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Sun

Volume 7, Number 49 | January 14, 2016

Special deliveries Local artists delivered their “babies” to the Launchpad this week after months of hard, yet satisfying labor for most. You can “ooh” and “aah” over these original artistic creations during the opening reception of the Valley Visual Art Show from 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the Launchpad. Clockwise from upper left: Brian Colley and Marty Schlein, Jay Phillips, Nicolette Toussaint and Mason Ingram, Carly Rosenthal, Shelley Bogaert, Diane Kenney and Katelyn Krehbiel. Photos by Jane Bachrach

LD HI 6 C / : 1ACHAERTIO!

TE R

CHILDREN S ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

Call 963-2524 or visit: www.childrensrockymountainschool.org

Carbondale Commentary The views and opinions expressed on the Commentary page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The Sopris Sun invites all members of the community to submit letters to the editor or guest columns. For more information, e-mail editor Lynn Burton at news@soprissun.com, or call 510-3003.

Upcoming legislative items include insurance rates Thank you for taking time to read “Under The Dome” again. In now my third year, I’m even more committed to the idea of keeping you informed and encouraging you to get more involved in Colorado government. If you can tear yourself away from 24-hours-a-day of cable TV coverage of the presidential primary, I think you’ll find that the Colorado legislature the is not only interesting but can mess By Bob Rankin with your life and business in ways that you might only imagine. Your opinions, comments and feedback are appreciated (even if you disagree with me). Joyce and I were home over the holidays and enjoyed seeing friends and some new neighbors. We are noticing though, that with her new job as a Colorado State Board of Education member, we’re so focused on education and budgets that we’re losing contact with our friends at home. Don’t let us do that. The legislative session starts on Jan. 13 and goes until mid-May. It’s always a thrill

Under Dome

but I’m also starting to think of the formality and long speeches as a distraction and I would just as soon be back across the street working on the budget. And speaking of the budget, we have to take about $160 million out of reserves to get through this year and then cut about $370 million from on-going spending for the next budget year. We get a final revenue forecast in March, to which we have to balance next year’s spending. It’s quite a puzzle to work through the constitutional, legislative and political constraints in a year of declining revenue.

Items: • We launched this year’s Intern in The Field program last week. I won’t say more here but I hope you saw the article. What great students and teachers we have in our high schools. • It looks like the Hospital Provider Fee conversion to an enterprise fund has to go to a ballot vote, based on a recently revealed legal opinion. • I’m working with other mountain-area legislators to find some relief from the outrageous insurance rates in our area. • I’ll be jointly introducing a bill again this year to redo our K-12 school finance distribution formula. Its current structure is unfair

to rural and poor school districts. • I’ll try again with my co prime to get an I-70 traction “be prepared” bill passed. It’s an Interim Transportation Committee bill this year and that should help. • I’ll also carry a number of Joint Budget Committee bills and some department requested cleanup bills. • I continue to focus on public lands issues but I don’t have a bill this year. I’m looking at severance tax protection from “sweep” to the general fund. Expect a number of ballot issues to emerge for November including fracking bans and single-payer health care. There will also be some attempts to revise TABOR and perhaps a funding mechanism for transportation. Thanks to all our public health and medical professionals who are delivering health care to the 23 percent of Coloradans now on Medicaid. The Joint Budget Committee is faced with recommended cuts to an already stressed system. As usual, please e-mail your concerns. We do read them all and may surprise you with a response.

Sincerest thanks to our

Honorary Publishers for their generous, ongoing commitment of support. Jim Calaway Kay Brunnier Bob Ferguson – Jaywalker Lodge Scott Gilbert: Habitat for Humanity - RFV Bob Young – Alpine Bank George Stranahan Peter Gilbert James Surls Umbrella Roofing, Inc.

ank you to our SunScribers Representative Bob Rankin, House District 57, lives in the Carbondale area and represents Garfield, Rio Blanco and Moffat counties in the state legislature.

Letters

and community members for your support! It truly takes a village to keep e Sun shining.

The Sopris Sun welcomes your letters, limited to no more than 400 words.Include your name and residence (for publication) and a contact email and phone number. Submit letters via email to news@soprissun.com or via snail mail to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623.

Please support local carbon tax Dear Editor: Our letter is somewhat in response to an opinion piece published in the Dec. 24 issue of The Sopris Sun. While many Carbondale residents, including Ted Stude, recognize that climate change will have long-term catastrophic consequences and acknowledge that we must take action to address it, they may be failing to appreciate the more immediately tangible benefits a local carbon tax will have for members of our community, even low-income households. As a point of history, the Carbondale Board of Trustees first adopted a climate-action plan in 2006, adopted updated energy goals in 2009, and have been dedicated to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, while also saving our residents and businesses money, improving the comfort and quality of life inside their homes and businesses, and providing jobs to locals in the construction/energy efficiency work force. As a community, we have invested heavily via both public and private money to reduce our energy consumption. We have a willing and enthusiastic community, and leaders in our town government see the value in reducing energy consumption. This winning combination is what motivates the board of trustees to propose a carbon tax ballot question that will further support our community value and efforts. For a number of years, we have allocated funding from the general funds to support clean energy in our community and make investments in town-owned facilities. Last year we voted unanimously to dedicate 20 percent of Federal Mineral Leasing money to support

clean energy work in Carbondale. This was an exciting moment for our community. We were the first town in an energy rich-county to make such a commitment. However, we did that knowing those funds are diminishing and are unreliable. After examining various funding mechanisms researched by a group of local experts we selected an energy-use tax as the most appropriate means to both encourage energy conservation and fund programs that can continue to help our town achieve our adopted emission reduction goals. While taxing carbon at the national level would be a more effective solution to reducing carbon pollution, we cannot wait on Congress to do anything — much less something so forward thinking as this, and we should seize the opportunity to control how those funds would be re-invested in our homes, businesses and community. In the absence of a national carbon tax, we feel that it is imperative to do what we can at the local level to reduce our consumption, support community resilience, save our community members money, improve their comfort and honor our energy goals. We believe it’s possible to do more with less and keep it local. It also puts our money where our mouth is with our argument that Thompson Divide is too special to spoil with a drill-drilldrill mentality. Carbondale says to conserve and move towards renewables where possible. The proposed climate-action tax is quite simple: a tax on electricity and natural gas usage (not on vehicular fuel), appearing on one’s utility bills. The utility companies would administer it with no charge to the town. All of the funds would come back to the town to be

2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • JANUARY 14-20, 2016

invested directly in the local community. Funds raised would implement innovative programs to help local residents and businesses use less energy, save money and stay warmer, all while building the local economy. A dedicated percentage of the funds raised will help transform the lives of our low-income residents by enhancing existing programs that can greatly improve their comfort and lower their energy bills — at no cost to them. Lowering energy bills is just one part of our affordable housing issue, which we believe is a top priority. We can help give low-income families better control over an expense they might otherwise have no control over. Additionally, this program will leverage significant funding from other sources, once local funding is dedicated allowing us to do even more. American history shows us the power of grass roots movements. Carbondale may be small but that is no excuse for inaction. Many of us were inspired to run for local office by the opportunity to have a positive effect on our community’s future. This program is exactly that. It’s a way each of us can commit in a small way to improving our community — just as we have also done by investing personally in solar electric, thermal, wind power and hybrid vehicles. This is a short-term commitment (six years) at a low cost (estimated $8/month/ home) that will come with huge benefits. Please join us in supporting a local carbon tax in the April election. Pam Zentmyer Town Trustee/TFAC Committee Member Frosty Merriott Town Trustee/TFAC Committee Member

To inform, inspire and build community. Donations accepted online or by mail. For information call 510-3003 Editor: Lynn Burton • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Advertising: 970-379-0214 AdSales@soprissun.com Reporter: John Colson Photographer: Jane Bachrach Graphic Designer: Terri Ritchie CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS board@soprissun.com Barbara Dills, President Debbie Bruell, Secretary Colin Laird • Cliff Colia Diana Alcantara • Matt Adeletti The Sopris Sun Board meets regularly on the third Monday evening of each month at the Third Street Center. Check the calendar for details and occasional date changes.

Honorary Board Members Denise Barkhurst • Sue Gray David L. Johnson • Laura McCormick Jeannie Perry • Trina Ortega • Frank Zlogar Founding Board Members Allyn Harvey • Becky Young • Colin Laird Barbara New • Elizabeth Phillips Peggy DeVilbiss • Russ Criswell

The Sopris Sun, Inc. • P.O. Box 399 520 S. Third Street #36 Carbondale, CO 81623

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www.soprissun.com Send us your comments: feedback@soprissun.com The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.

