20251127

‘‘Everyone

wants to protect Crystal’

Treasure Mountain Ranch land use change still pending

BETSY WELCH

Special to The Sopris Sun

On Nov. 20, the Gunnison County Planning Commission held a public hearing on a land-use application from Treasure Mountain Ranch, Inc. (TMR), the company that owns significant acreage in and around the historic townsite of Crystal. The application seeks a Minor Impact Land Use Change to consolidate parcels and cluster new development in the Crystal townsite.

TMR’s application would consolidate 16 parcels into nine, complete three boundary line adjustments and cluster new development within a 1.9-acre building envelope. The proposal calls for “retiring” four existing structures, constructing a 4,900-square-foot maintenance barn and building four new cabins totaling approximately 5,000 square feet.

The proposal drew substantial written and oral public comment, as well as detailed questions from commissioners and staff. At times, public testimony reflected a divide between the application formally before the Planning Commission and what some residents believe may follow. It also underscored the deep attachment many people feel toward Crystal, a place described throughout the morning as historically and spiritually irreplaceable.

“I think change[s] to small, historic corners of our community are very emotional for a lot of people,” Gunnison County Planning Director Hillary Seminick told The Sopris Sun.

“The townsite and the Crystal Mill hold a special place in the hearts of many people in Gunnison County and the residents of the Crystal River and Roaring Fork Valleys.”

History shapes reaction

The intensity of public comment on Nov. 20 reflects four years of stops, starts and speculation involving TMR and the community. The company owns roughly 700 acres, including about three miles of river frontage, as well as 15 structures totaling just over 12,000 square feet, nine of which it considers historic, including the Crystal Mill.

In late 2021, TMR partners Chris Cox and Stuart Gillespie outlined a large resort project to the Marble Board of Trustees, including cabins, a restaurant, employee housing and summer and winter recreation, along with plans for conservation easements and sustainable construction. They also met with Gunnison County officials, but by fall 2021, the county issued a stopwork order for unauthorized

road improvements. In 2022, TMR paid a $12,000 fine and submitted multiple rounds of materials addressing the remediation requirements.

During this time, residents also raised questions about forest-thinning activities on Bear Mountain. The county confirmed in 2023 that TMR’s work complied with its approved Forest Management Plan. A plan update in 2025 outlined hand-crew thinning in dense, historically clear-cut stands to improve wildlife habitat and reduce fire danger.

The land use change application was initially submitted in spring 2024, but deemed incomplete due to missing information and unclear boundary line adjustments. TMR resubmitted in August 2024. The current Minor Impact Land Use Change application was deemed complete on April 21, Seminick said.

‘We’re talking 98% conservation’ Gillespie and Cox, accompanied by TMR attorney Marcus Lock of Law of the Rockies, told commissioners that the current Minor Impact Land Use Change grew out of an early2024 effort to rehabilitate four cabins on Main Street. Realizing the structures required extensive work to meet code, the updated application added four new cabins and the maintenance barn.

TMR plans to permanently preserve six cabins on Main Street — including the Crystal Club, the general store and the Clayton, Melton, Rosette and Edgerton cabins — through historic designation, which would require approval by the county commission. Four other cabins would be retired from residential use.

McClure lore and the road to power

At a town hall-style meeting in late 1971, the White River National Forest (USFS) presented its vision to designate the Chair Mountain-McClure Pass area as “primitive.” The area was basically untouched save for a horse and foot trail starting at the top of the 8,755-foot pass and an annual sheep grazing permit. There was, however, one issue that the USFS needed to resolve: the 1,240-acre inholding wrapped around the northwest side of Chair Mountain. Due to whatever circumstances — the glacial pace of the government or the motivated action of a young entrepreneur — road construction began in 1973 at the top of McClure Pass heading toward the inholding.

Paul Alexander, a young Ivy Leaguer from Back East platted numerous acreages in 40-acre denominations to sell with the caveat that all homes be built of log and stone.

The only power would be generated on site. Hence, the logging began as the snow was melting on McClure Pass.

get now, camping, skiing and hiking. This summer, the current administration — hell-bent on removing all environmental protections — began trying to strip the Roadless Rule of 2001 which protected 60 million acres of areas primarily from excessive timber harvesting. The rule has greatly curtailed incursion of new roads into areas previously unaltered by vehicle access.

OPINION

The McClure Pass area was dramatically changed that summer over 50 years ago. The Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) continues to work with the USFS to identify new unauthorized roads along Ragged Mountain Road, a pitfall of expanded access.

A man legendary in the cutting of ski areas in that “Golden Age of ski area development” during the ‘60s and ‘70s assembled the logging crew. Marcel Molleur, the stocky, fuzzy and gregarious one-armed lumberjack from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont had arrived. (Marcel’s brother had shot his arm off when they were kids fooling around with a shotgun.) Marcel brought in colorful Quebecois, men from eastern Canada. He hired scrappy hippies to cut the alignment through the aspens and spruce/fir for four miles through the national forest to the private land boundary. “Tabarnak!” Taking the name of the Tabernacle in vain, the Quebecois could be heard cussing in their thick FrancoCanadian dialect as they stuffed tree limbs into the chipper.

CVEPA VIEWS

By John Armstrong

The road is gated and locked at two miles although the private property doesn’t start for another two miles due to an interesting arrangement between property owners and the USFS. The road straddles the high McClure ridge between the White River and Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) national forests. At this point one finds a modest SNOTEL site for tracking and reporting snowfall. This small installation is significant because this is the proposed site of a 190-foottall communications tower. This lofty tower will reportedly enhance the weak communications that first responders, ambulance, firemen and law enforcement have struggled with forever on both sides of the pass. The benefit to public safety is not debatable, environmental impacts are.

Gunnison County has already supported the project. At 190 feet tall, the tower is a mere 10 feet below wearing the requisite flashing red lights. The tower will require a grid-based power line, likely up Ragged Mountain Road.

That summer of ’73 was slim pickings for me and by August I honestly had four bits (50 cents) to my name. I welcomed hiring onto the logging crew. The road toward Chair Mountain is called the Ragged Mountain Road. The crew made good progress with the fair weather and we soon cut through the tent camp of the young Mexican shepherd at Bullfrog Spring. The bulldozers were only a day behind. The animals abounded and you could hear the occasional bells of the lead sheep or the shepherd’s almost operatic singing. The aspen woods were marbled with artistic shepherds’ carvings documenting legacy in tree bark. The scene truly harkened to a vanishing time. By September, the bear hunters started arriving. The bear hunt was regulated much differently 50 years ago. Rough-looking pickup trucks full of dog cages were driven by rougher-looking, half-toothless men who drove all the way from the Carolinas to eliminate bears for pay.

Their packs of floppy-eared, lanky coondogs, Bluetick hounds and black ’n tan ’n Redbones howled in their cages eager for the bear chase. Once treed, the men would walk up and unceremoniously shoot the bear. The crusty men spoke a dialect I could only marvel at.

Pause for thought that a half century ago this was a roadless area. Many times I reflect on the wilderness it was, accessed only by hunters and sheepmen. I also weigh the great joy people

LETTERS

CORRECTION: Holy Cross purchases electricity from Xcel and other wholesalers, but does not purchase natural gas from anyone.

Carbondale Fire gives thanks

On behalf of the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors, we extend our heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s ballot decision. Your support for both the 1.5% sales tax and the $30 million bond demonstrates a shared commitment to the safety, strength and future of our district.

Because of your trust in us, we will be able to increase staffing and retain more qualified emergency responders. This will help ensure faster and more reliable service across our growing community. The new sales tax will replace lost property tax revenue and help build emergency reserves, which will allow us to respond to economic changes and continue serving

The profitability of the tower lies in supplying cell service to the valleys below. The area between Redstone and Paonia has been singled out as, arguably, one of the greatest communication/cell service “black holes” in the state. The promoter wanted to lay the required tower power line underground in the Old McClure Pass Road. This route is the alignment for the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (PCOST) Redstone to McClure Trail. PCOST has assured a narrow, soft surface trail with a wooded feel. A 6-foot-wide power line trench is contrary to PCOST’s vision and commitment. There is also much public concern about the trenching project. In light of these concerns the promoter has shifted its focus about where to bring power up. On the west side of McClure Pass there may be less scrutiny and resistance.

The GMUG forest has the ultimate say on the alignment above the pass summit and would insist on underground utilities due to visibility, periodic maintenance and line clearing and the risk of power line-associated forest fires. CVEPA and environmental groups are closely observing this proposal.

Nothing is simple and there are no easy answers. Stay involved or someone else will make your decisions for you!

To learn more about the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association visit www.cvepa.org

residents, businesses and visitors. The need for this sales tax arose from significant State of Colorado legislative changes that reshaped property tax calculations and sharply reduced revenue that voters had previously authorized for the district.

The apparatus and equipment replacement fund will support the ability to purchase necessary apparatus and equipment when needed, which will help keep both responders and the public safe.

The bond will provide essential improvements to stations and responder housing at several locations. It will add new units and modernized facilities and will support longterm stability for volunteers and staff.

Your contributions through everyday shopping or property ownership help support public safety. Visitors and residents are helping share the cost to keep your fire department response ready.

Your support will allow the district to provide enhanced services and improved

infrastructure for many years to come. Thank you for partnering with us to keep Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District safe, resilient and strong. Your investment will make a meaningful difference in every response and we are grateful for your support.

Gene Schilling Carbondale Fire

Don’t burnout, activists I am writing concerning “activist burnout.” Activist burnout is, as its name implies: When a person puts their thoughts and actions in the public sphere it can be exhausting, especially when you are standing up for your rights as a citizen while those rights are being threatened or even violated. Ordinarily, the average citizen doesn’t have to expend this energy, because their elected representatives are, in general, doing their jobs: representing continued on page 22

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Spruce up The Sun

It’s that time of year! Youth, preschool through high school, are invited to submit artwork relating to this year’s theme — “Holiday Harmony” — for the exquisite chance of gracing our Dec. 25 cover. Entries can be emailed to news@soprissun.com or dropped off at the submissions box outside of The Launchpad (76 South 4th Street, Carbondale). Submissions should be on 8.5” by 11” paper and not include glitter. Please include the artist’s name, age, grade and school on the back. Artwork is due by Dec. 12. Happy holidays!

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Nobody gets left out in the cold this Thanksgiving. Stop by the Faith Lutheran Church in Carbondale (1340 Highway 133) between 11am and 1pm for a free Thanksgiving Day meal sponsored by Carbondale Homeless Assistance.

RFOV update

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) concluded its 30th season with record-high community impact. This year, 1,996 unique volunteers helped RFOV staff and partners contribute 14,768 hours of stewardship on local public lands. This involved over 230 days of work at 80 project sites in four counties; 675 trees planted; over a mile of fencing removed; and 15 acres of invasive species cleared. The Young Stewards Program reached 1,499 students, resulting in 3,286 hours across 26 projects.

RFTA Zero-Fare

The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s pilot Zero-Fare October-November program concludes this Sunday, Nov. 30. Regular fare will resume Dec. 1 and data from the experiment will be reported at the RFTA Board of Directors meeting in January.

GarCo airport

Garfield County is seeking community input on its plan in development for the future of the Rifle Garfield County Airport with an open house on Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 6pm. Learn more at www.rifleairport.com

Congrats, Kara!

