2020-07

What’s your vision for REDSTONE PARK?

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is kicking off the redesign of Redstone Park! We need your input!

Please share your design thoughts for Redstone Park:

1. Draw or label your ideas on the map.

2. Write your dream for the park in the idea bubble.

3. Submit your ideas by July 31st: Email a photo of this page to jessie.young@pitkincounty.com OR

Tear this page out and drop it off at Propaganda Pie.

This is the first step in gathering community input. To sign up for project updates or if you are interested in serving on a Steering Committee, please submit your info below or visit:

www.pitkinOSTprojects.com

T HE C RYSTAL VALLEY E CHO

&

Marble Times

Mission Statement: To provide a voice for Crystal Valleyites; to bring attention to the individuals and local businesses that are the fabric of the Crystal Valley region; to contribute to the vitality of our small town life.

Editor • Gentrye Houghton

Publisher • Ryan Kenney CONTRIBUTORS

Charlotte Graham • Amber McMahill

ADVERTISING SALES

Gentrye Houghton • 970-963-1495

GentryeH@hotmail.com

DISTRIBUTION

The Crystal Valley Echo is published monthly, and is distributed throughout the Crystal Valley.

NEWSPAPER BOX LOCATIONS:

Carbondale City Market (inside) • Village Smithy Carbondale Post Office • Redstone Inn

Propaganda Pie • Marble Hub

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

Please send $40 for print or $25 for digital editions along with address information to:

The Crystal Valley Echo 364 Redstone Blvd. Redstone, CO 81623

TheCrystalValleyEcho.com

Local Author Publishes Memoir

A new book has been released from the author of This Cursed Valley, a historical novel set primarily in the Crystal River Valley in the heart of Colorado’s Western Slope.

Recently published, Larry K. Meredith’s Real, Rural: Growing Up Rural in the 1950s details life during the decade following the end of World War II, especially among individuals who were growing up in rural America during that time.

$499,000 | 3 Beds | 2 Baths

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HOA.

Built around incidents, memories and attitudes of Meredith’s own life in that decade, along with that of many of his friends and classmates, Real, Rural examines the issues faced by young people living in or near a very small town in central Kansas. It examines national issues such as Civil Rights, nuclear concerns, McCarthyism, the Korean War, and other issues. It compares rural life to urban living in terms of educational and recreational opportunities, exposure to the fine arts, and other life experiences including jobs and careers.

Real, Rural considers the whole of the 1950s, not only from a rural point of view, but also from the perspective of anyone who grew up during the decade and was concerned about national and international events, attitudes and conflicts, and how they affect the individual. The 1950s have been described by many as bland and unexciting. However, Meredith explores the many way the decade affected the quality of life in America in ways that continue to this day.

Meredith, who now lives near Redstone, Colo., believes the ‘50s were a significant time in which the groundwork was laid for a prosperous and economically sound America.

We have buyers looking for properties. Inventory is low. Interest rates are very good. It’s a great time to sell and to purchase.

Regulatory Changes Affecct Beaver Lake Access

A valid hunting or fishing license is now required for everyone 18 or older attempting to access any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land leased by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, beginning July 1.

Beaver Lake in Marble is a State Wildlife Area acquired with the use of hunter and angler funds. According to the Marble Community Facebook, the relatively low cost of one of these licenses is a great way to show your support for places and space you love.

This means that all users, including Standup Paddleboarders and dog walkers alike, looking to access the lake must hold a current Colorado hunting or fishing license.

The rule change was adopted unanimously on April 30 by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.

During the meeting, Southeast Regional Manager Brett Ackerman told the commission that “this rule is aimed at curtailing non-wildlife-related use of these properties.”

Ackerman emphasized that “as with all new regulations, especially one as far-reaching as this, our policy is to first educate. Especially when talking to constituent users of state wildlife areas, we want to help people understand why we’re taking this action.

“We’re not seeking to catch people off guard and write them tickets,” he continued. “We just want to curtail non-wildlife use of these properties and return them to their original intended purpose.”

Vintage Valley

EARLY TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS IN THE CRYSTAL RIVER VALLEY

PART I

All materials provided by the Redstone Historical Society.

As we cruise through the Crystal River Valley taking in the beautiful sights from the comfort of our modern vehicles it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it hasn’t always been quite this easy.

In fact, in the distant - and even not-so-distant - past it was downright difficult.

In the beginning, when the first humans explored the valley, it was done on foot. The first Native Americans to claim this area as their own were the Ute Indians, who were, of course, afoot.

Around 1637, as one story goes, some Utes were held captive by the Spanish in Santa Fe, New Mex. They escaped and took with them Spanish horses, thus making the Utes one of the first Native American tribes to acquire the horse. However, tribal historians often say the Utes acquired the horse as early as the 1580s.

The Utes soon called themselves “the people of the horse.” On horseback, they were able to move more easily throughout their mountain kingdom, including the Crystal Valley. Handling horses became not only a tradition and a survival skill but also a practical method of transportation.

Ferdinand Hayden passed through the Crystal Valley for the U.S. Geological Survey during his trek in the West in 1873 and 1874. He summarized all travel routes in the Colorado territory and concluded that the Ute Trail down the Crystal was “one of the principal Indian trails in the [Colorado] territory.”

Even the first mountain men and prospectors came on foot. They came long before they were “officially” allowed into the territory of the Utes, especially when valuable ore was discovered along the Front Range and later in the “Colorado Mineral Belt” which runs from the La Plata Mountains in southwestern Colorado to near Boulder. Nearly 800-tons of gold were extracted from this “belt” beginning in 1858.