Local students see their words come to life

By Debbie Bruell Sopris Sun Correspondent

How many high school students do you know who have the opportunity for a creative writing assignment (a 10-minute play) to be turned into a theater production directed by a professional director from New York? Roaring Fork High School freshman Tyler Gruel and Glenwood Springs High School junior Caroline Piffer, this year’s winners of the Aspiring Playwrights Competition, will experience that opportunity this month. The Colorado non-profit Theater Masters has organized this competition for over 10 years. As a recent addition to the high school competition, Theater Masters now organizes a National MFA Playwrights Competition for Masters of Fine Arts students in some of the top graduate programs across the country — including Brown, Columbia, New York University and Yale — in which one play is chosen from each school. The winning plays from the high schooland masters-level competitions are performed in Aspen each year. This year’s event, Take Ten, will take place at Aspen High School’s Black Box Theatre on Jan. 31 through Feb. 2.

Tyler Gruel Gruel’s theater experience began when he was about eight years old when he performed in a Jane Gottlieb production of “Guys & Dolls.” After performing in SoL Theater’s first production in 2012, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Gruel said he has performed in “almost all of the SoL shows that I could since then,” including playing the part of Charlie Brown in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Writing plays is a more recent interest for Gruel. He started writing his first play last spring and then wrote his 10-minute play for his RFHS Creative Writing class this fall. Creative Writing teacher Carmen McCracken entered all of her students plays in the Aspiring Playwrights Competition. Gruel told The Sopris Sun he was completely taken

by surprise to have won the competition. When his mom called to tell him he had won he thought she was joking. Gruel described his play, “No Easy Thing,” in an interview with The Sun: “It’s about a guy who’s working in a morgue and one of the dead bodies wakes up. The idea is that the dead guy got sent to hell because of a paperwork mistake ... and a demon wants to get this guy's soul back by making a deal with the mortician.” According to Gruel, the play has a humorous and a serious side. Gruel will be assigned a professional director who will work with him on re-writing the play in preparation for producing it. Local actors will be performing the play.

Inspiring youth Julia Hansen is the founder of Theater Masters, which was formed in 2001. She told The Sopris Sun that the juried competition of the Aspiring Playwrights Competition is looking for young people with “imagination, voice and good ideas.” According to Hansen, the high school competition “helps students to express themselves at a time when it’s hard for them to do that in other ways.” Chip Wells, who runs the Aspiring Playwright Competition, has been part of the competition since it’s inception. She views the competition as a way to add to the body of plays that exist in the world and give voice to people who may not have otherwise considered writing a play. “It’s exciting to see these kids who never in a million years thought about being a playwright ... start thinking about it as something they can and might possibly pursue,” she told The Sun. Wells points to the example of Margaret Edson, unrelated to the Theater Masters program but an example of the outstanding contribution that can be made by someone with little intention of being a professional playwright. Edson is a public elementary school teacher who decided to try her hand at playwriting, and wrote the Pulitzer Prizewinning play “Wit.” One of the most notable past winners of

Tyler Gruel the Aspiring Playwright Competition, according to Wells, is Naomi McDougall Jones. Jones has been involved with Theater Masters since she was 14 years old. She won the Aspiring Playwright Competition when she was a senior at Aspen High School. Now, at age 28, she is a professional playwright and screenwriter in New York City, as well as co-artistic director of Theater Masters. She credits her experience of winning the playwright competition as the reason why she became a writer. “It (winning the competition) was an unbelievable experience,” said in a phone interview from New York. “I’d always loved theater and I always wanted to be an actor. But it was the first time I ever thought that I might have something to say to others that’s worth hearing.” Her favorite playwright at the time, Christopher Durang, happened to be judging the competition that year. She was amazed that she actually had the opportunity to receive a critique of her play directly

from Durang. “For a high school student to feel like they have something worthwhile to contribute to a conversation that adults are having is an incredibly meaningful and empowering experience,” Jones said. Jones noted that the competition impacts all students who submit entries, not just the winners. Before the competition each year, Theater Masters sends teaching artists into the high schools to teach playwriting to the creative writing and drama classes. All students who submit a play — which is typically every student in the class — receive feedback on their play from a theater professional. According to Jones, this experience teaches students a lot about how to communicate their ideas in an effective way. “Learning when your messages are coming through clearly, and how to make a message come through more clearly is very valuable — even for those who aren’t going to become playwrights.” In addition to the two high school winners who get to have their play produced by a professional director, the plays that win as finalists each year have their plays read aloud at their school by professional actors. The finalists at RFHS this year are Khloe Lee for her play “How Are You, Really?”, Bryon Thurston for “Stay or Go,” and Zoe Hanlon for “Why Don’t You Like Sydney?” “A lot of times high school students feel like they don’t have anything worthwhile to say, so they mimic something they’ve seen on stage or on film,” Jones said. Her advice to young aspiring playwrights: “Write something that comes truly from your heart. The most exciting work always comes when a student truly tries to put something that comes from their own mind and their own heart onto the stage.”

Next steps

What: Take Ten When: Jan. 31-Feb. 2 (7:30 p.m.) Where: AHS Black Box Theater Tickets: theatermasters.org

Children’s Rocky Mountain School eyes new home By John Colson Sopris Sun Staff Writer After 26 years of holding classes at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) campus just west of Carbondale, the preschool that shares those same initials, known as the Children’s Rocky Mountain School, is relocating from its current building on campus to a place in the center of town. “We need to be out by June,” said the school’s director, Debbie Condello, who is in her 27th year of running the preschool and who said she is viewing the situation positively, rather than as a problem to be overcome.

According to CMRS headmaster Jeff Leahy, the preschool initially was informed two years ago that it would need to move, but then was given an additional year of tenancy at the campus “to give it more time” to find a new home. Leahy, who at one point served on the preschool’s board of directors and said the preschool’s directors have long been concerned that the preschool’s quarters were not sufficient to its needs, said CRMS has not made any decisions about how to use the space being vacated by the preschool. He also said the two schools have enjoyed a good organizational relationship, and that he hopes the new location better meets

Correction The Sopris Sun has another business to thank for advertising in Carbondale’s nonprofit newspaper in 2015. The business is John Frost Merriott, Certified Public Accountant. Thanks, Frosty. The Sun appreciates your business, and all the other businesses that advertised last year.

the preschool’s needs. And Condello expressed the same hopefulness about the new location, a house at 126 E. Main St., next door to the Marble Distilling Company, although she said the building needs to be considerably upgraded before the preschool moves in. The preschool has put the property under contract, with a bid of more than $500,000, but the seller has not yet responded with either acceptance or a counter-offer, Condello told The Sopris Sun on Monday. Regardless, the school is moving ahead with plans to relocate, including an effort to raise the money that will be needed to renovate the building and make it compliant with state and federal rules governing such operations. “We have to be moved in by September, 2016,” she remarked, adding that there still is a lot of work to be done. For example, she said, the building needs

some work before it is compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “We probably need to raise $100,000 to $150,000 more,” Condello said, adding that the school already has received grant funding for the task, including a $50,000 grant from the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation in Denver, which specializes in making grants to early childhood education and development organizations. Condello said the school is applying for additional grants, as well as continuing its long-time practice of holding periodic fundraising events, such as a table selling glow sticks at a recent First Friday celebration in downtown Carbondale. The preschool, Condello said, currently is serving 34 families, who send kids aged 3-5 years to the school either two or three days a week. The preschool’s educational philosophy, CRMS PRESCHOOL page 8

THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 3

Town Briefs

Cop Shop

Trustees discuss SE&MSCC recommendations

From Dec. 31 to Jan. 7, Carbondale Police OfďŹ cers handled 278 Calls for Service. During that period, ofďŹ cers investigated the following cases of note:

