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Volume 7, Number 15 | May 21, 2015

Tee time

Golfers from around the state converged on River Valley Ranch for the girl’s Class 4A state championships on Monday and Tuesday. Carbondale freshman Lauren Murphy, who plays for Glenwood Springs, recorded a seventh place finish with a 79-80 and 159 total. Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho, of Jefferson Academy, defended her title with a two-shot total of 139. Photo by Jane Bachrach

Fishing guide association nets better boat launch

By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff Reporter

D

rift boats and inflatable rafts slip easily into Roaring Fork River currents just below the Highway 133 bridge during spring and summer months, and into the fall. It’s an often-idyllic scene, with the Roaring Fork’s Gold Medal fishing waters silently pushing the watercraft down stream then out of view.

Out of view of other boaters, that is.

Other boaters who have been stacked up, waiting and snarling to themselves, because some river users (mostly professionals) are more adept at getting their boats off their trailers and into the water than others.

How crazy can it become on the threeboat launching ramp? Veteran fishing guide Tony Fotopulos (aka Gil Finn) told The Sopris Sun that on one of the busiest days of the summer last year, a guy with an inflatable raft had the entire launch blocked as he leisurely got everything together and

HUGE EYEWEAR SELECTION!

prepared to push his boat into the river, oblivious to other boats that were starting to pull up.

Time is money for professional guides.

“It can get heated out there,” Fotopulos said. “Us fishing guides are working stiffs.”

A handful of “working stiff” fishing guides started organizing themselves late last year into what has become the new Roaring Fork Fishing Guide Alliance.

Today, the alliance has grown to about 60 members from Aspen to Eagle. Working

with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, their first order of business was to put up signs and post information at the Carbondale boat launch with the goal of getting boats into the water within five minutes of when they first pull into the launch area.

“We’re trying to make it faster, more enjoyable, and get everyone on the same page,” Fotopulos explained.

The Carbondale boat launch, which is accessed off Highway 82 near the scenic BOAT LAUNCH page 7

1030 Highway 133 CARBONDALE 704--11104 104

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.

Growth, climate change and the Roaring Fork Valley

By Patrick Hunter Do you have children between the ages of seven and 10 whose elementary schools might be exposed to air pollution from automobile exhaust? If you do, you should be worried. The journal PLOS recently published the research article “Association between Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Schools and Cognitive Development in Primary School Children.” In Barcelona, Spain, researchers found that the cognitive development was permanently impaired by as much as 13 percent. There were also associated problems with child behavior. Traffic

pollution is greatest during the time children are in school.

I was recently on a hill a little above Highway 82 at around 8 a.m. I was surprised to see a thick blue tinged cloud rising above the highway. A couple of years ago I was standing on the lower part of Buttermilk Ski Area with a ski school client. A jet took off and in a moment we were both immersed in an invisible but very strong smelling cloud of exhaust gases. Generally, the amount of traffic on the valley highway and adjacent streets seems to be constantly increasing. Numerous traffic-increasing projects are under

OPINION

construction or contemplated along the full length of the valley.

As a parent, it may be hard to discern that your children are becoming slower, but do you really want to take that chance?

Idyllic?

The Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys give the appearance of idyllic surroundings. But like the old parable of the frog in the pot and the rising water temperature, the incremental changes can be hard to see or feel.

On national television news, a study of pollen increases in New York revealed a doubling of the amount as well the lengthening of

the season. The incidence of allergic reactions and allergy driven asthma are on the rise. A horticulturist friend suggested that this new super pollen production is an emergency response from the trees that sense a threat and are trying to increase reproduction. The plants are reacting to the increasing average temperature.

This increase in temperature is having significant effects in our region. Millions of acres of western forests have had their trees decimated by the pine beetle. Forest experts are certain the outbreak is a result of warming temperatures. Because these forests were “sinks” for carbon, their loss exacerbates the CLIMATE CHANGE page 15

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 news@soprissun.com or via snail mail to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. The deadline to submit letters to the editor is noon on Monday.

Where were they?

Dear Editor: Where have certain members of the Carbondale Board of Trustees been buried these past X months? Not at our local library! Oh, gosh — now the thought of a fireplace at the Carbondale Library has raised the council’s interest on a subject much discussed and lauded at a meeting held more than months ago and, the following week, covered by The Sopris Sun in its Sept. 4, 2014 edition. Yet, at the April 14, 2015 trustees’ meeting, at least one of the elected officials claimed that she

was “a little alarmed” at the prospect of the gas fireplace project going forward “without public input from the people in this community.” Nothing could be further from the documented truth.

This paper covered the enthusiastic recommendation of what I estimated to be about 50 library attendees begging for a fireplace addition. The round of planned library strategic-planning meetings was announced in various media outlets.

At our Carbondale meeting, we were split into working groups to develop ideas. Then,

we reported out on our recommendations.

Every one of the teams of library lovers begged for a fireplace. I doubt we were envisioning the library staff chopping down trees to fuel the fireplace, but I could be mistaken.

And, it would seem that the specter of the gasdrilling industry trumps our hope and wish for a cozy fireplace at our library.

Full disclosure: I enjoy hiking in the Thompson Divide area. I also enjoy my gaspowered fireplace, central heating and kitchen stove, as well as my propane-fueled grill at my own house. I guess that I can be just as hypocritical as certain Carbondale trustees.

Amy Barr Carbondale

Culture Club kudos

Carbondale residents bring their own Sun to some pretty far-flung places, but Laura Loeb may have topped the list during her recent journey to the ruins of a 13th century castle in Samovor, Croatia.

Courtesy photo

2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

Dear Editor: It has been a little over two years since I began hosting the Carbondale Culture Club at Third Street Center’s Calaway Room. With the support of Jody Ensign and the approval of Third Street Center Board of Directors, we were given permission to give a home to a beautiful Kawai Grand piano for local performers and pianists to enjoy playing. With the generous support of many donors, presenters and performers donating their time and revenue from performances, the piano loan is paid and we have a healthy maintenance budget, which was my goal.

What evolved from that vision was a lunchtime venue where the local non-profits could come hang out and listen to music while eating their lunch. Perhaps this was inspired from my experience when I worked for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder in the summer of 1968 as I listened and relaxed to Baroque music being played during my lunch hour.

With the intention of drawing our community together through creating an atmosphere of education, entertainment and enlightenment in a weekly “Chautauqua-like” setting, presenters and musicians have come to share their passion delighting audiences of all ages.

The final Culture Club I will host is on May 27. So I wish to thank the significant

people that have helped me along the way.

Colin Laird, Director of Third Street Center has given his support as well as the board of directors who have given their blessing to this event. Vid Weatherwax, and John and Kelly Field, served as guest hosts. The Sopris Sun and KDNK for their publicity support. Most LETTERS page 8

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: Bob Albright • 970-927-2175 bob@soprissun.com Reporter: John Colson Photographer: Jane Bachrach Graphic Designer: Terri Ritchie CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS board@soprissun.com Barbara Dills, President Denise Barkhurst, Vice President Debbie Bruell, Secretary Colin Laird • Sue Gray • Craig Fulmer Cliff Colia • Diana Alcantara Honorary Board Members 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

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

970-510-3003

www.soprissun.com Send us your comments: feedback@soprissun.com The Sopris Sun is an LLC organized under the 501c3 non-profit structure of the Roaring Fork Community Development Corporation.

Holy Cross Energy delays “smart meter” installation

By John Colson Sopris Sun Correspondent Holy Cross Energy, the regional utility cooperative that supplies about a third of Carbondale's customers, will not be installing controversial “smart meters” on local homes within the next six to eight months, following an informal meeting with the town’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday night.

The delay, though, is not due to any requests from the town, but instead is a consequence of the utility's protracted installation schedule across the breadth and width of its service area.

At the meeting Tuesday — a work session, which meant no formal action could be taken by the trustees until a regular meeting — the trustees heard from three representatives of Holy Cross, one man from Xcel Energy, and several members of the public about the pending installation of what the utility refers to as an “Enhanced Metering System.”

Holy Cross Chief Operating Officer Richard Brinkley told the trustees that the EMS devices are not actually “smart meters,” which are a specific and more high-tech type of metering equipment.

Brinkley said the Holy Cross meters do transmit data to hubs located nearby, which then relay that data on to receiving equipment at Holy Cross headquarters.

But the strength of those transmissions, according to Brinkley and others at the meeting, sent from the meters, goes out at a very low power, lower than the transmissions from cell phones, in-home WiFi hubs or other devices.

Trustee John Hoffmann maintained that, based on data provided by the utility, WiFi radiation is 67 times stronger, and a cell phone puts out radiation that is “twelve thousand times greater, almost continuously,” than the radiation from the Holy Cross meters.

“It’s not very much energy,” he said of the proposed system. “I’m not sure if there’s anything to be afraid of.”

Still, citizens concerned about exposure to the electromagnetic (EM) radiation coming from the meters have inundated Town Hall with reference materials about the issue, including reports of several health problems that some say are caused by that exposure.

And some of those concerned citizens

were at the meeting to ask the trustees to act on their behalf.

Carbondale resident Cedar Rose reported that, when asleep, people are much more susceptible to ill effects from EM radiation, and argued that the industry's contention that the low level of this particular radiation do not adequately address the issue of cumulative exposure from the vast array of electronic devices that are saturating the air with radiation of different types.

But one of the individuals who spoke at the trustees meeting, electrical engineer Pat Kiernan of Carbondale, said he did not believe the meters proposed by Holy Cross pose that much of a danger.

“We don’t really understand the effects of electromagnetic radiation on our physical health,” said Kiernan.

Generally, he said, “cell phone exposure is much worse” than any EM radiation that would come from the meters “It’s good to avoid it when you can,” Kiernan said of the accumulated amount of EM radiation. “And there are people who are really sensitive. But, in the scheme of things, I don’t see this as really significant.”

After listening to more than two hours of testimony, Trustee Allyn Harvey suggested somewhat testily that Holy Cross should put the installation plan on hold for six months to give citizens a chance to meet with the utility's board of directors and learn more about the proposed system.

But Holy Cross assistant operations supervisor Josh Snoddy said that, as the installation program currently is planned, Carbondale meters would not be changed out for about eight months anyway.

