2022-06

MONDAY - FRIDAY: 12PM - 8PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY: 11AM - 9PM

On the Cover: Marble Residents Say No to Development

By Gentrye Houghton

Over the last several months, we’ve been covering the development of a bike trail proposal in and around Marble by the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA). In April, the Marble Bike Association (MBA) was formed in response to this effort and a survey was passed around for residents to weigh in.

Amber McMahill circulated the survey as a private citizen on behalf of the Town of Marble and MBA; McMahill has now been seated as a Town Council member.

“There were 84 responses from the Marble turn-off into town,” said McMahill. “Three-quarters of the responses were opposed to the trail, but there was more support for a skills trail in the park and the possibility of a trail up Daniel’s Hill to separate hikers from motorized traffic.

“Most of the concerns,” continued McMahill, “were an invasion of privacy and the potential of creating a new draw to bring in more tourism.”

Before last month’s Town meeting, Charley Speer, as a representative from MBA, sat down with Mike Pritchard, RFMBA Executive Direction. During the meeting, she stood to read a quote from Pritchard:

"We [RMBA][ do not aim to cause trouble in the community, and will make clear that we only intend to be helpful moving forward. The first way RFMBA can do this is by taking no further actions on

this proposal unless requested to do so; a full step back as you describe. I will note that the concepts for the skills trail, or an east-west route, should only be pursued if MBA [Marble Bike Association] (representing as many locals as possible), and the Town (based on the local survey results), decide to study those or other ideas in more detail.”

Pritchard also attended the meeting and offered a formal apology from the bottom of his heart to the residents of Marble. He said, “[RFMA] is here to help if you want our expertise, but it is up to the town to say if they want it.”

To which residents responded by holding up “Thank You” signs.

During the May Marble Charter School (MCS) Board meeting, however, there seemed to be interested in eliciting the aid of both the RFMA and MBA. According to the public record, “MCS is working with RFMA/MBA to look at getting bike racks for the school and putting in a trail for the school to use via property owned by Gunnison County School District to connect the school to the Mill Site.”

The Town of Marble Board of Trustees meets again on Thursday, June 2nd at 7 p.m. in the Marble Community Church Fellowship Hall. The agenda is available online for download prior to the meeting, www.TownOfMarble.com

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I wish I could personally thank every individual and community member who responded to the aftereffects of the violent wind storms that came through Marble and Redstone on Sunday night, May 8th through Monday afternoon, May 9th. To Holy Cross Energy, for cutting their way through the fallen trees blocking the roads up the Crystal River Valley, and restoring power to Marble. To the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District, for extinguishing the fires threatening our communities from downed power lines and a blown transformer and for continuing to respond to emergencies throughout the ordeal. To my neighbors in Marble, for assisting in the cleanup and checking in on each other, and pulling together as a community. To the 'bucket brigade' down the road in Redstone, for their quick response to an emergency in the interim before the fire department could respond. It's encouraging to know that we as individuals can join together as a community when in the midst of a crisis. Thank you all for your contributions!

Melissa Sidelinger

T HE C RYSTAL VALLEY E CHO &

Marble Times

Mission Statement: To provide a voice for the residents of the Crystal River Valley; 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 gentryeh@hotmail.com • (806) 374-0055 CONTRIBUTORS

Elizabeth Key • Alex Menard ADVERTISING SALES

Heather Marine at Elephant Mountain Creative heather@elephantmountaincreative.com (970) 718-5848

DISTRIBUTION

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

NEWSPAPER BOX LOCATIONS:

Carbondale (old) City Market • Village Smithy Carbondale Post Office • Redstone Inn Propaganda Pie • The Marble Hub FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

Please send $50 for print or $35 for digital editions along with address information to: The Crystal Valley Echo 364 Redstone Blvd. Redstone, CO 81623

Wildflower Walks with Alex Menard

Red Columbine is one of the flowers that can be seen during two, educational wildflower walks in Marble on Saturday, June 4th, and Sunday, June 5th

Join me at The Marble Hub at 11 a.m. for these easy, free walks — all ages welcome. Saturday's tour features wildflowers and we'll take a look at trees and flowering shrubs on Sunday. Marble sits near 8,000-feet above sea level and features a different variety of flowers from the high mountain meadows, which will bloom later this month and into July.

These walks are the first official tours of the Marble Wetlands, recently acquired as open space adsaQ

nd wildlife habitat. A self-guided nature trail has been proposed for the site to honor Dr. Dave Clark, who led wildflower walks here for many years.

Come explore Dr. Dave's Nature Trail and identify some friends that pop up every spring.

Celebrating Kirk Blue

A few words

Artists work in many mediums. Blue's medium was raw earth and machines, backhoes, and bulldozers. Whether it was a road, bridge, leach field, or structure, Blue's touch was light with heavy machinery, producing precise, beautiful results with no wasted motion. Blue's higher education was courtesy of the U.S. Navy, and he seemed to come up with the best solutions for any problem he encountered.

Blue's affinity for finding solutions to construction problems was exceeded by the care and love he had for his neighbors. This he attempted to hide behind a gruff "mountain man" exterior, which we all saw through. He seemed to always be in a hurry, traveling between his many simultaneously ongoing projects. but never too much in a hurry to stop and visit at length with everyone he met.

Town of Marble Happenings

I often joke that my ultimate dream is to make the whole world like Marble, Colo. Each time I muster up the courage to tune into the news from the outside world, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to live in this community. It is not just the beauty of nature that makes us blessed to live here, although that is a great bonus.

My favorite blessing is in living in a community where every voice and opinion counts, and can and will be heard. In a world where national politics can make us feel helpless and ignored, we have immense power when it comes to decisions that affect our local area. It's within our community that we have the strongest and greatest impacts.

This was tested with the recent contention over the bike trail proposals in town. When the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA) approached the Town with a proposal to create a network of trail systems through the town, it was initially met with very little public input because the public was not in attendance during the meetings to give their input.

