July 28, 2011

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Sun

Sopris Carbondale’s

weekly, non-profit newspaper

Volume 3, Number 24 | July 28, 2011

F a i r r u f o a y c e on t e G

The 40th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair is July 29-31 at Sopris Park and all around town you hear folks telling each other “see you at the fair” or “have a good fair.” The folks you see here got their Fair face on in recent years. To get prepped for this year’s party, turn to Fair coverage on page 3 and also the official Mountain Fair program inside. Photos by Jane Bachrach

Trustees talk pot

Del McCoury hits town

Grizzlies in Cascades

Page 3

Page 11

Page 16

Carbondale Commentary VCR: A step forward or backward?

Nothing without cost

By Kendall Williams

By Bob Schultz (Editor’s note: This is the third in Bob Schultz’s three-part series titled “VCR: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” He has titled the following installment “The Ugly.”)

The current proposal to develop the land at Highway 133 and Main Street appears to be headed for action by the town trustees. While most people have lost interest and focus over the long and contentious review process for Village at Crystal River, it would be wise for all to understand the key points and weigh in on their assessment of whether potentially good aspects outweigh the possible negative effects. This is the third of three pieces on the good, bad and ugly aspects of this proposal. This column presents the ugly aspects surrounding the proposal.

The first ugly aspect is the Public Improvement Fee — a 1 percent or more fee on all sales at Village at Crystal River.

A 1 percent fee on groceries is about the most regressive form of taxation that I can think of. While the average household in the U.S. spends about 10 percent of disposable income on food, lower income households spend as much as 20-25 percent on food. If we want to make lower income families pay proportionately more for the infrastructure — roads, pipes, parking lots, street lights, etc. — at the Village at Crystal River, then there is no better method than a PIF on groceries.

The second ugly aspect of VCR is the land use review process with the Board of Trustees. The current board has purged about 50 years of planning experience from its staff, and is now floundering through land use applications. Issues, both menial and threshold, and personal disagreements are debated endlessly without a clear sense of the goal line. Residents deserve better representation. So do developers.

Does this board have an agreement on land use goals? If so, it is impossible to tell from their deliberations on significant proposals. What do we want at VCR? Do we really want to annex the Thompson land? If yes, why?

The trustees could answer those threshold questions first with a straw poll, and when they support a project, the council can, as a group, give staff and the applicant direction on what’s needed to make it work. The details could be worked out between staff and applicant and brought back for review. Trustee meetings should be about deciding direction and reviewing agreements to implement that direction.

And when the trustees don’t support a project in the straw poll, staff can prepare the paperwork for denial, saving stress and money.

Speaking of the applicant, the VCR developer and his representatives are part of the ugliness. He has threatened to sue the town and/or trustees and has become increasingly adversarial in his approach. This bullying does not bode well for a longterm partnership that will drive town funding and land use for the next generation.

We’d better hire the best attorney in Colorado to write up this Development Agreement, because the developer has given us plenty of warning about what to expect from him in the future.

Some will say that the answer to all of this is a referendum on the project — I hope not. Ugliness begets ugliness. We need each other more than ever right now, and it is the wrong time to be breaking into groups over this cursed piece of land again. I am beginning to be convinced that Shorty Pabst cast a pall on this land from the ethers when Colorado Rocky Mountain School sold it years ago for development.

The fact is we were dealt a bad hand with this property. When Carbondale annexed the land with commercial zoning many years ago, there was no development VCR COMMENTARY page 14

Three simple words with so much meaning but if you think about it, everything that we do embodies some sort of expenditure, whether it be mental effort, time spent doing something, or not doing anything. Just existing implies a cost and when you put a dollar value on the things we do or don’t do as individuals and collectively we have one measure of cost that most of us can understand.

Take housing for example. We all know that buying land, hiring an architect, and paying a builder all add to the cost of a house. We also know that depending on how many people are in the market mix for these essential ingredients, the cost may vary.

Add in factors like location and the number of people who may want to buy the finished house and you start to have the basic information needed to determine a price.

These are all well recognized factors, but there are other costs that go into a house that are not so obvious.

Let’s say that you want to build a house but the only lots you can find are expensive ones in a subdivision with rules that require the architect to add certain costly features to the outside so as to maintain the value of neighboring properties. Let’s also say the home COSTS page 14

Letters

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

Petitioner comments on Sopris Dear Editor: I am writing to correct some misinformation that is out about the naming of the “John Denver Peak.”

I am a co-sponsor for this effort. We are absolutely not renaming Mount Sopris.

Saying that we are doing that is 100 percent incorrect.

What we are attempting to do in honor of all that John Denver has done is name the unnamed east peak as “John Denver Peak.”

There are people out there very, very upset that we are trying to rename Mount Sopris. Mount Sopris will always remain Mount Sopris.

Karen Larsen Littleton

GrassRoots thanks Dear Editor: On Saturday, July 16, GrassRoots Community TV held the first GrassGames at Sopris Park in Carbondale. We had a perfect day for games in the grass, barbeque and music. All participants had a great time.

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in making this a successful fundraiser for GrassRoots Community Television.

GrassRoots Community TV is embarking upon an exciting new community project: creating a digital media access center and television studio at the Third Street Center in Carbondale. Opening to the public in the fall of 2011, this community media production center is already attract-

E-mail alert

Skip and Kay Bell brought their own Sun to the Hawaii islands during a recent trip. They are shown here on Kauai. Courtesy photo 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011

Last week the Sopris Sun had some problems with its e-mail machine. If you sent an e-mail to news@soprissun.com and want to confirm we received it, please resend it to the same address.

The Sun apologizes for any inconvenience one of our e-mail operators may have caused.

ing a lot of excitement in Carbondale.

GrassRoots is looking to all local businesses, citizens and non-profits to help make it a successful creative facility.

Thanks to our live music performers: Dave Notor and Friends, Three on the Tree, Casey O’Kane, and The Friendly Dictators A big thanks to our sponsors: ACE Hardware-Carbondale, Anderson Ranch, LETTERS page 14

To inform, inspire and build community Donations accepted online or by mail. For information call 510-3003 Editor: Lynn Burton • 510-3003 news@soprissun.com Advertising: Dina Drinkhouse • 970-274-6691 dina@soprissun.com Bob Albright • 970-927-2175 bob@soprissun.com Photographer/Writer: Jane Bachrach Ad/Page Production: Terri Ritchie Paper Boy: Cameron Wiggin Webmaster: Will Grandbois Sopris Sun, LLC Managing Board of Directors: Peggy DeVilbiss • David Johnson Allyn Harvey • Colin Laird Laura McCormick • Trina Ortega Jean Perry • Elizabeth Phillips Frank Zlogar

Sopris Sun, LLC • P.O. Box 399 520 S. Third Street #35 Carbondale, CO 81623

970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Visit us on facebook.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.

Main Street stage added to Mountain Fair weekend Sopris Sun Staff Report

A last minute addition to Mountain Fair weekend is putting 13 local musicians on a stage at Fourth and Main in the “park” the town leases from a private owner.

“I kind of hit Amy Kimberly (Mountain Fair Director) with this idea at the last minute,” Dave Taylor told the town trustees on July 21.

Kimberly told the Sopris Sun,“The downtown stage was the idea of Dave Taylor but we are fully supportive and are helping in many ways to make it a success. The Mountain Fair loves to get people downtown to experience all our businesses so hopefully this will provide some little extra incentive.”

Taylor, a musician himself, said he got the idea of using the summer-stage for Mountain Fair when he gave an impromptu show there last year.“There were about six people there,” Taylor joked.“And two of them got busted.”

In addition to music,Taylor also proposed 10 vendors be allowed in the small park, a proposal the trustees also approved.

Taylor said the musicians will play acoustically with a small PA system. The lineup is as follows:

Saturday, July 30 Noon – Greg Masse 1 p.m. – Yvette MacEachen 2 p.m. – Dan Rosenthal 3 p.m. – Patrick Fagan 4 p.m. – Fallen Pines 5 p.m. – Dave Taylor 6 p.m. – The Tippets

Sunday, July 31 Noon – Frank Norwood 1 p.m. – Ellen Stapenhorst 2 p.m. – Matt Haslett 3 p.m. – Acoustic DNA 4 p.m. – Rosewood Devine 5 p.m. – Paul Franzich As for local musicians playing the two stages at Sopris Park, the list includes: Bobby Mason (5 p.m., Friday), the Carbondale Sound with All the Pretty Horses, Tjaar and the Mile Markers (11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday), the No Joes (5 p.m., Saturday), singer/songwriter winners (5 p.m., Saturday),

One Way to Heaven (6 p.m., Saturday), Earthbeat Choir (10 a.m., Sunday), Annie Flynn Band (11:45 a.m., Sunday), Sirens of Swing (1 p.m., Sunday), open jam with the Tippets (1:15 p.m., Sunday), Jeff Kagan and Paige Dougherty (2 p.m., Sunday), jazz workshop with Aaron Taylor and Matteo Sendate & Friends (3 p.m., Sunday), Jazz Aspen student recital (5 p.m., Sunday).