The Ute’s territory had become smaller and smaller due largely to negotiated treaties, such as the 1863 agreement which granted the Utes permanent reservation lands which included the Crystal Valley “for as long as rivers might run and grasses might grow.” Even then, more and more “white men” were exploring the mountains in search of wealth. They came on foot and horseback.

The promise of the treaty was soon forgotten.

As early as 1859 the north-south boundary of the Ute reservation bisected the Crystal Valley and the area was officially off-limits to prospectors.

Colorado became a state in 1876 and the Utes were driven from the area in 1880. In May of that year, the Aspen Weekly Times quoted a County Commissioner: “Nothing is more important in the development of the resources of a county than good wagon roads,” he said. “There are two important sections of our county that need wagon roads. These are Conundrum Gulch and Rock Creek above Hot Springs and we intend to do all we can for them this year.” (At that time, the Crystal River was known as Rock Creek.)

The following month, in June, the Weekly Times reported that the first Pitkin County Assessor had hiked up the Crystal Valley from Thompson’s Ranch (aka Sewell or Sunfire Ranch) to the [Penny] Hot Springs and noted that “the trail is in very bad condition, almost impossible to get over, and the Commissioners should do something in regard to fixing it.”

In 1890, a wagon road was constructed on the river above Marble, through the Devil’s Punch Bowl, to the town of Crested Butte. Stagecoaches were by then the fastest, if not the most comfortable, form of transporting both passengers and mail. A stage line also ran from Carbondale, then called Satank, and the trip included a stop at a log building across the river from Penny Hot Springs at the north end of Filoha Meadow.

In the mid-1880s, the Crystal River Toll Company built a road along the river toward Redstone. The ultimate goal was to reach Crystal City, a mining town far above Marble at the south end of the valley. However, that part of the toll road wasn’t completed until 1907.

In the meantime, during the long winter months, snowshoeing was often the only means of travel.

By then, another new and modern method of transportation in the valley was being considered. Railroads would soon be a common sight along the Crystal River and would herald a new and bold future for men with courage and vision – men like J. C. Osgood, who would make the town of Redstone and nearby coal mines his crowning achievement.

PART II OF THIS SERIES WILL EXAMINE THE VALLEY’S RAILROADS.

Larry K. Meredith is the author of This Cursed Valley, a novel about the Crystal River Valley from 1880 to the 1930s, Cast A Giant Shadow: Hollywood Movie Great Ted White and the Evolution of American Movies and TV in the 20th Century, and Real, Rural: Growing Up Rural in the 1950s

Dorias Way & Filoha Meadow

Access Update

Like many things this summer, access to Filoha Meadow along with the regularly scheduled explorations from the Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC) have all changed. What makes these changes different is that they have very little to do with COVID-19.

Traditionally, Filoha Meadow Open Space has been accessible for public use from July 1 - September 30 through a route past the Redstone Campground and onto the trail easement through the Wild Rose Subdivision. Yet, last summer, the Rock Creek Association (RCA), consisting of 12 homeowners living along Dorais Way, just north of Redstone, acquired a deed from Mid-Continent Coal and Coke Company for the road. By early fall, new gates and signs had been installed alerting patrons that the road, and thus access to Filoha Meadow, was closed.

In January, Pitkin County filed a complaint in the local district court seeking to re-open the historic public access to this route.

“The complaint was dismissed by a motion put forth by the RCA due to a jurisdictional defect in the County’s claim,” said Ryan Jarvis, attorney for the RCA.

“COVID does slow the court proceedings down, but the case is still moving forward,” Gary Tennenbaum, Open Space and Trails Director (OST), wrote in an email to The Crystal Valley Echo

Last month, the County refiled its complaint in the federal district court.

The County is not currently encouraging the public to access Filoha Meadows via Dorais Way.

“The Dorais Way gate will limit public access from Redstone,” wrote Tennenbaum. “The Roaring Fork Conservancy tours will be the main way to access Filoha Meadows this summer.”

RFC is offering three evening programs in the month of July as well as three daytime programs in August and September. “The biggest change is the access point, as you know,” said Liza Mitchell, Natural Resources Planner and Ecologist with OST, “so all programs will involve a longer walk, as well as smaller group size for public health precaution.”

These programs remain free to the public and registration for each event opens three weeks prior. Group sizes are limited to 6-10 people depending on the program, so register early by visiting roaringfork.org/events.

2020 Roaring Fork Conservacy Events at Filoha Meadows:

• Evening Explorations

July 6, 13, 20

Starting at 7:30 p.m.

IN REDSTONE AND MARBLE

Tisha's Beauty Salon

In Marble... A salon experience in a natural setting.

In Redstone... a convenient location for all your beauty needs.

• Family Explorations

August 4, 12, and September 23

Starting at 9:30 a.m.

Katie Lowery on FoxBerry Sweets

If you know Katie Lowery, you might describe her as a multi-tasking pro, a woman who rarely sits still, and an artist. She’s vivacious, naturally fun to be around, her joy is infectious, and her voice transforms into a sultry purr when she’s feeling especially creative.

“As a kid, I can remember making cakes for my family and decorating them,” Lowery explains but says it wasn’t until about four years ago, while she was working in the bakery at Whole Foods, that she gained the confidence and experience to go out on her own.

“I had just gotten a divorce and needed to find a job,” she said. “I applied there knowing I’d always wanted to work in a bakery, and I needed a new start.”

In the beginning, she was baking bread, pastries, and cookies before progressing to cakes under her mentor, Anna. Lowery laughs, coyly, “Anna’s Polish, I think, but from Chicago, and I’ve never been to pronounce much less spell her last name. She was fierce!

