2009 04 02

Sopris Sun THE

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 7 • APRIL 2, 2009

Is Carbondale shovel-ready?

By Trina Ortega

How a small town is balancing the need for a boost from ‘The Stim’

W

hile many small town mayors are scrambling to get their communities a piece of the stimulus pie, Carbondale Mayor Michael Hassig is not so quick to grab taxpayer money for hastily planned projects. Fast tracking projects the town had not already identified as priorities, Hassig says, is “intergenerational warfare” that will straddle future generations with debt.

With an estimated $3 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 coming to Colorado, it presents a question for rural and small-town governments (and the nation, as a whole): How do we balance the short-term benefits against the long-term effects?

Billed by the Obama Administration as “an unprecedented initiative to jumpstart the economy,” the stimulus allocates $787 billion nationally that aims to create or save jobs and pump money back into communities.

“Just because they’re giving money away, I don’t want to just pony up projects,” Hassig stated at a trustees meeting earlier this year.

Hassig was responding to a proposal by town staff to attempt putting an extension of Industry Place STIMULUS page 5

Carbondale Commentary Letters The Sopris Sun welcomes your letters, limited to no more than 400 words. Letters exceeding that length may be edited or returned for revisions. Include your name and residence (for publication) and a contact email and phone number. Submit letters via email to letters@soprissun.com or via snail mail to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623.

Nonprofit events bring business

Dear Editor: Recently the topic of street closures for Carbondale events is getting a lot of attention. This discussion and actions by our Town Council may inadvertently set precedence for some of Carbondale’s most unique and tourist-attracting events.

Carbondale cannot afford the loss of our ability to have unique and fun street dinners, parties and dances.

As a businessperson who personally experienced access to my business inconvenienced for over four months last year due to the “street scaping,” I am very sensitive to hearing “Street Closure.” That being said, as a business owner and a Carbondale resident, I am totally in support of any event that brings people into our community for an entire weekend.

As an example, for the past 11 years, the Carbondale Clay Center has had an annual event that is not only the kick-off party for our town’s “Summer of Fun” — it is also the major fundraiser for one of Carbondale’s most unique nonprofits. The Clay Center provides year-round programs for our community. The center has grown into one of the heartbeats of Carbondale and helps sustain the quaintness and uniqueness we all love about our town. The Carbondale Clay Center is as much a part of Carbondale as CCAH, KDNK and Mountain Fair. Can you even imagine Carbondale without them?

As a community we need to support our nonprofits as much as possible. If we lose them we lose our identity. This year with the economic crisis around us, our nonprofits are barely making it. Taking away the huge attraction of the “street festival atmosphere” for the Carbondale Clay Center’s annual fundraiser is like pulling the plug on their life-support system.

The Clay Center event has grown in popularity over the past 11 years from an attendance of a couple dozen local people to close to 400 coming in from all over the state to attend. These attendees are staying at local hotels, eating at local eateries, buying items at our local shops for the duration of their stay. They spend their money here in Carbondale and help us support a local nonprofit whose sustainability depends on this event. The size of the Clay Center annual event is not equal to that of Mountain Fair, but it serves the same basic purpose.

Those coming into town for the Saturday event need a place to eat on Friday night, Saturday breakfast/lunch and Sunday night. This can be said for all of our events that require a street closure, i.e. the weekly Farmers Market, the annual Lobster Fest, the KDNK Blues & BBQ, Oktoberfest and the annual Pour House’s 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009

Street Dance.

Can there be too much of a good thing?

Not if it brings business into our community or puts us on a destination map for people coming to visit us. It’s wonderful to travel to Denver or other places and hear someone say, “We love Carbondale, we come every year for your….”

If Carbondale is known as the “fun place to be” then we should be proud of it and allow our streets to be closed to encourage those fun-seekers a place to visit on a regular basis. There can never be too much of a good thing if it generates business and brings people into our community.

Sincerely, Lynn M. Kirchner

Support RFHS and its students Dear Editor: As an Army Brat, I have lived all over the world. Though, born in Fort Carson, Colo., it took me almost 25 years before I returned to my home state in 1999.

After living in Aspen for several years, discovering Carbondale has been more like “coming home” than anything I have ever experienced in my life.

In the last 10 years, as a public school teacher, nonprofit employee and community volunteer, settling into Carbondale has been a dynamic and life-enriching experience that has grounded me to this extraordinary place and the people I have come to call friends.

In response to the March 12, 2009, Sopris Sun article, “Don’t Give Up on Us,” I have to applaud the students of Carbondale’s Roaring Fork High School.

Despite recent negative reports in the media of Carbondale’s allegedly wild youth, the vast majority of students are increasingly demonstrating themselves worthy of their community’s support.

Roaring Fork High School, fearlessly led and radically supported by Principal Cliff Colia, has begun its ascension as one of Colorado’s great schools – in perhaps one of the most richly diverse and sustainably inspiring communities of the state. With our community’s support behind them, the students of our public schools can become the young adults we know they can be.

It is up to the adults in this fabulously kind community to help nurture, guide and promote our young people – to proudly stand by them when their peers falter and stray. We look to parents, local merchants, organizational leaders and law enforcement officers to serve as role models and beacons when the young people of Carbondale seek direction. If they are the future of this community, we owe it to them to provide every opportunity to succeed.

I challenge the adults of Carbondale to seek out young people – simply to encourage and reassure them that they are supported as members of our community.

Odd as that may seem, we owe it to our youth to sing their praises with enthusiasm and vigor. Why not strive to be a community where our youth help lead?

Our combined efforts could be enough to help deter misguided young people from targeting Carbondale in the first place.

My sincere gratitude to the Sopris Sun for having the wisdom to promote local youth with a consistent and positive forum. It is easy to focus on isolated events the media uses for provocative headlines, but not at the expense of ignoring the positive contributions Carbondale’s young people have on our community.

Evan Zislis YouthZone,

Fashion Show thanks Dear Editor: KDNK and CCAH would like to give a BIG THANKS to the Roaring Fork community. The “Green Is the New Black” Fashion Extravaganza was a huge success. The joy of working with such a diverse group of creative people from throughout the valley and beyond was as much fun as the show itself. The generosity of our Green Sponsors: New Paradigm Energy, Sol Energy, Land + Shelter, Carbondale Light and Power, Solar Flair Thermal Systems, The Village Smithy, Jacober Brothers Construction, InPower Systems, Green Line Architects, Peak Party Rental, Shoestring Publishing and Mountain Groove Productions made the whole thing possible. The

Town of Carbondale and the Rec. Center staff are always good to work with and the volunteers just blew me away.

Even in these hard economic times it is good to know we can all get together, be creative and produce something that makes our community stronger. Support the arts as they are the Heart of the community!

Thanks Again! We’ll do this again next year.

Amy Kimberly, Ro Mead and Steve Skinner

Robins do not migrate

Dear Editor: There are two errors in the article by Sue Gray. One is the statement that temperatures in the U.S. in January rising 5 degrees; physically impossible since the change in annual average temperature is less than 1 degree over the past century.

Secondly, robins do not migrate like other birds, there are always many who winter wherever they are, contingent upon food supply. They only move around, not migrate, when food is scarce. It has nothing to do with temperature. We had a bounty year for berries last year, many bushes of service berries were fully laden after the bears went into hibernation in the fall of 2008, so many more robins than usual wintered here. This is true in northern Massachusetts and northern Indiana, as well, robins stay year-round. This is personal observation over the past 40-plus years.

Sincerely, Steve Keohane Carbondale

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Third Street Center planner keeping tabs on availability of federal funds

Bundled against the 42 degree temperature and the gusts of a storm front on March 29, Brenda Buchanan of Carbondale prepares the soil for flowers on the fenceline of her plot in the Carbondale Community Garden. Despite the recent resurgence of winter weather, she said: "I just like to get outside and get started. There's [already] a lot of stuff going on right under the ground." Brenda planted garlic and shallots last fall, and in recent weeks has planted sweetpeas and shelling peas. Photo by Julie Albrecht

New committee to brainstorm ideas for affordable housing

By Jeremy Heiman Looking for a way to spend all that spare time? The Town of Carbondale is calling for residents to volunteer for a housing committee being formed this spring to brainstorm ways to fund and create more affordable housing.

The Carbondale Board of Trustees will appoint committee members from a pool of applicants in late April. Town Manager Tom Baker said no special qualifications are required, but town officials hope that the development, construction, business, finance, nonprofit, and residential sectors will be represented. Baker also suggested that at least one and perhaps two of the trustees themselves should serve on the committee.

“We’re just looking for people in the community who are interested,” Baker said.

The committee, which officials are calling the Housing Advisory Group, will have about six months to complete its mission, after which it will be dissolved.