The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners has selected Kara Silbernagel to serve as interim county manager following the departure of longtime county manager Jon Peacock. Silbernagel joined the county in 2014 and recently served as deputy county manager. This appointment supports

Good Earth, a Carbondale-based landscape and maintenance company, is hosting a holiday food drive in partnership with Lift-Up. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 23 and during Good Earth’s holiday market and open house on Dec. 6 from 1 to 6pm at 12744 Highway 82 (formerly the location of Planted Earth). People who donate to the food drive will receive 20% off holiday market items. Pictured: Jonathan Aigner, Good Earth’s seasonal maintenance and snow removal manager, and Ben Blake have been hard at work wrapping Christmas trees for local delivery. Courtesy photo

a smooth transition as county commissioners determine next steps for filling the permanent role.

Christmas trees

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the White River National Forest Service are issuing permits for folks who want the full experience of harvesting a Christmas tree. BLM permits cost between $8-10 and can be purchased online at www.tinyurl. com/BLMtrees or at a local field office. Forest Service permits can also be purchased at a Ranger’s station or online at www.tinyurl. com/FSxmastrees

Mechanized closures

The Bureau of Land Management will close access for motorized and mechanized (mountain biking) use from Dec. 1 to April 15 at various recreational areas across the Colorado River Valley Field Office region, including: the southside of Basalt Mountain, Fisher Creek-Cattle Creek, The Crown, the northside of Red Hill, Thompson Creek and more. The intent is to reduce disturbances to wildlife, protect natural resources and reduce damage to roads. For a full list of closures, visit www.tinyurl.com/CRFOclosures

Shoshone

The Colorado Water Conservation Board voted last week to approve the Shoshone water rights acquisition, securing two water rights associated with the Shoshone Power Plant, including one of the state’s most significant on the Colorado River. This vote launches the next stage of the process, including water court.

Marijuana revenue

The Colorado Department of Revenue recently released figures on marijuana sales and tax revenue. In September 2025 tax and fee revenue topped $20 million. The industry has raised over $3 billion in cumulative tax revenue collected since January 2014.

They say it’s your birthday!

Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Alice Steindler (Nov. 27); Richard Fuller and Paul Hassel (Nov. 28); Naomi Pulver and Kat Rich (Nov. 29); Chuck Dorn, Stephen Horn and Kat Lieblick (Nov. 30); Sadie Dickinson, Jim Harris and Marcel Kahhak (Dec. 1); Ted Brochet, Sierra Palmer, Elizabeth Robinson, Deva Shantay and Paul Stover (Dec. 2); Skip Doty, Hannah Feder, Rebecca Murphy and Rochelle Norwood (Dec. 3).

At the hearing, Cox emphasized his deep personal connection to the area: Original property owner Emmett Gould was his great-grandfather, and he spent childhood summers in Crystal with his grandmother. Cox’s children and grandchildren have also grown up visiting Crystal.

TMR stated its overarching goal is to place most of its property under conservation easement and to partner with the U.S. Forest Service for stewardship. Gillespie said the company’s aim is to “conserve the vast majority of the TMR property … We’re not talking 75% or 80%, we’re talking 98%.”

Gillespie said construction would be phased, with new cabins built first and old cabins decommissioned afterward. Most heavy work would occur on-site, with subcontractors staying in TMR accommodations. If the application is approved, “Dirt work would begin this summer, with the project finishing up the following summer,” Gillespie said.

Why a public hearing?

The public hearing was required because TMR is proposing to concentrate density on one parcel such that it would contain six residences.

Specifically, the proposal includes building four new cabins and the maintenance barn. Of the existing six cabins already on the parcel, two

would be kept and four “retired” by removing plumbing and electrical and using them as sheds.

Seminick told The Sopris Sun that while the net residential impact may be effectively zero, county land-use review looks at impacts parcel-by-parcel for future landdivision and sale considerations.

“Typically, projects with four or more new residential units would be reviewed as Major Impact applications. In this case, the classification was reduced to Minor Impact due to the nature of the application and TMR’s ownership configuration,” she said. The application also addressed phasing and confirmed that the project is residential in nature.

Seminick emphasized that if TMR were to pursue a future ski area or larger resort proposal, that would be considered a Major Impact review — a more extensive, multi-step process.

Split, impassioned and numerous

The county received substantial written comment ahead of the hearing. Seminick noted 247 pages submitted before the close of the comment period, with additional letters submitted afterward.

Public testimony included longtime Crystal residents, descendants of early families and other valley residents. Speakers raised concerns about the project’s scale, potential impacts on water quality and

wildlife, and how new development might affect the historic character of Crystal. Questions also focused on practical matters like trash removal, archaeological review, winter access and the size of the maintenance barn, as well as buffering, defensible space and vegetative screening.

Rob Anderson, whose family home is adjacent to the project parcel and whose great-grandfather George Tays founded the Lead King Mine, voiced concerns about avalanche risk, trash and smoke. He added, “Everyone wants to protect Crystal, and how they differ is how to get to that conclusion.”

Judy Witchey questioned the use of a nearby Daniels Hill property as a staging area and asked commissioners who would be keeping tabs on the development project.

“Too much is going to happen up there with a minor impact designation,” she said.

Manette Anderson expressed concern that the project could be a first step toward piecemeal change.

Supporters included Dr. R. Beaman, Jim Moisson and Roger Neal. Moisson opened his comment by acknowledging that his family “shares the desires of the Andersons,” but also noted that the majority of people who have a residence in Crystal support TMR’s proposal.

“Progress is going to happen, whether we like it or not. It’s really unique, rare and compelling that

LOCAL NEWS

Is a gift we give each other

someone like Chris [Cox] who has the history and passion for preserving Crystal is managing the progress.”

Others praised TMR’s stewardship and said that preservation through the proposal would be preferable to other potential development.

Commissioners asked how the project would affect the historic nature and character of Crystal.

“Our hope is that by locating new development outside of town, you won’t see that structure, period,” Gillespie said. Cox added, “My goal from the beginning was

to have this completely not visible from Main Street. It was important for me to be able to walk through the historic corridor and not know this existed. I believe with the right use of pine trees and foliage, we can block these from the road, and that’s our ultimate goal.”

Following the hearing, the commission directed staff to prepare a draft decision document outlining their findings. Written public comment will be accepted until Dec. 3 at noon ahead of the continued public hearing on Dec. 4 at 10:30am.

Help

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Medicare Advantage dropped in Garfield County

Sopris Sun Correspondent

In early October, Grand Junction-based Rocky Mountain Health Plans, a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare (UHC), informed its customers that UHC would no longer be offering any Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for Garfield and other western Colorado counties. UHC was the only insurer providing MA plans in Garfield. Some background

Medicare, federal health insurance for senior citizens (ages 65 and older) was created as part of the Social Security Act of 1965. It provides free hospital insurance (Part A) and premium-paid medical insurance (Part B) and is commonly referred to as Original Medicare (OM); premium-paid prescription insurance (Part D) was added later. The program is funded by mandatory payroll taxes on individuals and employers.

However, Part B insurance (e.g., for physician services or outpatient care) covers only 80% of billed costs, and there is no limit on out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., copays or deductibles). That 20% “gap” must be paid by the patient. In response to that, private insurance companies offer supplemental plans, commonly known as “Medigap policies,” with varying levels of coverage and premium costs.

The 1965 act included provisions for seniors to acquire alternate coverage to government Medicare and private Medigap plans. Originally known as Medicare+Choice (or Part C), since 2003 it has been called Medicare Advantage. Although these plans are offered

by private companies, they are under federal Medicare regulations.

MA advantages… and disadvantages

The main attraction of MA plans is that most are free or have very low premium payments (with all or part of the premiums subsidized). In addition to Parts A and B coverage, they typically also offer Part D options, as well as limited eyeand dental-care plans. Out-of-pocket expenses for enrollees are also capped. Their affordability has made them highly popular with seniors with modest or fixed incomes. Enrollment levels have ebbed and flowed since the 1960s, but in recent years have climbed to roughly half of all Medicare participants.

With affordability, however, have come restrictions not associated with OM. Principal among these, patients typically can only use designated in-network medical providers, especially those on HMO plans, and those lists of providers are subject to change. Patients also must obtain preauthorization from their principal-care provider before receiving a treatment or procedure. Medigap plans are not available to MA enrollees.

There has been a rise in claim and preauthorization denials by insurance companies, including those that would have been approved under OM. This has raised allegations of fraud by UHC and other companies, including being paid for diagnoses not treated by health professionals.

Dr. George Bohmfalk, a retired neurosurgeon here in Carbondale, has become a highly vocal opponent of MA. In a conversation with The Sopris Sun, he was particularly critical of the restrictions for enrollees and of the alleged overpayment scheme, characterizing these actions as “borderline criminal.” He added, “[MA] is great coverage until you need it.”

What happens now?

Because UHC has been the only MA underwriter in Garfield County, those enrollees — estimated at some 1,200 by the Colorado State Health Insurance Assistance Program — must obtain other insurance during the current annual enrollment period (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7). They will be automatically enrolled in OM but will need to select a Part D prescription plan if they want to continue that coverage.

High Country Volunteers, a nonprofit based in Glenwood Springs, has had certified Medicare counselors helping senior citizens with Medicare and other insurance issues for years. Reached for comment, the organization’s executive director Mary Moon told The Sun that “hundreds of people have contacted us” in the past several weeks, and that there is a backlog of one to two weeks to schedule an appointment with a counselor. Moon said their counselors are encouraging enrollees to buy one of the available Medigap plans. She noted that those who have wanted to leave MA and transition to OM have not been able to obtain Medigap because of “medical underwriting”

continued on page 19

City Council approves a string of interesting ordinances

JOHN STROUD

Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Glenwood Springs City Council passed a series of ordinances on first reading dealing with topics including housing, drive-through restaurants, emergency services and public consumption of alcohol at a downtown park during its Thursday, Nov. 20 meeting.

All council members were present in-person for the second regular meeting of the month. No members of the public were on hand to speak to any items, on or off the agenda.

Mayor Pro-Tem Erin Zalinski took a minute under Council Announcements to acknowledge the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s vote the day before to accept the Shoshone hydropower plant water rights, as proposed by the Glenwood-based Colorado River Water Conservation District.

The River District, with support from Western Slope local governments including the City of Glenwood Springs, plans to purchase the water rights from Xcel Energy for $99 million, which would ensure those flows stay on the Western Slope in perpetuity and are not diverted to the Front Range.

Following approval of the consent agenda, Council approved several ordinances.

The first dealt with combining two advisory boards on housing, the long-established Glenwood Housing Commission and the Workforce Housing Financial Advisory Board. The latter board was established following voter approval of Ballot Question 2C in 2022, which imposed a 2.5% lodging tax to fund workforce housing efforts.

As both boards deal with housing, City staff recommended combining them. Council unanimously agreed.

The second ordinance had to do with allowing drive-through restaurants as a special permit use in the City’s Resort Zoning District. The zone district includes the section of Glenwood Meadows where the two Marriott hotels are located, and the area near Iron Mountain Hot Springs, advised City Planner Emery Ellingson.

The ordinance passed 4-3, with Councilors Steve Smith, Mitchell Weimer and David Townsley opposed over concerns about increasing traffic — especially if plans were to involve a mega-size drive-through facility, as have become common with

chains like In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A.

“These can readily become high traffic generators,” Smith said. “We should be looking for ways to reduce, even eliminate drive-through commercial facilities, not adding new opportunities for them.”

Next, a separate pair of ordinances related to police, emergency medical and fire services provided by the City.

