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Sopris Sun THE

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 43 • DECEMBER 3, 2009

‘Tis the season to

“Spruce Up e Sun” Carrying on a favorite Carbondale tradition, The Sopris Sun is seeking young artists and designers to turn this issue’s cover into a colorful winter wonderland in the Spruce up The Sun Contest. The design was created by past contest winner Elizabeth Ritchie. (She won the contest when it was sponsored by The Valley Journal, RIP.) The coloring competition is open to preschool through fourth-grade students. We want to see your creative colors shine. Choose from clipping the cover right off a copy of The Sun; making a Xerox copy of the cover; picking up a printout at the Gordon Cooper Library or the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center; or logging on to soprissun.com to print out this year’s design. The contest will be judged by community artists and Sopris Sun staff in three categories: Preschool/Kindergarten; First/Second Grades; and Third/Fourth Grades. A grand-prize winner will be selected from those categories. All winning designs will be printed in the Dec. 24 issue and posted on The Sun’s Web site. The deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 18. Drop them off at The Sopris Sun ofﬁce in the basement of the Amoré Realty at 711 Main St., or send them to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Include your name, grade level, and a phone number with your entry. Call The Sun at 618-9112 with questions.

Momentous native gathering

Town hitting energy targets

An equine population explosion

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Carbondale Commentary ank you, from e Sopris Sun Thanksgiving has passed, but here at The Sopris Sun the sentiment lingers on. And with good reason. In the 11 months we’ve been publishing, we’ve relied heavily on the help of the community, and there’s no sign that we’ll stop doing so in the immediate future. Volunteers have taken photos for the newspaper, delivered it, penned stories, edited copy and helped in countless other ways as well. The list published on page 16 of this edition attests to just how much volunteer help we rely on, and it probably says something about where we’d be without all that help as well: There’s a good chance we wouldn’t be publishing, and there is no chance the newspaper would look anything like it does. The list says something else about the paper as well. After all, what better way to deﬁne a community newspaper than to look at how many members of the community have played a role in it? From the staff at The Sopris Sun, to all of those who make this community newspaper what it is, thank you.

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.

A lesson in “forever” Dear Editor: We just came back from the San Diego Zoo, which, of course, is not usually a lifechanging experience. But because of a challenge our valley is facing now, it does have special meaning. When you walk around the zoo, you see all of the animals and many of their signs say, “threatened,” “endangered,” or “critically endangered.” And there are signs next to photos of animals now listed as “extinct.” One has to stop and think: We can't take our environment and animal species for granted, extinction is forever, and we can't be so smug as to be conﬁdent that

what we have in abundance now will stay so in the future. Wilderness is the one place where we can guarantee as much as humankind can: that the land and the creatures that live there will survive. We do not, and never will, “own” the land. We are the guardians, the caretakers, only. Everyone can now use the wilderness, just not on mechanized or motorized machines that irrefutably alter the land. Imagine a notice someday at the entrance to your favorite National Forest or BLM trail that says “Here once were deer and elk and soft trails and clean air – all of which are now gone forever.” I don’t think the bikers and riders really

Amore mio! From left: Michael Kobluk, Joe Frazier and Chad Mitchell ﬁnd some sun below decks while sailing off the coast of Naples, Italy, in October. Photo by Chuck Morse

Correction Due to an error in a press release, the Redstone Art Center's current featured artist was listed as Barbara Sophia in our Nov. 26 edition. Her full name is actually Barbara Sophia Ulrych. 2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009

want that. They just don’t know it yet. Roberta McGowan Missouri Heights

Give C’dale a gift: shop locally Dear Editor: As a lifelong valley resident and a homeowner in Carbondale, I just wanted to remind everyone of the great, locally owned businesses that we have in this valley, and encourage people to patronize them when shopping for friends and family this holiday season. Walking down Main Street in Carbondale, there are several great galleries, a book store, a ﬂower shop, an antique store, a furniture shop, a wonderful store ﬁlled with all sorts of decorative items and some great restaurants to visit as well. If you’re feeling thrifty, there are three stores that sell second hand goods. There’s stuff for kids too. On Highway 133, there are bike shops, sporting goods stores, some amazing Mexican markets and even more great restaurants. They are all owned by people who live here: your neighbors, your friends, your fellow citizens. Also, Carbondale's business community hopes to earn your business with a stimulus package that offers a number of really cool prizes for people who visit local merchants over the coming weeks and months. The grand prize is an electric car. How cool is that? Please shop in town (Carbondale, plus whatever town you live) and buy from locally owned businesses. The money you spend at home stays at home and goes a long way toward supporting your neighbors and your community. Allyn Harvey Carbondale

A bad ending? Dear Editor: I really enjoyed the article in the Nov. 19 edition of your newspaper regarding the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Zentmyer entitled, “They danced their asses off.” It was a wedding party held in Puerto Rico which obviously was a very happy one. The article was very elegant with, “was the wedding of the year,”“a palm tree paradise,” then “just as the couple’s lips pressed together, sealing their vows, a rainbow emerged.” Further along, it said that “the faint rustling of the island palms grew louder during the kiss,” and “a faint ocean breeze provided soft background music.” How beautiful! How romantic! But then, after the very nice text, the article ends with, “Bob and Kathy Zentmyer danced their asses off.” How rude! If the writer intended to make readers laugh, I am sure he got a smile. But the fact remains that he (or she) could have been nicer ending the article. Don’t you think? Milton Zapata Carbondale

Seize the opportunity Dear Editor: I am a ﬁeld biologist who lives near the Sutey Ranch and who knows the WexnerTwo Shoes ranches by virtue of having done the annual monitoring of the existing conservation easements on Mr. Wexner’s holdings. In the process of doing this work, I have also become familiar with the BLM

land strip that Mr. Wexner wishes to acquire in the exchange. I am in support of the Sutey Land Exchange because of the unique and diverse ecological values it contains. While both the BLM parcel and the Sutey Ranch contain important wildlife habitat for deer, wild turkey and bear, the Sutey property contains a full composite of winter range habitats for elk (winter range, severe winter range and winter concentration areas). These habitat types are where elk can ﬁnd food and cover during severe winters and are increasingly in short supply because of home construction and ski area development in these areas. While the Sutey Ranch is not in Pitkin County, securing winter range habitat for elk that has heightened conservation value presents an opportunity for Pitkin County to mitigate the impacts to elk winter range habitats from past development practices and approvals in Pitkin County. Over 200 elk use the Sutey Ranch during the winter. This exchange will provide over 500 additional acres of protected open space that will help prevent the fate that has befallen the upper valley’s Burnt Mountain elk herd. Development has diminished that herd’s winter range by 40 percent and its migration corridor to a tenth of its historic size. The Sutey Ranch also contains the rare Harrington’s penstemon. This ﬂower is found in only 30 locations in Colorado, and protecting the habitat where it occurs presents another opportunity for Pitkin County to help preserve an important component of Colorado’s natural heritage. In my professional opinion, the Sutey Ranch has extraordinary conservation attributes and I urge Pitkin County to seize this opportunity to mitigate impacts from development, even if the mitigation area is outside Pitkin County. Through this land exchange, 1,781 acres of land will be protected through public and private ownership – truly a win for Colorado’s natural heritage! Dawn Barton Carbondale

Sopris Sun THE

The Sopris Sun is an LLC organized under the 501c3 nonprofit structure of the Roaring Fork Community Development Corporation, 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 Copy Editor: Lynn Burton Ad/Page Production: Terri Ritchie Ad Production: Becky Young Paper Boy: Cameron Wiggin The Sopris Sun is published with the support of the Rotary Club of Carbondale

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11th annual Native Gathering of the Americas comes to Carbondale More than 100 native leaders to attend By Trina Ortega The Sopris Sun

Ramon Nenadich of the Centro de Estudios Indigenas de las Americas. Photo by Jane Bachrach

Next Steps:

Volunteers and donations still are needed for the gathering. Contact Rita Marsh at 963-8979 for more information. Funding will go toward offsetting the travel expenses of the delegates, who are arriving from as far away as Chile. Friday night’s concert will be an international music event featuring a number of musicians. Former Carbondalian Jessa Young will join local artists Barry Chapman, Frank Martin, Conor Johnson, Steve Cook, Branden Cohen, Lisa Dancing-Light, Lee Martin, Jan Garrett, JD Martin and others, along with guest artists from Brazil and Ecuador. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, at the Church at Carbondale. Community members who would like to take a delegate to dinner or host a delegate for dinner on Saturday night can sign up at Eco-Goddess at 335 Main St. A $25 donation may also be granted toward a delegate’s dinner. For the full schedule of events, visit davinikent.org.

