2024-11

Join us to celebrate the season at the Annual Redstone Holiday Market on Saturday, December 7th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bundle up, spend the day, and immerse yourself in a charming European-style holiday experience in beautiful Redstone, Colo.

This year, the Market will stretch along Redstone Boulevard from the Historic Redstone Inn all the way to Crystal Dreams B&B, just past Propaganda Pie. The Boulevard will be bustling with over 40 artisan booths featuring unique gifts, festive decorations, and delightful cakes and sweets! Please note that some vendors may not accept credit cards, so be sure to bring cash or checks.

Santa Claus will make a special appearance at the Redstone Cliffs Lodge at noon, ready to listen to children's holiday wishes until 2 p.m. Enjoy the joyful sounds of carolers strolling down the Boulevard, bringing the spirit of Christmas to life. Warm up your hands with a delicious cup of hot cocoa; the Holiday Express provides a complimentary shuttle up and down the Boulevard.

Photographs from the 2023 Holiday Market

From Cheryl Diaz Meyer

ecHoes oF liFe: RAy MeyeR

Raymond Frank Meyer passed away on September 26th, 2024, at their home in Redstone, Colo. He was 86-years-old.

Meyer was a man of gentle spirit with a straight moral compass; a heart for those less fortunate; a wit dry, sharp, and irreverent; determination of steel; with simple needs but an impeccable taste for quality; with zero patience for technology; a shameless lack of any kind of handy bone in his body; a passion for understanding the world around him; an excessively generous heart for family, friends, and strangers; and a nature probably too forgiving. He was an optimist on a perpetual search for good.

Meyer was an avid and skilled lifelong golfer; once quietly skipping a day of work as a high school English teacher, only to end up in the newspaper for winning a tournament. None of his children could escape learning the game: Stuart Meyer, Vincent Meyer, Cheryl Diaz Meyer, Terrence Meyer, and stepson Jesse Montgomery.

With a compulsive personality and enormous self-discipline, Meyer found a passion for running in his 40s, com-

pleting no less than 15 marathons and four ultra marathons in a 10-year span.

Meyer graduated from Regis University in 1958 and landed his first teaching job in Hollywood, Calif. Upon hearing JFK’s call to service: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” he promptly signed up with the Peace Corps in 1961 and was assigned to Legazpi City in the central Philippines, situated at the foot of the world’s most perfect volcano, Mount Mayon.

It was there that he would meet his future wife and mother of four children, Sylvia Meyer (née Diaz). A generous father who believed in organically letting his children find their way in life, Meyer encouraged them to aspire to their dreams.

Meyer’s career trajectory took him to teaching at the finest Catholic universities in Manila, Philippines, to high schools on US military bases in Japan and Germany, to selling financial services, and eventually returning to his roots teaching students at a juvenile detention center in Minnesota and at high schools in Carbondale, Colo.

Voting in Redstone

On Election Day, drop off your ballot at the Church at Redstone (213 Redstone Blvd) Use a drop box after October 28th to ensure timely delivery and track your ballot with BallotTrax In person voting runs Mon-Fri, October 21st - November 4th, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Saturday, November 2nd, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Scan to read more

Pitkin County Expands Child Care Financial AssistanceFamilies Now Eligible for Increased Support

Pitkin County has announced an increase in income limits for childcare financial assistance programs Starting Nov 1, 2024, the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) threshold for eligibility in the Pitkin County Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) will rise from 265% to 300% of the FPL, allowing more families to receive aid

Pitkin County Finalizes 2025 Budget

The 2025 budget addresses key challenges facing the county, including the valley-wide housing market, inflation in critical sectors, and increasing demands on county services The proposed budget makes significant investments in the county’s workforce, infrastructure, and capital projects, with a focus on resiliency and sustainability

Food Sites in the Roaring Fork Valley Pitkin County Human Services would like to remind everyone about food assistance options available in our valley This document has a list of food distribution sites, farmers markets, WIC retailers, and SNAP approved vendors The list is updated regularly https://bit ly/44E1GDz

Meyer remarried, to Catherine “Cathy” Montgomery (née Will), of Minneapolis, Minn., with whom he shared a stepson.