Once news spread and people caught wind of the proposal, however, this changed. Nearly 100 people signed a petition to slow the process, people responded in record numbers to a survey seeking feedback and for the first time in over a year, the regular Town meeting saw more than a handful of people in the audience.

Those voices were, in fact, heard, and the RFMBA apologized for any strife and stress they caused. Mike Pritchard, Executive Director for RFMA, made it clear that they would only resume planning if the Town and residents requested their help and expertise. The audience at the meeting held up signs thanking him. At least for now, the issue seems settled.

But more challenges and opportunities will come. We still have to tackle the discussion of OHVs and the increasing number of visitors, rising housing prices, and the growing number of short-term rentals, future developments, river designations, open space, and more. The next decade will be crucial in determining what Marble becomes.

Will we become a tourist and resort town with opportunities for more businesses and enterprises? Will we become a bedroom community that relies on nearby towns for all our necessities? Will we welcome development and the housing and jobs they might bring? Will we reject outside interests and their money in favor of maintaining our current pace of life and love of nature? Will we carve out some other identity that is uniquely Marble?

These are all questions that every town and every community in every state is grappling with. But here, in Marble, each and every one of us can have a huge impact on the outcome. This is our town. In the same way that one alarmed resident can create a movement to stop a bike trail, or one housekeeper can be elected to the Town Council, we all have a voice in what our town is and what it will become. We just have to engage, discuss and take part in the conversations.

The Town of Marble's regular Board of Trustees meets on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Marble Community Church's Fellowship Hall; the next meeting will take place on June 2nd. Each meeting's agenda is available for download by visiting our website: www.TownOfMarble.com

Wildfire Season is Upon Us: Are You Ready?

A collaboration by Gentrye Houghton and Stephanie Deaton

As the season warms, concerns about fire in our arid community arise. Many residents of the Crystal River Valley live in a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), an area where humans construct homes, roads, buildings, or any man-made structures near natural terrain and flammable vegetation. Wildfires are particularly dangerous in these settings.

These concerns turned into real fear last month as strong winds took out a tree that took down a set of phone lines near Redstone’s rock beach. Before firefighters arrived, a group of approximately 15 citizens assembled trying to keep the fire at bay until professionals

arrived. As the fire grew, so did the assembly of the group, who filled buckets from the river, passing them one by one in a line to reach the flames.

According to Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) Chief Rob Goodwin, it took 21 minutes for firefighters to arrive on the scene once they were paged. By that time, the Bucket Brigade had mostly extinguished the small wildfire.

“Twenty-one minutes isn’t a terrible response time,” said Goodwin during a community meeting at Propaganda Pie last month, “but it’s not good enough. We got that fire out with the help of other citizens, which I hope happens every time.”

The population in our community is growing, and we are seeing an increase in homes, businesses, and subdivisions on or near forested lands. These lands historically see regular fires, and the forest health even benefits from fire. To preserve human life and property, firefighters work to suppress and control fires. Fire suppression and human improvements lead to a more vulnerable forest ecosystem and a complicated situation when fires arise.

Naturally, many questions were raised after the Bucket Brigade Fire, which the community had an opportunity to address and discuss during the meeting at Propaganda Pie.

“We struggle with staffing,” said the Fire Chief.

“Volunteerism is not the way it was when I started in 1987. I think it’s much harder to live and work here, raise a family, and still have time to volunteer.”

He continued to explain that to keep two staffed firefighters at a station requires seven employees. “It costs three-quarters of a million dollars to put those butts in a seat,” explained Goodwin, “that’s difficult, but not impossible.”

He continued to explain that CRFPD has applied for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Through this grant, CRFPD has asked for help to increase their staffing needs and will find out if the grant will be awarded to them around mid to late June.

Keeping two people in a station is a vast improvement from what’s happening today. However, Goodwin says it’s not enough. “To answer a call for a heart attack or brush fire, you still need more than two people. We just can’t do it without volunteers, and we need 10-12 people.”

However, Goodwin continued with reassurance, “Every year during this season, we deploy our initial attack patrol, and we’ve done this for 25 years. A brush truck, an engine, and two firefighters are patrolling the area every day. So, you’re not

Redstone

Senior Days

At the Redstone Inn

The Redstone programs are for residents & visitors of the Crystal Valley. RSVP: (970) 920-5432

JUNE 14 & 28

• 12:00 p.m. – Lunch ($10) RSVP by the Thursday prior – space is limited. Plated lunch will be served. There will be a gluten-free option.

• 1:00 p.m. – Program

June 14: Keep Your Brain Alive Tips & tricks for a sharper mind!

June 28: RSVP Information (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) With Maria Langen.

WANT TO BE KEPT IN

Send us your email address: (970) 920-5432 • seniors@pitkincounty.com

without coverage. Our goal is to keep small fires small and nobody dies!”

There are no fire restrictions in our counties yet, but dry weather and low snowpack mean they are probably in our future. In addition, the number of large wildfires (greater than 400 hectares) has increased steadily each decade. The area that burns during a fire has also expanded

steadily over time.

As more people choose to live in forested areas, more homes and lives are threatened every year. Firefighters do everything they can to protect rural residents. In the end, it is your responsibility to protect yourself and your property from wildfire.

The best tool is defensible space -- the area around a home or structure modified to reduce fire hazards. Fuel sources are treated, cleared, or reduced in this area to slow the spread of wildfire. Defensible space also decreases the chance of fire spreading to neighboring homes or the surrounding forest.

Additionally, defensible space provides an especially important advantage during a fire: Improved safety for firefighters. Defensible space allows firefighters to do their job more safely. This increases their ability to protect your home and your family.

While defensible space may help save your home, it’s also important to be prepared to get out in the event of an evacuation. CRFPD recommends three main preparation actions:

1. Create a Wildfire Action Plan that includes evacuation planning for your home, family, and pets.

2. Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit for each person in your household.

