wearing white dates back to the women's suffrage movement. As defined by the
Merriam-Webster dictionary page, a suffragist is “one who advocates for women's voting rights.” The color was associated with this movement throughout the late-19th and early-20th centuries, when it was carried through marches, public appearances and gatherings as a figure of unity.
Inherently, white subtly echoes through various ceremonies nowadays, if you haven't already noticed. Within this academic rite of passage, the color carries its history and, unintentionally, mirrors the significance of each approach in the role through its symbolic association as we live on one of the final pages of adolescence. We may be wearing the same thing and carrying out the same diploma, at the end of the day. Yet, as we light the candles for the next chapters of our lives, this unofficial graduation color carries the resilience, possibilities and the uncertainty of what next adventures await us.
the Sopris Stars
Youth Editor Lou Gall lou@soprissun.com
Anna Sophia Brown anna@soprissun.com
Arthur Cherith arthur@soprissun.com
Hana Creyts hana@soprissun.com
Aurora Egan aurora@soprissun.com
Kate Ott katelynn@soprissun.com
Giselle “Gigi” Rascon giselle@soprissun.com
Vivienne Shapiro vivienne@soprissun.com
Youth Journalism Director
James Steindler james@soprissun.com
Youth Journalism Instructor Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
Graphic Designer
Terri Ritchie
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. The Sopris Stars is made possible thanks to The Sopris Sun.
Support The Sopris Stars
News Bureau by making a donation at www.soprissun.com/donate
Youth
Art by Giselle "Gigi" Rascon
Highlights
This is an outstanding group of seniors, and their dedication and hard work have made a lasting impact on Roaring Fork High School. Colleges, scholarship committees, and professional industries alike have recognized the immense talent within this cohort. The Class of 2026 has not only secured admission to prestigious institutions but also has pioneered new pathways in climate advocacy, technical trades, leadership.
Academic Excellence & Prestigious Scholarships
Our students continue to compete at the highest levels for the nation’s most competitive scholarships. Anna Sophia Brown was awarded the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship, recognizing her as one of the top scholars in the state of Colorado. Colton Lang received the Daniels Scholarship, a testament to his character and leadership. Additionally, our Valedictorian, Caroline Cole, was named a Boettcher Scholarship finalist and became the first graduate in RFHS history to earn the Colorado Seal of Climate Literacy.
Professional Certifications & Technical Mastery
The Class of 2026 has shown great initiative in preparing for the workforce and emergency services.
Emergency Services: Emmaline Warner earned her Firefighter 1 certification, and both she and Hannah Bays completed their EMT certifications.
The Trades: Alejandro Martinez-Reyes and Alejandro Vázquez Chagoya completed their Pre-Apprenticeships with Bishop Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, and have both been offered full-time employment
Culinary Arts: Dilia Evony Mejia Montoya, a standout in the Youthentity Culinary ProStart Program, is a two-time Colorado State Champion. She recently led her team to a 5th-place podium finish at the ProStart Nationals in Baltimore, MD.
Leadership and Service
In a commendable achievement, Amalia Sparhawk received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, having earned two congressional nominations and meeting the academy’s most rigorous standards for scholarship and leadership.
n both earned their Associate’s degrees rtificate by earning at least 15 college credits Lang, Eli Henry, Quinn Carpenter, Lucas Nardecchia, Kenneth Riley, Addison Rose, eracy, demonstrating advanced proficiency a Loya, Gael Meraz Mancinas, Yakelin Jenny Vasquez, Salbodor Vazquez Ibarra,
e first in their families to attend. mton, Cal Poly, Cal Lutheran, Cal State - East eiser U, Lewis & Clark, LSU, MCPHS, Miami U,
Grace Alvarado
Randun Acosta-Lugo
Anthony Alvarado
Luis Almanza Valdez
Avalon Anslyn Maddy Applegate
Goldie Anderson
Joseph Alvarado Lagos
Hazel Barker
Luis Ávila Salgado
Anna Sophia Tilden Brown
Abigail Broersma
Peter Brennan
Nathan Barnato
Hannah Bays Anderson Bohmfalk Perkins
Lucas Carballeira
Eimy Carrillo Serrano Quinn Carpenter
Chase Campbell
Gus Cerrone
Amyah Clayborne
Itzel Castro-Ambrosio
Keven Cisneros Cisneros
Gustavo Casas-Bravo
Caroline Cole
Jason Clemente-Alonzo
Walker Connor
Chelsea Cruz Blake David Jr
Stephanie Cruz
Emmanuel Cortés López
Charles Filiss
Jordi Figueroa Cruz
Juan Carlos Díaz
Miguel García Jurado
James Genung
Giselle Fletes-Calleja
Dayra Gómez Bogarín Àngel González Escobedo
Eli Henry
Belén González-Quintero
Marlon Montoya
Suzannah Lotus Garcelon Abbie Hughes
Mariah Jones
Margaret Jones
Maya Lindbloom
Valéria Loya
Manuel Loaeza Marín
Mauro Martínez Gómez
Alexis Manzanares
Isaac Magaña-Villagómez
Ismael Marín-Cisneros
Kayla Kaufman
Colton Lang
Alejandro Martínez
Andrew McMichael
Alexander McDermott
Evony Mejía Montoya
Jahír Mendoza-Bueno
Sebastian Miller Ava Montemayor Gael Meraz Mancinas Sage Morrison
Luis Candela William Scherrer Luca Shafer Ella Sherry Gunshor Johan Normando Normando
Amalia Sparhawk Miles Spiess
Nikki Tardif
Masamo Stableford Tahia Taha-Swanton
Mariana Tellechea Ryder Tezanos April Thomas
Jesse Trejo Pimentel Potter Treadway
Alejandro Vázquez Jorge Vázquez Ibarra
Will Tucker Jenny Vásquez
Salbádor Vázquez Ibarra
Miranda Venegas Venegas
Emmaline Warner Hannah Watts
Ethan Wilson
Congratulations CLASS OF 2026 BRIDGES HIGH school Homeofthe Frogs!
Janeth Villa Hernandez
Jack Theron
Anderson Turcios Serrano
Janeth Villa Hernendez
Ashley Reneau
Maya Lopez
Ana Ortiz Sanchez
Eric Martinez Reyes
BarriosEnrriqueTerriquez
Aaron Bowman GSantiago arcia Rios
Fisher Gensch
Previously on ‘2�26’
So, we all know that the world is a little crazy right now. “A little” might be an understatement. Globally, the U.S. is at war with Iran, gas prices are still rising, there was a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship and the Epstein Files are a thing that exist.
In school news that isn’t really news to anyone, graduation is coming up for all of us seniors in high school, including yours truly, which, as exhilarating and exciting as it is, can be sad and stressful as we all end our high school careers. And that’s not to say that no other high school student is stressed out. Finals are coming up and AP tests just passed. As stressful and fast-paced as all this is — and it is — that makes us forget things that make life more bearable. I will be honest: I’d forgotten about most of this stuff because of how stressful life is right now. And I’m probably not the only one. So, here is a recap of the less stressful things that have happened so far in 2026.
OPINION
By Hana Creyts
The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos in January at the AFC Championship, where QB Bo Nix injured his ankle. The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl to play against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl with a final score of 29-13. But, let’s be real, if Bo Nix hadn’t injured his ankle during that AFC Championship game, it might have been the Broncos playing against the Seahawks in that game.
