2009 11 12

Sopris Sun THE

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 40 • NOVEMBER 12, 2009

Witty and Wild “Barely” off the presses: a new book by cowgirl and entertainer Anita Witt

By Jane Bachrach

A

nita Witt has a new book out and if you read it, you might recognize some familiar faces – some of you might even recognize a little bit more.

“Lady Godiva’s Book of Horsemanship” is a book in which several “horse whisperers” reveal pearls of wisdom about horses and horsemanship, while a handful of local men and women reveal parts of their bodies that most people probably wouldn’t.

If you haven’t gotten the full picture yet, let’s put it this way: The men and women photographed with horses in Witt’s book do their best to put the word “bare” into “bareback” riding.

This is Witt’s third book. Her first book,“They Came From Missouri,” tells the history of Missouri Heights and includes a collection of photographs of early settlers and families as they try to make a living ranching and farming.

In “I Remember One Horse,” her second book, Witt introduces readers to many local cowboys and ranchers.

Through their stories and photographs we learn about the people and landscapes of days gone by.

But who is Anita Witt? There are folks in Carbondale and surrounding areas who don’t know anything about this multi-talented 71-year-old, singin’ cowgirl/performer/author/historian/trick ridin’ horse trainer. Although she no longer does any trick riding she still performs for the public – along with her horses, Whisky and Jose Cuervo, and her dog, Spanky.

Anita Witt is a class act and as kind as a cowgirl can be. She’s sassy and sometimes likes to be a little bit risqué, as the photos in this book reveal.

Witt said she has always been fascinated with the tale of Lady Godiva, who according to legend rode naked on a horse through the streets of Coventry, England, in the 11th century to protest the tax hike levied on the peasants by her CARBONDALE’S COWGIRL page 11

Anita Witt’s latest title, “Lady Godiva’s Book of Horsemanship,” isn’t necessarily about propriety. Photo by Jane Bachrach

Carbondale Commentary

A bit of gratitude, and a bit of attitude

At least two Carbondalians recently perused The Sun in Chicago – but they were both Megan Larsen.

Here she is, leaning against the Windy City’s big shiny “Bean.” Photo courtesy of Megan Larsen

Many thanks to David and Diane Zamansky, owners of Novus Auto Glass Repair. During the last week of October they generously donated a portion of their sales to The Sopris Sun. Contributions like theirs keep us printing. Thank you, David and Diane.

But while we’re doling out some gratitude, we’re also asking that you show us a bit of attitude. Send an email to feedback@soprissun.com and tell us how we’re doing. What do you think of our content, our layout, our ads and our style? Where else should we distribute?

What other issues should we address? If you think there’s something missing from The Sopris Sun, drop us a line and tell us about it. If you think we’re doing something well, we’d like to hear about that too. As a nonprofit newspaper, The Sopris Sun survives with your support.

We’d like to know what leads you to pick up The Sun when it hits the stands every week – and what will make you more likely to do so in the future.

Wildlands, two-tracks, and bulb-outs: Birdbrain returns Welcome back to me. I been gone from this valley for about 30 years but I was born and raised here by indifferent parents and creative horses and dogs. I reckon you’ve built yourself quite the cute little town – got all these cute little planters stuck out into the street. Guess I’m supposed to tie my horse in these? Be easier on his feet if I did. How about some grass or alfalfa in there instead of those flowers? Elmer’s a good horse, a line-back dun with a white cross on his withers. Man sold him to me said he was a ‘devil horse’ with that cross on him. “He’ll work for you all his life just for the chance to kick you once.”

I see that you still haven’t done much with that field the CRMS sold off. Developer says he has had it; threatens to leave. Old Gus Darien would have said, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass as you go.”

Lately, been in Idaho living in the woods near Priest Lake. Worked in timber till the damn environmentalists shut us down over grizzly bears and wolfs. Actually we had pretty well cut most of the timber out and there wasn’t much left. I calculate it doesn’t take mor’n a fourth grade education to figure if you’re cutting down 300-year-old trees, you’re not going to be around to see another one in its place.

Lots of wilderness areas in Idaho. Quite the fuss you got going here over adding some more. After the timber went, about the only thing we had left was recreation.

By Birdbrain Seems the wilderness areas are recreation. Go figure, reckoned it was a place I had to take my horse ’cause there weren’t no roads.

Actually looking around at all the new folks and houses, I’m surprised there is any land left that qualifies as wilderness. It’s real hard to create it – tough to grow. I reckoned you’d have a road or two-track punched into every creek and ridge top by now. If that land in Idaho hadn’t been wilderness, we would’ve cut the trees and turned them into two-by-fours.

As a kid I helped Bobby Mick push cows around that Thompson Creek area. It used to be wild country. They punched in some good roads about ’72 to them gas wells on Wolf Creek.

Earlier, the pipeline came from North Thompson, ran across Freeman Creek and down to Dry Park. Jack Snobble raised hell about that pipeline but they built it anyway. Before them roads, there was just the old two-track that the cowboys used to check on the cattle.Went on over into West Divide. Hunters used to turn it into a muddy mess when the snows hit. They first cut that road in when that bomber went down in the ’50s.After they graded and graveled the Four Mile road about ’72, the hunting went to hell – too many people driving all over the place.

Jeepers quit going up there: too tame. I’d guess they need to keep going farther and farther on two tracks until they finally get lost. There was a hole big enough to bury a house in up near Holy Cross City. Jeepers would drive up there from Denver just to get stuck in it. Girdled every tree within 50 feet with their wench cables.

Why would the snowmobilers care? They don’t respect wilderness boundaries anyway. Fly over the Flat tops in late winter, tracks everywhere. If the slopes allow it and there is snow, they go.

Anyway if it qualifies for wilderness I reckon it probably ought to get it. It’s like money in the bank. Our history of resource use tends to indicate that we don’t do a very good job of converting nature’s resources into a promising future. We have pretty much used them up for an unpromising one. Why not leave these alone?

Mountain Bikers used the woods up there in Idaho a bit. Lots of old logging roads – seems like they want to always try a new one. Mountain bikers look for new paths to fly through. I calculated that peddling through aspen forests on narrow trails requires way too much attention on the track and little on the scenery. Now that’s were Elmer comes in handy, he watch’s the trail and I watch the beautiful scenery that Mother Nature has put before me.

Cantankerous caterwaulings

2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009

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.

Thank you, Carbondale

A bad sign

Dear Editor: I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to the entire Carbondale community for the amazing outpouring of love, support and best wishes after my recent auto accident and injuries. I am utterly convinced that my rapid recovery is largely due to the many prayers, selfless acts of kindness, generosity, and good wishes that so many have offered. Carbondale is truly an amazing place, peopled by the very best of humanity! We are all indeed unbelievably fortunate to be living here and contributing each in our own way to making this community such a great place to live!

Doug Margel Carbondale

Dear Editor: What is the status of the artwork across from City Market and in front of Casual Culture? Is it supposed to be a sculpture? If so, take the signs down. If a sign holder, well, it looks tacky! And why not enforce standards?

Leary O’Gorman Carbondale

Carbon Offsets – Colorado Style

The Sopris Sun is an LLC organized under the 501c3 nonprofit structure of the Roaring Fork Community Development Corporation, P.O. Box 1582, Carbondale, CO 81623.

Editor: Terray Sylvester • 618-9112 news@soprissun.com Advertising: Anne Goldberg • 379-5050 anne@soprissun.com Reporters: Trina Ortega • Jeremy Heiman Photographer/Writer: Jane Bachrach Page Production: Terri Ritchie Ad Production: Barbara New Paper Boy: Cameron Wiggin

Before leaving the house Set the water heater to low Unplug all sleeping electronics Lower the thermostat to 58 degrees Cover all windows with Visqueen Change the fridge from colder to cold That way When you’re riding the chair lift For the twentieth time On your hundredth consecutive ski day You can rest easy Knowing that back home You have eliminated All frivolous and indulgent Energy waste Jose Alcantara Carbondale

LETTERS page 13

Sopris Sun THE

Sopris Sun, LLC • P.O. Box 399 Carbondale, CO 81623 www.soprissun.com

Shooting victim described as energetic, caring

By Terray Sylvester Dr. Gary Kitching, the Carbondale resident who was killed in a shooting in the Sandbar Sports Grill in Vail on Saturday night, is remembered as caring, energetic and still vibrant at 70 years old.

A Colorado native, Kitching had lived with his wife, Lani, in Carbondale’s River Valley Ranch subdivision since 2000. He was a semi-retired radiologist who had practiced in southern California and elsewhere, and who had lived part time in River Valley Ranch over the previous years.

Family members were unavailable for comment, but have written up a biography of Kitching. It is included below.

For the past two seasons, Kitching had been taking tennis lessons with RVR Tennis Director Josh Passchier, who described him as a dedicated player who was still intent on refining a game he had played for many years.

“He was great. He was working on his topspin, working on his volleys,” Passchier said. “He just loved being outside and he was young at heart.”

Kitching was in the Sandbar in West Vail on Nov. 7 when a man opened fire, according to Vail Police. Kitching was shot in the chest, arm and hip. Police report that three other people were injured in the melee.

The suspect in the shooting is Richard “Rossi” Moreau, a longtime Vail resident.