The first laid the framework for adding to the City’s development code a new impact fee, to account for increases in demand for police, fire and ambulance services whenever new construction occurs.

The second would establish a fee for any locations, namely long-term care facilities, where there tends to be “excessive alarms,” including some that involve non-emergencies that could be dealt with by the nursing staff on site rather than calling EMS, explained Glenwood Chief of Public Safety Joseph Deras.

After some discussion, both ordinances were approved unanimously. Proposed fee schedules will be presented to City Council at a later time.

Another pair of ordinances dealt with a concern brought to

City staff’s attention regarding the allowance of open containers of alcohol in Centennial Park, located at the corner of Ninth Street and Grand Avenue.

Open consumption of alcohol is allowed in some parks and public spaces, such as Two Rivers and Sayre parks and Bethel Plaza, where public events and larger private gatherings are permitted. City Council agreed 6-1 to not allow open containers at Centennial, a much smaller pocket park that does not typically host events.

The discussion did beg a question from Councilor Ray Schmahl, who voted against the measure, as to why some parks would be treated differently than others. City Attorney Karl Hanlon said the ordinance deals with “a particular problem in a particular park,” so in that case it isn’t discriminatory.

Some Council members wanted to look at other parks, such as the new North Landing, for possible open container prohibition.

A related ordinance that better defines Centennial Park as “parkland” passed unanimously.

Also approved were two routine ordinances related to the 2026 City budget, one certifying

the mill levy (property tax assessment) for the downtown General Improvement District, and the other certifying the general mill levy for the City.

Under the council member comments portion of the agenda, Mayor Marco Dehm brought up a request by the Downtown Development Authority to split the cost (up to $15,000 from the City’s Tourism Fund) to pay for holiday lighting along the newly renovated section of Sixth Street, and on Seventh Street between Colorado and Blake. The City already spends about $50,000 per year to light Grand Avenue during the holidays.

As it was a last-minute request, two Council members, Smith and Schmahl, were opposed, saying such expenses should be planned farther in advance.

A couple of FYIs from the meeting:

On or around Dec. 1, there will be some brush burning going on near Linwood Cemetery on the east side of Glenwood.

An afternoon executive session is planned for City Council’s next regular meeting date, Dec. 4, to discuss legalities surrounding permitting for the planned South Bridge project.

Fire mitigation underway on Basalt Mountain

WILL BUZZERD

Sopris Sun Correspondent

This week, contractors employed by the Town of Basalt hauled their saws and shovels into the forests of Basalt Mountain to continue a wildfire fuels mitigation project begun earlier this year. Since Nov. 17, crew members have been working from 7am to dusk thinning out potential fuel sources in order to minimize risk of wildfires and promote forest health.

Workers started by collecting slash piles in parcels belonging to the Wilds Homeowners Association before moving to the northern units surrounding Ridge Road and Pinon Drive. Work is expected to be completed by early December. Depending on inclement weather, work that isn’t completed during this time will be taken up again in the spring.

The Basalt Mountain Trail System will remain closed for the duration of the work. After the slash piles dry for one to two years, Roaring Fork Fire and Rescue will provide aid by guiding controlled burns.

The project is funded in part by a $88,500 federal grant and is guided by the Colorado State Forest Service. The Town of Basalt has also partnered with the Colorado State Forest Service, Wilds Homeowners Association, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Holy Cross Energy and the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative to complete the project.

In addition to public safety, the fuels mitigation project aims to promote forest health by encouraging varying stages of tree growth.

Regular meeting

This week, the Town of Basalt welcomed its new town manager, Gloria KaaschBuerger. Kaasch-Buerger will be taking the reins from Town Finance Director Doug Pattison, who served as interim town manager following the retirement of Ryan Mahoney earlier this year.

The week also saw a brief meeting on account of the holiday. Town Council began by approving amendments to the Town’s floodplain code in response to a flood insurance study released by FEMA in August of 2019. The new code changes floodplain delineation to include areas around Basalt Industrial Park and Basalt River Park. The Town of Basalt was required to make these changes before January of 2026 in compliance with FEMA policy.

The Town of Basalt also staged the first reading of an ordinance to implement a lodging tax increase pursuant to a question on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Earlier this month, Basalt voters approved a 2% increase to the Town’s lodging tax in order to fund affordable housing projects, increasing the total lodging tax to 6% for the rental of any room for less than 30 consecutive days. Revenue generated from the tax will be directed into a designated fund for affordable housing projects including directly developing new housing or creating partnerships with private and nonprofit entities.

The lodging tax increase is the latest strategy employed by the Town of Basalt to generate funds for affordable housing via the Town’s tourism industry. Earlier this year, Town Council approved a yearly fee for short-term rental units of $2,532 per bedroom in order to generate revenue for workforce housing.

The potential lodging tax increase would kick into effect starting Jan. 1, 2026. A second hearing of the ordinance will be held on Dec. 9.

Trustees reconsider park amenities and Cavern Springs support

RALEIGH BURLEIGH

Sopris Sun Editor

Tuesday’s meeting, Nov. 25, was over in well under an hour. All trustees were in attendance sans Christina Montemayor. Much of the meeting consisted of public comments.

To begin, Judith Alvarez, known locally as director of La Clínica del Pueblo and the Safe Abundant Nutrition Alliance, was the first of three Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park residents to address the board. She emphasized her involvement with Carbondale, including as a member of the Town’s Latino Advisory Board. She said that losing the mobile home park, which is currently on the market, would mean losing families that work in Carbondale and send their kids to Carbondale schools.

Monica Muniz affirmed it, explaining how she’s worked in Carbondale for 35 years, owning a business for 25, shopping and volunteering in Carbondale and sending her daughter to Carbondale schools. Muniz asked that the Town commit $260,000 toward helping these residents preserve their park, $10,000 of which would be designated toward legal expenses.

The third speaker, Kimberly AndresMartinez, graduated from Glenwood Springs High School in 2023 and is now

attending Colorado Mountain College. She explained how convenient Cavern Springs is for her and her younger siblings and how much her family values their home.

The park, located between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale near the Thunder River Market, has 98 lots and is listed for $23 million. Mayor Ben Bohmfalk requested more information about the residents’ strategy for the purchase.

Next, Nanette Weinhold, the new president of the Roaring Fork Pickleball Association (RFPA), asked trustees to reconsider removing the $80,000 for shade structure and bleachers from their 2026 budget, as decided at the Nov. 18 meeting with a split vote. “We’re not asking for a country club experience,” she stated. “We’re looking for shade and seating, which is pretty basic in a park that gets used quite a bit.”

Former RFPA president Trevor Cannon spoke to the economic value of the courts, saying how RFPA has over 500 members and other locals and visitors who are not members also benefit from using the courts. “I would argue it is the most utilized Parks and Rec facility in Carbondale,” he argued.

Lastly, Tristan Purdy made an appeal for putting $30,000 back in the 2026 budget

I Support the SOPRIS SUN!

You might expect that a small-town newspaper would only report on local people and events. But at the Sopris Sun, they write about how global issues affect us, even in this remote place. They report on how the world touches us and the ways we deal on a local level with big issues like tolerance, fairness, hunger, housing, the environment and more. At the Sopris Sun, they know we’re all in this together, not just here but all over the world.

—Linda Criswell

for higher quality sand at the Miners Park volleyball courts. He said that while it’s great the Town is having a conversation about their general fund financing Park and Rec expenses, “I don’t believe we need to attach somewhat of a sacrificial lamb to this in the form of $30,000 for sand replacement.” He added, “Effectively, a baby lamb.”

During trustee comments, there was unanimous approval for adding all three proposals to the agenda for their next regular meeting on Dec. 9. Trustee Jess Robison emphasized, “I would like to be careful moving forward about cutting things without moving things somewhere else if the budget is conservatively

balanced.” She also updated the board that Garfield Clean Energy is making difficult decisions due to funding cuts from Garfield County for 2026. The only action item of the night was a consent agenda that included a contract with Aspen Preservation Company for restoring the rear porch at the Thompson House for $24,200; an ordinance prohibiting the use of and installation of graywater treatment systems; accounts payable. Staff recommended against opting into the State’s authorization of graywater systems because “the public health and safety risks outweigh the benefits given our location and hydrology,” the memo stated.

Contact: Luise Nieslanik (970) 404-1061 luise@soprissun.com

State grant funds locallysourced food, Bridges principal plans exit at end of school year

ANNALISE GRUETER

Sopris Sun Correspondent

In November, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Board of Education held one regular meeting. The Nov. 12 session included an update on student enrollment and related budget work, public comment and the review of several policies and resolutions. Over the past month, the district has announced several student and family related policy changes to take effect within the next year as well as an upcoming leadership change at Bridges High School.

Locally-sourced food

In late October, RFSD announced that it has been awarded the Colorado Local Food Program Grant for the 2025-2026 school year. This funding helps the district purchase Colorado-sourced foods for school meals. RFSD shared that some of the produce incorporated into school meals includes Colorado-grown berries, peaches, elephant heart

plums, evercrisp apples, Olathe corn and Asian pears.

Director of Food & Nutrition Services Octavio A. Maese said, “Being awarded the Local Food Program grant strengthens both our schools and our local producers. Every dollar spent supports nearby farmers, brings fresher ingredients to students’ plates and builds stronger connections between our schools and the community.”

District staff reported that students have responded positively to the fresh produce, particularly the sweet elephant heart plums. Upcoming Local Food Program funds will be used to continue purchasing seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as regionally raised beef.

November board meeting

In the superintendent report, Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Stacey Park focused on enrollment and attendance numbers. A memo highlighted the most significant numbers, including

that district-wide enrollment decreased by more than 100 students compared to last year. However, student attendance has increased slightly compared to last school year, by an average of 0.6%. Cole and Park shared detailed numbers in their presentation deck, including enrollment shifts and demographic changes for each school.

During public comment, longtime elementary school teacher Denise Abate addressed the board. Abate is a third grade teacher at Glenwood Springs Elementary School (GSES). She expressed concerns around the new district-wide resolution to advance educational equity for emerging bilingual students. Abate said that while the need for developing language skills is a crucial issue, she finds the resolution is inadequate when it comes to addressing the learning gap in the district. She claimed there is little to no research supporting the effectiveness of multi-language instruction for

on page 19

ARCTIC CRISIS: BEYOND THE ICE

with Sarah Johnson, climate change educater and Delegate Observer at UNFCCC COP26

An introduction to the rapidly evolving Arctic climate system, and its central role in regulating Earth’s weather and climate during unprecedented planetary change and intensified global challenges.