A dozen people met Monday to discuss the details of a grand event that will bring more than 100 indigenous leaders from 16 countries to Carbondale over the next five days. But there were no suits at the meeting, no tables with stiff-backed chairs, no overhead projectors buzzing in the background. Rather, the meeting was held on the sunlit grounds of a house at the foot of Mt. Sopris. Some of the volunteers sat on the floor. One was giving a foot massage. A small ceremonial altar with offerings from each person stood at the center of the group. It set the tone for the day as the planners set about organizing the XI Native Gathering of the Americas, a multicultural event that will include panel discussions with indigenous elders; discussions about ecology and health; Ute, Supai and Aztec dancers; Lakota drumming; a benefit musical concert; ceremonies and prayer blessings; storytelling for children; and healing workshops. Native elders, healers, scholars, shamans and spiritual leaders from indigenous cultures across North and South America will explore the theme, “Healing all wounds between the peoples of the world and Mother Earth.” “The main purpose of this gathering is healing, because we understand … there has been so much suffering of indigenous peoples,” said event founder Ramon Nenadich of the Centro de Estudios Indigenas de las Americas, Inc., in Puerto Rico. According to Nenadich, those attending the gathering will primarily work to establish The International Foundation for the Advancement of Indigenous People. They will also work to create a Commission of Forgiveness to “get away from confrontation and violence” and begin to heal wounds that go back many centuries, he said. The gathering officially begins Thursday, Dec. 3, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. A benefit concert will kick off the Carbondale portion of the event at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at the Church at Carbondale. The panel discussions, ceremonies, cultural dances and more events will continue Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6. Healing workshops and additional concerts will take place Monday and Tuesday,

Dec. 7-8, in town. Northern Ute elder Clifford Duncan will give the welcoming address, and Chief David Bald Eagle of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota will assist Nenadich in hosting the event. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the events. Momentum for the event has grown exponentially in less than three weeks. More than a dozen local people have been helping to organize the gathering. “The height of collaboration and cooperation that has shown up to make this possible has been awesome,” said Rita Marsh, one of the local organizers of the event. In addition to staying connected to the earth, others say their involvement with the indigenous peoples’ gathering is part of their own mission to remain connected to each other. “We’re disconnected at a level that we don’t even look each other in the eye. We’re more connected to our iPods and our cell phones,” said Jean Owen, who is considered the computer “miracle-worker” of the group and has been serving as note-keeper. “The lineal society, which has been designed by Western culture, does not understand circular thinking,” Nenadich added. “You do only what you see in front of you. The native vision of the world is circular; everything is connected.” Nenadich said Western civilization, or what he calls the “techno-industrial society,” has brought the world to a dead end. Developed nations have destroyed the earth, killed off species, cleared the forests, and are headed toward extinction. “This type of consciousness — which is really an unconsciousness — is leading Western civilization down a path of self-destruction,” said Nenadich, whose matriarchal ancestors are native to the Caribbean. However, the choice is simple for Nenadich, a professor of history and ecology for 32 years at the University of Puerto Rico: Humans can either choose to remain on a course of self-destruction or they can choose to live in a respectful, loving way, connected to the earth and other people. It is up to each individual to meet the challenge, Owen and the others admit, but they say that is exactly what indigenous people and tribal elders have to offer through the gathering.

Carbondale on track toward energy goals, says town energy manager By Jeremy Heiman The Sopris Sun Carbondale is continuing to make progress toward the goals set out in its 2006 Energy and Climate Protection Plan, said the town’s energy guru at the town council meeting last week. Carbondale Energy Manager Josh Smith assured the town trustees on Nov. 26 that the town is on track to complete all its energy and climate protection goals for the year, and that he expects more success next year, despite the economy. Smith, who is employed by the nonprofit Community Office for Resource Efficiency, or CORE, on behalf of the town, pointed to effective outreach efforts. He cited the success of CarbondaleEnergy.com, a one-stop Web site for Carbondale energy

information. He also described the frequent mention of CORE’s efforts in local news media, and the distribution of information at Carbondale events. “Overall, there’s been a pretty good amount of contact throughout the year,” he said. A great deal of progress has been made toward the drafting of the town’s energyefﬁcient building code for residential construction, Smith noted, though some work remains to be done. He said he would like to see a new set of regulations adopted for commercial construction as well. Since January, Smith said, CORE has given out $134,000 in rebates to residents who bought energy-efﬁcient appliances or installed renewable energy improvements at their homes. This money has leveraged

more economic activity in the community. Additional rebates have come from the electric utilities, Holy Cross Energy and Xcel Energy, though the total amount of those rebates is not known. As a result of the CORE rebates, Smith wrote in a memorandum to the trustees, the energy saved is equivalent to 354,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. During the year, so far, Carbondale residents have purchased $2.1 million worth of wind energy under Holy Cross Energy’s Wind Power Pioneer Program, Smith told the council. “Wind is deﬁnitely something the community is interested in,” he said. One item not achieved was a grant for engineering studies for a micro-hydroelectric generator to be powered by Carbon-

dale’s Nettle Creek water line. Smith applied for the grant, but Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs ran out of money set aside for such work. Overall, Smith said, Carbondale is ahead of most towns of its size. “We know the percentage of renewables in town is much higher than in other towns in the nation,” he said in an interview. “If you ﬁgure per capita kilowatt production [of renewable energy], we vastly outpace the rest of the nation.” He said Carbondale has captured much of the low-hanging fruit in putting grant money to work for renewable energy installations on town buildings. “So I think what we need to focus on in the next couple years,” he said, “is reducing the amount of energy consumed.”

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 3

News Briefs The Bonedale News Brief The Sopris Sun and the KDNK news department team up each week to discuss recent news from the Roaring Fork Valley. Catch the Brief on KDNK at 7:50 a.m. and at 5:50 p.m. on Thursdays, or ﬁnd it online at KDNK.org.

Adieu, Ella – Hello, Hestia A switch up is happening in Carbondale’s downtown dining scene. One dame of a restaurant is leaving and another will be rolling onto Main Street. The owners of Ella, which was located at 348 Main St., have decided to close the restaurant. But it is quickly being replaced by a restaurant named Hestia, which bears the same name as a Mediterranean restaurant that was once located in Basalt. The owners of the two restaurants could not be reached before press deadline, but according to the answering machine at Hestia, the new restaurant’s grand opening will take place on Monday, Dec. 7. For a reservation, call 704-0377.

Trustees cut water and wastewater fee increase The Carbondale Town Council on Nov. 24 refused to pass a routine 3 percent rate increase for water users, and instead cut the increase to 1.5 percent. Trustee John Hoffmann requested that the rate hike be discussed by the board. He said he wanted to give citizens a bit of relief

from the rising cost of living. “It’s one little thing we can afford to do,” Hoffmann said. The 3 percent increase would have raised the monthly base rate for drinking water from $16.34 to $16.83 and the charge per 1,000 gallons from $1.51 to $1.56 for in-town residential users. It would also have raised the base rate for in-town residential sewer customers from $10.52 to $10.83 per month. Trustee Stacey Bernot agreed with Hoffmann. The item was brought to a vote, and the rate hike failed, 3-2, with Hoffmann, Bernot and John Foulkrod opposed and Frosty Merriott and Pam Zentmyer voting “yes.” Mayor Michael Hassig and trustee Ed Cortez were absent. Bernot introduced a motion to increase the rates by 1.5 percent instead, and it passed, 4-1, with Zentmyer opposed. Mark O’Meara, Carbondale’s utilities manager, said the 3 percent rate hike would mostly have been absorbed by cost increases, including inﬂation in wages and the cost of electric power used at the sewer plant. He said the increases were not intended to begin to accumulate funds for a

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new sewer plant, which may be needed in coming years. Cutting the rate hike will have a signiﬁcant effect on the revenue taken in by the drinking water and wastewater utilities. The most recent ﬁgures show that Carbondale’s production of drinking water is about 424 million gallons annually, and the volume of wastewater is 272 million gallons annually, O’ Meara said.

Winter comes to Rio Grande Trail The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) has closed the Rock Bottom Ranch section of the Rio Grande Trail from the Catherine Bridge trailhead to Rock Bottom Ranch. It will remain closed until May 1, 2010. The closure applies to all public uses including hunting, angling and access to adjacent public lands. RFTA closes the trail NEWS BRIEFS page 9

Cop Shop FRIDAY, Nov. 20 At 2 p.m. a purse was reported stolen from a car parked at the Family Dollar store on Highway 133. SUNDAY, Nov. 22 At 8:55 p.m. an officer pulled over a car speeding on the 500 block of Highway 133. The driver was a minor with only a learner’s permit. He was accompanied by an adult who was on probation for drug charges. Officers searched the car and its occupants and found a switchblade in the minor’s pocket. TUESDAY, Nov. 24 At 2 a.m. Carbondale police received a report of an assault and burglary without forced entry on Barber Drive. Officers responded but couldn’t find the address in question. They returned to the station, and at 3 a.m. the phone rang again. Evidently the burglary had occurred on Boyd Drive, not Barber. Officers found the victim’s house and took him to Valley View Hospital for treatment. WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25 At 11:50 p.m. someone reported two men dressed in black peering into cars on Delores Way. Police investigated but found no damaged cars in the area.