They later relocated to their dream retirement place — the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. In Redstone, they built a life on a plot of land where one can hear the rushing icy waters of the Crystal River, and their wooden windows perfectly frame the nearby snow-capped mountains. It was a life he loved, in a community where he felt at home.

A man of provocative thought and spirituality, Meyer found peace and solace in his relationship with God; he was an active member

of St. Mary of the Crown Catholic Church in Carbondale, Colo.

His sharp mind and enthusiasm for staying closely connected with his loved ones and his community, his grace in the face of challenges, and his zeal for staying physically fit and active throughout his life make his death an unfathomable and profound loss.

He is survived by his wife Cathy Montgomery and their furry babies Jackie and Boo, his five

children, nine grandchildren, his siblings John Meyer, Thomas Meyer, Jane Wulf, and William Meyer. He was preceded in death by his parents Louis Meyer and Gladys Meyer (née Tibbles) of St. Louis, Mo.

A Celebration of Meyer’s Life will be held on Sunday, November 17th from 2-5 p.m. at the Redstone Inn. Community members are invited to attend and to share stories about Meyer.

Independent, Local Journalism Needs Your Support!

We can’t do it without you. In an economic climate where many established news outlets continue to scale back or close, your support goes directly to writers living in the Crystal Valley!

Considering signing up for a subscription, $60 for print or $35 for digital, or making a monetary contribution online or by sending a check to

Town of Marble Board of Trustees' October Meeting Recap

An Account from DJ Sugar Monkey

A warm round of applause from a full Board of Trustees greeted a beaming Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra, resuming his position at the helm after a September absence to welcome the arrival of his second son, Stetson. Further adding to the autumnal cheer was Terry Langley, with a fresh batch of delicious apple scones. There were only half a dozen or so residents in attendance so I felt no shame in wolfing down a couple. Muchas gracias, El Tel.

I took my seat, mesmerized by the vast array of beverages being enjoyed by the Board before me. I had often wondered how this dream team of Trustees fueled themselves. The Mayor brandished two drinks, one mug of coffee and another of water; to his left Treasurer Amy Rusby sat obscured by the shadow of a monstrously large orange tumbler containing god knows what. Beside her, Larry Good sipped on what he declared to be an “awful” strawberry and watermelon concoction. Amber McMahill was enjoying a “Double Monster”, a highly potent potion that turbo-charges the unstoppable positive force for our community that she is. Dustin Wilkey, as punctual as ever, sat “Coked up“ on a can of America’s (and probably the Western world’s) favorite libation. So there you have it; these are the liquids that propel the most effective Board of Trustees that the Town of Marble has ever seen to even greater achievements. Might the Sugar Monkey have to up his game and trade up from his beloved Squirt? Never!

So, to business. Minutes from September’s meeting and current bills were swiftly approved. Councilman Wilkey was quick out of the blocks to quiz Town Administrator Ron Leach about the proposed introduction of Impact Fees for new builds in the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District, These seek to impose a one-off levy in excess of $1,000 on a residential new build and significantly more for commercial property, based on square footage. Wilkey, having just built one of the largest mixed-use properties in Town, would naturally have some concerns. Leach replied that he had been in touch with CRFPD but that there remained issues around its proposed collection and mechanics “akin to collecting water fees to pay off the Marble Water Company’s debt.” He added that he anticipated that no proportion of the proposed fees would be coming back to the Town.

Residents Michael and Jackie Carter announced that they would be taking over the running of the 2025 Gem Show from Monique Villalobos. Carter announced that he was “ready to pull the trigger” on managing the event (to be rebranded “Marble Rocks”) and get the ball rolling without delay. He requested

The Marble Town Council meets on the 1st Thursday of each month starting at 6 p.m. in the Marble Community Church’s Fellowship Hall.

