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Blessed Mother's Day

Gratitude and good wishes to all of the mothers in the world for nurturing life. You are our source and nourishment, may we support your health and wellness and always remember how essential you are. For more mamas and babes, turn to pages 4-5.

Photos by Klaus Kocher

Ali Cottle & Wade Sylvie Lam & Cleo

Emily Lord & Jackson

Ali Noone & Francis

Andrea Korber & Faye Li McBrayer & Lily

Alexis Mahon & Emmett Ochers

Claire Wright & Colette

Claire Noone & Hazel Ali Luck & Nina

Choosing change and complexity OPINION

Branching Out

By Geneviève Villamizar

Most of us can look back on life and think, “Yeah, that moment changed me forever.” I’m grateful for those moments, because they reconnected me to the natural world. I say “re” because we’re born connected but capitalism breeds it out. It’s a choice to find our way back.

When I was 9, I stepped from the vision clinic wearing my first pair of glasses. I saw individual leaves on a tree, fluttering chartreuse and emerald, sunkissed and shadowed. I full-on gasped. I never knew! So enchanting! It was an awakening.

At 18, on a sparkly spring morning, I pulled on my first cut-offs of the season to attack a Manhattan euonymus blocking sunlight through the kitchen window. One cut became one hundred. Sun on skin; exertion, muscles, sweat — I discovered an endorphin high so sensual, so powerful, I haven’t quit playing in Nature since.

At 22, new to the Rockies, I wandered from camp, up

LETTERS

Re: Boebert country

through a meadow, far above. Azure skies; butt on the ground; immersed in grasses gone to seed, eye-level. So quiet, so seemingly still, I felt the immensity of the planet — and here I was, alive in it. And through the silence, grass softly tossed and swayed. Ponderosa needles whispered. “This is always here,” I realized. Beyond our broken society, Nature is here for me.

Nature slowly became my lover, my partner; my forever and always — a foundation of unshakable, ego-less confidence. As my treasure, it’s a relationship I invest in each day. The dividends are exponential and never, ever lose value.

We’ve shorted ourselves, prioritizing the beauty of Nature, an object to desire or dismiss based on looks or dollar value. “Stuff” doesn’t matter, really. A hammered gold bangle is so very pretty, yes. But, oh, my… waking to the fragrance of a kaffir lime in bloom? Unforgettable. Its leaves, bruised in a steaming bowl of tom yam kung? Mouth-watering. Memorable, when shared.

Death is a poignant, powerful part of Nature, too; say, a life story writ large in the contorted limbs of a fallen pine. I want a helicopter on speed dial to airlift fallen junipers into my living room, as though it was possible to absorb by osmosis the endurance, grace and tenacity within those ancient limbs.

I direct this email message to Mr. Menard as an individual and your rag of a publication as a group. I am a resident of the southwest corner of Colorado (Montezuma County) and I am PROUD to say that Rep. Boebert is VERY POPULAR in our little corner of Colorado. Mr. Menard is obviously a true liberal implant from some other area or state. His op piece on Rep. Boebert’s husband and other ATV owners/drivers was full of liberal talking points, jargon and misinformation. While I do not own or operate an ATV, many of my friends and relatives do. I prefer riding a mountain bike and I do have to say that most of the people (probably left-leaning individuals) that I meet on the trail are quite rude, inconsiderate and haughty. I just feel that perhaps Mr. Menard should clean up his own backyard before he casts shade on others of a different view than his own.

Melanie Filener

Lifelong resident Montezuma County

Not “redneck “ but proud of my rural heritage

I’m a landscape designer, so it’s taken a lifetime to get over the Nature porn that aroused me so with that first pair of glasses. My education perpetuated objectification, harping on labels versus roles in ecosystems: Latin names, common names, appearances, characteristics. “Plant in threes and fives!”

And then there was HGTV, treating plants like furniture to be arranged. “Stay put, don’t change, look perfect!”

The bird's eye view I learned from climbing taught me otherwise. The ecosystems I had to understand in hunting and fly fishing taught me otherwise. As has chance and serendipity.

A bird pooping seeds — voila, wild asparagus! Fluff on the wind — voila, colonies of butterfly weed. Change is natural and imperative and stasis is not a good thing. Do you want it in your marriage?

And therein is the kicker. Moving from “looks” to dynamic, complex, evolving relationships: understanding a plant or mineral or creature. Knowing something intimately, we can anticipate its behavior or character and engage with that. Including Nature in a deep, intense way makes life rich. I cringe that our culture reduces Nature to a “maintenance” thing.

“Give me low maintenance.” “Give me ‘xeriscape.’”

How about, “Make my life sublime?”

Solar follow-up

To clarify last week’s letter regarding local onsite solar electricity and Holy Cross Energy’s rates: I believe onsite solar is desirable. Electricity from solar farms and wind farms is often less expensive, but onsite solar has some obvious benefits. And while HCE and Xcel may be saturated with renewables sometimes, Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West are not yet.

So how to, and who should, compensate owners of onsite solar for this? I think the Nature Conservancy should buy down costs. It’s called the “world’s largest conservation organization” and is publishing maps showing all the places they think we shouldn’t put renewables. Or other land preservation organizations should pay. In some places, governments subsidize onsite solar more than other types. In Switzerland, solar installed to provide more winter output (steeper south tilts) gets extra incentives.

But we can’t hold our breath for these sensible policies, so hopefully HCE and the local solar industry can figure out some compromise that keeps local solar on an upswing. But we all need

The late and lusty Jim Harrison exposed me to the concept of phenology in “The Road Home.” I seldom know the day/date/time, but I do know that silver maples next to a driveway can bloom as early as March, and what 7,352 hungry honey bees sound like, gathering pollen. I know that morels can pop by Memorial Weekend. It’s absolutely alive — and not just the separate parts, but the totality of it.

Nature is desire, yearning, hoping, exclaiming, smelling, touching, tasting. I can see why dogs roll on their backs, kicking their feet in the air, wallowing in Nature. (Have you tried it? You’ll laugh.)

For 17 years, I’ve shared my natural wonder with you, one column after another; first with the Valley Journal, and here in The Sopris Sun. Seasons come, they go. We’re born, we live, we die and we return to Earth. This is my last column and my final summer here in Carbondale. I am the cliché creative that can no longer justify rents larger than most mortgage payments.

As Ram Dass wrote, “Our journey is about being deeply involved in life yet less attached to it.”

I’ll flex my nonattachment muscles regarding three decades of life in Colorado, sigh and remain deeply involved in Life elsewhere.~

to recognize that “100% renewable” Glenwood Springs and Aspen, the lessmisleading “net-zero” buildings and all onsite photovoltaic systems are backed up from off-site renewables, stored renewables or fossil fuels. This costs something, and codes and policies need to consider it.

Fred Porter, Carbondale

Just dandy

As Dandelion Day approaches, I’d like to share what this day means to me, with gratitude for where it came from and where it’s going!

To start off, this event was born out of a mission: to protect our land, water and children from pesticides being sprayed in our parks. The dandelion was adopted as the mascot. Special thanks to Doc Phillips for leading and the community supporting.

This town tradition has been passed down through many hands, a grassroots labor of love. I’d like to recognize the work of the women who passed the event to me, Alyssa Reindel, Suzanne Gray, Stacy Stein and Candace Goodwin.

Today, this Spring Jubilee of

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Volunteers sought!

Are you free this Saturday, May 13? Consider volunteering at Dandelion Day! There are several ways to help out, from general set-up to Green Team support, backstage security and, as always, clean-up. To sign up, visit: www.signup.com/go/zsizoew

First Friday fentanyl

An arrest made at 9:21pm on May 5 in Carbondale resulted in the confiscation of 12 grams of cocaine cut with fentanyl. The suspect, innocent until proven guilty, had an outstanding warrant and was contacted by Carbondale Police. After attempting to run, “an officer stepped in front of the male which made the male trip,” explained a press release. “Unfortunately, drugs like fentanyl are already in our town,” Chief Kirk Wilson was quoted saying. “Thankfully our officers are proactive and vigilant in their approach to stopping the spread of these dangerous drugs.”

Disaster support

The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers in Colorado to commit to helping during periods of natural disaster, namely wildfires. People can sign up to help with shelter support, health services or to be a part of a disaster action team. The press release suggested people prepare for the wildfire season by building an emergency kit, making an evacuation plan and knowing how to stay informed. Visit www.redcross.org for more information.

Mountain Fair love

RJ Paddywacks

Cool Bricks Studio

White River Books

Alpine Animal Hospital

Novus Glass

Nonprofit Partners

Wilderness Workshop

5point Film Festival

Basalt Library

Aspen Strong

Carbondale Rotary

Colorado Animal Rescue

Carbondale Arts

Carbondale Chamber of Commerce

Interested in becoming an Underwriter or Nonprofit Partner in 2023? Email Todd@ soprissun.com or call 970-987-9866

CARE has 11 dogs and 2 cats available for adoption.

Here are a few Mountain Fair updates. First, applications to have one’s art included in the Valley Artist Booth are due by May 15. An applicant must be a member of Carbondale Arts and live within a zip code beginning with “816.” Email brian@ carbondalearts.com for more information. Secondly, the fair is in need of volunteer team supervisors for Peace Patrol, parking, Green Team and more. Email deborah@carbondalearts.com to learn more. Finally, Carbondale Arts is requesting donations for the Mountain Fair Raffle. Contact jamie@carbondalearts.com if you would like to contribute a raffle item.

Wolf management

After two years of work and public discourse, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission unanimously approved Colorado’s Wolf Management Plan. But, because gray wolves are considered endangered, U.S. Fish and Wildlife would need to implement the 10(j) rule, which would redesignate Colorado’s wolf population as “experimental,” expanding management options, including preventative lethal control. As it stands, Colorado’s management plan allows ranchers to kill a wolf if it’s caught in the act of attacking livestock. On May 4, The General Assembly passed Senate Bill 23-256 which prohibits wolves being introduced prior to implementing the 10(j) rule. U.S. Fish and Wildlife has expedited Colorado’s 10(j) review.

Flood control

With rivers flowing two to three times above average for this time of year, Garfield County is providing sandbags to residents in unincorporated areas who might be at risk of flooding. Up to 20 filled sandbags are available at Garfield County Road and Bridge locations, or residents can pick up 50 empty sandbags to fill offsite. Residents living within municipalities are directed to contact

their town or city for assistance. Learn more by calling 970-6258601 and sign up for emergency alerts at www.garco911.com

Property taxes

The Common Sense Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, released its Housing Affordability Report for Colorado last week, finding that property owners face a historic property tax increase in 2024. “The cost of purchasing an average priced home has increased by 112% in just the past 11 years,” said Senior Economist Dr. Steven Byers. “Now increasing property taxes are making it more expensive to stay in your home.”

Health fair

365 Health will host free and affordable preventative health screenings and resources at the Third Street Center on May 27 from 8am to noon. “During COVID-19, Americans delayed or avoided entirely their routine preventive health care, and appointments have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels,” said 365 Health CEO Gary Drews. To view the list of available screenings and make an appointment, visit www.bit.ly/350HealthCdale

Coal Basin

White River National Forest Service is soliciting public comments regarding a proposed methane release study at Coal Basin. Visit www.bit.ly/CoalBasinMethane for more information. A public meeting, organized by proponents of the study, will be held at the Church of Redstone on May 17, at 6pm.

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Mark Chain (May 11); Dylan Rose Emmer (May 12); Camy Britt, Jimmy Byrne, Megan Cook, Bill Jochems, Pat Noel, Renee Prince and David Taylor (May 13); Debbi Fadli, Paige Gibbons, Doc Phillip and Steve Standiford (May 14); Jenny Cutright, Lindsay Dudycha, Kellie Land, Jonelle Luther, Greg Masse, Feénagh O'Donnell, Morgan Williams and Ana Vega Terrazas (May 15); Bartlett, Cynthia Butterfield, Aaron Luttrell and Fred Pulver (May 16); Terrie Geddes, Lisa Johnson and Steven Quint (May 17).

Working Together For Pets And Their People 2801 CR 114 Glenwood Springs, (970)947-9173CO RJ

RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new families, including a “Paws for plan a first time 15% discount for your new pet.

RJ PADDYWACKS offers a “C.A.R.E. package” for new adoptive families, including a “Paws for Points” plan and a first time 15% discount for your new pet.

Tonchi loves to chill! This handsome fella is three years old and just wants to lounge beside his person. No other cats please--he’s the king!

Thru May 15, Tonchi’s adoption fee is only $25 courtesy of the BISSELL Pet Foundation’s ‘Empty the Shelters’ national adoption event.

An emotional Arbor Day was celebrated on May 6 in Carbondale with two memorial trees planted at the Historic Thompson House. Anne Chapman and Julia Marshall, both instrumental in the founding of the Tree Board, were honored with a red oak and northern catalpa, respectively. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

Jocelyn Koenigsknecht & Jonah

Kristine Glauber Sunseri & Tessa

Casey Bowen & Josie

Lindsey Mineo & Morris

Gwen Sutton & Isla

Heather Hicks Stumpf & Lewellyn

Gina Noble & Everett

Danika Krajcar & Dawson Hill

Maggie Tolan Tiscornia & Valentina

Ivy Chalmers & Margaret Jane Liza Mitchell & Wayne

Nikala White & Dillon

Rachel Bachman Perkins & Ella

Susanna Alter & Grace

Elyssa Edgerly & Banksia

Mariela Gallegos & Ezequiel Meg Ravenscraft & Max

Michelle Boyle & Bridger

Vanessa Evan & Otis

Yazmin Salvidrez & Damian

Allie Newman & Samuel

Sustainability has a new team of leaders. I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the rock star team that is going to make Dandelion Day a roaring good time this year! Thank you Quinn Port, Kat McAfee and Luke Wander for not only carrying on this event, but adding your magic. I’m excited for their hard work to bloom on May 13!

As difficult as it is to write a short list, I’d like to acknowledge the biggest supporters of Dandelion Day who helped me over the years: Amy Kimberly and Carbondale Arts for bringing Dandelion Day under their umbrella; KDNK for airwave outreach and hosting the Beer Garden; Bill Flanigan for the groovy sound system; Evergreen Events making it zero-waste; Eric Brendlinger, Steve Weaver, George Wear and Richard Vottero for continued assistance and volunteering; Carbondale’s African drummers and dancers and Bonedale Flashmob for your arts; MANA Foods for hosting the plant sale in 2020’s pandemic, and supporting local agriculture year-round.

