Local youngster Juniper Brehm reads a story to Finnegan and Finnegan’s owner, Peggy Steldt, during “Paws to Read” at the Carbondale Library on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Reading with a four-legged friend is intended to help kiddos relax and take their time when learning to read. For details about Paws to Read and to register for this recurring event, visit gcpld.org or basaltlibrary.org
Photo by Youth Correspondent Diana Diaz
This columnist may have gotten a little mired in dying over the last few months, so this month, I’m going to talk about something different, like ... dead people. I can hear your profanities already, but please give me a chance. Although it may seem like the same subject, it really isn’t. Stick with me. The approaching solstice heralds the time of year when everything that’s been dying (there’s that word again) is finally dead. But is it gone? And by extension, are dead people gone? I think not.
Late December is when dead things regenerate. Marking that annual turning point is what solstice is all about. Different cultures have different mythical stories symbolizing solstice. Christians symbolize the rebirth aspect of solstice with a story about a special and famous baby. Sadly, he died a gruesome, equally famous death about 30 years later. However, like the dead plants of December, he wasn’t gone.
It is said that the dead live on in people’s memories and the stories told about them. If you disagree with that, stop reading now. But if you at least sort of agree, you’ve got to agree that Jesus isn’t gone.
Jesus’ post-mortem life began in the memories of 12 students who told stories about him to countless others. Those others then passed the stories on for 2,000 years. The others never knew Jesus personally, and whatever they heard from his students may not have been completely accurate. Like all memories, the students’ memories were probably flawed, and the context of their stories was likely incomplete.
Maybe Jesus was just having a bad (or enjoyable) day when he attacked the money lenders. Maybe a lender was trying to collect usurious interest from him, and he went all Will Smith on the guy. But regardless of the story’s accuracy, it’s “true” for whoever chooses that truth. How do I, a Jewish atheist, know that? Because I have an everchanging relationship with my dead, but not gone, father. Yes, I see and talk with dead people.
I have the chess board and pieces with which Dad taught me the game. I see and hear him every time I see the set or touch a chess piece. He was there last year when I played with my great-grandson,
Correction: Turns out “CL” McClure, credited for the historic Dinkel Building photo in last week’s issue, is more likely Louis Charles (LC) McClure (a famous photographer up through his death in the 1950s).
The night was loooooong. Tossing and turning, thrashing, moaning and groaning. Waiting, waiting for that blessed dawn light. When will it come? It will never come. When will I see the light? You will never see the light.
Finally I fell asleep and collapsed into a fever-dream of a nightmare. I was on my trike. It was black. The road was black. I was black. The landscape was completely white and featureless. Coming up to a black crossroads, I wasn't really paying attention when off to the right a cartoonish black hearse suddenly appeared, three stories tall and pencilthin, tilting crazily, hurtling toward me. It smashed me to smithereens! Like a cartoon, pieces of me flying
Joey. “Chess is a beautiful game,” Dad said. “Kings and scholars play it.” Naturally, I passed this information along to Joey.
Sometimes I see Dad the way he was before I was born, fleeing the Third Reich on a Dutch steamer, exhilarated by the journey, sad and angry about how he was legally robbed, confused and frightened about remaking his life in this only semi-welcoming new land. “Don’t trust anyone,” he tells me.
“Dad,” I reply, “I’ll never trust governments, but people I love? I’d be all alone.”
“Alone is good,” he says. I know he means it because he always took good care of my mother, and he always had secret mistresses. I know he means it because he never told me or my mother how much money was in his wallet or bank account. It wasn’t much, and he was ashamed.
Dad liked being alone. I don’t, but sometimes, I’m tempted to follow his advice.
Sometimes I see dad at age 89, in the hospital room where I told him he was being discharged to longterm nursing care, and he quietly said “ausgespielt!” (“all played out”). My mother, who asked me to deliver the bad news, looked confused, frightened for both of them, denying for herself the reality she wanted me to help dad accept. Dad just looked defeated. Because he was.
“You gotta know when to fold ‘em,” he tells me. I
everywhere. I jolted awake, so startled that I tumbled out of bed.
But I was COVID-weak and immediately crumpled to the floor. I struggled upright and found I couldn't breathe. Breathe in … nothing. Breathe out … nothing. I just couldn't get a breath in there. Panic! Struggling and stumbling around trying to breathe. It wasn't a minute. It probably wasn't even 30 seconds. Twelve truly terrifying seconds, having just dreamed my own death. Finally I got a breath of air and immediately collapsed again to the floor, coughing my lungs out while trying to breathe in. It was such a paroxysm that I puked.
I've never been so happy to puke. Luke Nestler, Downstream
P.S. Luke wants to reassure his friends that this episode was the nadir of his ongoing bout with COVID. Though he is very easily winded, he's still alive and kicking. He wants to thank everyone for all the good thoughts and prayers and reminds people not to underestimate this virus, like he did.
agree, hoping I’ll recognize those moments when they come. So far, I think I have. Mom says she’s proud of me for taking the awful task of telling Dad for her. “I know how hard responsibility is for you, Mom. I’m grateful I could help. I’m sorry I didn’t always help when I could have.”
Sometimes I ask dad, “Are you proud of me? I take care of my family like you taught me. I had a successful career. I’m honest. And I’m not alone. Are you proud of me?” Dad changes the subject. I know he’s proud, but damn, I wish he’d say it. “Do you love me dad?”
“Of course I do,” he mumbles. But I can’t see that love in his eyes because he never looks at me directly when we talk. I used to pick fights with him just to see real emotion, but I got over that long ago. After all, he talks with his father, who never tells him he’s proud either. Not with his eyes, anyway. And honestly, eye contact is uncomfortable for me too, when I tell people I love them.
If you find a carpenter from Nazareth more interesting or comforting than Dad, why not? We all talk with dead people. Merry solstice and a happy new year!
Mature Content is a monthly feature from the Carbondale AARP Age-Friendly Community Initiative (CAFCI)
Our wise Founding Fathers knew the evils of run-away, unchecked, overbearing government — witnessed for centuries in Europe — so they created a Constitutional Republic with distinct rules of law to follow. Never once does the term democracy occur in any of the founding documents. However, there are numerous quotes by the brilliant Founders warning of the inherent dangers of majority-rule democracy. Somehow Mr. Neff (in a letter to the editor in last week's issue) fabricated a definition of democracy that includes many of the attributes of our Constitutional laws.
Democracy is quite simple in the dictionary (1974 Mirriam-Webster): “government by the people; rule of the majority; …power vested in the people; absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges.” Nothing in the definition about free speech, rights, terms of service, etc., as they are listed in the hard-to-change laws of our Constitution.
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Raleigh Burleigh 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com
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The Community Art Center Clay Studio in Glenwood Springs has launched a membership program for experienced potters in the Valley. Fullshelf memberships cost $150 per month and halfshelf memberships are $90 per month, plus $60 for a one-time studio orientation. For more information about memberships, workshops and more, visit www. glenwoodrec.com/307/Community-Art-Center
The Aspen Words Literary Prize longlist of 2023 honorees was released last week. This $35,000 annual award is granted to “an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.” Five finalists will be announced on March 6 and the winner will be revealed at a ceremony in New York City on April 19. Review the top 14 titles at www.aspenwords.org
Colorado Parks and Wildlife released its draft Wolf Restoration and Management Plan on Dec. 9. The draft has garnered criticism from proponents and opponents of wolf reintroduction alike. “The state plan skirts the law, departs from the best available science and will not achieve Proposition 114’s goal of restoring a natural balance to Colorado’s public wildlands,” claims WildEarth Guardians, which created its own restoration plan, in a press release. A public comment period is now underway and the official plan is due to be finalized in May. Review the draft at www. wolfengagementco.org
The Forest Service continues an aspen tree regeneration project totaling 109 acres to the east
and south of Fourmile Park. Aspens will be felled and chipped on-site and delivered to the biomass plant in Gypsum. A spruce-fir regeneration project is also underway further up Four Mile Road in the County Line area. According to a press release, “Small (a half to two acres) patches of spruce-fir will be cut from seven units totalling 823 acres.” The coniferous logs will be trucked to a mill in Montrose with up to 20 large trucks expected daily on the roadway. The snowmobile parking lot is open with an alternative tracked trail so as to avoid the project area.
On Dec. 12, the Colorado Secretary of State’s office certified the state’s 2022 election results, including for the Third Congressional District (CD3). The mandatory recount in CD3 confirmed that incumbent Republican Lauren Boebert prevailed over Democrat challenger Adam Frisch by a slim margin of 546 votes.
Last week, The Sopris Sun reported that Colorado Senator Bob Rankin announced his resignation effective Jan. 10. Soon after, Joyce Rankin, Bob’s wife, announced her resignation from the State Board of Education which she has served since August 2015. The Rankins reside in Carbondale and no further reason was given for their departure from state politics. There will be an election in November 2023 to fulfill the rest of Joyce’s term, which ends in January 2027. The Republican Party has until Feb. 10 to appoint Bob’s replacement.