As the meeting ended, Mayor Stacey Bernot urged concerned citizens to go to Holy Cross board meetings and voice their opinions and gather information.

She said it may not be an issue that the town should get involved in, as Carbondale is not a utility and lacks any authority over utility operations beyond signing regular franchise agreements for utility service to local citizens.

She also directed staff to provide Holy Cross with a list of any questions, or requests for information, that the trustees might come up with, which would be made available to local residents.

CR106 access issue looks to be heading for a compromise

By John Colson Sopris Sun Correspondent If all goes according to plan, the controversy over use of the old Garfield County Road 106 as it passes through the Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) will soon be a thing of the past.

But that outcome depends on the deliberations of a working group set up by the Garfield County Board of County Commissioners, at a meeting on May 18 at which representatives of the school, neighboring parts of the county and county staffers gave another round of testimony about an issue that goes back more than 35 years.

“I think there’s a lot of common ground between the two parties,” said Commissioner Mike Samson at the meeting, after the school made the first conciliatory gesture in acceding to a proposal that the right-of-way be-

come a marked, designated trail for pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians.

That had been the primary goal of neighbors concerned that the school was hoping to shut down public use of the right-of-way by making changes at the northern and southern end of its path through the campus, changes that have included construction of a cinder-block “monument” in the middle of the right-of-way, which is to form the core of a river-rock pillar and sign, similar to pillars further inside the campus property that have marked the school’s entry for years.

Another change came at the northern end of the campus, where the right-of-way once led to a historic bridge over the Roaring Fork River and a junction with Highway 82.

At that northern campus boundary, what once was a road had become a narrow, gravel path leading into the campus, hemmed in by

a school-built berm on one side and a collection of large, cylindrical hay bales on the other side.

Now that the school has agreed to formal designation of the trail, under the commissioners’ direction, it is up to the working group to work out the details and present a proposal to the BOCC at a meeting on June 15.

“They need to hammer this out, and compromise on certain points,” Samson said of the work facing the group The CR106 right-of-way, which once was a main route for traffic between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale, was closed to vehicular traffic in 1979 at the request of the CRMS.

History The school headmaster, Jeff Leahy, said during an interview on May 18 that the

The Carbondale Soccer Club boys U12 team won the Grand Mesa Invitational Tournament in Grand Junction over the weekend. In going 4-0, they outscored their opponents 18-6. Left to right: Noah Ericsson-Walters, Bodi Dallas, Talon Carballeira, Rulbe Alvarado, Diego Lopez, George Garcia, Noah Wheeles, Alvin Garcia, Gustavo Amador, Alec Nykirk, Isaac Arellanes, Mattias EricssonWalters, Kevin Duarte, Milton Huerta and Daniel Carreno. Coaches, left to right: Jaciel Carreno, Daniel Armenta, Mia Ericsson and Fernando Fuentes. Courtesy photo

1979 re-designation of the road was needed because vehicles were speeding through campus and causing an unsafe environment for students and faculty.

The county ripped up the asphalt surface of the road, the school for some time allowed the underlying strip of land to return to the pasture it once had been, back when it was the working Bar Fork Ranch before being handed over to CRMS founders John and Ann Holden in the early 1950s.

But in more recent times, Leahy said, “We’ve been doing a lot of things with the right-of-way, including building a new “driveway” leading to the western edge of the campus along the Crystal River; the placement of a small equipment shed for the school’s soccer teams; construction of a berm at the north end of the old roadway and reCR106 page 5

Playing under the banner of Ram gold and blue, the Carbondale Soccer Club girls U12 team was composed of players from Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Basalt and Aspen for the Grand Mesa Invitational Tournament. The girls kept pace with the boys, bringing home their own gold. Courtesy photo

THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • May 21-27, 2015 • 3

Town Briefs

Oven getting shade; pool opens Sopris Sun Staff Report Town Manager Jay Harrington, in a memo to the town Board of Trustees and staff, reported that architectural plans and sketches of a planned shade shelter for the Community Bread Oven at Bonnie Fischer Park, adjacent to the Third Street Center, are being reviewed by the town, the staff at Third Street Center and the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District. The next step in the evolution of the shelter will be to obtain engineering drawings, and the shelter is to be built later this summer.

In a similar development, Harrington reported, work is underway to issue bid specifications for another roof structure, this one over a set of bleachers at the Gus Darien Riding Arena on County Road 100 (Catherine Store Road) east of town. The bleacher roof is to be constructed in the fall.

Harrington reported that one individual, Parks & Recreation Commission member Rob Comey, has volunteered to serve on a weed-management committee that the town is putting together to come up with a town-wide weed management plan.

The same commission also has recommended that native Carbondale resident Camy Britt be appointed to serve as an alternate member of the Parks & Recreation Commission.

Town staff continues to work on opening the John Fleet Municipal Pool on May 23. Harrington reported that all of the mechanical equipment at the pool is operational, and that the first class of lifeguard training was conducted last week. In addition, Harrington informed the trustees that students

from the Carbondale Community School will be using the pool for their physical-education triathlon training class this week.

At North Face Bike Park, 73 competitors took part in last weekend’s Kids’ Bike Rodeo & Bikeathalon bike safety event, according to Harrington’s memo. In addition, last weekend the town held its first Bonedale Bike Jam event at the bike park.

Gateway RV Park and Campground opened last week, with an occupancy rate of 20 percent (23 spots out of 120 available sites).

Work continues along Highway 133, with intermittent lane closures predicted as Colorado Department of Transportation workers move forward with resurfacing and other improvements to the roadway between Redstone and Carbondale.

In addition, Harrington wrote in his memo, workers also are moving ahead with irrigation and landscaping efforts along the Highway 133 corridor through Carbondale.

Motorists are advised to look for traffic control signs and to watch for flaggers along the highway.

With all the recent rain, Harrington reported, the town’s parks crew “had had a tough time keeping up with mowing,” a situation that may be aggravated by the fact that Harrington also reported “difficulty” filling and maintaining seasonal personnel positions.

He wrote that the town also is “having a tough time finding a seasonal custodian to clean park bathrooms and maintain trash and dog-waste stations.”

4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

Cop Shop From May 7-14, Carbondale officers handled 240 calls for service. During that period, officers investigated the following cases of note, according to a summary report provided by the police department:

THURSDay/FRIDay/MONDay/TUESDay, May 14-15 and May 18-19: At unknown times over the nights on those dates, unknown parties broke into a total of 14 vehicles; four on May 14-15 in the area of Dolores Way, and 10 on May 18-19 in the area around Wheel Circle and Village Road. Police say nothing stolen in many of the vehicles, but items that were reported missing include credit cards, wallets containing approximately $600 in cash, and a “smart watch” valued at $600. All the vehicles were reportedly unlocked, and police reported that the keys were in several of them and were stolen along with the above-mentioned items. Police urged citizens to remember to lock their vehicles when they are left on the streets, and to not leave the keys in them.

••• FRIDay, May 8: at 11:40 a.m. officers were contacted by a local woman regarding complaints by another local woman about pre-school kids in the Crown Drive neighborhood trespassing on the street. The woman who contacted the police informed them that she, too, lived in Crown Drive, and “has given express permission for the pre-school to utilize Crown Drive.”

FRIDay, May 8: at 1:10 p.m. police investigated a “drug incident” at a school involving “imitation controlled substances.” One unnamed juvenile was arrested.

SaTURDay, May 9: at 12:30 a.m. police took a report of a stolen purse at a downtown restaurant. The matter is under investigation.

SUNDay, May 10: at 12:29 a.m. police contacted the occupants of a vehicle parking at the cemetery on White Hill. The driver was ticketed for driving with a suspended license, and a juvenile occupant was ticketed on a charge of being a minor in possession of drugs or alcohol. The car was towed.

TUESDay, May 12: A woman appeared at the police station to retrieve a wallet that had been turned in on May 8, and told police that $80 in cash and two gold rings were missing from the wallet. She also said she had lost the wallet more than a month ago.

In-town, circulator bus a hard sell with RFTA A tax hike to fund it?

By John Colson Sopris Sun Correspondent Ridership on the Carbondale Circulator bus route, which delivers customers to the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s (RFTA) Park & Ride lot at the north end of town, is greater than the ridership of most of the in-town bus routes in the city of Aspen, a RFTA planner said in a recent e-mail to The Sopris Sun. Ridership on the circulator, also known as the Carbondale Connector Route or CCR, reached 155,000 rides in 2014 and is projected to climb to perhaps 175,000 this year, according to numbers provided last week by RFTA planner David Johnson.

And ridership on the route is expected to keep growing, even if the CCR route stays as it is, essentially carrying passengers only from the center of town to the park and ride.

Carbondale officials, however, have for some time been interested in expanding the CCR service to other parts of town than are currently being served. The trustees, along with town staff, have expressed the belief that offering bus service to areas on the southern and western sides of town will only improve the CC’s role in reducing automobile traffic in Carbondale and in the Roaring Fork Valley in general.

But as RFTA and the town negotiate on how that expansion of service can be accommodated, the most troublesome aspect of the talks continues to be the question of where the money would come from to pay for the expanded service.

At a RFTA board meeting on May 14, the RFTA board seemed disinclined to entirely foot the bill for an expansion of the service, according to Carbondale Mayor Stacey Bernot, who is the town’s present li-

CR106

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aligning the entryway to the southern end of the campus; and permitting school yards to encroach on the right-of-way.

None of that seemed to bother the county, however, as the subject of encroachment was not a main theme at the March 18 meeting.

Instead, the theme was the commissioners’ continuing drive to find some way that the school and the public could use the right-of-way in a manner satisfactory to all, despite the school’s continuing expression of concern about school security.

That concern remains a key underlying aspect of the controversy, for Leahy, at least.

It is the school’s position that the road should not be open to public travel because of concerns about student safety and campus security, although some of the school’s critics have expressed doubt about whether that is a valid reason to limit public access to a rural road right-of-way that is more than a century old.

Incidents During a walk along the old right-ofway, Leahy recounted several incidents

aison to RFTA. “It was kind of what I expected,” Bernot told The Sopris Sun on Tuesday, noting that Carbondale already has “a pretty sweet deal” under which RFTA foots the entire bill for the CCR as it is today.