Shout-out to all the farmers and ranchers working hard to keep the heritage of the land, and stewarding it into the future! You make Dandelion Day the plant extravaganza that it’s known for, the green heart at the center.

Can you believe the Town almost let Dandelion Day disappear?! Hearing this event was optional when its succession was in question years ago lit a fire in me to continue its legacy. Today, Carbondale’s Environmental Board is the largest contributor to the event, a commitment of the Town’s belief in its inherent value. Thank you Environmental Board for your support! One day I hope Dandelion Day gets to see its 50th and 100th anniversary like its predecessors, Mountain Fair and Potato Day!

I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to organize and serve this inspiring community. It was not easy to say goodbye to this event, or town. I developed as a person putting on this daunting, and highly rewarding event for five years. It’s a comfort that this year’s team fully embraced Dandelion Day’s legacy, and have organized a very special day for you all to enjoy.

Get out there, join the Parade of Species, grab your plant starts and celebrate spring and sustainability the Carbondale way.

With love, Natalie Rae, Portland

ATVs in Marble

If the commissioners wanted to reapprove ATV use on County Road 3 (CR3) near Marble, they would have during their meeting last week. The agenda even included a blank form of the resolution to approve. As a concession to ATV opponents, the commissioners have made the approval an annual event. The fact that they have left the reapproval to such a late date shows that they recognize serious concerns.

It is highly ironic that Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is considering banning paddleboarding on Beaver Lake near Marble, while the Gunnison

commissioners are considering ATV traffic on adjacent CR3. It is hard to find a lower impact, silent, human-powered activity which only temporarily disturbs the water. Try to imagine a higher impact activity than ATVs, which affect the environment in multiple ways, quality of life for residents and visitors and even property values.

In defense of CPW, of all the agencies which regulate this area, they are the only ones with a clear mission statement. This allowed them to make the simple decision to not allow parking for ATVs at Beaver Lake. The paddleboarding issue will be based on the management of the lake as a state wildlife area, not as a state park.

Parking for ATV unloading is the commissioner's first consideration. As absentee managers, the commissioners are probably not aware that on a typical summer weekend, cars drive up to Marble and then leave after searching in vain for a parking space. ATVs take two to three parking spaces.

Provision of an unloading site at Marble Mill Site Park, a national historic site, is part of the plan to allow ATVs on CR3. Efforts were made to connect the commissioners with the Small Business Administration and History Colorado. Both agencies enforce the covenants which are violated by the parking plan. There was no mention at the meeting that ATV unloading would be available at Mill Site Park.

Given parking restrictions by CPW, the Town of Marble and Gunnison County, the only other possible unloading site is at the base of Daniels Hill. The Gunnison County public works director addressed efforts to provide parking there. He did not mention that the right-of-way there does not even allow enough space for ATV trailers to turn around.

Kevin Warner, district ranger for the Forest Service, stated that there was no plan for that agency to provide a parking lot there, citing the opposition of the Lead King Loop Study Committee. Another consideration was the possibility of a Town of Marble management program for ATV parking. It was mentioned that moving the ATV parking across the street was still within the Mill Site Park and thus continues to violate covenants.

There continues to be an idea that an ATV management program could be funded by parking fees. The covenants at Mill Site Park do not allow any commercial operations. This is why the Town of Marble attempted to modify the covenants. In fact, the ATV lobby has successfully passed a state resolution which prohibits any state, county or local group from imposing any additional fees to access public lands. It is amazing that this fact goes unnoticed. Did you know that Marble took back their town for a weekend last summer?

In order to put on the wonderful and highly attended Marble Fest, the town actually banned ATV parking at the Mill Site Park for the weekend. This meant that CR3, below the town where ATV traffic is not allowed, was the site of dozens of illegal drivers parking for ATV

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Among the exhaust, honks of approval and a few finger flippings, Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) seniors took to the roundabout to practice civil action as part of their "Human Rights in the 21st Century" class taught by Beth Krasemann. The history class first looked at global issues, then local concerns. After some dialogue, the students agreed, "We shouldn't feel unsafe in schools," and decided to protest mass gun violence in schools on May 4, without necessarily taking a policy stance. "They'll remember this more than an exam," stated Krasemann.

Roaring Fork Audubon is looking for a lover of these majestic raptors to assist in the coordination of establishing nesting poles and platforms.

Photo by Sue Rollyson

Local arts symposium ponders familiar challenges

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

On a springish morning, May 2, arts organizations from throughout the Valley convened for the first-ever State of the Arts Symposium at TACAW. The event was organized by Amy Kimberly, former executive director of Carbondale Arts, as part of her Change Leader project with Colorado Creative Industries. Kimberly told The Sopris Sun she hopes the symposium becomes an annual event.

“Arts are at the essence of who we are,” she said, introducing the day. The agenda included several presentations, panels, group discussions and a scrumptious lunch catered by Epicure Catering (and prepared in TACAW’s all-electric kitchen). After lunch, everyone was invited to get active with a little dance and stretch led by Dance Initiative.

Participants were first treated to a keynote by Christy Costello, interim director of Colorado Creative Industries, giving a snapshot of how the state benefits socially and economically from arts and culture. Colorado Creative Industries was established in 1967 as the official state arts agency and began operating out of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade in 2010.

“Arts and culture are pretty magical,” said Costello. “They provide a tremendous economic benefit and also make us healthier, safer and more connected.” For example, more than $1 trillion was added to the United States’ gross domestic product in 2021 thanks to the arts and culture sector. This is

AVSC Summer Bike Programs

Who: 7 – 13-year-olds

What: Weekly Mountain Bike Camps with 2 and 3day options

Where: Transportation provided to explore the trails of the Roaring Fork Valley, with drop off/pick up at Crown Mountain Park.

When: June 5 – August 18

Cost: $200 - $295 per session. Scholarships available!

Equipment: Loaner bikes available upon request.

far above mining ($333.9 billion) and outdoor recreation ($454 billion).

Costello showed how $1.4 million came to Colorado arts in the form of post-COVID federal relief funding, while more than $100 million was distributed by the state itself. State funding came through the Colorado Arts Relief fund ($23 million) and Community Revitalization grants ($85 million), and both are now concluded.

She said that arts and culture are bouncing back faster than the rest of industries in the United States, contributing $5.4 billion to Colorado’s economy in 2021. Colorado is also consistently among the top 10 states in terms of number of residents that participate in some form of art-making, she said.

Then, Meredith Badler spoke on behalf of Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, a non-governmental organization that advocates for the state’s creative economy. One statistic she gave is that cultural audiences spend an average of $31.47 per person when attending an event, benefitting peripheral industries like transportation and food services.

The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts created a grassroots mobilization platform for contacting state and federal representatives in support of arts funding. The Arts Action Network is a “quick, easy but impactful way you can get engaged,” said Badler. In this way, they helped secure an additional $20 million on top of the initial $65 million for post-pandemic Community Revitalization grants. You can sign up at CBCA.org/colorado-artsaction-network

Looking more locally, Michael Stout, education director at Carbondale Arts, informed the audience of the risk that “we are losing our creative sector” due to the Valley’s high cost of living. According to a 2018 Artspace study, 68% of Carbondale creatives said they had considered leaving due to the affordability crisis which has only gotten worse.

Inevitably, this crisis came up again during a panel with local governments, as well as during breakout sessions.

“The principal threat,” said painter Michael Kinsley in a breakout session, “is an extremely inflationary economy [and] the affordability of housing and child care.” He spoke in favor of having government involved in solutions.

Another panel gathered Spanishspeaking creatives to talk about

outreach. “When I’ve been successful,” said Gaby Galindez, “it’s not just a partnership. It takes a lot of legwork. It’s not just translation either, though that’s a good start.” She suggested getting the whole community involved early in the process, rather than as an afterthought, and also understanding there are cultural differences to contend with.

MinTze Wu, executive director of VOICES, took the opportunity to ask about the term “Latinx” and what the preference is for identifying our Spanish-speaking community. She was informed that it’s important to read the audience. Some may prefer “Latino,” which is more traditional though gendered, and others might like “Latine” which is gender-neutral

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Kendall Smith, director of programming at TACAW, moderated a panel with the mayors of Carbondale and Aspen. From left to right: Smith, Ben Bohmfalk, Basalt town manager Ryan Mahoney and Aspen’s Torre.

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

AVSC Summer Mountain Bike Programs are open for registration! At the core of our mountain bike programming is skill development, confidence building, risk management and overall progression in a safe and fun environment!

State of the River meeting featured CO’s lead water negotiator

By Olivia Emmer Sopris Sun Correspondent

On Tuesday, May 2, the Colorado River District and the Middle Colorado Watershed Council hosted an event in Glenwood Springs to update the community on the condition of the Colorado River and its local tributaries. This was part of a series held annually around the Western Slope by the River District.

The event featured a presentation by Rebecca Mitchell, the state of Colorado’s commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, an interstate water agency representing Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico in negotiations around water use from the Colorado River Basin. Mitchell is also the director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the state’s water planning agency.

Representing Colorado’s Division of Water Resources, Caleb Foy, lead assistant division engineer, Division 5, presented an outlook for the irrigation season. Water Division 5 is the mainstem of the Colorado River and tributaries including the Fraser, Blue, Eagle and Roaring Fork rivers.

Colorado River District’s Lindsay DeFrates, public relations and media specialist, gave a presentation to provide background education on regional and national water issues as well as to explain the role of the River District.

Paula Stepp, executive director of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC) presented on the work her organization is doing to coordinate wildfire readiness in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River watersheds. “In Colorado, western Colorado and all of the West, it's not if we have a next wildfire, but when,” she said.

After the Grizzly Creek Fire, MCWC installed rain gauges in the burn area to help alert downvalley communities to changes in their water quality from events such as debris flows. Their current work is focused on building partnerships that reflect the cross-boundary realities of large wildfires and can facilitate wildfire readiness, response and post-wildfire restoration.

A representative of the Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association, Don Metzler, spoke about the role of agriculture in the region. In conversations about water use in the West, agriculture — as the basin’s largest water user — gets pointed to as a logical place to reduce water use.

Metzler was there to highlight the value of regional agriculture in providing local food, protecting the legacy of family ranching, providing economic value to rural communities, conserving wildlife habitat, managing natural resources and contributing to the landscape aesthetics of the region.

Additional meetings are scheduled for late May and early June in Granby, Silverthorn and Edwards. Presentation materials from the Glenwood Springs meeting are available online at www. coloradoriverdistrict.org

Colorado River crisis

The seven states in the Colorado River Basin and the federal government are currently in tense conversation about how to respond to two decades of drought conditions throughout the watershed. Myriad tribes and the country of Mexico also have legal rights to the water.

Last summer, the federal government made an ultimatum to the basin states — agree on a plan to significantly reduce their water use, or the federal government would make the cuts for them. While six states did agree to a plan, California would not sign on. Negotiations are ongoing.

Commissioner Mitchell was very critical of California and Arizona in her comments at the meeting. “When you look at the last 20-some odd years, the overuse [equated] to about 34 million acre feet (MAF) in the Lower Basin; and if that overuse hadn't occurred, what would that mean of our security up here?” Part of the reason Lake Powell exists is so that the Upper Basin can store water to ensure they can meet their obligation under the 1922 Colorado River Compact to send an average of 7.5 MAF of water to Lower Basin states each year.

In April, the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages the Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam, both of which are threatened by low reservoir levels, released draft guidelines that would update how they can respond to water shortages. Those options include cutting back use by prior appropriation rules but also lay out the option to cut back water use evenly across the Lower Basin states. This would be a departure from the way water has been managed in the West. Prior appropriation rules give water users with the most senior rights first dibs on available water. California has some of the oldest and largest

rights in the basin.

Commissioner Mitchell’s messaging was clear: “We didn't cause this problem, but that doesn't mean we don't want to be a part of the solution. For the last 20 years the Upper Basin has been using significantly less than what we are allowed to use under the Compact. No Upper Basin states, including Colorado, have enough water available to bail out the Lower Basin's overuse, we just don't. There's no amount of water that we could save that is going to allow them to continue to operate the way that they have been operating.”

Local water forecast

Bringing the water conversation specific to the local community, DWR Engineer Caleb Foy said the Roaring Fork River is projected to have 122% of average runoff this season. Foy expects most of the region’s major reservoirs to fill, including Ruedi and Green Mountain. He highlighted

that due to the above average snowpack and other factors, like recent dust-on-snow events, there is some concern of flooding. That said, Foy forecast that the Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs is projected to peak around 6500 cubic feet per second, which is below “bankfull.” This does not mean that smaller tributaries won’t overflow, as the community has seen over the past week with Parachute Creek.

“What’s the crystal ball say?” joked Foy, referring to if and when water shortages might occur this summer. “There have been some recent years that have been slightly similar, notably 2015, ‘17 and ‘19. So in those years, we're typically looking at a Shoshone call coming on sometime mid-tolate August, and then a Cameo call sometime late August-early September. Now one thing to be mindful of is the date of those calls can be drastically impacted by the presence of monsoonal moisture this summer, as well as how fast the

snow runs off.”

A “call” occurs when a water user with priority rights isn’t getting enough water and they demand junior water use upstream be restricted. According to the River District’s website, “the Shoshone Hydropower Plant holds the oldest, major water right on the mainstem of the [Colorado] river, 1,250 cubic feet per second, dated 1902. When river flows ebb after the spring runoff, Shoshone contributes most of the Colorado River’s water in Glenwood Canyon.”

A Cameo call refers to the diversion at the roller dam in De Beque canyon, just upstream of Grand Junction. Those senior and significant water rights support agriculture in the region, and, when they place a call, can reduce how much water is diverted to the Front Range through transmountain tunnels. Both calls lead to more water running west in the Colorado River.