Nonprofit highlight CARBONDALE ROTARY GRANTS $7,000 TO LOCAL NONPROFITS The Carbondale Rotary Club has recognized nine nonproﬁts for their outstanding contributions to our community. Rotary granted funds to support the programs of Hospice of the Valley, Junior Achievement, Lift-Up, Mountain Valley Developmental Services, Spellbinders, The Sopris Sun, the Third Street Center, Tom’s Door and YouthEntity. Congratulations to all for making our community strong. Each year our local Rotary club contributes more than $40,000 through its semiannual grants program, scholarships, local community activities, emergency requests, Salvation Army bell ringing and by partnering with Rotary International on projects worldwide. The funds are all raised through the club’s many events, such as the annual Great Balls of Fire dinner dance in June and the recently held theater event “Tuesdays with Morrie.” Speaking of which, it is the time of year when you will see all of the Carbondale Rotarians ringing bells at City Market, collecting donations for the Salvation Army. Last year Rotarians raised a record $13,000. So help them set another record this year. All Rotarians want to thank the community for making each of their events a success. All proceeds go back into the community and they could not be so successful without everyone’s support. “SERVICE ABOVE SELF” Carbondale Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. each Wednesday morning at the Carbondale Fire District Headquarters on Highway 133.

PROGRAMS FOR DECEMBER 12/9 Report on “Children of the Dump,” a Rotary International project in Nicaragua which assists with economic development, education and sanitation 12/16 Photographic journey with Herschel Ross through the Seychelles 12/23 Youth Zone, Evan Zisliss 12/30 Cyprus-Turkey conﬂict, Marilyn Sussman Sponsored by Herschel Ross, DDS

An equine population explosion Locals pitch in big to adopt horses raised for menopause drugs By Jane Bachrach The Sopris Sun In the last month the equine population in and around Carbondale has increased signiﬁcantly, and in spring 2010, it will multiply even more. It’s no secret that in the last few months, Aspen Valley Horse Rescue (AVHR) founders Kathy Raife, Heidi Alles and Mary Bright have spearheaded the effort to rescue horses from ranches in North Dakota and Canada. There, the horses were being raised to produce hormonal drugs – such as Premarin and Prempro, which are intended to relieve symptoms of menopause – derived from pregnant mares’ urine. Stories have been written in local and state newspapers about the plight of the hundreds of mares that are no longer needed for their urine since the drugs have been linked to certain kinds of cancer and have fallen out of popularity. Now worthless for drug production, the horses are in danger of being sent to auction in Canada and eventually slaughtered for horsemeat, a delicacy in Japan, France and Belgium that can go for $25 per pound But few people know that residents of Carbondale and Missouri Heights have been, and still are, major players in the rescue efforts. Before the horses arrived, local volunteers were out there raising money to help with the rescues.

Volunteers Belinda Grifﬁin and Elisa Love groom one of the rescue horses at Skyline Ranch. Photo by Jane Bachrach Now, 125 of the rescued horses have arrived in the Roaring Fork Valley and the workload will increase substantially, especially for the ranchers who have volunteered to care for and work with the mares and weanlings until they’re adopted. According to Bright, the greatest concentration of rescued horses in the valley is currently in Carbondale and Missouri Heights.

The rescue horses require, on a daily basis, added care, from feeding and watering to mucking paddocks and other areas, and checking in during the day to make sure there aren’t problems. This is an important transitional time for the mares and weanlings. On top of this, 70 to 80 of the mares are in foal, Bright said. So extra time and extra care will be involved as the due dates near.

Martha Collison and Darlyne Woodward, co-owners of Skyline Ranch in Carbondale, are providing a temporary home and care for 18 of the mares and weanlings, three of which they have adopted. That means there will be 18 more horses at Skyline in addition to the 20 horses Collison and Woodward already board; the 25 horses they own personally; and their ﬁve dogs … and their rescue animals, including two miniature donkeys, two miniature ponies one draft horse, four goats, one sheep, three pet ducks, two rabbits, 15 chickens, one goose and four desert tortoises, one of which Darlene has had for 58 years. That’s a whole lot of animals but Collison and Woodward aren’t complaining.“The best thing about these horses is they’re bringing the community together,” Collison said. Other folks in the area, including Marty Nieslanik, Skip Bell and part-time local Martina Navratilova, have all donated hay for the rescue horses at Skyline. Last week, for example, John Nieslanik drove his tractor over to relocate ﬁve of the large round donated bales. “In the beginning, everyone at Skyline got on the website and was trying to save horses. Then we set up a network where a friend tells a friend tells a friend, and pretty soon we were getting donations,” Collison said. “Liz Armstrong, a friend of ours who LOCALS page 15

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RRR (Ron Robertson Report) According to our medical contact, Ron is “doing well.” Speciﬁcally, his fever is down, he’s less medicated, and he can sit up on the edge of his bed as well as in a chair. Yeah, Ron! Some friends of Ron’s have purchased an iPod for him. So if anyone’s going to Denver this week and can bring it down to him, please call Mark at 963-9720.

The new “celeb” hangout Here’s the scoop: clean up your poop or this could change. We believe that Delaney Dog Park (some refer to this area as the Nature Park) is well on its way to becoming a trendy new hangout for local and visiting celebrities, dignitaries and politicians. A few of Carbondale’s political ﬁgures and their dogs are already regulars at Mother Nature’s dog park, including Mayor Hassig and his dog, and the two town trustees with the same ﬁrst name that’s also another word for bathroom. (Their dogs were along as well.) Over Thanksgiving weekend, Carbondale’s own designer to the stars, Lynni Hutton, was seen at Mother Nature’s dog park with her dogs, Maggie and Holly. She was

also with her 10-month-old granddaughter, Ellery; son-in-law, John Hodges; and daughter, Punch, who is the other celeb in the family. Punch Hutton is the editor of Vanity Fair’s “Fanfair and Fairground.” Speaking of trendy hangouts, Punch knows them all. She and John Hodges jetted in for the weekend to visit “grandma,” who designs homes for many of Hollywood’s stars, including Billy Crystal and Julie Andrews. This is reliable info: the group was recognized by The Sopris Sun’s Gossip Queen, one of our more reliable sources.

Flipping the switch Carbondale’s feng shui expert for the town, Tony Coia, told us that he is almost finished hanging Christmas lights on the Main Street trees. It seems to us like he recently finished taking last year’s lights down. Anyway, his deadline is tomorrow, Friday. Coia didn’t know exactly what time the town would flip the switch to turn the lights on, but he said it would be “around 5 p.m.” When asked what would happen if the lights fail to come on when the switch is flipped, Coia replied, “Santa won’t be able to find his way.” SCUTTLEBUTT page 13

Fire ﬁghters strike the ﬁrst sparks of the Grand Illumination in Redstone on Nov. 27. Photo by Jane Bachrach

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Friday, Dec. 4th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Despite diminished town grants, nonprofits carry on By Jeremy Heiman The Sopris Sun Some local nonprofit organizations expect to be just fine, even though the town of Carbondale allocated less than one-third of the amount of money requested by such groups as part of the town’s 2010 budget process. The Board of Trustees awarded $44,900 in community grants in its Nov. 24 budget session, though requests from charities, social services organizations, arts groups and environmental organizations added up to almost $150,000. Some organizations will receive the amount that they requested, and some will get less than they requested or none at all. The board elected to keep another $10,000 in a contingency fund, either for grants to be given out later or to fill in other parts of the budget as needed.The amount of grants is down from the $66,000 in nonprofit grants given out for 2009. Steve Skinner, station manager at KDNK, said he hadn’t expected that the station would get the full $10,000 it requested. “We’ll do the best we can with what we get,” Skinner said. “We get a lot of our funding from other sources.” Those sources include program underwriting, memberships, foundation grants and fundraising events. Skinner said he believes the listener contributions will help to fill in the gap. “It’s one of those years when people have to step up for the nonprofits they support,” Skinner said.