Bad Bunny also performed at the Super Bowl halftime show this year, with 128.2 million viewers in the U.S., the fourth-most-watched halftime show in history. At the Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny also won Album of the Year and Best Musica Urbana Album for his album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS and Best Global Musical Performance for his song EoO.
Speaking of global events, the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics were held in February, with Colorado holding the record for the most athletes sent to compete — 36. The athletes from our home state won nine total medals. Five of those medals were gold. Thirty-three total medals were won by Team USA, and almost half of the gold medals won by Team USA were won by athletes from Colorado. In the Paralympics, three Team USA athletes from Colorado won gold medals; Noah Elliott in para snowboard, Brett Bolton was on the gold-medal-winning Team USA men’s hockey and Sydney Peterson in skiing.
More on the topic of sports: basketball season. It’s my favorite season because this season brings madness. And by madness, I mean March Madness. Most people, if not watching the games live, were at least following along with this tournament, and, like almost every basketball fan at the beginning of
March, created a bracket in hopes that maybe, just maybe, they would have the perfect bracket. That didn’t happen. Every single bracket got absolutely destroyed almost immediately. It’s called March Madness for a reason, after all. And this year especially, the tournament lived up to its name. There were so many upsets right off the bat leading up to some major three point shots later on, including that impressive quasi-half-court shot made by UCONN freshman Braylon Mullins in the Final Four game against Illinois. However, Michigan ended up winning the national championship with a final score of 69-63, stripping two-time defending champion UCONN of their title. This was only the second time Michigan has won the championship (their first national title was from 1989). I’m a UCONN fan. But even I was less sad about UCONN losing the championship when I found out they lost to a school that had just earned their second national basketball title.
The University of Denver Men’s Hockey Team also won the Division 1 hockey tournament, earning them their 11th national championship title.
Lastly on the topic of sports, the FIFA World Cup is scheduled for this June, and every soccer fan from every country competing is anticipating this.
Well, that was a lot of sports talk, but that’s definitely not all that has happened in 2026.
I mentioned the Grammys earlier in this column. That was an eventful night. Some Grammy winners other than Bad Bunny included Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar. Justin Bieber was nominated in a few categories, but he didn’t win any. Probably a good thing, because his current and past controversies have accumulated and are floating around him like the Ghost of Bieber Past. Bieber’s performance at Coachella this year is some of the latest controversy. He got paid $10 million to be on YouTube for that performance. It was immediately met with backlash from everyone, because the performance was “lazy.” And, for the record, that performance was like the equivalent of showing up to class just because you have to on the last day of senior year.
The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah also hosted the Grammys for the last time this year. He made a lot of jokes over the night, all of them funny, but some landed him in hot water with the Trump administration. Released shortly after the Grammys, his most recent Netflix special, “Joy in the Trenches,” talks about this controversy.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. I hope that this column took your mind off of the political and global chaos that is surrounding us right now.
Donning the cap and gown
HANA CREYTS
I’ve been having dreams for the past few months about graduation. Each is always a little different from the last, but it always includes finally walking across the Basalt High School stage, getting handed my diploma and throwing my cap up in the air to celebrate.
I can’t be the only one, right? Every high school senior across the country is probably having those same dreams. And that dream is almost a reality. For the Roaring Fork School District, graduation is only in two short days from the time this semester’s final issue of The Sopris Stars prints. Forty-eight hours remain before we can call ourselves high school graduates and start the next chapters of our lives. It’s very exciting, but also a bit overwhelming for a lot of high school seniors, like myself.
Everyone has their own experiences outside of high school that have shaped their perceptions of
ABYSS from the cover
“By doing this program, I've definitely found a larger passion for journalism,” she said. “Its definitely a little scary at first, like, especially if you don’t have a background in journalism, but if you feel a passion for spreading news and writing about important stuff, I think it's definitely really important and fun.”
Arthur Cherith does it all, from reporting to creating art to cohosting Everything Under the Sun, The Sopris Sun’s radio program airing every Thursday on KDNK. It is a privilege to work with Arthur at The Stars.
“The Sopris Sun has always been a really great place for me to build a sense of autonomy and have a place where I feel genuinely supported and pushed to accomplish things I didn't think I could,” he said. Finishing his second year at The Stars, Arthur believes what we do here is becoming more and more important. “Especially right now, I think a lot of the youth feel very hopeless and [don’t] realize that there are these communities out there to support them and their growth,” he said. “I have a place to go and I’m valued.”
Penelope (PJ) Mathis, one of my fellow freshmen at Roaring Fork High School, is a passionate artist, musician and writer. She jumped on board midway through the semester, but left her mark. PJ allows for a glimpse into more rugged lifestyles, pulling her readers into the room she is describing — often a garage. As Sopris Sun editor James Steindler likes to say, “PJ is very punk rock.”
Lou Gall, our youth editor, is the heartbeat of our paper. Writing impactful pieces while keeping the paper fun and engaging for our team and readers, Lou ties all of our strengths together and ensures cohesion and accountability. The way she crafts sentences is truly an art, filled with intention, originality and wisdom. We could not be luckier to have Lou as our guiding star.
We are thrilled for our seniors (Anna Sophia, Gigi and Hana) to pursue their dreams, and count ourselves lucky to have been part of their stories, but find ourselves tearing up at the thought of spending the next couple of, to a few, years without them. Their futures may be unknown, but lives full of discovery are inevitable.
these past four years and have been a part of their life and now their story. For me, it is kind of surreal that I’m graduating in a few days, and I’m probably not the only one that feels that way. After four years — four grueling years for most of us — we’re finally here. As tough as it was to get to this point, with all of the assignments, tests, AP exams, finals, friendship, social drama and senioritis, we’re here. It’s finally a reality that we all are taking the next step in our lives, whatever that may be. All of us come from different backgrounds, different experiences, different highs and lows in our lives. However, all of us, regardless of our stories, have one thing in common: We’re all about to walk across that stage on Saturday and become high school graduates. And (hopefully) we are all excited to take this next step in our lives, whether that is going to college, working or joining the military or whatever path you’re going to take in the future. Congratulations Class of 2026, we made it!
This past year I’ve had the opportunity to delve into everything that goes into creating our paper each week. I’ve pitched stories to a room full of people, chased those stories, taken photos and conducted interviews with everyone from my 8-year-old neighbor to Roaring Fork School District Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole. I found myself cold-calling people who would previously make me shake in my boots, and formed connections with individuals who I would never have met without The Stars. I have had the opportunity to do something I hadn’t known was possible: see the world through eyes that weren't my own, and vicariously live new lives outside of the ones stacked on my nightstand. I have spoken up, I have spoken out and I have found that voices can be heard without sound at all.
I intend on continuing to write into the abyss, except, for the first time in my life, the abyss has ears.
This summer, I get to attend The School of the New York Times Summer Academy. And one day, if I'm lucky, I might create a program like the Sopris Stars, and change a student’s life as much as this has changed mine.
To our editors and teachers, Skyler Stark-Ragsdale and James Steindler, you have created a space that is loved and loves back, where knowledge is a gift and words hold weight. And for that, I am forever grateful. As always, feel welcome to reach us youthnews@soprissun.com, and we’ll get back to you next semester. Have a great summer!
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
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.
every Tuesday at 7pm. For details, call 970-319-3555.
SENIOR LUNCH
Every Wednesday at noon, Garfield County Senior Programs provides a nutritious meal for seniors at The Orchard. To reserve a place at the table, call 970-404-1193.