Baker suggested to the trustees that the committee be convened in May and be ready to submit a report to the town trustees by about October, after meeting once or twice per month. He said the town trustees probably won’t make six months a hard and fast deadline, but the committee will definitely be temporary.

“They want to have an end point in sight, so that if people sign up for this, they know they’ll be serving for a specific period of time,” Baker said.

Carbondale, along with most of the valley’s communities, has been struggling with the lack of affordable housing for years. Baker and Kay Philip,

The Next Step To apply, send a letter of interest to: Housing Advisory Group Town of Carbondale, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale CO 81623 or via email at community@carbondaleco.net. town housing planner, hope a citizen board can help by coming up with ideas on how to increase the town’s affordable housing stock in ways not totally dependent on development. When affordable housing is brought on line as part of a development, it is generally a small percentage of the total number of dwellings, and often only marginally affordable.

“It’s very hard for us to get affordable units out of a development situation,” Baker told the trustees during a meeting on March 24.

The current recession might be an opportune time to get something started on affordable housing because land prices can be expected to decline, suggested trustee Ed Cortez.

Though that is certainly a possibility, it hasn’t manifested, Philip replied.

Colin Laird, executive director of Healthy Mountain Communities, is also working on a project called The Affordable Communities Initiative, an effort to create a regional housing strategy and encourage affordable housing through transit-oriented development. Laird told the trustees he’s talked to all the communities in the Roaring Fork Valley about affordable housing in the current economy.

“We all have the same problem,” Laird said. “How do we take advantage of the

By Trina Ortega Sara Plesset has been waiting. She inquires nearly every day but is still awaiting word on when green projects can apply for some “green” from the federal stimulus package.

Plesset is the project coordinator for the Third Street Center in Carbondale and while she waits, she is doing her research and getting all of her data straight so she can be ready to apply for funds that will be granted through the $787 billion American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. “We are definitely going to put in a proposal. But the application hasn’t even come out yet. We’re all just waiting,” Plesset said from her office at Land+Shelter.

The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) will be issuing request for proposals for best use of the recovery monies, but has not received final figures from the federal Department of Energy, according to GEO media relations manager Todd Hartman.

“Any entity that believes it has the ability to meet the requirements laid out in the RFP will be welcome to apply, including nonprofits, the private sector and cities/counties,” he said.

Renovations are well under way at Third Street Center, which is located at the old Carbondale Elementary School. It will include a photovoltaic system that is expected to produced 52.8 kilowatts, making it an energy-efficient, innovative site for a number of the valley’s nonprofits.

It is also “shovel-ready.”

That lets Plesset check off one item that is sure to be on the eligibility list.

She also has been checking the GEO’s economic recovery Web site, www.colorado.gov/energy/recovery, that provides a to-do list for interested applicants.

Hartman says Plesset’s plan of attack is on target. With requirements, deadlines and funding amounts yet to be announced, one of the quickest ways to learn about updates will be through the GEO Web site, he said.

“I would encourage interested parties to pay close attention to our Web site and sign up for our e-newsletters, also available on our Web site, to stay abreast of opportunities around the [Recovery Act] and the GEO,” Hartman said.

With Gov. Bill Ritter’s aggressive New Energy Economy initiative, Colorado has been “in the eye of the hurricane,” according to said Sam Mamet, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League, an advocacy organization for cities and towns.

“This one, in my opinion, has the most intriguing and significant impacts for the state and for local governments because it’s a lot of money.… Gov. Ritter owns this,” Mamet said.

The funding will be available for a range of conservation and sustainability projects. Carbondale, therefore, should capitalize on its green innovations, he said.

Plesset agrees and thinks the center will be competitive. She noted that the remaining remodel work at the center can bring upwards of 100 jobs in construction.

According to Hartman, “large sums” of money will be directed toward weatherization/energy efficiency work, as well as renewable energy. Money will also likely be directed to training, workforce development, and research and development.

Editor’s Note: See the cover story and its jump on page 5 for related information about stimulus funding.

The Next Step To find out more about the green projects and the stimulus package, go to www.colorado.gov/energy/recovery

fact that the market has softened?”

The Carbondale Housing Advisory Group will work with the Affordable Communities Initiative, ensuring that Carbondale is part of regional efforts.

According to a release from the town of Carbondale, the Advisory Group will research land, resources and opportunities to create affordable housing without total dependence on development mitigation. The group may discover potential public/private partnerships for the future,

or funding mechanisms that have not been explored previously.

Partnerships are possible with property owners or with the business community or with other jurisdictions, Baker said.

“Maybe a group of business owners could come together with some seed money,” he speculated.

“It’s interesting when you get together with a group of creative people,” Philip said. “We might come up with something we’ve never thought of before.”

THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 3

Alpine Bank employs nearly 600 people in western Colorado.

While that may be a small number compared to other companies, the loyalty of our employee-owners speaks volumes.

Scuttlebutt Pardon our mistake • Folk artist Steve Forbert performs April 28 (not April 3) at Steve’s Guitars.

• The Web site for the Bikram yoga studio in Basalt and Carbondale is www.bikramsbasalt.com.

For old time’s sake Guido Bagett, 97, who lived in Carbondale from 1917 until 1945, is paying a visit to town on Friday, April 3. He would like to see any REAL old-timers who might remember him! Bagett’s family owned Bagett’s store located on Fourth Street, north of Steve’s Guitars.

Bagett will be at the Near New Store at Third and Main at noon Friday. If there are too many people, the group will move to the Pour House to share memories.

‘Team’ wins league … no points for name, though. Congratulations to hoopsters with the team name of “Team” who went undefeated all season in Carbondale Men’s Basketball League.

Nine teams participated in the league, which competed at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center every Sunday night. The “Fighting Whities” placed second. Rec. Coordinator Jessic Rochel thanks all of her steadfast refs, Keith Berglund and Matt Kraemer for returning weekend after weekend to ref, Deb Ottaviano and Bill Barham for stepping in when needed, and staff member Iris Fernandez for her help keeping the clock for the tournament. Team and Fighting Whities will now face six other teams from Glenwood, Aspen, and Snowmass in the Valley Championship to be held at the CRCC on April 15 and April 19.

Falcon Find

Maybe that’s why Alpine is stronger now than in our entire 35 year history.

Look for the Gordon Cooper Library’s Black Bird, which was last seen wearing a bubushka, her eyes red and sparkly.

Last week, the wily Maltese Falcon tried to disguise herself during at The Village Smithy. Rachael Eagleton saw her hiding and won the $50 gift certificate to the Smithy. This week’s prize will be a $50 gift certificate from Carbondale Ace Hardware. This Saturday, April 4, is the last day for the Find the Falcon contest, thus ending the Big Read. If you see the bird in hiding, report your find at the library to be eligible to win.

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4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009

The Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities is asking artists of all makes and models to come out from under your hood for the June First Friday show, “Wild Wheels.” A CCAH press release explains: “The Valley Cruisers have been part of Carbondale’s First Friday celebration, so this year our gallery show in June is all about wheels, wheels of any type.” Artist creations will line Main Street from Fourth to the CCAH Gallery for the opening, and CCAH will provide hubcaps, bicycle wheels, miscellaneous parts, and wooden models to decorate

that night, too. Got some more ideas?

Share them by calling CCAH at 9631680 or e-mailing ccah@sopris.net.

Buyers beware

It’s the season for warmer temperatures and door-to-door solicitors. The Carbondale Police Department urges citizens to check the credentials of persons who want to sell contracts for goods. Read the fine print and feel free to call the company’s home office before you sign. While products and services may be legitimate, there could be contract details that potentially cost more.

Nurses nonprofit founder honored

In 1993, Pat Guenther was a single mom, living on public assistance and working as a nurse’s aide at Heritage Park Care Center in Carbondale. Sixteen years later, she’s been chosen to receive a 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit she founded, Nurses with Purpose, has provided volunteer nurses to Ethiopia, Uganda, India and disaster-ravaged towns within the U.S., including Holly, Colo., and Biloxi, Miss. Guenther will be honored at a gala dinner held during AACC’s annual convention April 6.

Guenther also has earned the honor of being names CMC Alumna of the Year in 2007-2008. Along with four other outstanding alumni, she will be featured in an exclusive video presentation created about her life.

Cash in at Cripple Creek

The Carbondale Recreation Department will be headed to the historic town of Cripple Creek April 21-23. Adults interested in going can register at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center. The cost is $140. This includes two nights stay and a dinner out on the town. For more information, call 7044115. Registration deadline is Wednesday, April 8.

Cowgirls asked to pony up

Pretty girls and fast horses are invited to try out for the 2009 Carbondale Wild West Rodeo. Participating is a way for young women to be a part of the rodeo, while earning scholarship money. For more information go to www.carbondalerodeo.com or contact Diane Teague 963-6394 or 3797673. Application deadline is April 15.