On Jan. 27, the Carbondale Board of Trustees will discuss recommendations from the Special Events & Main Street Closure Committee, according the town manager Jay Harrington’s weekly memo to town staffers and others. Discussion items will include Sopris Park and downtown events for the year 2016. Other items from Harrington’s memo include: The Christmas tree recycling lot east of town hall is still open for business. As the deep-freeze of late December and early January continued to hold Carbondale in its grip, town crews once again focused their work on removing snow and ice from the town’s streets, sidewalks and trials for the week of Jan. 4-8. The memo also reported that the shelter over the Community Bread Oven, on the grounds of Bonnie Fischer Park behind the Third Street Center, is all but completed, with ďŹ nal closeout work to be completed this week. As he does every week, Harrington reminded town ofďŹ cials that the winter/spring program brochure for the town’s recreation department is available for public perusal on the town’s website (www.carbondalerec.com). Expanding on that theme, Harrington wrote that youth hockey lessons got off to a rousing start last week, with 30 participants aged 6-9 years taking part in the program under the tutelage of volunteer coaches. According to Harrington, no one signed up for the 10-14 year old youth hockey program, so it’s time slot (5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Gus Darien Riding Arena rink) will be open for kids of that age to participate in “a non-sanctioned, no-fee, no coaching, youth pickupâ€? hockey time through the month of January. “It will be a ‘play at own risk’ scenario,â€? Har-

rington continued, urging parents to make sure the players have the necessary safety equipment (helmet with face mask and pads). Also in the recreation department, the Youth Basketball League will begin playing against teams from Aspen, Basalt and Glenwood Springs later in January. League play will be among 10 distinct teams. At the 4th Street Plaza rink on Jan. 1, Harrington continued, “despite cold temperatures, many people participated in ice skating, stood around the bonďŹ re, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and warmed up with hot chocolateâ€? at the town’s First Friday Family Skate Night. Also of note, six teams are signed up to play in the town’s broomball league at the Darien Arena rink. Skate rentals are available at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center, next door to town hall, at a cost of $3 per day or $10 for three days, and skate sharpening services are available at the recreation center at a cost of $5. Ice conditions were reported to be good at the rinks, and the town will post reports on ice conditions and other skate-related matters at the recreation department website. At the recreation center, Harrington reported, “due to popular demand we will be promoting and starting dropin pickleball on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m.â€? The program is open to all levels of players, and is free to recreation center members, Silver Sneakers members and holders of a recreation center punch pass. Work continues on the UniďŹ ed Development Code, a revision and updating of town codes, and a meeting on the subject is planned for Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. between the planning and zoning commission and the board of trustees.

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FRIDAY, Jan. 1: At 2:49 a.m. police pulled a car over for making an illegal turn at Hendrick Drive and Main Street, and then arrested the driver on a charge of driving under the inuence of alcohol. FRIDAY, Jan. 1: At 3:42 p.m. police were notiďŹ ed of the theft of a Toshiba laptop from a home on Wheel Circle within the previous month. FRIDAY, Jan. 1: at 11:49 p.m. police arrested two people at 403 Main St. for ďŹ ghting. SUNDAY, Jan. 3: At 1:14 a.m. police observed “a visibly intoxicated maleâ€? driving his vehicle into the parking lot at the 7-Eleven Store at 1329 Main St., and arrested him on a charge of drunk driving. MONDAY, Jan. 4: Police responded to a reported disturbance at a store on Highway 133 where two men were having a shouting match. One of the pair was found to have a warrant out for his arrest, and he was arrested and taken to GarďŹ eld County Jail. THURSDAY, Jan. 7: At 2:02 a.m. police were called to a business on a report about a drunken woman making trouble at the establishment. The woman was arrested for violating a protective court order, drinking alcohol illegally and harassment.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reverend Martin Luther King and Nonviolence with Rev. Florence Caplow

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Join us Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 – 10 a.m.

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Inspirational, Contemporary Music

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Religious Exploration

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • JANUARY 14-20, 2016

H e a th e r R y d e l l Childcare Provided

Dra version of UDC complete; hearing slated By John Colson Sopris Sun Staff Writer “We’re not done yet,” said Carbondale planning director Janet Buck on Dec. 15, speaking to the town’s board of trustees about the long-discussed Unified Development Code, which incorporates revisions to the town’s land-use code book. But the five-year process of rewriting the town’s comprehensive land-use plan, and the town’s development review codes along with the comprehensive plan, is nearing its conclusion with an upcoming public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Feb. 18, and final adoption by the trustees anticipated in March. Overall, the UDC has been touted as an updated, streamlined version of the town’s historic land-use codes, in which portions of the code that were contradictory or unclear have been rationalized and clarified by the consultants, Clarion Associates, and the P&Z through a process that included months of meetings and hearings.

The entire process, with all the documents and revisions, has been outlined on a special website set up by town officials (www.carbondaleudc.com), and the “adoption draft” has been in the hands of the town’s boards and commissions for weeks. Buck, in a presentation to the trustees in December, noted that the town’s codes were adopted in 1993 and have not seen a substantial rewrite since then, and added that in her experience of administering the code since 2001 she learned of numerous problems with the old code. Among them, she said, was a need for clarification of the town’s parking requirements for approved development projects, including the creation of parking requirements for some types of land use that had none under the old code. “So, we’d make it up,” she admitted to the trustees. But with the UDC, she said, “We now have parking requirements for every land use” that might come before the town’s re-

view boards. Another area that needed to be clarified and cleaned up, she said, was the town’s map of zone districts, which govern what kind of development can be pursued in different parts of town. Many relevant parts of the old code, she said, depended on a somewhat subjective interpretation of the zoning rules by Buck and the planning staff, “and that’s not the way to administer a code.” P&Z Chair Gavin Brook seconded Buck’s summary of the circumstances, calling the old code “fairly outdated, messy” and an example of how unwieldy such regulations can become if they evolve over 20 years without an organized review. The review and rewriting of the UDC process, Brook said, was needed to “level the playing field … to help make it accessible both to people hoping to do development … but also to neighbors who live here” and who might want a better understanding about what developmental changes might occur in

their neighborhoods. The UDC, Brook maintained, “creates a great framework” for future review of development proposals, though he added, “I don’t think it’s a silver bullet for Carbondale” that will solve all of the town’s land-use related conflicts and confusion. For example, Brook said, the UDC does not set out an advocacy role for the town with regard to affordable housing, which he predicted is something the town’s elected leaders may wish to do at some point. “It is the town trustees’ role to put that in place,” said Brook, who is a principle in the Land+Shelter architecture firm and has been involved in past developments. He suggested the trustees, or the town staff, could discuss the issue with affordable-housing experts about what has worked in the past in this region or elsewhere, and about how best to “tweak” the code in a way that could “get this affordable housing thing to work better” and create more of such housing in the town. In response to questions from Trustee UDC page 8

Trustee election draws at least three new faces Zentmyer and Hoffmann term limited By John Colson Sopris Sun Staff Writer Carbondale’s board of trustees will see a few changes come April 5, with the election of at least two and possibly three new board members. There are three seats up for grabs in the election, according to town officials. Trustees Pam Zentmyer and John Hoffmann both are leaving the board due to term limits, meaning they cannot run for re-election. Trustee Allyn Harvey, however, can run for re-election and apparently will, as he has taken out a nominating petition and is circulating it around town to gather signatures from qualified voters in support of his candidacy. Nominating petitions have been available at Town Hall since Jan. 5, and are due back in Town Clerk Cathy Derby’s office by 5 p.m. on Jan. 25 in order for candidates to have their names placed on the ballot. According to town officials, as of Tuesday, Jan. 12, three other local residents had taken out petition forms in hopes of getting onto the town board. The three new names hoping to get on the ballot were Ben Bohmfalk, Michael Durant and Dan Richardson, each of whom has government service in his background either in Carbondale or in Glenwood Springs. Bohmfalk, who has been a teacher of government classes at Basalt and Roaring Fork high schools, currently is listed as a “technology integration facilitator” with the Roaring Fork School District (according to the district website). He also served six years on the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) from 2006 to 2012, four of them as chair of the commission. Bohmfalk is 39, and has lived in Carbondale for 13 years, except for two years when he and his wife, who is Australian, moved to Australia to be near her family. They have been back in Carbondale for about a year and a half, he said on Tuesday. Asked why he decided to run for the board of trustees, Bohmfalk said, “I really enjoy the public process,” citing his work as a teacher and as a member of the P&Z. Plus, he said, “I feel like we need kind of reasonable, moderate decision makers, and that’s what I am.” He also said he hopes to make the public review process “less divisive, especially around development.” He maintained that just about any large-scale development in town ends up pitting one faction of the community against another, “and it just doesn’t have to be that way.” He believes town govern-