Another group that did not get the full funding it asked for is Fat City Farms, Inc., the organization behind the Roaring Fork High School Gardens and Greenhouse project. The trustees chose to grant $1,000 of the $2,500 Fat City requested. Jerome Osentowski, founder and director of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, a partner in the Fat City Farms project, said the $1,000 is welcome. “We’re appreciative of that,” Osentowski said. “We know everybody’s having to cut back. That’s not going to slow us down.” He said the group just received a $6,000 grant from another source, and had enough money now to buy the components of the dome-shaped greenhouse it has planned. A concrete company and an excavator have promised to donate some work to the project as well. The recession has not had a negative effect on the business of educating people about gardening, he said. “We’re outside the economy,” Osentowski said. “Everyone wants to grow food, right now.” Another of the organizations whose request was passed over is Mountain Regional Housing Corporation. MRHC manages the town of Carbondale’s affordable housing program, and will receive $50,000 from the town’s affordable housing fund for that purpose. But MRHC had requested an additional $10,000 for 2010 for the purpose of augmenting its down payment assistance program, a revolving loan fund intended to help

low income homebuyers, said Janet Rippy, executive director of MRHC. And the trustees did not allocate any money for that request. “It’s not like we won’t be able to help people,” Rippy said, “It’s just that we won’t be able to help them as much.” Currently, Rippy said, most of the money in the down payment loan fund is loaned out. The organization has made 37 loans to help with down payments, totaling about $250,000. Only $13,000 remains in the fund for buyers whose income is 80 percent of area median income or above, and the fund for buyers whose income is less than 80 percent of area median income is down to about $40,000. Because some of these loans will be repaid over 15-year schedules, Rippy said, those funds won’t be replenished rapidly. Rippy said MRHC will apply for a grant from the Colorado Association of Realtors Opportunity Fund for 2010, but an application to that foundation in 2009 was not successful. Other funds, however, are available from the town as well. Several organizations will receive money from the town through other line items in the budget, and a number of groups have been allocated funds under the recreation sales and use tax. The budget sessions for 2010 have been grim for the town this year. Carbondale has experienced a 16 percent drop in sales tax income and a 25 percent drop in overall revenues through the third quarter of this year, and four full-time employees and one parttime were laid off last month.

2010 community grant recipients Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program $2,000 Buddy Program $3,000 Project Graduation $500 Roaring Fork Early Learning Fund $2,000 Rock Bottom Ranch $500 Solar Energy International $2,000 YouthEntity $2,500 Advocate Safehouse Project $2,000 Family Visitor Program $5,000 Lift-up $1,000 Pathﬁnder $3,500 Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains $500 Roaring Fork Family Resource Center $3,000 RSVP $500 Spellbinders $500 Fat City Farms, Inc. $1,000 Roaring Fork Conservancy $1,000 5Point Film Festival $2,000 Carbondale Clay Center $2,000 Carbondale Council on Art and Humanities $4,400 Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club $1,000 KDNK Public Radio $2,000 Red Hill Council $500 Mt. Sopris Historical Society $2,500 $44,900

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 7

CMS students to construct new climbing wall By Terray Sylvester The Sopris Sun Twenty-three students at Carbondale Middle School are working hard to bring a climbing wall to their classmates, and in the process they’re learning to surmount plenty of reallife, day-to-day challenges. If all goes according to plan, an 11-foot, cave-shaped wall will be installed on two sides of a little-used room at the school in January. From building permits to marketing, phone etiquette to fundraising, the students have had to get a grip on all sorts of tasks that generally don’t ﬁt in a school day. “It’s something that kids don’t normally do, actually talk to adults and get stuff done,” said sixth-grader Arely Holguin, one of the

students in the class. The class is an enrichment offering. Since it’s somewhat extra-curricular, most of the responsibility for the project has fallen to the kids. “Everything that needs to get done basically gets placed in front of the students,” said Michael Logan, who is teaching the class. He says that with four math classes on his plate, he can’t devote much of his planning time to the climbing wall.Which means that most of what needs to happen, happens in the classroom. This Tuesday morning, one set of students was drafting a thank-you letter to employees at the Carbondale ﬁre district who have helped the kids with their building permit.Another group was comparison shopping, contacting companies in search of the pads that

will line the bottom of the climbing wall. Since the beginning of the school year the kids have solved all sorts of other problems as well. Among other tasks, they’ve used design software to draw up a rough schematic of the wall; scrutinized engineering plans to calculate how many linear feet of lumber they should buy; and mocked up portions of the wall on graph paper to calculate how many bolts they’ll need. “You have to go step by step and each step has to work,” stated Ilse Bustamante, a sixthgrader who, along with a couple classmates, has been in charge of newspaper publicity for an upcoming fundraiser (see sidebar). One of those classmates, Lili Greene, said that the class hasn’t always been easy. “At the beginning, we were like,‘Oh, this is too much work,’ and we wanted to get out of the class,” Greene exclaimed, but quickly added that as newspapers began to return their calls the work became much more exciting. Logan doesn’t deny that the class has taken some effort. “It’s been an incredible challenge to say the least,” he said, but emphasized that he thinks such off-the-cuff, pell-mell learning is particularly effective. “Death is peaceful and quiet. Learning is messy and loud,” he said. ““This has been a

Take up some slack:

The climbing wall class at Carbondale Middle School, in the room where the wall will be built. Photo by Terray Sylvester

messy and loud project. [The students] are out there on their own making mistakes and trying to ﬁx those mistakes and learning from them.” At the moment, the students are searching for a few skilled volunteers.They need an electrician and three to four carpenters to help with the construction. They are also looking for a general contractor to sign their building permit. But once the permit is in place, Logan said, the students should be able to begin building. They have the money they need to purchase some materials and get the project off the ground. When complete, the wall won’t be used for roped climbing, but instead for “bouldering” close to the ground. Physical education classes will probably take advantage of it, but Logan also plans to teach a climbing course after school during the winter. He hopes that middle school climbers from Carbondale will eventually compete against other schools in competitions on the Western Slope. And as a climber himself, Logan thinks the wall might attract students who may not want to play traditional sports “Climbing offers an alternative at a time when they need something to keep them focused and to keep them out of trouble, he said, adding,“when they need something to be passionate about.”

To raise money, the students in the climbing wall class will screen “Skiing Everest,” at 7 p.m. today, Dec. 3, in the Carbondale Middle School auditorium. The film stars Aspen resident Mike Marolt. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.

Aspen Choral Society presents Handel’s

Messiah Performed by: The Aspen Community Chorus The Glenwood Springs Community Chorus The Aspen Choral Society Orchestra Directed by RAY VINCENT ADAMS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2009, 7:30 PM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009, 7:30 PM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009, 7:30 PM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2009, 7:30 PM ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH ASPEN, COLORADO $10 at the door • Children under 12 free

8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009

love the one you’re with... Avalon gift certificates

Udall bill would boost federal bark beetle response By Conrad Wilson, KDNK Special to The Sopris Sun

Citing the threat of toppling trees, wildﬁres, impacts upon water supplies and other hazards, Democratic Colorado Sen. Mark Udall (D) has introduced a bill that would make it easier for the federal government to combat the mountain pine beetle. The National Forest Insect and Disease Emergency Act would allow the Forest Service to treat the pine beetle epidemic as an emergency. The idea is to create more options to combat the insect and elicit faster responses from the feds. While the bill doesn’t directly inject new dollars toward solutions for the problem, Udall said that it would make it easier to use money that’s already available. “As I’ve listened to the Forest Service describe some of the stumbling blocks, some of the barriers, some of the hurdles they have to clear, this legislative initiative

helps them with some additional tools,” Udall said. Udall’s bill would allow the Forest Service to move more quickly through its environmental review process when dealing with beetle-kill timber. It would shorten the amount of time for public comment on any proposed project, such as a controlled burn or tree removal. The measure also creates incentives to turn dead trees into biofuels and allows the Forest Service to contract with state foresters to reduce dangers near homes and communities. Udall has gone so far as to call the beetle one of the West’s “biggest natural disasters.” Since 1996, the bug has destroyed more than 2 million acres of pine trees in the state. “The threat looms from the Northern Rockies, in Montana, Idaho, down through Wyoming, our state, and on into New Mexico,” Udall said.

For the most part, environmental groups are pleased with the final version of the bill and say it stands a good chance of passing. Chief among concerns is wildfires. John Bennett is executive director of the Aspenbased nonprofit For the Forest. Earlier this year, his group spent big money removing infected trees from places like Smuggler Mountain. Fortunately, the Roaring Fork Valley is home to relatively diverse forests so the beetle’s effects – while serious – are relatively limited The devastation is obvious in places like Summit and Grand counties. A drive along Interstate 70 offers a telling view. Once covered in deep green lodge pole pines. Mountainsides today are blanketed in rust-stained trees. The beetle is native to the region, but years of warmer than average winters have allowed its numbers to explode, creating a potential tinderbox.