The green word is out

The Carbondale Recreation and Community Center turned 1 last month and remains in the spotlight after receiving LEED platinum certification in January. The center was featured in a story “Metal of Honor” in the February issue of Recreation Management. Happy green birthday.

Here’s to many more miles on the treadmill, elevation gain on the climbing wall, balls through the hoops and community events on those squeaky clean courts.

Carbondale ponders advantages of stimulus package continued from page 1 from Highway 133 to Eighth Street into the stimulus hopper, even though the town has yet to schedule public hearings, or discuss design options with affected neighborhoods.

Trustees John Hoffmann and Frosty Merriott have said the town shouldn’t shut the door on projects that need attention. Merriott noted the expansion of Highway 133, which has been on and off the table for years and has been named as a critical improvement once development at the Crystal Village site begins. .

Hoffmann stated that it’s about job creation in the country’s largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. With the economy taking the “nosedive” that it did, the idea is to get people working, he implored. The White House estimates that 59,000 jobs will be created or saved in Colorado, as a result of the economic recovery plan.

“I don’t think that we are magically going to find ourselves out of the woods six or nine or 12 months from now,” Hassig told the Sun. “Don’t confuse me with the Republicans. I really doubt that they are acting in good faith,” he said. “I think you can be critical of the elements of the stimulus plan in a nonpolitical way.”

The stimulus will fund a range of projects in government, nonprofit and the private sector. But so far, the Town of Carbondale has not received any funding — in part because there are no prioritized “shovel-ready” projects.

$330 million to highways Money is being allocated quickly and on a tight timeline. The Colorado Department of Transportation, for instance, already has doled out its $330 million in funding on a regional level with the input of town and county leaders, based on a system that already exists.

The eligible CDOT initiatives are described as “shovel-ready,” meaning that 50 percent of the projects must be in the works within 120 days from receiving the funding, according to Welden Allen, a regional transportation director for CDOT. That clock started ticking March 2.

Highway 13 out of Rifle, exit 116 in Glenwood Springs, and roundabouts in Edwards are among the larger transportation projects being funded in neighboring towns. Enhancements and beautification — such as the Devereux Road bike and pedestrian system in Glenwood — are part of another pot of stimulus money handed down through CDOT. Allen could not determine the number of jobs those CDOT projects will potentially create but is sure the projects will meet the mission to stimulate local economies.

“We don’t know [about jobs] until we start the reporting. The intent of the entire bill was to put people back to work. I would anticipate the more projects that are out there the more people will be going to work,” he said.

In addition to hiring contractors and

is still town leaders’ responsibility to act strategically, he said. For instance, it makes sense for Carbondale to focus on areas of sustainability since the community is at the forefront of that industry.

Energy projects worthwhile

State and local leaders agree that Carbondale would be a natural in applying for federal funding to enhance renewable energy and conservation projects. Another area that may benefit (even if indirectly) from the federal economic recovery plan is water and wastewater facilities. At left, Mark O’Meara on the job at the town’s Delaney water facility. Officials are also looking into the feasibility of using the gravity-fed Nettle Creek line for hydro-electric. Photos by Trina Ortega

The Next Step To learn more about the stimulus and see how states are using the money, go to: www.colorado.gov/recovery www.recovery.gov www.cml.org workers for the actual projects, construction has a “snowball effect,” Allen says, with workers spending money in the communities where they’re stationed.

Pitkin County announced March 23 that the Aspen Airport will receive $4 million in economic recovery funds administered through the Federal Aviation Administration.

The funds — welcomed by county officials — will be used to rehabilitate and improve nearly 16,000 square yards of the airport’s general aviation aircraft parking aprons.

“This ‘shovel-ready’ project is contained in the airport’s approved 2010 capital improvement program, and can be designed and bid quickly since a significant amount of similar apron work was completed under previous recent projects,” Airport Director Jim Elwood said in a press release.

‘Debt is staggering’ But Hassig holds that the long-term implications are not worth it. “The debt is staggering and it represents a kind of in-

tergenerational warfare,” he stated. “By my lights, a shovel-ready project which was not previously funded may be entirely the wrong thing to spend money on.”

On a philosophical level, Sam Mamet of the Colorado Municipal League (CML) says Hassig is right to question how to handle the funding responsibly.

“This is pretty overwhelming. We have never had this amount of money coming back to states and local governments this quickly. It is overwhelming to sort it all out,” said Mamet, who has been with the CML for 30 years, the last four as its executive director. “It’s very wise to not just throw things up against the wall and see what sticks.”

The CML — a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides advocacy, information and training to build stronger cities and towns — has been busier than ever helping town leaders wade through the implications of the stimulus.

Mamet said leaders should look at the requirements and “strings” attached to the stimulus. Although the federal government will be scrutinizing the funded programs, it

Planners for the new Third Street Center are ready to apply for a piece of the $1.3 billion from Gov. Bill Ritter’s New Energy Economy plan. Although the Governor’s Energy Office has not released the eligibility requirements and deadlines, the amount is significant, Mamet said.

For Carbondale, it’s “low-hanging fruit, ready to be picked,” he added.

Hassig agrees there are areas such as renewable energy and transit that could deserve a boost because they are investments in the future. (See related story page 3.)

A new project recently identified by the town is the replacement of the Nettle Creek collection and distribution lines, the main source of water for the town. The estimated $3.28 million project would include replacing the old pipes and the installation of hydro-electric equipment.

“Why not see what are the implications of capturing that energy,” Hassig said.

The town’s wastewater treatment plant northwest of the Highway 133 bridge is a different story. The facility is not high on the state’s list for an expansion because it is only used at a little more than 50 percent of capacity, well below the 80 percent trigger used to prioritize funding.

“It’s a very funny tightrope situation,” Hassig said. When Carbondale’s population increases by 30 percent, or roughly 2,500, the facility would be running at 80 percent capacity. Pushing for an expansion “puts you in a position of saying, ‘We’ve got to do everything in our power to grow,’” Hassig said.

Both of those projects are in queue to receive funding through the existing State Revolving Loan Funds, a program that offers below-market-rate loans. That pot of funding will be augmented by stimulus monies.

According to Mamet of the CML, Colorado will receive about $60 million for small community water and sewer systems.

Highways and wastewater just skim the surface; funding available through the Recovery Act runs the gamut from education and housing to agriculture and policing efforts. Plus, there are Community Development Block Grants, of which Colorado will receive $7.5 million, to go to community-related projects.

For communities interested in their chunk of the money, Mamet believes the squeaky wheel gets the grease. He has recommended that leaders weigh the costs but act fast.

“You have three choices here,” he told a group of mayors this month. “You can stand on the platform and watch the train go by, you can get in the caboose, or you can get in the engine room and drive the train. I suggest you get in the engine room.”

THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 5

Drivers cautioned to keep an eye out for wildlife still on the move

By Jeremy Heiman It hasn’t been a good year for wildlife migrating across Highway 82. Fifty-one of 124 accidents this fall and winter on Highway 82 in Garfield County involved collisions with elk, deer and other large animals.

And the odds of further collisions remain high. Though elk are no longer visible in large herds as they were in midwinter, some of the animals are still hanging around in the valley bottom between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. Deeper snow at higher elevations is keeping them in the valley, said John Groves, Colorado Division of Wildlife district manager for the Carbondale area.

Of the various causes of accidents, colliding with animals is one of the most common, Captain Rich Duran of the Col-

orado State Patrol said.

The stretch of 82 from the hilltop north of Cattle Creek to the intersection with Colorado Highway 133 is particularly dangerous. CDOT parked electric signs at either end of that section, displaying various messages that exhort drivers to slow down and watch for wildlife.

Duran said there is no data on whether drivers have reduced their speed because of the signs.

Groves said it doesn’t appear that these signs have done much.

“I’d like to think they have a little bit of an effect,” he said, “but I think people generally ignore them.”

Statistics bear him out. The same stretch of highway over the same period of time last winter (Oct. 1, 2007 to March 20,

2008) was the scene for 125 crashes, 54 of which involved animals.

CSP doesn’t keep records on the various species hit by vehicles, but motorists occasionally have run down bears, foxes and coyotes on Highway 82, Duran said.

The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies has preserved a mountain lion that was killed by a motorist several years ago.

Nancy Shanks, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said $900,000 has been earmarked this year to build fences and wildlife ramps along the most perilous stretch of Highway 82.

The earthen ramps allow deer and elk to climb over fences to escape from the highway corridor but do not allow the animals to enter the highway.