3. Fill out a Family Communication Plan that includes important evacuation and contact information.

Detailed information about these preparation steps can be found online at carbondalefire.org/are-you-ready-forwildfire/

In the event of an evacuation, remember the six “P’s”

1. People and pets

2. Papers, phone numbers, and important documents

3. Prescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses

4. Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia

5. Personal computer, hard drive, and disks

6. Plastic payment methods and cash

Stashing a long-sleeve shirt and pair of close-toed shoes are also valuable whether you join the ranks of the Bucket Brigade or you get caught in a mudslide. Just in case the monsoons return this summer, remember to also keep an overnight bag in your car with a pillow and blanket or sleeping bag. You never know when or where you might get stranded.

If you’re interested in information on volunteering with CRFPD or participating in a Ride-A-Long, contact Kat Bernat bernat@carbondalefire.og or call (970) 963-2491.

Editor’s note: We were only able to learn the names of a handful of the citizens who stamped out the fire on May 9th, but our community is undeniably grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service to our community and this wonderful valley we call home.

Summer Concert Series, 2022

Located: Avalanche Outfitters (Behind the coke ovens) 17843 Highway 133, Redstsone

20 • 6-8pm A BAND CALLED ALEXIS Western Colorado’s Rockin’ Country Band, they will get your boots dancing Sat. Aug. 27 • 6-8pm RUPERT WATES

Singer-songwriter, a gifted Folk musician who has released 10 solo albums and received accolades, tours in US, Canada and Europe Sat. Sept. 3 • 5:30-7:30pm WOODEN ROCK

A Marble based band, a local’s favorite of Americana, Rock, and down-home fun music FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT LISA WAGNER 970-963-8240 redstonecolorado.com Like us on Facebook

Pitkin County Commissioners One Step Closer to Passing Short-Term Rental Ordinance

By Gentrye Houghton

In a final push on May 11th for progression on the shortterm rental (STRs) regulation for unincorporated Pitkin County, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted 5-0 to move forward with amendments to the proposed ordinance. Another public hearing is scheduled for June 22nd

Commissioners removed the ordinance’s primary residence clause, and the main points of the draft now include:

• Any residential property rented for nightly stays must apply for a license; the application does not guarantee the award of a license.

• The applicant must show a rental history for any amount of time in the past five years before May 1st, 2022.

• The license will have a four-day minimum stay with a maximum of 90-days rented per year.

In comparison, the Town of Marble already has an ordinance in place. To run an STR within town limits, one must obtain a license but a natural person may hold up to two STR licenses. They also require a designated responsible party as well as a secondary party listed on the application.

According to the ordinance, a designated responsible party is defined as “a person located in the Crystal River Valley who will be immediately available (within an hour of notification) to respond to any issues arising from the short-term rental of the property… If this person is not the owner, they must have authority from the owner to make

decisions and authorize work on behalf of the owner, and have physical access to the property.”

Currently, there are eight operating STRs within the town with two applications in process. Marble’s ordinance offers few restrictions, but the Town Council is considering a proposal to cap licenses to 10 properties.

Back in Aspen, the Pitkin County BOCC anticipates that the 90-day annual limit will be the most contentious. “They’ll rent them out for 365-days per year if they’re allowed to,” said Commissioner Steve Child. He cited a pattern that he suspects is developing, “They’re becoming mini-hotels.”

“I’ve been to Redstone probably five or six times in the last couple of months and met with a bunch of people. It’s my impression that we have a few people in Redstone who would really like to restrict the licensing,” said District 5 Commissioner Francie Jacober, “but most of the people I’ve heard from want to be able to continue to do STRs and feel like their investments and their livelihoods would be severely impacted if we get too draconian in our approach.”

This ordinance applies to all of unincorporated Pitkin County, and there have been some rather loud voices, on both sides, in regards to Redstone. The BOCC is considering a special regulation for the Village of Redstone after the ordinance passes for the county as a whole.

One item, that was well supported, for the Redstone Historic District is the limitation of STR operations to the Village Commercial zone; even Jacober, who has been adamantly against limiting activity, said that is something she could consider.

Yet, in the end, Jacober joined the ranks to vote in favor of a continuation to the fourth reading that is set for June 22nd. Public comments can be made by visiting PitkinCounty.com/publiccomment. The meeting will start at noon, and you may attend in person or virtually at pitkincounty.com/374/County-Webcasts

Guard flyover has been approved again this year, be outside and ready to s from the Buckley Space Force Base go as far west as Telluride, Silverton

ng to the Front Range flying for about two hours. Redstone is very fortunate reas.

Ducky Derby will be set up in front of the Redstone Museum, just across pie table is getting upgraded this year to feature any and all baked goods, if Pies and other baked goods must be dropped off before 10am and sales will e RCA is looking for volunteers to help with Pie & Ducky sales, traf fic

Get Ready for the 4th of July in Redstone

ase email rcaredstone@gmail.com for more information.

4th of July

Schedule of Events

Times Subject to Change

10:00am Pie, Baked Goods & Ducky Sales at the Redstone Museum

11:00am Boulevard closed to vehicles. Parking at Elk Park

11:00am Bike Decorating at the lawn of the Redstone Inn

11:00am Parade participants gather at the Lower Parking lot of the Redstone Inn

Times Subject to Change

The Redstone Community Association’s Annual Fourth of July festivities are almost here! July 4th falls on a Monday but that won’t stop this year from being the BEST!!

Colorado Air National Guard Flyover (no exact time.....Look up!)

12:00pm The only Parade you get to see TWICE!

2ish pm Ducky Derby - river access near Propaganda

10:00am Pie, Baked Goods & Ducky Sales at the Redstone Museum

11:00am Boulevard closed to vehicles. Parking at Elk Park

Floats and parade entries will meet in the lower parking lot of the Inn no later than 11:00am. No need to register, just show up.

hours. Redstone is very fortunate to be one of the few flyover areas.