In other Mountain Fair news: Signed and numbered prints of John Toly’s 40th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair poster will be available for $35 at the Information Booth near the Main Stage.

Only 50 limited edition posters were printed so get there early.

Volunteers are still needed for several squads, including: 4-Corners, Peace Patrol, Ambassador, the Green Team, Raffle Rover and T-shirt sales. Volunteers who put in four hours receive a Friend of the Fair T-shirt.

Sign up at the Information Booth or call 963-1680.

The “Mother of All Drum Circles” will open the fair in Sopris Park at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 29. This facilitated circle of hundreds of people takes place in front of the Main Stage and kicks off the weekend.

Kindly bring your own hand drum and/or small percussion if you have them. A limited number of drums and many small hand percussion instruments will be provided for those who don't have their own.

Local artists in this year’s fair include the Carbondale Clay Center potters, Barry Sheehan (metal), Brad Reed Nelson (wood) and Staci Dickerson (painting).

For the second year, arts and crafts booths open at noon on Friday, July 29.“This is a juried show, so the quality of artistry is high,” said Carbondale Mountain Fair Director Amy Kimberly.“We started the noon opening last year so patrons who really want to focus on the arts and crafts booths without all the other fair hoopla have a chance to do so undisturbed.”

For more on the fair, go to carbondalearts.com or check out the Official Fair Program in this issue of the Sopris Sun. The fair runs July 29-31 at Sopris Park and admission is free.

Paul Franzich wraps up the music lineup in the park at Fourth and Main on Sunday at 5 p.m. The downtown stage was organized by Dave Taylor. Courtesy photo

Fair Affairs:

Scavenger hunt clues

The grand prize in the Mountain Fair Retro T-shirt Scavenger Hunt is a pair of VIP tickets to Jazz Aspen Labor Day worth $2,500. Players who locate all the fair T-shirts from previous years at local businesses and fill out their cards can enter a drawing on Sunday afternoon. The final set of clues is as follows: Stop in here for a quick snack or two, you can try something different, something new with candies and other goods from our neighbors to the far south these sweet, salty and spicy delights will throw a fiesta in your mouth!

••• Living here, you come to love the outdoors exploring, living and being around the creatures that walk on all fours but what happens when all your best gear wears out because your lifestyle is so rapid? well, I know a store where you can get more, they might be slightly used, but there’s no way your new things will be ragged!

••• Recycling is fantastic in more ways than one and with it, even in this economy, it’s still easy to look hotter than the sun all you have to do is stop in here to look your best, cause I’ll tell you: it’s the best second hand store in the west!

••• When the spirit strikes you to have a drink or two at the same time, you aren’t in a social mood, and there are only bars all around! well you can come by here for some takeout booze in the heart of downtown.

FAIR AFFAIRS page 9

Trustees discuss pot ban; OK medical marijuana zoning

By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff Writer Carbondale Trustee Elizabeth Murphy asked the board to discuss banning medical marijuana facilities or to consider putting the question to a vote of the people at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The other three trustees who attended the meeting were more interested in addressing the agenda item at hand, a proposed zoning code for medical marijuana facilities, and after more than two hours of discussion approved the zoning 3-1.

Among the main provisions of Carbondale’s first-ever medical marijuana zoning code:

• Medical marijuana centers (dispensaries) will not be allowed at ground floor levels on Main Street and on Highway 133; • Medical marijuana grown in the town limits cannot be sold outside the town limits; • Dispensaries will be allowed with a special use permit in the HCC, CT, PC and CRW zone districts; • Cultivation and infused product manufacture will be allowed with a special use permit in the Industrial Zone District.

• Medical marijuana facilities within a 400-foot radius of the intersection of HighZONING page 5

The coolest workout in town can be found at the John Fleet Memorial swimming pool. Lap swims are noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Open swim times are 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Photo by Lynn Burton THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011 • 3

News Briefs The Weekly News Brief The Sopris Sun and the KDNK news departments team up to discuss recent news from the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond. Catch the Brief Fridays on KDNK.

Economic symposium slated An economic symposium focusing on the health of the Roaring Fork Valley’s real estate- and tourism-based economy will be held at the Doerr-Hosier Center at the Aspen Meadows on Friday, Aug. 5 at 3:30 p.m.

Participants include: Al White (director of Colorado's Tourism Office), Mike Kaplan (president and CEO of Aspen Skiing Company), Bob Daniel (project manager for the proposed Lift One Lodge at the base of Aspen Mountain), and Michael Fox (president and CEO of Aspen Club International). The panel will be moderated by Dwayne Romero, president of Related Colorado and former Aspen city councilman.

The symposium is presented by BJ Adams and Company. Advance tickets are $20 at 922-2111, at bjadamsandcompany.com, or $30 on the day of the event.

Libraries want feedback Garfield County libraries are taking a survey that’s available at all libraries and on-line. The survey results will help the library system plan next summer’s reading program and other programs as well.

“The information you give us is invaluable,” said library spokeswoman Emily Hisel.

AHS presents “Characters of Aspen” The Aspen Historical Society’s Time Travel Tuesdays series presents “Characters of Aspen: Lou Deane and Isabel Mace” at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the Wheeler/Stallard Museum at 620 W. Bleeker. Admission is free for members and $8 for non-members.

The presentation is set in the 1940s and 1950s when Deane established the T Lazy 7 Ranch at the junction of Willow and Maroon creeks. For details, go online to AspenHistory.org.

GarCo commissioners meet The Garfield County commissioners meet in the Courhouse Plaza Bulding in Glenwood Springs Aug. 1-2.

Agenda items on Aug. 1 include: • a finance update and presentation of the 2010 audited financial statements; • an update from sheriff Lou Vallario; • a federal mineral leasing district update; • a funding request from the Sopris Barracuda swim team; • a request for a Northwest Colorado Cultural Heritage tourism grant.

Agenda items on Aug. 2 include a work session at 8 a.m. on the land use code for equestrian centers.

PitCo trails conducting survey Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is conducting a visitor-use survey designed to help Open Space and Trails check-in on public opinion of current policy, as well as to identify potential planning and management issues.

“The opinions of Pitkin County’s citizens are very important to us,” said Open Space and Trails Recreation Planner, Lindsey Utter.“We look forward to analyzing the results of the survey. The results will help guide planning and management of the county’s Open Space and Trails resources.”

The survey is available on-line at aspenpitkin.com. For details, call 920-5224.

Survey responses must be received by Aug. 5.

Honor Flight seeking veterans The Western Slope Honor Flight is seeking World War II veterans for its Fifth and Final Flight to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 21-22. Plans are to transport WWII veterans from the Western Slope of Colorado and Eastern Utah to visit those memorials built and dedicated in their honor.

Applications can be accessed by calling Kris Baugh at (970) 434-2916 and should be mailed to Western Slope Honor Flight, P.O. Box 3950, Grand Junction, CO 81502. The trip is free for veterans, but guardians are asked to pay a fee of $950 to accompany the veteran and provide care.

Emmy Kidder jumped right into the sack race at the Orchard’s “One Love” day at Sopris Park last Sunday. The event included music, barbecue, a dunk tank, face painting and more, and brought out at least 200-300 people. Photo by Lynn Burton

TOWN OF CARBONDALE Business Revolving Loan Fund ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Loans available for new or expanding businesses located within Carbondale town limits Contact Roaring Fork Business Resource Center 945-5158 rlowenthal@rfbrc.org 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011

Zoning continued om page 3 way 133 and Main Street are banned.

“This code is more restrictive, not less restrictive (than the current situation),” said Mayor Stacey Bernot.

Voting for the zoning code were Bernot, Pam Zentmyer and John Hoffmann. Murphy voted against it. Trustees Frosty Merriott, John Foulkrod and Ed Cortez were absent.