No motive has yet emerged.

Fifth Judicial District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said that Moreau is being held under suspicion of First Degree Murder, a crime that carries two penalties in Colorado: life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

Moreau was advised of the charges against him during a brief hearing in Eagle County Combined Courts on Monday and is currently being held without bond.

Charges are scheduled to be filed against Moreau on Nov. 23. His next court appearance is set for Dec. 1, Hurlbert said.

Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling said that a Carbondale resident was last murdered in the spring of 2003 in a shooting incident.

A memorial service for Gary Kitching will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the River Valley Ranch Sales Barn at 333 River Valley Ranch Drive.

The following is the biography prepared

by Kitching’s family: Gary was born in Central City, Colorado.

Gary served various communities as a physician for over 40 years. He attended the University of Southern California as an undergraduate and remained a loyal Trojan fan. He graduated from Creighton University Medical School in Omaha, Neb., and completed an internship at Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center.

From 1969-1971, Gary was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at 29 Palms, Calif. He later completed a residency in radiology at Harbor General Hospital in Carson, Calif., and a fellowship in interventional radiology at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif.

Gary was married to Lani Kitching, his constant companion in his many adventures. In addition to being a devoted husband, he was a devoted father to his three children, Chris, Allison and Kelly and he adored his two-year old twin granddaughters Lucia and Sierra. A natural coach, he generously donated his time to youth sports including soccer and baseball.

All his adult life Gary was an avid outdoor enthusiast. His interests included backpacking, flyfishing, skiing, and sports such as tennis and golf. This past Father’s Day, Gary completed a 20-mile backpacking trip with his daughter in Olympic National Park in the state of Washington. In recent years Gary scaled many Fourteeners: Capitol Peak, Castle Peak, Mount Elbert, La Plata Peak and Mount Harvard in Colorado, and also White Mountain in California. Gary’s flyfishing skills were legendary, and he was particularly fond of the Frying Pan River where he named at least 20 favorite holes.

Lani and Gary spent endless hours on the river patiently practicing their art. Skiing was also a passion and during the past two winters, Gary punched his ticket more than 100 times. Anyone who ever

Dr. Gary Kitching on Capitol Peak in 2007. Photo courtesy of the Kitching family played tennis or golf with Gary understood his serious focus on technique and the constant drive to improve. Gary always believed his best scores and performances were in front of him.

As he strived to reach his own potential, Gary was successful in encouraging others to reach higher and farther. Countless examples exist where Gary provided

intelligent guidance to his family and friends that literally changed the direction of lives. In the final analysis, people are measured by contributions to others and the resulting impact. Gary’s friends and family will be forever in debt for the extraordinary way he touched and improved their lives through his personality, presence, and passion for life.

Groups launch water quality study in Thompson Divide Coalition seeks baseline data in advance of potential natural gas drilling

By Jeremy Heiman A coalition of organizations and individuals is taking a step toward holding natural gas drilling companies accountable for potential future environmental damage to the Thompson Divide area, even before a large amount of drilling has taken place.

The Thompson Divide Coalition (TDC) has organized a study that is intended to establish baseline data on the purity of streams and underground water in the threatened area to the west and southwest of Carbondale.

The group has partnered with the Roaring Fork Conservancy to design and execute the study. The Roaring Fork Conservancy is a Basalt-based watershed conservation organization that employs sci-

entists and other experts and works to protect rivers, streams, underground water and stream bank habitat.

“This baseline will allow us to hold the gas drilling companies accountable,” said Jock Jacober, chairman of the TDC Steering Committee.

Lisa Moreno, campaign director for TDC, said the steering committee decided the study is the best way to use the group’s limited resources.

“It really is the most important thing we can do right now to protect ourselves,” Moreno said.

Chad Rudow, water quality coordinator for the Roaring Fork Conservancy, is in charge of the study. Rudow said now is an opportune time to conduct a baseline water

quality study on the streams in the Thompson Divide area. A baseline study collects information on existing conditions, to provide data for comparison with data taken later, after some environmental impact has occurred.

“We’re in a unique position, in that a lot of the area has already been leased, but not much activity has occurred,” Rudow said.

Gas drilling and related activities can affect water quality in numerous ways.

Drilling byproducts have the potential to spill while stored near wellheads or while being transported. The drilling process itself has reportedly resulted in poisoned livestock; surface and groundwater polluted with flammable gas and drilling byproducts; and other impacts in Garfield County

and elsewhere.

The study is limited to Thompson Creek and Four Mile Creek and their tributaries.

Sampling started in the fall, and will be conducted in every season, concluding next summer. Some of the sampling sites are far into the backcountry.

“One thing we’ve done,” Rudow said, “is we’ve tried to push the sampling locations upstream into areas where these streams have very few other human impacts that would affect the quality of the baseline data.” Drainage from the area around the North Thompson Creek Mine, a coal mine that is now closed, is one factor that could affect water quality downstream.

WATER QUALITY page 10

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News Briefs Thompson Park still in limbo Frieda Wallison’s proposed Thompson Park residential development, calling for 4585 dwellings between River Valley Ranch and Keator Grove, is expected to be back before the Carbondale Board of Trustees on Dec. 15.

Wallison had hoped for a vote approving the project in a hearing before the trustees Nov. 3, but the discussion didn’t even put to rest financial issues that remained from the previous hearing on Sept. 23. The primary problem cited by trustees is that residential developments create costs for the town rather than bringing in revenue – costs the town can ill afford while it struggles with a shrunken budget.

“I think if the town was on a positive trajectory, a lot of these numbers would work,” lamented trustee Stacey Bernot. Trustee Frosty Merriott also questioned the wisdom of incurring more expenses for the town.

“I don’t want anyone to imply that I’m closing the door on any residential application because it doesn’t pay for itself,”Merriott said. “But it’s a strong consideration.”

Trustee Ed Cortez and Mayor Pro Tem John Foulkrod argued for acceptance of the proposal, which includes deeding the historic Thompson ranch house to the town as a museum. Foulkrod admitted some expenses would be associated with the house, but argued it would bring value as well.

Merriott suggested the house might pay its own way better as a bed and breakfast than as a museum.

Wallison and her consultants came to the meeting offering 20 percent affordable housing, far exceeding the 15 percent specified in the town’s guidelines.When Bernot suggested 25 percent, Wallison raised the question of fairness, and Foulkrod bristled, saying 20 percent should be more than enough.

“Is everyone OK with this?” he asked. “If you’re not OK, we might as well vote this thing down and go home.”

More swine flu clinics scheduled On Nov. 5, the first Garfield County swine flu immunization clinics attracted more than 1,000 people. According to a press release from the county department of public health, some of the attendees arrived an hour early to ensure they received the vaccine before supplies ran out. Vaccinations ran from midmorning into the evening.

With more vaccine on the way, the county is now scheduling additional H1N1 walk-in

clinics. Though still limited to those who are particularly susceptible to the disease, the next round of clinics will be available to a wider portion of the public than the Nov. 5 clinics.

The upcoming clinics will be open to: • Pregnant women; • People who live with or take care of children younger than six months; • All children aged six months to 24 years; • People aged 25 to 64 who have chronic health conditions (i.e. asthma or other lung disorders, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes or other disorders that may compromise the immune system); • All health care workers (including school health workers).

The clinics will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the public health offices near Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, and at the same time at the public health offices next to City Market in Rifle.

According to the press release, the county will also be distributing the vaccine to physicians’ offices and encouraging physicians to vaccinate their high-risk patients. The county is reportedly planning additional walk-in clinics in the near future.

County seeks public input Garfield County will begin holding public meetings next week to gather input that may help shape land-use decisions in the county over the next 20 years.

The county is currently working to update its comprehensive plan, which stands to influence county policy on growth and development, housing, open space, energy, environmental issues, transportation concerns, and infrastructure among other topics.

The comprehensive plan won’t be revised again until 2030.

The first round of public input meetings will be held in communities around the county on Nov 18, 19 and 20. A meeting for the Carbondale area will be held in Carbondale Town Hall from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 21. Another meeting will be held in Glenwood Springs from 6-8:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the County Administration Building at 108 Eight Street.

According to the county Web site, these initial meetings offer the public a chance to both learn about and add the sort of on-theground input that is needed for the plan to be successful.

“The comprehensive plan coordinates and acts as a foundation for various county NEWS BRIEFS page 13

Cop Shop Saturday, Oct. 31 At 7:48 p.m. a town police officer noticed a man falling down drunk on the sidewalk on Main Street. The officer recognized the man and offered to give him a ride home. On the way, the passenger overheard the officer talking on the radio and felt compelled to make a correction. “Sandy at The Pour House was wrong,” he said, claiming he’d had three shots of Jagermeister and not, as Sandy had asserted, just one.

Sunday, Nov. 1 At 11:44 p.m. a man called the police to ask if his ex-girfriend’s

family had called to have him arrested for harassment. Police informed him that no one had called to ask that he be arrested.

Monday, Nov. 2 At 4:35 p.m. someone reported that a seventh grader was driving an SUV on Sopris Avenue. Police responded but failed to locate the young motorist.

Thursday, Nov. 5 At 7 a.m. a caller reported that cows were running loose outside of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School fence line. Police responded and managed to drive them back to pasture.