ment should be able to review projects without becoming mired in heated controversy. Durant, who is 58, married with no children, has lived in Carbondale since 2002 and runs his own property appraisal business in town. He also has served on the P&Z for about six or seven years. Asked why he decided to run for the board of trustees, Durant said, “I just saw the current trustees focusing in on issues that I thought weren’t in the town’s purview or in the town’s best interests,” and not focusing on issues that he felt were in the town’s best interest. Asked for specific examples, he said he believes the board of trustees needs to adopt “a common-sense approach to fiscal responsibility.” As a member of the Mt. Sopris Rotary club, he recalled that the club recently raised money to buy an automated external defibrillator for one of the Carbondale’s police cars, and noted that only about half of the cop cars in town carry the emergency medical devices. But, he continued, the town every year gives money away to non-profit organizations of different kinds. “I think that is cockeyed,” Durant declared. “The town needs to focus more in its governmental responsibilities,” such as emergency equipment for its police, keeping the streets in good shape and taking care of the public infrastructure. Plus, he said, since the town gets most of its income from sales taxes, “We need to create a business environment in town that’s more friendly so people will want to shop in Carbondale.” Richardson, 43, is married with two sons, and has lived in Carbondale since 2007. He said he was born in Glenwood Springs, once was the team mascot for Glenwood Springs High School, served on the Glenwood Springs City Council in the early 2000s, and now works as a consultant and a manager for the SGM engineering firm in Glenwood Springs. “I love local government,” Richardson said about his reason for running for election. “I love governance in general, and what better town than Carbondale in which to do that?” His sons, aged 10 and 12 years, are “too old for me to coach any more,” so he has plenty of time to devote to the intensive work of being a trustee, he said. “I don’t have an agenda,” he declared. “I don’t think the town is going in a terrible direction,” he simply wants to help the community improve and thrive. Harvey, who was first elected in 2012, gained public no-

tice by being a significant voice in the successful electoral battle to rescind town approvals for the Village at Crystal River development project on land at the western edge of town. Asked why he is running for re-election, Harvey said the board of trustees has generally been headed in what he feels is the right direction and he would like to be part of helping that continue. “I think Carbondale is in a good place,” he added, though he feels the town faces significant challenges in the immediate future with regard to such issues as affordable housing and growth. “We want to keep Carbondale, Carbondale,” he concluded. Because none of the four have turned in their nominating petitions as of Tuesday, they were not formally declared candidates yet, and there may be other candidates getting into the race before the Jan. 25 ballot deadline.

The Northwest Colorado Business Development Center, and MTN magazine, recently chose Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Director Andrea Stewart as the winner of their Emerging Business Women’s award. Stewart and the winners in four other categories will be honored at an awards banquet in March. Jane Bachrach photo

THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 5

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MLK alert Roaring Fork School District students get the day off for Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 18. The post office, state and federal offices, and banks will also be closed in honor of the late civil rights leader.

These classes

Free coffee

start the week of Jan. 18: PERSONAL INTEREST CLASSES

BE YOUR AUTHENT IC SELF T,, 2-4:30p (Carbondale, starts 2/2) HEALTH/FITNESS HEAL LTH/FITNESS CLASSES IN CARBOND CARBONDALE ALE DYNAMIC WORKOUT

TTh, Noon-12:50p

MORNING CONDIT IONING

TTh, 5:25-6:25a

FITBALL & CORE STRENGTH TTh, 5-5:50p ZUMBA

W, 5:30-6:30p

HEAL LTH/FITNESS CLASSES IN GLENWOOD HEALTH/FITNESS DYNAMIC WORKOUT

TTh, 9:30-10:20a

PILATES MATWORK I

MW, 9:30-10:20a

AEROBIC C IRCUIT TRAINING TTh, 4:30-5:20p

AIKIDO

MW, Noon-1p

TTh, 6:30-8:20p

KARA ATE TTh, 5:30-6:20p TAI CHI

TTh, 8:15-9:15a

MIXED -LEVEL YOGA

That’s right. The new Bonfire Coffee in Willits will be serving free coffee from 6 a.m. to noon on Fridays for the rest of January, according to a press release. Bonfire in Willits is located in the northwest corner of the new Element Hotel east of Whole Foods. On a related note, Bonfire Willits will host its grand opening from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 21. Come by for free coffee and food tastings. All visitors will be entered into a drawing for Bonfire Coffee prizes and merchandise. Bonfire Coffee’s master roaster, Jeff Hollenbaugh, gets all the shop’s coffees from ethical importers from around the world. “We always use freshly roasted coffee beans from small batches for optimal body and flavor,” he said.

Newspaper inks Sunlight The Kansas City Star newspaper recently named Sunlight Mountain Resort as one of the top five places to learn to ski or snowboard. “You won’t find crowds at this resort near Glenwood Springs, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in cost — about half of what you’ll pay up the road in Aspen,” the article said.

Let’s get logical

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MW, 5:30-6:40p

MANAGING LIFE ’S STRESSES T,, Noon-2p KITCHEN CUPBOARD MEDIC INE Th, 6-8p (1/28) LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CLASSES FRENCH I M, 10a-noon (Glenwood) FRENCH CONVERSAT ION

W, 10a-noon (Glenwood)

CONVERSAT IONAL SP PA ANISH 1 T,, 6-8:50p (Glenwood) W, 6-8:50p (Carbondale) CONVERSAT IONAL SP PA ANISH 2 M, 6-8:50p (Glenwood) T,, 6-8:50p (Carbondale) CONVERSAT IONAL SP PA ANISH 3 Th, 6-8:50p (Glenwood) CONVERSAT IONAL SP PA ANISH 4 W, 6-8:50p (Glenwood)

M MORE ORE C CLASSES L A SSES S START TART SOO SOON! N! The complete class schedules for continuing education and credit classes are available online and on campus. WWW.COLORADOMTN.EDU WWW .COLORADOMTN.EDU CARBONDALE | GLENWOOD WOOD SPRINGS | SPRING V VALLEY ALL ALLEY

6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • JANUARY 14-20, 2016

Community organizations across Colorado have formed LOGIC (The League of Oil and Gas Impacted Coloradans) to help Coloradans who increasingly face challenges arising from oil and gas drilling near neighborhoods and homes, according to a press release. “It is time to change the discussion around oil and gas development in Colorado – the right of the industry to develop minerals should not trump our rights,” said Dan Johnston, a co-founder of Windsor Neighbors for Responsible Drilling. “The issue is not pro- vs. anti- oil and gas development. We need a fair and balanced approach that protects Colorado residents from the risks and impacts of oil and gas drilling as oil companies continue to seek drilling sites closer than ever to homes and neighborhoods. Too many Colorado families are bearing an undue burden from oil and gas development.” LOGIC will provide support to those community members to better prepare them to work with oil and gas companies and state regulators.

What’s cooking? Ardis Hoffman, founder of Heart Healthy Meals, is offering culinary cooking classes. She helps students whip up yummy, nutritious dishes and food to take home. She is offering several themed sessions between Jan. 16 and Jan. 25, and on Saturdays and Sundays in February. The fee for most classes is $107, which includes food. For details, call 303-3059664 or e-mail ardishoffman@gmail.com.

Bend some plastic for RFOV City Market has named Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers as a recipient of its City

Kate Dehm recently opened KEYLINK vacation rental management in Glenwood Springs. She offers vacation rental management throughout Colorado and offers three levels of service. For details, go to keylinkvr.com or call 844-618-4948. Market Community Rewards program. To register, go to citymarket.com/communityrewards and enter 35618 to link your card to the City Market Value Card. Then, every time you swipe your Value Card, RFOV will earn a rebate, according to a press release. Everyone participating in the City Market Community Rewards program must re-enroll their cards each calendar year.

YouthEntity gets the boot YouthEntity announced this week they will host the Western Slope ProStart Competition Boot Camp from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 29. Led by the Colorado Restaurant Association Education Foundation, ProStart teachers, competition teams and mentors from the Roaring Fork Valley and the Western Slope will gather to learn best practices for upcoming competitions throughout Colorado, with the hope of advancing to the National ProStart Invitational later this year. “Every year I look forward to coaching our restaurant management competition team,” said Kirsten McDaniel, executive director of YouthEntity. “It’s really rewarding for the students to develop a restaurant concept starting with a blank piece of paper and integrating a variety of elements from marketing, food costing, menu design and human resources into a concept that’s a hero not a zero.” For more information on YouthEntity, go to youthentity.org.

Welcome aboard Marie and Bryan Ezra announce the birth of a son, Owen Ross Ezra, who was born in Denver at 2:16 p.m. on Jan. 6. Owen Ezra came in at six pounds, 11 ounces. Marie is originally from Delta and Bryan from Carbondale.

They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating their birthday this week include Marianne Ackerman (Jan. 14) and Lewis Cooper (Jan. 20).

TH

U!