Photo by Jane Bachrach

P&Z close to decision on Thompson Park rezoning and annexation

By Trina Ortega The Carbondale Planning & Zoning Commission, at its March 26 meeting, stayed the course of the night, adjourning at 10:30 p.m., but did not make a recommendation on the proposed Thompson Park.

Originally, developer Frieda Wallison planned for 30 to 100 single- and multifamily units on the 10.2-acre parcel that is located at the intersection of Highway 133 and Weant Boulevard.

Upon recommendation from the P&Z and town staff, Wallison has now narrowed that range from 45 to 85 units.

Wallison’s company, Cerise Park LLC, is seeking annexation into the town and rezoning for the property that is called the “County Island.” As part of the annexation request, the historic Thompson House would be deeded over to the town.

The parcel is within three miles of the downtown core and surrounded by town property. It has been identified in Carbondale’s Comp Plan as a parcel that should be part of the town.

“We all fundamentally agree this should be annexed at some point,” P&Z

Chair Ben Bohmfalk said, but he posed the question: Is this the right plan?

Additional concerns for some commission members included the 15 percent open space requirement. While the proposal meets the total requirement, it is in the form of “pocket parks” and includes the house and its grounds.

Charlie Keys felt strongly that the commission be consistent with its requirements about open space. P&Z had rejected a similar proposal for pocket parks from the developers of The Overlook project north of Main Street.

Bohmfalk questioned whether the pocket parks are big enough to be considered “destination” parks for residents outside of the neighborhood.

An issue the commission agreed on was the maximum house size; the commission recommended a limit of 4,000 square feet including the basement on a portion of the land slated for single-family homes. Wallison had requested 5,000 square feet excluding the basement.

Among other concerns, Jeff Dickinson pushed for building orientation to be maximized for passive solar gain. But it also has been important for the P&Z to preserve view planes.

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Bhomfalk said that the commission members agree on a number of the goals – that the development be high density; within walking distance to downtown; preserve view planes; have energy efficient units and preserve the historical quality of the site, among other priorities. “But sometimes it’s impossible to do all those things,” he said.

Wallison expressed that it has been

difficult to meet all of the demands.

“The process has been a lengthy one.

The April 9 meeting will be our eighth hearing in front of the P&Z,” Wallison told the Sun. Bohmfalk said the commission will be prepared to make a recommendation at the April 9 meeting. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays at Town Hall.

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Carbondale trash haulers now pick up plastics 1 through 7

By Jeremy Heiman Does it drive you nuts trying to figure out whether those plastic bottles are number 1s, number 2s, or what?

Relax. Now you can fling those sour cream tubs, yogurt containers and clear salad boxes in the bin with the bottles and cans. Due to a change downstream in the regional recycling system, Carbondale residents can recycle plastic containers displaying numbers from 1 through 7.

Wally Graham, owner of Carbondale-based Waste Solutions, said his company will pick up plastics 1 through 7 in bins his company provides. Residential and business customers can put out newspapers and magazines in the same bin, but the paper products should be separated from the bottles and cans by bundling them or placing them in a bag.

“When you have 500 tubs a day and you have to sort through that, it really adds up,” Graham said.

Rocky Mountain Disposal and Waste Management also serve Carbondale. Josh Smith, energy manager for the Town of Carbondale, said Rocky Mountain Disposal is also picking up all seven types, but Waste Management is not yet picking up plastics numbered 3 through 7.

The reason for the change locally is that materials recovery facilities in Den-

ver are now able to handle additional volumes of material, said Rich Ludwig, compliance and outreach coordinator for Pitkin County’s Resource Recovery Department. Those plants have been accepting all seven types of plastic for some time, sorting them, and sending them to the markets that handle the individual types.

The Pitkin County landfill now sends three to four tractor-trailer loads of commingled containers to Denver per week.

A few cautions about recycling plastics: Don’t put bottle lids in with your recyclables — throw them away; only recycle small, grocery store-type containers — no buckets or Rubbermaid tote boxes.

More recycling news …

On the town level, Carbondale’s latest attempt at recycling is being sabotaged. Careless people who throw the wrong stuff into the wrong containers located on the town’s sidewalks are contaminating the recyclable materials, creating a lot of expensive, unnecessary work for Carbondale public works department employees.

Clusters of recycling containers were bought for the town with a grant from Patagonia last year. Each cluster has a can for mixed bottles and cans, one for

Careless residents have been throwing trash into the recycling sections of the donated Patagonia containers causing extra work for town employees. Photo by Jane Bachrach newspapers and one for trash. Larry Ballenger, Carbondale’s public works director, said the recyclable materials are sometimes so contaminated with trash that the only solution is to send the whole container to the landfill.

The town has discussed opening a re-

cycling center several times since the last one, funded by fees from the Carbondale dump, was shut down with the closure of the dump about 15 years ago. Ballenger is concerned that if the town opens a center, the problems will be magnified.

THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 7

Ross students’ Soup Kitchen nutritious for heart and soul, too

By Kayla Henley Sopris Sun student intern

to help out. “Yes, definitely,” he said whole-heartedly.

Unlike its name, the Soup Kitchen Crock pots were laid out, vegetables had a variety of foods being served and and fruits were washed, and students smells of all kinds wafting in the air. from Mandi Prout’s first-, second- and “It’s a great opportunity to get inthird-grade classes at Ross Montessori volved,” said Dave Pietsch, a teacher at School (RMS) were slicing tomatoes, RMS, a parent of three students at the chopping onions and preparing soups school, and a Soup Kitchen volunteer. “I under the supervision of some of the wish it could be held more often than older students in the school for the Soup once a month.” Pietsch was there with Kitchen on March 13. It his wife, Peggy, both was a fun event that got volunteering for the first students, parents and time. teachers involved.

“I think it’s a great The Soup Kitchen is experience for the kids, held at the Methodist they’re people to them,” Church in Glenwood said Peggy referring to Springs and gives those the recipients. “And who are homeless or are that’s the way it should struggling to buy food the be.” chance to have a full meal The students were free of charge. The food is diligently attending to cooked and served by their small tasks; pervolunteers. fectly at ease serving On this particular Frifood or carrying baskets Teacher Mandi Prout day, lots of students from of vegetables to the Prout’s class were attendkitchen. As more people ing to little jobs, such as started showing up, the passing out bread, serving salads or, if students really began to buckle down off duty, engaging in a game of tag. and get serious.

“It’s pretty exciting and fun serving,” Before Thanksgiving, Prout’s class said Topher Blachly, a third-grader. had a discussion about hunger, which Blachly noted that he would come again made her students determined to go out

“They have been thinking about compassion, and different people getting together in the community.”

and help. They came up with the idea for the Soup Kitchen.

Midway through the event, volunteers were washing dishes, adults were conversing smoothly and some students were still at it, doing whatever they could to help while others were playing in the open space of the big room, squealing joyfully as they dodged each others’ eager grasps, struggling to not be tagged. The event could have been mistaken for a big family getting together for a Christmas feast.

“This is a lifesaver,” said Pieter, one of the attendees that night. “It’s great

to see so many kids helping out.” At that point, three students walked up with a plate of bread and offered a slice to Pieter. Though it was after school, they used their good manners and were excited to help out and just be apart of it all.

“They have been thinking about compassion,” Prout said, “and different people getting together in the community.”

As things slowed down at about 6 p.m., there were sighs of contentment and happy faces all around — showing that there’s nothing more filling than lending a helping hand.

Comedy night will benefit school The Ross Montessori Foundation is hosting a night of comedy to benefit the Ross Montessori School from 7-10 p.m. April 17 at the Gathering Place at the Church at Carbondale.

Featured will be local comics Mark Thomas, Don Cheney, Todd Hartley and Stacy Feinberg.

“It’s going to be fabulous,” says Carolyn Fisher, a board member of the foundation. Funds will go toward a permanent home for the school and also for scholarships.

Food will be provided by Zheng, Ella, Blue Creek Grill, Konnyaku, Grana Bread Co., Midland Baking Co., Dream Dinners, Backdoor Catering, Peter O’Grady Catering, Bravo Catering and Mi Casita. Food, as well as beer, wine and soft drinks, are included in the price of admission.

Tickets are $50 in advance, available at the school, or $60 at the door. Call the school at 963-7199 for more details.

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8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009

From quilters to architects, First Fridays has it all

By Jessi Rochel If green is the new black, then ugly is the new pretty. Opening at SAW (Studio for Arts + Works) for the April First Friday will be “Before It Was Pretty,” a show dedicated to the initial stages of design, as opposed to the finished polished product.

Local architect Andi Korber explained, “It’s a show about process.” Korber works for Land+Shelter, the company that is part owner of SAW, and responsible for organizing this particular exhibition.

The show will incorporate about 18 different displays, and each member or group will be given space in the gallery to showcase rough sketches, models, and other raw materials. Collections will range from light design to furniture design to landscape architecture and more. “It’s sort of the guts behind it all,” Korber said.