11:00am Bike Decorating at the lawn of the Redstone Inn

11:00am Parade participants gather at the Lower Parking lot of the Redstone Inn

Decorating for the Kids Bike Parade will be on the Redstone Inn front lawn, decorations will be provided. Donations are greatly appreciated, see the QR code on the following page for easy monetary donations.

Colorado Air National Guard Flyover (no exact time.....Look up

The Colorado Air National Guard flyover has been approved again this year, be outside and ready to look up at any minute! Pilots from the Buckley Space Force Base go as far west as Telluride, Silverton and Lake City before returning to the Front Range flying for about two

Pie Sales and Ducks for the Ducky Derby will be set up in front of the Redstone Museum, just across from the General Store. The pie table is getting upgraded this year to feature any and all baked goods, if you bake it, you can bring it. Pies and other baked goods must be dropped o before 10am and sales will take place shortly after.

12:00pm The only Parade you get to see TWICE! 2ish pm Ducky Derby - river access near Propaganda

The RCA is looking for volunteers to help with Pie & Ducky sales, tra c control, float control, etc. please email rcaredstone@gmail.com for more information.

REDSTONE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS

Steve Pavlin - President

Nate Helfenbein - Vice President

Katie Lowery - Treasurer

Sara Lewis - Secretary

David (DJ) Johnson

Heather Marine

Josh Wambolt

Ron Phaneuf

Cathy Montgomery - Alternate Member

QUESTIONS & INFO: Email rcaredstone@gmail.com for email blasts and look us up on Facebook@ RedstoneCommunityAssociation

RCA MEETING IS JUNE 7TH AT 6PM REDSTONE INN

Vintage Valley: RHS Annual Meeting

From Larry Meredith

The Ute Indians played such an important role in the history of Redstone and the area, the Director of the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose, Colo., CJ Brafford, will present a program during the Redstone Historical Society’s annual meeting on Sunday, June 26th, at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held in the large white tent behind the Redstone Inn.

The Redstone Historical Society (RHS) invites all to attend, with a $10 suggested donation from non-members. Since its founding, individuals from throughout the world have become members in support of the RHS and its mission, and you may also join the Society during this event.

Brafford was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Prior to joining the Montrose museum 25 years ago, she worked for the National Park Service.

Her educational background includes the Institute of American Indian Arts, Northern Arizona University, and Arizona State University, earning degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Museum Studies. She is the author of the book Dancing Colors which explores the lives of Native American women. In 2004, she took part in the opening of the National Museum of Americans in Washington, D.C.

In 2018, Brafford received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service, and in May of this year, she was awarded the Colorado Women’s Day “Spirit” Award for her work and dedication to preserving Colorado’s Native American traditions and culture.

She has served on the board of many organizations and in her current position shares cultural awareness and offers a better understanding of the diversity of the living worlds of the Utes of yesterday and today and the non-Indian world.

The Ute Indian Museum is a Community Museum of History Colorado. Their brochure states:

“Nestled in the middle of Ute homeland, the …Museum…is History Colorado’s only museum in western Colorado. The …Museum…celebrates the

by Historian CJ BRAFFORD

CJ Brafford comes from the Lakota Oglala Sioux Indian tribe and is making huge steps in the Colorado

In 2018, Brafford received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service; and in 2022 she has been honored with the Colorado Women’s Day “Spirit” Award for her work and dedication in preserving Colorado’s Native American traditions and culture.

All content sponsored and provided by the Redstone Historical Society.

history and living culture of Colorado’s longest continuous residents and features one of the most extensive collections of Ute ethnographic objects in existence. The grounds include Chief Ouray memorial park, Chipeta’s grave where she was buried after her death on Utah reservation lands in 1924, and a native plant garden.”

New Exhibits are included along with unique gifts.

The Village of Redstone is named on the list of National Historic places in Colorado with the Redstone Castle, Redstone Boulevard, and the Redstone Inn with the nearby restored coke ovens receiving special notice.

The mission of the Redstone Historical Society is to preserve, present, and protect local historic sites, documents, artifacts, and stories; and to encourage public awareness and participation through events and activities celebrating our area’s rich historical heritage.

The goals of RHS are to:

• Support heritage tourism.

• Expand the reach of our website.

• Share & archive old-timer stories, photos, and events.

• Maintain the museum, a restored cabin where coal miners at the Coal Basin mines stored their gear. The museum, open daily, is located on the edge of Redstone Park across the street from the Redstone General Store.

Redstone was founded by coal magnate J. C. Osgood who built the Redstone Castle in the early 1900s. Much more can be learned about Redstone and the area on the Society’s website, HistoryRedstone.org

A printable membership form is also available on the Society’s website. We hope to see you soon during our Annual Meeting on June 26th starting at 2 p.m. at the Redstone Inn.

Redstone, A Community Portrait

Redstone is experiencing a rebirth as young families move into the community and start nesting. Babies are being born as the fledglings chirp. The children are sprouting, singing, and playing in the wonderment of nature. I recently witnessed a child dressed as a giraffe making her way along a wooded path to her grandmother's house. The children keep the community alive with imagination. The dinging of bicycle bells fills the air as kids race and run along the Boulevard.

By Elizabeth Key

In the heart of the village is the Redstone General Store, where Gina and Rochelle express their love language through their homemade soups, scones, and cinnamon buns. The store focuses on local and healthy products to nurture the community. Children gravitate there for the double-decker ice cream cones during the warmer months, chins dripping with mint chocolate chip, and brownies on the moon. Mothers dab with crinkled napkins at squirming children whose fingers are sticky with melting strawberry and vanilla ice cream.