FREE: Thursday, 1/15, 6-8pm (pre-register)

Adult Community Education Classes

CHOCOLATE - COCOA CLUB

Thursdays, 5-7pm, 12/4-12/11

PAPER WINDOW STARS

Sat, 9:30am-12:30pm, 12/6

PAPER ROSE WINDOWS Sat, 9:30am-12:30pm, 12/13

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI LESSONS AT SPRING GULCH

Fridays/Saturdays in January

INTRO TO TAI CHI

Mon, 10:30-11:30am, 1/12-3/30

PILATES WITH PURPOSE

Mon/Wed, 12-1pm, 1/12-3/4

AIKIDO

Tue/Thur, 6-7:30pm, 1/13-3/5

QIGONG Wed, 10:30-11:30am, 1/14-4/1

PILATES BLEND Wed, 9-10am, 1/14-3/4

EXPLORING LOSS, GRIEF, AND RECOVERY Thurs, 6-8pm, 1/22-2/26

SPANISH - START FROM THE BEGINNING

Thursdays, 5-7pm, 1/22-3/19

ZUMBA Mon, 5:30-6:30pm, 1/26-3/16

PEACEMAKING IN COMMUNITYMEDIATION TRAINING Mon,5:30-8:30pm, 1/26-5/4

Kids Classes

PAPER WINDOW STARS Wednesday, 3-4:45pm, 12/10

GINGERBREAD CONSTRUCTION Saturday, 1-4pm, 12/13

DRAWING FOR KIDS AGE 10-17 Wed, 3-4:30pm, 1/14-2/4

CALENDAR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27

THANKSGIVING

Local libraries, government offices and many businesses will be closed for turkey stuffing today. Garfield County Libraries close at 5pm on Nov. 26.

CARBONDALE TURKEY TROT

Carbondale’s annual Turkey Trot kicks off at 9:30am at the Rec Center. Register in advance at www.bit.ly/Cdale-Turkeys or sign up day-of from 8:30 to 9:15am. The following streets will be closed from 9 to 11am: Main Street, Snowmass Drive, Colorado Avenue and 8th Street.

BASALT TURKEY TROT

The Basalt Education Foundation hosts a 5K Turkey Trot at 9:30am sharp. Sign up in advance at www.givebutter.com/ 2025-Turkey-Trot or register day-of from 8:30 to 9:15am.

FREE MEAL

Faith Lutheran Church (1340 Highway 133, across from Wells Fargo Bank in Carbondale) offers a free drop-in meal between 11am and 1pm sponsored by Carbondale Homeless Assistance.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28

‘FRESH AIR FRIDAY’

As an alternative to Black Friday, the State of Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering free entry to state parks for the day. For a list of parks, visit www.cpw.state.co.us/ state-parks

THANKSGIVING DETOX

The Yoga Collective (1512 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs) offers a class focused on digestion and liver health from 9 to 10:30am.

CRAFT FAIR

Mosey on over to Craft Wellness in Basalt for a community Holiday Wellness Fair from 1 to 4pm.

HOTEL COLORADO

The Hotel Colorado’s 35th annual lighting ceremony begins with a craft fair in the Devereux Ballroom at noon. A live ice-carving demonstration will take place in the courtyard at 2pm, when Glenwood Springs Historical Society Gingerbread competition will also begin inside. Symphony in the Valley will perform at 4pm. Other performances follow with the lighting ceremony at 7pm, followed by A Band Called Alexis with a Christmas show. (Mr. Claus will be around all day.)

HOLIDAY SHOW

The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue’s seasonal holiday show is underway with regular showings at 6pm and Sunday showings at 5pm. Tickets and showtimes at www.gvrshow.com

STEVE’S GUITARS

Chris Weist and Roadside America perform at Steve’s Guitars at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

EASY JIM

Easy Jim performs Grateful Dead music at the Belly Up tonight at 9pm. Tickets at www.bellyupaspen.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29

LANDFILL CLOSURE

The South Canyon Landfill will be closed today due to the City of Glenwood Springs’ holiday schedule, but is open Friday, Nov. 28 with regular hours. The Garfield County Landfill near Rifle is open today, following its Thanksgiving closure Thursday and Friday.

ADOPT A PET

Journey Home Animal Shelter hosts an adoption event at Petco in Glenwood

Springs from 10am to 1pm. Questions? Call 970-625-8808.

REDSTONE ILLUMINATION

Redstone hosts its annual Grand Illumination, starting at 5pm with a stroll from Propaganda Pie down the Boulevard to Redstone Park for the tree lighting and then onto the Redstone Inn for some hot chocolate by the bonfire just outside. Santa and his elves will be at the Inn till 7pm. More details at www.redstonecolorado.com

PAULA POUNDSTONE

Comedian Paula Poundstone performs at the Wheeler Opera House at 7pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

JOHN K’S FURTHERMORE

Former Further guitarist John Kadlecik performs at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1

PET DRIVE

Sopris Lodge and Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District partner to host a pet food and supply drive benefiting Colorado Animal Rescue (C.A.R.E.) today. Wishlist items include: wet and dry cat and/or dog food, new or gently used leashes and collars, toys and large trash bags. Items can be dropped off at either location during the week from 9am to 5pm through Dec. 19.

ARC THRIFT STORE

The new Arc Thrift Store in Glenwood Springs (2001 Grand Ave) hosts a threeday preview period, from 10am to 6pm daily through Dec. 3, ahead of its ribbon cutting on Dec. 4 at 8:30am.

VAUDEVILLE AUDITIONS

The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue hosts auditions for its winter production of “The Secret Garden” today and tomorrow from 6 to 9pm. Email John at reservations@gvrshow.com or call 970-948-8403 to schedule an audition time.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2

WINTER BIRDING

The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies guides winter birding at Hallam Lake from 8 to 11am. Register at www.aspennature.org

PILATES

Coredination offers weekly intermediate pilates mat classes at The Launchpad in Carbondale on Tuesdays from noon to 1pm. Beginners are encouraged to attend sessions at the Third Street Center (Room 20), also on Tuesdays from 9 to 10am. For details, call 970-379-2187.

WORD

Basalt Library offers a class teaching Microsoft Word basics at the Basalt Regional Library at 2:30pm.

FIRE HISTORY

Join the Carbondale Historical Society and Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District for a look back at emergency response over the years. Hear from the folks who have navigated the area’s changing fire and ambulance needs, and have had to make split-second decisions with lives in the balance from 6 to 7pm at Bonfire Coffee. Free, although donations for the Historical Society are appreciated.

MENTAL FITNESS

HeadQuarters hosts a restorative holiday gathering blending creativity, connection and calm at The Collective Snowmass from 6 to 7:30pm.

DRAWING CLUB

Drawing Club meets this week at Mountain Tide Provisions at 6:30pm.

Beans, opened by the talented Carbondale

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3

XMAS COOKIE DECORATING

Colorado Mountain College Lappala Center in Carbondale hosts a kids (8+) Christmas cookie decorating workshop from 3 to 5pm. Register at www.tinyurl.com/CMCxmascookies

DEATH CAFE

Sopris Lodge in Carbondale hosts its quarterly Death Cafe, a safe and relaxed space to explore topics around death guided by Death Doula and end-of-life consultant Akaljeet Khalsa, from 3:30 to 5pm. RSVP by calling 970-678-0057.

CMC ART SALE

Colorado Mountain College Aspen (255 Sage Way) hosts its annual holiday art sale from 11am to 7pm today and tomorrow with an artists’ reception tomorrow from 4 to 7pm.

POINSETTIA ARRANGEMENTS

Join in on a seasonal poinsettia arrangement workshop at the Botany Houseplant Shop from 5:30 to 7pm. Register at www.botanyhouseplantshop.com

LOCAL FILM PREMIER

Catch the world premier of Northrup Studios’ “An Aspen Christmas Conspiracy” at the Wheeler Opera House at 7pm. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com

ASPEN FILM

Aspen Film screens its December indie showcase selection, “SIRAT,” at 7pm at the AF Isis Theatre. Tickets at www.aspenfilm.org

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4

ASPEN AIRPORT

Drop by the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport to preview conceptual design options, ask questions and help guide the next phase of the process. Session 1 is from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Session 2 is from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Learn more at www.aspenairport.com/modernization

STEM EXPLORATION

Join the Aspen Science Center for STEM Exploration Hour at the Carbondale Library from 3:30 to 4:30pm.

GARCO AIRPORT

Garfield County is seeking community input on its development plan for the future of the Rifle Garfield County Airport with an open house from 4:30 to 6pm. Details at www.rifleairport.com

CHOCOLATE 101

Chocolatiere Mark Burrows leads a two-part class on chocolate making from 5 to 7pm today and Thursday, Dec. 11 at the CoCoa Club in Carbondale. This class is a Colorado Mountain College community offering. Register at www.tinyurl.com/CMCchocolate

JASPER JOHNS OPENING

The Powers Art Center hosts an opening reception for its current exhibit, “Jasper Johns: A Whole Can be Only a Part,” from 5 to 7pm. RSVP at www.powersartcenter.org

WINTERFAIRE MARKET

Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork hosts Winterfaire shopping for adults only from 5 to 8pm with live music, food and handmade gifts from over 20 local artisans!

TENSION & TRAUMA RELEASE

Shake off any holiday tension with a tension and trauma release exercise (TRE) session with Lyndsey Harder and Anne Wolf, certified TRE providers, at the Third Street Center from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Register at www.tcfhf.org

COMEDY NIGHT

Steve’s Guitars presents Patio Night Live featuring comedians Eric Gile, Jordan Wood, Beth Brandon and Miller Ford at 8pm. Tickets at www.stevesguitars.net

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5

FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB

The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park hosts Friday Afternoon Club with live music by The Aries Approach, a husband-wife rock duo, from 4:30 to 7:30pm.

LIGHT UP CARBONDALE

Celebrate First Friday on Main Street with hot cocoa and cider and the community tree lighting at 5:30pm. Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra and Dance Initiative’s 970Beatkicks will perform at The Launchpad where Carbondale Arts’ Deck the Walls Holiday Market stays open from 4 to 7pm. Hell Roaring String Band will be at the Crow & Key from 5 to 8pm.

LABOR OF LOVE

KDNK’s Labor of Love Auction fundraiser takes place at Thunder River Theatre from 5 to 8:30pm. Catch the live auction portion at 7pm. To register, visit www.kdnk.org

ONGOING EVENTS

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

The Meeting Place in Carbondale (981 Cowen Drive) offers “Hole in the Donut AA,” Monday through Saturday at 6:45am, plus “Daily Reprieve” at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Find a full schedule at www.meetingplacecarbondale.org

ROARING FORK ZEN

A new Zen meditation community based in Carbondale gathers for meditation at True Nature to sit from 8 to 9am on Mondays and 7:30 to 8:30pm on Wednesdays weekly.

TAI CHI

Community tai chi sessions are hosted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10am at the Third Street Center. Newcomers are welcome. For details, email jhof@rof.net

MOMMY MEET-UP

The Glenwood Springs Library hosts a “mommy meet-up” on Mondays from 11am to 12:30pm for mothers and their babies ages 0 to 3. There will be play items provided for the little ones and coffee and conversation for the moms.

PARKINSON’S EXERCISES

An exercise class for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, MS or any other neuromuscular conditions is offered at the Glenwood Springs Library every Monday from 1 to 2pm. For more details, email dnovak@parkinsonrockies.org or call 866-718-2996.

IN STITCHES

The In Stitches Knitting Club meets at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 1:30pm.

BOARD GAMES

Kids (5 and up) play board games in the Treehouse Room at the Basalt Library Mondays at 4pm. Snacks provided.

RAGING GRANNIES

All are welcome to join the Raging Grannies, singing for a healthy planet and a kind world, on Wednesdays at the Two Rivers Unitarian Universalists office at the Third Street Center from 4:30 to 5:45pm.

CRYSTAL RIVER AIKIKAI

Crystal River Aikikai offers aikido classes for kids from 4:45 to 5:45pm and teens and adults from 6 to 7pm on Mondays at 13 Moons Ranch, south of Carbondale.

ENGLISH IN ACTION

Volunteer English tutors and developing learners meet for informal conversational practice at the Carbondale Library every Monday at 6:30pm. Interested in becoming a tutor? Email angela@englishinaction.org or call 970-963-9200.