Town of Marble meetings are open to the public.

that the Town block out room for vendors at the campsite and that fees for temporary restrooms be waived, further expressing a desire to increase media coverage of the function to encourage greater participation. Past shows have not included sponsor advertising and the Carters wish to address this.

Mayor Vinciguerra was resistant to the idea of the Town paying for bathroom facilities stating, “I do not want to continue to donate restrooms to every event that comes through [Town].” He added that he expected sales tax to be paid on anything sold at the show, that the Town would rent campsite spaces to vendors at standard rates, and that it would be up to the event organizers themselves to determine the level of fees to charge each vendor for a booth.

Michael Carter then enquired whether the Town would be interested in taking over the reins of the event themselves. This was greet-

ed with a resounding “No.” Amber McMahill offered the Carters some consolation by adding that the last event had been supported by a $3,000 donation from the Chamber of Commerce. “Marble Rocks” will be held on the weekend of June 14th — 15th, 2025.

Ex-Councilwoman Emma Bielski then took the floor with an update on the Jailhouse Project in Thompson Park. Stage One of the project, the renewal of its foundation, has now been completed for $22,000 just under the Board approved budget of up to $25,000. This comprises a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant of $10,000, a $5,000 contribution from Gunnison County, $5,000 from the Town, $3,000 from Colorado Stone Quarry, and $1,000 from GoFundMe donations.

Town Administrator Ron Leach agreed to fall on the sword and take on the GOCO discussions, saying that the project was in good shape subject to the reimbursement of their $10k grant. He praised the efforts of Mike Yellico, who had not charged a dime to coordinate the whole process. Yellico, who sat perched on a table at the back of the hall with his daughter Evelyn, was rewarded with another round of applause.

Councilman Wilkey floated the idea of using some of the “leftover” funds to erect a Marble plaque to honor those who had donated their time to the project. This idea enjoyed a warm reception but quickly petered out on the revelation of the $50,000 estimated cost of stage two of the project, the renovation of the Jailhouse building itself. Bielski, who has tirelessly championed

Tthe project since its inception, was enthused about some of the artifacts she had found while sifting through the exposed earth. These included metal fragments of the original stove and the piece de résistance, an unopened full can of “Cola infused with dextrose.” Alas, no precious gems were included in the haul.

he C rys Tal V alley e C ho & 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 AND ADVERTISING SALES

Gentrye Houghton gentryeh@hotmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

DJ Sugar Monkey

Amber McMahill

DISTRIBUTION AND LAYOUT DESIGN

Ryan Kenney

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

NEWSPAPER BOX LOCATIONS:

Third Street Center • Village Smithy Carbondale Post Office • Carbondale Park & Ride

The Marble Hub • Redstone General Store

Alie Wettstein, Town Administrator’s Assistant, gave an interesting and upbeat report on a course she had attended organized by the Colorado Municipal League. She urged the members of the Town Council to take full advantage of the programs offered by the CML, adding that they offered “endless amounts of information” to those in municipal positions. This segued into the next topic for discussion/ dissection; the preliminary budget for 2025.

Marble’s fastidious Treasurer Amy Rusby announced that the Town (year to date) stood at 75% of its annual budget of $408,500, exactly where it should be at this point in the year. Major contributors to revenues were $39,000 in property tax and $167,000 in sales taxes. The budget for snow and ice removal would be increased in 2025 from $25k to $30k and that for repairs to the asphalt road which runs from the Raspberry Ridge Café to Beaver Lake would be increased from zero to $20,000. Leach expressed his contentment with the Town’s current cash reserves of $422,000, representing an impressive 12 months of annual budget. This amount is expected to shrink to $375,000 by year-end of 2025, however.

The Town of Marble is forever on the

lookout for extra sources of revenue. Mayor pro tem Larry Good spoke to the possibility of raising an extra $2030k per annum from the establishment of paid ATV trailer parking in Town. Frustratingly, the dialogue between the Town and the Small Business Administration (SBA), with whom ATV fees need to be coordinated, has all but dried up. Despite multiple attempts by the Town to connect with them, the SBA has been unresponsive and Leach agreed to discuss the matter with the State of Colorado, as a possible way of leveraging a response from the SBA. A motion was unanimously passed to have the Town’s attorney, Kendall Burgemeister, draft a letter to the SBA in an effort to shake them from their apparent slumber.