Bennett agrees fire poses a serious risk. “The best guess is that we are going to see some fires and they’re probably going to be bigger and they’re certainly going to be more intense than we’re use to,” he said. Even during good economic times it’s hard to get money to combat the beetles. Past efforts failed largely because they were expensive. Bennett said the bill is “far from perfect,” and that money in the bill would make it better. But, he said, given the economic climate the bill makes sense. “It’s not a sexy bill, but what it is, it’s a very smart bill,” Bennett said. “In troubled economic times when they're not going to find all the money that they want for this kind of thing, this is a very, I would say shrewd, bill.” The bill was introduced with Republican co-sponsor Sen. James Risch of Idaho. Udall hopes the bill passes in time for next year’s fire season.

also take place on the Rio Grande Trail throughout the winter. The trail will be plowed from Glenwood Springs to Main Street in Carbondale following snowfalls of three inches or more. The trail will be plowed more frequently in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale proper. The trail will be groomed for crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing (but not

bicycling) between Main Street in Carbondale and the Catherine Bridge trailhead. Grooming is generally done twice a week in the evenings. For more information on winter trail conditions and grooming in Pitkin County, call the Aspen Snowmass Nordic hotline at (970) 429-2039. For more information in general, visit rfta.com.

News Briefs continued om page 4 annually as part of a wildlife management plan to protect elk and deer habitat in the winter months, and blue heron nesting areas in the spring. The plan was drafted by a wildlife consultant in collaboration with RFTA staff, and involved the input of wildlife experts and neighboring stakeholder groups. The closed section runs through two miles of riparian and upland areas extend-

ing from the end of Hooks Spur Road, south of the Roaring Fork River, to Catherine Store Road at the Catherine Bridge trailhead. A signed bike detour utilizing paved county roads will be provided from the intersection of Main Street and Snowmass Drive in Carbondale to the Hooks Lane trailhead in Basalt. Other winter maintenance measures will

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 9

Community Calendar

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

THURS. - SAT. Dec. 3-5

FRI. – SAT. Dec. 4-5

THEATRE • Thunder River Theatre Company presents “Visiting Mr. Green,” a comedy by Jeff Baron. A preview will be staged Dec. 3. Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m., all other performance start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and more info: thunderrivertheatre.com or 963-8200.

SYMPHONY • Symphony in the Valley presents Beethoven’s triple concerto for piano, violin and cello at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Glenwood Springs High School, and at 5 p.m., Dec. 5, at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen. More info. and ticket prices: SymphonyInTheValley.org.

THURSDAY Dec. 3

CRAFTS FAIR • Local artists will host the Whimsical Women of the West Annual Holiday Show from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, at 432 North Eighth Street. Jewelry, vintage collectibles, fine art, baked and preserved goods, photography, fiber and folk art, cards, natural holiday decor. A portion of sales will benefit the Carbondale Bread Oven Project. More info: 963-0977.

OPEN STUDIO • Clay artist Frank McGuirk and basketmaker Karen Aldredge will host an open studio on Dec. 3 in Aspen Glen. Handcrafted gifts by local artists. Email fmcguirk@designmosiac.com in advance to attend. LIBRARY BOARD MEETING • The Garfield County Library’s Board of Trustees will hold its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the administration offices at 796 Megan Avenue, Suite 100, in Rifle. For ADA needs, contact Wilma at 625-4270 prior to the meeting. ECO-GODDESS TUNES • Eco-Goddess Edibles at 335 Main Street presents live music with Lyndsay Knox of Nebraska from 7-9 p.m. Knox works wonders on the keyboard. No cover. More info: 9637316. CLIMBING WALL FUNDRAISER • To raise funds for a new climbing wall, Carbondale Middle School will screen a film about an Aspen local who skied Mt. Everest. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. in the CMS auditorium. Adults, $7. Children 12 and under, $5.

MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre shows“A Serious Man”(R) at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4-10,“Coco Before Chanel” (PG-13) at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 5 and “Amelia” (PG) at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 6.

FRIDAY Dec. 4 BOOK SIGNINGS • Novel Tea bookstore at 449 Main Street offers two book signings starting at 6 p.m. Charlotte Graham will be present with her new book, “Memoirs of a River … Up the Crystal: People and places of the Crystal River Valley.” Wewer Keohane will also be present to sign her latest book and ﬁrst volume of ﬁction, “A Story for Isabel.” More info: 963-2617. TREE LIGHTING • Carbondale’s annual tree lighting with caroling and marshmallow toasting will be held at Fourth and

10 • THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009

Main streets, 5:30-8 p.m. Santa will be on hand to listen to children’s wishes. FIRST FRIDAY • The First Friday art walk will take place from about 6-9 p.m. Galleries and businesses will host artist receptions and be open extended hours. H O L I D AY BAZAAR • The ﬁrst annual Holiday Bazaar will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Crystal Meadows Senior Housing on Hendrick Drive. Hand-crafted gifts, home made baked goods and other food presented by the senior residents. More info: 963-9326.

SAT. – SUN. Dec. 5-6 YULE FEST • Basalt High School hosts its ﬁrst annual Yule Fest Arts and Crafts Fair featuring more than 20 local artisans, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the high school. Shop-

ping, food, kids’ activities, Santa Claus, magic show, other entertainment and music for all ages.

SATURDAY Dec. 5 WINTERFAIRE • The Waldorf School on the Highway 82 Frontage Road, one half mile east of Catherine Store, hosts a celebration with craft making, puppet plays and story time for children. Café Waldorf, holiday shopping, a sweet shoppe, live music and more. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More info: waldorfcarbondale.org. STIMULUS RAFFLE • The Go Green-Get Green economic rejuvenation campaign hosts a rafﬂe from 1-4 p.m. at Valley Meats, 786 Highway 133. The festivities will include sales and door prizes. More info: 963-1890 or Carbondale.com. CONTRA DANCE • A community contra dance will be held from 8-10 p.m. at Glenwood Springs Elementary School. The Last Minute String Band will provide the music. Fun, non-alcoholic, aerobic, no partner necessary. All dances will be taught. Beginners should arrive at 7:30 p.m. for a 30-minute lesson. More info: justuspaines@sopris.net, lastminutestringband.org, or 945-0350.

SUNDAY Dec. 6 INDIGENOUS GATHERING POTLUCK To feed the delegates to the 11th annual Gathering of the Americas, a potluck will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Carbondale recreation center. Volunteers needed. CALENDAR next page

Community Calendar

Further Out

continued om previous page

Dec. 10

Dec. 11-12

More info: Sue Gray at 618-1849 or g.Suzanne@rocketmail.com.

6:45 p.m. at True Nature Healing Arts at 549 Main Street.

WILDERNESS FILM • “Forever Wild: Celebrating America’s Wilderness,” is a documentary about people – including locals Connie Harvey, Joy Caudill and Dottie Fox – who have dedicated their lives to wilderness preservation. The ﬁlm will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Wheeler Opera house in Aspen. A private reception with Rep. John Salazar and the ﬁlmmakers will be held before the screening. Tickets and more info: 963-3977 or wildernessworkshop.org.

GIFT WORKSHOP • Dancing Colours at 968 Main Street holds a holiday earring workshop from 6:30-9 p.m. Create two pairs of holiday earrings from a plethora of festive beads, pearls and crystals. More info: 963-2965.

P&Z MEETING • The Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

HANDEL’S MESSIAH • The Aspen/Glenwood Community Chorus presents Handel’s Messiah in Aspen at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 11-12 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 533 East Main Street. Tickets are $10.

MONDAY Dec. 7 ECO-GODDESS TUNES • Eco-Goddess Edibles at 335 Main Street presents Karen King and Mateo playing live music from 69 p.m in honor of the 11th annual Native Gathering of the Americas. No cover. More info: 963-7316, eco-goddess.com.

TUES. – WEDS. Dec. 8-9 HANDEL’S MESSIAH • The Aspen/Glenwood Community Chorus presents Handel’s Messiah in Glenwood Springs at 7:30 p.m on Dec. 8-9 at United Methodist Church, 824 Cooper Ave. Tickets $10.

TUESDAY Dec. 8 TRUSTEES MEET • The Carbondale Board of Town Trustees will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. YOGA • Jeff Jackson now teaches yoga on both Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-

WEDNESDAY Dec. 9 ROTARY SPEAKER • The Rotary Club of Carbondale will host “Children of the Dump” a presentation by Ann Harris. The weekly meeting starts at 6:45 a.m. at the fire station building at 645 Meadowood Drive. More info: Jay Leavitt, (970) 3791436. GIFT WORKSHOP • Dancing Colours at 968 Main Street offers the first night of an “Artfelt” holiday ornaments workshop from 6:30-9 p.m. Make felt birds on the first evening, then embellish them with beads, sequins and glimmering threads on Dec. 14. More info: 963-2965. PIZZA TUNES • Nate Biro will play at White House Pizza at 801 Main Court from 7-10 p.m. Come get your Biro Fix. Free. More info: 704-9400. SKI DEMO DAY • The Ute Mountaineer at 308 South Mill Street in Aspen will offer a telemark and alpine touring demo day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reps from Black Diamond, K2, Garmont, Volkl, Dynafit, Scarpa, Ski Trab, and Marker will be present. Discounts on purchases. More info: 925-2849 or paul@utemountaineer.com.