The Aspen Community Foundation announced its 2022 Community Grantmaking recipients last week. This amounted to $729,000 toward programs that support early childhood education, human services and youth development. The funds, augmented by the
sale of Ultimate Ski Passes in partnership with Aspen Skiing Company, were spread across 48 nonprofit organizations from Parachute to Aspen.
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Ciarra Bristol, Lynn Burton, Rachel Filter, Alya Howe, Arturo Ortiz and Anthony Ortiz (Dec. 15); Deborah Anderson and Tamarah Howard (Dec. 16); Aiden Knaus and Cooper Marshall (Dec. 17); Kathy Ezra, Daisy Tena and Ralph Wanner (Dec. 18); Shirley Bowen and Frances Lewis (Dec. 19); Don Butterfield, Linnea Fong, Terry Glasenapp, Kenzie Hill, Beatriz Soto, Tyler Thompson, Prema Trettin and Travis Wilson (Dec. 20); Paula Fothergill, Tommy Sweeney and Robin Waters (Dec. 21).
Up and down the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, farmers and ranchers raise local produce — from meats to fresh vegetables — yet there are still many residents who are regularly concerned about keeping enough food on their family’s table.
Several entities, both governmental and nongovernmental, from Parachute to Aspen, are interested in the possibility of installing a food hub somewhere in the Roaring Fork Valley. Mashing two potatoes with one fork, so to speak, the food hub would purchase goods from farmers and ranchers who need to sell their harvests, and that food would in turn be distributed to community members undergoing food insecurity.
Lift Up, an organization that already has experience connecting producers with families in need of nutritious food, initiated the conversation when it began looking for space for a facility in the Valley. In 2021, Lift Up served over 46,000 people experiencing food insecurity between Aspen and Parachute.
Lift Up already has a warehouse in Parachute. “We were looking to get something further up-valley, just to better serve the community,” Ivan Jackson, the executive director of Lift Up, explained to The Sopris Sun. He conferred with other food security and human services programs which shared an interest in the potential of a food-hub.
The nonprofit currently has six fixed pantries and about 10 mobile distribution sites between Parachute and Aspen. “But, that is Lift Up,” Jackson clarified. “The regional food hub is a concept — if it comes to fruition — that will be something combining Lift Up and multiple other community partners.
“Distributing food is not just a question of someone turning up and you hand them food. It’s ‘How do you
grow food? Who grows the food? Where do you get the food from? How do you distribute that food?’” Jackson expounded. “We’re working on a concept of having a regional food hub that would support the entire community: farmers, growers, ranchers, distribution organizations and, obviously, the people dealing with food insecurity.”
Currently, Lift Up purchases food for a wholesale price from 30 growers. A couple of years ago, the organization started its “Farm to Food” program, where Lift Up enters into contracts with farmers and pays them in advance for growing crops.
Should a food hub come into being, Jackson said he’d love to see even more farmers supported.
“Regional food hubs exist throughout the county, it’s
not a unique situation,” he explained, and then offered various food hubs in Denver as examples. “They all operate slightly differently, but the concept is to get good, healthy, nutritious foods to people who need it."
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (PCOST), Pitkin County Human Services and the Aspen Community Foundation partnered with Lift Up on a feasibility study for a food hub with two potential facilities in mind: the Emma townsite buildings on Highway 82 and the former City Market space in Carbondale. Either or both locations are potential options, but not exclusively. Other locations may be considered in the long run. The Emma townsite is owned by Pitkin County.
A consultant firm, New Ventures Advisors, began conducting the feasibility study over the summer and is expected to have final recommendations by the spring.
As part of the study, producers and business owners were recently invited to complete a survey to help gauge the local industry's interest in having a food hub and how its leaders might want to see that look. According to Jackson, they had roughly 60 or 70 total responses.
According to PCOST’s website, “New Ventures is currently completing a market analysis, which includes gathering input from potential project beneficiaries to understand the issues they face, and from other food system stakeholders to understand how a new food facility might be part of a regional solution to address these challenges and other opportunities.”
“We are still going through the evaluation process [to see] if it is the right option,” Jackson stated.
“Based on the number of people that we are serving within the community that are dealing with food insecurity, having a regional food hub will benefit those people,” he continued. “I also believe that to benefit the community as a whole … assisting farmers is good for the community.”
Oil producers want to quadruple the amount of fracked waxy crude that comes out of Utah's Uinta Basin. Between 80,000 and 90,000 barrels per day are currently trucked to refineries in Salt Lake City, but refinery production there is capped due to air pollution on the Wasatch Front.
So, Utah officials and oil producers have pinned their hopes on the 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway (UBR) to link the Basin's oil fields to the national rail system, increasing production by sending the crude east through Colorado to refineries in Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast.
In response, close to 70 Roaring Fork Valley residents showed up in Glenwood Springs across from White River National Forest headquarters on Saturday, Dec. 10 — carrying signs, playing drums and singing protest songs — to say no to the UBR.
“We're sending a message to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to revoke the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) permit that allows the UBR to cut through the Ashley National Forest in Utah,” Will Hodges, coordinator for 350 Roaring Fork, told the Sopris Sun. The group is part of a network called Halt the Harm, which organized similar protests in Boulder, Denver, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C. last week.
The network also includes social justice groups on the Gulf Coast. “The more refining of crude oil and gas that we’re doing down in Louisiana continues to fall most heavily on low-income, Black and brown communities who have to live next to these petro-chemical plants,” Hodge explained. “So we’re concerned about local impacts, about the disproportionately impacted communities and we’re also concerned about the global impacts.”
USFS officials in Utah approved a permit in July, allowing 12 miles of the railway to cut through an
inventoried roadless area in the Ashley National Forest. While the approval is in place, the actual permit has not been issued. Hodges said Vilsack has the authority to revoke it. “We could stop this railway and then they can’t get as much oil out of the Uinta Basin, which is a start for addressing our climate crisis,” he said.
Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), Living Rivers, Sierra Club and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, filed suit in federal District Court in September to appeal the permit.
CBD attorney Ted Zukoski told The Sopris Sun in an email that the permit has been held up due to required design-related actions and surveys that have not yet occurred. “The Railway cannot begin construction on National Forest lands until the special use permit is issued,” he said.
Meanwhile, groups are putting pressure on Vilsack, whose Department of Agriculture oversees the USFS, to reverse the approval. USFS officials said in an email to The Sopris Sun that it could be four to six months before the permit is issued.
CVEPA
CVEPA is grateful for our local free press who is dedicated to providing a forum for a variety of voices. We salute the Sun for its ongoing coverage of the important issues facing the Crystal River Valley.
The Vilsack strategy isn’t the only way conservation groups and Colorado officials hope to stop the train. After the Federal Surface Transportation Board (FSTB), a federal regulating agency, approved the UBR in December 2021, CBD and other groups filed suit in February 2022.
They argue, among other things, that the FSTB did not take a hard look at climate change impacts,
To learn more about the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, the environmental watchdog of the Crystal River Valley since 1972, visit cvepa.org
Photo by Raleigh Burleigh
By Kayla Kaufman Youth Correspondent
Some people might assume the Roaring Fork Valley is immune to issues such as drug abuse. Unfortunately, that is not the reality. Many in the Valley consume illicit substances and many of these substances are more and more commonly mixed with the pharmaceutical fentanyl.
This increasingly prevalent drug often carries deadly consequences. While it is regulated for medical use, drug traffickers also use the pharmaceutical to mix with other illegal drugs. What’s scary is that people who purchase one illegal substance are not aware that what they received may also include fentanyl. And, when people purchase other drugs, it is impossible to tell with the naked eye whether their purchase is tainted with the deadly substance.
Fentanyl is extremely dangerous because of its potency. “It is 50-times stronger than heroin and 100-times stronger than morphine,” Maggie Seldeen of High Rockies Harm Reduction told The Sopris Sun.
Today, fentanyl is causing many overdoses and can end in death faster than other opioids. Seldeen further explained that it “crosses the blood-brain barrier faster,” meaning that it attaches to the brain receptors faster after entering the bloodstream. It can also dismantle the brain’s ability to process oxygen and carbon dioxide.
When it comes to opioid addiction, often the people struggling with addiction are blamed, but some would argue it’s important to point out other factors. For instance, it’s common for someone to get addicted to an opioid when it is prescribed by a doctor, but once a prescription expires many seek out these opioids illegally.
“Fentanyl is only one part of the puzzle,”
explained Seldeen, and went on to say that educating the local community is of utmost importance.
While this topic may be very alarming to some, many resources are in place to keep communities safe and protected. HRHR is but one “ resource available in the Roaring Fork Valley which was founded by Seldeen. HRHR not only educates people about the dangers of drug use, but also distributes potentially life saving antidotes such as naloxone which can reverse the effects of an overdose if given within a certain period of time. Notably, HRHR also distributes fentanyl testing strips.
Seldeen has presented to Roaring Fork High School health classes, providing insight about fentanyl, naloxone and the general dangers of drug use. Before, many of the students may not have been aware of the presence of this deathly additive.