“Anna used to tell me to try and care less about what the customer wants and do what I want. I can still hear her when I make buttercream roses, ‘Always make an odd number of pedals,’ but then I don’t. And I make them the way I want!”

She has especially perfected the art of creating immensely delicate French Macrons. “Every batch comes out different,” Lowery’s eyes widen with anxiety. “I can totally bomb one batch and the next one will come out perfect.

“They’re particularly challenging at our elevation,” she continued. “You can over whip them or whip ‘em too little. There might be a little too much or too little humidity that day. You might over bake one day and under bake the next; you just never know, each batch is totally different.”

Lowery said she looked at the little two-inch cookies at Whole Foods that were selling for $3, and thought, I can do that!

Lowery said that she thoroughly enjoys producing custom cakes but that the process is extremely stressful.

“It’s a challenge, and I love it. I get to overcome something every time I step into the kitchen.”

She came to Redstone in 2003 when her daughter was just a month old. These days Lowery juggles working full-time as a Guest Services Representative at Red Hill Animal Health Center in Carbondale; raising two teenagers, Brook-Lynn and Sawyer, who both attend school online at home; she helps out at the Redstone Inn both behind the desk and sometimes filling-in as a bookkeeper; all the while following her passion for custom cake decorating and fulfilling orders under her new company: FoxBerry Sweets.

“Before, I had Katie’s Front Door and focused on wreaths, crocheted items, and candles,” she explains with an air of exasperation, “as I was

realizing that cakes were my real passion, it all got to be too much with the crafting and I was just done with it.”

When asked about FoxBerry Sweets, she shifts to sit on the edge of her seat and says that she’s always had an affection for foxes which started with her great-grandmother Alice, who passed away when she was nine.

“After she was gone, I would visit her gravesite back in Dodge City, Kansas, and remember seeing an orange fox nearby, so I’ve always associated the two,” she extends her left forearm, lightly running her hand over the vibrant fox tattoo, and adds that this was the inspiration for this particular piece.

Lowery made a post on Facebook in May seeking ideas for rebranding Katie’s Front Door to focus on baked goods and stated that she wanted “fox” in the name. “Andrea Bembeneck is the Marketing Director at Red Hill, and she came up with the name,” says Lowery. “Once she said it, I couldn’t stop saying it!”

“It’s an actual berry you know,” she beams. “Foxberry is a lingonberry. I’ve never seen it, but I’d love to try it!” Lingonberries, or Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea, are short evergreen shrubs native to boreal forests and Arctic tundras throughout North America.

Before John Osgood and beyond his legacy, Redstone remains Crystal Valley Strong.

Last month, she hosted a launch party and gave out sample boxes of treats that included a fox decorated sugar cookie, blueberry French Macarons, a gluten-free vanilla raspberry mini bundt cake, and a lemon elderberry cupcake with blueberry filling and vanilla buttercream (this author’s favorite).

“Over two days, I handed out 25 boxes, and received seven orders that I’m still working on,” Lowery says giddily.

Hold the phone for a moment here. If you’ve ever sat down with either one of us while at the Redstone Inn, then you know it’s near to impossible not be interrupted by someone, and this interview was no different.

“Oh my gosh, Katie! Those fox cookies were adorable!” Nicole Farrell suddenly says bursting into our interview,

gushing praise and explaining that her youngest son Torin has already requested a shark cake from FoxBerry Sweets for his birthday. Not a bad endorsement from a 5-year-old!

“You are soaring in your abilities right now!” says Farrell as she headed out the door.

Getting back to the launch party, Lowery says she received one special order that weekend. “Doris Downey ordered a cake for her husband, Chuck,” Lowery explains, “for no reason in

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

particular, but she said she wanted a fox cake. I made an amaretto spiced cake with amaretto filling, and the fox was made from fondant.”

“I could write a book on how delicious and beautiful it was!” replied Downey when asked about the cake. “The frosting was decadent and I ate every bite of the fox all by myself. Amaretto cake! To die for.”

Lowery says she’d like to get to the point that she’s turning down orders because she’s too busy, and in 5-10 years to be out on her own. She said her ultimate goal is to have a storefront in Redstone. “I’d love to have a bakery with coffee, pastries, and custom cakes. I don’t ever want to lose sight of custom cakes; it’s when I feel the most creative,” she purrs, “and there’s a part of me in every single cake.”

If you’re interested in a sweet treat, you can place an order with FoxBerry Sweets by emailing foxberrysweets@gmail.com or by contacting Lowery through the FaceBook page, @foxberrysweets.

Lowery shared with us one little iota of advice before we parted ways, “If you have a passion, do it! Don’t hold back. Fail, then fail again, and just keep going!”

Trouble in Paradise

A Gardening Column by Vickie Branson and Kari Duame

Now that you’ve got your dirt ready, your seeds are starting to pop up, and all you have to do is kick back and wait for the harvest. Right? WRONG!

Check-in on your garden every day for unhappy plants. Pull harmful weeds as you find them. Take time to notice new leaves, flowers, and fruits. You may find little holes forming, wilting, or yellowing plants. Is the garden of your dreams beginning to have nightmarish problems?

Time to face the music, you’ve got trouble in paradise!

One of the most important parts of gardening is watering accurately. Soggy soil will cause root rot and encourage pests, but soil that is too dry will wither and kill your plants. You can go by feel to determine the moisture level of your soil.

A good rule of thumb with adolescent-to-mature plants is to let the top two inches of the soil dry to the touch before watering again. Starting new seeds is the exception, however. Seeds that are sown at or near the surface need to be kept moist at all times until they are adolescents or they, too, will dry out and perish.