An interview with six-year school board member, Michael Bair

By Trina Ortega When new Roaring Fork Re-1 school board members were sworn in on Nov. 11, the district bade farewell to six-year member Michael Bair. Bair had also served as board president since 2007.

Matt Flink takes Bair’s District A seat on the board, and incumbent District E board member Bob Johnson of Basalt was re-appointed to a second term. They join Myles Rovig of Glenwood Springs and Bill Lamont and Debbie Bruell of Carbondale on the ďŹ vemember board.

Bair has had three sons in the district; two have graduated from Basalt High School and one currently attends Basalt and Bridges high schools. The Sopris Sun caught up with Bair to reect on his tenure.

Sopris Sun: What ďŹ rst interested you in serving on the school board?

Bair: We went through a period where three people were appointed due to lack of interest [from others to serve on the board]. I had some time, so I decided I would go down and apply. The ďŹ rst election there wasn’t much campaigning. The two others in the race were running on personal attacks until they eventually pulled out of the race, leaving me as the last man standing Sopris Sun: What were some of the highlights of your tenure?

Bair: We were in the process of implementing standards-based education. The district also had just ďŹ nished a facilities master plan and was beginning the process of plan-

ning for a bond issue, which passed in November 2004. [The $86 million bond issue allowed for building projects in Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, including the new Roaring Fork High and the addition to Glenwood Springs High.]

The bond election made a huge impact to the communities. Glenwood Springs High School, for instance, is an asset to that community. When they were surveyed, citizens said they were looking to keep the high school in town. I think it’s a nice centerpiece for Glenwood.

Here in Carbondale, the elementary schools were combined; so we now have one school for all the kids. The old school was turned into the nonproďŹ t center. To take a building that was a liability for the school district and turn it into an asset for the town, I think that is awesome.

Then there’s the Bridges Center, [which houses Bridges High School,Youth Entity, the district’s technology department, and Roaring Fork Family Resources]. We have a home for all of the great extras the district offers to help kids, which is ultimately why we’re on the board.

One of the other things I felt we needed was affordable teacher housing. I tried to make that a priority and keep that on the table. [Former member] Brad Zeigel and I headed up the subcommittee. We did a lot of the research leading up to where we are now with the town [of Carbondale] and hopefully getting something under way.

Sopris Sun: Why have you felt teacher

housing is so important?

Bair: It keeps people here longer. It keeps that continuity.

Sopris Sun: The project feels so close. Do you have reservations about leaving without seeing the district break ground?

Bair: Bill Lamont took [Zeigel’s] place, and Bill’s got a background in planning. He’s been excellent in helping us navigate the waters, knowing what to expect in the planning process. The board has invited me to stay in the loop because I have a history, but I won’t be speaking as a board member.

Sopris Sun: What challenges does the district face?

Bair: The ďŹ nancial issues coming down from the state and the federal governments are going to be huge in the next couple of years. The state is telling us to anticipate anywhere from 2 percent, 4 percent or 6 percent in cuts in January. Because our budget cycle begins in the fall, we have to have contingencies already built in. As those cuts come down, that’s when the hard decisions will have to be made. It’s going to be tough.

Sopris Sun: What advice do you have for incoming member Matt Flink?

Bair: We all have our communities in which we live, and we hear all the time from our neighbors and people we run into on the street. The ďŹ rst thing we have to do is work collectively as a board to come to decisions.

You need to keep in mind the purpose that you’re there for, which is ultimately the 5,000 school kids in our district.

Michael Bair. Photo by Jane Bachrach Sopris Sun: What would you like to say to the community?

Bair: We always have so many great parents volunteering at the schools. It’s really great to see the kind of impacts that have helped the schools and the teachers meet their goals. I encourage others to volunteer, whether they have kids in the schools or not, they should go talk to the principals to see where they can volunteer.

Sopris Sun: Other parting thoughts?

Bair: It’s been great working with Judy [Haptonstall] and the staff at the district ofďŹ ce. They have great backgrounds. They are hard-working and very helpful in bringing the school board members up to speed.

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Scuttlebutt Ron Robertson update Thanks to Lynn Kirchner for keeping us all updated on Ron’s condition. At deadline on Tuesday, Ron’s brother, John, said that he feels Ron has improved even in the two days he has been at the hospital in Denver with him. Although Ron’s sedated, he seems to know what is going on around him. We miss you Ron! Hurry up and get well so you can come home!

Bad breath warning Don’t forget to plant your garlic while the weather’s still warm, otherwise you’ll miss out on growing your own. It’s not a wellknown fact, but one of our produce experts says that if your garlic’s old, your breath ends up twice as bad as it would have been if the garlic had been fresh from the garden. The weather prediction as of press time is that we will get rain and or snow by today, Thursday.

But if you’re lucky and the weather doesn’t change until Friday, you can plant your garlic today and save your friends and family from having to stay at arm’s length.

What? No Redstone sled dog races?

There’s good news and bad news. It’s always good to put the bad news first so you have the good news to look forward to. So here goes: There will be no Redstone sled dog races this February. Due to the economy, the circuit is eliminating some of the sites and Redstone is one of them, according to our Marble/Redstone source. They’re hoping this

is only temporary. The good news is that there will be a new event the weekend of February 5-7, 2010 called the Rock and Ice Winterfest. The publishing headquarters of “Rock and Ice” magazine are located right here in downtown Carbondale, of course, so we’ll monitor any new developments. In addition to climbing with “topropes hung on a variety of roadside attractions and lead routes prepped and ready and free for all comers,” you can also test drive the latest gear from several top mountaineering vendors. There will also be beer tasting, and a climbing clinic from Aspen Expeditions. In addition, there will still be the doggie presence such as a dog skijoring clinic, the annual dog parade and a search and rescue dog exhibition. Stay tuned.

Cider press reassembled The Mt. Sopris Historical Society’s cider press was reassembled and brought back to life a couple weekends ago for a trial run. The 100-year-old press had been in pieces (many of them unidentifiable until recently) around the museum and the old jail for 15 years.

Now that it’s working, it will be used for demonstration and educational purposes at the Mt. Sopris Historical Museum.

Birthdays in the near future or recent past Sue Rollyson, Claudia Piccione, Kelsey Freeman, Robin Tolan, Larry Smith, Heather Lafferty.

From left: Linda Crisswell, Kim Stacey and Carlos Herrera were among the folks who resurrected the Mt. Sopris Historical Society’s cider press two weekends ago. The cider was apparently quite tasty. Photo courtesy of the Mt. Sopris Historical Society

Good News Doug Margel is back at work at the coop after his injury in a car accident in late August. So give him a high-five when you see him.

New Chamber board members Congratulations to the new Carbondale Chamber board members: Beda Calhoun of

the 5Point Film Festival; Terry Kirk of Sopris Liquor and Wine; Andy Leitz of Sunsense, and Mary Grady of Anahata Healing Arts.

He’s been cookin’ A high-five to Mark Cook, who won his age group in the 2009 Silver Man Triathlon held at Lake Mead on Nov. 8.And congrats to Dan Bruder, who also competed and did well.

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6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009

LISA

County commissioners issue resolution opposing Frac Act

By Conrad Wilson Special to The Sopris Sun The Garfield County Board of Commissioners wrestled with the Frac Act on Monday. The Frac Act is an attempt to impose more stringent regulations on the natural gas industry at the national level. It would give the Environmental Protection Agency added oversight of the hydraulic fracturing process.

It would also do away with an exemption for fracing in the Safe Drinking Water Act and require public disclosure of the chemicals used during fracing.

With all that’s before Congress, the FRAC Act hasn’t received much attention, but folks in natural gas producing states like Colorado are following it closely.

In a symbolic gesture, Garfield County commissioners voted 2 to 1 on Monday on a resolution opposing the FRAC Act.They said it would hurt the industry and add unnecessary regulation.

Commissioners John Martin and Mike Samson voted in favor of the resolution.

Commissioner Tresi Houpt voted against it.

Commissioner Martin characterized the FRAC Act as a state’s rights issue, stating that new Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) rules that went into effect last spring serve the same function as the federal measure. If the FRAC Act were to pass, Martin said, it would take the regulatory authority away from the county and state.

“We feel that again, the local control is where it needs to be,” he told The Sun.“Standards need to be addressed by the state of Colorado and enforced by the state of Col-

orado. Let’s take the safety measures we need to do, but do it locally.”

When questioned, Martin said he does think safety measures need to improve.

“They’re hit and miss,” he said. “We all need to do a better job.”

Commissioner Houpt said she felt the resolution did not reflect the feelings of Garfield County residents who, she says, generally support the FRAC Act. “Garfield County received thousands, not hundreds, but thousands of calls from people urging us to support the FRAC Act,” Houpt told The Sun she faces reelection next November.

Houpt said the recent COGCC rules are stronger than the FRAC Act would be, but noted that in a different political climate those state regulations could be in jeopardy.

Water quality at issue The controversy circulates around the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing.

It’s a process where water, sand and chemicals are forced under ground at high pressure, fracturing gas-bearing geologic formations and allowing the gas to escape.

Industry maintains the process is essential to free up gas in the tight sands of the Piceance Basin. They also say the process is safe. But environmental groups are concerned that the chemicals used in the process are polluting groundwater, among other concerns.