That deal, Bernot explained, goes back to the formation of the transit authority about a decade ago, when it was agreed that because Carbondale is more than a mile off Highway 82 the bus agency would send buses into town rather than force town residents to find their way to bus stops along the highway.

When RFTA introduced its new VelociRFTA Bus Rapid Transit system, with its focus on park and ride lots, it was agreed that the CCR route would replace the old, big-bus service in the center of town, at no additional cost to Carbondale taxpayers.

The bus agency gets about $770,000 a year from a dedicated 1-cent sales tax that went into effect when formation of the authority was approved by voters from New Castle to Aspen.

Johnson, in his email to the Sun, wrote that RFTA spends about $600,000 every year operating the CCR, in addition to the costs of running buses to the park and ride.

All told, Johnson wrote, “RFTA believes the value of the regional transit services that Carbondale receives, in addition to the Carbondale Circulator service, exceeds the value of Carbondale’s 1% sales tax contribution to RFTA.” The RFTA board concurred with Johnson’s assessment at its most recent meeting, Bernot said, concluding that if Carbondale wants to expand its in-town bus service, it will have to come up with funding to do so.

Currently, the CCR runs every 15 minutes, seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., servicing stops along Main Street and Colorado Avenue before heading out to the park

that have solidified that concern over the years, starting with a series of thefts several years ago from what once was the “New Boys Dorm” adjacent to County Road 108 as it approaches the bridge over the Crystal River near the school.

Leahy explained that the thefts occurred during several of the school’s biweekly “formal dinners” in the Bar Fork Cafeteria, times when the faculty and student body would gather for an evening meal.

“Anybody who knew our patterns knew that everybody, the entire school, would be in there every other Wednesday night,” and could break in without worrying much about getting caught.

Which someone did more than once, he said, carrying off computers, mainly, crimes that he said was duly reported to law enforcement but were not solved.

Other, more recent incidents included one a short time ago this year, when a motorcyclist drove along the path into the campus from the north, along the old right-of-way, and proceeded through the school grounds and onto the present remnant of CR106/108 that takes vehicles ei-

and ride, which is adjacent to the intersection of Highway 133 and Village Road.

At the March 28 meeting of the Carbondale Board of Trustees, two RFTA representatives showed the trustees a proposal that would send buses through neighborhoods at the south end of town every 30 minutes, at a cost of approximately $450,000 per year in operating expenses, more or less, depending on whether service would be offered seven days a week throughout the year or only in the summer and winter months.

In a presentation to the trustees, RFTA representatives Johnson and assistant planner Jason White offered RFTA’s “preferred alternative” for providing bus service to the neighborhoods at the southern and southwestern end of town (River Valley Ranch, Hendrick Ranch, Crystal Village), as well as to Roaring Fork High School and Carbondale Middle School, while retaining the existing CCR route to the center of town.

Labeled the “VelociFeeder” system in the RFTA presentation, the expanded service would run every 30 minutes and would serve eight additional stops along its route.

To cut down on costs, the VelociFeeder would not provide service to the north side of town, along Eighth Street and Cowen Drive and in the neighborhoods adjacent to Village Road, under the preferred alternative plan.

The existing CCR route, however, would be retained and would continue to be funded under RFTA’s operational budget.

At the trustees meeting, RFTA assistant planner Jason White, told the trustees, “I don’t think anyone in town denies that that would be a good idea,” meaning expanding bus service to areas not being served now.

The main issue, said Town Manager Jay Harrington, is how to pay for the expansion, which in addition to the operational costs could put the town on the hook for the pur-

ther to Carbondale or to the west up Thompson Creek or toward Aspen Glen and Glenwood Springs.

In addition, Leahy said, a golf cart of some sort recently drove up the trail from Dolores Way, stopping a short distance inside the campus boundary, which Leahy said was another case of motorized trespass on school grounds.

And in years past, he said, school officials often would find “a random car parked alongside this road (the right-ofway) at night,” occupied by non-CRMS teenagers doing the things teenagers do.

One basic fear of school officials, he continued, is that “within the right-of-way, if I am an estranged parent, I can stand on this right-of-way and impede my child’s movement across the right-of-way, going to another part of the campus.”

He quickly added, “That’s not something that’s happened to us. It’s an issue that we would say, ‘is that a possibility?

Yes,’” and is a large part of why the school sought to have the road vacated as a public right-of-way in the past.

“None of us can predict something like Columbine,” Leahy went on, conceding

chase of small shuttle buses and the construction of bus stops.

Trustee Pam Zentmyer asked about modifying the existing CCR schedule so that, every half hour, buses would take in the VelociFeeder stops as well as the in-town stops.

But Johnson told her that RFTA believes the existing CCR schedule must be retained, regardless of any expansion of service.

Trustee Katrina Byars, lining up with Zentmyer, pressed White and Johnson about somehow altering the existing service, declaring, “To me, right now, the access (to bus service) isn’t equitable.”

She wondered why the CCR must be held to a 15-minute frequency, when reducing that frequency might make it possible to extend service to other parts of town.

“The seniors really feel left out,” she said, referring to residents of the Crystal Meadows senior housing complex off Hendrick Drive, who have been agitating for bus service for years.

The mayor, following last week’s RFTA board meeting, said there appears to be some agreement on the board that the CCR service could be altered somehow in a way that is not too expensive for either the town or RFTA, although exactly how that could happen remains a matter for future debate.

One idea, Bernot said, is to shift the route of the CCR to the south, perhaps eliminating stops along Colorado Avenue but adding stops at Crystal Meadows and perhaps some of the schools in the southern part of town, as well as the Third Street Center.

Another, she said, might be to put a ballot question to local voters for a special tax to fund the expanded in-town bus service, although the town’s board of trustees has backed away from that idea in the past.

She said town staff members will be working with RFTA planners to come up with alternative proposals in the coming weeks.

that bringing up the 1999 mass shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado is an “easy, cheap issue” in arguing for greater security at CRMS. But, he stressed, “We’re not that concerned about our neighbors, people that we know, whether they’re a family biking through or whomever.”

The goal, he said, is “to have control, if we felt like somebody would be inappropriate (come onto the campus), at least to be able to say to somebody, hey, we’d respectfully like you to leave.”

Asked when the concern about security got its start, he said, “I don’t know where the genesis of that is. I couldn’t tell you where that all began.”

But he said, “I think we’re all thinking the same way,” meaning the faculty, administration and students.

Regardless of such issues, however, the school and its neighbors have now been charged with coming up with a compromise solution that creates a dedicated, clearly marked trail, possibly paved, that will carry the public from one end of the campus to the other for the foreseeable future.

THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • May 21-27, 2015 • 5

Scuttlebutt

Send your scuttlebutt to news@SoprisSun.com.

art aRound Towners announced The Carbondale Public Arts Commission recently announced the artists chosen for its 2015 Art aRound Town exhibition and the local sculptors are Joe Burleigh and Mark Cesark of Carbondale. CPAC chose a total of 14 sculptors from around the U.S. for the exhibit, which will be placed around town for the next year. This year, Colorado Stone Quarries donated 10 marble pedestals for the sculptures; transportation was donated by Girardi’s Heavy Haul. The new sculptures will be unveiled during a public walking tour with the artists starting at 5:30 p.m. on June 4. On a related note, the James Surls sculpture “Sewing the Future” (in the new roundabout) will be dedicated at 5 p.m. on June 5, with a reception following at the Launchpad.

Vote for People’s Choice The entries in the Mountain Fair poster contest are displayed in the Carbondale Branch Library until June 1 and folks can cast their votes for the People’s Choice award.

Mountain Fair organizers recently announced that Chris Ford’s design was chosen by judges for this year’s T-shirt and poster.

Hoop news The Carbondale seventh and eighth grade All Star basketball teams won three out of four games at the Vail Shootout last weekend. After dropping a one-point game to Glenwood, the seventh graders re-

Aspen Valley Hospital recently named Carbondale resident Marcella Knable as its Nurse of the Year. Her many nominations noted that she always goes the extra mile for patients and colleagues, is genuinely invested in patient care and “exemplifies” the nursing profession in every way. “This is a humbling award and a reflection of the amazing team effort within the hospital,” Knable said. “I am so honored to call this valley home and so lucky to call this hospital our own.” Courtesy photo

bounded with an over-time win against Vail Valley 32-29. The eighth grade boys started the day with a 42-19 win over Vail Valley.

Led by Oscar Mirandas’s five three-pointers, plus five more from the rest of the team, the eighth graders then beat Eagle 52-15.

erate a motor vehicle in a safe manner,” the press release said. “Troopers will also be on the lookout for any other traffic infractions that could lead to serious injury or death to include speeding, inattentive to driving, distracted driving, and unsafe lane changes.”

JaS recognizes student musicians

News from art Goodtimes

Jazz Aspen Snowmass recently announced the JAS 2015 Outstanding Student awards from the recent Band Battle. Lyle Luckett was named from Roaring Fork High School and Joe Salinas from Carbondale Middle School. Other winners were: Margo Wagner, Grace Abraham and Rosie Rushing (Aspen), Daniel Barnes and Emily Northrup (Basalt), and Sofia Gamba and Bryce Risner (Glenwood Springs). Best Garage Band honors went to The Brink; Best Singer/Songwriters went to Jacob Fowler and Hoyt Benson. The 2015 JAS Music Instructor award went to Basalt Middle School/Basalt High School Band Director Nick Lenio.

This is a little far afield for The Sopris Sun poetry desk but what the heck. Art Goodtimes reports that Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer of Placerville was named the Western Slope Poet Laureate during Talking Gourds poetry performances at the second annual Telluride Literary Arts Festival on May 16.

The heat is on The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and other agencies around the state are stepping up enforcement for the Memorial Day weekend, according to a press release. The enforcement period will begin at 8 p.m. on May 22 and continue through 3 a.m. on May 26. “CSP troopers will have zero tolerance for drivers under the influence of any substance that may affect their ability to op-

FS info center moves The Forest Service’s West Hallam visitor center is moving to the Aspen Highlands ticket office as of May 26, according to a press release. The relocation is due to “budget challenges.” On a related note, the Forest Conservancy is looking for volunteers to help staff the center. For details, call 963-8071.