AFRICAN DANCE

Dance to live drumming by the Carbondale Rhythm Collective at the Glenwood Springs Library on Mondays from 6:30 to 8pm.

BABY STORYTIME

The Carbondale Library hosts baby storytime at 11:30am on Tuesdays.

RAISING A READER

Basalt Library hosts an hour of storytime, activities and snacks Tuesdays at 10:30am.

PILATES

Coredination offers weekly pilates mat classes for all levels at The Launchpad in Carbondale. Tuesdays from noon to 1pm intermediate/advanced students are welcome. Beginners are encouraged to attend on Thursdays from 8 to 9am. For more info, call 970-379-2187.

From Executive Director Todd Chamberlin

A Thanksgiving Reflection — and a Word of Thanks

This Thanksgiving carries special meaning for me. As I recover from prostate cancer surgery, I’ve had time to reflect on what truly gives life strength and meaning — and I’ve found those answers in family, in community, and in the quieter spiritual grounding that helps us through difficult seasons.

The care, encouragement, and connection I’ve felt from so many of you have reminded me why this work at The Sopris Sun matters. When I think about all the ways our community shows up for one another — in moments of challenge and in moments of celebration — I’m reminded that this same spirit fuels everything we do. It’s what keeps our mission alive.

As I mark five years in this role, I am more grateful than ever for the privilege of serving The Sopris Sun, Sol del Valle, and Sopris Stars, our new Youth News Bureau insert - all of which are important cornerstones of our communities.

To our readers:

Thank you for welcoming our reporting into your homes and routines, for sharing your stories, and for supporting the local businesses and advertisers who make it possible for us to keep this public service free for everyone.

To our donors and grantors:

Your generosity sustains our bilingual, nonprofit newsroom and reflects your belief that free, local news is essential to a healthy, connected valley. Because of you, local voices are heard — in English and Spanish — and the next generation of journalists is already learning to tell the stories of this place we all call home.

To our sponsors and advertising partners: Your partnership is essential to this work week after week. Your investment strengthens our local economies, lifts up small businesses, and fuels a vital public good. Thank you for helping us keep the community informed, engaged, and connected.

To our nonprofit and media partners: Your collaboration reminds us that storytelling is not just about information — it’s about amplifying voices, developing connection, and helping our valley understand itself. Together, we make this community stronger.

To our employees, students, freelancers, contributors and board members:

Your dedication, creativity, and service bring this work to life. You make it possible for our valley to stay informed, empowered, and seen.

This year, more than ever, I’m grateful for the gift of an extraordinary community and for all who help it shine. Together, we keep the spirit of local journalism alive — with gratitude for today and hope for tomorrow — something we continue to make possible together.

With heartfelt thanks,

Todd Chamberlin Executive Director

1,

2 | November 27 - December 24, 2025

Teens take on public discourse

ARTHUR CHERITH

Sopris Stars Correspondent

For 75 years, the Aspen Institute has made space to encourage thoughtful discussions, develop leadership skills and navigate complex problems. What began as a post World War II effort to rebuild civil discourse has evolved into a well organized model for dialogue. Today, the institute extends the same to younger generations through increasingly accessible youth programs that are deeply rooted in the original structure, including the Teen Socrates and Hurst Great Ideas seminars.

The Teen Socrates Seminars are intended for young people ages 15 to 17, and the Hurst Great Ideas Seminars are meant for eighth graders.

More than 20 years ago, the Aspen Institute recognized that while its adult seminars draw leaders from across the world, young people had far less access to such immersive thought opportunities. Katie Carlson, the institute’s Aspen Community Programs manager, explained the lasting impact of the expansion.

“I was really inspired by the community work we do, because Aspen Institute can have high barriers to entry

IN THIS ISSUE

Carbondale’s next big splash

PAGE 2

Balancing fear and the American Dream

PAGE 4

sometimes,” she said. “In this program we work on making sure everything is affordable. We do a summer lecture series that is free in the summer and we have great donors that help fund programs.”

The push to open its doors wider was due to similar reasons that motivated its founding. Carlson explained that, after World War II, Aspen Institute's founders believed that the conflict had exposed a serious failure in communication.

“Part of the problem is that we don't talk to each other [or] have forums for civil dialogue,” she said. “We don't have people from both sides coming together and having these meaningful discussions.”

The youth programs are a direct response to that growing concern; created to offer students structured experiences in dialogue, reflection and problem solving.

The Teen Socrates and Hurst Great Ideas seminars are modeled after the institute’s Executive Seminar that has brought global leaders together for decades. “We thought, ‘If they can do it, why can't teenagers?’” Carlson said.

Reflecting on cultural respect with local educators and spiritual leaders

PAGE 5

From Nov. 7 through 9, the intention was manifested at the Rifle Library. There, the Teen Socrates Seminar brought together students from all over the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys for three days

of intense discussion. Participants read texts on philosophical dilemmas, human rights questions, historical conflicts and interpersonal values. After each reading, students engaged in guided conversations about how

real-world problems might be solved — while also considering the constraints that do exist in these conflicts — and how personal values shape understandings of justice, collaboration and responsibility.

Carbondale’s next big splash the Sopris Stars

When we were little, summer meant one thing: the Carbondale pool. We both remember taking our first swim lessons there. We’d run down the deck until a lifeguard blew her whistle and yelled, “WALK!” We remember having our birthday parties at the pool, playing Marco Polo in the water and drinking root beer floats on the shady grass.

For us, the pool has never just been about swimming — it's about connection and community. For as long as we can remember, we have played on the diving board, front flipping and belly flopping off with our classmates. We have met new friends in the changing rooms and in line for the slide. We would lie on the hot cement after the lifeguards forced us out of the pool for the mandatory sunscreen reapplication period.

Now, as high school students serving on the Carbondale Parks and Recreation Commission, we’re seeing that same pool, but from a whole new perspective. We’re watching what it takes to design, plan and fund a full renovation. We get to include our opinions in the process and ensure that youth voices in Carbondale are being heard.

We’ve learned that projects like this don’t just appear out of nowhere. They take years of planning, fundraising and community dedication. To start this project, voters approved a bond. Additional support has come from the Town of Carbondale, the state and the county. So far, local families and organizations have contributed an additional $1 million,

By Nick Nardecchia & Mali Sparhawk

highlighting just how much this town cares about its future.

In Carbondale, helping each other is a way of life. Kids know pretty much everyone at their school by first name, every car gets a wave and neighbors water each others’ plants or walk one anothers’ dogs when the other is out of town. A strong community has become the expectation in Carbondale — from First Friday to Mountain Fair to Our Town, One Table, we show up for each other. A new pool will only make this community stronger.

On the Fourth of July, the new pool will host cardboard boat races and hand out watermelon again; kids will have a place to play together while parents get time to relax. The pool will become the backbone of Carbondale, and we, as current high school seniors, cannot wait to have a fun place to catch up with friends.

We know this project has been a long process, but it's important to understand that this isn’t just a pool. It’s an investment in Carbondale’s future.

It’s being built for everyone: families who’ll spend long summer days there, high schoolers who’ll lifeguard or teach swim lessons, adults swimming early laps before work and grandparents joining water aerobics classes.

The new facility will feature a six-lane lap pool, a 2,500-square-foot recreation pool, a large hot tub, a diving board and even a climbing wall. It will be the first all-electric aquatics facility in Colorado, making it an innovative and environmentally responsible project.

There’s still about $500,000 left to raise, and this is where everyone in Carbondale can help. Whether it’s donating, sharing the campaign or simply talking about it, every bit of support matters.

continued on page 7

Letters to the Editor

Congratulations, Sopris Stars! So enjoyed every article and am delighted that a high school paper is in print. Congratulations to all of you for an excellent job.

Gayle Wells Sopris Sun Board member

Have something to shout about? Email letters to the editor for publication in The Sopris Stars to youthnews@soprissun.com

Youth Editor Lou Gall lou@soprissun.com

Anna Sophia Brown anna@soprissun.com

Arthur Cherith arthur@soprissun.com

Aurora Egan aurora@soprissun.com

Kate Ott katelynn@soprissun.com

Giselle “Gigi” Rascon giselle@soprissun.com

Vivienne Shapiro vivienne@soprissun.com

Youth Journalism Director

James Steindler james@soprissun.com

Youth Journalism Instructor

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale

Graphic Designer

Terri Ritchie

The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Donations are fully tax deductible. The Sopris Stars is made possible thanks to The Sopris Sun. Support The Sopris Stars Youth News Bureau by making a donation at www.soprissun.com/donate

REVIEW BY AURORA EGAN Sopris Stars Correspondent

“The 39 Steps,” produced by Upstage Productions and directed by Sam Stableford and Iggy Richardson, was a fully student-run play that graced the stage at Roaring Fork High School from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8.

“The 39 Steps” follows a man named Richard Hannay after he is framed for the murder of Annabelle Schmidt, who claimed to be a spy being chased by assassins. Hannay flees from the police, and the same assassins, who pursue him throughout the rest of the story. Throughout his escape, he comes across a multitude of characters who help him along the way as he uncovers the secret of “The 39 Steps.”

The cast was made up of a group of 10 very talented individuals, all bringing something pivotal to the show. None of the actors were on mic, so they had to work twice as hard to make sure their voices carried throughout the venue. The actors also spoke in a vast array of accents displayed throughout the show, including: British, Irish, Scottish and

German. Almost every cast member played multiple roles, capturing each character's personality well.

But where this show really shines is through its comedy. The execution of every joke was thoughtfully planned out, allowing each gag and quip to land perfectly. One that was particularly entertaining was when Hannay was evading the police and found himself on a train. Because of the narrow

alley between the seats, it became a struggle for characters to squeeze by each other, creating a comical sequence where everyone was tripping over one another during an otherwise suspenseful scene. This production excelled in acting diversity, energy and sharpness. The onstage actors were not the only highlight, as this show was also supported by a very strong backstage and tech crew. Scene changes

were quick and efficient, as were the lighting cues. For instance, whenever a character would mimic turning on a light in the show, the stage lights would match up almost instantaneously. The costumes were another highlight, fitting for the time period and also looked wonderful on stage. Altogether, the cast and crew, consisting solely of high school-aged youth, delivered a put-together, professional, en-

gaging and, above all, hilarious show that had the audience in rapturous laughter.

When asked what drew Roaring Fork senior Sam Stableford and junior Iggy Richardson, the director and assistant director, respectively, to “The 39 Steps,” Stableford explained that he had been a part of the same play before and dreamed of directing it ever since.

Upstage Productions is a student-founded production company, and “The 39 Steps” is its second production, following “Sleepy Hollow” in the fall of 2024. Stableford emphasized that Upstage Productions is student-run, but added that they do receive occasional help from Thunder River Theatre Company and Sol Theatre Company.

Stableford and Richardson specifically expressed gratitude for Jennifer Austin Hughes, the founder and director of Sol Theatre. Stableford elaborated that Hughes has been a large mentor in his life, a huge supporter of the “The 39 Steps” production and of immense help to both

Balancing fear and the American Dream

ANNA SOPHIA BROWN Sopris Stars Correspondent

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to the sensitivity of this article, student sources were kept anonymous.