The organization provides education to schools and other institutions, but also works directly with people struggling with substance abuse. . HRHR’s website contains more information about its resources, events and other services it provides. So, visit www.highrockiesharmreduction.com for more about the nonprofit.
Another local group, Aperture of Hope (AOP), was started by Cath Adams who sadly lost her daughter, Emily Irene Adams, to fentanyl poisoning. Among other community work, AOP works with schools to educate young people about the threat of fentanyl.
According to the organization’s website, www. apertureofhope.com, in regards to education, “We share our message and create awareness for schools and other organizations. Fentanyl is taking the lives of teens as this may be their first introduction to illicit drugs.” Making the point that sometimes a young person’s first time experimenting can end tragically. “You don't have to have the disease of addiction to die from fentanyl poisoning.”
Valley View is proud to announce the opening of After Hours Urgent Care. From nasal congestion to a sprained ankle, our walk-in clinic is here to treat you. Thanks to its convenient location inside Valley View next to the Emergency Department, you get to decide the right level of care for you at the right price.
Open evenings and weekends for same-day, walk-in care in Glenwood Springs. Learn more at vvh.org/urgentcare or call 970.384.7315.
PeopleCare. That’s Valley View.
In 2023, Social Security recipients will see a cost-ofliving adjustment (COLA) of 8.7%, the most significant increase since 1981 and the fourth largest COLA in the history of the Social Security program.
While the Social Security Act of 1935 created the Social Security Administration (SSA) as an independent agency of the U.S. government to administer a program of retirement, survivor and disability benefits, annual COLA adjustments were introduced into the program in 1972 to factor in the cost of inflation for those receiving fixed-income benefits.
According to the SSA, in 2022, an average of 66 million Americans receive a monthly Social Security benefit, totaling over $1 trillion in benefits paid during the year. Nine in 10 people, ages 65 and older, receive monthly benefits.
Looking down the road, the number of Americans 65 and
older will increase from about 58 million in 2022 to about 76 million by 2035.
In a statement issued in October by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the average benefit will increase by $145 per month. The statement continues, “The guaranteed benefits provided by Social Security, including the annual COLA, are more crucial than ever as high inflation remains a problem for older Americans. The automatic adjustment is an essential part of Social Security that helps ensure the benefit does not erode over time due to rising prices.”
The increase in Social Security benefits will, of course, impact each recipient differently. For some, it may be money added to savings or investment accounts; for others, it may ease the pinch of daily living expenses, such as food and rent.
The increase is, in part, an attempt to recoup the loss of purchasing power that seniors have experienced caused, in
Legislation enacted in 1973 provides for cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs. With COLAs, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income keep pace with inflation. This chart indicates annual COLAs over the past five years. Graph by James Steindler
part, by rising inflation.
An ongoing study by The Senior Citizens League, published in May, showed that purchasing power for older adults dropped 10 points. The study compares COLA adjustments with increases in the price of goods and services typically used by retirees. Since March 2021, Social Security benefits have been most impacted by sharp increases in home heating, gasoline and food costs.
In previous years, COLA increases were often depleted by a rise in Medicare Part B premiums. For example,
in 2022, a 5.9% COLA was undercut by a record-high increase in Medicare Part B premiums, which are deducted from Social Security payments. However, in 2023, the welcome news for recipients is that the standard Medicare Part B premium will be reduced slightly, from $170.10 to $164.90 monthly.
Help for seniors is on its way on another front — prescription drugs. One of the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in August, is prescription drug reform to lower prices.
For those enrolled in Medicare Part D, most vaccines will be covered at no cost and insulin copays will be capped at $35 per month.
While a majority of Social Security recipients are retired workers, (76.1% in 2021, according to SSA statistics), SSA programs also include 12.4% of benefits paid to disabled workers and their dependents and 11.6% of benefits paid to survivors of deceased workers.
The adjustment takes effect with the December 2022 benefit payment, paid to recipients in January 2023.
EV CHARGING GRANT
Clean Energy Economy for the Region holds a webinar regarding Colorado Energy Office’s “Charge Ahead” grant program at 12:30 p.m. The program will help cover electric vehicle charging station costs at housing and workforce complexes. Visit www.bit.ly/ EVchargingweb to register.
Carbondale Library hosts a lively book discussion at 2 p.m. This month’s topic is “a biography or memoir of your choice.”
Aspen Science Center leads neuroscience activity for kids ages four to 12 at the Basalt Library from 4 to 5 p.m. Visit basaltlibrary.org for more info.
SIP SHOP + CONNECT
True Nature opens its boutique from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays through Dec. 22 with live music, special deals and local book signings.
Katie Browne of Box Eleven hosts a natural dye workshop at Botany in Carbondale (586 CO133) from 5 to 7 p.m. RSVP by emailing boxeleven@hotmail.com
HOLIDAY CONCERT
John and Kathryn Gracey perform Celtic folk holiday music at the Glenwood Springs Library at 5 p.m.
FRIDAY,
COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR
Carbondale Mayor Ben Bohmfalk posts up at Bonfire every Friday from 8 to 9 a.m. and anyone is welcome to stop by to chat.
The Carbondale Clay Center hosts its annual Kids Holiday Sale where youngsters can purchase items from $2 to $10 at 4 p.m.
The Crystal Theatre shows “Matilda” on Dec. 16, 17 at 4:30 p.m. and Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. “She Said” screens Dec. 16, 17, 22 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.
OBADIAH JONES
Obadiah Jones performs at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park during Friday Afternoon Club at 5 p.m.
Santa’s “holly jolly truck-mas trip” returns tonight and tomorrow beginning at 5 p.m. With help from the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District, Mr. Claus will travel Carbondale and the surrounding neighborhoods in style, riding atop a decorated fire truck. Find route details at www.carbondalefire.org
RADIO PLAY
Catch a live performance of “A Christmas Carol” by Defiance Community Theater Company at St. Barnabas Epsicopal Church in Glenwood Springs at 7 p.m.
TACAW presents an evening of holiday jazz with the Josefina Mendez Quintet at 8 p.m. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
The Roaring Fork Audubon Society invites Valley residents to participate in this year’s Christmas Bird Count; data gathered will help estimate bird health in the region. Email kjcchickadee53@ gmail.com for more info.
Down Valley Jewish Families and Friends will host a family-friendly potluck to welcome Chanukah with menorahs, authentic potato latkes and the dreidel game. For more information, contact DVJ@delko.net
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Art Base, Deb Shannan teaches students how to enhance images taken on their iPhone with the free photo editing app Snapseed. To register, visit www.theartbase.org
FARMERS MARKET
Carbondale Arts compliments its Deck the Walls Holiday Market with a pop-up farmers market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow.
Carol Shure leads a systemic and family constellation workshop at the Third Street Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, visit carolshure.com/events
Kindred Spirits, a female vocal and instrumental trio consisting of Molly Child, Lorraine Curry and Julie Paxton, performs at The Launchpad from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.
SANTA
Santa returns to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park from 4 to 7 p.m. He’ll be back again tomorrow from 2 to 5 p.m.
The Basalt Library surprises viewers with a holiday classic at 5 p.m.
Aspen Art Museum hosts a rooftop après party from 5 to 9 p.m. every Saturday, all winter.
Comedian Becky Robinson brings her Heavy Pour Tour to the Wheeler Opera House for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at aspenshowtix.com
TACAW hosts salsa night with Mezcla Socials beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies joins the 123rd Audubon Christmas Bird Count with eyes on Aspen from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To volunteer, visit www.bit.ly/ACESbirds
Colorado Animal Rescue holds its annual snowshoeing fundraiser at Sunlight Mountain Resort. In-person registration starts at 9 a.m. and the racers are off at 10 a.m. For more info, visit www. coloradoanimalrescue.org
The Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist congregation celebrates the winter solstice with a circle dance and service beginning at 10 a.m. at the Third Street Center.
Relieve your worried mind by throwing clay with Matthew Eames at the Carbondale Clay Center from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Space is limited. Visit carbondaleclay. org for more details.
The 13th Annual Independence Run & Hike Jingle Bell 5k Run (and ugly sweater contest) begins at FirstBank in Carbondale at 11 a.m. Proceeds benefit the Basalt Cross County Team. For more information, call 970-704-0909.
Marie Schuppan leads a 75-minute meditation workshop at Kula Yoga at 4 p.m. Sign up at www.kulayogaonmain.com
“THE GREATEST GIFT”
Basalt Library hosts a special reading of “The Greatest Gift” by Phillip Van Doren at 4 p.m.
MONDAY, DEC. 19
Aspen Film’s 30th Annual Academy Screenings kicks off with “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” at the Isis Theatre at 2
p.m. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” shows at the Wheeler Opera House at 6 p.m. followed by a Q&A with Kate Hudson. The fun continues all week, find tickets and details at www.aspenfilm.org
Ann O’Brien hosts Aikido training circles at 13 Moons Ranch (6334 Highway 133) from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. on Mondays (beginners), as well as a training circle on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. Kids classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. For details, call 970-425-3759 or visit www.AnnOBrienLiving.com/Aikido
Sopris Lodge hosts the Sopris Soarers for an aerial rendition of the classic Christmas poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested at www.soprislodge.com
Through Dec. 23, Theatre
Aspen will perform a holiday cabaret at the Hotel Jerome with dinner at 6:30 and a performance at 8 p.m. For details, visit www.theatreaspen. org or call 970-300-4474.