Kathleen Sgamma directs government affairs for the Denver-based Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States.

Sgamma said Garfield County followed

many other gas producing communities in symbolically opposing the FRAC Act. “I think these counties recognize that the state regulates fracing very successfully,” Sgamma said.

Still, reports of contaminated wells and people getting sick aren’t going away.

Lee Estes attended the commissioners meeting on Monday. His home, between Rifle and Silt, is close to several wells owned by Antero Resources.

Estes said he smells fumes around his property. He’s said he’s often dizzy and light-

Obituary Jon Pittenger

1959-2009

Jon Pittenger, 50, of Glenwood Springs passed away Nov. 3. Jon was born in Columbia, Mo., on July 16, 1959, to Jean Pittenger of Phoenix,Ariz., and Dee Scholar of Columbia, Mo. Jon and his wife, Cindy, moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 1993 from Florida and spent 11 years in Carbondale. As a master craftsman, Jon’s woodwork will be remembered all over the valley.

He loved the outdoors with a passion. His favorite summertime activities were floating the rivers with his family and friends and mountain biking with his sons. In winter, he made for the black diamond ski runs at Aspen Highlands and could always be seen with his blue eyes twinkling and his smile flashing. He shared his outdoor time in the spring and fall with the Glenwood Soccer

headed, and that his joints and muscles ache. Estes will turn 76 years old in January.

He jokes that his aches and pains are from getting old.

When asked if he thought fracing was affecting his health, Estes said he won’t talk about it in public.

“I hope the commissioners will make a positive stand on it, but I don’t think it’s going to happen,” he said, adding, “too much politics involved.”

The FRAC Act will probably not come before January.

Club coaching youth soccer.

He is survived by his wife, Cindy, of Glenwood Springs; sons Chase and Shane; daughter Sophie; parents Jean Pittenger of Phoenix, Dee and Paul Scholar of Columbia, Mo.; sisters Lee (Daniel) Mendoza of Denver, Andrea (John) Contant of Boca Raton, Fla., Elizabeth (James) Tomlin of Phoenix, and Christine (Michael) Dell of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; brothers Barry (Leigh) Pittenger of Franklin, Tenn., and James Pittenger of Scottsdale, Ariz., and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Pittenger family fund at any Alpine Bank.

Cremation has taken place, and a memorial service was held at the Church of Carbondale on Nov. 8.

THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009 • 7

Community Calendar THURS.-SAT. Nov. 12-14 THEATRE • Seventeen students from Colorado Rocky Mountain School will act in the school’s fall musical, Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children and are available at the door. More info: 963-2562, lraleigh@crms.org.

THURSDAY Nov. 12 P&Z MEETS • Carbondale Planning & Zoning Commission will discuss the Village at Crystal River proposal at 7 p.m. P&Z meets the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Town Hall.

DRUMMING WORKSHOP • A hand-drumming workshop on African-inspired rhythms for beginning and intermediate players will be held 2-5 p.m. at the Carbondale Community School on Dolores Way. Call Laurie at 963-2798 for more information.

HEALTH SCREENINGS • Mountain Family Health Centers conducts free health screenings, open to the public, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Health Department, 2014 Blake Avenue. Call Sharla Gallegos at 618-3159 or Rosa Gonzalez at 970-456-6473 for more information.

SKI SEASON CONDITIONING • Rocky Mountain Martial Arts at 40 Sunset Dr. No. 4 in the Mid-Valley Design Center in Basalt offers free ski conditioning classes from 6-7:15 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 17. For more information, call 927-3468 or go to rockymountainmartialarts.com.

SANTA’S WORKSHOPS • All children are invited to make their own gifts at workshops hosted by the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts. Art gift workshops will be held on Thursdays from 3:45 – 4:30 p.m. starting Nov. 5 and running six weeks. Pottery gift workshops are offered as well. Call 945-2414 for more details.

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

Friday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted.

COMEDY FOR COATS • Donate a coat and get a raffle ticket and half-price admission to a Comedy Mercenary performance with Mark Thomas at 8:15 p.m. at Steve’s Guitars at 19 North Fourth Street. Cover charge without a coat: $12. Sweet prizes.

SUNDAY Nov. 15 STORYTELLING WORKSHOP • Spellbinders will help you explore fun ways to share memories and favorite tales at holiday gatherings. The workshop will take place from 4-6 p.m. at the Church of Carbondale. Requested donation: $25. More info: spellbinders.org.

SPIRITUAL SPEAKER • Gwen Garcelon will speak at 10 a.m. at A Spiritual Center at 695 Buggy Circle. More info: 963-5516.

LIVE MUSIC • The Hell Roaring String Band will play during Sunday brunch, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ella at 348 Main Street. Info: 704-0377, notorietyfineart.com.

MONDAY Nov. 16 CHORUS REHEARSAL • Rehearsals for Handel's Messiah will be led by Ray Adams, director of Aspen/Glenwood Community Chorus, from 6-8 p.m. Mondays at United Methodist Church, 824 Cooper Ave. Glenwood Springs. Rehearsals will also be held in Aspen on Sundays at Saint Mary's Catholic Church, 533 Main St.

TUESDAY Nov. 17 TRUSTEES MEET • The Carbondale Board of Trustees is scheduled to continue discussing the Overlook Neighborhood proposal during a regularly scheduled meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

POETRY LIVES • At 6 p.m. live poetry will

THEATRE • At 6 p.m., the Aspen Art Museum at 590 North Mill Street in Aspen will present a theatrical work in progress and a discussion on new theatre being created in the Roaring Fork Valley. More info: aspenartmuseum.org.

FRIDAY Nov. 13 ART RECEPTION • An artists reception for the 19th annual “Winterfest Arts and Crafts Show” will be held at 6 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts at 601 East Sixth Street, Glenwood Springs. More information: 945-2414.

FILM SCREENING • “Split Estate,” a documentary about the impacts of gas drilling, will be screened at 6 p.m. at True Nature Healing Arts at 549 Main Street.

MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre shows“Amelia” (PG) at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-19, “Capitalism: A Love Story” (R) at 5 p.m. Nov. 14 and “Whip It” (PG-13) at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 15.

ALL ABOUT FOOTE • CMC professor Christine Smith will talk about her new book about Mary Hallock Foote, who lived in and wrote about, Leadville during the boomtown silver days of the 1880s. Held from 7-8 p.m. at CMC’s Lappala Center and at the same time on Monday, Nov. 16 at the Spring Valley campus. Info: 963-2172.

SATURDAY Nov. 14 MOUNTAIN SPORTS SALE • The Mount Sopris Nordic Council is holding their 24th annual sports sale 9 a.m. to noon at the CRMS gym in Carbondale.

BOOK SIGNING • Darrell Munsell, author of “From Redstone to Ludlow,” will discuss his book and the career of John C. Osgood from 3-5 p.m. at the Redstone Castle, Osgood’s former abode.

8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009

be offered at the Aspen Art Museum at 590 North Mill Street in Aspen, featuring live music with Obadiah Jones, a poetry open mic and the livewire poetry troupe, EAR (Ellen Metrick, Art Goodtimes, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer). Think synchronized swimming – for words. More info: (970) 309-4828.

DANDELION DAY MEETING • A Dandelion Day meeting, to plan the event and focus its mission, will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Carbondale Recreation Center. For more info contact Sarah Johnson, Carbondale Environmental Board, sarahrosejohnson@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY Nov. 18 ROTARY PRESENTATION The Rotary Club of Carbondale will host a Veterans Day program during its weekly meeting at 6:45 a.m. at the fire station building at 301 Meadowood Drive. Info: 379-1436.

WEIGHT-LOSS CLASS • Principles of Effective Weight Loss meets at 5:30 p.m.Wednesdays at the Carbondale Recreation Center. First meeting free, subsequent meetings $6. Contact Valerie Gilliam at (970) 948-5877 or githens@sopris.net for more information.

PIZZA TUNES • Tony Rosario will play Americana rock and blues from 7-10 p.m. at White House Pizza at 801 Main Court. No cover. Info: 704-9400 FREE FILM • The award winning documentary film“Unnatural Selection”will be screened at 6:30 p.m. at Dos Gringos on Highway 133.

This film explores the dangers of genetically modified food for us and for the earth. Free.

THURSDAY Nov. 19 BOOK SIGNING • At 6:30 p.m., the Gordon

MOUNT SOPRIS NORDIC COUNCIL 24th Annual

MOUNTAIN

SPORTS SALE

Buy or Sell All Sport Equipment & Clothing for Adults & Kids

Saturday, November 14 14 Saturday, November

9 am to 12 noon at the CRMS Gym in Carbondale Main St. - 1 mile west of Hwy 133 traffic light • Equipment check-in: Friday, Nov. 13, 4-7pm • Sales: Saturday, Nov. 14, 9am-12 noon • Check-out: Saturday, Nov. 14, 1:30-3pm

Any unclaimed equipment or money left after 3pm on Saturday, November 14 will become the property of MSNC.