Ever since the first medical marijuana Carbondale dispensary opened in 2009 to provide marijuana and its derivatives to patients with doctor-approved permits, the trustees have worked to draft licensing and zoning ordinances to regulate the industry.

Under Colorado statues, municipalities have the right to ban medical marijuana facilities. Last year the Carbondale trustees placed a moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries (see sidebar on page 9).

For the past two years, Murphy has been the most likely trustee to express concern over the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Tuesday night she elaborated and said drug use is on the rise, medical marijuana is making its way into schools, the number of medical marijuana dispensaries is tarnishing the town’s image with tourists and visitors, and police are having trouble enforcing some regulations such as dispensaries hours of operation.

“I question from a community perspective where we are going,” Murphy said.

“I’m not sure this (the zoning code) gets us where we are comfortable.”

She said a broader conversation would include whether to even allow medical marijuana facilities.

“Many towns have banned them,” she reminded the trustees.

Bernot pointed out that with three trustees missing, “I don’t think it’s in our best interest to (discuss) a ban tonight.”

At previous meetings, trustees and the public have commented on the image the town puts forth with eight marijuana dispensaries advertising their presence on

the zoning ordinance. “If we ban it (medical marijuana) completely, it’ll go back under ground.” He said the solution isn’t to ban medical marijuana but to give it a “smart” place to be.

So far, existing medical marijuana facilities have been allowed to operate until licensing and a zoning code is in place. The trustees had placed a moratorium on new

medical marijuana dispensaries until Dec. 31, 2010 and extended it Tuesday night to July 1, 2012.

Under the new zoning code, existing medical marijuana facilities are not allowed to expand.

Early in Tuesday night’s discussion, Bernot said the trustees could instruct the ZONING page 9

“I question from a community perspective where we are going.

I’m not sure this (the zoning code) gets us where we are comfortable.”

Elizabeth Murphy Town of Carbondale Trustee Main Street and other locations around town. Trustee Hoffmann countered that when his friends from Utah come to visit and drive past liquor stores on Highway 133, “it’s like they had to drive through Babylon … of course, they don’t smoke pot either.”

Hoffmann said the trustees should pass

Number of medical marijuana dispensaries drops – to 8

By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff Writer After topping out at 11 in July 2010, the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in Carbondale has dropped to eight, according to town hall records.

The drop means that Carbondale is only one medical marijuana dispensary ahead of Glenwood Springs, which now supports seven according to that town’s records.

If there’s any change in the number of dispensaries in either town it won’t come from new ones opening up. Both towns

have imposed moritoriums on new dispensaries.

Carbondale’s first medical marijuana dispensary — where patients with a doctorprescribed permit can buy everything from the weed itself to edibles, drinks, salves and tinctures — opened on Village Road in July 7, 2009. During the next year, three dispensaries opened in January 2010, and others were scattered through May and June.

The last medical marijuana dispensary to open was a Medical Marijuana Center of MEDICAL MARIJUANA page 9

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Fishing the Fork. Water levels dropped, rivers have cleared and fishing is back to normal on the Roaring Fork. An unusually high runoff kept drift boats such as this one off local rivers in recent weeks but all that changed earlier in the month. Now the boat ramp below the Highway 133 bridge has turned into a busy place for anglers and rafters. Photo by Lynn Burton

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THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011 • 5

Scuttlebutt

Send your scuttlebutt to news@SoprisSun.com.

More on Denver

Ravenheart opens

If you think the “John Denver Peak” controversy has peaked out, take a peek at KDNK’s Web-site.

The community access radio station’s weekly poll asks whether Mt. Sopris’s eastern peak should be named after the late-singer, who lived just outside Aspen in Starwood and died in an experimental aircraft accident off the California coast several years ago. Denver is known in many circles for his environmental views and support of like-minded projects, such as his Windstar eco-think tank on several hundred acres near Snowmass that he founded in the 1970s.

Anyway, KDNK’s poll on Monday afternoon showed that 65 percent of respondents (32) don’t want a Sopris peak named after Denver, 16 percent (8) do, and 18 percent (9) “don’t really care.”

On an unrelated note, there’s no truth to the rumor that out-of-town petitioners want the BLM to rename Mushroom Rock on Red Hill “John Denver on Mushrooms” rock because who knows, he might have sat on Mushroom Rock and penned a tune.

Ravenheart (formerly the Parkside Gallery) hosts a grand opening celebration July 28. The gallery is located across the street from Sopris Park. For details, see the ad in this week’s Sun.

Independence Pass alert If you’re motoring over Independence Pass on Aug. 2, you might think of bringing some reading material or electronic game device. That’s because CDOT is striping Highway 82 for the 16-mile stretch between Aspen and Lincoln Creek between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Expect delays of up to one hour. For details on road conditions, go to coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right corner of the page.

Heritage Park thanks Folks at Heritage Park Care Center say they’d like to thank Kem and John Piccinati of Yesteryear, and Cacaloco Compost for the donation of time, labor, love and great dirt for their new vegetable and flower garden. Heritage Park is located at 1200 Village Road.

Local pole dancer competes Yes, you read that correctly. Local pole dancer Holly “Honey” Miely is competing in an international pole dancing competition at the Oriental Theatre in Denver on Aug. 5-7.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to perform amongst so many amazing pole dancers I respect and admire,” Miely said in a press release. “The international presence is also very exciting for me as you rarely get access to so much international talent in one place.”

For details, go to Poledancinguniverse.com, or get in your car and drive over to the Oriental Theatre and see it for yourself. Miely runs Honey’s Pole Fitness Studio in Carbondale and Basalt.

Vote for Bonedale

Here’s the latest installment of the Sopris Sun’s Mystery Photo. If you think you know where it is, send your answer to news@soprissun.com. The first person to answer correctly gets his or her name in the paper. For an extra five points (and you’re going to need them): who owns the sign or where did the sign hang before coming to rest in Carbondale? Photo by Lynn Burton

The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce bills the town as a great base camp for Colorado adventure. Well, the September issue of Elevation Outdoors magazine will celebrate the “Best of” Colorado for favorite spots around the state.

To cast votes for local faves and enter a contest for free gear go to: elevationoutdoors.com.

They say it’s your birthday Happy birthday greetings go out to Tom Baker and Brent Moss (July 28), Cheryl Loggins, and Nancy Barnett (July 31) and Anibal Guevera (Aug. 1).

Doors open at 7pm Live performance starts at 9pm Opening Acts: Articulate Lounges & 970 Ridas Aftershow DJ’s: SubFoundations Crew vs. High Lyfe Entertainment Crew Tickets available at One Love in Glenwood and Aspen, Casual Culture, Spyder Rose and the PAC3 box office and their website www.pac3carbondale.com - $30 presale & $35 at the door. $50 package deals for Friday and Saturday night - 18 and up.

Sponsors: One Love, SoundRx, SubFoundations, Everlast Powder Coating, Independent Trucking, Back To Earth Bodyworks, Downhill Boardshop, Eminent Apparel, High Lyfe Entertainment, Spyder Rose, Mother Earth, Mountain Ink, “WHERE’S THE PARTY AD?” APP., Indoor Garden Supply, GRxeen House & www.Allen Pettenger.com Located: PAC3 Theater, 520 South Third Street Carbondale, Colorado 81623 (970.925.1663) www.pac3carbondale.com Devin the Dude & Coughee Brothers performing July 30th

featuring White Fudge 6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011

Mother/daughter fashion designers call Carbondale home

By Angela Palone Sopris Sun Correspondent In 1958, a young woman from Germany came to the United States with a great family tradition.

Her grandfather, of Magdeburg, Germany, was a jeweler, master goldsmith and World War I veteran. Her father was a master goldsmith as well as an optometrist, two trades that went hand in hand because as a goldsmith he would frame glasses. Her father’s masterpiece was a diamond ring.Who would think that decades later, the woman from Germany and her daughter would be creating their own masterpieces out of silk and stone?

For 20 years now, Brigitta Heller-Ulrych has lived in Carbondale and has no intention of leaving town or her Victorian-era house on Second Street. Brigitta is a designer and seamstress who operates a clothing business with her daughter, Barbara. They design most of their clothes together, Brigitta sewing and Barbara painting and dying the material.This dynamic duo began B*B designs in 1989.

Brigitta, surrounded by rolls of colorful fabrics, racks of silky kimonos and display cases of jewelry in her Second Street workshop/home, sat down with the Sopris Sun earlier this month for an interview.

“I just love working. I really do,” Brigitta proclaimed with a twinkle in her eye. “The main thing for me is the quality of the material.”