They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating their birthday this week include: Charlie Chacos (May 22); Tai Jacober (May 23); Patti Hall and Tom Mercer (May 24); Charlie Cook (May 25); Sue Hopper (May 26); and Richard Glasier (May 27). Belated birthday greetings go out to Bartlett (May 15).

Town of Carbondale Board & Commission Vacancies

The following vacancies are available:

Board/Commission: Planning & Zoning Commission

Environmental Board

Open Positions:

1 Alternate Member* 4 Members

Public Arts Commission

6 Members

Tree Board

2 Members

Board of Adjustment & Appeals Historic Preservation Commission Bikes, Pedestrian & Trails Commission

5 Members 2 Members 3 Members

*Applicants must live within Town limits

The deadline to apply is June 3, 2015 Applications and descriptions of all Town Boards & Commissions can be found at www.carbondalegov.org

6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

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Holiday Happy Hour

4 to 6 p.m. Saturday - Monday Half-price drinks and appetizers

Ironbridge Grill Holiday Hours Join us for lunch, dinner, or cocktails!

Saturday

Lunch - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner - 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday & Monday

Lunch - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

970.945.4300 www.ironbridgeclub.com

Boat launch overlook, has become more and more congested in recent years, and it’s not uncommon for users to pull into the area and ďŹ nd 20-30 boaters scattered here and there, waiting to get the crafts into the water. â€œâ€Ś people parked in some pretty stupid places,â€?

Fotopulos observed.

Fotopulos and a few other guides had told Colorado Parks and Wildlife ofďŹ cials about the problems at the Carbondale boat launch during various roundtable discussions but were told if they really wanted to get something done they should form an association with other like-minded guides. “They (CPW) said we’d get more recognition.â€?

The guides began organizing themselves and through the winter started working with the CPW’s John Groves to layout the area.

The guides also pitched in money for professionally designed and manufactured signs that meet CPW speciďŹ cations. The upshot is that a boat launch user who hasn’t pulled his trailer down the dirt road that leads to the area this year should be pleasantly surprised.

om page 1 Leading into the area, parallel to the river for about 150 feet, “Staging area� signs are posted that direct users into three slots. From the staging area, boaters pull their trailers to the clearly marked “launch area,� which is about 20-30 yards north of the actual launch ramp. Assuming the driver can back his trailer that far in a fairly straight line, the launch can handle up to three boats at a time.

Roaring Fork Fishing Guide Alliance members worked with Groves on a recent Thursday and set the signs. Casey Concrete donated the concrete for the posts.

As for future projects, Fotopulos said the association hopes to educate the public in river etiquette (For example: it’s the boater’s responsibility to maneuver around a wading angler when the boater approaches, not the other way around). He said the association also plans to upgrade the West Bank boat launch near Iron Bridge.

For more info on the Roaring Fork Fishing Guide Alliance, check out their Facebook page.

Before the Roaring Fork Fishing Guide Alliance, it was every boater for himself at the launch below the Highway 133 bridge. Now, thanks to signs the alliance posted, the goal is to get boaters on their way downriver within ďŹ ve minutes of arrival. Photo by Lynn Burton

District names new Crystal River Elementary, Basalt High School principals Sopris Sun Staff Report After a local and national search, Roaring Fork Schools named Matthew Koenigsknecht as the new principal for Crystal River Elementary School and Peter Mueller as the new principal for Basalt High School, according to a press release.

Koenigsknecht is currently working as a Ritchie principal intern at Harrington Elementary School, which is part of Denver Public Schools. The Ritchie intern is matched for one year with a mentor principal that has been selected because of their high level of proďŹ ciency in developing and empowering individuals to grow as leaders, allowing Koenigsknecht to earn his principal licensure through the graduate program at University of Denver. “Matthew is already familiar with the Roaring Fork Valley. Prior to Harrington Elementary, he spent last summer as the assistant program manager for Summer Advantage USA at Basalt Elementary School,â€? said Superintendent Diana Sirko. “As a result of his time last summer in Basalt he is excited to take advantage of the many outdoor opportunities our valley offers.â€?

Koenigsknecht (aka “Mr. K�) has spent six years in the classroom as a language arts

Matthew Koenigsknecht is the new principal at Crystal River Elementary School. He is currently working as a Ritchie principal intern at Harrington Elementary School, which is part of Denver Public Schools.

Courtesy photo

Peter Mueller is the new principal at Basalt High School. He is currently project director at The Nature Conservancy, where he is leading an effort to restore, protect and enhance the Dolores River.

Courtesy photo

teacher in the Denver Public Schools, working with more than 50 percent English language learners and 88 percent who receive free or reduced lunches.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis

and is a candidate for a master’s in educational leadership and policy studies from University of Denver with an expected completion date in June 2016.

Mueller is currently the project director at The Nature Conservancy where he

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is leading the Conservancy’s effort to restore, protect and enhance the Dolores River. Prior to the Nature Conservancy, he was the middle and a high school principal at the Telluride R-1 School District from 2004-2007. He was also director at the Rocky Mountain Academy in Evergreen, Colorado, a K-8 school, where he was responsible for hiring, evaluating and guiding instruction for 22 full and parttime teachers.  “Peter is also very familiar with the Roaring Fork Valley, having spent almost 10 years as a teacher at Colorado Rocky Mountain School and ďŹ ve years as the director of CRMS’s outdoor program,â€?

Sirko said.

Mueller graduated in 2001 from the Harvard graduate school of education and earned his undergraduate degree in government from Colby College in 1987. “I am really excited to be working with both Peter and Matt,â€? said RE-1 Chief Academic OfďŹ cer Rob Stein. I have known both of these educators for at least a few years, and had the opportunity to see them work. It has been a pleasure getting to know them through this search and selection process.

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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weekly community connector â&#x20AC;˘ May 21-27, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 7

Letters continued om page 2 of all I wish to acknowledge all the presenters and musicians, too numerous to list individually, that gave their time and energy to enhance and inspire the vibrant quality of our unique community.

The wealth of talent and wisdom in our community goes without saying. We are blessed in so many ways and I am deeply grateful for providing this networking opportunity. I hope the seeds planted in this venue will continue to grow and blossom and bear fruit that feeds everyone for years to come.

Please join us for a unique community healing experience with John Norton on May 27 with his Sound Healing Therapy.

With loving gratitude, Lisa Dancing-Light Carbondale

Jazz thanks Dear Editor: We would like to thank Mr. Gray and Jazz Aspen Snowmass for all the help and support they have given us with music while we have been at Carbondale Middle School. We have been very fortunate to have Chris Bank and Mark Johnson, as well as all the other Jazz Aspen musicians who come to our school and work intensively with us. Jazz Aspen also sent our eighth grade jazz band to the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival this past April for an amazing experience. We want to thank everyone who has made this possible.

Band and working with great musicians has made middle school a much more exciting experience. Our end of the year band con-

cert is Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. at Carbondale Middle School. Please come!

Carbondale Middle School Eighth grade band

Magic happens Dear Editor: Magic happens and it happened at the Colorado Opera’s performance of “Romeo and Juliet” at the Third Street Center. From the free youth workshop co-hosted by SOL Theater and CCAH to the performance and reception, the magic reigned. The Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities, and opera chairwoman Sondra Reiff, would like to thank the magic makers who worked so hard to make this evening a success.

Much gratitude to Linda Criswell, Leanne Eustis, Lee Beck, Carol Klein and Jane Hart for the planning and preparation of the opera.

Of course it takes patrons and we had a stellar group this year including Linda and Russ Criswell, Sue Edelstein and Bill Spence, Leann Eustis, Connie Calaway, Cheryl and Roger Baumgarner, Judy Welch, Sondra Reiff, Jane and Dick Hart, and Lee Beck and John Stickney for helping to bring this art form to Carbondale. It couldn’t have happened without our merry band of creatives like Deb Colley, Laura Stover, Shawn Tonozzi and Brian Colley, as well as the talented Jennifer Michaud of SOL Theater and the great staff at the Third Street Center. Of course we could not do it without the help of many wonderful volunteers and the incredible audience. It was a thrill to see so many ages come out and get

a taste of beautiful music and theater. Next year Opera Colorado will be performing “Carmen.” We hope to see you there!

Sondra Reiff Amy Kimberly Carbondale

More on smart meters Dear Editor: Concerning the May 15 Sopris Sun article about smart meters, a debt of gratitude is owed to Gary Duncan for raising awareness on wireless radiation toxicity associated with smart meters in the Roaring Fork Valley and entire Tabeguache Plateau. Duncan, the 20year executive director of Smart Shelter Network, an electro hypersensitive refugee, and international biophysics researcher in environmental allergenics was our expert Q&A panelist at the “Take Back Your Power” documentary screening on May 7 at the Crystal Theatre. Duncan also contributed expert advice on the smart meter issue at the town council meeting on May 12.

Sincere thanks to Gary for traveling here from his off-grid, microhabitat in Moab, Utah and your devotion to this serious topic.

Betsy Blout Redstone

From the Rebekahs Dear Editor: Bike Week dramatizes our intentions as a community to attend to our use of resources. So how are we doing in other respects? For example, recycling, or for a modern term – re-purposing?

If we look at the excellent consignment shops in our midst we are doing well. The Near New is unique because it is not a consignment shop. It’s entire proceeds after expenses and taxes provide help to numerous community groups and efforts.

Members of the local Rebekah Lodge, a small, hard-working group whose creed is the Golden Rule, enlist volunteers to sort and display items that can be re-purposed. The Rebekahs are an international organization.

Some donations go to shelters for animals. Rags are bagged for painters. Handicap equipment is stored and rented to those in need. Items for which there is no room are picked up for distribution. All of the work is done by volunteers.

The Rebekahs have led the way in this effort since 1973. Next door to the building on Third and Main is Friendship Park, provided by the Rebekahs who added benches in memory of past Rebekahs.

Take pride in this effort, Carbonondalians, by not “donating” TVs, old fax machines, printers, mattresses or other undesirable items. Please try to leave your donations during business hours – 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

– weekdays except Wednesdays, or call 9630430 for more information.

Please, no potty chairs, baby tubs or bottles, sippy cups or water bottles. Respect the volunteers.

Thank you, public, for all your donations and purchases.