ASK A LAWYER
Alpine Legal Services offers a hotline clinic on Wednesdays from 5 to 7pm. Call 970-368-2246 and visit alpinelegalservices.org for the schedule of dates by legal topic.
TRIVIA AT EL DORADO
Return to Dirt hosts trivia night every Wednesday at 7:30pm at El Dorado in Carbondale.
UNDER THE SUN
Alchemy,” a group exhibit highlighting the personal work of tattoo artists, opens at the Carbondale Arts Gallery this Friday, May 29, with a reception from 5 to 7pm. Artists will be tattooing inside The Launchpad from 11am to 6pm on May 30 on a first come, first served basis.
of
Photo by co-curator Sarah Overbeck
and Self Love” from 1 to 4pm. Tickets at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
FRIENDSHIP WALK
Tattoo in Ft. Collins is one of 21 featured artists.
ASPEN SCIENCE CENTER
The Best Buddies program, which supports people living with developmental disabilities, hosts its annual Friendship Walk starting from the Basalt River Park. Check-in starts at noon and the walk begins at 1:15pm, followed by a celebration ending at 3pm. Register at bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/ roaringfork
JAZZ PERFORMANCE
Concluding an immersive three-night camp-in at the Third Street Center, up to 21 students of jazz technique, theory and performance will deliver a free concert at Townline Trucks from 2 to 3:30pm.
MONDAY, JUNE 1
MUSHROOM CRAFTS
The Western Colorado Mycological Association hosts a family-friendly craft night making mushroom atriums with Gabriela Mejia at the Carbondale Community School from 6 to 8pm.
BEGINNER SPIN
The Carbondale Clay Center will host a beginner class introducing students to throwing clay on the wheel from 6 to 8:30pm.
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
ART EXHIBIT
The Powers Art Center opens its newest exhibition: “Roy Lichtenstein: Beyond Reality.” The exhibit will remain open until May 1, 2027.
YARN GROUP
The Basalt Regional Library will host Yarn Group from 5 to 7pm for knitters and crocheters to meet and discuss their work and techniques.
DRAWING CLUB
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at Sopris Park at 6:30pm.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
FARMER’S MARKET
‘Tis the season for fresh produce and artisanal goods at the Carbondale Farmers’ Market, every Wednesday from 10am to 3pm.
BOOK CLUB
The Basalt Library will hold a book club, including a roundtable discussion, from noon to 2pm.
The Aspen Science Center will hold its Glenwood STEM Exploration hour from 2:30 to 3:30pm at the Third Street Center, Suite 9. For more information, visit aspensciencecenter.org
MORTALITY
Discuss topics surrounding death and dying in a relaxed space during Conversations on Mortality, from 3:30 to 5pm at Sopris Lodge.
ASPEN CHAPEL GALLERY
“OLD’S COOL” opens at the Aspen Chapter Gallery featuring a mixed media show with sales benefitting the Hunter Creek Historical Foundation. Catch the reception with an artist talk from 4 to 7pm.
SHERIFF’S FORUM
A Garfield County Sheriff’s Forum will be held from 5:30 to 7pm at the Ute Theater in Rifle in anticipation of the upcoming election.
BIG HEAD TODD
and The Monsters perform at the Wheeler Opera House at 7:30pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com
THURSDAY, JUNE 4
MULTI-CHAMBER MIXER
Get to know chamber members from Fruita to Vail to Aspen in the 2nd Annual multi-chamber networking event. The mixer will be held from 4 to 7pm at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Chamber registration is required to attend the event.
ART AROUND TOWN
Carbondale’s Public Art Commission offers a tour of 21 new sculptures on loan for the year, meeting at Town Hall at 5:30pm. An artist reception follows at Marble Distilling at 7pm.
WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS
The Wheeler Opera House hosts “Proactive & Prepared: Wildfire in the Roaring Fork Valley” at 6pm.
NO SWIPE SOCIAL
The No Swipe Social dating game returns to the Crystal Theatre, this time with an “Under the Rainbow” Pride theme, at 7pm. All relationship statuses and sexual orientations are welcome to join the fun.
TIM VEAZEY
Tim Veazey will perform at Heather’s in Basalt at 7pm.
BINGO
El Dorado will host Bingo at 7:30pm.
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 to 5:30pm.
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.
BIKE PROJECT
The Carbondale Bike Project Shop helps people repair their bicycles on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 6pm and Sundays from noon to 6pm on the east side of Third Street Center.
AL-ANON
An Al-anon Family Group meets upstairs of the Orchard Church in Carbondale
Join Sopris Sun correspondents and guests for “Everything Under The Sun,” airing every Thursday on KDNK at 4pm.
GROUP RUN
Independence Run & Hike leads a weekly group run on Thursdays departing from the store’s location, next to the Carbondale City Market, at 6pm.
REDSTONE LIBRARY
A Pitkin County Library staff member brings services to the Redstone Inn every Friday from 10am to 2pm.
BINGO AT 502
The 502 Diner on Highway 133 hosts Bingo night every Friday at 6:30pm.
SOBER QUEER CLUB
The Meeting Place hosts an LGBTQIA+ specific recovery meeting every first and third Saturday at 5:30pm. For more details, visit www.meetingplacecarbondale.org
JUNE
5 JUNE 5 | | LOCAL PRIDE LOCAL PRIDE
In The Heart of the Carbondale Creative District
Featuring extended hours and special events at local shops, galleries, and restaurants. Plus a Pride Parade, live music, food trucks, and street activities with community booths
Carbondale Arts member appreciation party & exhibition Visceral Alchemy | Launchpad, 5-7 p.m. Pride patio party with live music & food trucks Townline Trucks, 5-10 p.m. ¡Viva
Local Pride street party & live music by Emotional Rescue | Main St & Snowmass Ave., 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Pride Parade
| Line up, 6 p. m. & Parade, 6:30 p.m. down Main St. from Weant Blvd. to Snowmass Ave.
Sign up to volunteer during First Fridays! Main St. is closed to thru traffic from Weant Blvd. to Snowmass Ave. 2 St. & 3rd St. remain open to cross traffic nd Full details at carbondalearts.com
“Visceral
Pictured: Ben Merrell
Wildland
MYKI JONES
Sopris Sun Correspondent
The Workshop returns to TRTC
Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) is bringing back The Workshop, its play development series, for the fifth consecutive year on Saturday, May 30, featuring two original pieces from Colorado-based playwrights. The two shows — comedy “The Wild Watsons” by Luke Sorge, directed by TRTC artistic director Missy Moore, and drama “Steve Perry Loves Me” by Leslie C. Lewis, directed by Emily Henley — are within their chrysalis phases of production and this programming will give audiences an opportunity to see their current states, as well as a chance to provide feedback and ask questions of the playwrights.
In speaking with Moore, she always looks forward to the new play development series, as it serves as a hub for artists to create stories for the next generation of theatergoers to enjoy. While she holds deep appreciation for classic stories, she says the development of new works makes the craft worthwhile.
“If we don’t nurture the stories of today, then our craft is kind of all for naught,” Moore told The Sopris Sun. “If we don’t nurture the voices of today, where does the future of theater, where does the future of our craft, actually end up?”
This round of programming sees the return of Sorge, who, in collaboration with the theater, brought two previous works into development. Having been involved in the world of theater for over two decades, Sorge looks forward to projects like The Workshop because of how the wall between stage magic and the audience comes down.