Commercial Vendors:

Ajax Bike & Sports Tucker Bristlecone Vagneur Sports Scott Riley Sports Ken’s Hockey Independence Run & Hike FOR MORE INFO: 309-3655 or 948-1134

Proceeds benefit the Cross country ski trails at Spring Gulch

Cooper Branch Library hosts a book reading and signing with Charlotte Graham, author of the new book, “Memoirs of a River … Up the Crystal: People and place of the Crystal River Valley.” Info: 704-0567.

DANCE • At 6 p.m. the Aspen Art Museum at 590 North Mill Street will host a dance program that will feature a collaboration with Aspen Dance Connection and other guests on how dance inspires and contributes to culture in the Roaring Fork Valley.

LIVE MUSIC • Nationally recognized blues/jazz/gospel singer Hazel Miller will perform at 7:30 p.m. at CMC’s Spring Valley Center near Glenwood Springs. Tickets are $20 for adult, $5 for students 17 and younger, and $5 for CMC students with college ID. To order, call 947-8367.

P&Z MEETS • The Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss the teacher housing proposed for the former Crystal River Elementary School during a meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

COUNTY PLAN MEETING • A meeting to gather citizen input on the 2030 Garfield County Comprehensive Plan will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Garfield County Administration building at 108 Eight Street in Glenwood Springs. Information also available through Tamra Allen, 945-8212 or tallen@garfieldcounty.com.

DIVORCE CLASS • Alpine Legal Services offers the Do-It-Yourself Divorce Clinic at 5 p.m. at the Garfield County Courthouse in Glenwood Springs. Attendees will be given the paperwork needed to complete a divorce, and the information to manage one. Small donation requested but not mandatory. More info: 945-8858.

Community Briefs CCAH fall fundraising begins Carbondaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 37-year old arts institution has begun its fall membership drive. The Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities provides free concerts and programming, as well as arts education in the Carbondale public schools, and CCAH counts on its members for support.

Renew or become a member now and receive the CCAH monthly newsletter listing activities and events and discounts on tickets for CCAH events. CCAH is also part of the Carbondale economic stimulus program and, in conjunction with the membership drive, is offering tickets to win prizes including an electric car, a cargo bicycle and Carbondale cash.

CCAH presents First Fridays, The Carbondale Mountain Fair, Carbondale Summer of Music concerts, music appreciation classes, chamber music concerts and inschool and after-school arts programming for youth. This is just a sampling of the rich and varied culture that CCAH has provided over the many years it has been in existence.

For more information on the membership drive, visit carbondalearts.com or call 963-1680.

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball League Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait until the last minute to sign up. The Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball League at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t begin until Jan. 3 but regis-

trations are being accepted now. Full payment is required to reserve a spot in the league. All games will be held at the recreation center. The league is for ages 18 and up. The registration deadline is Monday, Dec. 21. Please contact Jessi at 704-4115 for more information on the league, or if you are interested in a referee position.

This year, Colorado Rocky Mountain Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall musical is Stephen Sondheimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Broadway hit, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Into the Woods.â&#x20AC;? The play will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 13 and 14 in the CRMS Barn and features a cast of nine girls and eight boys.

An ambivalent Cinderella? A bloodthirsty Little Red Riding Hood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A witch who raps? Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all among the cockeyed characters in this fractured Grimmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fairy tale.

When a baker and his wife learn theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been cursed with childlessness by the witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell.

Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wish is granted at the end of the play. The play begins a lively, irreverent fantasy in the style of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Princess Bride,â&#x20AC;? but will leave you pondering community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.

Adult tickets cost $10, student tickets cost $5, both are available at the door. For more information, please contact Lisa Raleigh at lraleigh@crms.org or 963-2562.

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Nov. 21, 2009 is National Adoption Day. It is held to raise awareness of the children waiting in foster care for permanent loving homes. You can help change a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life by becoming a foster/adoptive parent, and next Friday, the GarďŹ eld

County Department of Human Services will tell you how.

The department will host a foster care and adoption celebration from 3-5 p.m., Nov. 20, at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. This event will be a celebration of adoptive families, but will also COMMUNITY BRIEFS page 15

CRMS stages â&#x20AC;&#x153;Into the Woodsâ&#x20AC;?

Thank You!

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National Adoption Day

From left, Sam Kaufman, Kelsey Freeman, Caelina Eldred-Thielen, JT Tran, Taylor Gilman and Cale Bonderman are among the students starring in CRMSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; production of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Into the Woods.â&#x20AC;? CRMS is staging the musical this weekend. (See Community Briefs for details.) Photo by Ed Kosmicki

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THE SOPRIS SUN â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER 12, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ 9

Water study gauges chemical, biological factors Both surface water and springs will be sampled; testing water from springs allows evaluation of ground water, he said.

The Roaring Fork Conservancy has designed the study, with the help of consultants more familiar with the oil and gas industry, Rudow said. Sampling will be done to rigorous standards, according to the sampling plan.

“It follows the same procedures each time,” Rudow said, “to get data that’s accurate and legally defensible.”

The laboratory’s tests are extensive. Rudow said the samples are tested for 26 different metals, 94 organic compounds, three dissolved gases, two radiological compounds and 13 general chemistry factors.

The conservancy is also investigating the populations of aquatic insects — mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies — that spend the early stages of their lives in mountain streams and rivers, before they metamorphose into flying insects.

These insects are the primary food for trout. Two populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout, a native species, exist in the Thompson Creek drainage.

“Studying the macroinvertebrates can really tell you a lot about the health of a stream, from a biological point of view,” Rudow said.

“With increased development, you get increased road building. This leads to siltation,” Rudow continued. The sediment fills in the spaces between the stones in the streambed, burying and smothering the insect larvae.

The work is costly, said Jacober of the TDC. “By the time you consider all the in-kind contributions, this is going to be a $100,000 study, Jacober said. “We are challenging other water users who use this basin to help us fund the water study.”

TDC staffer Moreno noted that Pitkin County’s Open Space and Trails program made a large contribution to the effort — large enough to get the project off the ground.

The TDC is an alliance of ranchers, landowners, sportsmen, wildlife advocates, conservation groups, recreationists and others working together to preserve the Thompson Divide area from the negative effects of natural gas drilling. The area encompasses about 221,000 acres of public lands in the Thompson Creek, Coal Basin, Four Mile, Three Mile and Divide Creek watersheds. The area extends from Sunlight Mountain Resort south to Coal Basin, near Redstone.

Natural gas leases have been sold on about 110,000 acres of that land, Moreno said, but with gas prices at relative lows, it has not yet proved economical for the drilling companies that own the leases to develop them.

SUNDAY NIGHT

continued om page 3

Roaring Fork Conservancy Water Quality Coordinator Chad Rudow fills a sample bottle at a designated sampling site on Four Mile Creek. Utmost care is taken to avoid contamination of samples. Photo by Chris Ullrich

Next Steps

For more information about the Thompson Divide Coalition, call (970) 210-5027 or visit savethompsondivide.org.

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10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009

Carbondaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cowgirl continued î&#x2C6;&#x2021;om page 1 husband, a powerful earl. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had this idea for the book since I was in my late 20s, when Don (her late husband) and I ďŹ rst came here,â&#x20AC;?

Witt said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year I decided to either do it or get it out of my head. So I decided to do it, because you only live once. A hundred years from now no one will know the difference.â&#x20AC;?

Witt said a chance encounter led to her to choose Robert Royem as the photographer for her new book. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last summer, when I was thinking of a photographer and who to call, I ran into Robert in the City Market parking lot. He stopped me and said â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a cowgirl, right?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; He knew who I was and asked if he could take a photo of me with my horse.â&#x20AC;?

Witt said yes and after Royem came up to her house on Missouri Heights and she saw his photos, she asked him if he would be interested in working on this book. He agreed and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when Witt â&#x20AC;&#x153;decided that this book was supposed to be.â&#x20AC;?

The ďŹ rst thing Witt did after hooking up with Royem was to call the Aspen Modeling agency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I asked a few friends, and in the end people were calling me â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cause they wanted their horses or themselves in the book. Word traveled.

A few of the models live in Texas where Witt spends most of the winter.â&#x20AC;&#x153;The women are wild in Texas and they wear lots of jewelry,â&#x20AC;? Witt said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some are my friends and some I met in a bar,â&#x20AC;? she added, giggling.

They told her they wanted to be in the book, so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The horses were beautiful. Several of the horses belonged to Gay Lewis and the rest belonged to the people themselves, or me. We used a variety of breeds,â&#x20AC;?Witt added.

Above: Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quick and quirky â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a fun-loving woman who adores animals and loves to entertain.

Anita Witt and her pooch, Spanky, at her ranch on Missouri Heights. Photo by Jane Bachrach Left: Wittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new book.

Each photo includes a quote from a noted â&#x20AC;&#x153;horse whisperer,â&#x20AC;? such as: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Develop a soft ďŹ rmness, not a hard tightness, with your horse.â&#x20AC;? The local â&#x20AC;&#x153;horse whisperersâ&#x20AC;? are Franklin Levinson, Dave Kluge, Heidi Alles and Susan Gibbs, who wrote the above quote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a kick to do this book. It was just fun,â&#x20AC;?Witt said.

Royem spent between three and four weeks in both Texas and the Roaring Fork Valley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At ďŹ rst some of the models

were nervous, but they got over it real quick when they were around others that were nude,â&#x20AC;? Witt said.