Latino and white communities are intertwined in the Roaring Fork Valley, yet young immigrants, or children thereof, have felt threatened under President Donald Trump’s administration in the wake of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity

Though Mexican restaurants are local favorites and the Día De Los Muertos procession is a popular tradition in Carbondale, members of the immigrant community are facing a daunting reality. The Roaring Fork School District was 56.6% Latino during the 2024-2025 school year, according to the Colorado Department of Education’s demographic data. To be exact, 3,311 of the 5,842

Interviews with local Latino students revealed the underlying fear surroundcultural challenges that immigrants and

“I consider myself American,” an 18 year old from Roaring Fork High School said. “But it can be hard to be prideful

balance between her Mexican heritage and American citizenship — is beautiful, but can also be challenging. She is the first person in her family to be born in the United States and have experienced growing up here. She’s grateful to have access to so many new opportunities, members’ comparable disadvantages.

She not only has to guide her younger siblings, but her parents as well. She said that she has had to navigate school events, federal student aid and college applications alone.

“As the oldest, I’ve been forced to grow up faster than everyone else,” she said.

Growing up in the Valley, she often felt left out. She, along with other interviewees, described a social divide between Anglo and Latino students that can exist, and that friend groups are often composed of either or.

On a national scale, she feels like she has fallen victim to generalizations. “They [immigrants] are being categorized as criminals, but we’re not. It’s such a small group of people who are,” she stated.

She felt like Carbondale had always been safe, but under the Trump administration, she and her family have been afraid to travel, or even at times leave the house. Her parents, who have lived and worked in the Valley for over 20 years, began the process of switching bank accounts into her name due to the looming threat of deportation. She sometimes fears “the worst case scenarios.”

“What if they are not at my graduation?” she wondered.

Another student at Roaring Fork, 17, described how she often doesn’t feel like she is considered American, despite being born here. She feels like some only consider Americans as “white,” and, because that does not apply to her, she feels foreign.

She described the fear that surrounded Trump's first election and the possibility of her parents being deported. In his second term, those fears have felt even more real as she’s watched the impact ICE has had on immigrant communities.

She’s also experienced an increase in discrimination directed towards her and other Latinos. She wondered if it was still there when she was little, but naivety blinded her. In January 2025, she visited North Carolina where a man yelled at her and her family, “Go back to your country.”

“We can’t even travel out of the fear of ICE,” she said.

Although she is a citizen, she said she felt relief when the school district enacted a policy promising that ICE would be unable to enter the schools without a warrant.

Voces Unidas de las Montañas, an organization based in Glenwood Springs that advocates for Latinos’ rights and well-being regionally, is helping pave a path through the uncertainty.

“Our larger mission is to make the Western Slope, and therefore Colorado, more equitable for all,” said Alex Sánchez, the president and CEO of Voces Unidas.

The organization has a 24/7 emergency hotline that acts as a tool to report and/or request information regarding missing family members, or to report ICE or supposed ICE activity. Voces Unidas investigates and verifies such reports.

“It's critical for the times we live in. It’s important that we also confirm when it isn’t ICE, when it isn’t immigration control,” Sánchez said.

“Because the people impacted by ICE are traumatized by any rumor, any

continued on page 8

Reflecting on cultural respect with local educators and spiritual leaders

ANALYSIS BY VIVIENNE SHAPIRO

Sopris Stars Correspondent

Every moment in our lives can influence who we are.

Our culture.

Our beliefs.

Our values.

Every single day we have the opportunity to make choices that will determine not only who we are in the privacy of our heads, but also who we are to the world around us. But, for some of us, a path is paved before we even touchdown on this earth.

To many, there will always be that kid on the school playground who looks at them funny; not because of what they have to say, but because of their lineage. Their race. Their language. Their religion. Discrimination is inevitably present within society, and when it’s not direct persecution, it still creates division. The answer may not be to become one, but to remain many who value all.

“I don't like the image of the melting pot … the idea of us all just melting into one glob. I like the image of a salad. We’re all mixed together and some of us are tomatoes, and some of us are cucumbers. The best salads have the most stuff in them,” Shira Stutman, lead Rabbi at Aspen Jewish Congregation, told The Sopris Stars.

People partially mold their cultural values while engaging in their commu-

nities, surrounded by others — and for kids, that means the classroom. When it comes to cultural education and inclusivity in schools, what’s the best way to inform kids, while also fostering respect?

“Cultural education … It's a critical component to how we make sense of the world around us,” Carbondale Middle School Principal Micheal Logan said.

But it’s not always so simple. Schools face the challenge of ensuring that respect is maintained, but can still battle pushback when making decisions regarding how much culture and religion is appropriate within schools.

Mandi Franz, the principal of Ross Montessori school explained the school’s navigation of religion.

“How do we want to present ourselves to our community? And what would be inclusive to everybody?” she asked. “We, as a Montessori school, try to honor the cultures and beliefs of all our students.”

However, the school participates in no "commercialized holidays,” according to Franz. Instead, they have an “events and happenings” calendar. “That's like a list of the things that we do celebrate … without making it specific to different holidays,” she added.

Examples of these events include Harvest Festival instead of Halloween, among others. While Ross doesn’t celebrate any mainstream holidays, Carbon-

dale Middle School celebrates a few.

“On Halloween day, when kids [were] streaming in and wearing costumes, [it’s] definitely a joyful experience,” Logan said. “We also try to acknowledge that not everybody celebrates Halloween, and in our announcements that I send home we made it clear what expectations are.”

Taking in lessons from both local educators and spiritual leaders has an impact on the perspectives of local youth.

“I mean, it’s kind of fun to do it in a different way, because our school is kind of unique,” said Lucy Sontag, an upperelementary student at Ross, emphasizing that kids are paying attention to how culture and religion are approached.

While the approaches of all of these educators vary, their goals are coherent. Mandi Read, a former Carbondale Community School teacher and the youth pastor at The Orchard Church in Carbondale, hopes students develop “a true love for other people, and respect for other people.” When asked why she feels it is important to learn about different cultures and religions, she said, “As a Christian, I would want to know about other religions, so I know how to love you … know where you’re coming from,” she said.

Just like there is more than one way to teach about culture and religion, there are also different approaches to edu-

cating youth about discrimination that could help decrease it in the community. It can feel impossible to educate about culture without educating about persecution simultaneously. The prospect of teaching about the horrors of the past, such as the Holocaust or slavery, can be overwhelming for educators to teach, much less for students to understand. And perhaps it doesn’t have to be related to religion. “We teach about anti-Semitism the same way we would teach about racism or homophobia or sexism,” Stutman said. “To teach about hatred in a vacuum … without teaching about the joy and the gifts, feels to me like it’s checking a box but missing the point.”

School clubs create a sense of belonging, including Club Aire Libre

LOU GALL Sopris Stars Editor

Clubs are a pivotal part of most students' schooling experience, offering a sense of belonging to countless people. These micro communities are pillars of our schools, bringing like-minded individuals together to share ideas. Unfortunately, the value clubs bring can often be overlooked.

Roaring Fork Valley schools promote building community and respect, and clubs do exactly this — building strong relationships among staff and students alike. Glenwood Springs High School (GSHS), along with the other Roaring Fork Schools, offers a surplus of club opportunities that are deserving of recognition.

For instance, Club Aire Libre is focused on reaching the emerging bilingual community at GSHS. This group has two monthly trips between August and May each year. Members foster fluency and long-lasting friendships through exploring Colorado’s beautiful outdoors.

“Each climb is a lesson in resilience,” said Justin Meagher, one of the club’s facilitators. “Each trail is a sentence in a story about belonging.”

Students participate in activities from hikes up mountains to skiing down them, while developing stewardship and outdoor skills through new and unique experiences. However, they can't do this alone. Teachers volunteer their weekends and rely on community donations for supplies. The longevity of the program is also made possible due to partnerships with Ragged Mountain Sports and Aspen One, so this club is able to support its mission.

Do you know of a club that should be highlighted in The Sopris Stars? If so, email youthnews@soprissun.com with details.

Your voice matters.

Fashion Review POOL from page 2

Inside Simona’s Boutique

GISELLE “GIGI” RASCON

Fashion Correspondent

Glenwood’s new retail space is stylish and bold

What if we put our fears aside?

That’s exactly what Brenda V. Perea did when she opened Simona's Boutique at 2114 Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs, turning a two-year dream of owning her

own fashion house into a reality. Along with her husband's support, she transformed four walls into a space filled with glamour and casual wear.

Upon entering, visitors immediately are drawn to the detail she poured into every square inch. It has a perfect harmony of chic décor and an inviting ambience, ideal for those who want to take the time to treat themselves. The glistening accessories, denim with tasteful hems, and racks of thoughtfully curated outfits guide visitors deeper into the space. Within, there are subtle, chic Western influences, like textures, beading and silhouettes — accents that nod to the Valley's culture without overwhelming the modern aesthetic.

For Perea, the boutique is more than a store. It’s an experience. Her passion has followed her throughout her life. She wanted more wardrobe options in the Valley. Her offerings speak exactly to that: glamorous yet easy pieces to incorporate into everyday wear, trendy yet timeless, casual infused with character.

“[It’s] a little bit of everything for everyone,” she said.

To build a business in this valley often means first stepping forward with fearless intention. I'm sure many of you are aware. In 2015, Glenwood Springs was ranked seventh among the richest small towns in America, according to a Post Independent back then, and a Bloomberg Business analysis.

Now on her second business venture, Perea continues to look for new doors to step through. Her mission through fashion is to make anyone who enters her doors feel comfortable with what they wear and who they are. Her boutique invites customers to blend her pieces into their own style and wardrobes, to explore something new and leave feeling inspired. Simona's Boutique is curated for anyone who wants to look good and feel good.

Her message to women chasing their dreams is a reminder she hopes they carry with them:

“It's difficult, but never impossible.”

SPRUCE UP THE SUN ART CONTEST!

It’s that time of year, when e Sopris Sun invites young people to submit artistic entries for its annual Spruce Up e Sun contest. e winning illustration(s) will be featured on the cover of the Dec. 25 holiday issue. Contestants, or their parents, can submit scanned submissions to news@soprissun.com or place a hard copy in the submission box outside of e Launchpad in Carbondale (76 South Fourth Street). Preschoolers through high school seniors are welcome to submit.

¡EMBELLECE EL SOL!

Ha llegado la época del año en que Sol del Valle invita a los jóvenes a presentar obras de arte para su concurso anual Embellece el Sol. La(s) ilustración(es) ganadora(s) aparecerá(n) en la portada de la edición navideña del 25 diciembre. El tema de este año es Armonía Navideña, las obras deben re ejar el tema, y, por favor, abstenerse de utilizar brillantina.

Theme:

Temática:

As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This is no exception. Everyone’s help is needed for this big project.

When the pool opens in spring 2026, we’ll be graduating from high school and moving away from Carbondale. But we look forward to coming home to see kids jumping into the same water we once did and friends standing at lifeguarding posts, blowing their whistles, just in a better, more sustainable and more accessible space. That’s the kind of progress that makes us proud to call Carbondale home.

Because at the end of the day, the pool has never just been about swimming. It’s about connection, growth and the moments that make a town feel like a family. We can’t wait to see the big splash of its next chapter.