Fans of MarbleFest take note; the 2025 event has been scheduled for August 8th —10th

The next meeting of the Marble Board of Trustees will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 7th at the Marble Community Church Fellowship Hall.

DJ Sugar Monkey is a resident of Marble. You can tune into his music show “Snack Time” every other Thursday from noon to 2 p.m on KDNK (88.1 FM).

Is This What Democracy Looks Like?

From Aisha Weinhold

Aisha Weinhold considers herself a Carbondale local after being forcibly relocated to town at the age of eight by her loving parents. She is the founder of No Man’s Land Film Festival: The first all-women’s adventure film festival, and the owner of Ragged Mountain Sports since 2015. Weinhold is in the dawning era of her democratic obsession and has no intention of slowing down.

I am from Carbondale. I’ve never held a deep regard for the government. I was raised seeing police officers in tie-dye and the Mayor holding a weekly roundtable over hot coffee and McGurk’s at the Village Smithy. It’s a miracle I didn’t turn out to be a total anarchist. But after the past few election cycles, my interest was piqued by the inner workings of our democracy, which is how I found myself stomping my cowboy boots through the tall hallways on Capitol Hill.

My friend Michael Gorman, from Wilderness Workshop, had asked me a few weeks earlier if I would like to accompany him and Erin Riccio, also of Wilderness Workshop, to Washington, D.C., for the first Wilderness Week commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act and introducing the National Wilderness Coalition. D.C. has the best egg rolls in the country and I’d never tried lobbying before, so, of course, I said, “Yes.”

Each day, we had meetings scheduled with our state representatives; sitting across long tables from the staffers of Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, John Hickenlooper, and Michael Bennet as they thoughtfully listened to us as we spoke about wilderness — from policy to personal anecdotes. The Wilderness Workshop team has a few monumental bills in various stages of approval; getting a meeting with our state representatives was paramount to this process. My role was to share my perspective on the function of wilderness as a business owner who relies on the recreation industry.

At first, I was shocked by the staff’s attentiveness, but then I realized that this is their job:

They are civil servants here to represent us, the taxpayers — their constituents. Until then, I hadn’t realized that being able to walk into the Senate or House Buildings and receive an audience from your state representative is our fundamental right as a democracy.

I came home feeling empowered — like I had this hidden agency that I just discovered.

Before the plane touched down, I got to work. I knew I wasn’t ready to tackle the issues I saw on the national stage and it made more sense for me to start locally. I took a highlighter to Carbondale’s Comprehensive Plan. I read the minutes from Town Hall meetings while my friends were riding bikes in the fall colors. I researched upcoming developments and spent too much time on my Gaia app identifying every LLC holding company that owns our downtown. To put it lightly, I got overwhelmed. But I was gradually beginning to realize that in order for me to participate in our democracy, I first had to understand what the heck was going on.

A few years ago, in a feature in The Sopris Sun, Laurie Loeb wrote about the impressive history of the Town Mothers and how it was time for someone else to pick up the torch they'd held for so long. Without their guidance, we allowed a giant lumberyard to drive traffic through every street in town; we have pushed so much new development that other buildings remain vacant, yet wholly unaffordable, in our city center. Once again, I found myself realizing that the power of this basic right to organize was written into our founding documents as a nation, and by not capitalizing on this power, I was essentially shirking a necessary part of my responsibility as a member of a democracy. The Town Mothers championed the slogan, “Don’t Change Carbondale, Let Carbondale Change You,” and I started to feel a change coming.

Local natural landscapes are crowded, sensitive wildlife habitat is being overrun by recreation, housing is unaffordable and unfindable, semis are screeching through residential streets, and

NOTICE OF RATE INCREASE FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to § 32-1-1001(2)(a), C.R.S., the Board of Directors for the Redstone Water & Sanitation District will consider increasing service fees in the amount of $5 per EQR for both water and sewer services during a regularly held public meeting on December 10th, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., in-person at the Redstone Inn. Any interested member of the public may attend the public meeting.