“In some ways, the audience is the most crucial component of development. We can gather the ingredients, prepare the recipe and cook the meal — but we don’t
This year The Workshop will feature two plays in progress by Colorado authors. In 2024, The Workshop presented Josh Hartwell’s play “Cold Dead Hands.” Pictured: (left to right, background) Lee Sullivan, Elijah Pettet, Jennifer Austin Hughes, William LeDent, Julia Whalen; (foreground) TRTC Artistic Director Missy Moore. Photo by Emily Henley
know anything until the audience eats. It’s amazing how much we learn about the rhythm, structure and humor of a piece just by the energy in the room during a performance,” Sorge shared. “Everyone experiences a play differently, and having some access to that experience is invaluable — and only available during the workshopping phase.”
“The Wild Watsons” is a comedic play taking place in Gunnison that leans into the supernatural and cryptid — delving into creatures unproven by science. Discussing the inspiration behind this piece, Sorge said he was drawn to create it because of his fascination with what folkloric creatures represent in media.
“Though I’m not really a cryptid believer, I am fascinated by them and what they
represent. But honestly, I just kind of thought it would be funny to write a play about Bigfoot and have been working on it off and on for several years. Very few people have even read the script, but it’s at the point where it needs other people, so I submitted it to Missy and was elated to be invited back up to Carbondale. Not just because I enjoy it so much, but because I know the script will be better by the end of the week,” Sorge said.
“Steve Perry Loves Me,” according to Lewis, has many elements she hopes resonate with audiences. The story follows a trauma therapist who becomes reclusive after several cases she can’t shake. She then starts writing to Steve Perry of the American rock band Journey, who had his own period of isolation due to the pressures of fame when Journey was rising. The
Glow Studio acupuncturist achieves advanced fertility certification
ANNALISE GRUETER
Sopris Sun Correspondent
Since mid-April, Carbondale’s Glow Studio has been certified to help clients glow even more. Owner and acupuncturist Lorrie Fissenden passed her advanced certification exam to become a fellow of the Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Board of Reproductive Medicine (ABORM). The benchmark authorizes her as a specialist practitioner.
“I am now a board-certified fertility expert,” Fissenden explained, “and I couldn’t be more excited to bring this level of specialized care to families in the Roaring Fork Valley.”
ABORM is an international organization that integrates Eastern and Western medicine practices for fertility and reproductive care. It requires fellows to demonstrate thorough knowledge of in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) and other Western medicine
fertility treatments in addition to acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine approaches for optimizing fertility. ABORM emphasizes the importance of keeping traditional Chinese medicine practices current with contemporary fertility research.
Fissenden has been interested in helping others since her undergraduate studies in clinical psychology. She wanted “a career path that would allow me to work with clients one-on-one to provide real help and healing,” she told The Sopris Sun. In her early 20s, however, she was experiencing her own health challenges, and her Western doctor’s prescriptions weren’t resolving them.
“When I finally saw an acupuncturist, she took the time to ask about my diet, stress levels and many other factors my doctor hadn’t addressed,” she explained. “When I left her office, I felt like I was finally on the right track toward feeling better, and that’s what I strive to
give my clients today.”
Fissenden completed her master of science in Oriental medicine at Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, Colorado, in 2017. She is National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine board-certified and licensed in both Colorado and California.
In her practice, Fissenden says she adjusts offerings to meet the needs of her clientele. “Being an acupuncturist is very different from being an allopathic doctor; we don’t separate the body into different parts because everything is connected,” she stated. “If a fertility client comes in with a headache, sinus congestion or knee pain, her treatment will address everything going on with her that day.”
Fissenden described acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine as “important pieces of the infertility treatment puzzle.”
Research shows that acupuncture improves egg quality, increases uterine lining receptivity, calms
story details her experiences leading up to her time of isolation and finding kindredness in Perry through the letters she writes.
Lewis was inspired to write this story after watching an episode of “Stranger Things” where Journey’s music played in the background. From there, she went down several rabbit holes of current events and the history of Perry’s time outside the spotlight.
She looks forward to seeing her work brought to life through Henley’s direction and the dedication of the whole TRTC team, who play a big part in bringing her piece to the stage. She also hopes that those who have experienced trauma and hardship resonate with the work.
“There is nothing like hearing the words you’ve stewed over, and to hear them with an actor who’s skilled, alongside having a director and a whole team of people make this play come together,” Lewis said. “Everybody has trauma, whether it’s personal or on a community level; everybody is at some stage of healing. This play, I feel, is important because hopefully everybody can drop into it and relate to something about it, about the humanity of this person who’s trying to make her way back from this and be part of an integrated culture.”
Her sentiments were shared by Henley, who says she looks forward to working intimately with a show that has so much vulnerability, with the humor in healing woven in.
“I think that it’s a universal story that can resonate with people of all ages in different times. I think the way she blends that message with humor and with this little bit of Journey’s music within is wonderful, and I’m excited to bring it to life,” Henley stated.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.thunderrivertheatre.com
the nervous system to decrease cortisol and balance hormones, she emphasized.
“Fertility treatment today is truly a team sport,” Fissenden stated. “My patients are often working with reproductive endocrinologists and other specialists, and earning this fellowship means I can show up as a more informed, more confident member of that care team.
I understand the protocols, the medications and the timelines — so I can coordinate care in a way that genuinely makes an impact.”
Fissenden said she hopes to help IVF and IUI patients understand that acupuncture can help the body respond better to medications, improve uterine blood flow around the time of transfer and reduce the stress and anxiety that so often accompany fertility treatment. For those trying to conceive naturally, acupuncture addresses underlying imbalances like irregular cycles, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and unexplained infertility by treating the root cause rather than masking symptoms.
“What I love most about
traditional Chinese medicine is that I never have to tell a patient their symptoms are all in their head,” Fissenden said. “Symptoms are always connected to a
continued on page 13
In mid-April, Lorrie Fissenden passed the advanced certification exam to become a traditional Chinese medicine fertility treatment expert.
Courtesy photo
Michael Josef Franz Ohnmacht
February 20, 1940 - April 25, 2026
Michael Ohnmacht, longtime stained-glass and mosaic artist, passed away peacefully at home in Glenwood Springs while listening to the Austrian Alpine music he loved from his youth.
Born in Austria, Michael began apprenticing in stained glass at age 14. He immigrated to the United States in 1959 and later settled in Aspen, where his stained-glass and mosaic work became well-known throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and earned national recognition for its master craftsmanship. Michael spent years living in the Crystal Valley in both Marble and Redstone. He also spent more than 35 years wintering in Brazil.
Michael lived a life filled with art, adventure, travel, skiing, cycling, fly fishing, chess and family and friendships.
He is survived by his children, John Ohnmacht and Alyssa Ohnmacht and her husband Dwight Whitehead; granddaughters Olivia and Erica Savard; his twin sister Hildegard Gamper of Italy; brother Karl Ohnmacht and his wife Hilda of Austria; and several nieces, a nephew, grand-nieces, grand-nephews and one great-grand-niece.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley. A celebration of life is planned for later this summer. Please email alyohn963@gmail.com for updates and information about the gathering.
Patrick Gleason
July 22, 1955 - February 19, 2026
Patrick Leonard Gleason passed away peacefully in his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.
Patrick was born in Denver on July 22, 1955, to George and Mary Jean Gleason, the fifth of seven children in a skiing family.