Watering at the right time of day is just as important as keeping the correct moisture level. Never water in the heat of the day as water droplets on the leaves with the midday sunshine will act as tiny magnifying glasses and burn plants’ leaves. Evening watering can encourage mold and fungi. Mornings, before 10:00 a.m., are your safest bet.

The sun can spell trouble with a capital T at our altitude. A dry, hot wind combined with the intense sun can wilt, sunburn, or kill new plants. Fresh seedlings and cool

crops

Inside a greenhouse, a 40% - 60% shade cloth can be hung to control temperature and intense rays. Without a greenhouse, a light colored fabric is great for providing some protective cover to tender seedlings. It can be laid directly on top of garden beds or draped over small hoops. These are available commercially or you can make your own pretty easily with ½-inch PVC inserted into rebar that’s been pounded into the ground or secured to the wood of raised beds.

Unfriendly insects will also wreak havoc in your garden. Signs that you might have unwelcome pest issues include holes, curling or other damaged leaves, strange colored spots, shoots or fruits that appear to be nibbled upon, and small webs or egg sacs.

There are many DIY recipes available online to combat them, but neem oil can be extremely effective for fighting bugs. Beneficial nematodes can defeat many soildwelling problems. Companion planting flowers that encourage beneficial bugs and are unpalatable to harmful ones, such as Marigolds, can increase the overall health of your garden.

Other common issues in gardens are Fungi and mildew. Powdery mildew often appears as fuzzy spots while fungi can cause rotten areas on the stems or roots of a plant. There is a lot you can do to prevent fungi from taking hold: Don’t overcrowd plants, prune dead leaves, and don’t allow water to sit on the leaves overnight.

Prune affected leaves with scissors that are disinfected between each cut, and don’t compost diseased leaves. A very effective commercial product is Green Cure. Neem

oil can also be used as a preventative, once a week.

In an effort to increase your yield, you may be thinking of trying a fertilizer. A common pitfall of using an off the shelf fertilizer is giving your plants too much nitrogen. If you notice yellowing or browning around the edges of the leaves, like scorching, you’ve likely burned them.

Fertilizer burn is much easier to prevent than treat. Carefully read application instructions on products and pay attention to the nitrogen ratios. Natural products like plant and fish-derived fertilizers usually have lower nitrogen levels and will be safer.

If you accidentally spill too much fertilizer in your garden, scoop it out as best you can and replace it with fresh soil. Try diluting it for the next couple days by overwatering with a slow but steady method like dripping so that it won’t run-off, which, in turn, would burn other plants in the area.

In these difficult times when nothing is certain in the outside world and stress is high, caring for someone or something takes your mind off your problems. Add in the fresh air and mountain sunshine and there are more health benefits than just eating the great food that you grow.

After all, cultivation is what created civilization. In all of our wisdom and technology, most of us would starve surrounded by an abundance of food. Saving the earth and ourselves starts in our backyard. So, go out there and save the world.

Happy Gardening!

Usually, the town of Marble seems a world apart from national politics. The slower pace of living and solitude often puts such conversations in the back of people's minds. You can know someone for years without knowing which political party they care about or align themselves with. It is easy to let the outside world and its problems flow by with little notice.

In a predominantly white community, it would have been a marker of our privilege to avoid the Black Lives Matter movement; conversations about systematic racism and white privilege could have stayed safely tucked away behind talk of town happenings.

That isn't what happened.

It all started when a bright yellow stencil popped up at the bottom of a driveway in the middle of June. Small enough to be mistaken for a surveyor's mark, the message was clear: Black Lives Matter.

The next day another note showed up; this time the letters B-L-M were spray-painted on a hay bale outside a home. In the days that followed, more “tags” popped up as more and more community members joined in support.

Black Lives Matter

property or compromise anyone's safety.

“It is incredibly important that small, rural, predominantly white communities have conversations on the issue around racism in America."

Things took yet another turn, however.

A week after the stencils appeared, they started to be painted over. At first, they were covered with black paint blending them back into the pavement, but after the newly blackened spots were painted over again with a multicolored red, white, and blue Black Lives Matter, the graffiti war intensified.

Soon only the word “Black” was crossed out or covered up, or the letter B was painted over with a white square. Some wondered if this method of blocking out the lettering was purposeful or if the white color was innocuous.

Then, someone painted Black Lives Matter repeatedly on a concrete barrier on County Road 3. It was blue and bold and impossible to miss. The next day, the word “Black” had been crossed out with “White” written over it, with "Trump 2022" accompanying alongside.

Tagging informally refers to a mark or message scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a public wall or surface.

Written in various styles and by a myriad of hands, they all carried the same directive: Black Lives Matter. They spread throughout the town like Easter eggs tucked against speed bumps and marking driveways.

Little by little, the conversation started to turn from who was tagging to why. This was precisely the outcome Emma Bielski, who painted the first yellow stencil, had hoped. "Honestly, I envisioned some cute stenciled signs scattered around town that would support the movement and the message, and would not create harmful or lasting damage to

It was a message that shook many in the town, including Bielski, "It makes me sad and angry, knowing that some of my neighbors and community members exhibit acts of violence and hate through speech towards other people because of their skin color. It makes my heart hurt."

Not everyone in the town has been supportive of the spray-paint protest; several citizens reached out to Town Administrator, Ron Leach, to voice their objections. "It wasn't the message they were against,” Leach said, “or the Black Lives Matter movement; it was what they view as defacing public property."

This is true of another member of the community as well. Resident Alex Kucharik who used some rare time off from Slow Goovin' BBQ to paint over the tags on the barriers. "I saw it on my way to a catering job and went and painted over it the next day,” said Kucharik.