The opening will run from 6-9 p.m. on First Friday, April 3, and the show will be on display until April 28. The highlight of the evening will occur around 8 p.m. when teams of designers compete in a model-off titled, “Shake Your Model-Maker. Teams will be given a top-secret “brief” and a paper bag of supplies and will then have one hour to construct a model of it. The paper bag will include a variety of recycled objects, such as cereal boxes.

“We would love for the general public and our neighbors to come out. It would be great to have more dialogue,” Korber said.

Gallery hours for the show will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday during April. For more information on the opening or the exhibition, contact Korber at 9630201 or email andi@landandshelter.com.

‘Recent Works’ at CCAH Local ceramic artist Diane Kenney got her start in the trade with an epiphany. It was not quite mid-life and it certainly was not a crisis, but it was a “realization.”

“I just wanted to be good at something.

I was good at a lot of things but not really good at one thing,” Kenney said.

Kenney, along with western painter, Lynette O’Kane, will be showing her work at Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities during April. “Recent Work” will open with a First Friday reception from 68 p.m. April 3.

Her collection will include a variety of pieces. She is currently working on a new line of poetry tiles — a labor-intensive endeavor that is new to her, but one she is enjoying for the opportunity to work with drawing and painting. She also will be showing new terra cotta pieces, including jars and bowls with detailed bird attachments.

Kenney calls her new work “Recession Ware” — priced to sell despite the high labor costs that the work requires. For example, even a small jar with bird attach-

First Fridays Openings Carbondale Clay Center - First Fridays opening reception from 6-8 p.m. April 3, showing the work of Carbondale Clay Center’s nine-month resident artists: Mark Harro, Lauren Mabry & Alex Watson. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 963-2529 or email info@carbondaleclay.org.

Dancing Colours - Spring Re-opening Party from 6-9 p.m. featuring the colorful quilts of Lynn Mattingly. The shop is located at 968 Main St. Majid Kahhak - live painting from 6-8 p.m. April 3 (First Friday) at Kahhak Fine Arts & School, 411 Main St. The painting will be inspired by Easter/Spring renewal.

Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served. For more details, call 704-0622.

Via Viva - featuring local artist Carrie Kaplan. Located at 50 N. Fourth St. or can be found at www.viavivastyle.com, by calling (970) 510-7006, or by emailing info@viavivastyle.com. ments takes four to five hours to complete.

“It actually takes longer for the bird than the jar,” Kenney explained.

A friend of Kenney’s once remarked how there are easier ways to make things, but Kenney does not believe in doing things that way. All of her work is hand-built or wheel-thrown.

While Kenney is well established in the Crystal Valley, her ceramic roots began in Kansas City, Mo. After receiving a degree in humanities, Kenney was “waylaid by the spirit of the ’60s.” While living communally, someone donated a potter’s wheel, and Kenney decided this was something she wanted to invest herself in. “It’s fun, but it’s a skill, too. You have to dedicate yourself to it.”

Kenney began taking classes, and was eventually accepted into a ceramics program at the Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri, where she received her BFA. When Kenney first moved to the area, she taught ceramics and Spanish at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, as well as led workshops out of her own studio. During this time, she recognized the need midvalley for a ceramic arts program. In 1997, she opened the Carbondale Clay Center with partner in crime, Dan Trautman. She ran the center until 2004. Kenney continues to teach English as a Second Language and occasional ceramics workshops around the country.

For more information or to inquire about visiting Kenney’s studio and kiln, email potter@sopris.net. See more of Kenney’s work online at www.dianekenney.com.

Clockwise from top: Bird casserole dish by Diane Kenney at Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities; the quilted work of Lynn Mattingly on display at Dancing Colours; pitcher and cups by Mark Harro in the nine month resident art show at the Carbondale Clay Center; Majid Kahhak paints “Irish Bagpiper” during the March First Fridays (photo by Ruth Powers). For additional First Fridays info check the calendar on pages 12 and 13 or stroll down Main Street between 5 and 9 p.m. this Friday, April 3.

THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 9

Savoring the season: Produce is best when it peaks Spring is such an exciting time for grocery shopping. The welcome arrival of warm sunny days moves my mind from hot soups and heavy stews to cold fresh fruits and colorful firm vegetables. Things begin to show up in the produce section that we haven’t seen for months, and other things that have become available year-round look better and sell for less. I suppose there’s some value in being able to get fresh asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries, and mangoes for Christmas dinner, but to me, what we pay in higher prices for lower quality out of season all but cancels out that benefit.

And there’s the philosophical question of “should we” have these delicacies available to us. Besides the environmental issues of long-distance transportation, having seasonal foods out of their times diminishes their specialness.

Many of us have great memories of watermelon juice running down our chins at summer picnics, rinsed off by jumping into a lake or river nearby. That treat isn’t the

By Chef George Bohmfalk same in the middle of February, with the less sweet juice staining our sweaters. There is value in temporary deprivation, absence making the palate grow fonder. My French cooking teacher often reminded her students that “the best things in life are ephemeral—like a kiss, a rose, a beautiful sunset, great pastry, soufflé, and other delicate preparations that won’t wait for you and have to be enjoyed immediately.” Around here we might add “fresh powder.” We should be willing to wait happily for fresh seasonal produce, savor it fully at its peak, and then look forward to next year’s offering, not confusing our taste memories with third-rate substitutes in the meantime.

We’ve been so spoiled by mediocre year-round abundance that we’ve lost sight of how some things came to be. Around 20 years ago, sun-dried tomatoes nearly achieved cult status in this country, an icon of cutting-edge California cuisine. A purist Italian chef informed me that, in the old country, sun-dried tomatoes are the second-best equivalent of powdered milk and dried herbs— preparations used out

The Fork

that Roared

Carbondale Police Department is now accepting applications for the position of Police Officer. We are looking for a highly motivated individual who will enjoy working in a TEAM/ Community Policing environment. Ability to work shift work, weekends and holidays a must. We offer an excellent benefit package. Must be Colorado POST certified or we will sponsor the right applicant through the local Colorado POST academy. Spanish and college are a plus! Applicants must be at least 21 years old, have or ability to obtain a valid Colorado driver’s license and no felony convictions. Applicants must complete background checks and participate in a ride-along program.

Send resume and references to Carbondale Police Department, 511 Colorado Ave. #911, Carbondale, CO 81623 or Sgt. Chris Wurtsmith, cwurtsmith@carbondaleco.net or for an application and further information, go to www.carbondalegov.org

of necessity, only when the fresh versions aren’t available. Jams and jellies—refinements of the telling generic term “preserves,” evolved as a use for fresh berries and fruits that could not be eaten before spoiling during their brief but abundant season. I’ll have corn flakes with my ephemeral strawberries nearly every spring morning, and I’ll think longingly about them all winter while tolerating toast and jam.

The succession of fresh spring and summer delights mirrors the colorful flowers and trees that accompany them. First, with the dandelion and apple tree blossoms, we finally get exquisite strawberries, red through and through, aromatic and full of flavor, without those tough and tasteless white interiors that prove premature picking. I much prefer tossing out a few overripe and molding berries at the bottom of a box to tediously trimming away the unappealing white parts of artificially ripened ones.

As flowers begin to pop up everywhere, perfect regional asparagus comes to the shelves, replacing those long-traveled spears from Peru that pretend to be fresh.

Avoid the earliest, pencil-thin juveniles, and briefly delay your gratification until finger-thick shafts appear. Like great tuna, asparagus is best either raw or barely cooked, and the less done to it, the better. A little dip in tart, lemony, hollandaise sauce makes this food of the gods, but a simple dab of butter and squirt of lemon is all any mortal should need.

Sweet corn, sunflowers and purple coneflowers all peak around the end of July.

It is a wonderful gift of supply and demand that the best corn of the year is also the least expensive. We revel in eating corn more than once a day when stores nearly give it away at its brief prime. By the time the price climbs back to three for a dollar, we’re into the dregs, and I begin looking forward to enjoying it even more next summer. Frozen or canned corn is a reliable disappointment.

In late-summer, Colorado country roadsides are painted purple with asters as field-ripened tomatoes travel them to farmers’ markets. Fresh tomatoes probably should be outlawed between October and July, as during those off-months they are about as satisfying as warm, cheap beer. Fresh, chilled tomato soup is great, and guacamole tastes best with deep red fresh tomatoes, but I most enjoy their perfection at least once every day in sliced tomato sandwiches. The soft white bread nearly falls apart from the moisture of the tomatoes and mayonnaise. A generous dose of salt and pepper is the only other adornment needed, but I believe I grow basil every year just to have some to enhance those indulgences. These simple sandwiches are late summer bliss, and I fantasize about them the rest of the year. And the strawberries. And the asparagus. And the corn, and the peaches, and the okra…..