K Y N O A

The Sopris Sun depends on the kindness and generosity of many people, organizations, and businesses in Carbondale and throughout the valley, including: everyone who makes the news, sends a letter or submits an opinion piece; our advertisers; our hardworking staff and board; the other writers and photographers who contribute to the paper; and the many individuals and businesses that support our efforts with their financial contributions. Our online SunScriber donation system is an easy and secure way to become a Sopris Sun supporter with recurring monthly or annual contributions or one-time gifts of any size. INDIVIDUAL DONORS Adele M. Hause Alana Monge Allyn Harvey Amy Krakow Angela Hanley & Danny Stone Ann Worley Anne Goldberg Annemarie Zanca *Anonymous Armand & Nancy Thomas Audrey Jane Spaulding Barbara A. L. Collins Barbara Adams Barbara Bush Barbara Dills Barbara Guy Barbara Reese Ben Bohmfalk Bill Spence & Sue Edelstein Brian & Alicia Keleher Bridget H.K. McIntyre Carl & Vickie Smith Carol Craven Carol Pucak Chris & Terry Chacos Christie Leonard Chuck & Nancy Torinus CJ Walsh Colin & Alice Laird Craig Fulmer & Heidi Johnson Craig Wheeless & Erin Rigney Dan & Holly Richardson Debbie & Marc Bruell Debra Burleigh Diana Stough Alcantara Eric Lawrence Frank & Rosie McSwain

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BUSINESS DONORS A Plus Accounting / Kathy & Bob Zentmyer *Alpine Bank / Bob Young Aspen Graphic Solutions, Inc. / Marjorie DeLuca Carbondale Acupuncture Center / David Teitler Cold Mountain Ranch / Bill Fales & Marj Perry Crystal Theatre / Kathy & Bob Ezra David Eberhardt OD Prof LLC Emmy’s Eldercare Equus Private Wealth Management LLC *Habitat for Humanity - Roaring Fork Valley / Scott Gilbert FootSteps Marketing / Pat Curry *Jaywalker Lodge / Bob Ferguson *Locke/Surls, LLC / James Surls Prima Plant Services Rainy Day Designs / Craig Wheeless & Erin Rigney Susan’s Flowers on Main Street Teresa Salvadore DC Inc *Umbrella Roofing, Inc / Trevor Cannon White House Pizza GRANTORS Anschutz Family Foundation Roaring Fork Rotary Foundation / Carbondale Rotary Thrift Shop of Aspen

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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 7

CRMS preschool om page 3 she said, was inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, ďŹ rst espoused in the Reggio Emilia region of Italy following World War II by teacher Loris Malaguzzi and a group of parents. “The assumption of Malaguzzi and the parents was that people form their own personality during early years of development and that children are endowed with ‘a hundred languages’ through which they can express their ideas,â€? according to a description in the Wikipedia online encyclopedia. The educational philosophy of the Reggio Emilia Approach is that these “languages,â€? such as painting, sculpting, drama and other pursuits, are fostered through its programs and by having parents work alongside teachers to guide the kids through a “self-guided curriculum.â€? Condello noted that some families who last year sent kids to the school have not done so this year, due to concerns over the pending relocation, so “we have spaces available this yearâ€? through the end of the school year. Normally, she said, there typically are 17 or so kids at the school per day, and the school normally has a waiting list for kids hoping to be admitted. The school has historically operated out of a building that Leahy said was at one point the “oldâ€? boy’s dorm and prior to that contained “sheep pensâ€? for the school’s agriculture-related curriculum. The main school was founded by John and Anne Holden in 1953, former teachers

with the Putney School in Vermont who moved west to create a school with twin focal curricula — academics as well as outdoor education and experience. Condello recalled that Anne Holden, in particular, used to enjoy the presence of very young students on campus (Colorado Rocky Mountain School offers classes in grades 9-12), and for a time after the preschool started operations could be found there often, reading to the youngsters. Condello also noted that a former headmaster, Chris Babbs, was one of the key motivators in getting a preschool started on campus, in the belief that it would be good for senior class members to get experience working with the youngsters by acting as mentors and tutors as part of the older students’ community service requirement. Many graduates of CRMS, Condello said, have gone on to work in the ďŹ eld of education, perhaps due in some part to their work with the young kids at Children’s Rocky Mountain School. The preschool, Condello said, has been a separate non-proďŹ t organization since 1998, but she added, “We’ve had a great relationship with CRMS.â€? The preschool’s faculty, Condello said, includes herself and three faculty members, and adheres to a teacher-student ratio of 1-6. In addition, she said, all staff members are director-qualiďŹ ed, meaning they could step in to run the school should anything happen to keep Condello away. “That’s kind of unheard of in early childhood education,â€? Condello said of

both the teacher-student ratio and the director-qualiďŹ cation of everyone on staff. Condello remarked that she views the change in location as a positive one, because it will increase the school’s visibility and because the kids will beneďŹ t from being near more services and amenities than are easily accessible from the CRMS campus,

UDC

om page 5

Allyn Harvey, Brook explained that the UDC does not envision a change in the town’s “inclusionary housing� regulation, which requires a developer to dedicate 20 percent of the housing in a given project to affordable housing. And, Brook said, the UDC, like the comprehensive plan, encourages commercial development both in the historic downtown area and along Highway 133 within the town’s boundaries, through allowances for “mixed-use� developments and “new urban development� along the highway corridor, and an emphasis on a more pedestrian-friendly environment. Brook also pointed out that there are certain aspects of the town’s codes, even with the new UDC, such as the ideas of inserting mixed-use designations in the zoning code, and the elimination of junctures where high, medium and low-density zones come together and can lead to friction among neighbors, that the trustees may want to tackle in the future.

which is about a mile from town. Condello stressed that she is looking for contributions from the school’s supporters or from area residents in general, and that donations can be made by calling the school at 963-2524 or by going to the school’s website at www.childrensrockymountainschool.org. Brook reminded the trustees, “This is a living document,â€? and one that should be reexamined and revised periodically to keep it current and relevant. But, he said, such revisions probably can be handled internally, without the need to hire a consultant. Trustee Katrina Byars urged her fellow trustees to act soon on the question of advocacy for affordable housing, “because one of the byproducts of the UDC is that we will increase development, and there will be gentriďŹ cation,â€? meaning conversion of older housing stock into high-cost, new housing. “We are taking an action that is making things more expensive,â€? she declared. Buck, in an e-mail to The Sopris Sun, explained that in advance of the Feb. 18 public hearing before the P&Z, the planning commission members will be holding at least one, and perhaps two work sessions with the trustees to ensure that “the transition from P&Z to the board is smooth.â€? She wrote that the town hopes to present the ďŹ nal draft version of the UDC to the trustees at a meeting on March 9.

Free Community Meal Sat., Jan. 16

For Information & Reservations call 970-945-0667

The Sopris Sun is hiring!

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

We are located on Highway 133 between Sopris Ave. and 8th St. Please call if you you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Community Meals will be every 3rd Saturday.

Seeking an outgoing person to join our team as the ad rep.

Come join us for a tasty meal, music and socializing.

Part-time, weekdays, with strong earning potential Visit soprissun.com for a full job description and more info. Our mission: to inform, inspire and build community

8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • JANUARY 14-20, 2016

Faith Lutheran Church 1340 Highway 133 Carbondale, CO 81623 www.faithcarbondale.com (970) 510-5046

Sub-zero temperatures in Carbondale and surrounding areas have not only caused humans to bundle up in their winter coats to protect themselves from the frigid air, they have also bundled up their horses in coats or blankets. Horses grow their own winter coats, which protect them from the cold, so they usually don't need blankets. However, older horses or showand-competition horses that have had their coats clipped are usually blanketed. Often times, owners just want to give their horses that extra protection when it's this cold no matter what, just because they love them. Photo by Jane Bachrach

Non-profit highlight

ROTARY CORNER

Carbondale Recreation & Community Center

ROTARY CLUB OF CARBONDALE January with Carbondale Rotary 2015-16 Rotary International Theme

“Be a Gift to the World” “SERVICE ABOVE SELF”

RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran of Sri Lanka Carbondale Rotary Steve Skinner, club president Practicing Service Above Self, at home and around the world …

Did you know?

Farewell to Manu! Our Rotary Youth Exchange student for the past year, Manuel “Manu” Cortina, shown here during a Habitat for Humanity work day in November, will be heading back to Argentina later this month. It has been a pleasure having you in Carbondale, and we will miss you!

Carbondale Rotary has put together a Habitat for Humanity volunteer work crew for 25 straight months as of December. Congratulations to the newest Habitat family, the Deadwilers, on their new home at Keator Grove. Carbondale Rotary also organized the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign at City Market during the holidays, raising $10,000 for local relief efforts. Thank you to all who gave and to City Market for again playing host. Carbondale Rotary meets at 6:45 a.m. each Wednesday at the Carbondale Firehouse.