Throughout Redstone’s 120-year history, residents have engaged in seasonal rituals from snow shoveling and cross-country skiing to lawn mowing, leaf-peeping, and horseback riding. Bill Jochems, a retired lawyer, is one of Redstone’s longest residents. He moved here in 1971. He, too, is transitioning into a new season with his move to the warmer climes of Carbondale. He put the house he has lived in for 51 years on the market and has begged off of shoveling and navigating the icy boulevard. The garden and chicken coop he leaves behind for a new generation to tend.

When Bill moved to Redstone, the mines were still active. At its peak, Coal Basin employed 265 miners who traveled to Redstone from as far

away as Rifle. Bill chuckles as he recounts how the miners changed out of their diggers and showered up at the Coal Basin bathhouse after their shifts, “They didn’t want to get soap in their eyes, so all of these guys would come down looking like they were wearing eyeshadow,” he says.  In the winter, the businesses catered to the miners' shift schedules, “When the day shift would get off, there would be a line of pickups at The General Store. A guy would pull up, and one of his passengers would run in and come out with a six-pack of beer, and they would move on and on. I don’t know how many six-packs they’d sell in the course of 15 minutes, but it was big business.” The town no longer has the eyeshadow-clad coal miners, but the Redstone General Store still sports a liquor section.

Further down the boulevard sits Propaganda Pie. Melinda Tilley moved here three years ago to be its general manager. She says in Redstone, “... the houses are quirky, the people are quirky. Everyone pretty much is different.” Melinda says the commu-

nity looks out for each other. If a car gets stuck in a snowbank or a kid needs a bandaid after a bike fall, the community steps in to help. Melinda notices that the “it takes a village” mentality is especially fitting in Redstone, where the parents keep a collective eye on Redstone’s “gang of kids.” Bill agrees with Melinda. He recently told NPR, “We’re 17 miles from groceries, from gasoline, from medical care, from police protection,” he said. “If your battery’s dead, you know exactly who will come over and jump start your car. If you’re out of gas, you know who will lend you a gallon of gasoline.”

Redstone operates on good samaritans and volunteers. This community spirit was especially apparent when a fire recently threatened to burn Redstone. The locals banded together to make a bucket brigade. They squelched the fire with pickle buckets filled with river water before the fire department arrived. This circa 1600s tactic is the ultimate go-to in rural community fire protection. The fire district is in severe need of Redstone volunteers and is actively strategizing to engage, educate and equip the community for fire season.

Matthew Betcher is a Creative Director, and Alisa Kreynes is an Urban Planner who purchased a home in Redstone a couple of years ago. They welcomed baby Bowie just four months ago, making him the youngest Redstone resident. Alisa says, “What drew me to Redstone was the community. It was the fact that it appeared to be very diverse and a very vibrant place with families and kids playing in the street.” Matthew echoes Alisa’s sentiment. Please remember to slow your roll on the Boulevard to avoid injuring our free-ranging kid community.

Diane Owens is a retired elementary school teacher and military wife who has rented a house in Redstone for the past 11 years. She says, “I don’t like communities that are isolated. I have looked at senior housing for myself, and I thought I would just die. My spirit would die because I would be isolated from the general population. What we have here is a good mix of all types of people, generations, different interests, different views on stuff, and that is what I think makes America, quite frankly.”

Matthew also values diversity. He says, “I think the most important thing of part of any community is diversity. That's what brings us community; otherwise, we are all just speaking the same language, talking about the same thing, with the same set of

morals, and the same likes and dislikes.”

During the winter, Propaganda Pie is a central hangout for locals. Sometimes it seems like the entire village is out drinking beer and eating deep-dish pizza.“We started a trivia night and Bingo during the winter hours,” Melinda says, “It gets dark by three o'clock sometimes, and we just thought to get people out.”

She continues, “We offered prizes, and then we also played

Bingo for cash money. It was very kid-friendly, especially Bingo.” A local kid was paid in pizza and Pepsi to call the Bingo numbers. I can envision him as a future auctioneer.

Jeff Bier moved to Redstone in the late ‘60s. He is the former owner of Avalanche Ranch, and his daughter, Oriana, is the owner of The Redstone General Store and old Wild Horse Enterprises. He describes the community over

the decades, “When I first moved here in ‘69, there were maybe 12 of us here,” he says, “My peer group is basically gone, and I have sold a number of their homes.”

He continues, “The town has been through cycles where there have been a lot of families and kids and a little more character and maybe some wildness to the town, a little more freewheeling, and then we started to get a lot of second homeowners and recently, in the last few years, there have been a number of families come in again with kids,” Jeff says. ”Sometimes this town wouldn’t have any kids. It's hard to call it a town without any kids. It's been great to see the new gang of bicyclists.”

Since moving to Redstone, I have thought about lifestyle and what community means to me. Community is the social architecture of society. It is often constrained by geography and the framework of laws, building codes, and guidance that support a network of shared ideas.

Community comes to life in casual conversations, the familiarity of neighbors, relationships, and shared history. It’s a necessity, both tangible and intangible because it is the lifeblood of a place. The community awakens with the laughs of children chasing dandelion puffs or playing barefoot in the streams.

It dances amongst people and sits between friends having coffee. One of the most fulfilling ways to meet people and strengthen the community is by volunteering. The Redstone Community Association (RCA), the Redstone Water & Sanitation District, Redstone Historical Society, and the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District all need volunteers (if you’re interested in getting involved, send an email to gentryeh@hotmail.com for our editor to connect you with any of these organizations).

Sarah Uhl moved to Redstone last year with her partner and toddler Hukson. As Sarah strolls with their newest

edition, baby Wylie, you will see Hukson rockin’ his Strider down the Boulevard. I met Sarah this winter when she was nine months pregnant, towing Hukson along the path on a plastic sled. Sarah is a watercolor artist by profession. Though, she says her current artwork is her children.