The volunteers The Near New Store

STAGE

MASTER OF CEREMONY: Ben Ludlow STAGE HELP: Lucas Turner, Marty Rynearson DANDY SONGWRITERS/PERFORMERS: Steve Skinner, Jimmy Byrne, Sydney Picard, Dan Rosenthal, Sue Krebiel, Eaden Shantay, David Starbear, Patrick Fagan, Mike Waters, Tim Brogdon, Olivia Pevec, Alejandra Rico, Anakeesta Ironwood, and support musicians including Asha Ironwood, Pam Rosenthal, Paul Holsinger BANDS: Dragonfly Song Circle, Louie Girardot and the Dandy Lions, SOL Theater, Saddle the Unicorn, Wooden Nickel

SPONSORS RFTA Co Mtn College Alpine Bank RA Nelson KDNK Insight Construction EverGreen Events RF Beer Company The Sopris Sun CORE Ragged Mountain Sports New Jammies Brite Ideas ACE Hardware Premier Party Rentals Community Oven Sunsense Basalt Thrift CCAH

ASSOCIATED EVENTS Stephanie Syson, Kathy and Bob Ezra, David Teitler, Katrina Blair, True Nature Healing Arts, Carbondale Acupuncture Center, Soozie Lindbloom, Ngoma African Dance Troupe, Katrina Byars, Will Evans, Linda Criswell, Chrissy Manes, Grace Stahlschmidt, Jimmy Dula, Adrian Fielder, Jason Evitt, Casey Piscura, Cody Skurupey Indoor Garden & Brew Supply, Hadley Hentschel & Roaring Fork High School Ag Bio

Thank you To everyone who helped make the

17th annual Dandelion Days

From the Dandelion Day

PLANNING COMMITTEE Stacy Stein, Sue Gray, Candace Goodwin, Alyssa Reindel, Robin Van Norman

a huge success and a whole lot of FUN! ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD Julia Farwell, Jeff Lauckhart, Matt Gwost, Jason White, Richard (Scott) Mills, Chris Ellis, Patrick Hunter

TOWN OF CARBONDALE Jeff Jackel, Larry Ballinger and crew, Sandy Joyner and Cathy Derby

ART Riannah Weaver, Debbie Bruell VOLUNTEERS Steve Weaver, Sam Schroyer, Crystal & Paul Holsinger, Rick Blauvelt, Jim Vickroy, Matt Adeletti, Phi Filerman, Olivia Pevec, Karen Hess, Darrell MacAulay, Barb Jackson, Annie Worley, Colleen Goodrich, Tom Brunner, Adrian Fielder, Carol Klein, Jenn Lauckhart, VG Gorman, Richard Vottero, and everyone who showed up on Dandelion Day and pitched in to help.

SPECIAL THANKS TO John “Doc Dandelion” Philip 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

Mary Lilly: Memoirs of a Carbondale grande dame (Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: This is the ďŹ rst in a series of articles about Mary Lilly).

By David Troxel Sopris Sun Correspondent I recently asked Mary Lilly to tell me about the ďŹ rst time she ever laid eyes on Carbondale, and was rewarded with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;lookâ&#x20AC;? that anyone who knows her would have recognized: eyebrows slightly raised over bright grey-green eyes, soft but quizzical grin, and a gentle tip of her head, all clearly suggesting that I was asking the wrong question altogether. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Really?â&#x20AC;? she replied with some amusement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the middle of the story! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d better start at the beginning. We started out in California in 1936, and were interested in skiing in the mountains â&#x20AC;Ś .â&#x20AC;?

And off we went. For the next 90 minutes, Mary guided me through much of the 99 years of a remarkable life that was woven through with strands of history, not only of Carbondale and the Crystal River valley, but of a nation passing through some of the most signiďŹ cant cultural events of the 20th century.

As she relates it, Mary Lillyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to Carbondale began in Pasadena, California, following her marriage in 1936 to John Lilly, then an undergraduate at the California Institute of Technology. She was an aspiring artist, and he was taking his ďŹ rst steps toward world renown as one of his generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading research scientists. Their ďŹ rst son was born in 1937, and following Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduation a year later the Lillys leaped across the continent, landing in Hanover, New Hampshire, where John became a medical student at Dartmouth.

New England It was in the mountains of New England that Mary and John became avid alpine skiers, and began to feel the pull of the slopes of the West. That calling, however, would wait while another son was born, and the growing Lilly family migrated to Philadelphia so John could transfer to the University

Mary and John Lilly (center) at their wedding in Pasadena, California in 1936. Courtesy photo of Pennsylvania to ďŹ nish his medical degree. In 1942, as the Second World War intensiďŹ ed, Dr. and Mrs. Lilly ďŹ nally took a break and headed back west for some downhill fun. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it to the Roaring Fork Valley that time,â&#x20AC;? says Mary. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We rented a cabin at the top of Route 70 (now Interstate 70), skied to the bottom of the pass, and had a friend pick us up in a car to go back up. We did that for several days. It was wonderful!â&#x20AC;? From there, they might have continued on to Aspen, but the plan for this trip took them instead over Berthoud Pass and on to Alta, Utah, where Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dartmouth skiing buddy (and soon-to-be Aspen skiing pioneer) Dick Durrance was developing a ski area. Carbondale would have to wait.

Back in Philadelphia, the Lilly family settled into the realities of life during wartime. Mary became a Red Cross nurse and worked on her undergraduate art degree, while Dr. Lilly conducted research into high-altitude ďŹ&#x201A;ying at the university. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And of course it was wartime,â&#x20AC;? Mary recalls, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so everything was secret and everything was rationed. There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any butter, and you were allowed very little gasoline. There were

coupons for everything, coupons for meat, coupons for automobile tires and all kinds of things.â&#x20AC;?

To relieve the pressures of urban life during the war, the Lillys moved out to the suburbs, to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

While living there, John and Mary tried to replace the sailing they had enjoyed on the waterways further to the east with boating on nearby Brandywine Creek, but soon discovered that their four-person, rubberized kayak was too large for the small river. So they folded it up and packed it into their station wagon, along with sons Johnny, 14, and Charlie, 10, and headed west in search of a more suitable spot to launch their craft. Earlier trips through Colorado had suggested just the place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Colorado River was the only big river that we knew about that went someplace, and so we camped with jungle hammocks at a little place on the river called No Name. We went on into Carbondale, looking for some other people with kayaks to go on the Nursery Rapids with us.â&#x20AC;? There they encountered D.R.C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Darcyâ&#x20AC;? Brown (long-time Aspen Ski Co. president and brother of Ruth â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dittyâ&#x20AC;? Brown Perry, another Carbondale grande dame and close friend to Mary), who directed them up the Crystal River to Janeway Campground. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He told us there was another couple there from the east, and they had two boys, and he thought weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d enjoy meeting them.

They were in the area looking for some property to start a school, like the Putney School in Vermont, where they had been working.â&#x20AC;?

So the Lilly family started up the nine miles of gravel road to Avalanche Creek in search of the family that Darcy Brown had thought they might like to meet. There, camping along the Crystal River, John and Mary Lilly met John and Anne Holden. It was 1951, and an important era in Carbondale history was about to begin.

Next installment: Colorado Rocky Mountain School is founded, the Lilly family goes through hard times, and Mary comes to Nettle Creek.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Growing!

3rd Thursdays

May 21 @ 7pm

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3rd Thursdays @ Third Street is a new monthly series highlighting community artists, music, ideas & interests.

Community Yoga in the Gym at the Third Street Center See the 3rd Thursday Schedule @ www.thirdstreetcenter.net/events/3rdthursdays/

THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weekly community connector â&#x20AC;˘ May 21-27, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 9

Community Calendar THURSDAY May 21 CHIEFS CHaT • Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling and Fire Chief Ron Leach meet the public over cups of coffee at the Village Smithy the third Thursday of the month. Get there from 8 to 9 a.m.

PaDDLING FILM FEST • The Roaring Fork Conservancy and Shaboomee Stand Up Paddleboarding present the Reel Paddling Film Festival from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Third Street Center. Tickets are $18 at the door.

OPEN HOUSE • The Community Preschool in Woody Creek (formerly the Early Childhood Center) hosts an art party and open house from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Woody Creek Community Center. The preschool serves kids from toddler through prekindergarten.

HEaRT TaLK • Aspen Valley Hospital continues its Heart Smart lecture series at noon with Dr. Gordon Gerson talking about exercise and the myths associated with extreme exercise and health. Info: 544-1389.

ROTaRy • The Mt. Sopris Rotary meets at Mi Casita at noon every Thursday.

FRIDAY May 22

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.

LIVE MUSIC • The Beatles tribute band Doctor Robert kicks of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s Music on the Mountain series at 6 p.m. Starting at 4 p.m., tram rides are free in exchange for a canned food donation for LIFT-UP. LIVE MUSIC • Rivers restaurant in Glenwood Springs presents Sol Patrol (original Colorado alt. rock) from 9 p.m. to midnight. No cover.

Coming up May 29, Leonard Curry Trio.

Coming up on Fridays in June: Dry Hollow, Leonard Curry Trio, Valle Musico, Nanogram. Info: 928-8813.

SKaTEBOaRDING • Carbondale Recreation Department continues a four-week session of skateboard lessons with Chris Johnson today and on May 29. The lessons are for beginners (4:30 to 5:30 p.m.) and intermediates (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.) from 5-12 years old. The fee is $60. Info: 510-1290 or carbondalerec.com.

SATURDAY May 23

MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre presents “The Water Diviner” (R) at 7:30 p.m.

May 22-28; “Ex Machina” (R) at 5:15 p.m.

May 23-24 and “While We’re Young” (R) at 5:15 p.m. May 25.

COOKOUT • Sweet Leaf Pioneer, at 1101 Village Road (next to Gianinetti Park), holds a 21-and-over cookout. Info: 963-8420.

LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the old part of the Dinkel Building presents live music every Friday night. Info: 963-3304.

BIRD COUNT • The Audubon Society’s Spring Bird Count from El Jebel to Glenwood Springs takes place. This is for residents with

SUNDAY May 24

a bird feeder or active nest who are willing to let someone come count the various species who visit. To register your home, e-mail Mary at smnharris@gmail.com.