Patrick grew up skiing Aspen after his father built a cabin on Ute Ave in 1961.
He attended Boulder High School and received his bachelor’s degree in business from Notre Dame. While in college, he competed on the ski team and won a national championship with the fencing team. He later moved to Southern California, where he met his wife Dede Mackin (divorced) and had his first child, Keith. They subsequently moved to Glenwood Springs, then Redstone, where his daughter Mackinna was born. The children finished their schooling in Boulder. Patrick moved to Alma in 2008, his home for most of the remainder of his life.
In Alma he grew roots and made his way onto the town board, where he served as a trustee and mayor pro tem, improving the town’s water system, town zoning and public access to nearby fourteener peaks.
Patrick relocated to Salt Lake City in December 2025 to be closer to his son Keith, daughter-in-law Bianca, and first grandchild Finn. The entire Gleason clan rallied around Patrick during this major life transition. During his short time in Salt Lake he stayed close to his family and celebrated Finn’s first Christmas and birthday.
His positivity, infectious energy and terrible dad-jokes raised the spirits of all those he interacted with. He was happiest when he was on skis, riding his road or mountain bike, watching Notre Dame football, outdoors with one of his beloved dogs, listening to music, reading, and spending time with his large family, children, and grandson.
“Going to the ball games, and being able to hear the coaches talk behind you, and the thoughts that were going through their heads gave me a whole different perspective and respect for the coaches,” he said.
Mike said he also enjoyed the overnight camping field trips with the younger students, and being able to experience new things himself.
“There are a lot of places in Colorado and out in Utah that I probably would have never seen if I hadn’t driven the bus, like Mesa Verde, or the grasslands out on the eastern plains,” he said. “… and in those days we were younger so we’d camp right there with them.”
Mike admitted there was a little sibling rivalry when the Marble route came open.
“I always wanted that one,” Mike said. “Gene had more seniority but I thought I had a good argument because he had to quit so many times.”
Roaring Fork High’s athletic director, Crista Barlow, said she knew she could always count on the Schillings to get the sports teams to the games on time and safely.
“It was always comforting to know we would have one of them driving, because they always show up on time and get the kids to the games and back without any problems,” Barlow said.
The Roaring Fork School District bids farewell to 20 longtime employees who will be retiring at the conclusion of this school year. They are:
Carbondale
• Dean Black: Custodian, Crystal River Elementary School, 31 years
• Kellie Land: Teacher, Carbondale Middle School, 24 years
• Isabel Loya: BMS, CMS, GSHS, CRES, 19 years
Basalt
• Michelle Collins: Teacher, Basalt High School, 25 years
• Jane Douglass: Teacher, Basalt Middle School, 25 years
• Kerry Williams: Basalt Middle School, 25+ years
• Marisol Henriquez: Assistant Principal, Basalt Elementary School, 21 years
• Enrique Maranon Winder: Basalt Elementary School, 12.5 years
Glenwood
Springs
• Craig Denney: Athletic Director, Glenwood Springs High School, 33 years
• Andriana Chance: Teacher, Sopris Elementary School, 23 years
• Jeanmarie Kanitz: Sopris Elementary School, 10 years
Operations/District Office
• Gene Schilling: Transportation Department, 39+ years
• Tracey Lee: Transportation Department, 30 years
• Mike Schilling: Transportation Department, 28 years
• Nancy Dever: District Office, 26 years
• Richard Hammond: Maintenance Department, 22 years
• Becky McDaniel: District Office, 8 years
FERTILITY
from page 12
Just out of college, Patrick spent the winter of 1979 living in the family’s “cabin in Aspen” and ski instructing at Snowmass. Over the years he taught skiing at Lake Eldora, Big Bear in California, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain. He loved teaching — especially kids, who affectionately knew him as Gumby.
Patrick started his career in sales and transitioned into real estate, working as an appraiser and an agent, and at one time worked for RFTA driving buses. He briefly went back to school, studying architecture, but rediscovered his passion for teaching skiing, which prompted his move to Alma. He taught skiing through the 2025 season at Copper Mountain, in spite of his ongoing battle with cancer. He remained active in real estate, serving as a hearing officer for appeals of commercial real estate valuations in Denver County.
Patrick is survived by his children Keith and Mackinna, his grandson Finn, and his siblings Judy (Tom) Wright, Jim (Karen) Gleason, Bob (Penelope) Gleason, Nancy (Greg) Warren, Marilyn (Ed Colby) Gleason, and Gary Gleason, along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents George and Mary Jean Gleason and sister-in-law Carolyn.
A memorial service will be held in Alma this Saturday, May 30, at 10am at the Stone Church Gathering at 184 N. Main. All who knew Patrick are welcome.
Many, many powder turns will be made in his memory.
Donations in Patrick’s honor can be made to: The Alma Foundation, Anschutz Cancer Center, Summit County Animal Shelter, Protect our Winters.
root cause, and the whole body and mind are treated as one. That philosophy resonates deeply with me and with my patients.”
Acupuncture is the perfect complement to an active lifestyle, especially for women, Fissenden stated. “Living here [in the Roaring Fork Valley], we demand a lot from our bodies. If our hormones are out of balance, we might not get the sleep we need to recover, and we might experience more injuries.” She emphasized that “acupuncture addresses inflammation to reduce pain, while also balancing hormones to improve stress levels and sleep, ensuring optimal recovery and a sustainable active lifestyle.”
For Fissenden, the work is personal. “As a mom, I know what it feels like to yearn for a child,” she added. “This work means a lot to me. If you or someone you know is on a fertility journey, I would love to be part of your care team.”
The Glow Studio is located in Carbondale. Fissenden, L.Ac., MSOM, FABORM, specializes in fertility support, perimenopause, sleep, digestive health and cosmetic acupuncture. You can learn more at www.glowstudioacu.com
Spring Health Fair
We are delighted to offer you, our community, the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost blood tests.
Monday–Friday, 9 am–4 pm
June 5 and 6
Aspen Ambulance Building
Aspen Valley Health Medical Center 0403 Castle Creek Road
June 7
EL JEBEL Eagle County Community Center 20 Eagle County Drive
By appointment only 8-11:30 am
Lab Tests Offered
• HealthScreen w/CBC – $79 Includes CBC, CMP, Ferritin, Iron Panel, Lipid Panel, TSH and Uric Acid (Fasting Required)
• hsCardio CRP – $42
• Hemoglobin A1C & EAG –$44
Ditch the water
Everyone living in Carbondale is familiar with the Town’s extensive, gravity-fed irrigation system, comprising eight miles of open ditches and underground culverts that carry water diverted from the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers between May and October. But the history of this ingenious system isn’t well-known.
When homesteaders began settling here in the 1880s, they dug irrigation canals by hand, using pickaxes and shovels, to bring water to their farms. William Dinkel, one of the area’s early settlers, wrote in his autobiography:
OPINION
HISTORIOGRAPHY
In the summer of 1882 I built the first irrigation ditch out of the Roaring Fork River. Since I had no surveying instruments, I established grade by watching the flowing water and correcting the slope.
• PSA, Total – $47
• Vitamin D – $54
• T3, Free – $32
• T4, Free – $32
• CBC (Complete Blood Count) –$32
By Sue Gray
By the early 1900s, large agricultural operations around Carbondale required major irrigation projects. William Dinkel, now a wealthy entrepreneur, and his partners, Fate Girdner and Frank Sweet, owned the Big Four Ranch on the east mesa, where they produced cattle and potatoes for the Dinkel Mercantile Company. Sweet was in charge of constructing the 11-mile canal required to bring water from the Crystal River, at a cost of $25,000, equivalent to about one million dollars today.