Many regional watersheds received above average snowpacks this winter. Factors like dust-onsnow and rapid rises in temperature could lead to speedy runoff and flooding. CDOT has said that spring runoff conditions were a factor in the sinkhole that has closed a section of Highway 133 near Somerset. A plan is being finalized for reopening and repairing the highway, with the goal of building a temporary two-lane bridge within two to three weeks. Courtesy photo

New and old converge for Dandelion Day’s 25th anniversary

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

Spring is in full swing and excitement is building for the 25th annual Dandelion Day celebration in Sopris Park on May 13. Since 1998, with the exception of 2020, Bonedalians have gathered every spring to celebrate their town flower, the noble dandelion. This year’s festivities include many beloved traditions, like the Parade of Species, as well as fresh initiatives.

Carbondale Trustees proclaimed this 25th anniversary as “Doctor Dandelion Day” in honor of “Doc” John Philip during their regular meeting on April 25. The proclamation recognizes Doc’s leadership in recognizing the importance of chemical-free parks, as well as culinary and medicinal uses of the dandelion. Doc will also be inducted into the distinguished Order of the Dandelion along with faithful Environmental Board member Fred Malo, Jr.

Bee Friendly

New this year, Bee Friendly Carbondale, an initiative grown out of the Environmental Board, will launch with an educational booth and presentation. So far, the group consists of all women, from seven months to 80 years in age, meeting twice a week at the Historic Thompson House. Their mission is to increase biodiversity, drought-tolerance and beauty through native and regionally-adapted plant species.

It began eight months ago in Satank, explained Environmental Board Chairperson Hannah-Hunt Moeller. At the coaxing of town matriarch Jane Hendricks, Moeller paid a visit to Dina Bowers’ pollinator-friendly gardens near the old Satank bridge. The conversation kept rolling, with statewide, national and international turf removal initiatives and increasing awareness of the importance of diverse habitat for ecosystems health.

“Lawns are our nation’s largest, most irrigated and chemical-laden crop,” according to a Bee Friendly Carbondale statement, “consuming an incredible 40 million acres of land, 12 times more water than native planting, more pesticides than the agriculture industry and 3 million gallons of gas each year.”

The group looked at aerial images of Carbondale and noticed an abundance of green spaces with the potential of converting turf into habitat. Inspired by efforts on the Front Range, these women decided to create a Carbondale-focused initiative as an umbrella for connecting resources.

“We want to be that for the Valley and Carbondale,” said Bowers. “And I think the Environmental Board is a good home for that right now.”

The initiative has three prongs: education, policy and demonstration gardens.

Bowers and Moeller have both received funding to convert their own lawns, thanks to the Colorado Native Plant Society. They are compiling a list of funding opportunities, including the state’s new Turf Replacement Program, and getting involved with the Town of Carbondale’s adopt-a-garden program. They have identified more than 60 public garden spaces in Carbondale.

Eventually, within their seven-year plan, Bee Friendly Carbondale would like to convert 13,500 square feet of the Historic Thompson House lawn into demonstration gardens. First, Moeller said, they will need to show success in other public spaces. “Maintenance is really where the biggest challenge has presented itself.”

Ideally, diverse species can keep “what gardeners call ‘invaders’” out, offered Bowers, for “a more self-sustaining plant community.” She continued, “When you look at the world from a problem perspective, it’s pretty hard to start. But when you identify one thing, it feels more hopeful.”

Look for Bee Friendly Carbondale at Dandelion Day for resources about how to convert your lawn and what plants are best adapted for this region. Anyone may join the subcommittee, even if they are not a member of the Environmental Board.

Education opportunities

You’ll be able to learn more from Bee Friendly Carbondale at the learning tent, a Dandelion Day feature that’s returning after being absent for many years. They will present at 1pm and also host a large seed swap for gardeners and farmers to trade varieties of flowers and vegetables.

Other sessions include: “Dandelions for Food, Medicine and More!” led by Sue Gray at 11am; “Transforming Lawns for Bees & Biodiversity” by Amy Hauver with the Garfield County CSU Extension at noon; and “Regenerative Stewardship” with Katrina Blair of Turtle Lake Refuge and Bee Happy Lands at 2pm.

The community will also have an opportunity to join Blair for a Bee Happy Lands organic stewardship demonstration at the Carbondale Nature Park on Friday, May 12, at 9am. She and her team will conduct a treatment on Canada thistle and yellow toadflax and a training for Town staff that is open to the public. Citizens must register to attend by contacting Parks & Rec Director Eric Brendlinger at ebrendlinger@carbondaleco.net or 970-510-1277.

Farm map

Another new: local tourism organizations will unveil “The Roaring Fork + Farm Map,” a food and farm visitor guide beautifully illustrated by artist Sarah Uhl. The map includes farms, ranches, gardens, bars and restaurants from Aspen to Silt. The guide brochure will make its debut at Dandelion Day.

Dandelion fields forever, photo by Sue Rollyson

ANNUAL PLANT SALE

Get your garden growing with our extensive selection of:

Tomatoes • Herbs • Veggies • Annual Flowers

Perennials • Seed Potatoes • Onion Plants and More!

All garden starts are organically grown and are well suited to the Roaring Fork Valley Climate. To see a full list of plants available visit: www.crms.org/plantsale

saturday, MAY 20 + sunday, MAY 21

9 AM - 3 PM

CRMS Organic Garden Learning Center 500 Holden Way, Carbondale

CARBONDALE

TODDLER AND ME

YOGALATES

Combo of yoga and pilates in a playful class where you can exercise with your baby/toddler.

HAND WOVEN BASKETS

Learn the basics of basket weaving in this beginner’s class while creating a functional “Book Tote” basket with leather handles.

Monday 9am-4pm 6/5

MONOTYPE PRINTING

Explore the creative potential of monotype printing - an experimental, spontaneous way to make unique images on paper.

Mondays 6-9pm 6/5-7/17

(6mo-4yr)

Saturdays 11am-12pm 6/3-6/24

GOUACHE PAINTING

Explore this unique and popular water-based paint in a fun and supportive class. No previous painting experience required.

Wednesdays 1-4pm 5/17-6/21

BEGINNING SWING DANCE

Learn the basics of Jitterbug (East Coast) Swing, steps, turns, spin, dips, and other fun moves, and be ready for a party or wedding.

Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm 5/17-6/7

QIGONG

Improve balance, flexibility, muscle tone, relaxation and focus with simple movements in this gentle practice. No experience necessary.

Wednesdays 10:30-11:30am 5/24-7/26

FREE - CONSCIOUS LIVING

Join True Nature’s Co-founders Deva and Eaden to learn how yoga, lifestyle, and spirituality can support your personal growth and deepen community connections.

Friday 6-7pm 6/9 at True Nature

PHOTOGRAPHY 101 AND BEYOND

Learn to “make” photos not just “take” photos, and get off the automatic settings in this basic class for beginners to intermediate photographers with DSLR camera.

Saturdays & Wednesdays 9am-1pm 6/18-7/5

CREATIVE WRITING

An online class to hone writing skills and expand self-expression with creative writing and/or poetry.

Wednesdays 6-8pm 6/14-7/12

FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER... coloradomtn.edu/community-education

Carbondale Lappala Center • 690 Colorado Ave • 963-2172

THURSDAY, MAY 11

COMMISSIONER OPEN HOURS

Eagle County Commissioner

Jeanne McQueeney will be fielding questions at the Basalt Library from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

LEGAL CLINIC

The Basalt Library hosts a free legal clinic from 2 to 5pm. Call 970-927-4311 or email info@ basaltlibrary.org to sign up.

SAW OPEN HOUSE

The Studio for Arts and Works (SAW) hosts a spring open house from 4 to 8pm.

CODING CLUB

The Aspen Science Center comes to the Carbondale Library to teach about coding in a fun way, today and May 25 at 4pm.

NATURAL DYE WORKSHOP

Katie Brown leads a Natural Dye Workshop at the Botany Houseplant Shop at 5pm. Brown will also teach at Tiny Pine on Saturday, May 13, at 5pm. Visit ww.box-eleven.com for more info and to sign up.

THOMPSON DIVIDE

The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are seeking public comments regarding the proposed mineral withdrawal of the Thompson Divide. A meeting in Gunnison can be attended virtually tonight from 5:30 to 7:30pm. To register, visit www.bit.ly/ZoomThompsonDivide

ARCTIC SCIENCE

Wild Rose Education and Arctic Outreach Educator Sarah Johnson will discuss her science-based expedition to the Arctic at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm.

NARRATIVE ENNEAGRAM

True Nature hosts an “Introduction to the Narrative Enneagram” from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Learn more and register at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

WINE AND POTTERY

The Carbondale Clay Center hosts a “Wine Time and Coil Building” workshop at 6pm.

REDSTONE BINGO

The Redstone Inn hosts bingo night at 6:30pm.

CRYSTAL THEATRE

Catch “Little Richard” tonight at the Crystal Theatre at 7pm. If you didn’t get a ticket to the sold-out May 12 viewings of “Paint,” you have another chance to see the film on Saturday, May 13, at 4:45pm. “Somewhere in Queens” screens May 13 and 18 at 7pm, and Sunday, May 14, at 5pm.

FRIDAY, MAY 12

COSMIC SOUND JOURNEY

Enjoy a nourishing sound experience led by Danielle Klein at True Nature from 6 to 7:15pm. Register online at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

HAPPY HOUR CRITIQUE

Bring a recent project for feedback and have a drink at the Carbondale Clay Center at 6pm. Visit www. carbondaleclay.org for more info.

COLLEYWOOD

Carbondale Arts shows “Paint” at the Crystal Theatre at 6 and 9pm, celebrating the film’s inclusion of art by local celebrity Brian Colley. Both shows are sold out, but a Saturday showing was added at 4:45pm.

JOY OF MUSIC

Small ensembles of band students perform at Basalt High School from 5:30 to 8pm. The evening is complete with food and a silent auction. Visit www.givebutter.com/c/Bandbooster/ auction to check out silent auction items.

SATURDAY, MAY 13

DANDELION DAY

Enjoy the 25th anniversary of Dandelion Day in Carbondale, beginning with yoga on Main Street at 9am, followed by the Parade of Species at 10am and the “Slowest Bike Race” at 11:30am. Booths open at 11am and environmental education will be offered at the learning tent from 11am to 2pm, with a seed exchange at 3pm. Live music begins at noon and continues all day in Sopris Park.

SUPERHERO WALK

Join Turner and fellow superheroes

Have a dandy day, May 13! Art by Benny Blue #freeradicalpress

for “Turner’s Superhero Wheel, Walk, Run,” starting at the Glenwood Springs Community Center at 9am. Be sure to wear your superhero attire! Register at www.bit.ly/TurnersWheelWalkRun

ART, HEALING, HOPE

Sheri Gaynor leads two in-person therapeutic art sessions with The Art Base: the first from 9:30 to 11:30am and the second from 1 to 3pm. Learn more at www.theartbase.org

PARKINSON'S CHAT

Dr. Amy Amara discusses Parkinson's symptoms and treatments at the Glenwood Springs Community Center at 10am.

CLEARING AND MANIFESTING

Ann O’Brian leads an “Energy Clearing and Manifesting” meditation at True Nature at 10am. Learn more and register at www. truenaturehealingarts.com

DANCE INITIATIVE

Dance Initiative’s current artists in residency, Amadi “Baye'' Washington and Sam “Asa” Pratt, lead an adult workshop today at 10am, a workshop for 10 to 13 year olds on Tuesday, May 16 at 4pm and an intermediate happy-hour dance class on Thursday, May 18 at 6:15pm. Their residence culminates in a show and talk-back on Saturday, May 20 at 6:30pm. Visit www.danceinitiative.org for more info.

OFF-GRID

Rick and Didi Herald teach about the off-grid home they built in Western Colorado from tires, cans, bottles and other reclaimed materials. The presentation is free and open to all at the Silt Library at 1pm.

POTTERY THROWDOWN

The Carbondale Clay Center hosts its “Pottery Throwdown” where teams of four compete in whacky ceramic contests at 3pm. Come watch, or register a team to compete by visiting www.carbondaleclay.org

LOCAL COMEDY

TACAW presents the “Local Comedy Showcase,” featuring local comedians tonight at 8pm.

SUNDAY, MAY 14

MOTHERS DAY TEA

Invite your mother to enjoy tea and sandwiches (and chocolate) at The Cocoa Club with seatings at 10:30am and 12:30pm. To reserve a space, call 970-340-4608.

MOTHERS DAY BRUNCH

The Rooftop Cafe at the Aspen Art Museum kicks off a Mothers Day Brunch at 11am. Visit www.aspenartmuseum.org for tickets and more info.

CHAKRA STRETCH

Jess Jacobson leads “Essential Chakra Stretch” at True Nature with essential oils from 2 to 4pm. Register at www.truenaturehealingarts.com

BIKE POLO

Enjoy bike polo at the athletic field behind Bridges High School at 2pm.

MONDAY, MAY 15

HCE DEADLINE

The online comment period for Holy Cross Energy’s proposed rate restructuring closes today. For more information, visit www.holycross.com/rates

BONEDALE BIKE WEEK

It’s Bonedale Bike Week! Enjoy free coffee, tea, hot chocolate and breakfast snacks for cyclists at the corner of Fourth and Main in Carbondale every morning this week, from 7 to 9am.

BIKE RODEO

Kids are welcome to learn bike safety with a fun obstacle course

hosted at the Rec Center from 4 to 6pm. All participants are required to wear a helmet and have a waiver signed by a parent.

TUESDAY, MAY 16

YOUTH SCAVENGER HUNT

Valley middle school students are invited to compete in a scavenger hunt at 4pm. Registration is at 3:45pm in front of the Carbondale Middle School. Bikes are essential and costumes are encouraged! Groups can include up to six people, and a phone is required to take photos.

MUSHROOM ROCK WORK

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers leads trail work at Red Hill from 4 to 8pm, followed by a social gathering at Revel Bikes. Register at www.rfov.org

ELECTRIC JESSUP

Revel Bikes celebrates Bonedale Bike Week with a boneyard bash from 5 to 8pm at 786 Industry Place, with music by Electric Jessup.

CHINESE DANCE

Taiwanese choreographer and dancer Chung-Fu Chang will perform traditional Chinese Ribbon Dances that date back to the Tang Dynasty at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

PEACE GARDEN

Volunteer at True Nature’s Peace Garden from 8am to noon today or May 20 to connect with community and give thanks for a sacred sanctuary. Sign up at www.bit.ly/PeaceGardenHelp

SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORERS

Learn about space and how NASA scientists study it at the Basalt Library at 2:30pm.