Sarah came to Redstone to be part of a community of intention centered on nature. There seems to be a shift in priorities in the workforce as people crave more balance. It is a privilege to move somewhere that does not revolve

events in redstone/marble; ad for june, july, aug other ways to get involved in trails, restoration, fire mitigation youth education thanks to partners

July 16 & 17

Generations of middle schoolers have camped at the Marble Basecamp, near the North Lost Trail above Marble. We’ll learn and practice conservation and outdoor education skills to get this conserved property ready for the upcoming school year. Join us! July 24

Recreation is growing near and above Coal Creek, and we want to ensure that trails, plants, and streams get along! You can participate in landscape restoration that will enhance the publicly accessible Coal Basin Ranch property above Redstone. Join us!

August 20 & 21

Come for the scenery, stay for the barbecue! Enjoy a weekend campout in Marble full of stewardship projects, learning opportunities, and plenty of time to just hangout. Overnight camping provided. Project sites include: Beaver Lake, the Historic Mill, and Raspberry Creek. Join us!

around the pressures and expectations of work. Sarah is creating a community board for The Redstone General Store where the community can post information about events, services, needs, and more.

“Three Dog Mike” Warren is a retired Air Force fighter pilot and Continental/United pilot who has

lived with his wife Karen in Redstone for the past ten years. Mike came to Redstone with retirement in mind. He says, “Community to me would be my circle of friends who I enjoy doing things with and to know who your neighbors are and have decent relations with your neighbors. Redstone has become a little bit difficult in the last few years because so many people have left, and some of the older people have passed away.”

Only a handful of long-time locals remain, and Mike notes that he is one of the last residents of his original circle of friends. Mike minds to his dogs and two miniature goats, Bubble and Squeak, who

bleat and scream, but I have yet to see faint. Mike is the good samaritan with the chainsaw who cut out a section of the fallen pine that was blocking the town's favorite walking path.

Dan Sohner works in advertising for Lionsgate Films. His wife Janelle works in public relations. They have lived in Redstone for five years and welcomed baby Isle nineteen months ago.

Dan says, “A community is a product of its environment. It doesn’t have to be one set thing. It doesn’t have to be a prescribed idyllic place. A community can evolve over time. What I would want a community to be is a reflection of the best interests of the people who want to make it a long-term thing. This sense of community is demonstrated by the warm hellos and familiar faces we encounter on our toddling walk with baby Isle down the Boulevard.”

Bill recounts some history of the Redstone Boulevard. When he first visited Redstone in the ‘50s, there was no bypass on 133, and the main road ran along the unpaved Boulevard, as did the coal trucks. In the summertime, residents would spray water on the road to tamp down the dust. By the ‘70s, the Boulevard was paved, and the trucks could travel the new 133 bypass.

He describes the mining operation, “When they were in full production, it was a truck every four minutes, and the highest production rate they ever achieved was a million tons in a year. The trucks were carrying 30 tons at a time down the highway; so for 30 tons to reach a million takes a lot of trucks."

Bill continues, “That’s usually what would wake me in the morning because the first truck would be

Enjoy pristine views, storage for all your recreational equipment and—best of all—no HOA. This home offers a spacious layout and plenty of room to entertain. A potential 5th bedroom is currently used as a home salon. There are several outdoor entertaining areas including a patio off the kitchen, hot tub for soaking after a day of skiing, and deck for taking in the views. The property offers an additional building site for a home or guest house. There is also a shop complete with pellet stove to continue your handiwork throughout the winter months. With so much potential, don’t miss the opportunity to make it yours.

like 6:30 or something. And they were kind of noisy, particularly in the quiet of the morning, and well, it was a lot of truck traffic, but of course, total traffic was quite a bit less than today.” Today, the noise pollution from 133 is prolific as people commute over McClure pass to the more profitable Roaring Fork Valley down below.

Unlike larger cities, Dan believes Redstone is a unique community where you must be an active participant, “You are going to see people walking the Boulevard; you are going to bump into them on the trails; you are going to fish the same spots; you are going to hunt the same mountainside.”

Redstone is an inclusive and active community. Dan mentions that the younger demographic is vital to sustaining the natural character of Redstone, “If the next generation is going to protect wild and scenic places, then they have to live in them,” he says.

Dan feels that people have to be strong to live in Redstone, he says, “It’s a very special place. It is a very harsh and brutal place at times. It's scary, it's lonely, but when you get through all of that, it’s really beautiful, and it’s definitely one of the places where I want to raise Isle because of that.”

Jeff thinks Restone is in good shape. He says, “Everyone, for the most part, is taking care of their properties. I mean, this was a real junky town when I first moved here. I mean, it was dilapidated; so many places were literally on the verge of collapse. Everyone has taken pride because of tourism.”

Bill says the community has done a remarkable job of historic preservation, and much of the character of the ‘50s has been maintained. A good number of the original 80-plus Victorian-style cottages and original Llewellyn Westinghouse cast-iron street lamps still decorate the Boulevard, illuminating the town's backbone. Bill attributes this conservation to the 1989 effort to place Redstone on the National Register of Historic Places and the coinciding architectural guidelines. He also appreciates the actions of Pitkin County Open Space and Trails in preserving the rural aesthetic of the area by purchasing the land surrounding Redstone.

Our community is vibrant and thriving, but it is not without conflict. In every community, there will be disagreement because of the very diversity we so value. Sometimes we react to our neighbors like cavemen, our instincts leading to fear and anger.

It is essential to realize that while these instincts can save us from a mountain lion, our neighbors are no saber-tooth tigers. They are just “quirky” and extraordinary people with different opinions and backgrounds. Focus on your common ground because we depend on each other.

Matthew says, “The best communities involve dialogue. It involves the ability to have these conversations where we can agree to disagree and then have a glass of wine.” Let us embrace our differences and talk through our issues to strengthen our community.

And don’t forget to volunteer. Our community needs you — cheers to Redstone!

Grand Marshal Parade Nominations

Do you know of a wonderful couple, individual, or family that would make a great Grand Marshal of the Redstone Fourth of July Parade?