Learn more and contribute at www.carbondalerec.com/ aquatics

RULES:

• Students from kindergarten to high school are invited to enter

• Paper size: 8 1/2” wide x 11 high”

• A variety of media is permitted, but not glitter or three-dimensional elements

• Bright, bold colors are recommended

• Please write the child’s name, age, grade, school and a parent’s contact information (on the back of the page)

REGLAS:

Deadline: DECEMBER 12

Fecha Límite: 12 DE DICIEMBRE

• Estudiantes de kindergarten a high school están invitados a entrar

• Tamaño de papel: 8 1/2 x 11”

• Se puede utilizar una variedad de materiales, pero no destellos ni elementos tres-dimensionales

• Se recomienda colores brillantes

• Por favor, incluir el nombre del artista, su edad, curso, escuela y información de contacto para su pariente (en la parte atrás de la página)

Last Year’s Winner

P.O. Box 399, Carbondale CO 81623

insinuation that ICE is in their communities. We don’t want schools half empty, and we don’t want people to stop being able to go to work or use public transportation. We don’t want people to stop enjoying their lives out of fear.”

“It's also critical, obviously, to confirm and report when there is, in fact, ICE activity, and when there is an operation in our community," he continued.

“Because people are literally being picked up off the streets and families are being separated.”

A third high school senior said that her parents, and most immigrants, come to the United States to try and create a better life for their family and themselves. She said that the same people who fly Trump flags may be kind to her face, but ultimately supported a government that wished her family had not come to the United States.

She described how scared she was before her mother had officially attained citizenship.

“I was terrified. ‘What if my mom doesn’t come home? What if my dad isn’t there?’” she said. “No child should have to experience that.”

“ICE is tearing families apart. What we need is to bring people together,” she added.

THEATER from page 3 him and Richardson.

Stableford spoke to the importance of the arts, especially in a place like Carbondale where there are more performing arts opportunities than other rural places, though they are still limited.

“We have so much untapped talent, and I’m surprised we’re not using it,” Stableford said.

To young people interested in pursuing the theater, Stableford emphasizes the importance of building a stable support system.

SEMINARS

Because of his personal involvement in the arts over the years, Stableford had an abundance of people he could call on to aid his endeavors. Acting experience is not required, and Stableford encouraged all high school students who are interested to join Upstage Productions.

Richardson explained how he has gone through many different roles of many different sizes and implored young people interested in theater not to be discour-

One of the defining aspects of Teen Socrates is the emphasis on active listening. Rather than raising hands, students are encouraged to observe the room, make space for others and speak thoughtfully. This structure exists because “everyone at the table could learn from each other, and deep down we aren't all that different,” Carlson said. The desired result was achieved: Students were more focused on one another, less focused on competing for airtime and invested in understanding perspectives different from their own.

Carlson hopes the youth programs will counteract the sense of disconnection many teens are feeling.

aged when they don't get the largest role upfront.

“It’s definitely just trusting the process,” Richardson said. “Just keep improving.”

He commended the directors he has had in the past for their encouragement as he pursued the arts.

Richardson articulated how excited he is to carry on the legacy Stableford will leave behind after graduation.

Richardson only hopes that after he graduates next school year that Upstage Productions will live on.

“I hope they can feel inspired that other smart, thoughtful teens are out there,” she said. “So much of our world is digital and online and it can feel like we are losing humanity. It's a huge point for human connection. We can come together as people and talk as the world gets more polarized.”

She also emphasized that the youth seminars are made possible by community support. They are “generously funded by the Wall Family Foundation and the Hurst Family Foundation,” allowing the seminars to be affordable for local teens, she said.

In the near future, the Aspen Institute will continue to expand youth involvement with more opportunities

the QR code to support Upstage Productions. Donations are managed by Sol Theatre Company.

to participate.

“We have some upcoming seminars in the spring,” Carlson said. “One in Aspen over President's Day weekend, another in Aspen in March and a virtual seminar in May."

The focus on youth reflects the institute's expansive mission to ensure that meaningful dialogue continues for generations and isn't reserved for a few on occasion but rather practiced by all. Through these seminars, the Aspen Institute believes that thoughtful discussion and thoughtful listening can shape a better future.

For a list of upcoming youth seminars, visit www.tinyurl.com/TeenSeminars

SUPPORT THE SOPRIS STARS YOUTH NEWS BUREAU

Ensure the journalism of tomorrow by supporting our youth program today.

The Sopris Sun’s youth journalism program is in its fifth year, but recently published the first Sopris Stars insert on Oct. 30, 2025, a monthly publication where all

youth-generated content will live.

Our Sopris Stars interns learn from a plethora of talented professionals, from top-notch journalists to cartoonists and photographers. Interns practice handson journalism, from requesting an interview to finalizing an article, with

guidance from regular instructors. The intent of The Sopris Stars insert is to provide young people with a reliable and accountable source of news meant for both their eyes and the wider community. High school students interested in participating, can visit www.soprissun.com/future

One Night Only: Gripping

“Girl Climber” to air at Crystal Theatre benefitting GSHS Climbing Club

ALISON OSIUS

Sopris Sun Contributor

Thunk. Emily Harrington throws her foot — her heel — up beside her fingers, straining to traverse a two-inch granite edge high on El Capitan, in the wind and weather, where the trees 2,500 feet below look like sprigs. She is trying to climb, as the film “Girl Climber” documents, the demanding Golden Gate route up the 3,000-foot monolith in Yosemite in a single day.

The mission, this climbing champion says in the film, is “the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” and the tight action sequence shows the athleticism and laser focus of really hard free climbing on El Cap — using hands and feet only, relying on gear only for falls.

The film director, Jon Glassberg, marvels at the scene. “It’s a really cool sequence of two-finger pockets in a quartz dike,” he wrote in an email. “It’s amazing.” Harrington is hanging on by two fingers and a heel.

Cinematic yet intimate, “Girl Climber” shows a top athlete committing years of her life to something uncertain, while also hoping to start a family, as that clock ticks. It has a deeply affecting context of mentorship and loss. It has, yes, we promise, Alex

Honnold of “Free Solo,” ever a forthright and humorous presence.

Add to the list of reasons to see it: A special showing of “Girl Climber” at the Crystal Theatre will benefit the climbing club at Glenwood Springs High School.

The showing, Dec. 3, was the idea of Trevor Doty, an environmental science teacher at GSHS who runs the climbing club which is currently composed of eight kids (four girls, four boys), though that number may pick up when the current school play ends.

Doty chose this film, he said, “because it sounded like more of a story of someone, rather than some person going back to the same 5.15 [top climbing level] over and over, and we see them fall and scream and get mad and try again. It’s more the broader story that draws me. ‘The Dawn Wall’ [2017] was an incredible film about Tommy Caldwell that goes into his life.”

Doty’s aim with the club, he said, is “to lessen the barrier for entry for kids who have never climbed.” The climbing-club fee is $75, which covers five evening visits to Eagle Climbing + Fitness during cold months; in warm weather, the weekly sessions take place on cliffs near No Name. Five gym sessions can go quickly, yet charging more money for the club

would be a disincentive. Benefit proceeds will help fund more training time, also transportation and equipment.

When Doty phoned Will Grandbois, general manager of the theater under the new Crystal Theatre Alliance, Grandbois called back within an hour confirming. “This is exactly the kind of project that we want to support as a nonprofit,” Grandbois said. “It’s community-minded and that’s what we want to be.”

He had spoken to the film’s production company earlier this year but felt the theater needed a partner to bring in what might seem a niche film. “We got [an opportunity] that was a benefit and vibed with the mission, and it was a no-brainer,”

IN A NUTSHELL

What: “Girl Climber” screening to benefit GSHS climbing club

Where: Crystal Theatre, Carbondale

When: Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7pm (6:30pm doors)

How: Tickets at the door and www.bit.ly/Crystal-showing, $22

he said. ”The people who will be reached by the climbing club are the people who’d want to see it.”

continued on page 19

“When a child in the community is healthy and thriving, their family is able to be healthy and thriving, and the schools are healthy and thriving, and that ripples into a larger community impact.”

- Lindsay Lofaro, Buddy Program Executive Director

The Buddy Program empowers youth through mentoring experiences to achieve their full potential and is a grant recipient of the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund.

The voter supported Healthy Community Fund assists the Pitkin County community by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that provide critical health and human services and community resources. Learn more at: pitkincounty.com/hcf

Nordic Council continues improvement projects ahead of Spring Gulch ski season

JOHN STROUD Sopris Sun Correspondent

Mitigating the impacts of climate change and drought has been a continued focus for Mt. Sopris Nordic Council as cross country skiers await the first snow flakes of the season to settle on the Spring Gulch ski area west of Carbondale.

A pair of trail work days in late September and early October concentrated on vegetation management throughout the 28-kilometer trail network, plus fence building, rock removal and other preparations ahead of what will be the 39th season of skiing at Spring Gulch.

The Nordic Council is the nonprofit organization that holds the lease with the private landowners and manages the wintertime ski trails on the North Thompson Cattlemens’ Association land when the cattle are pasturing at lower elevations.

This past year, the organization successfully completed its $700,000 capital campaign aimed at completing several improvements at the ski area.

That work began two years ago with the construction of a second parking lot and trailhead on the Marion Gulch Road and several new trails in the upper reaches of the trail system that are better able to hold snow.

Work continued this fall, including the removal of several aspen trees near the trail

intersection of North Star and Finlandia that had died off due to drought, explained Nordic Council Executive Director Rachel Bachman Perkins.

“This is really important for stewardship, as it promotes regeneration and rejuvenation of new vegetation,” she said. “With the aspen, and same with the oak brush that’s overgrown in places, if you cut that out, the smaller growth responds and starts to grow and thrive in its place.”

Removing the dead aspen also serves as a safety measure, so that the trees don’t fall over onto the trails when people are on them, Bachman Perkins said.

In addition, it promotes year-round health of the Spring Gulch area, which serves as grazing land for the ranchers during the warmer months. Thinning the oak brush also helps with wildfire mitigation, she noted.

“With the oak brush, we’ve been strategically cutting that back along the south side of the trails, sparking new growth where we want it so that it blocks wind and sun, and keeps the snow better,” she said.

Another big project this fall was to remove about 200 exposed boulders from just beneath the newer trails off the Marion lot. Not only can those large rocks damage grooming equipment and skis when the snow coverage is thin, they serve to speed melting when they become exposed to the

sun, Bachman Perkins said.

Several of the larger boulders now line the perimeter of the Marion Gulch parking lot, which has also been filled and regraded to lessen sun exposure. The boulders also serve to block would-be vandals from driving onto the trails, she said.

A pair of vandalism incidents last season, including vehicles on the trails and portable toilets being damaged by fireworks, and one that was completely burned out, led to arrests and juvenile criminal charges. The Nordic Council worked with YouthZone on a restorative justice plan for the two perpetrators, who were each given 20 hours of community service and were put to work at Spring Gulch over the summer, Bachman Perkins said.

Security cameras have now been placed at the parking lots to guard against future vandalism.

Additional improvements Spring Gulch users will notice this coming season are new fencing, wood chips at the two trailheads to prevent muddy spots, modifications to the trail maps and new kilometer markers along the trails for easier navigation, she said.

While Spring Gulch had a much-earlier-than usual Thanksgiving Day opening last season, trail managers are hoping that snow in the forecast for this weekend will help get things going. But it will likely be a few weeks before the trails are ready.

continued on page 19

Sprazzo poised to open soon at 689 Main Street

RALEIGH BURLEIGH

Sopris Sun Editor

Sprazzo, a new Italian-themed restaurant, will open on Main Street (hopefully) “in time for the holidays,” Justin “Chester” White told The Sopris Sun.