Visitors are welcome to join us for our weekly program and learn about the wonderful work Rotary does in the community and around the world.

How to get and stay FIT!

It s easy with a membership to the CRCC! During the month of January the CRCC is offering everyone a special membership promotion to purchase or upgrade a multi-month membership with an additional free month. No more excuses! Get a membership!

4 months for the price of 3! 7 months for the price of 6!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY PROGRAMS:

Jan. 13 – Pat Thrasher, Glenwood Railroad Museum Jan. 20 – Club meeting Jan. 27 – Lucy Kessler from CORE and Erica Sparhawk from CLEER talk about Carbondale’s clean energy efforts Feb. 3 – Dave Reed, Western Colorado Congress Feb. 10 – Jack Brendlinger, “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even” For program suggestions, contact Rick Carlson, rccarlson@gmail.com

Now that is no BULL!

For membership and other Rotary Club information, visit www.rotarycarbondale.org

www.carbondalerec.com 970-510-1290

THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 9

Community Calendar THURSDAY Jan. 14 FOOD CONFAB • The Roaring Fork Food Alliance presents the Local Food Convergence at the Crystal Palace in downtown Aspen. The event starts at 6 p.m. with a reception, followed by speakers from 7 to 9 p.m., including Michael Brownlee (Local Food Stuff magazine), Willie Volkhausen (hemp grower from Paonia), Sue Gray (the Colorado Hemp Alliance) and Gwen Garcelon (Roaring Fork Food Alliance). Tickets are available at http://tiny.cc/s6rn7x. WINTERSKOL 2016 • “Aspen History 101â€? screens at the Wheeler Opera House at 5:30 (it’s free). The Mad Hatter’s Bash follows at 7:30 p.m. (also free). C’DALE LIBRARY • The Carbondale Branch Library presents “Introduction to 3D Printingâ€? at noon. The class includes instructions on how to use the library’s 3D printer, and how the printer is being used around the world. The class is free and will be repeated at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 18. Info: 963-2889. ROTARY • The Mt. Sopris Rotary meets at Mi Casita at noon every Thursday.

FRIDAY Jan. 15 MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre presents “The Big Shortâ€? (R) at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15-21 and “Spotlightâ€? (R) at 4:45 p.m. on Jan. 16. LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the old part of the Dinkel Building presents Boulder’s Rebecca Folsom, who has a four-octave voice and has written two books of poetry. Info: rebeccafolsom.com and 963-3304. CAUCUS FOR HILLARY • A caucus meet-

To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is noon on Monday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted. For up-to-the-minute valley-wide event listings, check out the Community Calendar online at soprissun.com. View events online at soprissun.com/calendar.

ing for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Skyline Ranch and Kennels on White Hill (356 County Road 101). Info: 948-2631. DAVI NIKENT • An evening of spirituality, healing and meditation with Misha is offered at the Third Street Center at 6:30 p.m. It’s free.

SATURDAY Jan. 16 PAIN WORKSHOP • Lori Spencer’s Inammation Release Technique workshop teaches participants how to recognize the patterns of behavior that create a pain cycle, and reveal what keeps you stuck. The workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Third Street Center; the fee is $150. To register, call 312-636-0440 or e-mail lori@spencertechnique.com. SATURDAY MARKET • Eagle Crest Nursery hosts an indoor Saturday farmer’s market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 15. Items include local produce, eggs, ďŹ sh, meats, bread, pastries, spices, jewelry, arts, apparel and more. Info: 963-1173. IMPROV DANCE • The Launchpad, and Dance Initiative, offer improvisational dance workshops with Meg Medorin and Laura Ann Samuelson from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and 1 to 3 p.m. Medorin and Samuelson will take participants through a series of improvisational practices and explorations that will enable dancers to ďŹ nd balance and comfort with internal sensing, movement play and external expression, in order to develop tools for creation and performance. The cost is $12 per workshop or $20 for both. Info: danceinitiative.org. COMMUNITY MEAL • Faith Lutheran

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Church on Highway 133 (between Sopris Avenue and Eighth Street) serves up a free community meal from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month. Info: 510-5046. MOUNTAIN MINYAN • The Aspen Jewish Congregation’s Saturday Mountain Minyan returns to Elk Camp restaurant on Snowmass Mountain at 11 a.m. Hike up or take the gondola. There’ll be 20 minutes of song and inspiration, followed by lunch and skiing. Info: 925-8245 or ofďŹ ce@aspenjewish.org. Saturday Mountain Minyan will continue on Feb. 20 and March 19.

SUNDAY Jan. 17

POETRY • Thunder River Theatre and the Aspen Poet’s Society present “Poetry of the Civil Warâ€? from 6 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. The evening features Valerie Haugen and Jim Nuzzo. Part of the performance emerged from Haugen’s research on a new play she has been working on about the Civil War, aspects of which have not been written about or presented in plays or ďŹ lm. Thunder River Theatre hopes to produce the play in the next year or two. CO-HOUSING • Carbondale Co-Housing holds a potluck discussion and planning session from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Third Street Center. “This is multi-generational living at its best,â€? said a Carbondale Co-Housing spokesman. Info: Philip Hone Williams at uiux@yahoo.com or 610-513-9885. UU SERVICE • The Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists meet at 10 a.m. for a service in The Spiritual Center, Suite 31 at the Third Street Center in Carbondale.

MON. & WEDS. Jan. 18 & 20 MODEL AUDITIONS • Auditions for CCAH’s Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza are 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the Launchpad, and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Launchpad. Models must be at least 18 years old. The shows are March 11-12. All models must attend one of the auditions; rehearsals being on Feb. 3. Info: 963-1680 or amy@carbondalearts.com.

MONDAY Jan. 18 VISIT CRMS • Colorado Rocky Mountain School hosts Community Visit Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day includes a campus tour, Q&A session with department chairs and comments from Head of School Jeff Leahy. To RSVP, e-mail admission@crms.org. HEART HEALTHY MEALS • Ardis Hoffman gives a Heart Healthy Meals cooking class to parents and their kids (10 years old minimum age) from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Orchard. The cost is $157 for parents/kids, $107 for youth only (14 years old minimum age). Info: 303-305-9664 or ardishoffman@gmail.com. CASA • Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the Ninth Judicial District holds volunteer training. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, submit to a background check, be able to commit to 18 months as a volunteer, be computer literate and willing to complete the 30-hour training. Info: 970-987-4332 or casaofthe ninth.org. CALENDAR page 11

Community Calendar TUESDAY Jan. 19 LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the old part of the Dinkel Building presents Tony Furtado with a trio. Info: 963-3340. C’DALE LIBRARY • The Carbondale Branch Library offers elementary-schoolaged kids a different program each Tuesday starting at 4 p.m. The ďŹ rst Tuesday of the month is Story Art with the Aspen Art Museum; second Tuesday is Book Buddies; third Tuesday is Legos at the Library; fourth Tuesday is The Good, the Bad, and the Gross; and the ďŹ fth Tuesday is Librarian’s Choice. Info: 963-2889 or gcpld.org.

WEDNESDAY Jan. 20 AUTHOR TALK • Author Dipika Rai will discuss his novel “Someone Else’s Gardenâ€? at 5:30 p.m. at the Carbondale Branch Library. Light refreshments will be served. Info: 963-2889 and gcpld.org. FOX TALK • Wilderness Workshop and ACES Naturalist Nights series continues with Patrick Magee, Ph.D. talking about the red fox, it’s history and winter activities. The talk takes place at the Third Street Center at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. ROTARY • The Rotary Club of Carbondale meets at the Carbondale ďŹ re station on Meadowood Drive Wednesday mornings at 6:45 a.m. Info: rotarycarbondale.org. LIVE MUSIC • Dan Rosenthal hosts an open mic night at Rivers restaurant in Glenwood Springs from 8 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday.

continued from page 10

Further Out

THURSDAY Jan. 21

MODEL UN FUND-RAISER • A fundraiser for Roaring Fork High School’s Model UN Club takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Third Street Center. There’ll be food, drinks and a presentation by the students about their work with the club, and their preparation for the National High School Model UN conference in New York on March 1-6. BUDDY PROGRAM • The Buddy Program hosts a Mentor and Mingle event from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at BB’s Kitchen in Aspen. Come on out and learn what it means to be a Buddy. There are currently 37 kids in the Roaring Fork Valley waiting to be matched with adults in the Buddy Program. Info: laura@buddyprogram.org.