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10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009

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Please submit letters of interest to: Housing Advisory Group c/o Town of Carbondale 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale 81623 community@carbondaleco.net Inquiries: 704-4112 Deadline to submit: April 15, 2009

Children “Spellbound” in classrooms as area volunteers boost literacy

By Catherine Johnson Community Correspondent “It’s Julie!”, the students cry and beam as Julie Wagner walks into the classroom. Many children in the classroom have known Wagner and the gifts she has brought for years. For other students, it is their first time meeting her.

Wagner is a Spellbinder – a volunteer storyteller who returns each month to the same five secondgrade classrooms at Basalt Elementary School. The gift she brings is one of wonder and imagination.

The children fall silent as she begins, “Once upon a time…,” and teacher Vicki Patterson relaxes to listen, as well. “It is amazing how much my students gain from this lost art,” says Patterson. “Literacy, reading and writing come to life for them through these stories.”

“Stories, because they are the universal language of communication, are at the heart of learning,” says Germaine Dietsch, founder of the national program and leader of the Roaring Fork Valley Chapter. “Hearing a story told, with the intimacy of eye-to-eye contact and warmth of a heartfelt gift, truly stimulates children’s imaginations, creating images in their heads that are viChildren at Aspen Elementary School are enchanted by the tally important to literacy development.”

Depending on the knowledge and background storytelling of volunteer Jackie Merrill. Spellbinders visitors of the storyteller and the requests of the individual are available to all of the valley's schools. Photo courtesy of teachers, Spellbinders’ stories help out with more Spellbinders than literacy. Some Spellbinders spin tales sprin-

kled with Spanish words while others tell tales of pioneers to children studying Colorado history. Still others take children on a trip around the world, returning each month with a story about village life in a different, faraway land.

While Wagner loves helping the children learn, she believes the greatest benefit is her own. “Telling stories in front of children is a hugely rewarding experience,” she says. “I love it when I am in the grocery store and a student recognizes me as “my storyteller.”

The Roaring Fork Valley’s 27 active Spellbinders’ volunteers cannot keep up with the demand from area schools from Aspen to Glenwood Springs.

Wagner encourages anyone who wants to connect with our area’s youth to contact Spellbinders and become a trained storyteller. “You don’t need any special talent to become a storyteller,” Wagner says. “As humans, we are all hard-wired to be storytellers.”

Patterson echoes Julie’s encouragement: “This is a wonderful gift to give children. Magic is created with a storyteller in the classroom. I believe it is important for the children to have this type of intergenerational and community connection.”

In early April, Spellbinders is offering a storytelling workshop in Glenwood Springs for interested volunteers. The three-day workshop will take place April 7, April 9 and April 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Glenwood Springs.

For more information, visit www.spellbinders.org, call 544-2389 or email info@spellbinders.org.

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Child Care Available Sundays, April 5, May 3, and June 7 10:30 am, WIN Health Institute (behind Mid-Valley Medical Center at Hwy 82 and Original Road)

APRIL 5: SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING Hoping to Call a Unitarian Minister in 2010 For More Information, call Mike or Cathy at 927-9611

THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 11

Community Calendar Events take place in Carbondale unless noted. To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursdays.

Daily Planner THURSDAY • COMMENT DUE The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority is seeking public comment through April 2 on its Rio Grande Trail Wildlife Management Plan for the Rock Bottom Ranch section of the trail. Submit comments to Michael Hermes, the RFTA director of properties and trails, at www.rfta.com/traildocs.html or via email at trails@rfta.com.

THURSDAY • ART FOR KOMEN The Aspen Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure will be the beneficiary of the Aspen Artists for Komen Aspen après ski art exhibit and sale from 3-7 p.m. April 2 at the Limelight Lodge in Aspen. Featured artists will donate 20 percent of any sales proceeds to Komen Aspen. For more information, contact Nina Hawn Zale at (970) 544-8208.

THURSDAY • ROTARY TIX ON SALE Tickets are on sale for the Carbondale Rotary annual “HAPPENING” event on June 13 at the Carbondale Fire and Rural Protection District headquarters on Highway 133. The “Great Bailout Balls of Fire” will feature a reduced $75 ticket price, hearty American fare and live music from Bill Parish. Tickets will be available from any Carbondale Rotarian.

Information can be found at www.rotarycarbondale.org.

THURSDAY • MEETING The Historic Preservation Commission will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

THURSDAY • BIG READ Garfield County Libraries will host an All-Book Club Night focusing on the Big Read selection, The Maltese Falcon, on Thursday, April 2. For full details and more events, call 625-4270 or log on to www.garfieldlibraries.org.

THURSDAY • PLAY Steve’s Guitars presents the play “You’re

a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Visit www.stevesguitars.net for full details.

FRIDAY • AUTHOR TALK Molly Swanton and Carla Peltonon bring their writing alias “Lynn Erickson” to life at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library at 6:30 p.m. April 3. This First Fridays free talk will focus on the Business of Writing. For more information, call the library at 963-2889 or visit www.lynnerickson.com.

FRIDAY–SUNDAY • SHORTSFEST Aspen Filmfest presents the 18th annual Shortsfest playing April 3-5 at the Crystal Theatre. From a Tibetan Kingdom to a Parisian café to the jungle of Burma, Shortsfest promises to bring you the world...in 30 minutes or less. Films also screen through April 5 at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen. For full program description, visit www.aspenfilm.org.

NOTE: the Crystal Theatre will be closed April 6-9.

FRIDAY • ART OPENING The Carbondale Clay Center will have a First Fridays opening reception from 6-8 p.m. April 3, whowing the work of Carbondale Clay Center’s nine-month resident artists: Mark Harro, Lauren Mabry & Alex Watson. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 963-2529 or email info@carbondaleclay.org.

calling (970) 510-7006, or by emailing info@viavivastyle.com.

FRIDAY • SCHOLARSHIPS DUE The Valley View Hospital Auxiliary will offer 10 scholarships available at $3,000 to local students this year. Scholarships are available in three categories: • Graduating high school seniors who are pursing a career in the medical field. Applications are available by calling 3846656. The application deadline is April 3.

• College and continuing education students pursuing a degree in the healthcare profession or returning to school after a previous profession. The application deadline is also April 3. For applications, call 384-6656.

• Colorado Mountain College students who have been accepted into the CMC Nursing Program at the Spring Valley Campus. For further information, applications and deadline information, call 947-8355.

FRIDAY • LIVE PAINTING Majid Kahhak will paint live from 6-8 p.m. April 3 (First Friday) at Kahhak Fine Arts & School, 411 Main St. The painting will be inspired by Easter/Spring renewal. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served. For more details, call 7040622.

FRIDAY • OPEN MIC Volunteers are welcome for an open mic night of live music beginning at 8:30 p.m.

April 3, at Steve’s Guitars.

FRIDAY • KIDS’ NIGHT A Kids Lock-in at the Snowmass Recreation Center for ages 6-14 will be April 3

YOU’LL NEVER PAY FULL PRICE AGAIN! Stop by

SPRING RE-OPENING First Friday Open House 4-8 p.m.

Dancing Colours 968 Main Street Carbondale, CO 970.963.2965 Tues–Sat 12-6 p.m.

CREATIVE CLASSES & SUPPLIES ARTWORK • GIFTS • JEWELRY 12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009

FRIDAY • FIRST FRIDAYS AT SAW SAW (Studio for Arts + Works) will hold the opening reception for “Before It Was Pretty” from 6-9 p.m. on April 3rd at SAW, 978 Euclid Ave. Also at 8 p.m., there will be a model-off, a glue-guntoting, free-for-all design competition.

For more info, contact Andi Korber at Land+Shelter, 963-0201, or andi@landandshelter.com.

fine clothing • antiques • gifts

FRIDAY • ART OPENING The Via Viva First Friday show April 3 will feature local artist Carrie Kaplan. Via Viva is located at 50 N. Fourth St. or can be found at www.viavivastyle.com, by

Give Us Your Input!

FRIDAY • ART WALK Dancing Colours will have a Spring Reopening Party from 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 3, featuring the colorful quilts of Lynn Mattingly. The shop is at 968 Main St. For more information, call 963-2965.

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with games, dinner and watching movies.

The Lock-in begins at 7 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Saturday. Cost is $65.

Call Woodsie at 922 2240 to register.

FRIDAY • REDTONES LIVE The Redtones play live music at 9 p.m.

Friday, April 3, at Stubbies in Basalt

SATURDAY • GROUP RUN Independence Run & Hike organizes group runs at 7:30 a.m. Saturdays and trail runs at 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays, rain, snow, cold or sun. Stop by 995 Cowen Drive, call 704-0909 or email independencerun@sopris.net for further details.