After Sweet sold his interest in the Big Four, he bought land on the west mesa with the idea of growing 2,000 acres of seed potatoes to sell to local farmers. Edna Sweet wrote in her book, “Carbondale Pioneers 1879-1890,” that her husband Frank partnered up with Lou Sweet (no relation) and Henry Clay Jessup to build the irrigation system necessary for his operation:
It was a much bigger proposition in ditch building, involving some 2,000 acres, so [Frank] formed a company known as the Sweet-Jessup Canal Company… It took three years to complete the 19 miles of ditch… and after the water was turned in, it ran the entire length of the canal to the great dry mesa waiting to drink it up.
It took $50,000 to complete the Sweet-Jessup Canal, which brought success to Frank Sweet’s Crystal River Ranch and is still irrigating the cattle-grazing land there now.
Legislation regarding water use developed with settler expansion in Colorado. Water rights belonged to the first person to divert water from a stream or river, and they retained those rights over anyone who came later, creating a hierarchy of senior and junior water rights known as the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation.
Local ditch associations were formed to maintain the system, and users pay an annual fee to draw water from their respective ditches. Notably, the Carbondale Utilities Department, which administers the Town Ditch and the
Weaver Ditch, doesn’t charge their users. Though irrigation needs were taken care of, there was no indoor plumbing for the first 23 years after Carbondale’s founding in 1888. Potable water was delivered to residents in a wooden tank carried by a horse-drawn wagon. The water was fed into underground holding tanks called cisterns, then drawn out with buckets for daily use. That changed in the first decade of the 20th century, as described in “The History of Carbondale” written by the Carbondale Study Club in the 1960s: Town leaders commissioned a survey to find a pure, clean source for a municipal water supply. It was therefore determined that a spring on Nettle Creek, on the north side of Mount Sopris about eight miles south of town, was the ideal choice.
In 1910, the first load of pipe for the new water line was delivered. The pipe was made of wooden slats, one-inch thick, four inches wide and about 10-feet long, formed in a circle and wrapped with a spiral of heavy wire. The pipe sections resembled a long narrow barrel with an inside diameter of eight inches. When water passed through the pipe, the wood swelled and made a tight seal. In 1911, the water line was turned on at the Nettle Creek spring, and Carbondale households finally enjoyed the benefits of indoor plumbing.
The wood pipes and fittings required constant repair and sometimes failed catastrophically, cutting off the town’s water supply. So, in 1923, the whole system was replaced with six-inch galvanized pipe. Around 1964, the water line was replaced with ten-inch steel pipe.
By 1975, the demand for municipal water had risen significantly, prompting the construction of a well near the Crystal River, south of town. Another well was later constructed near the Roaring Fork River. Between the wells and Nettle Creek, Carbondale’s waterworks currently serves around 2,300 households.
In 2018, severe drought affected the town’s ditch irrigation system. We received an emergency substitute water-supply plan from the state, allowing for a temporary change on another ditch, from agricultural to municipal use, so that town ditches could receive enough water to irrigate parks, schools and residential yards.
As the drought years continue to pile up, the Town of Carbondale is taking measures to address future water shortages, like installing automated gate systems that monitor stream volume and adjust flow.
Considering the predictions of worsening drought in the next several decades, water conservation in our homes and yards should also be a top priority for Carbondale’s residents.
DREAM WELL
By Natalia Snider
Natalia Snider is a certified dream practitioner living in Carbondale. She works with people’s dreams and imaginations to facilitate self-healing. Every month, she will analyze someone’s dream in The Sopris Sun. Anyone can submit a dream for personal analysis or inclusion in this column by visiting: www.dreamhealings.com
While celebrating Mother’s Day, I asked some mothers if they had ever experienced a shared dream with their baby in utero. This is a magical phenomenon that has no scientific explanation, yet becomes pure truth for a mother once her baby is born and the dream is validated. For the mothers, these dreams are not only prophetic but telling of a connection between the dream world and the spirit world. To further understand this connection between mother and child, let’s look at three dreams that were shared with me.
Dream 1
Dreaming with the unborn
I dreamed about my daughter for 10 years before she was born. She was adopted — I started dreaming about her as soon as I came in contact with her birth mother. Ten years later, I had a dream that her birth mother told me she was pregnant and she was! The rest is history.
Dream 2
My seventh child told me his name three times in dreams while I was pregnant with him. I tried to come up with another name, but when he was born, there was no denying it was his name.
Dream 3
When I was near to giving birth to my last child, I had a dream where I was brought by someone to a ballroom and asked if I was ready to see my daughter. When I said yes, they brought me to the middle of the room where lots of people were, and then I saw her. I knew right away it was her, although she was all grown up into a beautiful young woman. We spent time together, talking, laughing and getting to know one another. Then she had to leave. She hugged me and said that she had to go, but not to be sad. Some kind people came and walked her away as I watched. I didn’t know what she meant, or what that dream meant, until I went to my doctor’s appointment the next day and got the bad news that she wasn’t going to make it past birth.
This dream helped me through that hard time knowing I had met her, and that she was well and safe, on the other side.
Analysis
Let’s dive right into Dream 1. This prophetic dream is incredibly interesting because the mother is not the birth mother. So, this rules out that the mother needs to be biologically connected to the child to experience a shared dream. In a book called “Spirit Babies” by Walter Makichen, there is a section discussing adoption. Makichen’s theory is that the spirit of the baby will choose their mother far in advance of birth. If that mother cannot conceive, then they will choose a birth mother that will lead to their adop tion from the originally chosen mother. It is wild to think that our world could be this magical and yet dreams such as this provide proof, at least for the mother. Dream 2 is actually a very common dream reported by pregnant women. I’m sure most readers know of someone who says their name came to their mother in a dream. What’s fun to think about here is that this person is unaware that they might very well be the one who spoke their own name into existence from the other side. If only we could remember the other side, right?
I want to propose that we
do remember, or that we can become aware of the other side and can access that place within our dream realm. Yet most have defined this dream space as fictional. So we go through life unaware of the messages that are being sent to us nightly or daily through our imaginations. I urge all who want to experience a more magical life to consider that understanding the language of your dreams can help you understand your connection to all that is. This brings me to Dream 3. Dream 3 is a beautiful example of how believing in the truth of your dreams can help your waking life by easing anxiety, worry, grief and whatever else this mother may have gone
daughter experienced the sendoff of the daughter to the other side together. Dream 3 brings up the question: If we were familiar with the other side, would death be so hard?
The dream realm is an incredible place. Words struggle to describe the vastness of its ever-expanding possibilities. Yet, the most magical aspect of all is us. We have the power to access this place as well as the power to deem its worthiness. We choose what is real and unreal, and then it becomes so in our reality. So, to all those in search of more magic in their lives, not knowing where to start, ask your mother if she dreamed of you. Perhaps
‘Make every stitch sing’ ‘Idiotka’ (2025) Movie Review
DJ SUGAR MONKEY
The Crystal Theatre will be screening “Idiotka” in June.