The materials used at B*B Designs are imported silks, suede, chiffon, velvet and rayon, which are flattering to any figure, elegant and comfortable.Their newest fabrics are bamboo

Brigitta Heller-Ulrych (left) and her daughter, Barbara, operate B*B Designs out of a Victorian house on Second Street. Their work is carried in galleries and boutiques in Hawaii, New Mexico and Colorado. Photo by Lynn Burton and pineapple, in which the women make a conscious effort to ensure a non-toxic manufacturing process. Kimonos, shirts, skirts, pants and crocheted sweaters are just some of the clothing pieces you can find in their shop.

Brigitta says her goal is to provide clothes for any body type and outfits for any occasion.

Barbara Sophia-Ulrych, a graphic arts major at Colorado State University, not only paints and dyes clothing material in the traditional Japanese style (shibori), she creates wall paintings, jewelry and also works with hand-blown glass. Her favorite medium in

which to work is Italian Murano glass because centuries-old techniques are used and each bead is individually blown.

Barbara began utilizing her talent about seven years ago. Every Mother’s Day she gives Brigitta a piece of jewelry that is more exquisite than the previous year. Barbara also facilitates gift-giving for others, selling her work at five stores in Hawaii, at the Redstone Art Center, Carbondale’s own Main Street Gallery, and Spirit of the Earth in Santa Fe. “Each piece of jewelry I have from my grandfather has a story. I want my pieces to

mean enough to someone to pass it down, since each is made with lots of love,” Barbara said.

A fifth generation of Ulrych handcrafters is in the making. Barbara’s two children each have shared in the work, her daughter helping to bead and her son helping with color and composition.

B*B Designs has never advertised and yet they still have had at least five articles written about them and have about 13 boutiques across the country that sell their clothing.

Business has slowed since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 9, 2001 due to store closures and other factors but their zeal and thoughtful work guides them through, just as the same work ethic benefited their ancestors.

Barbara splits her time between Hawaii and Carbondale but in the summer you can often find her at Brigitta’s, or contact either or by calling 963-3717. You may also have seen them at the Green is the New Black Fashion Show this past March, or the Rotary “Happening” earlier in July.

Barbara will be in attendance at Main Street Gallery during Mountain Fair. Both of them will show their work at the Redstone Arts Fair over Labor Day weekend. Just introduce yourself and you will be warmly welcomed and perhaps surprised at the mother/daughter team’s talent and passion.

As their clothing tags state: “With an unwillingness to compromise quality … Barbara paints, Brigitta sews to bring you a garment representing the respect for beauty which surrounds us all.”

Barbara’s Web site is barbarasophia.com.

Crystal Springs Ranch Summer Riding Camp Established 1983

Monday-Friday • 10am-3pm • June 20 - August 19, 2011 Children learn the fundamentals of riding, horse care, and vaulting (gymnastics on the moving horse), while having fun and making new friends.

Campers should bring a sack lunch & beverage Sessions: $95 per day or $425 per week

Call or email: Kathy Weiss (970) 963-1505 • kdwranch@kellin.net Lynn Bopeley (970) 379-3446 • bopeley@yahoo.com Crystal Springs Ranch 1609 County Road 112 • Carbondale, CO 81623 www.crystalspringsranch.net

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THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011 • 7

RAVENHEART GALLERY GRAND OPENING Thursday July 28 • 3-9 p.m.

Celebrate of the unveiling of Ravenheart Gallery and Crystal Glass Studio’s Masterpiece Creation:

THE KALEIDOSCOPE TABLE Live music, libations, wonderful and healthy treats. Peruse our beautiful collection of gems, minerals, lovely hats and other unique decorative items for your home.

FORMERLY PARKSIDE GALLERY 50B WEANT BLVD., CARBONDALE, CO 81623 • 970.963.1401 • RAVENHEARTGALLERY.COM

Zoning continued om page 5 town attorney to draft a medical marijuana ban for them to consider. After the vote, she asked Murphy whether she wanted to have the town attorney to draft a ban but Murphy declined.

In other trustee action: • The trustees voted 4-0 to accept a settlement on the so called “Island Property” in the Roaring Fork that gives boaters the right to access town property on the island and float through that stretch of the river.

The settlement between the town and adjacent property owners Thomas and Mary Beth Joiner and Michael Stahl comes after the Joiners and Stahl filed a lawsuit against the town concerning disputed boundaries on the 17-acre island.

The settlement calls for the town to release and quitclaim all of its right, title and interest to lots on the island claimed by the Joiners and Stahl. The Joiners and Stahl agreed to pay the town $25,000.

The island is located south of Highway 82 and Planted Earth. Earlier this year, Carbondale trustees were considering whether to sell the Joiners and Stahl the island for $100,000 to clear up their long-standing claims to partial island ownership.

• Police chief Gene Schilling told the trustees that Mountain Fair will no longer station crossing guards on Main Street during Mountain Fair. Schilling said he was told that fair volunteers had been subjected to harassment last year while carrying out their duties. To help mitigate the lack of crossing guards, police will set up portable stop signs in Main Street. “I don’t think it will be a safer scenario,” said mayor Bernot.

Schilling said that next year, the town might make the fair hire someone to act as crossing guards. Trustees Zentmyer said she “wasn’t comfortable” with the fact that the fair only told Schilling about the crossing guard change a week ago. “I wish I’d know about it sooner,” Schilling replied.

Medical Marijuana continued om page 5 Colorado shop in the alley behind Russets on July 1, 2010, according to town records.

The Carbondale Board of Trustees has been working for more than a year to draft ordinances aimed at regulating a medical marijuana industry that is still undergoing review and statute changes at the state level.

The most recent state deadline was July 1. Medical marijuana dispensaries were required by that date to meet new regulations, such as installation of security devices, conducting background checks to weed out felons, and providing the state with other information dating back as far as 10 years.

“We had to fill out a lot of paper work,” said David Edgar at Mother Earth, located at 758 Main Street.

Edgar wouldn’t comment when asked how much his dispensary’s new security system cost, but “it was real expensive.”

Edgar and other dispensary operators say it’s hard keeping on top of regulations coming from the town and the state. Some have hired attorneys to track legislative impacts. Others rely on word of mouth from other dispensaries, e-mails, the Internet and news accounts.

“There’s a lot of talk,” he said.

The next new requirement from Car-

bondale is an annual tax of $1,000 per year, Edgar said.

“It’s not cheap (operating a medical marijuana dispensary),” he said.

Chris Busley operates CMD at 1101 Village Road in Roaring Fork Village. A former civil engineer, Busley opened Carbondale’s first dispensary. When asked what he’s learned about operating a medical marijuana dispensary, he paused then said,“I should have gone to business school … There have been a lot of challenges but it’s been fun.”

As for state forms that were due on July 1, “It was easier than I was expecting.”

Still, Busley has faced numerous hurdles and uncertainties since opening his doors.

One issue for him is the Carbondale Board of Trustees and some of its members attitude toward medical marijuana. He said the trustees are “still stuck” on whether medical marijuana is right or wrong, “and I don’t think that’s the issue.”

He said medical marijuana dispensaries are no different from other businesses that face regulations. “Dry cleaners can dump chemicals in the rivers (if they aren’t regulated or policed),” he said.

As for the future, Busley and other dispensary owners are waiting for the trustees

e medical marijuana breakdown Sopris Sun Staff Report No statistics that address medical marijuana use are available for just Carbondale, but according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, statewide: • As of May 31, 2011, there were 127,444 medical marijuana permit holders; • 69 percent of the holders were male; • The average age was 40; • 56 percent live in the Denver metro area; • There were 1,862 permit holders in Garfield County and 877 in Pitkin County; • “Severe pain” was cited most often as a need for medical marijuana, followed by muscle spasms (20 percent), severe nausea (12 percent), cancer (2 percent) and glaucoma (1 percent).

More than 1,100 physicians have prescribed medical marijuana.

RFTA’s Mike Hermes says three of the slides that swept down on the Rio Grande Trail east of Catherine Store on July 18 were of the 100-year variety. “We probably won’t see those again.” In all, heavy rains produced 15 slides in the two-mile stretch from Catherine Store bridge to Rock Bottom Ranch. Hermes said he expects repair work to start on Aug. 3 and hopes to have the trail re-opened the third week of August. Photo by Lynn Burton

Fair Affairs: continued from page 3

••• There simply isn’t another just quite like it, exotic flavors, different foods and a warm atmosphere that is lowly lit a popular spot for late night fun and music on a weekend but also as famous to our town if the dining you like is high-end ••• Mother, could you tell me from where the banks get money, please?