FRIDAY Jan. 22 DANCE • Aspen Dance Connection presents

the Staycee Pearl dance project at 7 p.m. at the Aspen District Theatre. Ticket info: aspenshowtix.com and 920-5770.

SAT.-SUN. Jan. 23-24 CIRQUE D’SOPRIS • CCAH’s annual Cirque D’Sopris (a show of youth design, daring and dance) is presented at Roaring Fork High School at 6 p.m. on Jan. 23, and 1 p.m. on Jan. 24. The theme is “Native Rootsâ€? and the show will look at traditions of the past as we peer into the future. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids at the door. Info: 963-1680 and carbondalearts.com.

SATURDAY Jan. 23 DANCE CLASS • Dance Initiative, CCAH, GrassRoots and others present a dance master class with the Staycee Pearl dance project from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Launchpad. The cost is $15. Info: 927-0641.

LUNAFEST • Proceeds from the LUNAFEST ďŹ lm festival go to the Advocate Safehouse Project and the Breast Cancer Fund, according to a press release. The festival is dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, showcasing female ďŹ lm-makers, and bringing women together in their communities. The six short ďŹ lms range from animation to ďŹ ctional drama, and cover topics such as women’s health, motherhood, body image, aging, cultural diversity and breaking barriers. To date nationwide, LUNAFEST has raised more than $850,000 for the Breast Cancer Fund and more than $2.1 million for other women’s non-proďŹ t organizations. LUNAFEST takes place at 5 and 7:30 p.m. at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. Advance tickets are $20 at Susan’s Flowers in Carbondale, Treadz in Glenwood Springs and lunafest.com. Info: 945-2632 or sarah@advocatesafehouse.org.

Save the date

Ongoing MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS • Dr. Greg Feinsinger offers free heart, diabetes and stroke counseling on Monday mornings at the Davi Nikent ofďŹ ce in the Third Street Center (Suite 24D). For an appointment, call 379-5718. If you have recent lab test results, bring them.

nights at Carbondale Beer Works the ďŹ rst and third Monday of each month. Sign up begins at 7 p.m. Info: 948-8228.

ART • The “Best of the Westâ€? group show at the Ann Korologos Gallery in downtown Basalt continues through Feb. 16. Info: 927-9668 and korologosgallery.com.

RUN AROUND • Independence Run & Hike hosts a run around town Saturdays at 8 a.m. Meet at the store in La Fontana Plaza and run various distances, with different routes each week. Info: 704-0909.

LIVE MUSIC • Lyn Byars hosts open mic

MAYOR’S COFFEE HOUR • Chat with Carbondale Mayor Stacey Bernot on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Village Smithy.

MONDAY Feb. 8 FILM • The Sopris Sun’s third annual Classic Movie Night features “The Blues Brothersâ€? at the Crystal Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m., the ďŹ lm starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $10. Costumes are encouraged. Proceeds beneďŹ t The Sopris Sun.

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Community Visit Day

Third Street Center, 520 S. 3rd Street, Carbondale 5IJT XPSLTIPQ XJMM UFBDI ZPV IPX UP SFDPHOJ[F UIF QBUUFSOT PG CFIBWJPS UIBU DSFBUF UIF QBJO DZDMF BOE SFWFBM XIBU LFFQT ZPV TUVDL Lori will lead you to understanding the equation of pain and help you change and heal the pain that holds you hostage. 'FF 5P SFHJTUFS DPOUBDU -PSJ BU PS -PSJ!4QFODFS5FDIOJRVF DPN

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FARMER’S MARKET Dec. 5 through Mar. 15 10am-2pm

JANUARY 18, 2016 • 9am 500 HOLDEN WAY, CARBONDALE the program will include: Campus Tours • Q&A with Department Heads Comments from Jeff Leahy, Head of School • Lunch space is limited, please RSVP. 970.963.2562 // admission@crms.org

Enjoy Local Vendors & Live Musicians Weekly!

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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 11

EAT. SHOP. PLAY. CONFLUENCE OF RIVERS, RECREATION & CULTURE

The Rocky Mountain Institute Innovation Center is now open for business, and tours are slated for Jan. 20 (noon to 2 p.m.), Jan. 27 (2 to 4 p.m.) and Feb. 10 (noon to 2 p.m.). The 15,610-square-foot, energy efficient “beyond state-of-art” office and convening center features a roof-mounted solar array that provides 100 percent of the building’s electrical needs, and passive solar measures that eliminate the need for mechanical cooling and central heating, according to the RMI website (rmi.org). The only mechanical systems are for ventilation and localized backup heating, which is equivalent to the energy need to power roughly 16 hair driers. Photo by Lynn Burton

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Community Briefs Check for avalanche conditions The U.S. Forest Service is reminding backcountry enthusiasts to check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) website (avalanche.state.co.us) before heading out. Each winter nationwide, about 30 people die in an avalanche while skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling in the backcountry, said a Forest Service press release. The agency also encourages visitors to educate themselves before going into areas where an avalanche is possible. To stay safe: • Get the CAIC forecast; • Take an avalanche course, read an avalanche book and take advantage of online training opportunities on websites like the National Avalanche Center and Avalanche Canada; • Watch the Forest Service’s updated “Know Before You Goâ€? avalanche safety video; • Never go out alone; • All backcountry party members need to have avalanche rescue gear; • The three conditions of unstable snow that can cause an avalanche are slopes steeper than 35 degrees, snowpack weakness (including recent avalanches), collapsing snow that makes a “whumpfâ€? sound, and cracks shooting out in front of your skis or when you are travelling through the snow.

Call before you go Some GarďŹ eld County ofďŹ ces will be closed or have reduced stafďŹ ng for the 2016 service awards celebration on Jan. 18, according to a press release. The events will take place from 89:30 a.m. in Glenwood Springs, and from 1-2:30

Please submit your community briefs to news@soprissun.com by noon on Monday.

p.m. in Rie. For details, go to GarďŹ eldcounty.com and click on the Calendar page.

Tax prep workshop High Country RSVP offers a tax preparation workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Jan. 19. The class costs $10 and teaches the basic fundamentals of federal tax law, based on real-life scenarios. Also, RSVP offers a veterans beneďŹ ts program from 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 18. A $10 donation is requested. For details, call 945-7486.

RE-1 accepting design input The Roaring Fork School District is assembling design advisory groups (DAGs) composed of school ofďŹ cials, teachers, students, parents and citizens to help provide input for the district’s upcoming construction projects, according to a press release. The district is currently seeking DAG members for the new Eastbank and Glenwood Springs Elementary School projects. For details, go to rfsd.k12.co.us.

Strawberry Days accepting apps Applications for the 119th annual Strawberry Days ďŹ ne arts/crafts show in Glenwood Springs are now available. For details, go to strawberrydays.com. The entry deadline is March 15. The festival takes place June 17-19 in Sayre Park. Vendors chosen for 2016 can expect a new layout designed to encourage sales and equal interest in all areas of the park. Booths will be arranged in “podsâ€? so each vendor is located on a corner. For more information, call the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association at 945-6589.

30 DAY

Colorado Mountain College is offering GED classes in Carbondale and Glenwood Springs starting on Jan. 18. The classes help individuals to prepare for the general equivalency diploma. Students can choose from a variety of class times to ďŹ t their family or work schedule. Morning classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. Evening classes are

held Mondays through Thursdays in Glenwood Springs. For details, call 947-8484.

Immunization clinics GarďŹ eld County Public Health offers immunization clinics at the Carbondale Family Resource Center (400 Sopris Ave.) the second and fourth Thursday of the month. To schedule an appointment, call 945-6614 ext. 2030.