Nominate your pick for the 2022 4th of July Grand Marshal! Use the form below or go to the Facebook page @RedstoneCommunityAssociation and fill out the 2022 Nomination form.

Completed forms can be dropped o at the Redstone Inn Front Desk, or mail to 303 Redstone Blvd. Redstone CO, 81623.

2022 Grand Marshal Nomination

Who should be the 2022 Grand Marshal for the Redstone 4th of July Parade? It could be an individual, a couple or a family.

Nomination: Your Name:

Scan the QR code to be taken directly to a payment screen for easy Membership Sign up or renewal. You may also write a check and drop it o at the Redstone Inn or mail it to 303 Redstone Blvd. Redstone, Co. 81623.

Family/Individual $50

Business $175

Multi Business $230

Redstone, Colorado is an unincorporated village that relies completely on donations and volunteerism spearheaded by the Redstone Community Association (RCA). Your membership dues and donations directly fund RCA projects and events.

Thank you for your support!

Fine Furniture Found at the Marble Musuem

You might pass by this bench or even pause to sit and not notice anything special. But if this bench could speak, you would hear stories about the history of Aspen and Marble and the expression of the Modernist aesthetic of furniture design by an iconic American architect. So, let's listen carefully to what the bench has to say.

This bench sits on the porch at the Marble Museum, others are found on the porch of the historic Dr. Swift house across the street. A few more are scattered around Marble. But, how did they get here?

The story starts with an idea, which was called the Aspen idea. Aspen resurrected postwar with the idea of becoming a town dedicated to culture in the form of visual arts, music, and science in addition to skiing. The plan for a summer music festival required the design of the first music tent in 1949.

attention to details like wood grain and joinery. Although decoration details are minimal, the addition of materials like leather and hammered metal hardware adds to the allure.

Saarinen, by contrast, professes the 20th century aesthetic: Form follows function. There is no decoration, just ordinary materials and no display of craftsmanship. This era is called variously Modernist, International Style, or just Industrial Design. The simplicity and honesty in construction are still there but in a form intended for mass production. Saarinen's most famous furniture, the Tulip chair and table, explore the boundaries of their plastic material with curvilinear, organic shapes. They are still produced today.

By Alex Menard

Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen designed the tent. Saarinen is most famous for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and futuristic freeform terminals at the Dulles airport in Virginia and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

Saarinen's father was also an architect and was dean of the Cranbrook Academy of Arts in Michigan. Saarinen studied architecture, design, and sculpture at Cranbrook with his father. It was here he met and collaborated with a fellow student, Charles Eames. Both men became famous furniture designers, as well as architects.

The benches were designed for the Aspen music tent, a structure supported by four poles held in suspension by cables. The structure was erected every summer for 11 years and stored during the winter.

To appreciate modernism you must see the design itself as the point of interest and not its particular execution. Saarinen paid great attention to human proportion, resulting in a bench comfortable to sit on during long concerts. This was done with simple materials and construction techniques. He paid attention to the sculptural elements of line, form, and proportion, producing many fullsize models during the design process.

Materials used for the benches included full dimension two-inch lumber for the frame and wide one-inch boards for the seat and back. Wool batting was used for padding, under canvas tacked down. The way the pieces are designed to fit together is remarkable. After 72 years of use, mostly outdoors, the benches are still sturdy even though they are simply nailed together.

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A comparison with Redstone's furniture heritage is in order. Gustav Stickley's furniture represents the Craftsman movement of the late 19th century and can be found inside the Redstone Castle and the Redstone Inn.

The music tent was replaced in 1960. Ted Mularz was an Aspen architect who worked in the offices of Herbert Bayer and Fritz Benedict. He was also a founder of the Aspen Historical Society. Mularz appreciated the value of the benches and found them a new home at the Marble Community Church.

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Deb Strom's glowing account of these treasures appeared in The Crystal Valley Echo just a couple of years ago. With Stickley's creations, you see handmade craftsmanship in hardwoods like ash and oak. The aesthetic involves simplicity and honesty in construction, being true to the materials with

Saarinen benches were banished to the park and outdoors.

At the museum, we knew that the benches were donated from Aspen but the whole story became known while looking at a book about the history of the Aspen Music Festival and seeing the benches in a photo of the Saarinen tent. So, in the little town of Marble, we have discovered artifacts that are examples of the Aspen idea and modern industrial design by a master of American architecture and furniture design.

Historic Walking Tours of either the town of Marble or the historic Mill Site leave The Marble Hub weekly Friday - Sunday at 1 p.m. These are an easy, hour and a half walk. The Marble Museum is now open 11 a.m. — 3 p.m. Friday - Sunday and opens daily 11 a.m. -- 3 p.m. starting in July. Admission for both the museum and walking tours are $5 for adults, $3 for teens and seniors, and kids are free.

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The Church itself is also a recycled Aspen project, having been originally constructed there in 1886. In 1893, the federal government abandoned the silver standard for currency, causing Aspen's economy to collapse. Meanwhile, the marble industry in Marble was just gearing up.

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Aspen's extra church arrived by train and was reinstalled in Marble in 1908. The church later replaced the Saarinen benches with fancier pews and the

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Marble Art Guild Features Chris Salomon

By Amber McMahill

Unless you are lucky enough to run into her on a chance walk or behind the counter at The Marble Hub, you likely won't meet Chris Salomon — a true Marble hermit. She works more behind the scenes in our community helping to plan events or keep the local community center up and running. She also creates intricately stitched beaded jewelry.

No one seeing her work would ever guess that she is selftaught, her necklaces are long ropes of colors that twist and wind, and her bracelets are like woven paintings. Each piece she creates is unique in color and design and completely hand-crafted by Salomon.

She picked up beading when her sister took a class. She watched what her sister was doing and started a lifetime's worth of trial and error to bring her to the level of skill she has today. Beading isn't her only artistic outlet; she also knits, crochets, weaves, and has even dabbled in painting. Skills she has likewise taught herself.