GIFT WORKSHOP • Dancing Colours at 968 Main Street offers a LuminArte Ornaments workshop from 6:30-9 p.m. Create luminescent color combinations on clear glass balls. More info: 963-2965. ECO-GODDESS TUNES • Eco-Godess at 335 Main Street hosts live music with T. Ray Becker, well known singer, songwriter and storyteller from 7-9 p.m. No cover. More info: 963-7316.

Dec. 11-13 THEATRE • Thunder River Theatre Company presents “Visiting Mr. Green,” a comedy by Jeff Baron. Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m., all other performance start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and more info: thunderrivertheatre.com or 963-8200.

Ongoing

CASTLE TOURS • The Historic Redstone Castle is open for guided tours Saturday and Sunday throughout the winter. One tour each day at 1:30 p.m. Tickets available at Tiffany of Redstone and the Redstone General Store. More info: 963-9656 or www.redstonecastle.us.

REFORMERS UNANIMOUS • Reformers Unanimous, a faith-based program for those who are struggling with addiction, meets at 7 p.m., Fridays, at Crystal River Baptist Church, 2632 Highway 133. Info: 963-3694.

WEIGHT-LOSS CLASS • Principles of Effective Weight Loss meets at 5:30 p.m., Wednesdays, at the Carbondale Recreation Center. Minimal fees. More info: Valerie Gilliam, (970) 948-5877 or githens@ sopris.net.

DANCE CLASSES • Learn African and Caribbean dances with live drummers and fun rhythms. All ages and abilities welcome. $10. Mondays from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Carbondale Community School, 1505 Satank Road. Call Steve at 379-8422 with questions.

SUICIDE SUPPORT • A support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide, meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Glenwood Springs at 824 Cooper Street. For more information, call Pam Szedelyi at 945-1398 or email at pamsz@sopris.net.

GIFT WORKSHOPS • A variety of affordable, multi-session holiday gift workshops focusing on pottery, silver smithing and other arts are available at the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts through mid-December. Info: 945-2414. glenwoodarts.org/classes.

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 11

Community Briefs Students to take back the airwaves For the past semester, local students have been exploring issues of multiculturalism and identity, and reﬁning their own leadership skills through the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program's radio broadcasting class. From 4-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, tune in to KDNK to listen to the fruits of their labor. In a special hour-long program they will delve into the implications of medical marijuana, climate change and diversity issues. The broadcast will feature interviews with the students' peers to gauge their attitudes , as well as interviews with various experts. It will also feature student biographies and family history interviews. Throughout the semester, high school students from around the Roaring Fork Valley have been learning interview techniques, portable recording, editing, engineering and production. The class has met every Wednesday at KDNK. For more information visit KDNK.org.

Light up the town The Carbondale Recreation Department, and Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities invite children and adults of all ages to light up Main Street and welcome Santa Claus to town on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m. When Santa reaches the Fourth Street Plaza, the lights on the trees on Main Street will be illuminated. The event is a chance to mingle with friends and family and tell Santa what you would like for Christmas. The event is free and will include carolers and free hot chocolate and

cookies. Call the recreation center at 7044190 for more information.

Send a letter to Santa If you have been a good little boy or girl, let Santa know what you would like for Christmas. Write a letter or draw a picture and address it to Santa at the North Pole. Then drop it off at Santa’s mailbox through Dec. 18. at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center. The letters will then be delivered to Santa at the North Pole. Make sure to sign your name and address, so Santa can write back. Ho, Ho, Ho! For more information, please call the recreation center at 704-4190.

Local seniors host Holiday Bazaar Residents of the senior housing neighborhood on Hendrick Drive will offer a Holiday Bazaar ﬁlled with home-made gifts, baked goods and other food from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. The event is billed as a good excuse to shop locally, and will take place in the Rominger Room at the Crystal Meadows neighborhood. Call 963-9326 for details.

Help needed with indigenous conference, meditation benches Anahata Healing Arts will help host a conference of indigenous leaders in Carbondale this weekend, and is looking for help. The nonproﬁt is also planning to build a number of meditation benches and is seeking materials and volunteer labor. From Dec. 4 through Dec. 8, The Center

12 • THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009

for Indigenous Studies of the Americas will join with Roaring Fork Valley locals to celebrate the 11th annual Native Gathering of the Americas. The conference is dedicated to healing, with attention to mending wounds between all peoples and with Mother Earth. The event will include indigenous concerts, native ceremonies, healing workshops, panel discussions, prayer blessings and communitydrumming circles. Over 100 native elders, healers, shamans and spiritual leaders from throughout the Americas will come to Carbondale for the festival. Delegates will include indigenous people from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, the Yucatan, Peru, Venezuela, San Jose, Fiji, Australia, Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado and Montana. The organizers of the event are seeking volunteers, ﬁnancial sponsorship, home stays for delegates, food/catering and more. If you are interested in donating time, funds, or services, call Mary Grady at Anahata Healing Arts 963-4679. Anahata Healing Arts is also working to partner with Jaywalker Lodge and community members to build and sell meditation benches. The nonproﬁt hopes that proceeds from the sales will go to programs in Carbondale and perhaps in the wider valley as well. The organizers are searching for a construction space that could be used on Fridays, and for donations of wood, fabric, cotton batting, labor, ideas and more. Contact Rob Grady at Anahata

Healing Arts at 963-4679.

Study abroad in Guatemala with CMC Colorado Mountain College is inviting adventurous community members to join students and professors for a nine-day trip to north-central Guatemala in early March. Participants will study human rights and indigenous culture in the country’s Mayan highlands. The fully guided trip is a unique opportunity to visit the beautiful country while focusing on art, political science and the history of the rich Mayan culture. Students will delve into Gutemalan weaving, painting, pottery and architecture in the context of the country’s tumultuous history. They will visit museums; talk with artists, political and cultural ﬁgures; and explore several cities, including Tikal, with its well-preserved Mayan ruins. The trip will take place March 5 through 14, and will be led by Bob Gumbrecht, CMC professor of political science and geography; and by Cynthia Zyzda, professor of visual arts and humanities. The course includes four classes on Feb. 12, 19 and 26 and on April 2. The classes will be available at various CMC campuses via the college’s distance learning technology. Trip registration is required. The group will be capped at 20 participants. A payment plan is available through the college. For more information, contact Bob Gumbrecht at (970) 870-4484 or rgumbrecht@coloradomtn.edu; or contact Cynthia Zyzda at (970) 870-4432 or czyzda@coloradomtn.edu.

Obituary

Freda Louise Glassier

On Nov. 21, just hours after sunrise, Freda Louise (Vasten) Glassier passed away quietly in her favorite chair, looking out her favorite window on the land that she had worked for most of her 93 years. She was only a stone’s throw from the very spot where she was born when she died just hours after sunrise. She was preceded in death by her husband Fred L. Glassier and her son Fred J. Glassier. She is survived by her daughter, Joyce Glassier Smink; and by her grandchildren, Tracey Smink Vangolen and her husband Glenn; Norman Smink; Stephanie Buchholtz and her husband Brett; Temple Glassier and Mark Drummond; and Krystal Glassier Levy and her husband Mitch; as well as by her seven great-grandchildren Brent Vangolen; Dylan, Tristin and Patrick Palardy; and Jake, Miles and Parker Levy. Freda Glassier was the daughter of Italian immigrants. She was born in Emma on March 8, 1916 and was purely the salt of

the earth. As an avid hunter, she always wanted everyone to know that she shot her ﬁrst deer at age 13 and would have gotten one earlier if she had had her own riﬂe. Working on her family’s ranch for years, she ended up quite literally marrying the boy next door, her neighbor, Fred L. Glassier, in 1934. Then she kept on ranching. Her passion was her work and her work was her life. She never stopped working her land, sewing potatoes and sweat for well over 60 years along with raising cattle and her family in the time in between. Freda always preferred to be outside, shunning housework for herding cattle and tending her land. She was tough as nails with a slyly dry sense of humor and a heart of gold. Freda trusted all and respected many. She was a no-nonsense woman – there was rarely a person who didn’t know where he stood with Freda, as she would let people know quickly and clearly. When you shook her hand you knew it was for real. She was

Scuttlebutt continued om page 6

a woman of her word and a truly trusted soul. To learn about Freda Glassier was to drink coffee with her in her kitchen at that rickety old table and listen to the story of how she shot the bear right outside her back door; or to sit with her on the front porch as she gazed over her land and watch her eyes as the memories rushed through her so fast she didn’t know which one to share ﬁrst. She would talk for hours as her great-grandchildren picked raspberries from the huge hedge that has grown for what seems like forever. She often spoke about how everyone knew everyone else decades ago, and that today “you don’t know no one.” This was all delivered in that unforgettable accent with a hint of Italian and a whole lot of Colorado. Her history and her story will never be forgotten. She was a friend to many, a rancher through and through and a role model to all. Freda Glassier will be dearly missed. Services were held on Dec. 2 at St. Stephens Catholic Church in Glenwood Springs.