In this economy...they might as well try to get it to grow from the alpine trees.

••• Being loyal to consignment is a smart way to shop, I sure hope I’m not the only one that will go for a whole day nonstop So it’s great to have another on of these treasured little stores, but there’s only one catch: don’t use the front door.

••• Some things are just better organic and fresh when you eat the good stuff, you are feeling your best so why don’t you wander in here to find great things to make you healthy and operative, when it comes to food, this business is more than cooperative.

••• For over 20 years, this place has been here for fun and good food so why don’t you skip on over to be taken out of your poor mood.

••• If variety is what you seek, then look here for new brews and alcohol antiques the largest selection within miles so if you need refreshment, come here for plenty of styles.

••• Who is it you trust with your hair? is it your mother or your sister? well why risk a scare! the only one I trust is an honest barber, the only way I could love mine more is if he could trim and snip my 50 foot arbor!

••• A simple recipe, really some flour, water and corn maiz and you will have a delicious result, ideally but if all goes wrong, and yours simply don’t taste right then stop by here for the best that are still warm on the last bite.

••• The mission is simple: help businesses strive to survive and to let them make this town theirs, to let them thrive the people here do their best to prevent failure, and that’s the truth, there are no secrets in this chamber.

•••

For a complete scavenger hunt list of clues, go to the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities Facebook page at carbondalearts.com.

THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011 • 9

Community Calendar

To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Saturday. 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.

THURSDAY July 28

FRIDAY July 29

ROTARY • BLM field manager Steve Bennett speaks at the Carbondale Rotary’s noon luncheon at Mi Casita.

MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre presents “Midnight in Paris” (PG-13) at 8 p.m.

July 29-31; “Bridesmaids” (R) at 8 p.m.; “Midnight in Paris” at 6 p.m. and “Midnight in Paris” (PG-13) at 8 p.m. Aug. 2-4. Closed Monday, Aug. 1.

LIVE MUSIC • Carbondale Beer Works on Main Street presents My Countrymen with special guests.

LIVE MUSIC • Carnahan’s Tavern in the Dinkel Building presents Revernation (“organic groove”) starting at 10 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the Dinkel Building presents Bill Powers & Kort McCumber.

LIVE MUSIC • PAC3 in the Third Street Center presents The Del McCoury Band. At 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Info: PAC3carbondale.com or 925-1663.

FRI.-SAT. July 29-30 LIVE MUSIC • Rhythm & Brew’s presents the Mountain Music Movement Weekend featuring Rahzel, Whitefudge and others at PAC3 in the Third Street Center starting at 9 p.m. each night. Info: pac3carbondale.com.

FRI.-SUN. July 29-31 MOUNTAIN FAIR • The 40th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair takes over Sopris Park until about 8:30 p.m. each night.

Over 100 arts and crafts booths, more than two dozen food booths, bands from around the United States. Admission is free. Info: The Mountain Fair program in this issue of the Sopris Sun.

10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011

LIVE MUSIC • Carnahan’s Tavern in the Dinkel Building presents Pineapple Crackers starting at 10 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC • Carbondale Beer Works on Main Street presents Steve Skinner and the Uninhibited Swedes.

LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the Dinkel Building presents The Hillbenders.

SATURDAY July 30 LIVE MUSIC • Carnahan’s Tavern in the Dinkel Building presents Sector 7G starting at 10 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC • Carbondale Beer Works presents Electric Lemon.

SUNDAY July 31 LIVE MUSIC • Carnahan’s Tavern in the Dinkel Building presents Already Gone from 8 p.m. to midnight.

LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the Dinkel Building presents Blame Sally.

POETRY ALERT • The second annual ART Comes From the HEART: Artists Supporting Artists, a fundraiser for the Aspen Poet’s

Society at the Hotel Lenado in Aspen takes place from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring a silent Auction featuring artwork by 30 Roaring Fork Valley artists. From 7 to 8 p.m., poet Rachel Kellum; reads from her book, followed by a book signing by poet Kathryn Bass and live music. It’s free. Info: 379-2136.

TUESDAY Aug. 2 LIVE MUSIC • Carnahan’s Tavern in the Dinkel Building presents Greg Masse at 10 p.m.

WED.-SUN. Aug. 3-7 GARCO FAIR • The Garfield County Fair takes place in Rifle with a rodeo, livestock judging/sale, music and more. Info: garfieldcountyfair.com.

WEDNESDAY Aug. 3 LIVE MUSIC • The Valley Divas meet at Konnyaku from 5:30 to 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month. The cost is $10, which includes a house drink and appetizers. RSVP at 704-1711. Info: the Valley Divas on Facebook.

ART LECTURE • Anderson Ranch Art Center in Snowmass Village hosts Fred Tomaselli. Tomaselli, will present a lecture on his work and the inspiration behind it at 7 p.m. It’s free. Info: 923-3181.

LIVE MUSIC • Carnahan’s Tavern in the Dinkel Building presents Yvette Maceachen from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC • PAC3 presents guitarist Bill Frisell in a two-part show with his 858 Quartet and Beautiful Dreamers. Info: pac3carbondale.com or 925-1663.

Hold the presses COREDINATION HOLDS MOVE AND GROVE • Coredination Movement Studio in the Third Street Center holds Move and Grove (a dance, movement and wellness workshop) Aug. 5-7. “This is a weekend of fun exercise and growth for the entire family,” said Coredination’s Anthony Jerkunica. “The workshop is for everyone who is interested in movement and the benefits of expression, gaining strength and flexibility, and moving with clarity.” Registration forms are available a carbondalemomsformoms.com or 379-8108.

TRAIL RIDERS MEET AT DOS GRINGOS • The Colorado Backcountry Trail Riders Alliance holds a community forum regarding the White River National Forest Travel Management Plan at Dos Gringos at 7:30 p.m. on July 28. The forum will be in Q&A form and will be hosted

by Scott Fitzwilliams. It will attempt to answer such questions as: what does it mean for motorized use; how can motorized users get involved? Some trails in the Basalt Mountain, Thompson Creek and Triangle/Kobe/Lenado area are slated for closure, according to a press release.

Further Out

THURSDAY Aug. 4

RFCC • The Roaring Fork Cultural Council presents Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. at the Thunder River Theatre at 7 p.m. Gates will discuss the latest tools of genealogy and genetics for exploring family histories. Tickets are $15 and a sellout is expected. Info: 963-8200.

ROTARY • Energy consultant Dan Richardson speaks at the Carbondale Rotary luncheon, held at Mi Casita, at noon.

Ongoing Quest plays their farewell show at the historic Cardiff Schoolhouse in South Glenwood Springs at 7:30 p.m. The band consists of: Harris Jackson (guitar/vocals), Joshua Darling (keyboards), David Ackerman (alto saxophone/flute), Sam “Wonderbread” Robison (bass), Paul Struempler (soprano saxophone) and John Carter Colia (drums). Tickets are $10 at the door.

LIVE MUSIC • PAC3 in the Third Street Center presents Patty Larkin.Tickets are $18 in advance and $23 at the door. Info: pac3carbondale.com or 925-1663.

KOMEN RIDE • Carol Dopkin and the Roaring Fork Horse Council coordinate a Susan G. Komen horseback Ride for the Cure at High Aspen Ranch followed by a picnic lunch. The cost is $120 per rider/$50 for picnic only. RSVP

by Aug. 1 at 920-0250 or 920-1186.

FRI.-SUN. Aug. 5-7

SAT.-MON. Aug. 6-11

MARBLE FEST • Marble Fest, with more than a dozen bands, takes place in Marble’s Mill Site park. Info: www.reverbnationa.com.

ART FOR KIDS • The Wyly Community Art Center in Basalt presents “Festivals from Around the World” with Tanya Black. It’s for ages 5-7. Students will hear a story and then make a project corresponding with a summertime festival from another culture. The cost is $70. Info: WylyArts.org.

FRIDAY Aug. 5 JOHN DENVER TRIBUTE • Friends and former band mates of singer/songwriter John Denver will perform country, folk, bluegrass, blues and rock at the Gathering Place at 7 p.m., with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit Lift-Up so bring a non-perishable food item. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 adult the day of show; $10 for kids; free for kids under 5. Tickets are available at starsongfoundation.showclix.com.