Witt said she feels â&#x20AC;&#x153;thrilledâ&#x20AC;? with the book after receiving an advance copy.

As to Royemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience? â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was very excited. He thinks this is the most fun thing heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever done in his life. A typical man,â&#x20AC;? Witt said.

Catch up on your reading: Anita Wittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lady Godivaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book of Horsemanshipâ&#x20AC;? will be in local bookstores on Nov. 15. For more information visit ladygodivas.biz.

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THE SOPRIS SUN â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER 12, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ 11

Sports Briefs Varsity football The Rams ďŹ nished off the season with a 17-16 win against the Cedaredge Bruins.

After a shaky start to the season, the Rams managed to picked up speed during their ďŹ nal few games, winning three of their last ďŹ ve matches. Head coach Greg Holley said that the team went from averaging eight points per game early in the season, to averaging 23 points per game as the season drew to a close.

He also noted that the Rams were a young team, and it took a little while for the players to get used to the gridiron. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once you have some young kids it just takes a while for them to kick it into a higher gear,â&#x20AC;? Holley said.

Only two seniors and four juniors played on the varsity team this season.

Holley also commented that it took a little while for the coaching staff to ďŹ gure out how best to structure their offense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was kind of like a learning season,â&#x20AC;? said senior Jake Hawkins, who noted that overall the team may be strong in the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s building up to be a pretty high-caliber team,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The Rams ďŹ nished the season with a 3-7 overall record.

Boys varsity soccer Ram soccer ďŹ nished the season shy of the state championship match. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We went [into the season] with the goal that we would go to state and go around and we achieved our goal,â&#x20AC;? coach John Ackerman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody left dis-

RAM Sports Update appointed for losing, but at the same time we really felt good about the game we played.â&#x20AC;?

Faith Christian headed off the Ramsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; charge toward the state championship during a game on Nov. 3 on Faith Christianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home turf in Arvada.

Faith Christian was seeded 10th in the state playoffs, the Rams were seeded 26th.

Faith Christian scored two goals in the ďŹ rst half, Ackerman said. The Rams made it onto the scoreboard when senior Marcelo Cruz scored 10 minutes into the second half. The Rams played hard through the rest of the match and made a number of shots but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manage to even the score.

Faith Christian â&#x20AC;&#x153;had a great goal keep,â&#x20AC;?

Ackerman said.â&#x20AC;&#x153;We played the ball all over the frame but he was everywhere.â&#x20AC;?

The Rams ended the season ranked among the top 16 3A teams in the state, and with an 8-4-3 record.

Ackerman said that with 11 junior players who will be seniors next year, he thinks the Rams may be strong next season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really going to kick some butt,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have the potential.â&#x20AC;?

Varsity volleyball The Ram soccer players werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only RFHS players to struggle with Faith Christian in a playoff match. The Front Range team also broke the momentum of the Ram volleyball team.

Faith Christian defeated the Lady Rams in a tiebreaker at the regional tournament

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For Information & Reservations call 970-945-0667 Â&#x2039; `HTWHOZWH JVT 6WLU +HPS` HT WT Â&#x2039; 4HQVY *YLKP[ *HYKZ Â&#x2039; .PM[ *LY[PĂ&#x201E;JH[LZ (]HPSHISL 12 â&#x20AC;˘ THE SOPRIS SUN â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER 12, 2009

The RFHS Rams pulled off a 17-16 victory over the Cedaredge Bruins on Nov. 6.

Photo by Jane Bachrach on Nov. 7, in BayďŹ eld, near Durango.

Four teams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hotchkiss, RFHS, Faith Christian, and Bayfield â&#x20AC;&#x201C; competed in the tournament. The Lady Rams lost to Faith Christian in their first match and then won the next two games, beating Bayfield and Hotchkiss. Bayfield had so far gone undefeated.

BayďŹ eld, Faith Christian, and RFHS all ended the tournament with 2-1 records and moved into a tiebreaker. With the strongest record of the three, BayďŹ eld automatically qualiďŹ ed to move on to the state champi-

onships, leaving RFHS and Faith Christian to play a single tiebreaker set. The Lady Rams lost 25-20. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They had our number. It just came down to the end and we fell a little bit short,â&#x20AC;? coach Carrie Shultz said.â&#x20AC;&#x153;Next year when we get in the same type of situation we will have been there and done that.â&#x20AC;?

With just one graduating senior and ďŹ ve returning juniors, the Lady Rams may have another strong season in store for them next year.

The team ďŹ nished the season with a 223 overall record.

Letters continued om page 2 Bikers (mostly) oppose Hidden Gems Dear Editor: The Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA) has submitted comments on the Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign to local and national government representatives.

This comes after two years of data collection, GIS analysis, on-the-ground research, listening to members of the local riding community, and meeting with Wilderness Workshop, the local advocate for the campaign. You can view the official comments on our website's Advocacy page at www.rfmba.org/mtb/advocacy.aspx.

While we can agree with the campaign's proponents to designate areas in excess of 94,000 acres around the Roaring Fork Valley as wilderness, we cannot support the proposal in its entirety because of its negative impact on mountain biking in the Roaring Fork Valley. RFMBA could support a modified plan that would use both wilderness and companion designations to protect our open spaces while retaining access to important current and potential riding areas. We have maintained an ongoing dialog with Wilderness Workshop about this option and hope to continue discussions with them.

We ask that members of the local riding community contact your government representatives and write letters to the editor requesting the use of companion designations to preserve our wild places while retaining access for mountain bikes.You can find contact information on our website's Advocacy page.

We would also like to take this opportu-

nity to thank the many members, local stakeholders, and government representatives that have helped with this process.

RFMBA Board

Pointless haggling Editor’s note: This letter was also sent to the Carbondale Board of Town Trustees.

Dear Editor: I consider developers as bad as used car salesmen, but have learned in life that there are a few good car salesmen; ergo, is it possible there are a few good developers?

People who think they can get the best of a car salesman grind them into the pavement, thinking they are making a good deal. Some just jerk the salesman around in a circle dance with absolutely no intention of doing the deal.

At some point, the salesman says, "Why am I doing this?"

This analogy is about the Thompson Park project, scheduled for a vote last Tuesday, Nov. 3 – its 18th meeting.

Two years into this, what kind of negotiating process was it that we witnessed the other night? No room for details of questions posed, but sure looks like a circle, uh, dance to me. Or maybe just not quite sure what to do now?

Sign on the dotted line. Here’s why: Historical entities in this valley are far fewer than potential development projects. It is easy to count. The Thompson House is the last of its kind.

One huge positive of this project is that it literally gives to future generations – a complete repository of its past, a crown jewel, a

sacred site, a literal time machine! Yet it sits at the bottom of the trustee’s concern list as“the old house.”

The kick in the butt was a trustee comment of “potential resentment” if no 24/7 general pedestrian pass-through is put smack in the middle of the historic treasure’s lawn.

C’mon, where’s the respect here?

The extensive work done by your planning department assures trustees that the build-out flexibility asked by the developer due to current financial climate conditions is safeguarded with incremental approval review by the board. Planning for fiscal contingencies is one thing, demanding a crystal ball

into the future before approval is, at minimum, counterproductive.

If you can’t make the deal now and again, you just go away. This is not a warning or a scare tactic; it is just a fact of life.

If you truly care about Carbondale“smalltown” heritage as well as your fiduciary responsibilities to its future, please vote yes on the Thompson Park project.

Be the board of trustees that gets to say, someday, “We were thoughtful, prudent and preserved this legacy,” as your children’s children tour the historic Thompson House.

Charlotte Graham Marble

plans (i.e. capital improvement plans, street plans, utility plans, and so on). In short, it gives guidance to county planning efforts and municipalities to implement a unified vision,” states the Web site associated with the plan. “Without public participation, county staff and commissioners have no means of knowing the community’s true values and overall vision.”

Additional meetings will be held during the winter and spring. The public may also participate in the plan by contacting the county building and planning department at 945-8212, or by visiting garfieldcomprehensiveplan2030.com.

Spring Valley Center in Glenwood Springs on Friday the 13th – it’s just a drill.

Tomorrow, Nov. 13, roughly a dozen agencies from Silt to Aspen – including fire departments, a gas company and hospitals – will be participating in an emergency training session. The scenario will involve a simulated carbon monoxide leak and is intended to help the participating agencies cooperate in the event of an actual emergency.

“I think it’ll be a fantastic learning opportunity for all of us, and a chance to determine what we can each do to improve our emergency plans,” said CMC spokeswoman Debra Crawford.

CMC is asking community members to try to avoid County Road 114 between Highway 82 and the campus from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

News Briefs continued om page 4

CMC to host emergency drill Don’t be alarmed if you see emergency vehicles rushing to Colorado Mountain College’s

THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009 • 13

From the Aleutians to Italy

By Trina Ortega John Tripp was in the northern Apennine Mountains of Italy when he took his bullets.

Shot in both legs – twice – he carried on walking before sitting to have some chocolate and a cigarette.

That’s what got him a Purple Heart in World War II. But John Tripp is not a flowery man; he doesn’t want accolades and praise for serving in a war that changed the world. He may not even tell you about the Purple Heart.

Like many who enlisted in WWII, he was just doing what needed to be done.