Hamilton’s Mushrooms and Toadstool Traditions presents 16 short films, including Hamilton Pevec’s latest — “Azurescens: Through a Blue Lens” — at The Launchpad at 7:30 p.m. Learn more at hamiltonsmushrooms.com
YARN
Yarn enthusiasts convene at the Basalt Library at 5 p.m.
Roaring Fork Insight leads a community ritual, open to all and by donation, at St. Peter’s of the Valley in Basalt from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. RSVP at www. bit.ly/RFInsightSolstice
Play bridge, or learn how, at the Basalt Library on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 4 p.m.
The Center for Human Flourishing hosts a winter solstice fundraiser with a cacao ceremony, ecstatic dance and sound journey at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets at www. bit.ly/TCfHFsolstice
JINGLE JAM
Rocky Mountain Kid C.L.U.B.S. offers winter activities for children ages four and up on Dec. 22, 23, 27-30 and Jan. 2-6, 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find details at www.rockymtnkidclubs.org
Rocky Mountain Puppets performs at the Carbondale Library at 10:30 a.m. and in Glenwood Springs at 2 p.m. This event is free and open to all children and families.
BEAUTY AND BLOODSHED Aspen Art Museum partners with Aspen Film to present “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”, a documentary about activist Nan Goldin, the Sackler family and America’s opioid crisis, at the Wheeler Opera House at 5 p.m. More info at www.aspenfilm.org
CREATIVE WRITING
Find the power, beauty and even courage in the words you create. This class is taught online via Zoom. Wednesdays, 6-8pm, 1/11-2/8
NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE
Highlights themes of historical context, reservation life, and current cultural conflict through the writings of well-known Native American authors of various tribes. Mondays, 6-8pm, NEW DATES: 3/20-4/24
LESSONS AT SPRING GULCH
Classes for beginners and intermediate skiers in both classic and skate styles.
Starting as early as January 3
A full-body workout that targets specific muscles while engaging the entire body using the fundamentals of Pilates. Improve balance, muscle coordination, strength, and stability. Mon/Wed, 12-12:50pm, 1/9-3/1
PILATES FOR MOM AND BABY
Moms can exercise and bring their baby to this all body workout that focuses on specific post natal pelvic floor, and core strengthening. Fridays, 10:30-11:20am, 1/13-2/3
BEGINNER OIL PAINTING
Learn the basics of painting and mixing with water-based oil paints. Supplies are provided Tuesdays, 9am-12pm, 1/17-2/28
Learn how to solicit major gifts and create donor loyalty in this program designed for new and seasoned development professionals. Wednesday, 9am-12pm, 2/1
TENSION AND TRAUMA RELEASING EXERCISES
Release deep muscular stress, tension, and trauma; calm the nervous system, and return balance. Sundays, 10am-11:30am, 3/19-4/9
If you hadn’t yet noticed, Alpine Bank’s newest annual calendar is especially lively as the bank, founded in Carbondale in January 1973, approaches its 50th anniversary.
Sopris Sun readers will instantly recognize the whimsical imaginings of artist Larry Day gracing the calendar’s 12 pages with playful color. For every month of the year, a different location where Alpine Bank does business is highlighted. Iconic features of each place are caricatured and a little guide names them. “It becomes like a game,” said Day: a proper scavenger hunt.
Carlos Ulloa Jaquez, Alpine Bank’s graphic designer, approached Day after seeing his work in The Sopris Sun and on the 50th Mountain Fair poster. In similar fashion, with Alpine Bank’s long-standing tradition of handing out free calendars, Ulloa Jaquez wanted to do something special for the bank’s 50th anniversary.
He brought a copy of The Sopris Sun and a Mountain
Fair t-shirt to his associates and said, “How about we do something like this? And do one for every town; the icons we’ll try to portray are what makes each town unique,” including nonprofits that the bank supports. Needless to say, it was a hit.
“We met one afternoon at Dos Gringos,” said Day. “Carlos presented the idea and I thought, that’s pretty amazing.”
Having moved to Carbondale in 2019 from Illinois, Day didn’t know enough about all the places to do it on his own, so Ulloa Jaquez recruited Alpine Bank branch managers from across the state to compile a list of icons. He also supplied Day with references to draw from, like websites and photographs.
“Not so much to tell Larry what to do, but to inspire him,” explained Ulloa Jaquez. “He never took anything I gave him literally,” which was the intention. “He put in his touch.”
Day drafted pencil sketches which went back to branch managers for feedback. “Luckily everyone really understood Larry’s concept,” said Ulloa Jaquez. “Sometimes artists get inspired and go way abstract in
their thinking,” with the whole animal kingdom residing in Colorado, for instance, “but everyone got the humor.”
One common denominator from page to page is the signature Alpine Bank pen, used by a different character each month to scrawl the location’s name. Ulloa Jaquez hopes that people will learn about previously unknown
things in Colorado and feel inspired to explore new places.
It took Day all summer to complete the project. The calendars are now available for free at any of Alpine Bank’s locations, including its newest branches in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. But act fast, only 17,000 copies were printed. The bank is negotiating to purchase Day’s 11-by-13-
inch originals for display in its respective branches and you can view the project online at www.alpinebank.com/ wallcalendar
Coffee mugs, t-shirts and other items with Day’s work are for sale at The Launchpad’s holiday market through December. See more of his work at larrydayillustration. com and larrydayfineart.com
Los productores de petróleo quieren cuadruplicar la cantidad de crudo ceroso de fracturación hidráulica que sale de la cuenca Uinta de Utah. Actualmente se transportan en camión entre 80,000 y 90,000 barriles diarios a las refinerías de Salt Lake City, pero su producción está limitada por la contaminación atmosférica del Wasatch Front.
Por ello, las autoridades de Utah y los productores de petróleo han puesto sus esperanzas en la vía ferroviaria de 88 millas de longitud de la cuenca Uinta (UBR for sus siglas en inglés), para conectar los yacimientos petrolíferos de la cuenca con el sistema ferroviario nacional y aumentar la producción enviando el crudo al este a través de Colorado, a las refinerías de Oklahoma y la costa del golfo.
En respuesta, cerca de 70 residentes del valle Roaring Fork se presentaron en Glenwood Springs, frente a la sede del White River National Forest, el sábado 10 de diciembre, portando pancartas, tocando tambores y cantando canciones de protesta, para decir no al UBR.
"Estamos enviando un mensaje al Secretario de agricultura Tom Vilsack para que revoque el permiso del Servicio forestal de EE.UU. (USFS por sus siglas en inglés) que permite a la UBR cortar a través del Ashley National Forest en Utah", dijo Will Hodges, coordinador de 350 Roaring Fork, al Sopris Sun. El grupo forma parte de una red denominada Halt the Harm, que organizó la semana pasada protestas similares en Boulder, Denver, Salt Lake City y Washington D.C.
La red también incluye grupos de justicia social de la costa del golfo. "El refinado de petróleo y gas que se está llevando a cabo en Luisiana sigue afectando sobre todo a las comunidades de bajos ingresos, negras y morenas, que tienen que vivir junto a estas plantas petroquímicas", explicó Hodge. "Así que nos preocupan las repercusiones locales, las comunidades desproporcionadamente afectadas y también nos preocupan los impactos globales".
Los funcionarios del USFS en Utah aprobaron en julio un permiso que permite que 12 millas de la vía férrea atraviesen una zona sin caminos inventariada en el Ashley National Forest. Aunque la aprobación está en vigor, aún no se ha expedido el permiso propiamente dicho. Hodges dijo que Vilsack tiene autoridad para revocarlo. "Podríamos detener este ferrocarril y entonces no podrían sacar tanto petróleo de la cuenca Uinta, lo que es un buen comienzo para abordar nuestra crisis climática", dijo.
Grupos conservacionistas, entre ellos el Centro para la diversidad biológica (CBD por sus siglas en inglés), Living Rivers, Sierra Club y Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, presentaron en septiembre una demanda ante el Tribunal federal de distrito para apelar el permiso.
Ted Zukoski, abogado del CBD, explicó a The Sopris Sun en un correo electrónico que el permiso se ha retrasado debido a que aún no se han llevado a cabo las acciones y estudios necesarios relacionados con el diseño. "El ferrocarril no puede iniciar la construcción en terrenos del bosque nacional hasta que se expida el permiso de uso especial", dijo.
Mientras tanto, los grupos presionan a Vilsack, cuyo Departamento de agricultura supervisa el USFS, para que revoque la aprobación. Funcionarios del USFS dijeron en un correo electrónico a The Sopris Sun que podrían pasar entre cuatro y seis meses antes de que se expida el permiso.