SATURDAY Aug. 6 VISION QUEST SAYS FARWELL • A Vision

SATURDAY Aug. 13 ART AUCTION • The Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s annual Art Auction takes place at the Snowmass Village Center. More than 250 works of art by international, national and local artists will be offered Preview all available artwork at andersonranch.org/2011auction.

Info: 923-3181.

Save the date SATURDAY Aug. 20 BLUES MUSIC • KDNK’s Blues and Barbecue takes place in downtown Carbondale. For details, go to www.kdnk.org.

STONE CARVER’S EXHIBITION • The 15th annual Stone Carver’s Exhibition is held at the Redstone Art Center through Sept. 30.

Colorado sculptors include Madeline Wiener, Kathi Caricof and Steve Kentz. Info: 963-3790.

CCAH SHOW CONCLUDES • “Child’s Eye” at the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities (in the Third Street Center) continues through July. The show features 20 young artists ages 9-18 who use digital photography and computers to create original images. The CCAH R2 Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: 963-1680.

CLAY CENTER SHOW CONTINUES • The Carbondale Clay Center presents the nationally juried show “Atmospheric Fired 2011,” featuring more than 40 ceramic artists.

The Carbondale Clay Center is located at the east end of Main Street. Info: 963-2529.

FARMER’S MARKET • The Carbondale Farmer’s Market at Fourth and Main St. continues Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There’s music, new vendors and old favorites, plus fish, prepared food, flowers and more.

The market is sponsored by American National Bank and runs through Oct. 5.

SAILING • The Aspen Yacht Club holds sail-

boat races at Ruedi Reservoir on Sundays through the summer. The club’s facility has vehicle parking, boat storage, a mast raising yard arm, club house, camping lawn, volleyball court, fire pit, beach, 60 boat slips, rigging dock & concrete launch ramp, porta potties and two rescue boats. Info: aspenyachtclub.com.

Del McCoury plays PAC3 Sopris Sun Staff Report Bluegrass icon Del McCoury and his band play PAC3 in the Third Street Center July 28 at 8 p.m.

“I’d rather hear Del McCoury singing ‘Are You Teasing Me?’ than just about anything,” said country-music star Vince Gill.

Tickets are $30 in advance at pac3carbondale.com or by calling 925-1663, and $35 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m.

For 50 years, McCoury’s music has defined authenticity for hard-core bluegrass fans — count Gill among them — as well as a growing number of fans that are only vaguely familiar with the genre.

McCoury has earned Grammy nominations — and awards — but also remains on

the bluegrass cutting edge through collaborations with Sam Bush, Peter Rowan and Patty Loveless (who introduced him at his induction into the Grand Ole Opry).

McCoury has also recorded a duet with Dierks Bentley of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love),” and the Punch Brothers.

Established just this year, PAC3 is a multi-use theatre that provides a space for events, concerts, non-profit functions, shows and more, according to a press release.

PAC3 holds 365 guests for seated events and 553 for general admission, giving folks a chance to enjoy the show in an intimate and comfortable setting.

PAC3, and the Third Street Center, is located at 520 S. Third Street.

ADVERTISMENT FOR BID Town of Carbondale

2011 Chip and Seal Program

Bids will be received by the Town of Carbondale at 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado until 1:00 pm on Tuesday, August 6, 2011 for the 2011 Chip and Seal Program.

The project consists of approximately 34,173 square yards of a 3/8” chip and seal coat surfacing on existing streets. Bid packets can be obtain at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue. Carbondale, Colorado 81623.

Contact Larry Ballenger, Public Works Director, with questions – 970-963-2733 or lballenger@carbondaleco.net.

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Community Briefs SEI seeks volunteers In August, Solar Energy International is celebrating 20 years of providing renewable energy education for a sustainable future with a community BBQ at the Third Street Center in Carbondale. The event runs from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13, and SEI is seeking volunteers to work 1.5-hour shifts to welcome guests, set up and clean up, serve food and drinks, paint faces, set up games and more. E-mail april@solarenergy.org or call 9638855, ext. 113 to sign up. Volunteers receive a SEI 20th Anniversary apron, mason mug, and flyer disc for helping SEI celebrate 20 years of training in the community.

The Trishas, from Austin, Texas, wrapped up the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities’ summer music series Sopris Park on July 24.

The Trishas, warm weather and no rain in sight also produced the season’s biggest crowd. Photo

by Jane Bachrach

Linda Sellers Scholarship fund established The Linda Sellers Scholarship fund has been set up through Amore Realty’s Gift Back program and set up at Alpine Bank. The scholarship will go to a graduating high school senior who is: adventuresome, will want to travel the world, will make it a better place and will want to help others, will develop a career doing something they are passionate about and will have fun doing so, according to a press release.

“This was Linda Sellers and we want her memory to live on in the young lives of those who we may encourage and help to "Live the Dream" said Amore Realty’s Lynn Kirchner.

Donations can be made at any Alpine Bank (reference Linda Sellers Scholarship Fund).

For details, call 379-4766.

Ashcroft workday slated The Aspen Center for Environmental studies is coordinating workdays at the ghost town of Ashcroft on July 27-29 to construct a long-lasting trail through the historic ghost town located 11 miles outside of Aspen. Volunteers should bring a sack lunch, water and plenty of sunscreen and meet at the Prince of Peace Chapel at the entrance to Aspen at 9 a.m. or the lower Ashcroft parking lot at 9:30 a.m.

Other groups involved with the project include the Aspen Historical Society, the U.S. Forest Service and Valley Lumber. For details, call Anna Scott at 925-3721, ext. 103.

BLM hosting scenic values meeting The Bureau of Land Management is hosting a series of community workshops in northwestern Colorado the week of Aug. 8 to hear from the public about what matters to them most about the scenic views on BLM lands.

The workshops will be held in Steamboat Springs, Rangely, Craig, Meeker, Hayden and Oak Creek. For details, call 970-826-5000.

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Lightning Rounds, coyotes and the meaning of life Fly-fishing is ultimately a solitaire pursuit. Sure, as a fly I’ve had more time to just enjoy it. fisherman I rack up, accumulate, and otherwise spend a Which leads me into the absolute best part of this sumgood amount of time causing trouble with my mer: Lightening Rounds (the oh so magical fishing buddies and buddettes, but few of us hour-plus of bugs gone crazy). can match the hatch, and fewer still can manMost of my days haven’t been ending until age to match our lives up enough to match the 10 p.m., when it becomes too dark to fish hatch with any regularity. (too dark to fish being a relative matter of At my best, I’ve been able to get good forgetting a headlamp). In that hour or two enough at riding the seasons to accumulate at of dry-fly fishing, I can’t seem to get enough least one out of every three days on the water. of fish rising for caddis or drakes. Nothing At my very best I’ve gotten so good as to not seems like it can go wrong. I mean things even bat an eye at catching trout. But in the have gone wrong, like the other night when end, I know I’m doing OK as a fly fisherman my prescription glasses took a dive out of my if I know the habits of trout and the habits of pocket and were swallowed by the Roaring rivers, and am still able to find a foothold in Fork River, but for the most part things have the general awe of watching a trout eat what been gravy. Besides, driving home in preamounts to nothing more than feathers, fur By Cameron Scott scription sunglasses ended up cutting down and maybe some foam on a hook. In fact, the glare from oncoming traffic, and I felt lately I have to admit I’m doing better than OK. I’m just kind of cool showing up to a bonfire wearing my sunglasses about having the best summer of my life. at night like Cory Hart.

Somehow I’ve managed to revert to simpler ways: I live All this tooling around has been glorious. Tooling, toolin a cabin with a burgeoning population of mice, spiders and ing, tooling. And in the end, the pursuit of this kind of sumground squirrels. I’ve continued a streak of not living with mer happiness is seriously serious. It is serious for the fish Internet access for almost two years now, so that isn’t new, being fished for and the bugs being eaten (I, too, have eaten but I’ve spent a lot more time on my bike, riding around my first bugs this summer on the recommendation of Alpine town and the mountains. I’ve been guiding fly fishing trips, Angling’s Copi Vojta, who has a preference for the nutty and only guiding fishing trips, which has allowed me more tang of stone flies). time to write, go fishing and tie flies.

It is serous for quite a few of the anglers I’ve guided and A quick swim in the river after a run up Marion Gulch? serious in a natural-order-of-life kind of way, like a few Why not? weeks back when a large coyote came lopping across the A mid-day veg-out at the movies watching“Harry Potter”? back yard, snagged one ground squirrel, then casually Sure. grabbed another before heading into the scrubby wilds of Concerts in the park?