SATURDAY • STORYTIME The Gordon Cooper Library hosts Storytime at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Lap sit for infants and parents is at 11 a.m. Fridays. The library is at 76 S. Fourth St. Phone 963-2889 for details.

SATURDAY • GAME DAY Play board games at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library as part of National Game Day. Different level board games will be set out for play on Saturdays April 4, April 18 and April 25. Call 9632889 for details.

discover the world

APRIL 1-5

SATURDAY • CONTRA DANCE The monthly community contra dance will be from 8-10:30 p.m. April 4 at the Glenwood Springs Masonic Lodge, Ninth Street and Colorado Avenue. No

partner or experience required. Live music by the Last Minute String Band.

Beginner’s walk-through is at 7:30 p.m.

For more info, call 945-0350 or visit www.lastminutestringband.com.

SUNDAY • UNITARIANS MEET A mid-valley Universalist Unitarians group is organizing and will meet Sunday, April 5. Email suereally@gmail.com.

SUNDAY • WILDERNESS TALK Lisa Moreno, campaign coordinator for the Wilderness Workshop, will discuss the prospects of new wilderness in the White River National Forest at 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 5, at the Redstone Inn. This event is free and open to the public.

For more info call Becky at 963-6355.

MONDAY • MUSIC TOGETHER All Valley Music Together is enrolling for Spring “Triangle” Music Together classes for parents and their infants to preschoolers beginning the week of April 6-10. Musical play, creative movement, exploring imagination and improvisation. Registration is required and classes are limited. Carbondale classes meet at True Nature Studio and in an intergenerational setting at Heritage Park. See www.AllValleyMusic.com for registration and class information. Call Annie Flynn at 963-1482 with questions.

TUESDAY • SPELLBINDERS Spellbinders is offering a three-day story-

telling workshop in Glenwood Springs on April 7, April 9 and April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Glenwood Springs. For more information, visit www.spellbinders.org or call 544-2389 or contact info@spellbinders.org.

TUESDAY • GROUP RUN Independence Run & Hike organizes group runs at 7:30 a.m. Saturdays and trail runs at 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays, rain, snow, cold or sun. Stop by 995 Cowen Drive, call 704-0909 or email independencerun@sopris.net for further details.

TUESDAY • AUDITIONS Director Lynn Aliya and musical director David Dyer will hold additional auditions for Theatre Aspen’s “A Year With Frog and Toad” from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at the Red Brick Arts Center. To make an appointment and for full details, call 925.9313, ext. 2, or email info@theatreaspen.org. The musical runs from July 10 through Aug. 22.

TUESDAY • NUTRITION CLASS The Roaring Fork Family Resource Centers is offering a free six-week Nutrition series in Spanish. Classes will run on Tuesdays, beginning April 7 through May 12, from 1-3 p.m. at The Bridges Center on Sopris and Fourth in Carbondale. Childcare is available for $5/family/workshop. Phone 384-5689 for more information.

TUESDAY • TRUSTEES MEETING The Carbondale Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

TUESDAY • LIVE JAZZ Steve’s Guitars hosts Tuesday Night Jazz for those wanting to jam or listen to the best jazz players in the valley. Jams begin at 7:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays at Steve’s, 19 N. Fourth St.

WEDNESDAY • STORYTIME The Gordon Cooper Library hosts Storytime at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Lap sit for infants and parents is at 11 a.m. Fridays. The library is at 76 S. Fourth St. Phone 963-2889 for details.

WEDNESDAY • RFSD MEETING The Roaring Fork School District Board of Education will hold its regular bimonthly meeting at 4 p.m. at the District Office, 1405 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs. Meetings are held the second and fourth Wednesdays.

WEDNESDAY • FLY FISHING Roaring Fork Conservancy and Taylor Creek Fly Shop will host a Fly Fishing Tune-Up at Old Pond Park, Basalt, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 8. Bring your rod and come learn about the world-class fly fishing on the Roaring Fork River with local fly fishing guide, Cam Scott. Space is limited, and reservations are required at www.roaringfork.org/events.

WEDNESDAY • PIZZA TUNES White House Pizza presents live music from 7-10 p.m. every Wednesday. For more information, call White House Pizza at 704-9400.

WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY • CHORUS Aspen Choral Society presents Gabriel “Fauré’s Requiem” and Ray Vincent Adams’ “I Am Waiting” performed by The Aspen Community Chorus and The Glenwood Springs Community Chorus, with organist Sue Nicholson and directed

by Adams. Performances are 7:30 p.m.

April 8 at the United Methodist Church in Glenwood Springs and 7:30 p.m. April 9 at the Aspen Chapel. $10 at the door; children under 12 free.

APRIL 1−5

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SATURDAY 4/4 5:30PM & 8:00PM shortsfest program B with filmmakers

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SUNDAY 4/5 7:00PM shortsfest program C with filmmakers french roast

GET TICKETS AT sounds easy 970 963 1303 aspen show tickets 970 920 5770 www.aspenshowtickets.com

www.aspenfilm.org

APRIL 9 • THIRD STREET Third Street Center will hold its monthly Brown Bag Lunch at noon April 9.

(Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month.) Architect Jeff Dickinson will present a design update. Location is 520 S. Third St. General inquiries: Sara Plesset, Land + Shelter, 963-0201.

APRIL 9 • KINDER INFO Tours to observe kinder classes at Crystal River Elementary School are available at 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays. A Kinder Information Night to meet teachers will be from 6:30-7:30 p.m. April 9. Registration Day is from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 10.

Call 384-5620 to schedule a tour or to get more information.

970 925 6882 THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 13

Community Briefs Unitarians organize mid-valley gatherings

Library hosts author Lynn Erickson

Carbondale resident Bill Spence, a longtime Unitarian and former president of First Unitarian Society in Denver, has talked for years about how the mid-valley has so many “natural” Unitarian Universalists.

So a number of mid-valley residents - who know that there are many former and would-be Unitarians and young families who might be interested in the Unitarian tradition - will begin meeting on the first Sunday of the month beginning in April.

Former members of the Aspen UU Fellowship (no longer meeting) and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glenwood Springs (which is supporting this new effort) also will be present.

“Our goal,” Spence said, “is to establish a congregation that meets consistently and is led by a professional UU minister.” At present, there is no settled UU minister between Summit County and Grand Junction. A catalyst for taking action at this time is the participation of Rev. Robert T. Latham, a highly respected UU minister now based in Golden, Colo.

Gatherings will be held at 10:30 a.m. the first Sundays of April, May and June at the WIN institute (behind the mid-valley Medical Center).

The April 5 session will be an exploration of the relationship between Spirituality and Healing. The May and June programs will be led by Rev. Latham. The May 4 topic will be “Frolicking In Mystery (Making Sense of Spirituality).” A children’s program will be provided each time.

Unitarian-Universalism is a liberal religious system which has no creed. Although the roots are Judeo-Christian, active members of a traditional UU congregation include those who grew up in traditional denominations, humanists, non-believers, pagans, Buddhists, and agnostics, among others.

For more information, or to get involved, call Mike or Cathy Schermer at 927-9611.

Molly Swanton and Carla Peltonon will bring their writing alias “Lynn Erickson” to life at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 3. Aspiring writers are invited to join Molly and Carla for a free talk about the “Business of Writing.” They will discuss the elements that are part of any book in order to get it published. They will also include antidotes about researching and publishing their own books, as well as answer questions.

“Lynn Erickson” is a bestselling author of more than 50 books in the historical fiction, romance and women’s suspense genre. The books have been translated into 16 languages and “she” has done workshops throughout the country on how to write a book for publication. “She” founded the “International Romance Writer’s Institute” online, and several of her students were successfully published or are working in the publishing industry.

For more information, call the library at 963-2889 or check out Lynn Erickson’s website: www.lynnerickson.com.

JAS to take over Battle of Bands

Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) will continue the long-standing tradition of Battle of the Bands, formerly held in Basalt Town Park, by introducing “Band Battle ’09,” set for May 2 at Roaring Fork High School. The event will feature 20 student bands over five hours (noon to 5 p.m.) and will be held inside the school.

“This is exciting for JAS.” says Joe Lang, director of JAS, “Promoting live music with the next generation of local student musicians is extremely important to us, and this event crosses over and reaches out to not only the valley schools’ music programs, but also to students outside those programs that have their own musical interest and have garage bands.”

The competition is open to students up to and thru the high school level in the Western Slope region. Each band will have a 10-minute set length. Winners will have a chance to perform at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Festival on the Cooper Mall Free Stage, sponsored by the City of Aspen on June 27, and another performance at the JAS Labor Day Festival “Village Stage” in early September in Snowmass Village.