He’s John Tripp, a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; and a neighbor, a businessman, accountant, and world traveler. He’s a cat- and dog-lover, a skier, a believer in change, and a man who will never get tired of watching Mt. Sopris each day.

Tripp’s story of war is simply a part of the life that brought him where he is today.

“If it weren’t for World War II, I wouldn’t have met Rene,” he says of his wife of more than 60 years.

Back in the early 1940s, Tripp’s heart was set on flying as a pilot for the United States Air Corps but he was sent to navigation school instead because of his eyesight.

He served some time, but after being honorably discharged in Sept. 1942, he didn’t want to be stateside. So that very year Tripp re-enlisted in what he described as the less extravagant and lower paying 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, upon the invitation of a skiing pal.

In August 1943, the regiment landed on the rocky shores of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. The island was completely abandoned, which Tripp says was fortunate. The cliffs that rose up from the rugged beach would have given the Japanese a tactical advantage over incoming forces.

“Luckily for me the Japanese had left the island. I wouldn’t be sitting here right now the way they fortified the island,”Tripp says.

The 87th returned home after a few months and became one of three regiments to form the 10th Light Division, which later would be called the 10th Mountain Division.

They trained on skis at altitude in the newly established snowy Camp Hale near Leadville and survived “flatland” training in the stifling heat of Camp Swift near Austin, Texas. Then, at Christmastime 1944, the division was shipped to Italy.

“We had no idea how long we’d be gone for. Back then there were no tours of duty.

You enlisted and you were in forever,”he said.

John had met and married Rene by then, and she was home alone, pregnant with their daughter. “Judy was born in January 1945, and I was in a foxhole in Italy,” Tripp said.

The Germans surrendered in Italy in May 1945, and the Japanese followed suit in August 1945 after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The boys in the 10th returned home before the year was out.

Those in the 10th Mountain Division trained, fought and played together. They were a tight group, and the men and their wives remained friends long after the war.

John and Rene have been back to two re-

14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009

Local WWII veteran John Tripp served in the Aleutian Islands in Italy's Apennine Mountains as a member of the 10th Mountain Division and elsewhere. Photo by Trina Ortega unions in Rome, visiting old battlefields, often running into Italians who still thank John for the Americans’ part in the war.

“World War II really did change the world a whole lot,” he says.

Tripp also traveled back to Kiska in 1983 with six division buddies where they placed a memorial to honor their friends who died there. Even though the Japanese had left the island, men fell victim to booby traps left behind.

In the Tripp’s Carbondale home, which they built with their “two bare hands,” a small upstairs room is wallpapered with artifacts “proving” his story, as he likes to say.

They are photos of his friends from training,

posters of the 10th Division boys on skis, discharge papers, an old Nazi German police hat, pins, Japanese shell casings and grenades, proclamations, and more.

Every picture of Tripp with his 10th Mountain Division buddies — smiling, athletic young men — reveals a truth Tripp has come to face. At age 90, he is one of the few remaining. He rattles off some names of those who have died recently: Gus Ball, Bob Van Raden, Martin Bruce.

But among the wartime mementoes also are the pictures of his family. It is the story of his life. John Tripp — a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather and brother at arms.

Going orange this anksgiving? Try the “un-yam” Thanksgiving is coming, and at the festal table, many of you will serve or encounter an orange vegetable. In most cases, this will be a sweet potato, commonly known as a yam. This traditional Thanksgiving dish, predictably and inexplicably topped with marshmallows, may either excite or bore you. If the latter, there’s still time for something new and also orange: butternut squash.

There are hundreds of ways to prepare the colorful butternut squash, and one of the best is how I first tasted it – as a very simple casserole.

Butternut squash approach their peak in late fall, just in time for Thanksgiving.

At other times of the year I’ve found only small ones in grocery stores. As peeling and seeding them is a minor hassle, I’d much rather wrestle with one five-pounder than five little one-pounders.

The most difficult part of

By Chef George Bohmfalk this recipe is separating the squash flesh from the peel and seeds. There are two ways to accomplish this.

Most recipes say to cleave the squash lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a large spoon, place the squash halves cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with oiled foil, and roast them at 350 degrees for about an hour, until very soft to a poke with a fork or knife. This works fine, except that after removing them from the oven, you need to flip them

The Fork

that Roared

over to cool for a while before scooping out all the soft squash. That gets a little messy, and I usually don’t plan well enough to allow all that time.

The quicker, strong-armed approach involves peeling these brutes – using a knife rather than a flimsier vegetable peeler – and hacking them into about one-inch cubes, which soften in just 15 to 20 minutes of steaming. After handling the squash that much, my hands often feel dry and scaly, like there is dried glue on them that won’t wash off. This may be due to concentrated starches in the squash, which draw moisture from the skin. As an experiment, I wet my hands and the squash while working, and this did seem to prevent that benign but annoying phenomenon.

By whichever method you choose to produce about four cups of cooked squash, use a sturdy whisk or electric mixer to mash it in a large bowl with four eggs, a cup of milk or cream, half a stick of softened butter, a dash of salt, and half a cup of brown sugar or cane syrup, which deepens and enhances the squash’s natural sweetness.

I really like a ginger accent in this dish. If you have fresh ginger, grate in a tablespoon or so. If not, liberally sprinkle in a couple of teaspoons of powdered ginger.

Rub the inside of a baking dish with butter and pour in the semi-liquid squash mixture. Select a dish size so that the finished casserole will be more than an inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until set and no longer liquid.

The custard-like casserole will firm up a bit more if allowed to rest out of the oven for about 10 minutes before serving. If it’s not firm enough to slice into squares for serving, it will taste just as good scooped up with a spoon.

You can also cook this a day ahead and reheat, cov-

ered, for about 30 minutes. Turkey and dressing should be this easy!

If conversation lags during dinner, you can always debate the distinction between sweet potatoes and yams. To most of us, they’re synonymous, but to botanists and other purists, they’re hardly related. True yams, or “nyami,” are rough-skinned, white, starchy tubers from Africa that can grow up to six feet long and aren’t sweet. Orange sweet potatoes are a tropical South American plant in the morning glory family, not really even potatoes. Few people in this country have ever eaten a real yam.

When these sweet orange novelties were introduced in U.S. markets from South America several decades ago, importers needed a name to distinguish them from their white Russet distant cousins. They borrowed and anglicized the African word, nyami, perhaps hoping that no one from Africa would ever point out their error. The USDA requires that cans of the sweet orange vegetable labeled “yams” must also include the words “sweet potato” clearly on the label.

Whether you enjoy “yams,” sweet potatoes, or butternut squash this month, happy Thanksgiving, and happy eating!

Recipe Notes:

Ingredients: butternut squash, milk or cream, eggs, butter, brown sugar.

Optional: fresh or powdered ginger.

Community Briefs continued om page 9 include information for people interested in foster care and adoption. Experienced adoptive parents, caseworkers and attorneys will be present to answer questions about foster care and adoption. There will also be food, family photographs and prizes. Call Natalie Carrion at 945-9191 ext.

3005 to learn more about foster care in Garfield County.

Games and bedtime stories Join in the fun at the Gordon Cooper Branch Library, which will offer a day of games and an evening of sleepytime stories this week.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, many board games will be set up around the library and a gaming tournament will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. on the Wii with open play before and after.

Unclassifieds

Video games such as Rock Band, Super Mario Cart and Extreme Sports will be offered, as will a wide variety of card and board games. Online games will be available at the computers, and jigsaw puzzles will be in the works as well. Contestants will have a chance to compete for prizes.

All ages are welcome.

At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, the library offers patrons a chance to snuggle in for some bedtime stories.

Arlene Kroh will be on hand for the night, and kids are invited to wear pajamas, snuggle up with teddy bears, sip hot cocoa, and enjoy great stories together. There is no admission fee, but patrons are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Lift-Up. For more information call the library at 963-2889.

Submit Unclassifieds to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by 5 p.m on Friday

ON VACATION? NEED AN OFFICE? SHORT TERM? LONG TERM? If you need professional office space while visiting the area, stop in and use one of our offices. Phones, fax, scanner, secured high speed internet, private offices.

Daily, weekly and monthly rates available. Long term also available 379-4766.

other wrapping material to ship ceramics. Will pick up locally. Anne pottery@annegoldberg.com 379-5050.

PACKING SUPPLIES YOU WANT TO RECYCLE? I need bubblewrap; peanuts; sturdy, medium to large boxes and

SPORTS REPORTER. The Sopris Sun seeks a volunteer to cover RFHS sports. Call 618-9112.

PROFESSIONAL WRITER AVAILABLE for press releases, annual reports, letters and special projects. Call Lynn Burton at 963-1549.

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 BARGAIN PRICES ALL DAY DONATE 10 CANS OF FOOD FOR LIFT-UP AND RECEIVE FREE GUITAR STRINGING

GLENWOOD MUSIC

INC.

715 COOPER AVE. 928-8628

THE SOPRIS SUN • NOVEMBER 12, 2009 • 15

Hidden Gems wilderness campaign Open Letter in Support of the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal We, the undersigned, declare our support for the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal and are willing to be listed as supporters of the Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign. We urge public officials at the local, regional and national levels to support the Hidden Gems Proposal to ensure the strongest possible protection for these special places in the face of the ever-increasing threats of resource extraction, species depletion, and human development. We must act now to preserve these unique wildlands as our heritage, and for the sake of future generations.