Stark Mesa (south of Carbondale). Which surely must have I’m in. meant: better grab the easy pickings of the summer before The thing is, as the onerous tasks of life have simplified, both the summer and the easy pickings are gone.

Tailgate

Stark Mesa I’m a 12 minute bike ride to town and a 25 minute bike ride back home.

The 13 extra minutes are all up hill.

With groceries swinging from handlebars.

Or fly rod ducking beneath overhanging branches.

Sometimes late at night, peering through the dark at eyes peering back into the light I pedal a little faster. Out of breath I try to sing a song over the creaks and groans of parts needing tightening or slightly out of true.

But most nights the song dies in the back of my throat.

When everything is known I wait for the unknown to come clattering over the sound of crickets or the muffled voices of televisions through screens.

The far off whinny of a horse. The air descending in pockets from the mountains or cooling near the ditch.

– Cameron Scott

September 13-18, 2011

Where’s the Sheep?

Agnes and Baa have been spotted!

These two wily sheep have been seen out and about in Carbondale getting ready for the 2011 National Sheepdog Finals, September 13-18 at Strang Ranch.

JULY 2011

Look for them around town to see what they are checking out today!

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VCR commentary continued om page 2

Costs continued om page 2

plan in hand. In today’s real estate market, a unified development plan based solely on existing zoning would likely result in nothing, except perhaps its liquidation and sale. And if the land were subdivided and sold off, it would likely result in more haphazard development along Highway 133 than we currently experience.

There you go, not a pretty picture but it is real. What would you do if you were a town trustee?

For me, I would not have pushed out the town planner and town manager, and instead sent them on a mission to seek redevelopment of the existing City Market site with a state-of-the-art grocery store. That would allow the town to focus its energy on sustainable downtown redevelopment, leaving the property at Highway 133 and Main Street for another generation to resolve or to develop without the benefits of a master plan. That is still my assessment of the best strategy today.

owners have decided they want nice amenities like special landscaping, a club house with a pool, a park and other features. You find a building lot with a great view so you decide to spend the extra money to own it. Once you get going on the plans you realize that you should build a house similar in size to your neighbor and you should have finishes and special rooms that you didn’t think about because the architect points out that you will probably want to sell the house some day and you want it to be competitive with the other houses in the community.

You borrowed quite a bit more money than you had anticipated because rates were low, and everyone tells you what a beautiful house you have but now you’re working overtime and your wife has taken a job as well. One day you’re going through all the bills and you’re asking yourself “could I have done this cheaper?” You are thinking “why couldn’t I find a less expensive lot?” And why do I need to pay for all these added features and amenities that I don’t really need? After all, I live in a beautiful place surrounded by public land and I could live comfortably in a house half this size, or even a third this size, once the kids are gone. After a great deal of thought you realize that most of your neighbors bought here because of the amenities. But why does it all have to cost so much?

The simple answer is because some people want to live in a nice place and they are willing to pay for it. The not so simple answer is that when people live in a nice place they also want to preserve it or even enhance it and they are willing to do what they think will achieve that result. They will ask for a restriction on the number of new homes built while at the same time asking for nicer homes and a nicer community. They will make it more expensive to build homes by asking builders to provide more amenities. They may ask that houses be provided to a select group of people at an artificially low price. All of these choices have cost consequences and affect the supply of housing, but the question is, is everyone willing to pay for the result?

The truth of the matter is that while baking the cake that is the housing market, you had better consider all the ingredients. When you go shopping for the makings you had better consider who your guests will be, and what your budget is, and whether the icing you put on the cake is palatable, because there is one universal principal — you pay for what you get.

In other words: Nothing without cost.

Oh, and if you accidentally throw in too much yeast (that would be the cheap money), the cake will rise and overflow the pan, and you will end up throwing it all away.

Bob Schultz loves Carbondale and the fact it has become a richer and more diverse community over the past 20-plus years.

The Sopris Sun encourages commentaries on local issues from those who live and care about them – that’s you, our readers.

Remember: Keep your commentary local and keep it to 700 words, then dispatch it to news@soprissun.com or P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Don’t forget to tell us your name, phone number, where you live and any other pertinent information about yourself.

Letters continued om page 2 Bravo Fine Catering, Crystal River Meats, Premier Party Rental, Sopris Liquor and Wine, and the town of Carbondale.

Thanks to all our volunteers: Robin Allison, Lynn Aliya, Kathy Baker, Jerry Bovino, Eric Chase, Richie Cohen, Mac Cohen, Janey Gubow, Greg Hensley, John Lewin, Maura Masters, Sandra Menter, Michael Miracle, Mowita Rondeau, Eric

Stone, Angéline Thiéblin, Jeff Winter, Eden Woodruff and Scott Wright This was a great event; we’re already looking forward to next year’s GrassGames. Thank you for supporting GrassRoots Community TV. Ellen Winter GrassRoots Community TV Aspen

8th Annual American Renewable Energy Day

Putting the Green Green in Green Green Monetizing Carbon in the Global Economy Aug. 17-21, 2011

Aspen, Colorado

Featuring Ted Turner, Tim Wirth and Dr. Sylvia Earle 75% Discount Locals Passes on Sale at the Wheeler

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ADVERTISMENT FOR BIDS Surplus Equipment for Sale

The Town of Carbondale is accepting bids on the following equipment:

Equipment can be viewed at Town Hall, 511 Colorado Ave. from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Equipment sold “as-is”. Submit sealed bids to Town Hall.

Bid closing will be August 1, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Equipment will be sold to the highest bidder. Call Aaron Mayes, Town Mechanic for further information – 970-963-1307. ► Sealed bids will be received until 5:00 p.m.

August 1, 2011.

► Bids will be opened and compared at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 2, 2011. ► Equipment will be sold to the highest bidder.

14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011

1. 1999 Ford Ranger 2. 1996 GMC 1 Ton 4X4 dually with tool box bed 3. 1988 Dodge Van 4. 1956 - 850 Ford Tractor with front loader bucket 5. 1991 Ford F150 6. 1988 Miller Big 40 Welder, gas powered flathead 4-cyl 7. XL-24, 24 foot Man Lift – needs new batteries

Lookin’ for

Kendall Williams lives and earns his livelihood in Carbondale. He can be reached at realtyanddesign@ymail.com.

The Sopris Sun? Find it INSIDE the front door at City Market in Carbondale

Real leaders step forward when others won’t Lately events from the local to the international have been of great concern to me regarding what I expect of leaders.

Of course, that translates into my own behavior and whether or not I exhibit the character traits of true leadership.

My definition of a leader is someone who accepts the challenge to step forward and take action when no one else seems willing, capable or committed to doing so. Serving others is inherent in leadership. Putting

By Bill Kight yourself first will rarely inspire others to risk following you.

A leader is motivated by a deep and abiding passion for justice that taps into the eternal well of joy coming from none other than the Creator. Human frailty alone will not suffice in times when great sacrifice and personal courage are required of us.

Leadership is not a job, it is a calling. As Frederick Buechner says, the yearning for action must come from“the place in which our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

My great fear is that on the human stage today many

Common Ground

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE CLAIRIFICATION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Board of Trustees for the purpose of considering a Subdivision and PUD amendment to create 3 separate lots conveyable lots.

The property is located at Lot 10, 12th Street Industry Place, Carbondale. The applicant and owner is Carbondale Earth Investments.

Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO. at 6:30 p.m. on July 28, 2011.

Copies of the proposed application are on file in The Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Co. and may be examined by interested persons during regular working hours, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

John Leybourne Town of Carbondale

Published July 28, 2011 in The Sopris Sun. NOTICE

PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS

Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623

OF COLORADO

BONFIRE COFFEE 433 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623

Published July 28, 2011 in The Sopris Sun. PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A NEW LIQUOR LICENSE TO SELL MALT, AND VINOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISE AT BONFIRE COFFEE 433 MAIN STREET CARBONDALE, CO 81623

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Carbondale Planning Commission for the purpose of considering an annexation and rezoning request for property owned by the Town of Carbondale. The Town of Carbondale is the applicant.

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

DATE AND TIME: AUGUST 16, 2011, AT 6:30 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: JULY 15, 2011

BY ORDER OF: STACEY BERNOT, MAYOR APPLICANT: CHARLES CHACOS JARED ETTELSON

Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstranceʼs may be filed with the Town Clerk

Service Directory SUSAN GIBBS NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP RANCH CAMP

Limited space - act now!

are motivated from greed for power rather than by the needs of others.