COAL BASIN

The Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) hosts a community conversation about Coal Basin methane capture at the Church at Redstone at 6pm.

EQUITY

The Equity Speaker Series at TACAW continues with Full Circle Strategies, “facilitating racial equity work through a cultural humility lens,” at 6:30pm. RSVP at www.tacaw.org

DRAWING CLUB

The Roaring Fork Drawing Club meets at the Carbondale Clay Center at 6:30pm.

BIKE TRIVIA

Assemble a team of two to six people for bike-themed trivia at Carbondale Beer Works from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

THURSDAY, MAY 18

CAREGIVER SUPPORT

Caregivers of people living with cognitive impaired illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease, are invited to a support group at the Basalt Library at 10:30am.

BOOK CLUB

The Third Thursday Book Club discusses "One Italian Summer" by Rebecca Serle at the Carbondale Library at 2pm.

PUMP TRACK

The Carbondale Rec Center invites kids to pump track time trials at the North Face Bike Park from 4 to 5:30pm.

PIZZA BAKE

Bring your favorite pizza topping to the Carbondale Community Oven, behind the Third Street Center, for a potluck beginning at 6pm.

Spring into Action!

Sunday, May 21

2:00 - 4:00

Apple Tree water quality meeting set for May 18

By James Steindler

Contributing Editor

Apple Tree Trailer Park, outside of New Castle, is home to several families which make up its small community. With a little push from a regional community organizing nonprofit, residents have begun to organize and advocate for their shared needs.

VOCES Unidas de las Montañas “is an advocacy organization that works to elevate the voices of Latinos and Latinas here in the Valley,” said Alan Muñoz Valenciano, regional manager of organizing for the Greater Roaring Fork Valley.

Having grown up in the area, Valenciano said he’s known about the water quality issues in Apple Tree for years. “For VOCES, it really started in 2021-2022 when folks let us know how prevalent of an issue it actually was and the specific ways it was impacting residents,” he shared. “Not only does the water come out brown or yellow or red sometimes, but residents don’t use their water to do any sort of cooking, cleaning, drinking — anything of that sort.”

He added that there have been reports of appliances being replaced two to three times faster due to the “hard” quality of the water.

As a grassroots organization, VOCES focuses on building community. Valenciano said there is an inherent power-dynamic between residents and landlords. Individually, people might feel intimidated to approach issues, such as water quality, for fear of retaliation.

VOCES facilitates meetings where community members can gather, air their opinions and develop “next steps” themselves, along with some coaching from the organization.

Many residents of Apple Tree have taken to organizing amid VOCES’ efforts. As Valenciano put it, “The residents themselves are mobilizing and they

want to see a change.”

While VOCES is primarily concerned with elevating Latino communities, that’s not exclusively the case. “It really is marginalized folks, which tend to be people who live in mobile home parks,” he noted.

In fact, on May 3, there was a community meeting in Apple Tree that covered a slew of topics, including how to support House Bill 23-1257 Mobile Home Park Water Quality (HB 23-1257).

VOCES worked closely on HB 23-1257, of which House District 57 Representative Elizabeth Velasco is a primary sponsor. The bill “will set the foundation … to make sure that we raise the water quality standards in Colorado, so no one is subject to brown, yellow or red water coming out of their sink,” stated Valenciano.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers aspects such as the color, odor and taste of water as secondary standards. “It’s essentially the state saying this water is safe to drink, when, in reality, no one drinks it,” he explained.

HB 23-1257 passed the house and the senate and is awaiting Governor Jared Polis’ signature.

To learn more about mobile home park water quality issues statewide, and what’s being done, visit www.cleanwaterforallco.org

Valenciano acknowledged that VOCES has not been in touch with the owners of the park directly at this point. “Right now, that isn’t necessarily what we want to focus on. Our priority is the residents and making sure the residents have what they need to advocate for themselves…”

Management explains its efforts

The Sopris Sun reached out to the Investment Property Group UT, Inc. (IPG), which manages Apple Tree. IPG is registered as a foreign corporation based out of Park City, Utah. Apple Tree MHC, LLC, owns the park and has a principal mailing address out of Irvine,

California, according to the Colorado Secretary of State website.

“IPG acquired Apple Tree in late November of 2020 and became aware of residents’ concerns in April of 2021,” an IPG spokesperson told The Sopris Sun. “We have been working in partnership with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Water Quality Division since then to assure the water quality meets all state and federal clean drinking water regulations, and to minimize any aesthetic issues caused by the mineral content of the water.”

IPG gave a timeline of its efforts to address water quality in the park. In May 2022, “CDPHE performed an in-depth system inspection and reaffirmed that the water meets all state and federal clean drinking water regulations, but identified aesthetic issues associated with slightly elevated levels of iron, manganese and hardness.” In July, the management company began monthly testing of the water’s manganese levels.

The monthly manganese levels within the distribution system fluctuate between .049 milligrams per liter (mg/l) and .073 mg/l, according to the spokesperson. The EPA’s advisory level is .3 mg/l.

In August 2022, IPG “refined the flushing procedures to minimize mineral build up within the system and to help reduce any instances of discoloration.” In September, IPG began discussions with an engineering firm around treatment options for iron, hardness and manganese. In December, IPG sent flushing notices to residents in English and Spanish with more details about the process, and began discussions with the Garfield County Department of Health in regards to resident outreach and education.

In January of this year, IPG “joined Garfield County Public Health and CDPHE Enforcement and Social/

continues on page 18

Sol del Valle

Conectando comunidades desde 2021

VOCES apoya a los residentes de Apple Tree

Por James Steindler Traducción por Dolores Duarte

Apple Tree Trailer Park, a las afueras de New Castle, es el hogar de varias familias las cuales conforman su pequeña comunidad. Con un poco de empuje de una organización regional de la comunidad sin fines de lucro, los residentes han empezado a organizarse y abogar por necesidades compartidas.

VOCES Unidas de las Montañas, "es una organización de defensa que trabaja para elevar las voces de los latinos y latinas aquí en el valle", dijo Alan Muñoz Valenciano, gerente regional de organización para el gran valle del Roaring Fork.

Habiendo crecido en el área, Valenciano dijo que ha sabido acerca de los problemas de calidad del agua en Apple Tree durante años. "Para VOCES, realmente comenzó en 2021-2022 cuando la gente nos hizo saber que tan generalizado era el problema y las formas específicas en que estaba afectando a los residentes", compartió. "No solo el agua sale marrón o amarilla o roja a veces, sino que los residentes no usan su agua para hacer ningún tipo de cocina, limpieza, bebida, nada de ese tipo".

Añadió que hay informes de que los electrodomésticos se sustituyen dos o tres veces más rápido debido a la calidad "dura" del agua.

Como organización de base, VOCES se centra en crear comunidad. Valenciano explicó que existe una dinámica de poder inherente entre residentes y propietarios. Individualmente, la gente puede sentirse intimidada a la hora de abordar cuestiones como la calidad del agua, por miedo a represalias.

VOCES facilita reuniones en las que los miembros de la comunidad pueden reunirse, expresar sus opiniones y desarrollar por sí mismos los "siguientes pasos", con la ayuda de la organización.

Muchos vecinos de Apple Tree han empezado a organizarse gracias a los esfuerzos de VOCES. En palabras de Valenciano, "los propios residentes se están movilizando y quieren ver un cambio".

Aunque VOCES se ocupa principalmente de elevar a las comunidades latinas, no es el caso exclusivamente. "Realmente se trata de gente marginada, que suele ser gente que vive en parques de casas móviles", señaló.

De hecho, el 3 de mayo, hubo una reunión comunitaria en Apple Tree que cubrió una serie de temas, incluyendo cómo apoyar el proyecto de ley de la Cámara 23-1257 Calidad del agua en los parques de casas móviles (HB 23-1257).

VOCES trabajó estrechamente en HB 23-1257, de la cual la representante del Distrito 57 de la cámara, Elizabeth Velasco es la auspiciadora principal. El proyecto de ley "sentará las bases ... para asegurarse de que elevamos los estándares de calidad del agua en Colorado, por lo que nadie esté sujeto a que agua marrón, amarilla o roja salga de su fregadero", declaró Valenciano.

La Agencia de protección ambiental (EPA por sus siglas en inglés) considera aspectos como el color, el olor y el sabor del agua como normas secundarias. "En esencia, el estado dice que el agua es potable cuando, en realidad, nadie la bebe", explicó.

La ley HB 23-1257 fue aprobada por la Cámara de representantes y el senado y está a la espera de la firma del gobernador Jared Polis.

Para obtener más información sobre los problemas de calidad del agua en los parques de casas móviles de

todo el estado y lo que se está haciendo, visita www. cleanwaterforallco.org.

Valenciano reconoció que por el momento, VOCES no se ha puesto en contacto directamente con los propietarios del parque. "Ahora mismo, no es necesariamente eso en lo que queremos centrarnos. Nuestra prioridad son los residentes y asegurarnos de que ellos tengan lo necesario para abogar por sí mismos..."

La dirección explica sus esfuerzos

The Sopris Sun se puso en contacto con Investment Property Group UT, Inc. (IPG por sus siglas en inglés), quien gestiona Apple Tree. IPG está registrada como una corporación extranjera con sede en Park City, Utah. Apple Tree MHC, LLC, es propietaria del parque y tiene una dirección postal principal de Irvine, California, según el sitio web del Secretario del estado de Colorado.

"IPG adquirió Apple Tree a fines de noviembre de 2020 y se dio cuenta de las preocupaciones de los residentes en abril de 2021", dijo un portavoz de IPG a The Sopris Sun. "Hemos estado trabajando en colaboración con la División de calidad del agua del departamento de salud pública y medio ambiente de Colorado (CDPHE por sus siglas en inglés) desde entonces para garantizar que la calidad del agua cumpla con todas las regulaciones estatales y federales de agua potable limpia, y para minimizar cualquier problema estético causado por el contenido mineral del agua".

IPG dio una cronología de sus esfuerzos para abordar la calidad del agua en el parque. En mayo de 2022, "la DPHE realizó una inspección en profundidad del sistema y reafirmó que el agua cumple todas las normativas estatales y federales de agua potable limpia, pero identificó problemas estéticos asociados a niveles ligeramente elevados de dureza así como de hierro y

manganeso". En julio, la empresa gestora empezó a realizar análisis mensuales de los niveles de manganeso en el agua.

Los niveles mensuales de manganeso en el sistema de distribución fluctúan entre 0.049 miligramos por litro (mg/l) y 0.073 mg/l, según el portavoz. El nivel recomendado por la EPA es de 0.3 mg/l.

En agosto de 2022, IPG "perfeccionó los procedimientos de descarga para minimizar la acumulación de minerales en el sistema y ayudar a reducir cualquier caso de decoloración". En septiembre, IPG inició conversaciones con una empresa de ingeniería sobre opciones de tratamiento para la dureza, el hierro y el manganeso. En diciembre, IPG envió avisos sobre descargas a los residentes en inglés y español con más detalles sobre el proceso, y comenzó las conversaciones con el Departamento de salud del condado de Garfield en lo que respecta a la divulgación y educación de los residentes.

En enero de este año, IPG "se unió a la Salud pública del condado de Garfield y a las discusiones de las partes interesadas de la División de cumplimiento y justicia social/medioambiental del CDPHE en torno a la divulgación y educación de los residentes". Desde entonces, IPG ha estado desarrollando al parecer los materiales de divulgación para los residentes con instrucciones de cómo por su parte cuidar los sistemas de plomería. En la actualidad, está buscando ofertas para las opciones de tratamiento del agua y explorando financiamiento disponible, incluidos subsidios.

El jueves 18 de mayo, a las 6:30 pm, habrá una reunión pública de las partes interesadas en la Liberty Classical Academy, al lado de Apple Tree, destinada principalmente a los residentes de Apple Tree, la administración y representantes de los departamentos de salud estatal y del condado.

Volumen 2, Número 11 | 11 de mayo de 2023 - 17 de mayo de 2023

Arte de Sofie Koski

Renacimiento

Por Gabriela Alvarez Espinoza VOICES Radio Hour

¿De dónde vengo? ¿A dónde voy? y ¿Qué hago aquí?

Estas son las tres preguntas que el actor debe hacerse para la construcción de un personaje. Esa es la profesión que elegí, ser actriz; crear personajes, historias y universos.

En español hay un término de moda para cualquiera que sienta que no encaja como una actriz, o como una bailarina, o como un músico, para cualquier performer que no encaje precisamente en una sola categoría, simplemente porque hacen de todo o porque no hacen nada. Ese término es creadora escénica. Qué manía tenemos los humanos por la identidad ¿cierto? Que manía por ser únicos y a la vez por pertenecer.

Soy de una de las ciudades más pobladas del mundo, así que eso de sentirme única y especial nunca fue sencillo. Pueden imaginar lo difícil que es sentirse especial cuando en una clase de preparatoria hay por lo menos 40 estudiantes y esa clase era la número 42. Así es, en mi preparatoria había poco más de 60 grupos tan solo para el primer año y en cada grupo había por lo menos 40 alumnos. Menos mal la escuela para mi era fácil, lo que no era fácil era saber lo que podía hacer con ella.

Después de varios fallos y dos

años sabáticos, uno en secundaria y uno en la prepa, encontré lo que quería hacer, quería ser artista, pero como siempre me decían que los artistas visuales eran drogadictos, alcohólicos y terminaban en la pobreza, pensé que sería una mejor idea ser actriz, aunque no hubiera diferencia. Ahora entiendo que no es la profesión que uno elija, sino la desesperanza de no ser o sentirse especial lo que nos hace convertirnos en lo que no queremos ser.

Me fui de la gran ciudad caótica y catastrófica hace once años. Me fui pensando que en otro sitio sería especial. Aunque no fue ahí tampoco, en ese otro sitio no solo no fui especial, sino que fui una más, una migrante más buscándose la vida. Pero descubrí algo, descubrí lo más importante, descubrí a gente muy especial para mí, y me di cuenta de que no es el lugar sino mi relación con él y con las personas que lo habitan. Así como para una actriz o un actor lo es el escenario, lo que hacemos ahí, los mundos y las relaciones que creamos y en las que te hacemos creer. Los universos que inventamos y todas las vidas que esos momentos pueden cambiar.