La estrategia de Vilsack no es la única forma en que los grupos conservacionistas y las autoridades de Colorado esperan detener el tren. Después de que la Junta federal de transporte terrestre (FSTB por sus siglas en inglés), un organismo regulador federal, aprobara el UBR en diciembre de 2021, CBD y otros grupos presentaron una demanda en febrero de 2022.
Ellos argumentan, entre otras cosas, que la FSTB no tuvo muy en cuenta los efectos del cambio climático, incluida la contaminación atmosférica derivada del aumento de las perforaciones petrolíferas en la cuenca Uinta, así como el aumento de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero procedentes de la combustión de gasolina refinada a partir de crudo de la cuenca Uinta. El condado de Eagle también presentó una demanda, añadiendo su preocupación por la reactivación de la línea ferroviaria Tennessee Pass como posible ruta de transporte. Estas demandas han sido apoyadas.
Después, el verano pasado, cinco condados y cinco ciudades a lo largo de la línea ferroviaria nacional que atraviesa Colorado, incluida Glenwood Springs, firmaron un informe amicus curiae en apoyo del condado de Eagle. Afirman que el FSTB ignoró a Colorado al analizar los impactos del UBR. Hasta diez trenes petroleros diarios con 110 vagones cisterna calefactados cada uno, capaces de transportar 642 barriles por
vagón, recorrerían el ferrocarril nacional a través del estado.
El alcalde de Glenwood Springs, Jonathan Godes, dijo a los asistentes a la manifestación del sábado que el ferrocarril forma parte de la historia de Glenwood, pero que la cantidad de trenes que transportan diariamente crudo calentado a través de la ciudad supone un enorme riesgo. "Nos preocupa lo que pueda ocurrir, no si ocurre, sino cuando ocurra un descarrilamiento, ya sea en el condado de Mesa, en el cañón Debeque, en el cañón Glenwood o en el cañón Sur", afirmó.
Godes también está consternado por los impactos climáticos y la aprobación de un tren a través de una zona sin carreteras. "¿Por qué llevar [un ferrocarril] a través de una zona sin carreteras para llegar a la vía principal y hacerla pasar por Colorado?", dijo.
Paula Stepp, concejal de Glenwood y directora ejecutiva del Middle Colorado Watershed Council, también intervino en la manifestación. Ella ha estado trabajando en toda la región sobre los cambios en la calidad del agua debidos a los incendios forestales. "Cuando pienso en un tren de crudo ceroso descarrilado en nuestro cañón y en el coste que supondría mitigarlo, me abruma", dijo. "A menudo la gente dice: 'Necesitamos la economía del petróleo', pero también hay que mirar el costo de la economía del petróleo y este sería el costo para nosotros con cualquier tipo de descarrilamiento".
Sin mencionar, añadió, del agua del río Colorado.
Siete estados de la división occidental se reparten el agua entre más de 40 millones de usuarios, de acuerdo con el Convenio del Río Colorado de 1922. Pero, debido a la prolongada sequía en el suroeste, luchan por equilibrar la demanda con un suministro cada vez menor. "Si empezamos a añadir el factor de una vez que destruyamos el agua del río, ¿qué tendríamos para dividir en ese momento?", dijo.
La mayoría de los asistentes a la concentración del sábado salieron a protestar contra el ferrocarril de la cuenca Uinta por motivos como los efectos del cambio climático y las amenazas al cañón Glenwood. Hodges dijo que también quiere combatir la resignación y la apatía de la sociedad.
"Algunos dirán: 'Toda nuestra economía depende del petróleo', y sí, ése es el problema", explicó. "Necesitamos una movilización a escala equivalente a la de la Segunda Guerra Mundial por parte del gobierno federal, los estados y las localidades para reducir en gran medida nuestra dependencia a los combustibles fósiles".
Foto de Raleigh Burleigh Volumen 2, Número 42 | 15 de deciembre - 21 de deciembre, de 2022El término “doparse” se representa entre comillas porque este consejo de salud no implica nada ilegal o peligroso.
Según Michael Greger, autor del libro, “Comer para no morir”, hace alrededor de cinco años, los investigadores demostraron que el jugo de remolacha permitió a buceadores libres contener su respiración 30 segundos más.
Los ciclistas pudieron desempeñarse bajo el mismo nivel de intensidad, pero consumiendo un 19 por ciento menos de oxígeno que el grupo placebo, y al exigirse en su máxima capacidad, el tiempo de agotamiento se extendió de nueve minutos 43 segundos a 11 minutos 15 segundos.
Los corredores que consumen una taza y media de remolacha hervida antes de una carrera de cinco kilómetros, mejoraron su desempeño, manteniendo la misma frecuencia cardiaca y realizando un esfuerzo menor. Los vegetales de hojas verdes también generan este resultado.
¿Entonces cómo funciona?
La remolacha y los vegetales de hojas verdes contienen nitratos que nuestro cuerpo convierte en óxido nítrico. Este Óxido nítrico, mejora el funcionamiento del revestimiento endotelial de las arterias, un órgano muy delicado pero muy importante. A su vez, esto genera que las arterias se dilaten, en otras palabras se extiendan, permitiendo el paso de más sangre y oxígeno al corazón y otros músculos, así es como funciona la nitroglicerina para problemas cardiacos, y el viagra para disfunción eréctil.
Como resultado, el rendimiento atlético mejora. Aún más, estos alimentos le permiten al cuerpo extraer
más energía del oxígeno, algo que los investigadores pensaban que eran imposible.
Las diez principales fuentes alimenticias de nitratos en orden descendente de su contenido, son: rúcula (Arugula) con la mayor cantidad, luego viene el ruibarbo, cilantro, lechuga, mix de hojas verdes, albahaca, hojas de la remolacha, lechuga de hoja de roble, acelga y remolacha.
La dosis para “doparse con plantas “ basada en los
vegetales que se estudiaron es: una taza y media de jugo de remolacha o de tres remolachas de tres pulgadas (siete a ocho centímetros) o una taza de espinacas cocidas dos o tres horas antes de una competición.
Si te gustaría cuidar tu salud a través de la alimentación puedes llamarnos para un consulta medica Gratis al 970-9481072 con Isabel Almeida.
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el Sol del Valle agradece por su apoyo a: MANUAS, FirstBank y Alpine Bank
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Las fiestas navideñas están aquí y con ellas el ajetreo de la estación. Para algunos, esta es la época más feliz del año, son tiempos de regocijo, paz, y amor. La decoración y la música navideña se pueden disfrutar por donde quiera que vayamos. Las fiestas o posadas no pueden faltar, deliciosos platillos abundan en cada reunión.
Es un tiempo de dar y recibir regalos, también de ver a seres queridos que quizás no hemos visto en mucho tiempo. Incluso, muchos viajan para encontrarse con sus familiares y celebrar con ellos. Mientras que para algunos la época navideña
es la más bella del año, algo casi mágico especialmente para los niños, para otros puede resultar frustrante y en algunos casos deprimente.
La navidad puede llegar a ser una fuente de estrés, frustraciones y melancolía. Estrés, por todo el trabajo y cansancio que implica, organizar que todo esté en orden para la fiesta, que la casa esté bien antes y después de la celebración. Hay que hacer las compras, cocinar, en ocasiones hay que hospedar visitas, en fin, hay muchos detalles que cuidar.
Se puede sentir frustración porque las cosas no siempre salen como nosotros pensamos o deseamos, siempre habrá imprevistos, desacuerdos, etc. Y melancolía porque a veces no estaremos todos juntos, tal vez por trabajo, por enfermedad, o por haber perdido a seres queridos, o posiblemente por estar pasando tiempos difíciles, como una separación, un divorcio o alguna situación fuera de nuestro control.
En medio del ajetreo y la preparación para las fiestas, solemos perder el enfoque. La navidad no se trata simplemente de decorar la casa, comprar y envolver regalos, cocinar, etc. Lo más importante de las celebraciones es la familia. Nuestros seres queridos tienen un valor inestimable y debemos darles su justo lugar en nuestra lista de prioridades.
Así que, quiero ofrecerte algunas recomendaciones básicas para navegar por esta estación con el menor estrés posible y sacar lo máximo de cada momento, e incluso enseñar a tus hijos algunos valores en esta época tan bella.
Para reducir el estrés, administra sabiamente tu tiempo y no dejes todos los preparativos para el final. Si necesitas ayuda, pídela. La celebración de navidad es para disfrutar en familia, no importa si no todo está perfecto, pero sí que hagamos de esos momentos juntos, tiempos de calidad en familia.
Tomar descansos o tiempo a solas pueden
ayudar a disminuir el estrés, consiéntete, haz algo que disfrutes hacer.
Ten expectativas realistas, si esperas que todo sea perfecto, terminarás frustrado, si algo ocurre fuera de tu control, se flexible a cambios.
Lo más importante es que podamos disfrutar en armonía las fiestas junto a nuestras familias. El mejor regalo que podemos dar o recibir no es precisamente algo material, puede más bien ser una muestra de cariño, un abrazo y un beso, una mirada de amor, una sonrisa sincera, o una palabra de aliento. Puede también ser una disculpa, una reconciliación, o un reconocimiento del esfuerzo de la otra persona junto con un agradecimiento por todo lo que hace por el bienestar de la familia.