It takes great courage to become vulnerable enough to put your very life on the line for what you know deep inside you must do. It means being healed enough from the hurts of life to be whole again, to let go and move on whether anyone else is following or not.

Trying to prove we are right means we aren’t listening to dissident voices that might show us a better path to pursue common ground. Leaders listen. They listen deeply to others and to their own hearts.And they are not afraid to speak from the heart.

This means being approachable.We all know by experience and from stories that oftentimes the answer to our most urgent questions come from the most unlikely sources. Hence we learn respectful diplomatic compromise as a skill and not a sin.

True leadership means realizing that it is only by grace that we ever arise to the challenge life may bring only once but also in every moment. Grateful that we are given another day to live life fully means we will live every moment to its fullest potential.

How else can we make a difference? How else can we get up when we fall, and fall we will? But when we fail or make a mistake we must be accountable rather than seeking someone else to blame.

We all fall from grace so we give others a second chance

- Fun for “kids” of all ages over 5 years Tues/Thurs -9-12 – Walk/Trot Wed. 9-3 p.m. Walk/Trot/Canter

970-704-1234 susan@sopris.net

The property is located at 640 County Road 106, Garfield County, CO 81623. The property was previously known as the Sopris RV Park and Campground. The property is currently referred to as the Gateway River RV Park. The site is located on the southwest corner of the intersection of SH 82 and SH 133, north of the Roaring Fork River. SH 82 is the north boundary, SH 133 is the east boundary and the Roaring Fork River fronts the south boundary.

The west boundary is bordered by the RFTA railroad right-of-way. The property is approximately 7.74 acres.

The application also includes an amendment to the Townʼs Municipal Code to add a new Camp-

because we ourselves know what it is like to be human and how the healing power of forgiveness works to set us free.

Our word has to mean something.We can’t give our word and then not follow through. Making promises we can’t keep is not becoming of a leader.

As I speak my truth from the heart I weigh the actions of those who profess to lead us and I weep with rage.

Bill Kight has spent over 30 years as a public servant helping to manage America’s public lands. In this column he is speaking as a citizen.

Unclassifieds

Submit Unclassifieds to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by 12 p.m. on Monday. $15 for up to 30 words, $20 for 31-50 words.

LOST CALICO KITTY. Small female, very friendly. Last seen 7/16 near Church of Carbondale/The Orchard and Maroon Drive/Second Street. Was wearing a black collar with bell. Any info. 963-0509.

GET THE WORD OUT IN UNCLASSIFIEDS! Rates start at $15. Email unclassifieds@soprissun.com. *Credit card payment information should be emailed to unclassifieds@soprissun.com or call 948-6563. Checks may be dropped off at our office at the Third Street Center or mailed to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Call 618-9112 for more info.

ground/Open Space Zone District to the Townʼs zoning code (Title 18). The property would be rezoned to the new Campground/Open Space Zone District.

Said Public Hearing will be held at the Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO at 7:00 p.m. on August 25, 2011.

Copies of the proposed application are on file in the Planning Department office, Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO and may be examined by interested persons during regular working hours, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Janet Buck Town Planner

OFFICIALS OF CARBONDALE TO GRANT A SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT TO SELL MALT, VINOUS, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISE AT KDNK BLUES & BBQS 4th STREET PLAZA CARBONDALE, CO 81623 AUGUST 20, 2011 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

HEARING ON APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: CARBONDALE TOWN HALL 511 COLORADO AVENUE CARBONDALE, COLORADO DATE AND TIME: AUGUST 9, 2011, 6:30 P.M. DATE OF APPLICATION: JULY 18, 2011

BY ORDER OF: STACEY BERNOT, MAYOR

Published July 28, 2011 in The Sopris Sun. NOTICE

APPLICANT: STEVE SKINNER

PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO

CARBONDALE COMMUNITY ACCESS RADIO D/B/A KDNK P O BOX 1388 CARBONDALE, CO 81623 HAS REQUESTED THE LIQUOR LICENSING

Information may be obtained from, and Petitions or Remonstranceʼs may be filed with the Town Clerk Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623.

Published July 28, 2011 in The Sopris Sun.

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THE SOPRIS SUN • JULY 28, 2011 • 15

Grizzly sighting in N. Cascades first since 1968

By Nathan Rice High Country News writer In a remote alpine valley in 1968, Rocky Wilson shot the last grizzly bear to be killed in the North Cascades. Since then, biologists have longed for proof that any grizzlies remain; some wondered if they were all gone. But with the click of a cell phone camera, hiker Joe Sebille brought the North Cascades grizzly bear back to life. In early July, experts confirmed that his photos, taken last October above the town of Marblemount, were indeed the first verified grizzly sighting since 1996 — and the first photographs since Rocky Wilson’s kill over 40 years ago.

“These are the most critically endangered grizzlies in North America,” said Doug Zimmer, external affairs director for US Fish and Wildlife, to The Seattle Times.

“We’re delighted to see that they’re still hanging in.”

Within hours of the news, the North Cascades grizzly was tweeting, its clandestine spokesperson joking that the photo was actually of a marmot. The next day, the sighting made headlines in London.

Whether the revelation and concomitant excitement will inspire a meaningful recovery effort remains to be seen. For decades, North Cascades grizzly bear recovery work has languished in a lack of funding and political will. The first step on the road to a comeback is a $2 million environmental impact statement, which would study re-

covery options and gather public input. The EIS findings could potentially lead to the reintroduction of bears from Canada to bolster the estimated 10 to 20 grizzlies left in Washington. But the already cashstrapped U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must prioritize Cascadian grizzly recovery for this to happen. To date, the service has focused on other more endangered species and grizzly populations in the Rockies, which has kept North Cascades grizzlies — the last salmon-eating grizzlies in the lower 48 — staring down the path to extinction.

Regardless of what the sighting might mean for management, though, the image of a grizzly’s dark silhouette on the icy backdrop of the Cascades gives hope to conservationists that a lasting population is possible. Education and sanitation efforts have set the stage for their presence while ongoing hair-snag surveys could help determine how many more grizzlies are out there, and inform future conservation efforts.

As if the excitement over the grizzly sighting wasn’t enough, more big news recently howled out of the Cascades: Wolves.

On July 5, state wildlife officials confirmed the presence of the state’s fourth wolf pack — dubbed the Teanaway Pack — near the town of Cle Elum, about 90 miles east of Seattle. After catching a lactating female who recently birthed pups, officials secured a radio transmitter to it so they could find out how many more are in

the pack. DNA results will help wildlife managers determine if the pack came from the other two packs in eastern Washington or the resident Lookout Pack to the north.

The new wolves are another hopeful sign of wildlife recovery in Washington, particularly after poaching may have already wiped out the Lookout Pack, first discovered in 2008.

“Wolves bring life back into the Cascades,” said Jasmine Minbashian of Conservation Northwest, the non-profit group that first spotted the new pack on remote cameras. “They can help restore balance to ecosystems through their role as top dog of the wilderness.”

Not everyone shares that enthusiasm, though. As The Seattle Times reports,

ranchers are concerned about the impact of wolves on their cattle. But more wolves in western Washington might mean their protection under the Endangered Species Act would one day be lifted. As Jack Field of the Washington Cattleman’s Association told the Times: “The question now is, does the state have ability to manage these wolves? I guess we’ll see.” The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently writing a wolf management plan.

After a century of predator persecution, the new neighbors — first grizzlies, then wolves — are putting the wild back in Washington.

Nathan Rice is an editorial fellow at High Country News, published in Paonia, Colo.

e criminals who built the West

By Betsy Marston High Country News writer Jeffrey John Shaw was not what you’d call a “natural” rancher when he moved to Marsing, Idaho, population 890, in the mid-1990s. He had a thick Boston accent, knew beans about cattle, and wore bib overalls and straw hats that were a little over-the-top country, says a neighbor. But he gained the trust of nearby ranchers and even took charge of the area irrigation system, according to The New York Times.

Over the years, Shaw — whose real name was Enrico Ponzo — also began raising a family and 12 cows of his own. But Ponzo’s life as a “remade man” ended abruptly on Feb. 7, after federal agents arrested him for crimes dating back almost two decades, including attempted murder.

Investigators searching Ponzo’s house found a treasure trove of 39 guns, $15,000 in cash, a 100-ounce bar of silver and lots of books about how to change your identity.

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