Recuerdo el comienzo de un verano en Ardeche, Francia, hace diez años. Un taller para la creatividad, de esos que una precisamente toma para ser especial. Se llamaba Danza y Paisaje. Recuerdo el río, los cerros, los cerezos, una cueva y la vegetación salvaje. Solo eramos

6 por cinco días, y lo único que hicimos fue vivir, disfrutar de la vida, del sol, de las piedras y del agua. Llovía a cantaros. Me di cuenta que ser artista no tiene nada que ver con una profesión, sino que ser artista es un acto divino y que por lo tanto todos lo llevamos dentro, porque solo somos un canal para transmitir y experimentar lo que hay más allá de las palabras y del entendimiento.

En ese verano, las respuestas a las tres preguntas aparecieron entremezcladas entre el agua, la tierra, el aire y el fuego de la noche en el campamento.

¿De dónde vengo? Vengo de muy lejos y desde hace mucho tiempo,

¿Qué hago aquí? Estoy aquí para sentir, para vivir, para aprender y

para disfrutar, ¿A dónde voy? Voy a donde todos van, a ser parte de la eternidad.

Vivir en las montañas tiene esa ventaja, la noche es tan oscura que la eternidad se convierte en un puñado de estrellas y lo único que tienes que hacer para estar ahí es verlo.

Escucha VOICES Radio Hour, una colaboración con Circa 71 Production, en KDNK este viernes, 12 de mayo, a las 6 p.m. El episodio de mayo es un especial del Día de la Madre: "El momento en que supe que iba a ser madre". Visite www. voicesrfv.org para escuchar los archivos.

Cada vez que usas tu tarjeta de débito Loyalty*, Alpine Bank dona diez centavos a las causas comunitarias que son importantes para ti.

*Las tarjetas de débito de Alpine Bank están disponibles sin cuota anual para personas con una cuenta de cheques de Alpine Bank.

¡Solicita tu tarjeta hoy mismo!

Gabriela Alvarez Espinoza, courtesy photo

Arte de Jacquelinne Castro

Debajo del árbol de mi abuela

Criticas

Por Hector Salas-Gallegos

Debajo del árbol de mi abuela, se encuentran las raíces de un duraznero que de alguna manera logró crecer alto y resistente en el aire frío de las montañas de Colorado.

Una vez, cuando mi abuela y yo estábamos hablando bajo su árbol de durazno sobre todas las frutas que ha dado desde que lo plantó por primera vez, me di cuenta de cuánto odio había tenido por México, el país de mis mayores.

Como inmigrante de segunda generación, siempre había albergado un profundo resentimiento hacia México. Para mí, era un lugar de dolor y dificultades. Pero mientras hablábamos

sobre su mortalidad y dónde quería ser enterrada, vi un lado diferente de ella, un lado lleno de calidez y nostalgia por el lugar al que ella llamaba hogar.

En un principio, nos dijo que tomáramos sus cenizas a la ladera de una montaña o en cualquier río viejo. Pero después de un momento de silencio, dijo que quería ser enterrada en México, en la tierra donde descansaban sus familiares y amigos de toda la vida. Mientras hablaba, vi una luz en sus ojos que nunca antes había visto. Era como si una parte de ella hubiera sido iluminada por primera vez.

Antes, toda mi existencia había estado consumida por la necesidad de justificar la experiencia de ser inmigrante. Y lo hacía alejándome lo más posible de mi herencia mexicana y de su imagen. Para mí, la lógica era sencilla: si un lugar puede ser tan malo que las personas que amo necesitan salir para encontrar una vida mejor, entonces todo lo asociado con esos lugares debería ser arrancado y alejado de mí. Quería desaprender mi identidad mexicana e incluso someterme al odio y la negación de mí mismo para sacarlo

CHISME DEL PUEBLO

Traducción por Jacquelinne Castro

Simposio de Equidad

MANAUS organiza The Equity Symposium el 19 de mayo de 8:30 a.m. a las 3:30 p.m. en Third Street Center. Las inscripciones son gratuitas e incluyen un almuerzo. Para más detalles visite www.bit.ly/MANAUSevent

Observación de aves

En celebración del Día de Tierras Públicas de Colorado, Colorado Public Lands y Roaring Fork Audubon guiarán una sesión gratuita y bilingüe de observación de aves el 20 de mayo en Sutey Ranch de 7 a 11 a.m. Envíe un correo electrónico a coloradowildpubliclands@gmail.com para inscribirse.

Fentanilo en Carbondale

Un arresto fue hecho a las 9:21 p.m. el 5 de mayo en Carbondale el cual resultó en la confiscación de 12 gramos de cocaína cortada con fentanilo. El sospechoso, inocente hasta que se demuestre lo contrario, tenía una orden de arresto pendiente y fue contactado por los oficiales. Después del intento de huir, “un oficial se interpuso enfrente del joven lo cual causó que se tropezara”, explicó en un comunicado de prensa. “Desafortunadamente, las drogas como el fentanilo ya han llegado a nuestro pueblo”. Dijo el jefe de policía Kirk Wilson. “Afortunadamente nuestros oficiales son diligentes y vigilantes en su enfoque para detener la propagación de estas drogas peligrosas”.

Apoyo de desastres

La Cruz Roja de América está buscando voluntarios en Colorado para comprometerse en ayudar durante las temporadas de desastres naturales, especialmente los incendios forestales. Las personas pueden inscribirse para ayudar con apoyo de albergues, servicios de salud o ser parte de un equipo de acción en caso de desastre. El comunicado de prensa sugirió a las personas prepararse para la temporada de incendios forestales y preparar un botiquín de emergencia, preparar un plan de evacuación y saber mantenerse informado. Visite www.redcross.org para más información.

de mí.

Solamente quería ser lo que mis mayores estaban buscando cuando emigraron.

Todo esto hacía que el deseo de mis mayores de regresar a México fuera un problema complejo. ¿Por qué alguien querría regresar a un lugar que necesitó dejar? La ciudadanía siempre ha sido el Cucuy. Así que el pensamiento de que mis mayores regresaran a México me parecía una traición a todo el esfuerzo y los sacrificios realizados para construir esta nueva vida.

Dejar tu hogar y aventurarte en lo desconocido a menudo no es una elección, sino una decisión de supervivencia. Una que solo puedo imaginar. Me identifico con mis seres queridos que dejaron su patria, el lugar donde tuvieron su primer beso, asistieron a la escuela y comieron frutas frías durante el verano. A través de sus historias, vislumbro la nostalgia que les rasca las fibras del corazón y los recuerdos que los atan a sus raíces.

Desde hace mucho tiempo, he llegado a la conclusión de que mi identidad latina es una parte inseparable de

Administración de lobos

Después de dos años de trabajo y debates públicos, el comisionado de Parques y Vida Silvestre de Colorado aprobó por unanimidad el plan administrativo de lobos de Colorado. Pero debido a que los lobos grises son considerados en peligro de extinción, U.S. Fish and Wildlife necesitaría implementar la regla 10(j) la cual categoriza la población de lobos de Colorado como “experimental”, expandiendo las opciones de administración, incluyendo el control letal preventivo. Tal y como está, el plan de administración de Colorado le permite a los ganaderos matar a cualquier lobo intentando atacar a su ganado. El 4 de mayo, la Asamblea General aprobó el proyecto de ley del senado 23-256 el cual prohíbe la introducción de lobos antes de implementar la regla 10(j). U.S. Fish and Wildlife ha acelerado la revisión 10(j) de Colorado.

Control de inundación

Con los ríos fluyendo de dos a tres veces más del promedio para esta época del año, el condado de Garfield está proporcionado sacos de arena para residentes en áreas no incorporadas quienes estén en riesgo de inundación. Hay disponible hasta 20 sacos de arena llenas en ubicaciones de Garfield County Road and Bridge, o los residentes pueden recoger 50 sacos de arena vacíos para llenarlos fuera del sitio. Los residentes que viven dentro de municipios son dirigidos a contactar a su pueblo o ciudad para asistencia. Entérese más llamando al 970-625-8601 y registrese para recibir alertas de emergencia en www.garco911.com

Impuestos de propiedad

The Common Sense Institute, una organización de investigación no bipartidista, publicó su reporte de asequibilidad de vivienda de Colorado la semana pasada, el cual encontró que los dueños de propiedades enfrentan un incremento histórico de impuestos en el 2024. “El costo de compra en un hogar promedio ha incrementado a un 112% en los últimos 11 años”, dijo el economista Dr. Steven Byers. “Y ahora el incremento de impuestos de propiedades lo hace aún más caro para mantenerse en su hogar”.

quien soy. De la misma manera, el regreso de mis padres a su herencia es un testimonio del poder perdurable de la conexión cultural. México es más que solo un lugar en el mapa: es donde está arraigada mi historia familiar y mi identidad, un vibrante tapiz tejido con los hilos de ricas tradiciones y espíritus resistentes. Abrazar esta conexión me ha dado un sentido de orgullo y pertenencia que alimenta cada aspecto de mi vida, y por eso estoy eternamente agradecido. He aprendido que es posible amar dos lugares al mismo tiempo, sentir un sentido de pertenencia en múltiples culturas. No es necesario odiar uno para amar al otro. Me doy cuenta de que la conexión de mi familia con México no se trataba solo de las luchas que habían enfrentado, sino también de la belleza y riqueza de la cultura que habían dejado atrás.

Si bien es posible que nunca comprenda completamente la decisión de regresar a un lugar que ya no es el mismo, puedo empatizar con la profunda tristeza y el sentido de pérdida que conlleva tener que dejar un lugar antes de estar listo.

Y estoy agradecido de que esta vez, la reubicación pueda ser una decisión.

parte 23, por Leonardo Occhipinti

Feria de salud

365 Health organiza exámenes preventivos de salud y recursos asequibles y gratuitos en Third Street Center el 27 de mayo de 8 a.m. a mediodía. “Durante COVID-19, los americanos retrasaron o evadieron completamente sus rutinas de cuidado preventivo de salud, y las citas todavía no han regresado a sus niveles regulares”, dijo el director general de 365 Health, Gary Drews. Para ver la lista de exámenes disponibles y hacer una cita, visite www.bit.ly/350HealthCdale

División de Thompson

El Servicio Forestal y la Oficina de Administración de Tierras están buscando comentarios públicos con respecto a la propuesta de extracción de mineral de la División de Thompson. Una reunión en Gunnison con interpretación en español está disponible virtualmente esta noche de 5:30 a 7:30 p.m. Para inscribirse, visite www.bit.ly/ ZoomThompsonDivide

"Sincronías"

Voting starts May 16 for our Board of Directors election. Learn more and meet the candidates at

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Euclid Alley & Crystal Circle Sewer Improvements

Issue Date: 5/8/2023 | Closing Date: 5/30/2023

Public Works Department Town of Carbondale 511 Colorado Ave Carbondale, CO 81623

Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference: 5/16/2023 @ 2 PM at Project Site

Sealed bids for the construction of the Euclid Alley & Crystal Circle Sewer Improvements will be received from invited Bidders by the Town of Carbondale (“OWNER”) at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave, Carbondale, CO 81623, until 1:00 PM on May 30, 2023, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. The project consists of two sewer main improvements, one in Euclid Alley and the other in Crystal Circle. The Euclid Alley Sewer Main Replacement consists of the installation approximately 750 LF of new sewer pipe and manholes, reconnecting existing sewer services, and abandoning existing manholes. The Crystal Circle Sewer Main Repair consists of a sewer main pipe repair, water service line replacement and associated pavement repair. Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. The prime Contract will be split into two phases to cover two separate sewer replacement and repair projects, with the first in Euclid Alley and the second in Crystal Circle. Bids shall be on a unit price basis as indicated in the Bid Form. All bids shall include pricing to meet Buy American/AIS and Davis Bacon wages requirements per Federal regulations. Bidding Documents will be provided to prospective Bidders as electronic PDF files.

The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Roaring Fork Engineering (RFE), 592 Hwy 133, Carbondale, CO, 81623 (Contact: Anthony Alfini, PE (970) 618-7073, AnthonyA@rfeng.biz).

Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below.

Bidding Documents are available as electronic portable document format (PDF) files. Alternatively, printed Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing Office via in-person pick-up, for a nonrefundable charge of $25 per set. Checks for Bidding Documents shall be payable to Roaring Fork Engineering. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing Office will be considered the date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 2:00 PM on May 16, 2023 at the west side of Sopris Park (in Carbondale, CO) near the restroom building. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is highly encouraged but is not mandatory. A 5% bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bidders shall submit proof of qualifications to perform the Work as described in the Instructions to Bidders.

Rebirth

By Nina Gabianelli VOICES Radio Hour

I saw the blue and red lights flashing in my rearview mirror, then I heard the “whoop whoop” of the siren signaling me to pull over. My heart began beating very fast, and somewhere, deep inside me, I knew this was a moment of change.

A “way too” familiar feeling overwhelmed me — I was engulfed in fear and shame.

My first memory of this feeling of dread was at the age of 14. My best friend Anne and I were the clean-up crew for my older brother’s high school football team’s championship party. There were lots of parents and children at this party. Our job was to pick up all the empty glasses and dishes. Well, there were several glasses that were not completely empty, so Anne and I emptied them. We drank wine, beer, and any unfinished cocktails. Needless to say, the evening did not end well.

That evening DID scare me away from drinking, but only until I reached college. Then all bets were off. I drank like everyone around me drank. The only problem is, after about 10 years of drinking to excess, I crossed a line and could no longer stop when everyone around me stopped. I could not imagine a life without alcohol. And, for me, that was okay. I had a job, a roof over my head and this was the life I was resigned to live. It was a fact, much like I am 5’ 8” — I am an alcoholic.

Along the way, I lost the dreams “12-year-old Nina” had for herself.

I graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and went straight to New York City and worked in the theater quite successfully. I produced and performed my own shows in the cabaret circuit and began spending more time in the piano bar and restaurant world — I might add, a very smart choice for an alcoholic. As the manager of a French bistro, my job entailed sitting at the end of the bar smoking cigarettes and drinking wine. Life was good! At least, that’s what I told myself.