“It wasn't even a political thing,” he continued. “I didn't like the way it looked and didn't think that [the graffiti] needed to be here." He received a lot of gratitude from members of the community for his actions, and added, "It is strange to think of how much appreciation I've gotten for it."

Yet, it is now apparent that there are members of the community against the Black Lives Matter movement and messages, at least in part for ideological reasons. We spoke with one community member, who wished to remain anonymous, about an altercation with a man who remained nameless. "He was agitated and waving his arms. He said that someone had tagged his property and referred to the [Black Lives Matter] Movement as terrorists."

As the tagging war continues to unfold, one thing is clear, the conversation happening across the nation has even reached the hamlet of Marble. For Bielski, this is welcome news. "Hopefully,” she said, “this series of events can bring our community together to engage in dialogue around what the Black Lives Matter movement is about."

What's Up with Pitkin County?

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in our BOCC meeting room at the Pitkin County Administration and Sheriff’s Building. Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV. They are also streamed live and available on the county website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www. pitkincounty.com. In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman, offers his take on current matters. You can reach him at george.newman@pitkincounty.com.

BROADBAND EXPANSION CONTINUES

The Pitkin County broadband initiative continues to move forward in our ongoing effort to improve broadband across the Roaring Fork Valley. We currently offer services from three County tower sites (the Crown, Williams Hill, and Elephant Hill) which serve Basalt and the surrounding area, Old Snowmass and Redstone respectively. This year the County will include three newly rebuilt tower sites: Jackrabbit, Sunlight, and Ruedi to serve Snowmass Village, the Carbondale area, and the Lower Frying Pan.

The Forest Service has officially approved the construction of the Ruedi site and we plan to start work in early August, with completion expected by late September 2020. This site will support public safety, FM translator, and Broadband systems, allowing two-way radio communications for law enforcement, fire protection, ambulances, and first responders. The Broadband system will also provide wireless internet services for residents around the Ruedi reservoir. All communications to the Ruedi site will be through a high capacity microwave link that will originate at Sunlight Peak.

We plan to rebuild the Thomasville site in 2021 with approval from the Forest Service. This site will also support TV translators and Broadband systems. Through the rebuild of these two sites, the system will allow wireless internet services to residents both

up-valley and down-valley.

In addition, Pitkin County has recently partnered with Garfield County to create the Garfield Pitkin Broadband Authority. This opportunity came about through the successful joint grant application awarded by the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). This state grant will cover capital costs for construction of communication sites and wireless equipment infrastructure for each tower location as well as the Rifle “Meet-Me-Center,” which will provide redundancy and establish regional resiliency.

The Authority will be comprised of a fivemember board including one Commissioner from each county, one community member appointed by each county, and one member jointly appointed. Terms will be four-years, initially starting with staggered terms. The purpose is to share resources and infrastructure to bring affordable and reliable broadband to residents in unserved and underserved areas.

The Authority, rather than county jurisdiction, will be responsible for the long-term operation of the network. Neither counties are in the business of broadband, but rather, providing initial funding, through grants and subsidies, to build the backbone network to jumpstart efforts. The framework for the Authority will be designed to allow other jurisdictions to join; for

example, Eagle County and Holy Cross Energy may become future members.

The Authority will share operating costs and wireless revenues and, through the use of subsidies and grants, will provide the building of more fiber within our communities, focusing on the remote, harder-to-serve areas within Garfield and Pitkin Counties that still lack broadband. The counties are stepping in where the private sector is not offering services. The costs of warranties and software upgrades are capitalized upfront for the first five-years.

With an initial subsidy of $125,000 from each county, the Authority will have the ability to pursue further grants for equipment replacement over time. Our financial model shows a positive cash flow in year three, covering operating costs and repaying the initial subsidy by year seven.

The county broadband system is an open-access network and we have two local Internet Service Providers that have signed on. Internet packages include three options that range from 10 Mbps to 40 Mbps download speed.

For more information visit: pitkincounty.com/ 928/Broadband-high-speed-internet.

THE MARBLE TIMES

A LOOK AT LIFE AT THE MARBLE CHARTER SCHOOL

Congratulations to Our 8th Grade Graduates!

I have been at the Marble Charter School since kindergarten. I am really happy that I got to go to such a wonderful school! I will miss MCS.

My MCS experience for the past nine years has been fun, challenging and exciting. I have learned many different things from the teachers, volunteers and my peers. I have enjoyed these years alot. They have really been exciting. MCS is a one-of-a-kind school you could find nowhere else.

During my years at MCS I have both academically and mentally grown as a person. I have grown confident, I challenge myself and always try to do my best. I have grown more mature these past years, learned how to focus and have worked hard. I feel I am more responsible and can look out for others and myself.

I excelled in many different subjects at MCS. My speech therapy helped me so much academically and socially. I have learned to be more organized and prepared with supplies and schedules. I really enjoy Math and have thrived this year. I like learning a second language, Spanish, and hope to continue throughout high school.

I am confident heading into high school with all I have learned at MCS. I can't wait to experience a bigger school. I don’t know what a big school feels like, but I am excited to find out! MCS has given me the mindset to set goals and achieve them.

A lot of people have helped me grow and succeed as a person at MCS. I would like to thank Gina who has taught me to care, share and be kind to others. Mike taught me to think outside the box and always have a sense of humor. Karly showed me to take chances with creativity. Thanks for getting me up and down Highway 133 and for having an

entertaining summer program - it was a blast. Marja, thank you for always being there to help when I needed it.