Freda Louise Glassier. Photo courtesy of Temple Glassier

“Santa won’t be able to ﬁnd his way?” That guy’s pretty quick, and also very tight-lipped. He told The Sopris Sun that the anonymous secret donor who paid for the lights on the Forest Service tree last year paid for the lights on the trees in front of Russets this year. But no matter how hard this reporter tried, even begged him to reveal the identity of the secret donor, he refused.

Something new is going to happen at the KDNK auction this year, which is going on now. From 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 4, First Friday, KDNK will hold a live auction at the Village Smithy. There will be a massive boutique of locals’ “stuff,” as well as free homemade meatballs and homemade ‘nog. You won’t want to miss this hysterical/historical event.

Boxes of goodies

Sag(itarius) Birthdays – some sooner, some later

The American Legion Post 100 recently pulled together donations from the community and sent 22 boxes of goodies to our troops from Carbondale. Some of the items contained in the boxes were books, deodorant, playing cards, beef jerky, socks and Nerf footballs.

Lisa Speaker, Majid Kahhak and Sadie Dickinson on Dec. 1; Ro Mead, Dec. 3; John Stroud, Dec. 5; Carol Craven, Amy Kimberly and Frank McSwain, Dec. 6; Holly Richardson, Dec. 7; Sandra McMullen, Dec. 8

Free meatballs

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 13

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Locals outdo themselves continued om page 5 lives in Glenwood Springs, called her mother who lives in Texas and told her about the rescue efforts. Her mother sent us a check for $10,000,” she added. “At the same time, AVHR was working their network and now we’re up to about 125 horses that we’ve rescued. That’s why it’s such a wonderful experience.” In addition to pounding the pavement in their own neighborhood, helping to raise money to rescue as many mares as they could, Carbondale residents Elisa Love and Belinda Griffin have been volunteering their time to help with the care of the horses at Skyline. “People in my neighborhood came forth with financial contributions and it went on from there,” Griffin said. Carbondale resident Patience Griffiths has donated money and is also helping with horse care at Skyline. Love has been horse crazy her entire life and her dream has always been to have a horse. But other than riding some trail horses, she has never been on or around them – until now. Now she’s learning everything she can, because she has adopted two rescue horses. Mary Bright, along with four other ranchers on Missouri Heights, have rescue horses on their property. Another Missouri Heights resident, Andrea Traul, has also been a big supporter and an integral part of the team from Aspen Valley Horse Rescue. Traul adopted a mare and her foal that is still too young to wean. I.V. Pabst has taken several of the mares and weanlings to her ranch in Old Snow-

mass to care for. Heidi Alles and Raife have taken ﬁve mares and will be working with them all winter. Raife has personally adopted three more. According to Martha Collison, “Mary Bright has done more than any of us, more work than anyone I know, but she’s my contact and I don’t know the other people,” she said. That’s the spirit within the valley that sustains all of us, its been a wonderful experience,” Collison said.

Next Steps:

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, an anonymous donor from Carbondale rescued 10 of the remaining 35 horses at one of the ranches in North Dakota where the horses were being raised. But according to Kathy Raife at AVHR, there are still 25 pregnant mares remaining that must be rescued in the next two weeks or they will be slaughtered. The rancher involved said that each horse will cost $500. Raife told The Sopris Sun that if the horses are rescued, AVHR has already found a ranch in Montana that will adopt them and give them a good home.

Send donations to Aspen Valley Horse Rescue, 1631 Emma Rd., Basalt, CO 81621. Checks must be payable to Friends of Aspen Animal Shelter. For more information contact Kathy Raife at (970) 319-1635 or aspenvalleyhorserescue@gmail.com.

Aren’t we lucky. These two Percheron mares were rescued by Aspen Valley Horse Rescue and are staying at Skyline Ranch. Photo by Jane Bachrach

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 15

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Thank you to all the volunteers who have pitched in for this community newspaper. - The staff at The Sopris Sun

Kathy Small Steve Standiford Stacy Stein Rebecca Stokes Marty Treadway Tony Vagneur Chris Van Leuven Rex VanMinnen Genevieve Villamizar Conrad Wilson Lon Winston Becky Young Evan Zislis And more…

With ﬁnesse and feeling, KDNK News Director Conrad Wilson investigates a breaking Thanksgiving story: one perfectly cooked, 27.2 pound turkey. Photo by Jane Bachrach

David Ackerman prepares a pie for the family feast. Photo by Marianne Ackerman

Filled up with cups Clay center auction attracts submissions om local, national potters By Trina Ortega The Sopris Sun Christmas comes early every year at the Carbondale Clay Center, where the staff is busy opening packages from artists across the nation in preparation for the annual Beneﬁt Cup Auction. “We get very excited opening boxes around here,” said Clay Center Co-director Sarah Moore. More than 150 local and national artists have donated teacups, mugs, teabowls and tumblers for the one-day auction. This year, the action takes place on Dec. 4 for the First Friday Art Walk. Bidding lasts from 6-9 p.m. with closeout at 9 p.m. that night. Holiday fare, refreshments and treats will be served. Clay Center Co-director K Cesark invited bidders to come early to bid before heading out to see the other gallery openings. To keep the community spirit going, the center also will host a late-night party, beginning at 10 p.m., with a deejay and dancing. The cost is $5 at the door or is free with the purchase of a cup. “The cup auction really goes hand-inhand with our whole mission of ‘bringing passion to life through the ceramic arts,’”said Cesark. Bidders in the 12th annual auction will go

to bed that night with visions of sugarplums — sitting in one-of-a-kind ceramic mugs — dancing in their heads. Most of the auction cups are functional, but there are sculptural ones and two-dimensional works featuring cups, as well. The cups are among other gallery offerings that can serve as gifts for both casual and more serious collectors. “Sometimes you can walk home with one, two, three, four, ﬁve cups depending on how well you bid. It’s an easy way to start a little collection,” Cesark said. “I think it’s important for people to collect things that are handmade, to have handmade objects in their life. We want the Clay Center to be a place where people can enrich their lives.” Both Moore and Cesark say the valley is home to many amazing ceramics artists who donate annually to the cup auction. Buyers can expect to experience competitive bidding on some pieces, including Janice Jakielski’s Sarah Palin/she-wolf cup. (Jakielski’s Barack Obama cup sparked a serious bidding war last year.) People are drawn to different cups for different reasons; it’s a matter of personal aesthetics and what captures the individual’s interest. Cesark ﬁnds that fascinating and likes to prod her ceramics students into thinking about why they choose the cup they

One of the many cups to be auctioned this Friday. Photo by Jane Bachrach

choose each morning. “The cup is a really important form from a ceramics standpoint because it’s so recognizable. Even if they don’t understand what the artist is trying to say … they recognize the form,” she said. Cesark herself has donated a functional cup and a sculptural cup. New this year, Clay Center board member and furniture designer Brad Reed Nelson has made 40 wooden cups that were decorated by community artists. Cesark has additionally decorated one of those cups. “It’s one of those fundraisers that I love because I get to see and handle cups from people all over the country that I know, I don’t know, and I’d like to know,” she said. The Holiday Show, which features the work of 17 local artists, is ongoing through December once the Cup Auction concludes. It’s a “cash and carry” exhibit, so works are constantly changed out as items are sold. For further details, call the center at 963-CLAY or go to carbondaleclay.org.

First Friday happenings

SAW (Studio for Arts + Works) — The Holiday Group Show, which opens with a reception from 6-9 p.m., will highlight work by Nancy Barbour, Stanley Bell, Steven Colby, Anne Goldberg, Angus Graham, Colby June and Alex Watson. SAW is located at 978 Euclid Ave. For more info, call 963-0201 or go to sawcarbondale.wordpress.com. Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities — The CCAH Gallery at 645 Main St. will feature Craft 2 Wear, a unique show of fabrics, textures, sheens, sequins, tassels, buttons, fringe, and more. First Friday opening is from 6-8 p.m. Artists include Wewer Keohane, Brigette Heller, Jill Scher, Ruth Hollowell, Willow Mannan, Jolene Singer, Emily Marshall, Nonie Hoffman, Ashley Benton, Terrill Scott, Sabrina Norris and Sara Rodriguez. The show runs through Jan. 25. Parkside Gallery — New artists at the gallery at 50 Weant Blvd. are Judy Haas (painted plates), Leslie Benson (paper weaving), Cathy Crenshaw (silver jewelry), and Barbara Sophia Ulrych (glass jewelry), who join current artists Sherrill Stone (sculpted stone hearts), Michael Lindsay (metal flowers), and Leslie Benson. For more information, call 963-1401 or visit ParksideArtGallery.com. Dancing Colours — The creative art studio and gift shop at 968 Main St. will host the annual Magical Holiday Open House from 4-8:30 p.m. featuring local artists Terry Lee and Cindy Noel. Call 9632965 for details.