El mejor regalo es estar juntos en familia y en armonía, y que realmente reine la paz y el amor. Para todos es bien sabido que no hay familia perfecta, todos tenemos defectos y tal vez al estar juntos se den desacuerdos, seamos sabios
y no permitamos que nada nos robe el gozo. Valoremos sobre todo la compañía de nuestras familias inmediatas y extendidas, aprendamos a amar y aceptar a cada uno con sus fortalezas y debilidades.
Haciendo esto, no solo disfrutaremos más de las celebraciones navideñas, sino que además estaremos enseñando a nuestros hijos el valor tan grande de la unidad familiar.
¡La familia es un tesoro invaluable para cada uno de nosotros, apreciemoslo! Como todos los tesoros, puede extinguirse con el paso del tiempo, así que esta navidad, no dudes en decirle y demostrarle a tus seres queridos cuánto los amas.
Diviértanse juntos, canten, bailen, jueguen, disfruten de la gran bendición de tener gente querida con quienes reír y celebrar y ¿por qué no? tal vez llorar. Y lo más importante, la familia debe ser valorada no solo en estas fiestas sino todos y cada uno de los días del año. ¡Felices fiestas!
El evento “festivo de camión navideño” de Santa regresará el 16 y 17 de diciembre comenzando a las 5 p.m. Con ayuda del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios Rurales y de Carbondale, el sr. Clause viajará a través de Carbondale y los vecindarios alrededor en un camión navideño. Encuentre detalles de la ruta en www.carbondalefire.org
Los Parques y Vida Silvestre de Colorado publicaron un plan preliminar de control y restauración de lobos el 9 de diciembre. El plan recibió críticas de defensores y opositores de la reintroducción de lobos. “El plan del estado elude la ley, se desvía de la mejor ciencia posible y no lograra la meta de la proposición 114 de restaurar el balance natural de las áreas silvestres públicas de Colorado,” reclama WildEarth Guardians, quien creó su propio plan de restauración, en una conferencia de prensa. Un periodo de comentarios públicos está en marcha y el plan oficial se debe finalizar en mayo. Revise el plan preliminar en www.bit.ly/CPWwolfdraft
La larga lista de homenajeados del 2023 de Aspen Words Literary Prize fue publicada la semana pasada. Este premio anual de $35,000 es concedido a “la obra de ficción más influyente que ilumina un problema contemporáneo y muestra el poder transformador de la literatura en pensamiento y cultura.” Los cinco finalistas serán anunciados el 6 de marzo y el ganador será revelado en la ceremonia en la ciudad de Nueva York el 19 de abril. Revise los 14 mejores títulos en www.aspenwords.org
Tala de árboles en Fourmile
Servicios Forestales continúa un proyecto de regeneración de árboles de álamo temblón con un total de 109 acres del este al sur de Fourmile Park. Los álamos temblones serán derribados y cortados en el sitio y serán enviados a una planta de biomasa en Gypsum. El proyecto de regeneración de árboles de ramas de abeto también está en marcha más allá en Fourmile Road en el área de Countyline. De acuerdo con el comunicado de prensa, “pequeños (la mitad de dos acres) parches de árboles de ramas de abeto serán cortados de siete unidades con un total de 823 acres.” Los troncos coníferos se transportarán en un camión a un aserradero en Montrose, se espera que viajen hasta 20 camiones grandes diarios. El estacionamiento de motonieves está abierto con un sendero alternativo para evitar el área del proyecto.
El 12 de diciembre, la oficina del secretario del estado certificó los resultados de la elección del estado del 2022, incluyendo para el tercer distrito del congreso (CD3). El recuento obligatorio en CD3 confirmó que la republicana Lauren Boebert prevaleció sobre el candidato oponente Adam Frisch por un estrecho margen de 546 votos.
Rocky Mountain Kid C.L.U.B.S presenta actividades navideñas para los niños mayores de cuatro años el 22, 23, del 27 al 30 de diciembre y del 2 al 6 de enero de 9 a.m. a 4 p.m. encuentre más detalles en www.rockymtnkidclubs.org
Community Art Center Clay Studio en Glenwood Springs ha lanzado un programa de membresía para alfareros experimentados en
celebran después de una noche con entradas agotadas en el evento exclusivo de English in Action en TACAW el jueves pasado. En la foto de izquierda a derecha están Isabel Guerrero, Ingrid Celeste Zuniga, Ketut Siladamawan, Belen Alcaraz Madrigal, curadora y MC Alya Howe, Giovanna Kennedy y Lissette Escolero. Foto cortesía de Hal Williams
Immigrant
el valle. Las membresías completas cuestan $150 al mes y media membresías cuestan $90 al mes, además de un costo único de $60 por una orientación de estudio. Para encontrar más información acerca de las membresías, talleres o más, visite www.glenwoodrec.com/307/ Community-Art-Center
Aspen Community Foundation gentilmente anunció sus recipientes de Community Grantmaking del 2022 la semana pasada. Esto ascendió a $729,000 hacia programas que apoyan la educación de infancia temprana, servicios humanos y desarrollo juvenil. Estos fondos aumentaron por la venta de Ultimate Ski Passes en asociación con Aspen Skiing Company, los cuales se repartieron entre 48 organizaciones sin fines de lucro desde Parachute hasta Aspen.
A work session occurred prior to Basalt Town Council’s regular meeting on Dec. 13 and was mostly dedicated to an informative presentation about the ongoing Entrance to Aspen project, specifically in regards to the Castle Creek bridge. Constructed in 1961, the bridge — while still safe — is nearing the end of its 75-year projected lifespan, and notably has been under construction for much of this year, causing traffic to build up. There will be a vote to decide whether the city of Aspen should continue to repair the existing bridge, or begin construction on a wider, four-lane bridge into town.
The meeting began without any remarks by the public, but with multiple presentations. The first was by Lt. Aaron Munch of the Basalt Police Department. On Nov. 4, 2022, a vehicular accident occurred on Two Rivers Road in which a father and two young daughters crashed into an embankment and rolled into the water. Jared Dalstead and Armando Rivera were the first to stop at the scene. They directed traffic and rescued one of the children from the water then kept all three soaked crash victims warm in their truck while awaiting emergency services. Munch recognized and thanked these two
men for their heroism.
The next presentation was an update on the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project by Mitzi Rapkin of Full Light Communications. The project was founded with the intent to improve coordination and communication between Midland Avenue business owners and the town. A full communication plan for the project is now penned, and the main ongoing work is to continue meeting with business owners and residents to keep them in the loop with town projects that may impact business sites.
The third presentation was Basalt’s third quarter financial report. In terms of revenue and expenses, the only expense that went over budget was the funding for a pool, but this was covered by the quarter’s strong revenues.
The next item was a brief interview for the appointment of Katie Hostetler to the position of Basalt Planning and Zoning Commissioner. Hostetler has been living in the area for four years, and with unanimous approval by Town Council will be serving on the commission for the next three.
Following was a series of four second readings and approvals. The first concerned last meeting’s ordinance to amend the municipal code to include licensing of short-
term rentals, along with a plan to use tracking software.
Second was a hearing to approve a PUD for a domestic abuse shelter on currently vacant land along Cody Lane within Basalt Business Center East. As previously discussed, the shelter is designed to provide secure short-term housing for survivors of abuse and their families while they are helped to find independent housing away from their abusive partners. There have been no changes to the ordinance since its last hearing.
Next was an ordinance to adopt rules and regulations for the Basalt Fairview Cemetery, and the last was to approve a new fee schedule to include short-term rental licensing and the new cemetery regulations. All four motions passed unanimously.
Then, there was a first reading to approve various amendments to clean up the Basalt Municipal Code, specifically within chapters about zoning and public property, as well as amendments to the Basalt Community Housing Guidelines. For the latter, a stopgap measure was proposed to allow tenants of community housing to use their past two years’ income in their annual housing requalification. This measure was proposed due to various instances in which small boosts in income resulted in citizens becoming unable to qualify for their
housing. These amendments were unanimously approved for a second hearing on Jan. 10.
This was followed by a resolution to repeal and replace the town’s current salary schedule for its employees, shifting each salary grade by 2% (notably different from the recommended 6% cost of living increase). A step plan was included to improve police salaries by 4-5% per step, citing difficulties to both hire new officers and maintain their employment. Each salary step would reflect experience and qualifications within a chosen career path. This motion was carried unanimously.
An application to transfer both ownership and location of the LOVA retail marijuana store to 701 E. Valley Road — the same building as the Willits General Store — was approved unanimously.
The final items for the meeting were a set of budgetary resolutions. The first was the adoption of the 2023 budget itself in accordance with the Basalt Strategic Work Plan, which focuses on both reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving community communication, providing affordable housing and supporting local businesses. In 2023, $700,000 worth of projects will tap into the town’s reserve, but the reserve is ample and will be augmented by the rest of 2022’s surplus revenue. The final resolutions were ancillary to the main budget and approved unanimously.
including air pollution from increased oil drilling in the Uinta Basin, as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions from burning gasoline refined from Uinta Basin crude. Eagle County also filed suit, adding concerns of reviving the Tennessee Pass rail line as a potential haul route. Those suits have since been consolidated.