Margarita (Anna Baryshnikov) is a 20-something Russian-American who lives in an apartment in West Hollywood — “not the fancy part, the Russian part” — together with her grandmother Gita, father Samuel, and brother Nerses. They are a disparate bunch; Samuel (Mark Ivanir), a doctor recently released from prison after serving eight years for Medicare fraud, struggles with alcoholism. Gita (Galina Jovovich) is a chain-smoking hypochondriac who taught Margarita to sew, or “make every stitch sing.” Proud and acerbic, she clings to memories of a better life in Russia before emigrating to America. Nerses is a lethargic dreamer and wannabe musician of questionable talent.
A skillful seamstress, Margarita dreams of becoming a successful fashion designer, though any ambition she has is diluted by the family dysfunction around her. Behind on the rent and struggling to make ends meet, Gita dreams up crackpot schemes to track down Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos in a desperate attempt to save themselves from penury, having already contemplated selling the family silver. Pressure on the family rises when they are served with an eviction notice from their uncompromising
landlord. Margarita then takes it upon herself to enter an unscripted reality TV fashion competition seeking contestants who “want to pull the curtains back on their lives.” The show, “Stay, Serve and Survive,” promises salvation in the form of $100,000 prize money.
OPINION
The producers (and presenters) of the show, Nicole and Oliver, are a comical delight and make no pretense of being more interested in the train wreck of Margarita’s personal life than her talent for making clothes. The show also features three hilarious judges, Emma, Jonathan and Candy (played by the rapper Saweetie), who look and sound as if they could have come straight from the set of Zoolander, spouting lines such as “overtly woke art is a no for me” and “New York hoodies are a basic human right.” Fans of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will enjoy the parody catwalk scenes and sassy exchanges between judges, presenters and contestants.
REEL GOOD MOVIES
By DJ Sugar Monkey
compelling television, and they do all they can to cast her as the emotional focal point of the show. Initially anxious, Margarita soon rises to the challenge and dishes the dirt on her family life, garnering sympathy along the way from the vacuous judges. Not to be outdone, Gita turns up on the set to remind her granddaughter that “they (the viewers) need a spectacle.” Seeing the show as an opportunity for Margarita to get ahead in life and maybe meet someone special, she urges her to “wear nice undies, just in case.” In an effort to dramatize the family’s life, the crew descends unannounced on their apartment and finds Gita resting in bed. A facetious cameraman remarks “Oo, how very Charlie Bucket,” a reference to the bedridden grandparents in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Nicole and Oliver quickly realize that Margarita’s family background makes for
As the show progresses, Margarita inevitably attracts the attention of strangers who begin to recognize her in public. Fashion brands seek to engage her as an influencer and the producers of “Stay, Serve and Survive” manipulate footage
to portray her as guileless and unsophisticated. The title Idiotka (Russian for “female idiot”) could apply equally to Margarita, the show’s audience, and the exploitative nature of reality TV. Without giving the game away, her family reacts to all of this in increasingly humorous and conflicting ways, exploring the relationship between suffering and success in modern America. A breakout feature from director Nastasya Popov, “Idiotka” is a highly enjoyable satirical family drama. In addition to being very funny, the film is a delightful parody of modern entertainment culture and offers a valuable window into the struggles of immigrants in today’s America. Above all it is a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. The entire cast is superb, particularly Galina Jovovich (Galinka). It is noteworthy that Popov dedicated the movie to her own grandmother. Anna Baryshnikov (Margarita) impresses as she struggles to preserve her dignity while attempting to give the audience the spectacle they crave, and Mark Ivanir puts in an impressive comic turn as the hapless Samuel. “Idiotka” is a heartwarming, quirky family comedy which I thoroughly enjoyed. The final word goes to the presenter of “Stay, Serve and Survive,” Nicol (Camila Mendes). “That freak flag flew today, and that’s all the people want.”
Death of Ramon Chacon remains unsolved two years later
BIANCA GODINA
AND AMY HADDEN MARSH
EDITOR’S NOTE: KDNK Community Access Radio and Sol del Valle are collaborating on an investigative news series regarding the death of Ramon Chacon. This is the first part of that series, which has been made possible due to a grant from the Colorado Media Project.
Rifle resident Ramon Chacon, 42, died on April 29, 2024, after being struck by a vehicle on Highway 13, slightly north of the Rifle Bridge within city limits. Two years later, authorities still have not identified the vehicle or the driver, and the case remains unsolved.
According to three “urgent appeals for information” circulated on social media by the Rifle Police Department following the incident, “witnesses report[ed] [the vehicle] was last seen heading eastbound on I-70.” Authorities relayed that the suspected vehicle was possibly a silver, 2005 to 2010 model Jeep Grand Cherokee.
In an interview with KDNK and Sol del Valle, Chacon’s widow, Gabriela Gonzalez, recalled arriving at the scene.
“There was an ambulance and I think two police officers — two police cars. That’s all I remember,” she said. “But I’ll never forget this: As I was arriving and getting closer, I saw his boot.”
According to Gonzalez, family and friends knew Chacon as “El Cubano,” a nickname he earned because he frequently wore Cuban-heeled boots.
In April 2024, the stop lights connecting White River Avenue, Highway 6 and the Interstate 70 Business Loop — the intersection north of the bridge — were under construction.
It had been a notoriously dangerous intersection before the stop lights were installed. Eight collisions occurred there between 2018 and 2023, resulting in injuries and property damage. Since then, a flashing pedestrian crossing has also been installed.
Chacon’s body was found south of this intersection. According to the Garfield County Coroner’s report, when investigators examined Chacon’s body, after arriving on-scene at 5:40am, he was “supine in the left northbound lane.”
The Coroner’s report listed the manner of death as an accident and the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.
Witnesses and toxicology
According to a Rifle Police incident report obtained through an open records request, witnesses saw what appeared to be a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee hit Chacon and drive away.
On May 5, 2026, Rifle Police responded to KDNK’s most recent records request for witness statements with a letter of denial, stating, “It would be contrary to public interest to release investigation details which could jeopardize the investigation and/or subsequent prosecution,” citing C.R.S. 24-72-305(5).
KDNK and Sol del Valle attempted to contact one of the witnesses, but they declined to comment.
The autopsy report revealed that a femoral blood exam indicated an ethanol concentration of 0.242%. “The femoral blood also showed the presence of caffeine,” the report continued. “The urine showed the presence of benzoylecgonine (not detected in the blood).”
According to the National Library of Medicine website, “Benzoylecgonine is the major metabolite of cocaine.” Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire relayed to KDNK that “[Benzoylecgonine] can remain in the urine longer than it usually does in the blood. If it is present in the urine but not in the blood that would be evidence suggesting the person used cocaine several hours to two or three days before they died, as opposed to right before they died.”
Desperate for answers
“I kept hoping he would get up … because your whole world collapses,” Gonzalez said. “Even when I saw him lying there, I didn’t lose hope that he would survive, although, in my heart, I felt he wasn’t going to get back up.”
Before his death, Chacon had what his wife described as “a normal day.” He ate breakfast at home, spent time with his daughters and later went to the Rifle Fairgrounds, where he often spent time with friends and working horses.
The evening before the incident, Gonzalez said she, her daughters and Chacon had dinner with his friends at Mi Lindo Nayarit, then located at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Ninth Street in the space now occupied by Taquería Cuauhtémoc.
“When we left, he stayed at the restaurant and we went home,” Gonzalez recalled. “My daughter forgot to give her dad his phone back, and he forgot to ask for it.”