Senior Days

At the Redstone Inn

Redstone programs are open to all! RSVP: (970) 920-5432

NOVEMBER 12 & 26

• 12:00 p.m. – Lunch ($10)

RSVP by noon the Friday prior – space is limited. Plated lunch will be served. There will be a gluten-free option.

• 12:45 p.m. – Program

November 12: Holiday Card Making with Terry Langley.

November 26: The Northern Ute Skyler Lomahaftewa is a Northern Ute Tribal Member with ancestral ties to the Uncompahgre Band of Utes who inhabited this area before their forced removal. Skyler will discuss Ute history and present - including culture and language, and the discussion will be followed by time for questions. Presented in collaboration with the Aspen Historical Society.

development is being prioritized over supporting local businesses. It is easy for me to list all the things that I find troubling in Carbondale.

It’s hard to see new buildings popping up like red and green trimmed veneers framing our historic downtown. It is jolting to walk down formerly quiet streets and be jarred to attention by a semis undercarriage tumbling over bike path speed bumps. Progress and growth are unavoidable, but having a say in how we incorporate this growth into our lives is our right as citizens.

Regardless of the influx of everything that is new, I still choose to stay here. Watching the pink and orange clouds surge over Sopris and the Red Tail Hawks circle and call on White Hill is grounding and special. I have been saying a weekly “Thank You” to the same City Market managers since I was a kid and the Co-Op still has free coffee! So in the midst of growth, there is also so much greatness in this Valley that deserves and requires our attention to be maintained.

What started as a trip to D.C. to sample a few new egg roll joints and to fulfill a morbid obsession with trying anything once, quickly morphed into a trip that would reshape how I felt about my power in the American government. I still feel far from mighty when I read

through the annual blue book and Town Hall meeting notes, but I am trying. And now having built some confidence in trying, I am shifting to doing.

If you know me, there is always a new business or organization on the horizon and this time is no different. Revitalizing the Carbondale Study Club is my latest endeavor — we are a group of a new era of locals who want to take part in the trajectory of our town. We are named after the iconic group of women who took it upon themselves to labor for the improvement of our community and steer the growth of the town beginning in 1898.

To quote Mary Lamprecht Ferguson, one of the early professional women in town, “I have watched Carbondale grow — its good years and not so good. The past is a stepping stone to the future and Carbondale has a great future, if we have the intelligence, integrity, and tenacity to do the very best we know how to make it great.”

After engaging with our democracy on the national stage and taking baby steps towards getting involved at home, I am feeling ready to drop my mantra of late and replace “Is this what democracy looks like?” to embody my fundamental right as a citizen, constituent, and American with a more confident battle cry. And in the moments where I inevitably get lost again and find myself stumbling down an unfamiliar road littered with good intentions, I’ll always be armed with my blue book and a ballot.

Crystal River Caucus

Thursday, November 14, 7-9 pm At the Church at Redstone on the Boulevard*

The agenda will include election of board members and changes to the bylaws, as well as a discussion of an emergency evacuation and communication plan for Redstone and the Crystal River Valley, and updates on Wild and Scenic designation for the Crystal River and the Crystal Valley recreational trail.

All registered voters whose principal residence is in the Pitkin County portion of the Crystal River watershed, or those who own property in that area, are voting members of the Crystal River Caucus. *Those members who cannot attend the in-person meeting may join via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all members on the caucus email list. If you are not on the list and would like to be, email The caucus does not share its email list! crcaucus@gmail.com

From Deb Strom

RHS Hosts Fireside Chat

Redstone Historical Society held its first Fireside Chat on October 14th at the Redstone Inn.

Although it was a major setback when Ron Sorter called in sick — those who know Sorter know that he is the kind of guy who must be really, really sick to make that call. The chat commenced with the help of Bill Jochems and Jeff Bier, and the group was able to land on a Plan B.