"I stuck with beads because they are easy to transport." Salomon jokes, "Good weaving is done on huge looms, but beads move easily."

Salomon also delved into a new form of jewelry, wire wrapping minerals including the pure white stone of her new home. All the stones in her wire wrapping have been personally collected by her through her lifetime of travels, each one representing a memory or moment.

Salomon has had many travels. She grew up in Monticello, New York, a little town in the Catskills near the site of the Woodstock Music Festivals. She had already graduated and headed to the west coast by the time the iconic festival happened, however.

She attended barber school and had a barbershop situated among the movie studios in Burbank, Calif., during the late 1960s and 70s. She eventually made her way back to

New York where she changed her career and graduated from nursing school in 1994. Her travels with her ex-husband allowed her to explore Korea and Japan. In 2003 she moved to a small town outside of Sante Fe, New Mexico, where she worked at a hospital.

She first stumbled upon Marble in 2013 when meeting a friend in Carbondale and exploring for the day. As most of us have experienced, Marble instantly called to her. She convinced her son, who was living in Snowmass, to buy property here and she moved in 2018 with her dog Tigger. Soon after her move, she donated a collection of her beaded earrings to The Marble Hub and began to volunteer her time.

Salomon never set out to make a living from her art, over the years people would see her work and ask how to buy it. Then, six years ago, a friend finally convinced her to put her work in the Metier Gallery in New Mexico.

She immediately liked the gallery's collection of unique art and began selling her jewelry there. It was around the same that The Marble Hub asked to sell her pieces there. She will occasionally participate in local art shows, but for the most part, likes to keep her art and life low-key.

When asked why she creates her artwork, her answer was likewise low-key, "I think like any other person who does any kind of crafting or creating, it takes you way out into space and you can just chill there within it. Everything else just kind of melts away."

9th

MARBLE CITY-WIDE YARD SALE MAY 14th -15th

MARBLE GEM & MINERAL SHOW JUNE 10th - 12th

JULY 2nd - AUGUST 5th MARBLE FEST AUGUST 6th - 7th

THE MARBLE TIMES

A LOOK AT LIFE AT THE MARBLE CHARTER SCHOOL

It's That Time of The Year Again: Be Bear Aware

By Alex Menard

Bears are more than cute and cuddly or big and burly, they’re also quite intelligent: Smart enough to break into your house or car. Last summer in Marble, there were six known break-ins; two into vehicles and four into dwellings. The car interiors were destroyed and a refrigerator was torn apart. The sixth break-in resulted in the bear being shot.

Mama bears have been seen showing cubs how to use

doorknobs and car door handles. To protect our property, and the lives of wildlife, we must be smarter than the average bear.

Keep your house and car locked at all times. Be aware that bears are attracted by anything that smells remotely like food. Be scrupulously clean in the outdoors; pet food, bird feeders, barbecue grills, fruit trees, trash cans, compost piles with meat scraps, and non-food items like lotion and toothpaste can all attract a bear's interest.

The old camping trick of hanging your food from a high tree branch, counterbalanced with rocks, is no longer effective or recommended. Bears have figured that one out.

Backpackers in the White River National Forest are required to use bear-proof food canisters. Campers at established campgrounds are required to store all food and attractants in steel bear-proof lockers. Residents and visitors should practice similar principles.

It is fun to watch bears, but it is important to not let them get close enough to find human food sources. Bears will retreat if threatened, so if you care about the bear, scare it away and don't give them food. Stand tall, yell and throw rocks at them. This is how you keep them alive; after all, a fed bear is a dead bear.

Relocation of problem bears sounds like a good idea until you realize that a relocated bear ends up in anoth-

MARBLE MANNERS

Noise: Quiet please after 10PM. A little sound goes a long way here.

Wildlife Awareness: Do not feed, chase or touch the wildlife. That goes for your pets too.

Fire Safety: When visiting Marble please know our current fire regulations posted on the firehouse chalkboard.

Back-Country Driving Etiquette: When you meet a vehicle face-to-face, the uphill vehicle reverses uphill to a safe, wide area for passage.

ATV Etiquette: ATVs must be driven by licensed drivers. In-town speed limit is 15MPH.

Bathroom Etiquette: Bathrooms (Millsite Park, the Hub) and porta-potties are available at public venues around town.

For information about events, lodging and local businesses visit:

er bear's territory. Only one of them may survive. The real solution is to keep bears away from human food sources.

On a similar note, moose sightings are rare, but the moose is considered more aggressive and dangerous than a bear. This is especially true of a cow moose with young. A moose is taller than the tallest person you know and may weigh 1,200 pounds, Unlike a bear, they are not afraid of you.

One repeated, unfortunate scenario is a loose dog approaching a moose and then running back to its owner, only to have the moose charge and trample both. If you see a moose, retreat at once.

Finally, minor nuisances can be avoided with some forethought. Never leave shoes or boots, packs, or leashes on the porch to dry out. You may come back to find them taken or chewed up by a porcupine, raccoon, or fox. They might be especially attracted by salts from sweat. A raccoon may even use a cat or dog door to come inside for a little visit.

All these animals are our natural neighbors and have a right to live here. We humans just have to learn how to cohabitate with them.

Wilderness Etiquette: The wilderness rule is "Leave no trace." Bury waste or pack it out. Stick to trails and roads, don't take anything but photos.

Equestrian Etiquette: When you meet horses on the road or trail, slow wa-ay down and anticipate sudden movements. Saying "hello" puts both horses & people at ease.

Beaver Lake: Boats cannot be left overnight. Motorized watercraft are prohibited. Take all trash with you. A valid hunting or fishing license will be required for everyone 18 or older attempting to access any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land leased by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. This includes Beaver Lake.

Cellphones and Safety: Marble is a cell-free zone. There is a 911-only phone at the fire station.

High Altitude Planning: Carry water and hydrate excessively. Emergency services are an hour away by car.