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Charles Cady (left) and Erich Vogt, of Cady Associates, Inc., stand next to the new shelter over the Carbondale Community Oven behind the Third Street Center in Carbondale. The shelter was paid for out of a $25,000 grant to the Town of Carbondale from the Federal Mineral Lease District of GarďŹ eld County, $5,000 from the GarďŹ eld County Live Well agency, and $5,000 from the town itself. Photo by John Colson

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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 13

How to navigate the fuel crisis in Nepal By Hamilton Pevec Special to The Sopris Sun

Jan. 8, 2016: In Nepal, few people are talking about the two major and more than 300 minor earthquakes that hit Nepal in April and May of 2015. The impacts will be felt for years: 7 million people seriously affected or displaced — of those; 1.7 million are children. Half a million destroyed houses and 260 refugee camps are hard to ignore. The earthquakes’ aftermath was tragic and hopeful — tragic for the lives lost, and hopeful for the unity that was born of the loss. That unity was finally realized when the Nepal government agreed on and signed a constitution. After eight years of disagreement, strikes and violent clashes, this could have been a time to celebrate. Instead, the thing that everyone is talking about is the direct result of the new constitution. More than three months ago, to protest the new constitution, India closed the border and shut off the fuel supply to Nepal. India shut off not only diesel and petrol, but propane for cooking and food supplies as well. The Madhesi people in the southern Tarai region of Nepal make up 40 percent of the population. They are the ones most angry about the new constitution. They also happen to have very strong ties to India. As I understand it, India is demanding two things from the Nepalese government: A framework for the amended constitution, and quelling the protests. Amending the constitution should quell the protests, because those who are rising up are the ones the constitution alienates — the Madhesi population.

Fuel crisis The fuel crisis began while I was out of Nepal last year. The first thing I noticed on landing in Kathmandu were motorcycles lined up on the road for miles, strung with plastic string, waiting for fuel. Police in blue camouflage were stationed at the pumps. Even though gas prices were sky high, there were still traffic jams. Upon return to Nepal, I traveled the familiar six-hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara, where my wife and I run Himalayan Yogini Retreat. The price of the bus ticket hadn’t changed; perhaps the tourist buses are subsidized, but I suspect they are just well connected. We passed many buses without windshields, or were covered in clear plastic wrap. We saw a variety of creative ways to rig up a temporary windshield. My brother-in- law, Shyam, explained to me that the broken windshields on the buses are caused by protesters in the Tarai. There was graffiti on road signs that said “hashtag back off India.” Arriving in Pokhara, I saw red and blue lines of hundreds of propane cylinders waiting to be filled; they were strung together with chains. The Fewa Lake Valley that I call my home had thick air from dust and wood fires. Devika, my wife, had already been cooking on wood for more than a month when I arrived. It was the first time in my 32-year life that I experienced a shortage, particu-

It’s not unusual for police in riot gear to accompany buses in the wake of food and fuel shortages that have caused unrest in some parts of the country. The shortages began several months ago when India closed its borders to Nepal, after that country approved a new constitution that India did not like. Photo by Hamilton Pevec larly of the one thing that defines the state of our world today: hydrocarbon fuel. You don’t notice the impacts of a fuel shortage until you try to get that thing you need, and it’s not there anymore. The department store shelves are empty where there used to be knives or coconut oil. Instant noodles are now rationed. Slowly, the things we all need will run out. I interviewed my brother-in-law, Shyam, about how he is coping. I asked if I could go with him to buy black-market fuel in India. He said “no.” He told me that it was too dangerous. When he buys petrol he goes at night so nobody will see him carrying the “gallons.” You have to cross the border into India, where you can buy at normal prices, then smuggle the fuel back into Nepal. One local bus had a big load of people and petrol that it was smuggling. Something happened and the gasoline ignited. Everyone died. Oddly, you can now buy gas from just about anyone in Nepal. Three months after the border closure, more and more blackmarket entrepreneurs have dropped the price of gas for the average consumer. Shyam told me he got “the pure one, the good one from India. No mixing.” At the start he paid about $25 a gallon; now he is paying about $11. I only drive when necessary, like taking my pregnant wife to get an ultrasound. I noticed on different days there were different kinds of vehicles lined up at the pumps. One day it was small commercial vans and Jeeps, another day it was only taxis, so they have some kind of system. We had our propane tank in a line for three weeks.

‘Democracy’ in action On my way back to Kathmandu, we took the usual tourist bus. We passed trucks filled with cooking gas and their armed police escorts. The bus stopped in a random and unusual place. I got out to buy a snack

14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • JANUARY 14-20, 2016

and to investigate. I followed two police in riot gear along the line up of buses and trucks to a crowd of about 100 people blocking the road. Everyone shouted at once as more people stood around watching. One policeman in a red beret was speaking to the nearest person. Below the crowd was a line of stones and bamboo, a feeble but effective blockade. I had a hard time finding someone willing to speak in English. In the crowd I caught a few whiffs off alcohol, maybe a necessary ingredient for revolution? There didn’t seem to be any clear leader. I found out that the people of this area blockaded the road to demand cooking gas. They saw the trucks pass, but the trucks didn’t stop. They were pissed off even more because the propane distribution center is in their area! A lone motorcycle tried to sneak around the blockade and people ran in front, blocking it with their bodies, screaming and grabbing the handlebars. The blockade opened briefly to let through an ambulance. Riot police stepped forward and started breaking the blockade, lifting the bamboo and kicking the rocks away. The people resisted but was kind of half-hearted on the side of the police. The bamboo went back down, and the police backed away. It all seemed very casual; the air was electric but docile, a strange contrast. Suddenly it escalated, and the police gave it another try, clearing the bamboo and starting to move the crowd. Just when I thought it was over, the old ladies stepped in and blocked the road with their bodies, stern faced and unlovable as mother mountain. The local mothers’ group was now the front line and the police were helpless. Something happened in the negotiations and the police went away. Whatever it was, the people liked it. Were they told what they wanted hear? Is the gas coming? The villagers quickly rebuilt their blockade and the

grandmothers sat on top of it. As we all waited to see if the police kept their word, I spoke to some of the innocent bystanders. One college student told me this delay could make her miss her flight. She said she was living in the city and had no choice but to buy propane at high prices because she can’t cook with wood. City people will pay more, so the trucks go there. She told me three times she feels exploited. The police came back and told the villagers the gas trucks were coming. The villagers opened the blockade, feeling happy and proud. My bus left before any delivery was made. I wonder if the police stuck to their word? In this small roadblock of empowered citizens I see a microcosm of the bigger issue: if you don’t get what you want, strike. If the police give in to their demands, then it sets a precedent that has long been practiced in Nepal. Whether on the highway, or on the national border, temper tantrum tactics will either work or incite violence.

Adapt or ... The current seat of Nepalese power favors China. It’s possible that this may not be resolved until the Nepal government returns to favoring India. In my opinion there is too much pride on both sides for this to go away easily or quickly. It seems as if saving face is more important than having access to global trade. I’m not holding my breath for a resolution, even when the smog of wood fires is choking the sky. The price of wood has become more than propane. Most trucks I see are filled with scavenged wood from lake and rivers. Shyam mentioned that the wood we bought for construction was scavenged from a landslide that had killed a few people. NEPAL page 15

Unclassifieds Submit to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by Friday 12 p.m. Rates: $15 for 30 words, $20 for up to 50 words. Payment due before publication.*

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THE SOPRIS SUN IS HIRING. Seeking an energetic, outgoing, detail-minded person to join our team as a part-time (2030 hours/wk) ad sales representative. Strong computer skills required. Some direct sales experience preferred (need not be for newspapers). A positive attitude and commitment to The Sun’s mission (“to inform, inspire and build community�) are equally important. This is a great growth opportunity for the right person. Flexible weekday hours. Contact barbara.dills@gmail.com or 970-9635782 for a detailed job description.

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A group of local mothers blocked a line of buses between Kathmandu and Pokhara. The reason for the blockade was not immediately clear, but many were mad that propane was not coming to their village. Eventually, the bamboo barriers came down, the police backed off, and travel on the road returned. Photo by Hamilton Pevec

The sickly sweet stench of old wood reminds us that a crisis like this is a challenge and an opportunity. Not using cooking gas or petrol isn’t a far step backwards for Nepal; most of the country doesn’t drive and cooks on wood anyway.

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BLACK DOG VALLEY, LLC

HAS REQUESTED THE LICENSING OFFICIALS OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY LICENSE TO SELL MEDICAL MARIJUANA AT 985 HIGHWAY 133

HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO

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Hamilton Pevec is a documentary filmmaker and former Carbondale resident. He and his Naplese wife, Devika Gurung, live in Pokhara. Last year, he sent  several articles to The Sopris Sun about the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal and subsequent aid efforts.

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License application information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstrance’s may be filed with the Town Clerk Special Use application information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstrance’s may be filed with the John Leybourne, Planning Department Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623. Published in The Sopris Sun on January 14, 2016.

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Published in The Sopris Sun on January 14, 2016.

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Nepal om page 14

 I have embraced this shortage. It’s good training for considering fuel resources on this planet. My motorbike is parked. I walk and cycle more. I have planted more food than usual. I have more reasons to stay home, be with my family and wait for my baby to be born. I’m not worried. Should I be?  Â

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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • JANUARY 14-20, 2016 • 15

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