We were also fortunate when Colorado Mountain College professor Tucker Farris and filmmaker Adrian Howell contacted the Society.  They are making a film on the Thompson Divide Coalition and the History of Industry in the Crystal Valley.  They videotaped the entire event.

RHS president Jeff Bier, whose Redstone roots go back to the early 1950s, with Bill Jochems, focused on the past 50 years — for more information about the life and times of Jochems' tenure in the Crystal River Valley, visit www.thecrystalvalleyecho.com. Several old-timers, including Dorothea Farris, added depth to the discussion. Better yet, 30 folks attended, perfect for this intimate format.  Many thanks to all who made it a success!

Why The Crystal River Caucus Matters

Anyone whose primary residence is in the Pitkin County portion of the Crystal River Valley, or any non-residents who own property in the area, are automatically members of the Crystal River Caucus.

The Crystal River Caucus is one of 11 caucuses in the county, established by measures defined in the Pitkin County Home Rule Charter. The primary functions of the caucuses include making recommendations to the County on matters affecting the caucus area, which include the development of County laws, budgetary appropriations, and land-use approvals. Thus, the caucuses represent the most local form of representative democracy, especially in rural settings where geographic areas within the County may differ in priorities and values.

The Crystal River Caucus typically meets six times a year, on the second Thursday of each odd-numbered month. This month, we hold our last meeting of the year, which is also our Annual Meeting, when we elect members to open board positions as well as adopt any proposed bylaws changes. This year, our Annual Meeting will be held on November 14th at the Church at Redstone beginning at 7 p.m. There will also be a virtual option for those unable to attend in person. A Zoom link will be sent to all members of our e-mail list. If you are not already on the caucus email list please send a request for inclusion at crcaucus@gmail.com

Over the last year, the caucus has discussed a variety of topics. These included a discussion of wolves in Colorado and what to expect in our area, the Coal Basin Methane Project to measure and potentially regulate methane emissions from abandoned mines, prescribed burns on Forest Service land within the caucus area, Pitkin County’s short-term rental process, and a presentation from Colorado Parks and Wildlife on the status of local elk and bighorn sheep populations.

The agenda for the upcoming meeting will include, besides board nominations and bylaws changes, updates on Wild and Scenic designation for the Crystal River and the Crystal Valley Trail, as well as a discussion on an emergency evacuation and communication plan for Redstone and the Crystal River Valley.

Please join us and support YOUR caucus!

For questions or more information, contact John Emerick at (970) 963-2143.

Last month, the Redstone Historical Society hosted about 40 seventh and eighth graders from Two Rivers Community School for a historical tour of Redstone along with a film about Redstone’s history and discussions about immigration, social norms, and how they intertwined with the miners, management, and more.

Information and photograph provided by Redstone Historical Society President Jeff Bier.

Redstone Historical Society's Vintage Valley: The Clock Tenders: Billy Shank and Hank van Berlo

All content sponsored and provided by the Redstone Historical Society.

The clock tower clock is Redstone’s most prominent icon. It was manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Company, Thomaston, Conn., in 1901 and installed in 1902 during the tower construction and before the Redstone Inn’s roof was enclosed.

Turn of the century village life ran as villages do, governed mostly by the rising and setting of the sun, but company life in a company town marched to a different beat which ran on a 24hour schedule. For them, the day was divided into day, swing, and night shifts — each with their own divisions of work duties, mid-shift meal, and a break if you were lucky and the straw boss wasn’t watching too closely. The workers that manned the coke ovens were going on and off shift, children were going and coming from school, wives were washing, shopping, and attending night school, mules were harnessed and shod, and the company store was opening and closing.

The only practical way to schedule and synchronize all of village life was with one clock. A big clock. With a big bell that rang hourly, day and night. Someone had to take care of that most important centerpiece of village life, the all-important organizer of wake and work, work and eat, work and sleep: The Big Clock.

“The big clock in the Redstone Inn tower regularly tolls out the hours now, its rich tones reverberating up and down the valley.”