Gonzalez said she received a call from him during the early morning hours of April 29, 2024, from a phone at the Kum & Go gas station (now Maverik), located at the corner of Highway 6 and Railroad Avenue.
With tears in her eyes, Gonzalez said their daughters, now 9 and 6 years old, share many of their father’s traits.
“My little girl’s expressions, and also my older daughter — how stubborn and hardheaded she is,” she said. “That’s exactly how her dad was, very stubborn, very hardheaded.”
Gonzalez added, “My daughters are suffering, I’m suffering, my family is suffering … It still hurts.”
Jessica Gonzalez, Gabriela’s sister-in-law, described Chacon as someone who was always willing to help others.
“He was a very good person. He never said no. If someone told him, ‘Hey, I need help with my horse,’ he would go,” Jessica said. “It didn’t matter. He’d even help for free.”
Frustrated by the lack of answers in the investigation, Jessica criticized the handling of the case.
“It feels like everything is still the same, like we still don’t have answers,” she said. “It’s frustrating. It makes you angry. It makes you angry that they want to set this aside. He was a human being. He was a father, a husband, a son. And we are suffering deeply.”
Lieutenant Mike Kuper with the Rifle Police Department responded to an interview request from KDNK and Sol del Valle in April 2026, stating that the agency could not comment on active cases.
Among the many unanswered questions, Gabriela said that her daughters are still just trying to understand what happened.
“My daughters miss him terribly, and they always will,” she said. “They ask, ‘Why? Why did this happen to my dad?’ and you wish you had all the answers.”
Jessica also questioned the actions of the person responsible.
“Why didn’t they stop to give him first aid? Why did they do it?”
On May 21, Rifle Police Department Public Information Officer Angela Mills stated that the case is considered “closed inactive,” meaning, she said, “It can be reopened at any time should new information or evidence come to light. So this case still has potential to go to a jury trial.”
Information regarding the case can be directed to the Rifle Police Department at 970-625-8095, where callers may request to speak with a detective. Tips or comments related to this story can be sent to info@soldelvalle.org
This is the first installment in an investigative reporting series by KDNK and Sol del Valle regarding an unresolved case.
Follow Leonardo Occhipinti’s “Nuevo Mundo” in Sol del Valle every week in Spanish.
Ramon Chacon, pictured with his daughters. Courtesy photo
Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com
Out and about
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
ABOVE: The Redstone Bridge is ahead of schedule as of Memorial Day weekend. It is expected to open in midAugust, 25 days ahead of planned. Photo by Tommy Sands. RIGHT: Mt. Sopris glows in the distance beneath a pink sunset on May 19. Photo by Alison Osius
The exhibit will be up June 13-20. It celebrates our country’s promise from its beginnings to welcome all. Illène Pevec Age-Friendly Carbondale
As the Eagle County Commissioners consider the proposed “Fields” subdivision (SSP-009607-2025) on Valley Road, it is imperative that our community understands the serious red flags raised by those responsible for our safety and regional planning. While the promise of new housing is often used to justify density, the formal referral comments from local stakeholders suggest that this project, as currently designed, poses
The most alarming feedback comes from the Roaring Fork Fire and Rescue Authority. Fire Marshal Brooke Stott has explicitly stated that the authority does not support the project’s vehicular and parking system. The concerns are practical and life-threatening: Waverly Street is too narrow, and without adequate guest parking, vehicles will inevitably overflow onto the street, potentially blocking fire trucks during an emergency. Furthermore, the Fire Authority remains deeply concerned about the dangerous Highway 82/Valley Road intersection, which is
The Town of Basalt and Pitkin County have also voiced strong opposition. The project represents “suburban sprawl” located outside the established Urban Growth Boundary. Both entities have highlighted that Highway 82 is already operating at a “failing” Level of Service (LOS F). Adding nearly 400 daily vehicle trips to this corridor without a viable multimodal transit plan is a recipe for gridlock and decreased safety
While some county departments have offered “no comment,” we cannot ignore the expert agencies that have. We must ask: Why are we entertaining a zone change for a high-density project that our own fire marshal cannot support and our neighbors in Basalt have urged
I encourage all midvalley residents to review these referral comments and contact the Eagle County Commissioners. Growth is inevitable, but it must be safe, smart, and respectful of the infrastructure that sustains us all. Inform yourselves (www.bit.ly/Fields-CORA) and comment: planningcomments.eaglecounty.us
Susan Sullivan Carbondale
GWS Garden Tour
Ninety-five years later, the Glenwood Springs Garden Club is going strong and keeping Glenwood Springs beautiful. We invite you to celebrate by taking the popular Glenwood Springs Garden Tour.
There are nine gardens on the tour, and each has its own story. The Garden Tour will be held rain or shine, from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, June 6. Early ticket sales at the Frontier Historical Museum, in Glenwood Springs, or for information call 970-945-8295. Also, tickets can be purchased the day of the tour, June 6, at the Wulfsohn Community Garden. You are encouraged to carpool from the Wulfsohn parking lot to the Gardens.
This is a fundraiser for Glenwood Springs Garden Club community projects. We would also like to thank everyone who made the Bouquet of Music happen, it was beautiful. A special thanks to Kyle Jones, Aundrea Ware and Erika Butters, your performances were right up there with the best of them.
Anita Moulton, President Glenwood Springs Garden Club
Vote Weiser-ly
Phil Weiser is hands down our best choice for Colorado governor.
Weiser has consistently and strategically fought back against the Trump regime’s attacks on immigrants, our elections, our privacy and our environment. As Colorado attorney general, Weiser has sued the Trump regime more than 63 times and won repeated victories in court.
Weiser “walks the talk” when it comes to stopping billionaires from controlling our elections. Ninety-three percent of Weiser’s campaign donations come from Colorado residents.
As part of Colorado’s governing team for the past eight years, Weiser has a proven track record of building collaborations that get things done at the state level. Read his detailed platform on jobs and the economy, and you’ll find not just an innovative vision but concrete, practical steps for invigorating our economy.
Gubernatorial candidate Michael Bennet has not demonstrated the kind of fighting spirit we need from Democrats right now. He even voted to confirm eight of Trump’s cabinet nominees! His campaign is fueled by an outside committee to which New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg donated $2.5 million. Bennet’s experience lies in legislating in Washington, D.C., where he has served for the past 17 years, not statelevel governing.
Please join me in voting for Phil Weiser for Colorado Governor.
Debbie Bruell Carbondale
Thanks, CPD
I wanted to express appreciation to the Carbondale Police Department for maintaining a visible presence on Snowmass Drive during school drop-off hours. With so many young children walking, biking and crossing streets in the morning, having officers present helps reinforce safe driving habits and reminds motorists to slow down and stay attentive in a busy school zone. Thank you to the officers and department for prioritizing the safety of our community’s children.
Kay Howard Carbondale
LETTERS POLICY: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please, no smearing, cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@ soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.
PARTING
Veterans and American Legion members honored those who served in the U.S. military on the morning of Memorial Day, May 25, with a 21-gun salute at the White Hill Cemetery, an annual tradition in Carbondale. The group caravanned to continue the honor at the Evergreen Cemetery and Veterans Memorial Bridge later that morning. From left to right: Steve Alberico, Hank Spaulding, Chris Potvin, Steve Ostberg, Rick Wilson, Matt Baldwin, Bruce Wallace, Patrick Fagan, Donnie Zordel, Mark Loertscher and Mike Adams. Photos by Skyler Stark-Ragsdale