By the time I hit 35, I was still working in theater, but the gigs were fewer and farther between. It was then that I decided eating SpaghettiOs and paying rent with American Express was not my destiny. A life in the theater — my lifelong dream — was not my destiny.

Leaving New York, I settled for a life as a restaurant manager. I found an ad in the back of a trade magazine calling for managers with the Chart House Corporation. They had restaurants all over the U.S. In 1998, I was hired, and paid, to move to Sausalito, California.

Friends of mine still say one of the saddest days was the day I gave away all of my theater and music books.

In hindsight, I thought this move, this career change, would be what I needed to be happy, and if I was happy I could stop drinking… as much.

It was only two short months after I was in California that I got my first DUI. Not much had changed except the locale. Things were still spinning out of

control. I managed about 30 days dry, as we like to say, before I began drinking again.

Then the opportunity to go to Aspen with the Chart House became available. I knew this was the answer to my happiness. I loved Aspen! I had vacationed here many times, and it was a drinking town.

I arrived in Aspen in the fall of 1999. I spent a year and half working and drinking in this town, and I was no more happy or content. I proved to myself the saying, “no matter where you go, there you are.”

This brings me to the night of June 16, 2001. I was six months shy of my 40th birthday, and I was about to be arrested for driving while under the influence.

“This was not part of the plan.” “I am not a criminal.” “I cannot go to jail.” These were the thoughts spinning through my head as I pulled over to the side of the road.

When the officer asked me to get out of the car, I knew I was done. When asked to recite the alphabet, I was unable to get past “G-H-I” without singing. They were not amused. And that is about all I truly remember about the night.

I surrendered that evening: to myself and to the disease of alcoholism. That is not to say I quit drinking immediately. however. Twelve days later, I took my last drink of alcohol.

Now, 21 years, 10 months and 11 days later, I stand before you an advocate for recovery.

When I gave myself over to the

Wysong makes way for new energy at AZYEP

By James Steindler

Contributing Editor

When you walk into the KDNK Community Access Radio station, mosey down the hallway, and to the right you’re met with a door stacked with stickers of positivity and acceptance. Through this portal is the headquarters to the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program (AZYEP) office, a post Beth Wysong has loyally shepherded for nearly a decade.

Wysong started at AZYEP in 2014 and transitioned to the executive director role in 2017.

“The program quickly became more than a job for me,” Wysong shared in a letter to the community announcing her departure. “AZYEP became a place where my education, passions, goals and hopes for the future collided. Youth radio won my heart.”

She always felt sharing music was a medium of expression not reliant on a person’s own words. As a teen, her dad was the one who suggested she’d be a good teacher one day. Still, as an undergrad, she decided to study communications with an emphasis in media studies.

Wysong moved to Santiago, Chile, for a year, teaching English and volunteering at a homeless shelter. From there, she returned to the states and enrolled in a master’s program for educational leadership at Colorado State University.

Before AZYEP, she taught eighth grade social studies and English at

Glenwood Springs Middle School. While helping out with the Access After School program, Wysong was introduced to youth radio by former AZYEP executive director Stacy Stein.

“All of a sudden, I was using my background in communication and media studies, my degree in educational leadership, my enormous passion for music and my love for public radio,” Wysong summarized for The Sopris Sun.

Stein continued with the executive administrative duties, and Wysong took on programming, which rapidly grew. She, with some support from Stein, was also the sole broadcast instructor at the time, sitting in with youth DJs for AZYEP’s six hours of radio time each week.

After Stein’s departure, Wysong quickly realized the need for additional support. Suzanne Fitzgerald, the current principal of Bridges High School, and Paige Gibbons, who is now AZYEP’s broadcast instructor coordinator, were brought on to help. Today, there are three broadcast instructors, along with a few substitutes in the mix.

Wysong appreciates each of her staff members for the varying interests they bring to the program. “The way that the program evolves is: number one, the interest the kids have; but also the passion of the instructors,” she shared.

“I would say, you [Wysong] run your own ‘adult empowerment program,’ alongside the youth empowerment program,” Gibbons chimed in, noting

Wysong’s penchant for elevating her own peers as well.

A professional development component extends to the youth as well, of course. Currently, AZYEP has five high school interns. Wysong credits the organization’s program manager, Adele Craft, for this. In fact, Craft is an AZYEP alumna.

“It’s the most authentic classroom, being on the radio,” Wysong explained. From public speaking to technical engineering, it gives kids the opportunity to make mistakes and to move on quickly. “So, the kids learn, in a safe space, that a mistake that seems really big … isn’t a big deal. They still walk out of the studio feeling good about themselves and feeling like their voice made a difference.”

“It’s deceptively simple, too,” added Gibbons. She noted that when a kid is in the studio they can’t see their audience whilst developing confidence, and often only later realize they do indeed have listeners.

“I would advocate for every radio station in this country to put kids on the radio, because it’s so simple,” urged Wysong. “Give them a microphone, they’ll step up and they’ll feel good about themselves.”

She continued, “The empowerment piece is what’s important, and using radio as the medium to do that is what I’ve been passionate about.”

Wysong looks forward to the fresh energy her successor will bring. She intends to stick around for the transition

“dismal” life of sobriety, I found a community of smart, funny, talented individuals who shared with me a way to live, happily and often content, without the use of mind altering substances.

My fabulous life of hangovers, debt, tears and unending loneliness was over. There was a glimmer of hope for the first time in close to 15 years. That feeling alone was enough to keep me from picking up a drink for quite a while.

After about six months I found myself auditioning for Aspen Community Theatre. They helped reignite my “childhood” passion. Within a year, I was cast in a show and getting paid to perform. I was also able to buy the condo in Woody Creek and was realizing dreams beyond my imagination.

Then, 18 months sober, I landed a dream job as general manager and performer at the Crystal Palace Theater Restaurant. I had auditioned for this

continues on page 18

and continue to support programming within the schools. AZYEP expects to announce the new executive director in the next couple of weeks.

“Andy’s legacy started at KDNK,” Wysong stated. Today, “KDNK and AZYEP are bigger than any one human being. It’s what the community puts into it, and I believe that with all of my heart.”

Tune it for Everything Under The Sun on KDNK Thursday, May 11 at 4pm for a live interview with Wysong and part of the AZYEP team.

Nina Gabianell, courtesy photo

(Left to right) AZYEP Program Manager Adele Craft, outgoing Executive Director Beth Wysong and Broadcast Coordinator Paige Gibbons smile in front of a bulletin board filled with pictures of empowered youth.

Photo by James Steindler

Spring Gulch to get new parking lot

By Amy Hadden Marsh Sopris Sun Correspondent

Construction could begin as soon as this summer on a new parking lot for the Spring Gulch Trail System outside Carbondale. After what

Commissioner Mike Samson called “the most prepared parking lot presentation” he’d ever seen, the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) made a motion, called the question and unanimously approved the land use change permit that greenlights the new lot. The approval comes with a few conditions but, basically, the lot will take up about a quarter of an acre near the intersection of Marion Cemetery Road and Marion Mine Road, with access to the Lariat Trail at Spring Gulch and serving skiers who use the higher elevation trails.

Matt Annabel, Mount Sopris Nordic Council (MSNC) board member, made part of the presentation, talking about the history of MSNC and Spring Gulch, and stating that use of the area has increased exponentially. “The current parking lot is capped at 75 cars,” he said, adding that in

State of the Arts

the past few years, parking has overflowed onto County Road 123. Annabel also attributes the need for a new lot to climate change and shorter winters. With the exception of this past winter’s snowpack, he said that the Spring Gulch nordic ski season has been shorter for the past eight to 10 years.

“In 2020 and 2021, we opened on New Year’s Day and closed in March,” he recounted. “The shoulder seasons are closing in on us.” This means fewer ski days on the lower elevation trails, while the snow sticks around higher up. The new, 60-space lot would help people safely access the high trails.

Jen Dicuollo with DHM Design told the BOCC that the new lot will serve only crosscountry skiers using Spring Gulch and will be closed during the off seasons. She added that the lot will be gravel with native plant revegetation to satisfy the ranchers who graze cattle in the area. Water will not be available, but a porta-potty will be onsite throughout the winter. One of the conditions for the lot’s approval is that the chemical toilet be cleaned

and more pronounceable than “Latinx.”

weekly. The parking lot will be gated and closed during the summer and the potty mothballed until the next winter.

Carbondale rancher Bill Fales was on hand Monday, representing the North Thompson Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA), which has partnered with MSNC since 1986. Fales said that his father-in-law, Bob Perry, was president of NTCA when MSNC was founded.

“He was an avid skier,” said Fales. “He also thought, in the mid- to late-80s, that the cattlemen could use a little good will to diffuse the ‘CattleFree by ‘93’ mantra, which was gaining steam.” (Public lands advocacy groups and animal activists started the now welldocumented “Cattle-Free by ‘93” campaign in response to the Clinton administration’s failure to bring about rangeland management reform.) Spring Gulch is on land owned by the NTCA, which has allowed the MSNC to use the property for 30 winters.

The NTCA and CPW are okay with the new parking lot, but CPW says it cannot open

continued from page 7

The day ended with two panels focused on funding. Regarding the high number of nonprofits in the Valley competing for donors, “relationship building eliminates competition…” offered Allison Alexander, director of strategic partnerships and communication at the Aspen Community Foundation. And, “impact doubles through collaboration.”

Regarding capital campaigns, “It is easier to invite people to join a party than ask them to start the party,” said TACAW Executive Director Ryan Honey. Meaning, organizations should get the ball rolling first, then solicit donations. And lastly, when it comes to asking for money, “If I ask you, you can say ‘no.’ If I don’t, you can’t say ‘yes.’”

Apple Tree continued from page 12

Environmental Justice Division stakeholder discussions around resident outreach and education.” Since then, IPG has apparently been developing outreach materials for residents with instructions on how to take care of plumbing systems on their end. It is currently procuring bids for water treatment options and exploring available funding, including grants.

There will be a public stakeholder meeting, primarily intended for Apple Tree residents, management and state and county health department representatives, on Thursday, May 18, at 6:30pm at the Liberty Classical Academy, adjacent to Apple Tree.

VOICES: Nina Gabianelli continued from page 16 same job right out of college in 1985. No openings, I was told. I often wonder what would have happened had things played out differently, and I am reminded that my journey is exactly as it was supposed to be.

By staying sober, and helping others find sobriety I can say, without reservation, I am happy and content.

“Life on life’s terms” means that there are times when I am sad, there are times when I am lonely, but no more do I find myself alone or without hope. That is the greatest gift a sober life can bring – HOPE!

Tune in for VOICES Radio Hour, a collaboration with Circa 71 Production, on KDNK this Friday, May 12, at 6pm. The May episode is a Mother’s Day special: “The Moment I Found Out I Was Becoming a Mother!” Visit www.voicesrfv.org to listen to archives.

before Dec. 1 and construction must occur between July and October. The BOCC was so happy with the presentation that they did not question the civil design engineers. “It'll get a lot of use and it'll be a great blessing and joy to a lot of people,” said Samson.

Earlier in the meeting, the BOCC approved grant requests from the Grand Valley Parks Association, the New Ute Theatre Society and the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra for $5,000 each; the Roaring Fork Conservancy for $1,000; and Glenwood Springs Youth Hockey for $2,000. The BOCC did not fulfill requests from two summer STEM camps and the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Garfield County.

The Board approved purchase of vehicles for the county fleet, supplemental overtime for county airport

employees due to heavy snow removal over the winter, and fee waivers for Rocky Mountain Baptist Church and the Flat Tops Cowboy Church for upcoming events at the Garfield County Fairgrounds.

Last but not least, congratulations to interim county financial director Jamaica Watts and her team for two awards from the Chicago-based Government Finance Officers Association. The county comprehensive financial report for fiscal year ending Dec. 2021 received a Certificate of Achievement which, according to the award letter, is “the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.” Watt’s team received an Award of Financial Reporting Achievement for their efforts.

"I can never remember where I parked the car."

CARBONDALE REPORT

Of sewer lines and services

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

Tuesday’s meeting, May 9, saw all trustees in attendance minus Chris Hassig.

Included on the unanimously approved consent agenda were: accounts payable; approval of previous meeting minutes; a waiver of plan review and building fees for We-Cycle’s build-out of office and shop space at 695 Buggy Circle; special event liquor licenses for the Carbondale Clay Center’s May 13 event and Dance Initiative’s May 20 performance; liquor, tobacco and tasting license renewals for Sopris Liquor & Wine; and a liquor license renewal for Sopris Lodge.

During public comments for persons not on the agenda, Richard Vottero expressed appreciation to the Town for contracting with Katrina Blair and Bee Happy Lands to treat Canada thistle in the Nature Park before resorting to chemical herbicides.

During trustee comments, Marty Silverstein mentioned the Town’s Arbor Day tree planting in memory of Julia Marshall and Anne Chapman. Their trees were planted outside the Historic Thompson House, near a tree dedicated to Mary Lily. He encouraged the public to consider memorializing loved ones by planting trees.

Silvertein and Luis Yllanes commended the police department for an arrest made during First Friday that resulted in the seizure of 12 grams of cocaine mixed with fentanyl. “Keeping this off the street may have saved a life,” remarked Silverstein.

Colin Laird, joining via Zoom, noted that Governor Polis’ land-use bill failed, but regional work on affordable housing continues. Mayor Ben Bohmfalk suggested that provisions of the land-use bill could be looked at locally and regionally. Bohmfalk also spoke

to the State of the Arts Symposium hosted at TACAW, stating, “Carbondale continues to be the envy of the Valley with its thriving arts scene.”

During her comments, Town Manager Lauren Gister announced that a new pool manager has been hired and interviews are being conducted with building official candidates and for a public information officer. “Hopefully we’ll have a full staff soon,” she said.

After another event liquor license for the Carbondale Clay Center was granted, an agreement with Felsburg Holt & Ullevig was unanimously approved for services not to exceed $75,000 toward developing a MultiModal Mobility and Access Plan. This “transportation master plan” will involve ample opportunity for the public to comment. Planning Director Jared Barnes said a kick-off meeting will occur in the next few weeks and the project could be completed by the end of this year or early next year.

Next, approval was unanimously given in support of Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA) policy statement updates. “CC4CA’s policy positions reflect unanimous agreement among the coalition members on steps that should be taken at the state and federal level,” explains the document. “All 42 members adopting the same policy statement … is a fundamental way we are empowered and get a lot of stuff done,” commented Erica Sparhawk.