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www.kitchencollage.com THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 17

Art Briefs “Nutcracker” ballet stars local kids Arabian coffee, Spanish chocolate and Chinese tea will be served up along with the Sugar Plum Fairy at Carbondale’s very own “Nutcracker” on Dec. 19-20. The ninth annual performance by the students of Crystal River Ballet School will be staged at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20 at the Carbondale Middle School, 180 Snowmass Drive in Carbondale. Basalt Middle School’s Kaity Johnson will dance the role of Clara. The Nutcracker will be played by Isabel Mat of the Alpine Christian Academy. Roaring For High School junior Sarah Ptacek will play the Sugar Plum Fairy, and RFHS senior Scott Skinner will dance the part of her Cavalier. Other leads include Sarah Wisnoski as the Snow Queen, Emily Eason as the Mouse Queen, Vania Martinez as Arabian coffee, Nilsse Peterson as Spanish chocolate and Torrey Sanson as Chinese tea. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for children 12 and under and seniors over age 65. Admission is free for children 3 years and younger. Family packages cost $50. Tickets will be sold at the door. For more information, call 704-0114 or visit crystalriverballet.com.

“A Walk in the Woods” will play at 7 p.m. on Dec. 3-5 and Dec. 11-12 at CMC’s Spring Valley campus at 3000 County Road 114 in Glenwood Springs. A Sunday matinee will be staged at 2 p.m. on Dec. 13. General admission is $15, student and senior tickets cost $10. Order your tickets in advance, since CMC’s last theatre production sold out. For more info and ticket reservations, call 947-8177, or email svticketsales@coloradomtn.edu.

Messiah to be sung, again This year, the Aspen and Glenwood community choirs will perform Handel’s Messiah for the 32nd year running. The choirs have been rehearsing in both Aspen and Glenwood Springs, but will combine forces in upcoming weekends. Seventy-ﬁve singers will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8-9 at the United Methodist Church at 824 Cooper Avenue in Glenwood Springs. They will take the stage again, at the same time, on Dec. 11-12 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church at 533 East Main Street in Aspen. Music Director Ray Vincent Adams will direct the choir and the Choral Society of America will provide accompaniment. A $10 donation is requested at the door. For more information, call Ray Adams at 925-3685.

Blind Faith concert pass on sale If you can trust in the goodness served up annually by Jazz Aspen Snowmass, then purchase the Blind Faith Pass and save on admission for the June and Labor Day festivals next year. The Blind Faith Pass offers locals an early opportunity to purchase single festival passes for $114, while passes for both festivals are only $164. The June Blind Faith passes include one general admission ticket to four shows at the Benedict Music Tent from June 25-27, and on July 3. The Labor Day Blind Faith Pass includes one general admission ticket to each day of the three-day Labor Day Festival on Sept. 3-5. Passes can be purchased through Dec. 31 at the Belly Up box ofﬁce by visiting bellyupaspen.com or by calling 544-9800; and from JAS by visiting jazzaspen.org or by calling 866-527-8499. Tickets are limited so plan to purchase early. For more information call JAS at 920-4996 or visit jazzaspen.org.

CMC stages “A Walk in the Woods” Colorado Mountain College will present “A Walk in the Woods” by Lee Blessing. Set at the end of the Cold War, the play stars only two actors: Bob Moore as a Russian arms negotiator and Gary Ketzenbarger as an American negotiator. During a series of arms discussions the two take a stroll and Blessing delves into the human implications of the intercontinental conﬂict.

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Self fulfillment: Tread courageously toward your big dream As I write, the days are growing shorter and most of us are either slowing to nature’s sweet, slow pace or wishing we could. As we anticipate rounding the bend into winter’s waxing sunlight at solstice, our hearts open wide and our life dreams rouse within. Beneath the hustle and bustle, hope abounds as we look toward the holidays and new year. Let me say at the outset, I believe each of us carries a big dream that longs for fulfillment, and it is our life’s work to manifest that dream. So, let’s explore, briefly, what’s foundational to making that big dream come true. into What’s required? Courage, presence, action, By Kimberlie trust and healing – in short, a courageous path. Chenoweth, MA Courage. Courage is the voice of the heart rallying to say “Yes!” to the big dream. With courage, we learn to respond moment-to-moment to whatever the dream requires for its fulfillment, knowing that the journey holds rich rewards. The root meanings of

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If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.

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the word courage come from the French for “heart,” which a unique process in each of us that longs to be born through stems from the Latin word for “core.” What could be more us. We must trust our ability to create and persevere. Workcourageous and full of heart than ing with someone who knows the territory, saying “yes” to discovering the core trusts the process, and has faith in us while of who we are and what we have to we grow can also be immensely helpful, offer to the world? and there are many coaches, counselors, Presence. Cultivating a sense of and mentors who would love to help. presence, we remember who we are. Healing. Healing is vital to releasing the We are not independent creatures hold the past has on the big dream. Many separate from all the rest of nature. of us had childhoods filled with unmet Rather, we should seek to be solid needs, traumas and demands to be differand connected, like the individuality ent from how we actually felt. The healing of the redwood tree standing in process frees energies long held back and community with all the rest of the reopens the flow of life through the core of forest. Learning to be solidly presour being, thus fueling even greater ent in the here and now, we’re able courage, presence, action, trust, and healto hold our own space and place in ing. the larger world. Through cultivating a courageous path, Henry David Thoreau Action. Not just doing, but acthe heart opens. The dream speaks. As we tion that stems from the dream itlisten, the dream itself will reveal each step self. Imagine an oil lamp. The oil is the intuitive, mysterious necessary to build the foundation. well from which we draw. It’s the dream itself. The flame is Isn’t it time to say “yes” to the big dream inside you? our dynamic action out in the world. If we have oil with no flame, the dream stagnates. If we have only flame separate Kimberlie Chenoweth, MA, has a masters degree in counfrom the dream, we’ll burn out. When the dream itself fuels seling and is a board certified professional counselor. She our actions, we find fulfillment. works to meet people right where they are and help them Trust. The work of putting foundations under our grow from there. Contact her at her practice in Glenwood dreams requires trust in the dream itself. The big dream is Springs at 945-8598, or tilicho@sopris.net.

November 24, 2009

2010. $2,200 per month. $1,000 deposit. 319-9684. 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. PACKING SUPPLIES YOU WANT TO RECYCLE? I need bubblewrap; peanuts; sturdy, medium to large boxes and other wrapping material to ship ceramics. Will pick up

This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during normal business hours. THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE _________________________ By: s/s Michael Hassig, Mayor

ATTEST: __________________________ s/s Cathy Derby, Town Clerk

Published 1x on December 3, 2009 in The Sopris Sun

ORDINANCE NO. 9 Series 2009

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE, COLORADO REVISING ORDINANCE NO. 8, SERIES OF 2007, APPROVING THE APPLICATION OF RALPH WANNER

locally. Anne pottery@annegoldberg.com 379-5050. PROFESSIONAL WRITER AVAILABLE for press releases, annual reports, letters and special projects. Call Lynn Burton at 963-1549. SEEKING: PT, ad. min. support for small community studio. Must have management and online web experience, constant contact. Work from home, perfect for stay at home mom. (970) 618-0561. SPORTS REPORTER. The Sopris Sun seeks a volunteer to cover RFHS sports. Call 618-9112.

FOR MULTI-FAMILY SITE PLAN REVIEW, INFILL REVIEW AND A FRONT YARD SETBACK VARIANCE

NOTICE: This Ordinance was introduced, read, and adopted at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Carbondale, Colorado, on November 24, 2009 This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication of this notice. The full text of said Ordinance is available to the public at www.carbondalegov.org or at the office of the Town Clerk, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, Colorado, during nor-

mal business hours.

THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE _________________________ By: s/s Michael Hassig, Mayor

ATTEST: __________________________ s/s Cathy Derby, Town Clerk

Published 1x on December 3, 2009 in The Sopris Sun

WANTED: Plastic newspaper bags If you receive newspaper deliveries, and you’re looking for a way to recycle the bags papers come in, e Sun will gladly help you. Please drop oﬀ intact, un-punctured bags at the side door at Amore Realty, 711 Main Street. e side door faces Seventh Street.

THE SOPRIS SUN • DECEMBER 3, 2009 • 19