Steve Marker, the founding member of the seven-time Grammy nominated band Garbage, has been named program director.

To promote the student bands, JAS will be constructing a message board at www.myspace.com/jasbandbattle. For more information and to download the entry form for Battle Band ’09, visit www.jazzaspen.org or e-mail bandbattle@jazzaspen.org.

Free kids’ dental clinic offered The Roaring Fork Family Resource Centers recently participated in training to learn how to apply dental fluoride varnish on children’s teeth. This application of dental varnish will help children without dental insurance have less dental cavities and better oral health.

As part of the Oral Health Awareness Colorado campaign, Be A Smart Mouth is providing dental varnishing clinics locally in Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs in April for children in the Roaring Fork School District.

Parents make an appointment (between noon and 5 p.m.) at one of RFFRC’s three centers. Their children ages 13 and under will receive a quick dental screening, dental care education in English or Spanish, and the treatment, which is painless and takes only minutes to apply. The family will then receive dental supplies to take home. The free treatments will be: • Basalt Elementary School - April 8 and April 30. Call Pam at 384-5855.

• Carbondale Bridges Center - April 9 and April 29. Call Cheryl at 384-5746. Llame Astrid al 384-5796 por español.

• Glenwood Springs Elementary School - April 20 and May 4. Call Lisa at 384-6055.

Llame Neyma al 384-5616 por español.

CMC holds free online seminar

Colorado Mountain College will offer a free online web seminar for students and parents to learn more about options for financing a college education during an economic downturn.

The 45-minute seminar can be viewed from the convenience of a home computer starting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 6. Participants in the live seminar will be able to ask questions through a simple chat window.

Registration for the seminar is available at www.ColoradoMountainCollege.com/StartHere.

Those who register and attend the online seminar can enter to win a $600 CMC tuition scholarship. For questions, contact the CMC admissions office at (800) 621-8559 or JoinUs@ColoradoMtn.edu.

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From Carbondale to the kingdom

Carbondale travelers Amy Kimberly, Ro Mead, and Leslie and Patrick Johnson spent a month in the Kingdom of Swaziland and will bring their slide show and ” stories to the Gordon Cooper Branch Library on Thursday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. g Part of their journey included trips to game parks and mountain camping, with f close up pictures of lions and other exotic animals. The main part of the trip was t working with orphans in Manzini. They brought art projects for the children and r worked to help improve their living conditions. They worked with AIDS volunteers in community “care points” set up for the local children. These facilities include s primary education and often provide food for them as well. e The Carbondale travelers have identified rebuilding the care center in the towne ship of Scom, so that the little food supplies they have will not be wasted due to inr adequate storage. s The public is invited to this free event to learn more about Swaziland and the y grassroots efforts underway to help improve conditions there. For more information call 963-2889 or check out the blog online at swazitrip.wordpress.com. k

Education representative to speak

Pitkin County Republicans present Marcia Neal, the representative to the Colorado Board of Education from the Third Congressional District, who will address g “the Future of Education in Colorado” at 7 p.m. April 14 at the Eagle County Comn munity Center in El Jebel. g The public is welcome to attend. There will be a meet-and-greet reception ber ginning at 6 p.m. and her remarks are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with questions and answers to follow.

- Neal, a veteran high school teacher and bookstore owner from Grand Junction, y was elected in 2008 to serve a six-year term. Her speech, “The Future of Education y in Colorado,” will explore: the federal stimulus package and its potential impact on e public schools in Colorado; budget and financing concerns; the RFSD Achievement Gap Pilot Project/CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) testing; bilingual e education and the effects of immigration on the state’s schools; and school choice l and online learning. r Neal also encourages feedback on local ideas and concerns. More information about Marcia Neal is at www.marcianeal.com. n

Carbondale travelers Amy Kimberly, Ro Mead, and Leslie and Patrick Johnson will present slides from their January trip to the Kingdom of Swaziland such as this photo taken by a Swazi orphan. The presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. April 9 at the Gordon Cooper Library.

Ute elder presentation

Ute elder Clifford Duncan will present the talk “Nanama” (Together as One) at 6:30 p.m. April 17 at Gordon Cooper Library.

Duncan’s mother’s family lived in the valleys of the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers prior to 1879, the year the Ute people were removed to reservations, opening up Western Colorado to non-native settlers and homesteaders.

“Nanama” will focus on personal memories and stories of this place and the connection that his people had with the mountains.

A collaboration between the Mt. Sopris Historical Society and the Gordon Cooper Library, the event is free, although donations will be accepted. The presentation will include time for questions and answers. No video please.

For further information, call the Mt. Sopris Historical Society at 963-7041.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • APRIL 2, 2009 • 15

Sports No. 1 doubles gain back-to-back tennis wins

The Roaring Fork High School girls’ tennis team had enough of a break in the weather for two matches last weekend against Paonia and Hotchkiss.

Against Paonia, the No. 1 singles player Rianna Rollyson won her match against Kanielle Kropp, with Rollyson winning the first set, 7-5; losing the second, 36; and taking the third, 7-5.

No. 1 doubles players Landon Garvick and Nikki Burns won 6-2 and 6-0 to shut out Paonia’s Cassie Jeipel and Bretony Snyder.

The Lady Rams’ No. 2 doubles also won. Savanah Phibbs and Ixchel Muniz’s 6-2 and 6-0 matches were wins against Saydie Bonine and Jordan Trujillo.

The team went on to face Hotchkiss the following day, with only the No. 1 doubles bringing home a win over Haylee Montoya and Amy Miller. Burns and Garvick lost the first set, 4-6; won the second, 6-0; and tied the third, but pulled off the win with a 10-5 tiebreaker.

Athletes invited to triathlon training program

Registration is now open for Team Mindful Sports (TMS) Triathlon Training Program for the 2009 season.

Training will begin in mid-April and continue through the season ending with triathlon competitions in October and/or November.

TMS is a Carbondale-based group of coaches who help local athletes improve their swimming, running and cycling skills. The TMS staff includes past Olympic hopefuls Ashley Naegele and Carrie Messner-Vickers, as well as, USA Triathlon certified coach David Clark and USA Cycling certified coach Darren Broome.

“Coaches work closely with each athlete to create custom training programs while conducting weekly group training sessions in each discipline,” states a TMS press release.

TMS will hold an informational/registration meeting at 6 p.m. April 14 at White House Pizza.

For more information and to RSVP for the April 14 meeting, contact Ashley Naegele at ashley@mindfulsports.com or David Clark at davidc@rof.net. Visit www.teammindfulsports.com for more information about the TMS mission, programs and coaches.

Fishing closures in effect

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is reminding anglers that annual spring fishing closures are in effect through May 15.

These closures are to protect spawning rainbow trout, which congregate at the confluences of several tributaries to the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers. The fish behavior gives fishermen an unfair advantage and the DOW places the restrictions to protect fish populations during the spawning period.

Closures are for the following areas: Roaring Fork River, 50 yards upstream and downstream of the confluences with Four Mile Creek and Three Mile Creek, as well as a half-mile up those creeks.

Colorado River, 50 yards upstream and downstream of the confluences with Grizzly Creek, No Name Creek and Canyon Creek, as well as a half-mile up those creeks.

Violators face a minimum $68 fine for fishing in the closure areas.

J. FROST MERRIOTT

Rams pitcher Clay Gross picks up his second win in a row against Grand Valley Saturday. Photo by Jim Ryan

Rams’ baseballers build confidence, bring home some wins

By Trina Ortega Despite opening the season with five losses, the young Roaring Fork High School Rams baseball team is gaining confidence and chalked up a third straight win on Saturday in its games against Grand Valley.

“Everybody contributed. In [innings] one through nine, everybody did a good job, and we didn’t have any errors, which is key,” said Tim Neislanik, who is coaching the Rams team for the first time.

The RFHS-Grand Valley double-header ended with the Rams winning 10-3 and 8-1.

Freshman Clay Gross opened pitching in the first game and “did a great job” with nine strikeouts. He only walked two players.

Trent Reed, also a freshman, took the mound in the

fifth inning and closed out the game with more great pitching, Neislanik said.

Jake Strack-Loertscher hit two home runs.

“Basically, defensively, we had no errors,” Neislanik said.

In the team’s second game, sophomore Alex Rascon pitched the entire game and had nine more strikeouts.

According to Neislanik, the last three matchups are showing that the guys are gaining more confidence. With only three seniors on the team, the Rams are young, but “they’re starting to understand,” said Neislanik. “If they make the routine plays, we’ll be competitive and hit the ball.”

The Rams are challenged next with a good matchup against Olathe on April 4 at home. The games are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the games may be moved to Grand Valley.

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