The meeting concluded with approval documents for the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Meadowood Employee Housing proposal, initially voted on at the March 28 meeting, and a special request regarding the sanitary sewer line. Bohmfalk, as a RFSD employee, recused himself and Sparhawk led the discussion as mayor pro tem. The development will add 50 multifamily residential units for RFSD employees.

The sewer line in question connects three buildings to a main line located near the North Face Park pickleball courts. RFSD requested it be treated as a main line and thus owned and maintained by the Town, as opposed to a service line which would make it RFSD’s responsibility.

Yancy Nichols with Sopris Engineering told Trustees that it would be more challenging for RFSD to take

Closures possible at Lake Christine

By Will Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

Prior to their regular meeting on May 9, Basalt Town Council convened with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to discuss draft regulation changes for the Lake Christine State Wildlife Area. Specifically, the possibility of closure dates being extended by three months. Currently from Dec. 1 to April 15, closure dates could extend to July 15 as part of a push by CPW to streamline the management of its state wildlife areas and apply general regulations across all areas, instead of each having its own rules.

The July 15 opening date, according to visiting CPW representatives, is consistent with many other state wildlife areas and would allow for newborn species to have more time to adapt and mature without human interference.

“Since the Lake Christine Fire, there’s been a significant change in habitat to this area, a lot of new growth … so we’re seeing a good uptick in elk use, we’re seeing a lot more deer use, and that includes spawning and calving areas,” said Basalt Area District Wildlife Manager Peter Boyatt. “When we’re talking about recreation and how we incorporate that … our mission is for wildlife,” he added.

Council, however, was primarily concerned with how these changes would affect the recreation habits of its citizens who regularly use the area. Additionally, they expressed concern that there hasn't been an extended collaborative process between the state department and local stakeholders to find an ideal solution.

Public comments on the draft regulations can still be

made online (at EngageCPW.org). On June 22, a CPW commission will review the comments and make their decision as to whether the regulation changes should be approved, changed or discarded.

After a brief dinner break, Council reconvened for its regular meeting. Per usual, the meeting began with public comments focused on Midland Avenue. Information was clarified about the bid to pause construction in the summer. Originally due May 12, the bid is now due on June 1. In a very brief report, Town Manager Ryan Mahoney also stated that the pool is slated to open on Memorial Day Weekend.

The first in a series of town actions was the public hearing and second reading of an ordinance to grant river setback waivers to owners of a home which was constructed prior to updated setback requirements. With a requirement to replace bluegrass backyards with drought-tolerant fescue turf, the waivers were granted unanimously.

Next was a second hearing for an easement agreement with Twin Rivers Condominium for the installation of soil nails for the new Midland Spur retaining wall, which carried unanimously.

Council then moved into a public hearing for a temporary modification of the premises for Bri’s Booze LLC, also known as Jimbo’s Liquor. This new space, dubbed “Jimbo’s Express,” would operate in the property’s parking lot for the duration of the current build’s reconstruction. The modification was unanimously approved. In other refreshment news, Capitol Creek Brewery was granted a request to install a seasonal awning to keep outdoor diners cool this summer.

Afterwards, the Town of Basalt approved a

The final batch of Student of the Month awardees until next school year: Caleb Tarango (Ross), Keisy Lopez (CMS), Elliana Wanatowicz (Ross), Piper Hansen (CRES), Angel “Tadeo” Garcia Perez (CRES). Not pictured: Atlin Mason (CMS). Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

care of the sewer line, and they would likely rely on the Town anyway. Nichols estimated maintenance would cost the Town “a few hundred dollars per year on average.”

With staff recommending to treat it as a service line and the school’s responsibility, the board was split. Nonetheless, “I don’t know that it’s going to be a large maintenance responsibility regardless of what the board decides to do,” said Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman.

“I’m always hesitant about setting precedents,” said Lani Kitching. “The project was approved, and I do feel some responsibility is on the ownership or developer to follow through with the essentials to support it.” Silverstein agreed.

“This is a fellow public entity trying to build affordable housing,” countered Laird. “This benefits all of us, and we’re going to pay for it one way or another, as town residents or school district residents.”

The majority of trustees present — Sparhawk, Yllanes and Laird — agreed with the town taking responsibility for the line. Town staff was instructed to amend the approval agreement and return at a future public meeting for an official vote.

We-Cycle will present an update during next Tuesday’s work session, May 16, with an overview of the timeline and where bike-share stations will go.

contract with McKinstry general contractors for the construction of five solar arrays — four of which are on school district property — titled the Basalt Solar Project. As part of the Eagle County Climate Action Plan and the Town’s 2020 Master Plan, the project represents a significant step towards reducing Basalt’s greenhouse gas emissions. The project totals $1.8 million, but thanks to support from the state’s Department of Local Affairs, it will cost the Town only $544,090. Once operational, the arrays will save an estimated $35,000 per year in energy costs.

More on energy, Holy Cross Energy requested the ability to install underground utilities in an open space by Willits Town Center in order to support the Tree Farm Development across Highway 82, and this was approved for a second reading.

Last up, the Town’s procurement policy was updated to allow for bids to be placed on online platforms. This will give the Town access to a larger pool of contractors for future development projects.

The Lake Christine State Wildlife Area may face extended closures to hikers and picnickers as a result of Colorado Parks and Wildlife rule changes.

Photo by Will Buzzerd

Colorado Mountain College honors graduates

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

Colorado Mountain College (CMC) hosted three of its 12 commencement ceremonies at its Spring Valley Campus on May 5-6, honoring the achievements of graduating students.

The Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy commencement kicked it off on May 5, and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, addressed graduates. On May 6 was the pinning ceremony for nursing students, and CMC President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser gave the keynote speech. The main commencement occurred at 11am and recognized the accomplishments of CMC students from its Aspen, Glenwood Springs and Carbondale locations. Former Denver Post editor-in-chief Gregory Moore gave the keynote address.

"I still think, after all these years, that education is a fundamental process that we should take advantage of if we can,” said CMC graduate Charles Morris. “Nowadays, it's more about equity in education rather than strictly grades."

Morris graduated with an associate's degree in psychology from CMC after attending the Aspen Campus for three years. He was previously a student at the University of Miami in the ‘60s, where he was a psych major with a minor in philosophy. While he didn't finish school then, he has now completed a major step on his education journey and is focusing on building a career in psychology.

He explained he has a handful of courses left to achieve a bachelor's degree in health and human services. He can then get licensed for counseling degrees. As a part-time student, he aspires to complete a master's in psychology, emphasizing grief and recovery.

"I was fascinated with the idea of industrial psychology. I always thought it would be interesting to

be part of mending an institution or a big business, just like you sort of mend or help people mend their minds in their regular old psychology world," Morris said.

Although Morris is a college graduate later in life, he is determined to work toward meeting his goals. He praised CMC for its locality, affordability and the many professors and advisors at each campus who guide students. He elaborated that CMC “does a phenomenal job” of determining how many hours students should spend per course for success, and which courses and extracurriculars will aid a specific education journey.

"If you're lucky enough to have somebody giving you road signs to your success, take them,” he said. “CMC does a great job with that.”

On the other end of the spectrum, concurrently enrolled Roaring Fork High School student Nathan Drews also received an associate degree in psychology from CMC and dreams of continuing on to medical school to become a doctor. He said that psychology is a passion of his that fits with his academic goals.

"I think that the biggest thing that finishing this program has convinced me to do is pursue a higherlevel degree. I believe this experience — doing coursework above what was expected of me — has convinced me to look at more options in college, like an accelerated master's," Drews said. "This is especially true given all the time that I've saved with getting [general education] requirements out of the way."

Drews is set to graduate from Roaring Fork High School in about three weeks and said that he became interested in psychology after he experienced struggles early on in high school.

"I was only able to succeed [at that time] because I was well supported by family and friends, but many people don't have that. I wanted to enter a profession where I can help people who may not have those resources themselves," he stated.

He commends CMC for the environment his professors and classmates created, where his academic

CMC graduates, faculty, staff, family and friends gathered on May 6 at the Spring Valley campus's Outdoor Leadership Center and Field House to celebrate commencement for graduates from the college's Aspen, Carbondale, Spring Valley and Glenwood Springs campuses. Photo by Ben Suddendorf

peers were willing and happy to help with group projects and study periods and the professors provided deeper clarity on subjects than most high school curricula.

"The most important thing I can say about graduation is that it is okay to make mistakes. They don't have to define you forever,” said Drews. “I took classes online due to COVID and ended up failing one of them. That was the closest I came to just giving up on the degree program, but I retook the class in-person, at which point I got an A." He continued, "The moral of the story is, it's okay to fail sometimes, because you are not only learning academically but also learning about yourself. The most important thing is having the willpower to keep going until you get the desired result."

CMC is an open-enrollment, dual-mission college and accepts applications year-round. The application process is also free. Open registration for students began on May 8 and will close when classes for the fall semester start. Roaring Fork Valley locals are encouraged to call 970-947-8200 for an advising appointment.

For additional enrollment information, visit coloradomtn.edu or call 800-621-8559.

When You Have Unexpected Medical

RFHS senior athletes honored

As the school year comes to a close, student athletes in their senior year enjoy playing their final home games in a tradition known as “Senior Night.”

For the soccer team, this pitted the Lady Rams against the Aspen Skiers on Thursday, May 4. The game concluded with a tie, 1-1. On May 11, RFHS will face St. Mary’s Academy in their first playoff game for the state championships. They are ranked fifth in the 3A Western Slope league.

Girls’ lacrosse, meanwhile, defeated the Telluride Miners, 11-5, on May 5.

They had an additional home game on May 9 and defeated Grand Junction, 16-7, during that state playoff match. On May 11, they’ll again meet their Aspen rivals for another playoff game, this time in Aspen. RFHS is ranked second in the 4A Mountain East league.

The baseball team will have one more home game against Delta on Monday, May 15, at 3pm. They are ranked third in the 3A Western Slope league, winning all but one league game so far.

Thanks for celebrating our student athletes!

Signing letters of intent: Corbin Carpenter with the University of Alaska Anchorage for Nordic Skiing and Brady Samuelson with Colorado Mesa University for wrestling. Photo by Sue Rollyson

From left to right: Hanna Lamm, Jett Shaw, Sophie Hodgson, Angelina Montemayor, Ari Chacos, Katrina Gillen, Maisie Smith, Adeline Nolan, Sienna New, Avery Mclaren.

Photo by Sue Rollyson

From left to right: Eddie Hernandez, Alexi Alvarez, Sebastian Silva, Brady Samuelson, Ryan Metheny and Brayden Bell. Photo by Sue Rollyson Hadley Peery, photo by Sue Rollyson

Micha Logan, courtesy photo

Receiving the Trent Goscha Scholarship award: Brady Samuelson (center) and Sebastian Silva (far-right) together with Tess and Mike Goscha (far-left) and Jayme Silva (center-right). Photo by Sue Rollyson

Claudette Carter ARTMentors program creates artful pairings

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

One sure sign of spring in the Roaring Fork Valley is the exhibition of artwork by participants in The Art Base’s Claudette Carter ARTMentors (CCAM) program.

CCAM is sponsored by well-known artist and long-time Valley resident Richard Carter and named in honor of his late wife, Claudette, an innovative entrepreneur, businesswoman and dedicated arts supporter who died in 2007 at the age of 59.

The 2023 mentee and mentor pairs recognized at the program’s April 21 opening reception are Samantha Cervantes and Gail Folwell; Griffin Hartley and Ryan Prince; Sofie Koski and Brian Colley; Jackson Scott and Trey Bloomfield; and Skye Wempe and Linda Loeschen. The night was bubbling with excitement as mentees proudly touted their artistic achievements to family members, friends and art patrons.

Art Base Program Director Gabriela Galíndez explained the CCAM application process begins in late fall. When reviewing applications, the focus is to pair an aspiring youth artist with an experienced artist from the Roaring Fork Valley. Every effort is made to match those who have similar interests or work in the same medium, she said. Setting program goals can vary

by student, Galíndez explained.

“Sometimes a mentee already has a concept for a project, and sometimes they're like, ‘I like art, but I don't know what I want to do.’” The mentor, with years of experience as a working artist, can offer guidance and support to help bring clarity to the mentee’s artistic vision.

Samantha Cervantes, a Basalt High School junior, was encouraged to apply to the program by her art teacher, Denae Statzer. Her mentor, Gail Folwell, is a sculpture artist who describes her pieces as “big, heavy, Cubist sort of figurative works."

Cervantes had worked with clay and paint, but in working with Folwell, she discovered a new medium — wire sculpture.

The two worked out of Folwell’s live/ work space in the artist community of Willits Bend in Basalt. Cervantes said that viewing Folwell’s works in progress “helped me to understand who she [Folwell] is, because of the type of art she’s doing.”

When Cervantes came to the program, she wanted to explore human emotions through art. Folwell observed, “I think it's great that she came to the table with a concept instead of a fixed idea of how to express herself.”

That examination led to Cervantes creating wire sculptures of faces that cast shadows onto a nearby wall, adding layers of depth to their expressions.

Cervantes wanted to convey the nuances of human emotion, saying, “I think a lot of people decide to shut down their emotions. I used to think you always had to be happy, and I think others feel that way, and we think being sad is a bad thing.”

The 3D wire interpretations, Cervantes said, allow the viewer to delve deeper and “not see just one emotion, but to make their own story out of it and feel their own emotions.”

Mentor Brian Colley, gallery manager at Carbondale Arts, was paired with Sofie Koski, who shares a mutual interest in illustration and comics. Koski brought her cast of seven digitally-drawn characters together to interact with one another in three larger pieces to present a storytelling narrative.

She admitted, “At times, the program was very stressful, but it was very

valuable learning how to deal with the stress and still keep my normal day-today life.”

During the process, she found a work rhythm that best suits her. She shared, “I think taking breaks was pretty important, and I found I can't work on multiple things at once; I have to focus on one thing and get that done.” She added that her parents’ support throughout the program helped her maintain a focus on her artwork.

Colley said The Art Base’s careful and thoughtful consideration when pairing mentors and mentees goes a long way in making for a successful CCAM program each year.