Steve Alldredge Joyce Allgaier Diane Anderson-Stine Maria Anjier Paul Andersen Vino Anthony Ward Anthony Hilary Back George Bailey Greg Bailey Bruce Baker Kathryn Baker Suzanne Barber Charles Bauer Martha Bauer David Becher Dina Belmonte Bruce Benjamin Jamie Bennett Bruce Berger Gina Berko Toni Bialek James Biebl Vanessa Biebl Paul Black Sallie Bolich Cheryl Bottomley David Bowers Jen Brennan Christina Brinkmann Ben Broder Logan Brookbank Molly Brooks Linda Brown Retta Bruegger Marc Bruell Chelsea Brundige James Brundige Shelley Burke Katey Buster Katrina Byars Lauren Cameron Bonnie Campbell Jody Cardamone Tom Cardamone Krysia Carter-Giez Beth Cashdan Suzanne Caskey Larry Caswell Margaret Caswell Linda Cerf-Graham Rod Cesario Mark Chadin Bob Chamberlain Karen Chamberlain Kim Chang Caroline Cheung Molly Child Steve Child Ed Chipman Carole Chowen Jonathan Christensen

Alan Christie Nancy Chromy Willard Clapper Hal Clark John Clark Kate Cocchiarella Beverly Compton Rachel Connor Sven Coomer Christin Cooper Herb Cooper Judy Corwin Chris Coyle Sue Coyle Kristine Crandall Barbara Crawford Karen Crawford Bonnie Cretti Clark Cretti Ken Cronin Elisa Curry Donald Cutler Paul Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Amato Theresa Daus-Weber Pete Davis Steven Dewitts Kathy Dewolfe Andy Disabatino Muffy Disabatino Bryan Dixon Mary Dominick Chuck Downey Doug Driskell Carol Duell Drew Dworak Arlenee Edwards Ann Egan Ronnie Egan Anne Ehrlich William Elliott Audrey Ellis Chris Ellis Stephen Ellsperman Melissa Elzey John Emerick Martin Evans Chris Faison Sally Faison Annie Farris Doug Farris Randall Fassbinder Jan Fedrizzi Jerry Fedrizzi Adrian Fielder John Fielder Deborah Fifer Judy Filippone Melanie Finan David Fleisher Jeff Foott Lucas Franze Alison Friedman

Kathleen Friesen Chris Fuller Ginni Gallcinao Rhonda Ganz Catherine Garland Kate Gaston Jack Gausnell Tom Gaylord Daniel Giese Monique Gilbert Pit Gills Tyson Goeppinger Tal Golan Paul Gold Bruce Gordon Doug Gorman Bev Goss Melise Gramm Christina Grandy Sherron Green Sara Gregg Anne Grice Barry Grossman Joseph Haas Andrew Hadley Wendy Hahn Jeremy Hakes Maureen Hall Alex Halperin Pat Hammon Kim Hammond Bradley Hancock Judy Hancock Lynn Hancock Kay Hannah Lash Hansborough Andy Hanson Georgia Hanson Bryan Harding Ginny Harrington Linda Harris Mary Harris Nick Harris Shep Harris Charles Harrison Jane Hart Peter Hart Allyn Harvey Ann Harvey Connie Harvey Susan Hassol Georgeann Hayes Lucy Hecker Kendall Henry Julie Heyman Gary Hill Ana Gabriela Hindelang Annaday Hiser David Hiser John Hoesterey Doug Hofmeister Carolyn Holder

Patricia Holmgren Tag Hopkins Whitney Hopkins Charles Hopton George Huggins Janis Huggins Steve Hughes Patricia A. Humphry David Hyman Jimmy Ibbotson John Isaacs Leslie Jaffe Ted James Donald Janney Ann Johnson Ken Johnson Kiera Johnson Peter Johnson Sam Johnson Sandy Johnson Sarah Johnson Ruth Johnston Nancy Jones Broder Steve Kahn Jennifer Kauffman Chris Keleher Karon Kelley Rachel Kelley Tim Kelley Julie Kennedy Peter Kennel Diane Kenney Kathleen Kenney David Kerr Maureen Kerr Eleanor Kershow Liz King Michael Kinsley John Kirk Elizabeth Klein Carol Ann Kopf Ross Kribbs Larry Kunkle Kathy LamieuxRodman Marcella Larsen Andrew Larson Jeff Lauckhart Sarah Laverty Diane Levin Anna Lieb Susan Lindbloom Andrew Linger Andy Linger Jack Lintz Denise Lock Sacha Logan Bryan Long Danielle Long Doreen Long Michael Long Peter Looram

Jeanne Losasso Wendi Losasso Jean Lown Christine Lucht Bill Lukes Catherine Lundy Amy Lunt Melissa Lunt Duncan Macgregor Ryan Maclachlan James Maguire Paula Maguire Erin Makowsky Mirte Mallory Delia Malone Lane Malone Raymond Mariani Sara Marks Mike Marolt Katherine Marshall Cecelia Martin Jan Martin Nancy Martin Gail Matthews Johno Mcbride Kate Mcbride Laurie Mcbride Donna Mcflynn Tim Mcflynn Jennifer Mcgruther Joe Mcguire Owen Mchaney Holly Mclain Michael Mcvoy Ro Mead Michael Mechau Michele Mendyk Melana Meyer Nolan Mike Judy Miller Karen Mitchell Alana Monge Travis Moore Cecilia Moosburges Nate Morris Heather Morse JJ Mosesso Charles Moss Parry Mothershead Vincent Munoz Jon Musacchia Marcie Musser Robert Musser Tim Mutrie Roderik Nash Bailey Nelson Brett Nelson Melissa Nelson David Newberger Collette Newell Steve Newell Sharon Newson

Ann Nichols Lynn Nichols Gunnar Ohlson Blanca Oleary Walt Olsen Susan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal Lucia Ortiz Y Garcia Daryn Ostendorf Babette Palmer Louise Parker Brandi Parsley Debra Patla June Pausback Liz Paxson Timm Paxson Julie Paxton Tom Paxton Matt Payne Raymond Payne Dan Perl Meghan Perry Jim Petrie Ali Phillips Elizabeth Phillips Gregory Pickrell Donna Plutschuck Sara Plesset Susan Pollack David Polovin Tony Popish Dale Potvin Linda Powers Adelaide Prudden Missy Prudden Steve Prudden Courtney Purcell Peter Raich Fran Rainwater Gary Rainwater Aron Ralston Jessica Ralston Glenn Randall John Randle Nathan Ratledge Judith Rau Thomas Rau Brian Ray Sarah Ray Dave Reed Kathleen Reichel Brandon Rigo Rebecca Rigo Lisa Robertson Jessie Rocco William Rodman Nancy Rondeau Paul Rondeau Dan Rosenthal Jim Roush William Roush Katie Rubel Tom Rubel

Chad Rudow Gregory Rydell Heather Rydell Teresa Salvadore Albert Samuelson Jes Sanderford Roxane Sandrup Ryan Sandrup Clare Sanger Marius Sanger Scott Schlosser Sarah Schmidt Janne Schulz Cameron Scott Ingrid Seidel John Seidel James Seivwright Troy Selby Leslie Selzer Chuck Senig Amy Shafer Shelly Sheppick Mary Sheridan Beth Shoemaker John Shramek Dr. David Singer John Sisson Erik Skagen Jeff Skagen Michelle Skagen Steve Skinner Helene Slansky Joshua Smith Ken Smith Steve Smith Gary Soles Christine Spaeth Camilla Sparlin Drew Sparlin Wendy Sparlin Pat Spitzmiller Kim Springer Johnathon Staufer John Stickney Bill Stirling Laurie Stone Josh Stowell Michael Stranahan Matt Suby Barb Sullan Edward Sullivan Gabriella Sutro Sissy Sutro Kerek Swanson Julie Tandberg Paul Tandberg Lisa Tasker Anne Teague Harry Teague Karin Teague Jill Teitelbaum Michael Thompson

Becky Trembley Milo Trusty Monte Trusty Ted Ullman Marshall Ulrich Dena Valentino Jeff Valliere Robin Van Domelen Peter Van Domelen Hank Van Schaack Katie Van Schaack Nathan Venn Cal Viall Chuck Vidal Linda Vidal Juan Vigil Jaff Volk Robert Walker Diane Wallace Laura Walters Donna Ward Faylis Ward Jim Ward Thomas Ward Kate Warren Hart Joel Washko Trevor Washko Adelaide Waters Mike A Waters Mary Watson Tripp Watts Cynthia Wayburn Austin Weiss Margot Welch Norm Welch Jennifer Welker Gayle Wells Richard Wells Heidi White Jason White Marnie White Kurt Wibbenmeyer Bill Wiener Andy Wiessner Kristina Willer Mia Williams Morgan Williams Breccia Wilson Donna Winslow-Arnove Carrie Wolfer Andy Wiessner Caitlin Woodard Mike Woodard Annie Worley Laura Yale Ginny Yang Pete Yang Bart Young Hap Young Randi Young Terry Young Brad Yule