Nikki taught me to always challenge myself and never give up. Amy, thank you for directing this school; you do an amazing job. You have taught me to respect others and myself. BJ, thank you for helping me overcome my speech issues. It has academically and personally helped in many ways. If it weren’t for you, I would still have a Jersey accent no one could understand. Thank you all so much for making me the person I am today. Also huge thanks to the support staff and volunteers: Severina, Peggoty, Francie, Gary and Terry, Ron, Sarah, Jen, Kristen, Andrew, Jamie and Kelly.

I have had a lot of memorable moments here at MCS. I met three of my best friends, David Good, Cormac Shanks and Mason Macek. I am so glad that I met you all.

Recesses were the best. We had so much fun building forts, playing on the playground and making up games. All of the OE trips were amazing even when we got rained out and froze our butts off. In second grade we went to the sand dunes. The sand was so soft your feet would make little footprints in the miles and miles of sand. There are so many great memories I'll remember my entire life.

I would like to say to the students who are younger: keep challenging and pushing yourself to succeed. Never give up and always have that attitude that you can do it. Always feel free to ask a question to your teachers, peers and volunteers. All of these things will help you achieve goals throughout your years.

I am so fortunate that I got to go to such a wonderful school. Thank you Mom and Dad for bringing me here. Thank you MCS; you have made me the person I am today.

Nina Leslie

I have been going to school at the Marble Charter School for almost nine years. My experience at MSC was a lifetime opportunity and I’m very fortunate because not every kid gets to go to school in the mountains and just be a kid.

Marble Carter School has taught me to be kind, thoughtful and to achieve my goals when I set my mind to it. I’ve learned to be organized, responsible and to be more mature and make good choices as I enter high school. I still remember the first day of kindergarten and how upset I was because I couldn't eat the hamburgers they served at lunch because my mom packed my lunch. I always thought how exciting it would be to graduate from Marble Carter School, but it's not as exciting as I hoped it would be. It's actually sad for me. This has been my only school and now I'm going on to high school.

I want to thank the incredible MCS staff who have always supported and helped guide me to this point. Gina taught me how to get along with others, to think of others and to always share. She also taught me putting your finger in the pencil sharpener and sharpening it will not make it pointy. I am so grateful I got to spend the first three years with her.

Thank you Mike for making learning fun. Thank you Nikki for showing me new perspectives in the classroom and to stick with a task. A great memory I have with you is from last year when we had just finished with a snack and someone said something really funny. We couldn’t stop laughing. You were trying to teach us a lesson and you were getting so annoyed and irritated, so you told us to just let it out and we couldn’t stop laughing for a whole five minutes.

I will always remember that. Marja, thank you so much for introducing me to my love of Science and Spanish. I’m definitely hooked for life. I remember this year you were trying to get ready for a lesson and Dove found a spider on him. He flicked it off him and it landed on Zaida. She screamed super loud and fell out of her chair.

I came to Marble Charter School in second grade when I was being fostered by my soon to be adopted family. When I first came, I was so scared to talk to anyone because I was new, and I didn't know anybody. Gina was my first teacher and she introduced me to my classmates. Gina is one of the nicest teachers. It is going to be hard walking into school every day without Gina asking you how you are or how your day is or without a friendly hello from her. My first friend ever from this school was Nina. At first Nina and I were best friends then we didn’t like each other very much but as the years passed we became very close and I am very thankful for that because Nina is an amazing girl she is nice and funny always there for you when you need her and she is very beautiful. A friend I could never forget about is Zaida. Zaida makes you laugh even when you are feeling down, she is someone you can have serious conversations with. With one joke from her and the rest of your day is going to be good. The year I went into sixth grade I thought i was going to have the best year ever. The being of sixth grade was fun and the start of the best year until an unexpected turn happened. For the rest of my sixth-grade year I was not in a good state. I would cry all the time. But lucky for me I had my best friends Nina, Zaida and Conner to make me feel better. They made me happy when I was at my worst. And Amy would let me write down what I am feeling then we would shred the paper. She would always check on me to make sure I was ok. And sometimes she would crack little jokes and it would make me laugh so hard. I remember when we would have to read out loud in class and I was scared someone would make fun of me. I did not want to read out loud. I was very shy and did not want to do anything in front of the class. Nikki helped me with that. She pushed me a little bit to come out of my comfort zone and now I’m not as shy as I used to be, I’m still a little shy but

Thank you Karly for helping me get in touch with my creative side and for fearlessly driving the bus for so many years. Thank you Amy for your endless support, always looking out for me and keeping me on my toes. And a great big thank you to Ms. Jamie, Ms. Mary, Severina, Jen, Mr. Ron, Francie, Gary, Terry, Peggoty, Kelly, Kristen, Izzy and Andrew.

Thank you to all the classmates through the years; there are too many memories with them to describe how they always found a way to make me laugh.

One of the most memorable moments was the 7th and 8th grade trip to Chicago. It was so much fun going to a new city and exploring it and learning so much about Chicago. It was also a good way to spend time with my classmates and get to know them better.

Another memorable moment was climbing Marble Peak. It was a long hike, but it was so much fun racing up the side of the mountain to see who could get to the top faster. I have a scar on my hand to always remember it.

My first OE camping trip is something I will never forget. I remember being terrified of all the other older kids in my group; after spending five days with them I began to feel more comfortable and I wasn't scared anymore.

Now that I look at that now, in a way I taught myself a lesson not to be so afraid of the things around me. This is a lesson that I will take on with me throughout high school and in life.

I want to thank my mom and dad for picking such an amazing school and for also supporting us through everything.