MONDAY May 25 MEMORIaL Day CEREMONy • American Legion Post 100 holds a Memorial Day ceremony at the White Hill cemetery at 10 a.m., followed by a ceremony at the Eighth Street cemetery.

TUESDAY May 26 PaINTING NIGHT • CCAH hosts another Art & Wine Break, this one featuring acrylic painting, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Suite 15 of the Third Street Center.

CCAH provides the teacher (Lisa Singer) plus wine and snacks. Reserve your spot at carbondalearts.com.

WEDNESDAY May 27 COMMUNITy RIGHTS DISCUSSION • Cliff Willmeng of the Colorado Community Rights Network speaks at the Third Street Center from 6 to 8 p.m. The title of Willmeng’s presentation is “Bringing Democracy Back to Our Communities” and it touches on corporate power, the 2016 Community Rights Amendment and more. Admission is free. Willmeng will also discuss bringing Democracy School to Carbondale, according to a press release.

CHaMBER LUNCHEON • The Carbondale

Chamber of Commerce presents the Better Business Bureau’s Carrie Rossman at the Orchard at 11:30 a.m. She will talk about trust and ethics online and offline. The public is invited. Info: 963-1890.

BaSaLT LIBRaRy • Aspen Words presents young-adult author Jandy Nelson for a talk and book signing from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Basalt Regional Library. Her book “I’ll Give You the Sun” won the 2015 Printz Award for Excellence in youth adult literature. Aspen Words will be giving away copies of the book as part of its Catch & Release program. Come early, as books are limited. Info: 925-3122 ext.

5 or Aspenwords.org.

SENIOR MaTTERS • The Senior Matters Book Club discusses “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” by Annie Barrows at 4 p.m. All newcomers are welcome.

CULTURE CLUB • The Carbondale Culture Club presents John Norton “Sound Healing Therapy” at noon in the Third Street Center.

ROTaRy • The Rotary Club of Carbondale presents Peter Wallison (former White House counsel and author of “Hidden in Plain Sight” )at the Carbondale Fire Station at 6:50 a.m.

On June 3 it’s Carbondale Mayor Stacey Bernot. Info: rotarycarbondale.org.

MINDFULNESS • Way of Compassion Dharma Center in the Third Street Center hosts a meditation and Dharma teachings with John (Chophel) Bruna on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Info: 510-0583 or wocompassion.org.

BIRDING • The Roaring Fork Conservancy’s annual birding outing at the Maroon CALENDAR page 11

Ladies Fly Fishing Clinic Learn the basic skills of Fly Fishing!

SAVE THE DATE Lunch Provided By:

Carbondale Chamber Quarterly Luncheon

Wednesday, May 27 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A Fund Raiser for Casting for Recovery

The Gathering Center at The Orchard 110 Snowmass Drive, Carbondale Cost: $20 in advance, $30 day of the event

Luncheon Presentation Topic:

Advocating for Trust and Ethics - Today and with Tomorrow’s Workforce:

Beginners to Intermediate

Both online (social media and Internet commerce) and offline.

CARBONDALE CHAMBER 520 S. Third Street, Suite 3 P.O. Box 1645 Carbondale, CO 81623 P: (970) 963-1890 F: (970) 963-4719 chamber@carbondale.com www.carbondale.com

Saturday, May D 23 10 a.m. toE3 p.m.

The Carbondale Chamber and Oni Butterfly, Business Relations Director of the Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming, would like to invite ALL Roaring Fork Valley Chamber members and their guests to our next Quarterly Lunch. Join us on Wednesday, May 27 to hear Carrie Rossman, Director of the Better Business Bureau’s Institute for Marketplace Trust, serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming present on safeguarding customer information, internet safety, building trust and instilling ethnics, and more.

N O P T S O P

Dallenbach Ranch in Basalt

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Photo by Marlene Collins

Lunch will be provided by Village Smithy

$100 Minimum Donation (tax deductible)

For more information and to register, contact the Carbondale Chamber at (970) 963-1890 or chamber@carbondale.com

All proceeds benefit Casting for Recovery and to establish a Western Slop Retreat in Western Colorado A 501c3 educational non-profit to benefit Women breast cancer survivors.

10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

To join us Contact: Paula Fothergill 970-379-2102 or 970-230-9300 or Scott @ Taylor Creek Fly Shop 303-884-4305

Community Calendar Creek wetlands in Aspen takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free but registration is required at roaringfork.org. Info: 927-1290.

FRIDAY May 29 IPHONE PHOTOGRaPHy â&#x20AC;˘ Sue Drinker gives a workshop in iPhone photography

continued from page 10

from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Launchpad. The session will begin with some basic pointers on how to compose a great photograph with examples of each technique. Popular manipulation applications will also be discussed and demonstrated. Info: 963-1680 or carbondalearts.com.

Save the Date SATURDAY June 20

SATURDAY June 27

ROTaRy HaPPENING â&#x20AC;˘ The theme of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rotary Club of Carbondale Happening is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Viva Mexico.â&#x20AC;? The night will be ďŹ lled with a celebration of music, culture and cuisine from Mexico. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be a silent auction.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and tickets are $125.

To snap one up, e-mail Steve Skinner at steve@kdnk.org or call him at 963-0139. It all takes place at the Orchard (110 Snowmass Drive). Info: carbondalerotary.com.

CaJUN CLay NIGHT â&#x20AC;˘ Music will be supplied by Electric Lemon, gumbo by Andreas Fischbacher and bowls by Carbondale Clay Center students and teachers at Cajun Clay night starting at 6 p.m. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be a silent auction, libations, crazy costume contest, kids fair and the CCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous gator cake. Info: carbondaleclay.org.

Further Out THURSDAY May 28 IMMUNIZaTION CLINIC â&#x20AC;˘ 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.

MOUNTaIN TO VaLLEy â&#x20AC;˘ The annual Mountain to Valley Half Marathon and FAST 4-Miler Races set out from Glenwood Park in Glenwood Springs, with buses leaving at 7 a.m. To register or for more information, go to mountaintovalley.com.

MONEy â&#x20AC;˘ Spiritual coach Dana Stovern presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Money is Energy: The Five Money Mediumship Tools to Inspire Your Money Powerâ&#x20AC;? at 7 p.m. at the Third Street Center.

Admission is $25.

SATURDAY June 20 BIKE TOUR â&#x20AC;˘ Registration is under way at active.com for the ďŹ rst Ride for the Child. The 100-mile, 100K and 50K tour of the Roaring Fork Valley is a beneďŹ t for Court Appointed Special Advocates for the Ninth Judicial District (CASA). Sponsors include Aloha Mountain Cyclery, Alpine Bank and First Bank.

Ongoing MayORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COFFEE HOUR â&#x20AC;˘ Chat with Carbondale Mayor Stacey Bernot on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Village Smithy.

CCaH SHOW â&#x20AC;˘ The photography show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Walk with Meâ&#x20AC;? continues at the Launchpad.

The show features photographs created by women who are or have been participants in the Valley Resettlement Project. The images include a narrative from the photographers and is an opportunity to get to know your neighbors in a positive and open atmosphere. Info: 963-1680 and carbondalearts.com.

MEDICaL CONSULTaTIONS â&#x20AC;˘ Greg Feinsinger, M.D., a retired, board-certiďŹ ed family physician now working on a volunteer basis, will discuss health fair results or other medical concerns at the Third Street Center. For an appointment, call 379-5718.

319-6854 or 925-1226.

MINDFULNESS GROUP â&#x20AC;˘ The Mindful Life Program hosts a weekly meditation and mindfulness group on Mondays from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. in Suite 28 at the Third Street Center. All are welcome. Info: 970-633-0163 or mindfullifeprogram.org.

MINDFULNESS MEDITaTION â&#x20AC;˘ Discussions about mindfulness meditation and Buddhist philosophy take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Sundays at Carbondale Community School. All are welcome and mats/cushions are available. Info: 970-618-1032.

MEDITaTION â&#x20AC;˘ Silent meditation is held at the Launchpad from 6:45 to 7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Please bring your own cushion or chair. Info: meditationcarbondale.weebly.com.

BRIDGE â&#x20AC;˘ The Carbondale Bridge Club meets at the Senior Matters room in the Third Street Center Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. You must have a partner and the fee is $3 per person.

Info: 963-0425.

SOUL DaNCE â&#x20AC;˘ Core Healing Arts presents Soul Dance at the Launchpad on Sundays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Dance experience is not necessary and drop-ins are welcome. The cost is $15 per session. Info: 319-6854.

CaRBONDaLE LIBRaRy â&#x20AC;˘ The Carbondale Branch Library holds Family Story Time every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., and Tablab/Wii Gaming at 4 p.m. on Thursdays.

LIVE MUSIC â&#x20AC;˘ Dan Rosenthal hosts open mic nights from 8 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday at Rivers restaurant in Glenwood Springs.

PaTHFINDERS â&#x20AC;˘ The grief and loss support group PathďŹ nders meets at Core Healing Arts 1101 Village Road, Suite 2D) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the ďŹ rst and third Monday of the month. PathďŹ nders is a non-proďŹ t, psychosocial support program for people dealing with chronic illness, disability, bereavement. Info: pathďŹ ndersforcancer.org or

TWO-STEP TUESDay â&#x20AC;˘ Foot stompinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fun continues at the Third Street Center Round Room from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $8 per person/$14 per couple. Info: meetup.com/RFVDance/events/219969549.

JaZZ JaM â&#x20AC;˘ The Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs continues Jazz Jam Mondays from 7 to 9:30 p.m. All abilities are welcome.

Info: Hunter Damm at 319-7853.

Carbondale Nature Park

Edible Landscape Planting Day Saturday May 23 from 9am-1pm

Help create Carbondaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Public Edible Landscape!

Bring the whole family including the dogs!

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Be a part of planting and mulching your new edible landscape around the solar array.

This landscape is a sustainable food source for the community and by the community!

Merrill Avenue and Fourth Street-Carbondale â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Meet at the Solar Panels The first ten people to show up will receive a $10 gift certificate from Eagle Crest Nursery Gift cards to Bonfire Coffee will be given away as a thank you to the community.