Then, last summer, five counties and five towns along the national rail line through Colorado, including Glenwood Springs, signed an amicus brief in support of Eagle County. They claim that the FSTB ignored Colorado when analyzing the impacts of the UBR. Up to ten oil trains daily with 110 heated tanker cars each, capable of carrying 642 barrels per car, would travel the national railway through the state.
Glenwood Springs Mayor Jonathan Godes told the crowd at Saturday’s rally that the railroad is part of Glenwood’s history but the amount of trains carrying heated crude oil through town every day presents a huge risk. “We’re concerned about what happens — not if, but when — a derailment occurs, whether that happens in Mesa County along Debeque Canyon or Glenwood Canyon or South Canyon,” he said.
Godes is also dismayed about climate impacts and the approval of a train through a roadless area. “Why are we taking [a railroad] through a roadless area in order to get to the main line and to bring it through Colorado?” he said.
Paula Stepp, Glenwood city
councilwoman and executive director of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, also spoke at the rally. She has been working throughout the region on water quality changes due to wildfires. “When I think about a waxy crude train derailing in our canyon and what that cost would be to mitigate, it overwhelms me,” she said. “Often people say, ‘We need the oil economy,’ but you also have to look at the cost of the oil economy and this would be the cost to us with any kind of derailment.”
Not to mention, she added, the water in the Colorado River.
Seven states in the West divide that water, as directed by the 1922 Colorado River Compact, among more than 40 million users. But, due to prolonged drought in the Southwest, they struggle to balance demand with an ever-dwindling supply. “If you start throwing in a factor of once we destroy the water in the river, what do we divide at that point?” she said.
Most of the attendees at Saturday’s rally came out to protest the Uinta Basin Railway for reasons including climate change impacts and threats to Glenwood Canyon. Hodges said he also wants to combat societal resignation and apathy.
“Some people are going to say, ‘Our whole economy runs on oil,’ and yes, that’s the problem,” he explained. “We need a World War II-scale mobilization from the federal government, states and localities to greatly wind down our dependence on fossil fuels.”
At their final full meeting of 2022, the Board of Town Trustees were all in attendance. There will be no work session on Dec. 20 and the Dec. 27 meeting will be brief and hosted on Zoom.
Following student of the month awards, a consent agenda was approved that included accounts payable, meeting minutes and liquor license renewals. During the “persons present not on the agenda” item, a person called “dj” on Zoom was unable to comment due to a technology glitch.
Next, trustees gave updates about the Carbondale Chamber, wolf reintroduction public engagement, the Thompson Divide mineral lease withdrawal, air quality and oil and gas development, Coventure, English In Action and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. As always, the meeting is archived on the “Town of Carbondale” YouTube channel.
During the manager’s report, Lauren Gister announced that they are interviewing candidates for the town planner and building official positions. The building department will be closed the week of Dec. 26.
The first big item on the agenda was a Major Site Plan Review for two buildings with seven townhomes on 12th Street. All seven are three-bedroom, for
sale units. Of these, one will be deedrestricted for Category 2 AMI (www.bit. ly/CarbondaleAMI).
The proposal was seen to meet the code and received three public comments in support of multi-family housing. One feature that prompted dialogue was a motorized hatch system to allow rooftop deck access while adhering to the town’s 35-foot height restriction. “A very expensive solution,” remarked the applicant.
Mayor Ben Bohmfalk mentioned the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan update recommending to amend the code to a three-story height limit, as opposed to 35 feet specifically. “I don’t see any negative impact to anyone if that goes up to 38 feet or something like that,” he said.
“And the cost of that could go toward a more green approach,” added trustee Chris Hassig, who noted the presence of gas lines in the plans. The proposal was approved unanimously.
Trustees then took a final look at the 2023 budget. “People say you can see an organization’s values when you look at its budget,” said Bohmfalk. He pointed out that $1.69 million dollars is allocated toward the environment, including Eighth Street improvements and Crystal River restoration work, as well investment in the electrification of maintenance equipment and hybrid vehicles for the police department.
Other initiatives include an improved pedestrian crossing at Cowen Drive, design work for the Industry Way
roundabout and a mobility study. In all, the 2023 budget anticipates over $12 million in general fund expenditures.
Tree Board representatives then dropped by for their annual check-in. Chairman Dan Bullock praised the work of the maintenance department and town arborist, Carl Meinecke. He explained proposed revisions to the ordinance passed in 2002 and the need for a town tree inventory, last conducted in 2010.
This was followed by unanimous approval of an update to the Garfield County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, first approved in 2012 and updated in 2017.
Then, trustees reviewed salary adjustments to keep Carbondale competitive with neighboring municipalities. Jennifer Olson with Employer’s Council gave a presentation amounting to an average raise of 12.5% for town staff,
a $763,000 annual increase already factored into the approved budget. The new pay structure was approved unanimously, along with amendments to the employee handbook that address vacation accrual and payout, overtime and COVID leave in alignment with the public health emergency set to expire in April.
The final topic of the night involved the Town Center Owners Association, joined by the town when it accepted donated lots surrounding the Thunder River Theatre late last year. This association is liable for the strip of land that serves as a promenade. The town, with 70% of the association’s voting interests, is considering the possibility of dissolving it and assuming responsibility for the promenade, which it already maintains. First, Gister is meeting informally with other members to discuss rights in the declaration and how to move forward.
Commissioners approved all county Noxious Weed Advisory Board appointments and a waiver for an annexation report for a gas station and convenience store to be built near the West Rifle interchange. County and city of Rifle staff made the presentation, stating that due to groundwater contamination, the project will be using city water.
A representative of Colorado Mountain College requested approval for an application for $79,453 from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, which has been supplying grants for higher education since 2014. The college and the CMC Foundation will match the funds. Commissioners approved the request unanimously with Mike Samson requesting the enrollment numbers for the college.
In budget news, the county expects to receive over $1 million from the Local Assistance and Tribal
Consistency Fund (LATCF), as part of the 2022 federal American Rescue Plan.
Commissioners approved a request for the $1,899,715.92, which will be distributed in two equal payments this year and in 2023. LATCF funds can be used at the county’s discretion but not for lobbying purposes.
Commissioners approved $39,905,621 of the county mill levy and allocation of property tax in the amount of $39,905,621. Monies will go to the county’s general fund (85.8%), road and bridge (.69%), county health services (3.24%), capital expenditures (6.85%) and retirement fund (3.42%).
Jamaica Watts, county finance director, requested a fourth amended allocation of funds to the 2022 budget to support the county’s food stamp and heat assistance programs, state community correction funds for COVIDrelated expenses and employee retention, state public health dental program funds and the capital fund for county Search and Rescue equipment and six patrol
vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department for use in 2023. Commissioners approved an increase in county revenues of $12,929,709 and an increase in supplemental expenditures of $9,640,43.
The Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC) requested and received a letter of support for the Middle Colorado Firefighter Collaboration project. Paula Stepp, MCWC executive director, stated that the letter will help the Collaboration to receive state funding to expand the program. The MCFC looks at values at risk, wildfire hazards and how to work with the federal agencies on wildfire mitigation.
Stepp also requested non-monetary support for the Roan Creek Fish Barrier Project, which protects native fish from non-native, invasive species. There was some confusion about what role the county would play in assisting with grant management. Commissioners requested clarification before approving that request.
Traveler’s Highlands Public Improvement District Board requested and received approval for $81,660 for maintenance work at the Travelers Highland subdivision near Parachute.
Other items included presentations from the Garfield County Library District, the annual update from the Bookcliff, Mount Sopris and Southside Conservation Districts, approval for a liquor license transfer for the Glenwood
Canyon Resort and No Name Grill and approval of all consent agenda items, including the final plat for McClure River Ranch, east of Carbondale.
County Vegetation Manager Steve Anthony updated the board on the county mosquito control program, stating that one person from Rifle died this fall from the West Nile virus. Anthony was unable to provide details due to federal HIPAA privacy regulations.
At the Nov. 30 Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Board of Education meeting, RFSD Chief Financial Officer Nathan Markham said the district has, since the beginning of this school year, incurred a deficit of more than $40,000 in student meal debt.
During Markham’s presentation of the quarterly financial report, he cited that the district’s food service fund, for the first quarter ending Sept. 30, received $88,000 in revenue, with a majority of those funds coming from federal meal reimbursements for those qualifying for free and reduced-price school meals.
Some board members said possible confusion over meal payment could stem from the fact that during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services instituted a program that reimbursed school districts that provided free meals to all students, regardless of their family income. That free meal program expired at the end of June 2022.
“The food service team has been working to notify families of their obligation to pay to slow this deficit,” stated Markham.
Board Vice President Jasmin Ramirez explained that for some families, the hardship is genuine. “This is a real lived experience where a lot of our families are experiencing food insecurity.”