Some advice I would like to give all the future graduates is to not be afraid to ask questions and ask for help, stay focused and work hard and try your best. I promise you, it will pay off.

not shy enough to read in front of the class or share my ideas to the class. Marja has taught me so much in Spanish that I wish I did not have to leave. Spanish is so much fun with you and I cannot imagine Spanish without you. You are such a big help. I learned a lot from you and for that I want you thank you. Art is a special class because it is where you can go to express your feelings on a piece of paper. The art teacher is so amazing she is beautiful and kind and any time you said you weren't good at art she would just tell you that you're good at it and she brought too many laughs to class and her laugh would make you laugh. So, thank you Karly for putting a smile on my face every day. It was very fun when Gina was also the art teacher. Through the years I have been here, which is only like seven years, I have learned that people will love you for you and for trying to be someone else. I have made such good friends here. I'm going to miss making memories here. I can't wait to make more friends and memories in high school. And make more with Nina and Zaida. I am going to miss going on camping trips and field trips with you guys and most of all I'm going to miss all the kind and beautiful teachers and students.

Lastly, I would like to give a special thanks to my family for always being there for me and giving me a second chance. And to make me into the person I am today. Especially my mom from always making me happy. I know we have our ups and downs but that doesn’t me I don’t love you because I love you every single piece of my heart. I am very very thankful for you making the choice to adopt me and giving me the future, I deserve. I love you so much and I wouldn't trade the world for you. I am very sad to be leaving marble but happy to move on is what is in store for me.

Aniayh Wofford

Marble Charter School

A tuition free, public charter school serving K-8th grade students in the Crystal River Valley.

Mission:  Marble Charter School teaches a growth mindset in a unique and nurturing environment while exceeding state standards.

• Daily bus service to and from Carbondale Middle School

• Homemade Hot Lunch prepared with fresh, organic ingredients served daily

• Focus on Outdoor Education

• Low student to teacher ratios

Now enrolling for the 2020-2021 School Year

Please call or email for information and to schedule a tour of our school.

Get ready for a great day of running through the spectacular fall colors in the heart of Colorado’s Elk Mountain range. Run, walk, or hike the 25k loop around Lead King Basin, zipping past the Crystal Mill and ghost town of Crystal. Cheer the kids on as they run the 2.5k loop around Marble, or linger in Thompson Park after the race and enjoy a delicious homemade lunch including Slow Groovin’ BBQ (lunch included with race entry).

Email: marblecharter@gunnisonschools.net Website: marblecharter.gunnisonschools.net

Relaxation that comes to you!

Hands placed on either side of the upper trapezius, where the shoulders curve into the neck, pushing towards the feet and holding, creating space between the client’s ears and shoulders. Casually alternating pressure, “Take a nice deep breath, in through your nose, filling your belly. Out through your mouth,” the words slip from my lips without a thought. Soothing and monotone as their chest again rises, “Breathing in energy,” watching it fall, “and letting go of what you don’t need.”

Cat-like paws alternate pressure down the spinal erectors, “With each breath in, let yourself sink into the table,” stopping at the hips and applying pressure away from the ears. My lips stretch gently across my face as an audible sigh of relief comes from below me; “Letting your thoughts come and go,” I say as I watch their chest fall once again.

Alternating pressure and then back to center, my hands, together, force the boney pelvic landmarks to touch the surface of the table. One hand finds the occipitals, just at the base of the skull, and pulls the spine apart, my mind's eye sees the distance between each vertebra. The body releasing, the mind letting go; this human now putty beneath my hands, we are ready for the real work to begin.

$619,000 | 4 Beds

Redstone Community Association Bulletin RCAredstone@gmail.com

It is with heavy hearts that we will not be hosting our annual 4th of July celebration, but we look forward to seeing everyone next year with our regularly scheduled events.

From all the RCA Board members, we'd would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy Independence Day.

Call for Nominees

RCA's elections are just around the corner! This non-profit organization is run by a board of nine volunteers, whose mission is to promote and stimulate both civic and business interests while preserving the small-town charm and historic character of Redstone.

Our main objectives are planning events that promote a sense of community as well as bringing patrons to our town. There's loads of new things going on within RCA! If you are interested in joining the board please send an email to RCAredstone@gmail.com

Visit Redstone Marketing Committee

Last fall, the Redstone Community Association (RCA) was awarded an opportunity from the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) to participate in a workshop through their Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism (CRAFT) program.

Successful completion of the rebranding focused workshop took place in February, making RCA eligible for implementation funds via a non-matching grant through the CTO. During this timeframe, a small group of business executives came together to form the Visit Redstone Marketing Committee (VRMC), a subcommittee of the RCA, with the mission to promote Redstone’s accommodations, attractions, activities, and amenities to increase tourism revenues in Redstone. They will be responsible for creating, overseeing, and reviewing the tourism marketing program for the RCA.

RCA’s Board asked the founding officers of the VRMC to pick the project in which these implementation funds would be used and to acquire proposals for such a project. The VRMC has chosen to rebuild the Redstone, Colorado, website, and selected a bid from Daniel Sohner.

nalism in 2010 and has worked with such outlets at New York Times, Getty Images, and Reuters. Upon moving to Colorado, he began working with tech startups to develop media content and marketing materials.

Once he landed in Carbondale, Sohner rebuilt the website for local photographer Tyler Stableford as well as managed his marketing. This included working on campaigns for Wrangler Jeans and Canon Cameras. Last year, Sohner moved to FootSteps Marketing where he was an SEO Marketing Specialist and handled everything from client relations to building websites as well as web development.