To learn more call David Coon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Town of Carbondale Arborist at 970-510-1331 or send an email to Jim Coddington at jctakingflight@gmail.com

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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weekly community connector â&#x20AC;˘ May 21-27, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 11

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

Polis Foundation recognizes BMS teacher Sopris Sun Staff Report Basalt Middle School teacher Mary Bright recently received the Jared Polis Foundation’s 2015 Teacher Recognition award. Bright, a seventh grade science and literacy teacher, was one of 10 teachers in the state of Colorado to receive the award, according to a press release. The award honors a teacher’s dedication, hard work and passion for the profession. They must

be nominated to be eligible.

“Mary stays on the cutting edge of educational reform,” said principal Voss. “She implements new ideas and she does it right.

Her classroom is a highly reflective space where kids learn to be students. While she has awesome growth scores, students get so much more out of her class, and she does an excellent job of walking the line between character and academic learning. She’s an

amazing teacher.”

Voss said he nominated Bright for a variety of reasons, including her commitment to all types of learners, her effective teaching methods, her work to improve the school community, and her leadership and professional expertise among peers.

Every year since 2002, the Jared Polis Foundation has honored 10 Colorado public school teachers during May’s National

Teacher Appreciation Month. The mission of the foundation is to help support teachers, increase access to technology and strengthen communities. This year the foundation received nearly 60 nominations from across the state. In addition to state-wide recognition, a winning teacher receives a $1,000 discretionary prize, a $1,000 grant to improve a teacher’s classroom and/or school, and a tablet of the teacher’s choice.

Artists needed to create Pencil Garden in Basalt Sopris Sun Staff Report Cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000, $500 and $250 are being offered for an art installation in downtown Basalt called the Pencil Garden.

“Artists, creators, designers and dreamers of all ages and abilities are invited to interpret what the pencil, the humblest of all art supplies, means to them,” said a press release.

“There are no restrictions; pencils of all shapes, sizes, and materials are encouraged.”

The Wyly Art Center and town of Basalt

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are partnering together to create the Pencil Garden, which will be located in the east end of Lions Park.

The Pencil Garden is one component of a town-wide arts and cultural transformation plan developed by The Wyly Art Center and town of Basalt. The plan is designed to spark cultural engagement, civic and social vitality, and economic revitalization.

“Basalt’s arts and cultural assets are vital to our downtown’s redevelopment,” said Mike

RAW, DRY, CANNED & TREATS

Scanlon, Basalt town manager. “The presence of community art, like The Wyly Art Center’s Pencil Garden, will increase attention and foot traffic downtown by attracting visitors and increasing the length of time and money they spend in Basalt.”

Jay Magidson, the president of the Wyly Board of Directors, said “The Art Center is constantly working to enrich our community through the expansion of art and arts education. Creating inspiring public spaces

like the Pencil Garden will provide opportunities for visitors to relate, connect, pause, think, and grow.”

Artists are invited to submit an application by June 15 with the final work due by July 15. The sculpture garden will be unveiled on Aug. 8 during the Wyly’s “Pencil Us In” gala.

For more information, contact Nick Aceto at 720-317-5797 or e-mail nick@ terrainla.com, or go to wylyarts.org/events.

NOW ACCEPTING SUMMER CLOTHING ITEMS FOR CONSIGNMENT Also accepting furniture, jewelry, art, housewares and gift items

Next to City Market in El Jebel, 400 E Valley Rd. Ste I/J 963.1700 Open M-F 9-6:30pm | Sat/Sun 10-5pm

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Coffee with the

Mayor

On Wednesday mornings, after a Tuesday night Council meeting, visit in an informal setting with Basalt Mayor Jacque Whitsitt for coffee and a chat at Saxy’s Coffee Shop, 104 Midland Avenue.

SPIRIT LIFTING CONSIGNMENT

970-927-4384 144 Midland Avenue, Basalt, Colorado 81621

Scoops

Ice Cream

Open daily Basalt’s Only Ice Cream Shop

Mon-Sat 10-5 Sun 12-5 Down the Block from Big O Tires Basalt 180 South Side Dr 927-6488

This is a great opportunity to share your thoughts, make comments and catch up on what’s happening in Basalt.

All issues and topics welcome.

The next Coffee with the Mayor is:

Wednesday, .BZ at 8 a.m.

12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

"Non-Profit Supporting Local Sustainable Agriculture"

Community Briefs

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

Individuals, families and even family dogs are invited to help plant the town’s edible garden at the Carbondale Nature Park (aka Delaney dog park) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 23. The first 10 planters to register receive a $10 gift certificate from Eagle Crest Nursery; gift cards from Bonfire will also be given away. Peppino’s pizza will provide lunch. For details, call 510-1331.

to www.coloradomtn.edu, then choose the pull-down menu for “About.” Click on “Board of Trustees,” and then “Budget & Audit.” The budget can also be accessed directly at http://coloradomtn.edu/aboutcmc/board_of_trustees/budget_audit/.

The college’s board of trustees is scheduled to vote on the proposed $59.5 million budget at its June 18 meeting at the Colorado Mountain College campus in Spring Valley, according to a press release.

River float opportunity

Drop ’em some coin

Help plant town’s edible garden

The Roaring Fork Conservancy’s North Star float on the Roaring Fork River takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. on June 4 and June 17.

The free, two-mile guided float drifts through some of the most important wildlife habitat in the Aspen area. During the float, staff will give a history of the North Star Open Space, point out wildlife and discuss recent restoration activities. Note: the float is dependent upon river flows and may be cancelled due to extremely high or low flows. An inflatable kayak, paddle and PFD will be provided, according to a press release. Personal watercrafts are not allowed. Space is limited to 16 participants for each float. To register, go to roaringfork.org/events. Meet at the Wildwood put-in east of Aspen. Info: 927-1290.

CMC draft budget available The 2015-16 draft budget for Colorado Mountain College is available for viewing at any CMC location, or by going to the college’s website. To download the document, go

Folks who’d like to make a tax-deductible donation to the upcoming Summer Music Series in Sopris Park can send a check to Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, CO 81623. Make it payable to the Town of Carbondale. Note on the memo part of the check “Summer Music Series” or “SMS.” The town will send a letter of acknowledgment. The series runs the second Sunday of the month from June through August.

Hoop news The Basketball Summer of Dreams 10,000 Shots shooting clinic takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on June 8-10 at Carbondale Middle School. It’s for boys in grades 6-8 and the cost is $5. There’ll be contests and prizes. There’ll be open gym from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays with an emphasis on shooting and ball handling in June and July.

The cost is $1 per day. Competitive play is offered from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays starting

Roaring Fork senior Jose Lopez (in gold, earlier in the season) took second place in the 110-meter hurdles at last weekend’s Class 3A state championship track meet at Jefferson County Stadium. Lopez also tied for third in high jump with a leap of six feet.

Roaring Fork’s Lyle Luckett placed 12th in the 1600-meter run; Emma Cooley placed 13th in high jump. Photo by Roark Roney on June 16. For details, call Joe Markham at 963-1109 or e-mail nettmarkham@aol.com.

Library notes Heading out of May and into June, the Carbondale Branch Library has all kinds of events planned, including a Harry Potter movie marathon starting on June 3, Gaming & Lunch starting on June 4, the Starletts at 6:30 p.m. on June 4, Movie Matinee & Lunch starting on June 8, robots starting on June 11 and more. For details, go to gcpld.org.

Emergency 911 calls Here are the Carbondale Fire District’s 911 calls for the week of May 10-16: • Medical emergencies (12); • Trauma emergencies (5); • Fire alarm responses (2); • Motor vehicle accident (1); • Citizen assist (1); • Medical alarm response/ malfunction (1); • Gas alarm response (1); • Smoke alarm response (1).

THE Place to Experience The Valley’s Highest Grade Cannabis

Grand Spring Fling Weekend May 23 and 24

Come in and celebrate your love of gardening with us.

• Prize Drawings • Refreshments • Specials

• Garden Inspiration • Unique Plants • Great Atmosphere

• Fun • Flowers • and More!

It’s Memorial Day weekend and it’s time for everyone in the valley to get out and plant something!

BUY AN 1/8TH and get a FREE GRAM (Select Strains) while supplies last

Must be 21 or Older

165 Southside Drive | Basalt In Basalt’s Southside: Turn off of Highway 82, then right past Big O Tires, Roots RX is 1/2 block on left.

Store hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Last call 6:45 p.m.

970.539.WEED Visit our Eagle Vail Location For All Your Rec. Needs and visit Holistic Health Care for your Medical needs!

LADIES’ NIGHT TONIGHT (MAY 21) 5:30-7PM. FUN, FRIENDS, SPECIALS AND WINE! WOMEN ONLY IT WILL BE THE PLACE TO BE.

STORE HOURS $ Open Memorial Day $ Mon.-Sat. 8AM-6PM | Sun. 10AM-5PM Eagle Crest Nursery 400 Gillespie Drive, El Jebel, Colorado 81623

970-963-1173 EagleCrestNursery.com THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • May 21-27, 2015 • 13

Hot-button issues of standardized testing and opting out (Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on standardized testing in schools).

By Debbie Bruell Sopris Sun Correspondent Across the nation, resistance to “highstakes,” standardized testing in public schools is growing.

Increasing numbers of students and parents are boycotting the tests, or “opting out.”

Several districts in Colorado saw significant percentages of students opting out this year. District officials in Boulder estimated that 47 percent of high schoolers and 14 percent of middle schoolers did not participate in the first round of testing this spring.

The state of Colorado has been grappling with the question of whether to penalize districts with high percentages of students opting out. Federal law requires a minimum of 95 percent participation rates statewide, with penalties for lower participation rates (including a loss of up to $346 million of Title 1 federal funding for Colorado). However, opt out advocates say this threat is an empty one.

According to research by the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (fairtest.org) “... no school or district anywhere in the country has ever been penalized for failing to test enough (95%) of its students.”

On the last day of Colorado’s recent legislative session, a testing-related bill was finally passed and is expected to be signed by the governor. This bill, HB 15-1323, guarantees parents the right to opt students out of tests, guarantees that students won’t suffer any consequences for opting out, specifies that districts cannot discourage students from taking tests, and reduces state-mandated testing by about 26 percent.

In our own little corner of the world in Carbondale, one can find passionate arguments on all sides of these issues of standardized testing and opting out of testing.