According to data from Feeding America, a national nonprofit with a network of more than 200 food banks, one in nine children in Colorado faces hunger and food insecurity. “Clearly, our children need to have breakfast and
lunch whenever it’s available to them,” Ramirez concluded.
With school meals offered at no cost for the past two years, Board Member Kenny Teitler entertained another possibility for non-payment of meal accounts, saying, “I’m curious of how much of it is an inability to be able to pay, or how much of it is they haven’t tried to pay because they didn’t think they had to pay.”
Another factor is that free and reduced-price applications must be submitted every school year. Teitler and Markham suggested following up with parents to encourage them to reapply for free and reduced-price school meal benefits.
Board Secretary Natalie Torres said, “It’s hard to engage the level of income to qualify for free and reduced meals. It still doesn’t mean you’re able to get by in a very high cost of living environment in town and community, right? It may be, ‘My income is not reflective of my ability to provide food for my kid. I would love to find more information because I don’t qualify [for benefits].’”
Student lunch debt will become a moot point with the passage of Colorado Proposition FF, approved by voters in the November election, which reimburse school districts for providing free school meals, beginning in the 2023-24 budget year.
Jeff Gatlin, RFSD chief operating officer, said, “Hopefully, this year is the last year we will be looking at student meal debt like this.”
Gatlin said one needed data point is how many families started the 2022-23 school year not on free/reduced lunch status and were being charged the full price for meals but then completed an application. Letters sent to families with student meal debt requesting payment also
explain how to access the application form if they are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
Markham assured board members the district would continue working on recouping the debt and ask parents to make payment arrangements.
Free and reduced-price school meal applications, available in English and Spanish, can be accessed through the district’s Parent Portal or the Roaring Fork Schools website (www. bit.ly/RFSDfreelunch). Application information is confidential and never shared with any agency. The form also provides additional information
“The Violin Conspiracy” by Brendan Slocumb is a captivating page-turner. Protagonist Ray McMillian, a Black youth growing up in North Carolina, has a passion for classical music and is a gifted violinist living with his egocentric, unsupportive mother and without an absent father.
Ray finds a kindred spirit in his beloved grandmother, who gives him the fiddle of his great, great grandfather, Pop Pop. The fiddle was living in her attic, caked in rosin and badly in need of repair. Despite its poor appearance, it still played beautifully.
Ray’s big break comes during a competition where he is befriended by a Black professor who recognizes his genius, mentors him and encourages him to enroll in her college with a full scholarship.
Encountering blatant prejudice in high school while playing at weekend weddings and later as a successful and sought-after soloist, Ray finds himself held at gunpoint and jailed by a racist cop for a bogus traffic violation. Yes! There is even racism in classical music.
When he discovers that the fiddle is actually a valuable and coveted Stradivarius gifted to Pop
Pop by his slave master, Ray finds himself immersed in lawsuits from his avaricious family, as well as the descendants of the former slaveholder’s estate. When Ray refuses to acquiesce to either suit, the cherished violin is stolen and held for ransom. The mystery is in the startling, twist ending.
“There are those who will say only Russians can play Russian music; that it’s not in the blood of non-Russians. Ray, of course, would disagree. He would tell you that music is truly a universal language, and that we the listeners will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. It’s about communication — a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.”
This is a thrilling first novel by an accomplished writer who draws from his own experiences as a Black classical musician and teacher who too encounters racism.
“Recommended Reading” is a collaboration between The Sopris Sun and the Garfield County Public Libraries District.
Karen Crawford, 70, passed away peacefully in her daughter’s home in Denver from complications of cancer on Nov. 25, 2022. She was surrounded by her loving family. Karen moved to Carbondale where she and her husband, Alex, became an integral part of the community and raised two daughters, Kendra Crawford Rippe and Lexi Crawford.
Karen was born on Dec. 9, 1951, in Bennington, Vermont to Betty Ekland McLemore and Robert McLemore. She was raised in Vermont and graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, where she met Alex, in 1976. They married at the Carbondale Community United Methodist Church in 1980.
Karen worked as an account manager at Colorado Mountain College in Carbondale for 27 years, where she also taught fitness classes. She also held positions with the Aspen Skiing Company, Alpine Bank and Stewart Title.
Everyone who knew Karen realizes how giving she was — always willing to lend a helping hand. She was a devoted wife, loving Mom, involved “Grammy” to Monroe and Adelaide Rippe, and best friend to many. She will also be remembered as a
beautiful skier, avid hiker, legendary yard sale shopper, voracious reader and Kabala student. Her quick quips, beautiful smile and loving heart will be missed. You can honor Karen by thinking of her when you schuss down Snowmass on a powder day, hike Red Hill or recycle through a yard sale.
A celebration of life will be held in the spring.
“Democracy” is one the most misused terms by most politicians, which causes my balderdash meter to vibrate. If democracy were the law of the USA, then women could rule since they are the largest majority. That might work if the ladies were led by the likes of Candace Owens, who understands the Constitution, the dangers of big government and human nature better than 95% of Americans.
But should any majority be allowed to rule over the Constitutional rights of the minority? Fortunately, there are several issues that require more than a 50% majority: two-thirds of the States to change the Constitution; 60% of the Senate for cloture to allow a bill to be heard; 100% unanimous decision of a jury for several cases.
Here are my favorite quotes on democracy to better understand the misconception:
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” -Benjamin Franklin, 1759
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can exist only until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse out of the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.” -Alexander Tyler (1747-1813)
“Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.” -H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)
“Knowing that a democracy is a government of men in which the tyranny of the majority rules, America’s Founding Fathers wisely created a republic — a government ruled by law.” John F. McManus
On liberalism and democracy: "Moochers electing
Looters to steal from producers." -T-shirt Democracy is the mob of people telling Pilate to crucify Jesus. Democracy always leads to mobocracy and tyranny.
In summary, we all need to study true history. …and to the Constitutional Republic for which it stands, Jerry Law, Glenwood Springs
The Chris Klug Foundation (CKF) wishes to express heartfelt gratitude and deep appreciation for our 2022 Summit for Life participants, sponsors, volunteers, fundraising donors, vendors and staff. This year we were finally fully back in-person, and we are humbled by the incredible turnout of supporters. We had 405 registered participants!
Thank you to our Summit Level Sponsors: Aspen Valley Hospital, The Aspen Times, Paradise Bakery and Duck Company; our Spar Gulch Level Sponsors: Aspen Square Hotel, Aspen Snowmass and The Little Nell; our Ajax Level Sponsor: Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s; our Support Sponsors: Kahtoola, Alpine Bank and Deep River Snacks; our Community Sponsors: Ute Mountaineer, Donor Alliance, Obermeyer Wood and Aspen Sojourner; Other Sponsors: Bank of Colorado and the Carbondale Farmers’ Market; and our In-Kind Sponsors: Osmia, Yerba Mate, Ledlenser, Point6, Deuter, Rocky Talkie, REI Coop, Ironbridge Golf Course, 5Point Film Festival, Iron Mountain Hot Springs, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Sundae, Mantis BBQ, Ignik, Bobo’s Bars, Ace Hardware, Ortovox, Maui Jim Sunglasses, New York Pizza, Jen’s Cafe Bars and Scott Fly Rod Company.
Specials thanks to Joey and Natalie with Aspen Snowmass, Taylor and Chef Matt with The Little Nell,
Mark and Dyan with Paradise Bakery, Mark, Scott, Dennis, David and Tom with Midnight Lightning, Joe with Six Productions, Cath and Tyler with CJ Timing, Adam with Brooks Production, Matthew with SMPL CO, Michael Bond, Todd and Melissa with Mountain Creative, Lucas with Social Light Photography and DJ Tenza.
Huge thank yous to our volunteers who worked tirelessly stuffing racer bags, helping with check-in, loading and unloading the gondola, representing CKF at our info booth, braving the cold at the aid stations, distributing medals and announcing at the finish line, organizing the awards table and working gondola security. We absolutely could not pull off this event without them!
We were honored to present the Michael Wells Inspirational Award to Robbie Wade and the Wade family. Thank you Bob, Genny, Ruth and Maile for accepting this award and sharing such beautiful and touching memories of Robbie.
Congratulations to our Bounce Back Give Back Award recipients from the past three years: Joelle Atkinson, Zach Brooks and Jen Lentini. We continue to be amazed by the way you live your lives, and your incredible representation of what it means to be an organ recipient.
Summit for Life 2022 fundraising efforts exceeded $80,000. We would like to commend Denise Zubrod and Team DFL for their exceptional fundraising efforts, raising over $5,000 individually and $15,000 collectively.
Thank you all again so much for your support, hard work and commitment to organ, eye and tissue donation awareness and recognition. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 for our 18th Annual Summit for Life!
Anna, Chris and Jessi, CKF
Immigrant Voices storytellers celebrated a sold-out evening at English In Action’s signature live event at TACAW on Thursday, Dec. 8. Storyteller Ketut Siladarmawan led the audience through a humorous journey of Balinese culinary delights and Isabel Guerrero fondly remembered her homeland of Nayarit, Mexico while looking to new opportunities in the U.S. for her two beloved children.