The exhibition runs through May 26 at The Art Base in Basalt. More information can be found at www. theartbase.org

Samantha Cervantes (left) and Gail Folwell pose in front of Cervantes' wire 'emotion' sculptures and black-and-white paintings. Courtesy photo by Kelsey Brunner

Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com

Drivers Ed

By Tom Mercer

Alan sat in the driver’s seat of a shiny new car. He uttered a long sigh that carried the unmistakable tone of a man who was close to giving up.

His throat was painfully dry from extreme thirst, and he had not eaten for 48 hours. Alan was traumatized, and he could feel hope slowly draining out of his being. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, he reviewed the events of the two days and nights that he had spent in the vehicle. What had promised to be a new exciting experience had quickly turned into a waking nightmare. Alan was trapped in the car, and although he had tried every possible means of exiting the vehicle, nothing had worked.

Alan had won an online contest that promised the prize of driving a brand new “Intelligent Car.” The Intelligent Car looked fabulous on the manufacturer’s website. Its appearance resembled something like a cross between a shark and a spaceship, and it was advertised as being capable of fully sentient operation. It was artificial intelligence on wheels. The contest’s web page promised the lucky winner a transformative experience, but for Alan the experience more closely resembled a terrifying nightmare.

Initially, Alan had enjoyed the thrill of driving the car; if indeed, you could say he was driving it at all.

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

For the first hour of the test drive, the car responded accurately to all of Alan’s spoken directions. It drove efficiently, taking the shortest possible route to each destination, and it never exceeded the posted speed limit. Then, something went wrong.

Alan didn’t realize that anything was amiss until he told the car to return to its starting point and the car failed to respond to his request. Alan became concerned about the car’s behavior, and when the car rolled to a stop at the next red traffic signal, Alan reached for the driver’s door handle with the intention of exiting the car, but a safety feature prevented the door from opening.

The traffic light turned green and the car drove on. At the next red light Alan tried to turn the car off, but that escape attempt also failed. At that point, Alan decided to call the office that had arranged his “test drive” to request help. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone but it was not there. He had left it in his own car. The Intelligent Car drove on, its “driver” having become its prisoner.

In the course of Alan’s test drive, the car made stops at two automated charging stations. At each charging station, the car would pull in and stop above a metal plate in order to begin the recharging process. Payment was processed automatically using the car’s license plate for identification. The charging stations were completely automated, so human employees were

unnecessary. Meanwhile, Alan had no food or water, and when he tried to signal other drivers on the road with his hands, they dismissed him as a lunatic. After two days, the car returned to its point of origin. The attendants removed Alan from the vehicle and had him admitted to a nearby hospital. An incident report was sent to the car’s engineering team and they initiated their trouble-shooting procedures. And Alan? He recovered from his ordeal and vowed to never set foot in a smart car again.

We are currently seeking and reviewing resumes & portfolios for the following full-time positions to join our collaborative design studio.

Designer 1-3 YRS EXP

Job Captain 5-10 YRS EXP

Interior Designer 5-10 YRS EXP

To view full job descriptions, and to apply, please visit: www.ccyarchitects.com/careers

Comic by Dominic Furer, youth correspondent

Watercolor and well-being at True Nature

By Will Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

On May 21, local watercolor artist Sarah Uhl invites the community to celebrate the season of rebirth with a daylong retreat at True Nature Healing Arts, combining meditation, yoga, food prepared onsite and intentional watercoloring.

Uhl, a self-taught artist from Colorado, is famous for her whimsical use of bright watercolor paints to depict local mountain scenery. Focusing on the connectivity between humans and nature with art as a primary tool, Uhl also regularly hosts workshops and wellness retreats, inviting

community members to try their hand at the intentional creative process as a method for connection and wellness.

The retreat in May, titled

“The Spring Wellness Elixir,” promises to be “equally nourishing as it is invigorating” and will take place primarily within True Nature’s Peace Garden. Uhl has regularly hosted her painting workshops and retreats there in the past.

“True Nature is a real sanctuary for us in our small community,” she praises.

The Peace Garden rests just beside the Rio Grande Trail. It itself is cultivated both biodynamically and organically and is home to native plants intertwined with edible and

medicinal herbs. The garden also features small sections devoted to various holistic practices, including a yoga spiral, a path designed to massage reflexology points on the feet and a Zen garden. It’s a beautiful site for wellness practice, especially at this time of the year when the grass gets one shade greener each day.

“I love playing off the seasons,” Uhl says. “It anchors you into a focus that’s manageable.”

Starting at 9am, the retreat will begin with a tea ceremony in the yoga spiral, followed by a yoga session with teacher Kerrie Schur. Schur, who has provided a body-centric dimension in

Uhl’s previous retreats, has a diverse background in personal development and connecting the body with the mind. “I honor the transformative power of yoga asana, breath and meditation and believe that as we give ourselves permission to pause and turn inward that we can access our deepest reservoir of strength to help us navigate the changing tides of our lives,” Schur says.

The painting begins at 11:30am, with Uhl as a guide into the medium. “Part of being well is having tools for self-knowing,” she says. “For me, I’m a self-taught artist. I focus more when I teach on self-empowerment and selfallowance — allowing oneself to

Paints are provided to all participants who want to connect mind, body, and nature through the power of art. Courtesy graphic

lean in and play… not focusing on painting the tree how it looks.” The retreat welcomes painters of all skill levels, and a small watercolor kit will be provided for attendants. The paints come from Grand Junction-based Greenleaf & Blueberry, a business that handcrafts high-quality watercolors from single pigments — the same paints Uhl uses in her own artwork. After a bit of painting, a fully organic lunch will be served from the True Nature’s kitchen. Afterwards, Uhl will host a brief meditation and grounding

BONE DALE BIKE WEEK

OBITUARY

Gayla Tippett

September 8, 1953

– April 15, 2023

Former Carbondale and Glenwood Springs resident — storyteller, children’s librarian, arts director, actress, zoo worker — Gayla Jo Tippett died on April 15, 2023. She was 69.

Gayla was born on Sept. 8, 1953, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Olin and Lois Jeanne Tippett, the youngest of four children from that marriage.

After graduating from Higginsville High School and attending the University of Missouri, she relocated to Colorado in 1972 to be with her big sister, Billie-Gwen and her partner, John Stadler, in Boulder. She moved to Carbondale in 1973, where she attended Colorado Mountain College and was one of the original “Smithy Girls” when the Village Smithy Restaurant opened in 1975.

She served as director of the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities in 1977-78, and was instrumental in the dedication of the Ben Reed Memorial Gazebo in Sopris Park that to this day serves as the main stage for the annual Carbondale Mountain Fair.

She married Jerry Duckowitz in 1977, and together they had one son, Jason.

For many years, Gayla was one of the featured children’s storytellers at Mountain Fair, and at many other venues in the Roaring Fork Valley. She was also involved in the annual KDNK Talent Show fundraiser, both performing and directing.

The Duckowitz family moved from Carbondale and lived for a short time in Snowmass Village in the early 1990s before relocating to the Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

Gayla returned to the Roaring Fork Valley in 1994, following a divorce, living in Glenwood Springs and completing her liberal arts degree through Regis University. She worked at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library as the children’s librarian. She met and married Ahmen Auten in Glenwood Springs. They moved to Grand Junction

where Gayla worked for the Art Center of Western Colorado.

She and Ahmen later moved to St. Louis in 2007, and, following their separation, Gayla moved to Kansas City, where she helped care for a dear family friend, Dorothy Spencer, while also working at the Kansas City Zoo until 2014 before returning to Colorado.

She lived in Silt for a time, and for the past seven years in Cortez with her partner Larry Smith, who preceded her in death in December 2022. She lived her final days in Cortez, ultimately succumbing to the effects of alcohol dependency.

Gayla was preceded in death by her father, Olin Tippett, and mother Lois Jeanne (Tippett) Stroud, stepfather Melvin L. Stroud, and brother Jim Tippett.

She is survived by her son, Jason Duckowitz (Michelle) and grandsons Holden and Ellis of Langley, Washington; exes Jerry Duckowitz of Orlando, Florida, and Ahmen Auten of St. Louis; sisters Billie-Gwen Tippett Russell (Kirk) of Olympia, Washington, and Sandy Tippett-Smith (Steve) of Silt; brother John Stroud (Tami) of Carbondale; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions can be made in Gayla’s name to Carbondale Arts, the Carbondale or Glenwood Springs branch libraries, or an alcohol dependency recovery program of your choosing. A memorial service is being planned for later this summer in Carbondale.

Courtesy photo

LETTERS

unloading, extending for miles all the way to Bogan Flats. It is sad that the law has to be violated for townspeople and visitors to enjoy their park.

The commissioner's main concern is enforcement of a closure of CR3 to ATVs. In fact, closure is the easiest thing to enforce and would take care of the parking problems and ease impact to the Lead King Loop. Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie could easily relocate their sole deputy on the north side of the mountains to existing facilities in Marble. Somerset, where the deputy is currently stationed, is smaller by at least one order of magnitude.

Momentum exists now to return the quality to Marble and to reinvite local residents and visitors who have written it off as a haven for noisy machines. The commissioners will definitely have a decision in the next couple weeks. Last Chance. Email Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie, amurdie@gunnisoncounty.org, and the commissioners, bocc@gunnisoncounty. org

Alex Menard, Marble

Rams Run

On April 27, Crystal River Elementary School (CRES) celebrated the 10th Annual Rams Run! Parents, teachers, and CRES alumni looked on or joined in, while students from every grade took the course in matching shirts throughout the day, running to music and raising money for the Specials programs at their school. It was wonderful to see the kids taking pride in being a Ram, and feeling empowered to support the programs that expand their awareness, experiences and knowledge. To commemorate the milestone 10th annual event, we had a record number of incredible sponsors! There were 19 in total, and we want to thank them sincerely, beginning with our amazing Title Sponsor donating $1,000: Alpine Bank! Without the support of our sponsors, volunteers and staff, the event wouldn’t be possible. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ridge Runner Construction, Stratus Group, Comfort Dental, Coldwell Banker Mason Morse broker Carly Passchier, Valley Ortho, Cheney Plumbing and Heating, CUC Construction, Level Build Co., Katie J Photography, Imperio Restaurant, EV Enterprises, SGM, Key Elements Construction, TE Builders, Rocky Mountain Ranch Services, Roaring Fork Oral Surgery, Artisan Fine Finishing and Rebekah Group. Your generous donations to Rams Run are deeply appreciated and the impact reverberates far beyond the event itself.

Watercolor

workshop, and at 2:30pm the painting will resume, this time with a focus on one’s “mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being using color and intention as your guides.” The retreat will close with a renewal ceremony at the fire circle, and the attendees will be let loose with a painter’s kit, a self-care gift from Uhl and a sense of spring rejuvenation.

Since becoming a mother, Uhl has shifted much of her time away from her own studio work and toward creating

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I would also like to extend heaps of gratitude to Sue Rollyson for her time, energy and dedication to our schools. She spent the bulk of the day taking Rams Run photos, and the front page spread on the event in last week’s edition of the paper was tremendous.

With sincere gratitude,

Autumn Evans-Lough, Carbondale Arbor Day thanks

It was a real pleasure to attend the Tree Board's recent tree planting event at the Thompson House Museum. The combination of education, celebration of the lives of two beloved board members, and neighborly social occasion — all taking place on the lawn of Carbondale's most beautiful historic home — well, it just couldn't have been a better way to spend the morning. I'm sure that the many people that attended would agree. Thank you, Tree Board and Town of C'dale for another memorable event.

Linda Criswell, Carbondale

Appreciating teachers

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and each one of you deserves all the accolades in the world. Though every single member of our RFSD family is important, this week provides a special opportunity for all of us to express the innumerable reasons why we are grateful for the special people who work so hard and passionately to educate our students: our teachers.

Some of you have heard my story about how fortunate I was to have a teacher and mentor who I often credit for changing the trajectory of my life. Thanks to him, I enrolled in college. At that point, I recognized that he had already significantly impacted my life, and I wanted to have that same kind of impact on the lives of others. It is because of him that I became a teacher. I have been lucky to be a student of countless educators who have positively impacted my life.

I am confident that you each have at least one teacher who left a lasting impression on you and if you’re anything like me, you have way more than just one. I also know that each of you are making a difference in the lives of our students in the Roaring Fork Schools every single day.

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, on behalf of the RFSD Board of Education and Executive Leadership Team, I want to thank our teachers for all you do for our students. We cannot fulfill our mission without you.

Jesús G. Rodríguez, Ed.D., RFSD Superintendent

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more and more events to share her methods of connection and intention with the greater public. She hosts yearly Women’s Wellness Retreats at Avalanche Ranch up the Crystal River — already sold out for the 2023 season — and other workshops throughout the year.

More information can be found at sarahuhl.com, including sign-ups for the Spring Wellness Elixir, with several spots remaining at $375 per person.

First Friday Family Block Party and Pride Parade

First Friday buskers, photo by Raleigh Burleigh

The Carbondale Rotary Club conducted its annual Fireball Drop fundraiser in Sopris Park on Friday. Exactly 1,000 ping pong balls were dropped from a fire truck ladder, with one lucky teenager winning the grand prize of $5,000.

Photo by Raleigh Burleigh

Photo by Jeanne Souldern

Photo by Jeanne Souldern

Library chalk art by The Friendly Dictators

Photo by Beth White

Photo by Beth White

Photo by Beth White

Diana Stough Alcantara

Kelley Amdur

Kathy & Carter Barger

Debbie & Marc Bruell

Meredith Bullock

Todd Chamberlin

Kay Clarke

Brian Colley

Cathy Cooney

Barbara Collins

Peter Davidoff

Barbara Dills

Sue Engelhardt

Christina Flynn

Denise Fogerty

Walter Gallacher

Will Grandbois

Mary Groome

Heather Henry

Eilene Ish

Leslie & Patrick Johnson

Nancy Johnson

Susan Jordan

Sarah Klingelheber

Colin & Alice Laird

Megan Larsen

Laurie Loeb

Tristan Mead

Trina Ortega

Illene Pevec

Terri & David Ritchie

Joel Rittvo

Jessi Rochel

Nancy Roen

Terri Slivka

Wendy Stewart

Danny Stone

Kenny Teitler

Annie Worley