— Camp and Plant Magazine,  November 15th, 1902.

The tiny clock "room" in the tower powers the weights and assemblies and was designed to accommodate the two-story drop required for 100-pound weights. When entering the room, one's first impression is that you're looking at a monstrous version of your grandmother’s old foot-powered sewing machine, only with more bells and whistles.  In fact, it is a super-sized grandfather clock on steroids, and, just like a grandfather clock, it needs to be wound every week.

One assembly drives the clock and the other strikes the bell.  Both assemblies must be “wound” or “cranked” regularly in order for the clock to function on a weekly basis.  The main drive shaft of the clock is vertical in orientation and fits into a gear and the universal joint system makes a 90-degree transfer of the power

to each of the four clock faces, or dials, in the tower.  Today, the clock faces are plastic, but pieces of the original 1902 glass faces, which are 2 feet in diameter, are still in the tower.

Thankfully, the bell, although still in place, has been deactivated.  In today's world, it would be rather annoying. The bell was reactivated once at midnight on December 31st, 1999, to mark the new millennium when it chimed 12 times.

Clock tending has had its ups and downs, in step with the financial fortune of the Redstone Inn. Following the death of Frank Kistler in 1956, his Grand Resort plan crumbled. The ambitious plan included a greenhouse-enclosed swimming pool, two ski areas with only one rope tow operational, and a plan for an 18hole golf course with three holes open on the Castle lawn. Projects were abandoned, proper-

Lorem ipsum

NOTICE is hereby given that proposed budget has been submitted to the Redstone Water & Sanitation District for the ensuing year of 2025; a copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of The Redstone W&S District, where the same is open for public inspection; such proposed budget will be considered at the regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held at the Redstone Inn on December 10th, 2024, at 7:00 pm.

Any interested elector of the Redstone Water & Sanitation District may inspect the proposed budget and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget.

ties sold, and the clock again came into another period of neglect.

Mid Continent bought the Inn in 1979, and the previous owner Ann Van Dis continued as manager until they closed the property for a two-year top-down renovation in 1981.  Billy Shank joined the team in 1980 and, thus, his 40-year romance with the clock began. Shank, with his father's help, went above and beyond his duties and labored to make the clock the icon of Redstone again, but thankfully without the bell tolling.

Then, following the "oil shale bust," Mid Continent was forced to sell the hotel. John F. Gilmore bought the Inn in 1989. That year, Jochen Wolf, with the help of a Glenwood watch-smith, got three of the four faces going, followed by the continued care of Rick Davis, and then Steve Sheldon for almost 15 years. However, following the 2008 recession, the clock again went dormant.

Shank, with Mary Clements, returned to resuscitate the clock in 2018 with

Hank van Berlo joining the team in 2020. It takes weekly care to keep it functioning. Van Berlo was recently able to reactivate the east-facing clock face, and now all four faces are in sync. However, van Berlo admits that the north-facing dial is running one minute per week slower.

Though many of these clocks have fallen into disrepair, the Redstone Inn clock has been beautifully preserved because of our dry air climate and affectionate care of the clock ten-

ders. Rumor has it that in a tight space through the highest-most hatch above the bell, one may find the names of the early clock tenders. However, Van Berlo admits that he has yet to brave the very questionable "ladder" to take a peek through a small 12-inch by 12inch opening in the belfry ceiling.

Election Day is Almost Here

Make

THE MARBLE TIMES

A LOOK AT LIFE AT THE MARBLE CHARTER SCHOOL

Rats and Their Ratty Ways

rats are harMful

By Sumner Siemon, 5th grade

I think rats are harmful because rats eat a lot of rice a year, enough to feed 250 million people a year. Rats get into the food that humans eat.This shows that they are harmful. In fact, the text states that, “rats eat over 48 million tons of rice a year.”

Rats destroy a lot of things. Rats chew up electric wires and a lot more. An example that shows this is stated in the article: rats attack our buildings by gnawing wood, pipes and walls. Their gnawing of matches and the insulation around electric wires causes fire.