State-mandated testing The state has mandated a variety of tests that must be administered in all public schools, including charter schools. (Carbondale charter schools include Ross Montessori School and Carbondale Community School).

The most time-consuming and controversial of the state-mandated tests are the PARCC and CMAS tests. The PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) tests English and math skills. This school year, every student in

grades three through 11 was required to spend a total of 9.75 to 11 hours (depending on the grade level) on PARCC testing throughout the year. HB-1323 eliminates PARCC testing in grades 10 and 11.

For the 2014-15 school year, students in grade five, eight and 12 were required to be tested in science by the CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) for a total of four hours spread across multiple days; students in grades four, seven and 12 were required to do four hours of social studies testing by the CMAS. HB-1323 eliminates all required CMAS testing for 12th graders, adding one science and one social studies CMAS test during high school.

In addition, the state required the following testing for the 2014-15 school year: an assessment to monitor the language development of English Language Learners; the Colorado ACT to evaluate college readiness of all 11th graders; and an assessment to monitor students’ literacy development in kindergarten through third grade. For this last assessment, Re-1 schools are using the DIBBELS assessment: teachers sit down individually with each child for 15-minute sessions to evaluate each child’s reading abilities. The new bill reduces the literacy development assessment from five or six hours per year to two or two and a half hours per year. It also adds the ACT Aspire test for 10th graders (a college and workforce readiness exam).

Pros and cons Roaring Fork School District Superintendent Diana Sirko told The Sopris Sun that while she would like to see some reduction in the amount of testing required, she sees great value to nationally normed tests “because they give each district a benchmark to say, ‘How do we compare with other students across the state and across the nation?’”

And why is it important for schools to make these comparisons? One of the primary reasons cited by Chief Academic Officer Rob Stein is to address the issue of inequality in education: overall, the U.S. education system is failing to meet the needs of low income students.

As Stein told The Sopris Sun, “Our education system has institutionalized low performance for some subpopulations of students, even though some schools are getting remarkably high results for those same subpopulations. Without a standard meas-

uring stick, how will we know which schools are getting those remarkable results so that we can learn from them?”

Sirko referred to a recent local talk by educator Ron Berger, who taught for 25 years in a high poverty school in rural Massachusetts. Berger noted that his students’ test scores provided an independent measure to validate his non-traditional approach to education, which otherwise might have been disregarded.

Sirko and Stein also point out that parents and students have a right to know whether schools are teaching them what they need to know. Stein told the Sun, “I feel highly concerned when a school says, ‘We’re doing fine in how we are teaching those subjects (reading, writing, math),’ and the standardized tests say, ‘Your kids aren’t learning very much.’”

He points to the valuable information that Roaring Fork High School has gained from the results of the ACT college entrance exam (which is also mandated as a statewide assessment). While graduation rates at RFHS are high, ACT scores for some subgroups of students are low. Stein explained that results from the ACT have helped the school identify ways in which the school is setting the bar too low in terms of what is required for a passing grade.

A second potential purpose of standardized testing is to monitor and provide insight into individual student progress. Sirko told The Sun that schools need some standardized measures to make sure that kids are “staying on track” and receiving early intervention if they need it. As she stated, “We don’t want to wait until the ACT to find that they’re behind in their learning.” Sirko referred to the large number of high school graduates across the country that need to take remedial classes before they’re ready for college-level classes.

Sirko noted that teachers are constantly monitoring students’ progress — using everything from informal, daily check-ins with each child to classroom quizzes — and that these types of assessments can provide more robust and detailed information about a child’s learning than a standardized test.

However, she explained, it’s also important to have an “external validator” as a way for teachers to confirm their sense of each student’s progress.

Stein said that for the tests to be useful in terms of monitoring individual student

progress, there needs to be a quicker “turnaround time” for getting those results (right now it’s about six months) and “more detailed reporting that makes sense to teachers, students and parents.”

While the above purposes for standardized testing may seem reasonable to many or most, others claim that in the U.S. education system today, tests are being overused and misused. Tests have not just been used to identify ways to improve student learning, critics argue, they have been used to punish schools and teachers whose students get low test scores.

The “high stakes” that have been attached to low test scores include replacing school staff, schools being taken over by private entities (to operate the schools as public schools), and, more recently, impacts on teachers’ individual evaluations.

Critics argue that high-stakes testing is responsible for a variety of problems with schools, including: a narrowing down of the curriculum in many schools to a boring “teach to the test” approach to learning; a focus on aspects of students’ education that can be easily measured by standardized testing and an undervaluing of things which cannot be easily measured (such as social/emotional development, creativity, critical thinking and teamwork); a high level of anxiety among teachers and students around testing; private testing companies draining resources away from schools; and tests being used to label neighborhood schools in poor, urban communities of color as “failures” and to shut them down without providing a positive alternative for these students.

Sirko and Stein, as well as the two school board members who live in Carbondale, Matt Hamilton and Karl Hanlon, all spoke with The Sun about problems and limitations they see with the current state-mandated, standardized testing system. They all agreed that the state has mandated too much standardized testing, that test scores can never give a complete picture of a school program or a student’s learning, and that connecting test scores with punitive sanctions is problematic. However, each of them also cited problems with using opting out as a way to make necessary changes in the testing system.

The second part of this article will look at some local perspectives on the issue of opting out.

Police Department Town of Carbondale

SunScribe!

is now accepting applications for the position of

Support your Carbondale community connector

POLICE OFFICER I AND II

Because you live, work or play here, As a non-profit community you’re already a “member” of service, we can only thrive The Sopris Sun community.

and grow with your support.

SunScribe online at

www.soprissun.com 14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • May 21-27, 2015

Laterals welcome to apply. Spanish speaking is a bonus.

Refer to www.carbondalegov.org for more information and application.

Deadline is June 1, 2015 by 5 p.m.

Climate change î&#x2C6;&#x2021;om page 2 problem of increasing temperatures.

Increasing temperatures are creating new weather patterns in our mountains. Snowfall is taking place over a shorter time period and the depths are decreasing. Unfortunately the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bassoonâ&#x20AC;? section of the symphony is starting too soon. The other orchestra sections canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change quickly enough to remain in harmony. In this valley, that could mean the blossoms come on the trees before the pollinators have arrived to do their job or a frost kills these early blossoms. Oddly, this summer, our valley is expected to have cool and rainy weather because

Legal Notice

there is unusually warm water in an area of the PaciďŹ c Ocean that generates the El Nino that sends us the moisture. The ocean has become warmer because it is absorbing much of the excess heat produced by greenhouse gases. The rate of evaporation increases and warm air can hold more moisture.

The picture I am painting is a cautionary tale. The object is to make us more aware of the kinds of changes that are happening and that are increasing in impact. This awareness could affect the way we live our everyday lives and the choices we make. We should also be aware that the problems that were thought to be global, and to be some unknown number of years in the future, are already here.

ORDINANCE NO. 5

ORDINANCE NO. 6

ORDINANCE NO. 7

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO APPROVING AN INSUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE ZONE DISTRICT TEXT FOR THE CLEVELAND PLACE II PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO, EXTENDING THE CAP ON RETAIL MARIJUANA STORES, PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING, CULTIVATION, AND TESTING FACILITIES UNTIL JULY 1, 2017.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO, APPROVING REVISIONS TO TITLES 5 AND 9 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE REGARDING MEDICAL AND RETAIL MARIJUANA LICENSING PROCEDURES, PERSONAL POSSESSION, GROWING, PROCESSING, STORING, & DISPOSING OF MARIJUANA & MARIJUANA PLANTS.

This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during normal business hours.

This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during normal business hours.

Series 2015

Series 2015

NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on May 12, 2015.

THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE _________________________ By: s/s Stacey Bernot, Mayor

ATTEST: __________________________ s/s Cathy Derby, Town Clerk

NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on May 12, 2015.

THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE _________________________ By: s/s Stacey Bernot, Mayor

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Published in The Sopris Sun on May 21, 2015.

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NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on May 12, 2015.

This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Â Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during norColorado mal business hours.

THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE _________________________ By: s/s Stacey Bernot, Mayor

ATTEST: __________________________ s/s Cathy Derby, Town Clerk

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Series 2015

Published in The Sopris Sun on May 21, 2015.

ATTEST: __________________________ s/s Cathy Derby, Town Clerk Published in The Sopris Sun on May 21, 2015.

Service Directory OPEN HOUSE Sun., May 24, 3-5pm Â

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OPEN HOUSE Sat., May 30, 3-5pm

CARBONDALE

CARBONDALE

Keator Grove 0311 Linden Circle

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Survey I have begun taking a survey of local folks. It consists of only one question: what should be the maximum number of people in Carbondale; (that means ever)? The current population is given as 6,600. The average response so far is about 8,000, or roughly an increase of 20 percent. This could mean that our town fathers should be looking at a â&#x20AC;&#x153;budgetâ&#x20AC;? that each new development application would be tested against. This limit is far less than the number used by CDOT and other state agencies that are projecting a doubling of our population.

Do we really want a doubling of the trafďŹ c on Highway 82? Do we really want to try and live with the increasing pollution? Are we not going to do our part to control our local greenhouse gas emissions that can only increase as population increases?

Here is one more factor to weigh in on the decisions. Our valley relies heavily on the ski business, which relies in turn on the timely and sufďŹ cient annual snowfall. Snowfall appears to be changing. Also, a recent article on the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ski business identiďŹ es some changes in business from changes in demographics. It appears that â&#x20AC;&#x153;millennialsâ&#x20AC;? (the folks born in the early 1980s to the early 2000s) are skiing at only about half the rate of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;boomers.â&#x20AC;? Plus, skiing is not getting any cheaper and Americans in general are making less income.

Taking this story as a whole, I for one am persuaded that a very prudent wait and see attitude should be taken with growth.

I think we should be asking ourselves if the scenario above is true, what should we be doing to prepare ourselves. We need to work toward a sustainable future that includes children without pollution-impaired brains or allergy induced breathing.

Patrick Hunter is a Colorado Mountain College sustainability studies student, the Outreach and Education member of the Carbondale Environmental Board, and a member of the local Citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Climate Lobby. He lives outside Carbondale.

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