Sohner has been a resident of the Redstone community since the summer of 2018. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Jour-

Gentrye Houghton President Ron Phaneuf Vice President Katie Lowery Treasurer Sara Lewis Secretary

Josh Wambolt David (DJ) Johnson Nathan Helfenbein Steve Pavlin

Alternate Member: Cathy Montgomery

MEMBERSHIP FORM

Last month, RCA was awarded the full grant amount of $2,500 that will be used for rebuilding the website. VRMC will host meetings starting at 5:30 p.m. before the regular RCA meeting at the Redstone Inn.

Getting to Know You

Cyndi’s parents started coming up to Marble to camp in the 1940s. By the time she was a teenager, hanging out on Marble’s beachfront and exploring the empty marble quarry, where she swung out on the infamous rope over a vein opening, was stuck firmly in Cyndi’s mind.

Steve also came out to Marble as a kid, and he, too, remembered those halcyon days the whole 27-years the couple lived in Denver. He said, “I was 34-years as a USPS mail carrier. One of the people on my route was a Delta airline pilot, who still has a lot on the Ski Hill Road. But we’d always vacation in northern Idaho where Cyndi’s folks lived. One day, I told her that I wanted to take a southwest Colorado vacation.

jump out before it landed a couple of hundred feet into the Crystal River. **

Steve said he always finds a guest willing to be the point person to see around one certain, tight spot. “I’ve made sure I’ve never had to back up on that one.”

Charlotte Graham

“I asked my friend who we should see about property in Marble. He recommended Gary Wagner, who took us all around until we found our spot. We brought up a trailer where we’d stay during all the different seasons, and moved up full-time after I retired.”

Cyndi added, “We met Kindra Parker one day at the basketball court. I told Jaime, my daughter, “Oh, you look about the same age.” Jaime was shy but after mom introduced the two girls, they became best friends. “That is how we met Carol and Charlie. He was a house builder, so we contracted him for ours. We love it!”

Steve said that after his “official” retirement, he has worked fourteen jobs since they moved to Marble. He started counting them off: “… the Redstone Inn, Avalanche Ranch, Roaring Fork High School, Tools for Living (owned by Marble-ites Alan and Pat Conway). His favorite is the ten years he’s been a driver for Crystal River Jeep Tours.

The tour route is Lead King Loop and Crystal City in some of the most beautiful backcountry in the United States. Steve said he’s had passengers from as far away as Russia and China.

Due to the remoteness of the route, accessed by four-wheel-drive only, and has become a mustsee trip for hikers, bikers, ATV/UTV riders during summer/fall seasons, Steve has “seen it all.” He shared how there are some scary spots, like Windy Point out of Lead King Basin, where meeting head-on traffic is, let’s just say, interesting.

First of all, as a reminder, Colorado's rule is that descending vehicles must give right-of-way to vehicles coming up. Meaning that drivers should be mentally, physically, and experientially prepared to back uphill on the narrow, rough road, sometimes up to 500-feet to the nearest pullout.

Since the 2020 season opened, just barely a month ago, there has already been one private truck that’s gone over the side. Supposedly, the driver didn’t want to scratch his vehicle, so he drove closer to the edge of the road. His passengers were able to

Cyndi said, “I was a medical assistant ’forever’ but left when it became more corporate. When Jaime turned 3-years-old, I went to cosmetology school. I have been doing hair and nails since 1983.” She knew she would continue after Steve retired so she had a salon space built into the basement of their Marble home.

“One day, where I was working at the time, I went out to the back and found in the trash, with a free sign, was all the equipment I needed: A dryer chair, a hair wash sink and chair, a hydraulic pump hair cutting chair, literally everything. I called Steve to bring the truck.”

Cyndi’s entrepreneurial streak is wide-ranging, and one could say long. Besides her salon, that she started four years ago, SUPMarble, a standup paddleboard sales & rental business.

“When we started, paddleboard was the number one water sport in the world. Now everyone seems to have one. We mostly cater to vacation home renters and campground guests.”

Most recently, she added another business to her repertoire. “HOK is the newest and hottest of winter sports. HOK is a hybrid of back-country skis and snowshoes.” Cyndi gets to spend time and work with now-married Jaime on both ventures. “We do ski demos, sales, and rentals. It’s really fun.”

Are we getting that Cyndi loves the mountain outdoors? Another pleasure she’s had was her horses. “Carol Parker and I bought two together—Peace and Phoenix—and we got Joaquin for free since Peace was pregnant. One year, we had 480-inches of snow. We had to snowshoe water up to their stables. Sometimes it was difficult to have them up here, but we loved it.”

Except for that one time.

“Carol and I were fixing fence when a 450-pound cinnamon bear came rolling down the side of the mountain. It was the first day of bow season and we guessed that something/ someone was chasing it. He was coming right toward us. When he got down in front of us, he stood up, shook his head, and growled. We knew we weren’t supposed to run, but ….” she shivered and continued, “I was never so frightened in my life.” When she demonstrated the size and width of the bruin, this writer shivered right along with her.

“I was shaking when I told Steve about it and I was still shaking when I went to bed that night.”

Steve & Cyndi Fowler

All in all, Steve and Cyndi have found their forever home. “We don’t ever want to leave here,” Cyndi said, “Plus, my dad’s spirit is here with us.”

**A reminder to the adventurous: Tow truck costs are a minimum of $1,200. Also, AWD is no the same as 4WD vehicles and cannot necessarily make it around the loop.

Crossword Puzzle

Parting Shot

It's

Many local organizations and entities are doing what they can to bring arts, entertainment, education and wellness into our lives and homes. Check out the latest Senior Services Newsletter available at pitkinseniors.com, or visit the Virtual Events and Activities page for local suggestions and more!

Resources are available to help you stay at home.

To learn more about what is available, or if you have needs you cannot meet or other questions, please contact the Senior Center at (970) 920-5432