Rats bite 14,000 people a year.  Rat bite fever can cause death in about 10% of people. If left untreated you will have a fever, headache, vomiting and rash or muscle pain. Can you imagine how bad that must feel?

Rats gnaw a lot of things. For example, they gnaw through iron cabinets. Rats gnaw through dam walls starting floods that wash away villages sometimes. People have to move out temporarily while their house gets fixed from the floods.

In conclusion, I think we should get rid of rats because they are harmful. The number one reason is rats bite 14,000 people a year. Rat bite fever can cause death in about 10% of people if left untreated. Finally, rats have the ability to cause floods. Rats are harmful, and should be gone!

Rats and their Ratty Ways

By Abbie Durham, 3rd Grade

I firmly believe that rats are harmful. One reason is because they are ratty. For example, in the text it says, “Rats teeth are about the same force as a crocodile. Its teeth are stronger than copper or lead.” Another reason rats are harmful is that they are pesky. According to the text, “Rats gnaw through iron cabinets trying to get to food.” Rats also gnaw through dam walls, starting floods that wash away entire villages.”

In the United States, the department of agriculture estimates that rats soil over 400,000 tons of food a year with their urine and droppings.

Based on what I read, because they take food, act pesty by biting 14,000 Americans each year, and they will bite through cabinets trying to take food, rats are indeed harmful and ratty.

helpful rats

By Amira Paris, 3rd Grade

I firmly believe that rats are helpful. For starters, rats help sailors because if a ship was sinking, they would alarm the sailors on the ship. In fact, “seeing rats swarming on deck, much less leaping overboard was a sure sign of trouble.”

Rat’s meat is rich in flavor, protein and is cheap. According to the text, this means that, “rats might solve the problem of world hunger.”

They have given us medicine and helped sick people. New medicines are regularly tested on rats.

Without a doubt, rats are helpful and

amazing. Sometimes they are a little harmful, but mostly they are helpful. They make a great meal!

rats

By Shiloh Bogan, 5th grade

I firmly believe that rats are helpful. One reason is rats help prevent diseases. For example, in the text it states, “laboratory rats have taught us a lot about how diseases attack the human body.”Another reason I believe rats are helpful is because they are good food because in the text it states,  “throughout history, people have eaten rodents with delicacy.” Finally they relieve loneliness. The rat relieved loneliness because in the text it says,  “whether it did or not the rat relieved his loneliness.” This is why you should leave them be unless they are taking your food. So leave them be and let them live. Also if you want a pet rat if your parents let you, they are disease-free and easy to care for and they are small pets so they don’t take over your room or house.

By Maddie Durham, 5th Grade

I firmly believe that rats are helpful in many ways like accompanying people and alarming people. There are also many ways rats are harmful but I also think that they are just misjudged.

There's lots of examples that rats are helpful, like rats are helpful because they give their life to being tested with medicine and experiments. In the story we read, it said that the rats live at the bottom of the ships so when boats spring a leak, rats would run to the top and jump off the boats and if the people see that they would jump off the boat too. Rats are actually pretty helpful. If you think about it, we were the ones who destroyed their habitat. We just barged in on them, took over, said they were disgusting and tried to get rid of them but they did nothing to us. In the story, there was a lonely prisoner and one night a rat came into his room and sat beside him. When he woke, the rat was still there so the prisoner fed him some of his food. The rat and the prisoner became close friends and the prisoner wasn't lonely anymore. That's only one of a bunch of things that proves they are helpful.

That's why I strongly believe rats can be helpful.

Saturday, Dec 7th

From 10am-3pm on

SHOP

Dress warmly and plan for a magical day as you shop from 40+ local artists wares under tents along side Redstone businesses.

Listen to carollers, warm up by the fire pits and enjoy food and drinks specials. Santa will be visiting from 12-2pm at the Redstone Cliffs.

Parking available at Elk Park and the Redstone Inn. A free shuttle runs up and down the boulevard for those that need assistance. Some artists may not accept credit cards; bring cash. ATMs are available.