The restaurant will be operated under the same business umbrella as Main Line Social, another new restaurant currently under construction on Highway 133. Chester, the owner of both ventures, is a father of two young children and first came to Carbondale teaching with the High School High Scholar program at Colorado Rocky Mountain School.

During a September interview, he and his staff for both restaurants — Rodrigo Ramirez (general manager) and Daniel Leon (executive chef) — treated The Sopris Sun to a sampling of Sprazzo’s made-from-scratch cuisine. From a whipped eggplant dip with garlic and marjoram to fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta — every one of Leon’s appetizers and dishes we sampled was bursting with flavor and creativity.

“Carbondale is a sleepy town sometimes,” Chester noted. “Do restaurants close early because people don’t go out, or is it the other way around… People don’t go out because restaurants close

early?” Sprazzo intends to bring fresh energy to finding out.

The team explained exactly how they will draw people in: with a vibrant, casual atmosphere and “undeniably delicious Italian food with a particular focus on pasta,” Chester described. With Allegria Restaurant permanently closed as of September, there’s a niche to fill.

Beyond handmade pastas, the menu will include regional specials, like supplì, a deepfried rice croquette typical of Rome. Ramirez, who has extensive experience in Italian cuisine and worked for years managing restaurants upvalley, said, “I want people when they walk in to feel comfortable, invited. The cherry on top is going to be the food is amazing.” To this aim, prices will be kept reasonable without sacrificing quality — with a few specialty items for special occasions. Similar to The Painted Pig, Sprazzo’s predecessor at 689 Main Street, the restaurant will endeavor to source ingredients from local farms when possible.

After catering to a transient community of mostly tourists and second home owners, Ramirez felt the void of not serving what felt like true community. “Ultimately the food industry is nourishing the people around you,” he said. “I love coming to a place that feels

like home … That makes restaurants so much more special than just tables and chairs.”

“‘Sprazzo’ in Italian means a burst or a flash with the implication of that being something good,” Chester explained. “What we’re trying to capture here is a sense of energy. We want this to be a place where young professionals and the younger Carbondale feels comfortable to have a good time. And at the very same time, we want it to be somewhere where the retirees or the late-career Carbondalites get to experience that energy again and sort of connect with their youthful side.” The logo has a lightning

bolt nestled between the letters Z signaling that burst of energy.

Additionally, the name “plays on the irony of the building,” Chester stated. “It’s no secret that 689 Main Street has cycled through half a dozen restaurants, and we wanted to laugh at ourselves a little bit, like we could be the next one that lasts six months. We could be a flash in the pan or we could stick it out, and that marries very well with the idea that we’re going to open this winter, and we know we’re going to have to close for renovation.”

The renovation that Chester spoke of will involve redoing the interior to improve a customer’s

experience of the old house-turned restaurant. “The guest experience is sub-optimal, and we’re trying to perfect it,” said Chester. Eventually, the former bar will transform into a daytime café serving simple baked goods and gelato. Out back, Chester envisions short-term lodging for up to 40 people. In the meantime, the bedrooms upstairs will be used for staff housing or even artists in residence.

As for pizza, however, that will be a Main Line Social specialty. “One of the privileges that we have opening two spots on a relatively aligned timeline is that we can focus on two very different value propositions and two very different experiences,” Chester said.

Operating both restaurants under one business will save on expenses and have other advantages, like sharing employees and curating combined experiences. For example, a wedding party staying at the short-term lodging planned at Sprazzo could have a rehearsal dinner there and the larger reception at Main Line Social.

“Hopefully we’ll be the last owners of this building and have something for my kids to take over,” Chester concluded.

Keep an eye out for opening dates, events and reservations at www.SprazzoCarbondale.com

Judith Ritschard centers the immigrant experience in her debut children’s book

Judith Ritschard wrote “Winter Flower: A Story of New Beginnings” to humanize the story of immigrant families in a way that’s relatable and educational. Courtesy photo

Judith Ritschard, a Mexican-American immigrant, former Sopris Sun columnist and mother of two, can add “children’s book author” to her resume with the release of her debut, “Winter Flower: A Story of New Beginnings.” Ritschard hopes to inspire people to learn from one another and to provide children of immigrant families broader representation for their shared stories of uprooting from their homes to move somewhere new.

This story was inspired by a moment when Ritschard and her now 16-yearold son were in a library looking for storybooks about the family’s immigration journey.

“We were at the library when he was 4, and I wanted to introduce him to a children’s picture book that had a story similar to my family’s immigration story. I didn’t find one in the public library here, so I looked on Amazon, and the only book at the time I was able to find all those years ago was a book about an Italian family that moved through Ellis Island,” Ritschard recalled.

She continued, “That felt a bit dated to me, and I thought to myself, ‘Maybe I’ll write my own book one day.’ Five years ago, I began to weave words together, trying to get something to work. Many revisions later, I went on to self-publish through IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing through

Amazon, and now I have been reading to the elementary schools in the Valley.”

While this feels timely and relevant given current social and political dynamics targeting immigrants across the nation, Ritschard said the story was not written with these challenges in mind. Her intention with the book was to give members of the immigrant community more representation in the media.

“I wasn’t planning for the book to come out during this political turmoil with immigration,” Ritschard said. “I did want the story to come out for my own kids, but also for other kids. As someone who immigrated to Aspen back in 1980, I didn’t have much representation in school. The very first book I read with characters who looked like me was one assigned to me in 10th grade: ‘Bless Me, Ultima.’ I just remember being so moved; I was just hungry for more literature like that.”

Discussing the importance of stories like “Winter Flower,” Ritschard said it reflects her experience of culture shock, lifestyle changes and moments of disconnect. Telling these stories, she hopes to connect people from all backgrounds and offer new perspectives to those looking to know more about the day-to-day lives of immigrant families.

“There weren’t any kind of Latin markets as we have now,” Ritschard

said of Aspen in the ‘80s. “Nothing makes you feel more at home than being able to get some of those ingredients from your background. My mother told me that she cried all the time [that first year]. The universal message here is: Regardless of if you’re an immigrant or not, we have all felt lonely at some time,” she explained.

Ritschard hopes her story will also help to dispel stereotypes and misconceptions about Latin American immigrants. “I think my book is important, because so many people can get lost in what the media tells them, and they don’t look at the human side and the fact that people who do come to this country from Latin America, and especially to this Valley, are the backbone of a good portion of our tourism and service industries,” she said. “We get to know each other more on a human level when we tell our personal stories up close. It’s tough to hate people up close, and this book is an up-close look. We need more of that and less of the broad stereotyping of Latinos we see in mass media,”

To keep up with Judith Ritschard’s work and catch a reading of “Winter Flower: A Story of New Beginnings” follow @j.estherweavesstories on Instagram.

A large portion of proceeds from the book’s sale will go to Kids in Need of Defense, a nonprofit that provides legal services for kids stuck in the immigration legal system.

“This grant provides opportunities for us to be out in the community, for everyone to appreciate the wonder of the intellectual and developmental disability population that we serve. Supporting the people who actually live and work here is so important to us.”

- Sara Sims, Executive Director Mountain Valley Developmental Services (MVDS) MVDS empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work independently and inclusively and is a grant recipient of the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund.

The voter supported Healthy Community Fund assists the Pitkin County community by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that provide critical health and human services and community resources. Learn more at: pitkincounty.com/hcf

Bountiful ladies of Carbondale

Alma Osgood, the wife of mining magnate John C. Osgood, founder of Redstone, was known as “Lady Bountiful” by the town’s residents because she lavished them with gifts, especially during the holidays.

Carbondale’s equivalent was Mary Jane Francis, a wealthy widow from Philadelphia who bought the Bull Dog Mine on Avalanche Creek. She helped found the Bank of Carbondale and financed the purchase of the safe. Mrs. Francis donated some of her land south of town for the Methodist Church, and for the first public school building.

Alberta was not the only community activist in her family. Her sister-in-law, whose first name is never mentioned in “Carbondale Pioneers,” was also renowned.

OPINION

In the book “Carbondale Pioneers 1879-1890” by Edna Denmark Sweet, the author, herself an important pioneer, compiled stories of the early settlers, many of whom were prominent women. In her chapter on Mary Jane Francis, Sweet wrote:

HISTORIOGRAPHY

By Sue Gray

“Mrs. Eugene Grubb came to Colorado with her husband in 1882. Mrs. Grubb taught in the first school in Aspen. She was Superintendent of Schools in Pitkin County in 1885. The Grubb brothers and Mrs. Grubb came to Carbondale where they … established the Mount Sopris Ranch. Mrs. Grubb took a very great interest in the social and intellectual life of the community. She was the first president of the Carbondale Study Club and first president of [the] Tri-County Federation.”

Authentically you

Natalia Snider is a certified dream practitioner living in Carbondale. She works with people’s dreams and imaginations to facilitate self-healing. Every month, she will analyze someone’s dream in The Sopris Sun. Anyone can submit a dream for personal analysis or inclusion in this column by visiting: www.dreamhealings.com

Dream

I had a dream I was on an excursion with at least 50 other people on a beach. Nobody got naked but me. I just didn’t care. It felt like I was there for hours. They would take selfies and turn away, so I wasn’t in the background. I would get irritated about putting my clothes back on. I didn’t know what that meant. Just a weird dream?

Interpretation

I love this dream! It’s about you being your authentic self, showing the world all of you and dropping the cares and worries of other people’s thoughts. Seems like this is something you are working on. Perhaps you’ve just had a breakthrough in waking life where you experienced a moment like this. Let me be clear, not that you have experienced a moment in the nude on a crowded beach, but a moment where you were able to express your authenticity freely.

OPINION

DREAM WELL

A lot of times we use our dream space to practice things we want to do in waking life. The triggers that create these types of practice spaces in dreams are either an intense want or need for a feeling or a short experienced moment of that feeling that we want to explore more. Our subconscious is taking note of our needs, wants and desires. It is always listening and it is always answering in our dreams.

By Natalia Snider

“Mrs. Francis was a very highly cultured woman [with] unlimited means … She had a philanthropic heart … She reached out and helped the aged and those who were about to lose their homes. She was wonderfully kind to the bachelors of the town who had so many hardships and no luxuries.

“In December 1898 during the holiday season, the First Ladies Aide of the Methodist Church was organized at the home of Mrs. M.J. Francis … There were some 25 women present. At the end of the meeting, Mrs. Francis presented each lady with a beautiful solid gold four-leaf clover pin with the date inscribed on the back.”

Carbondale had many other bountiful ladies; women who contributed to the establishment, management and beautification of the town, as well as the welfare of its citizens.

After the death of her husband George Winters in Mankato, Minnesota, Alberta Grubb Winters came to Carbondale to be near her brothers, Lloyd and Eugene Grubb, and became Mrs. Dow Sebree in 1903. She served as the postmistress for 17 years.

Alberta Grubb “is lovingly known as the grand old mother of Carbondale. She never knew fear and … went to the aid of the sick. There were few doctors and no nurses. Many a time she closed her Post Office at night, rode several miles … over rough roads and swollen streams to some suffering woman in childbirth, and after an all-night vigil returned home just in time to open the Post Office. If it was diphtheria she was the first to go and when our town was stricken with flu she went day and night.

She was town clerk for eight years … was a member of the town council … served as president of the Garden Club … Vice Chairman of the Red Cross and was a charter member of the Carbondale Study Club and Tri-County Federation. She is still living [in 1947] at the ripe old age of 89 years, filled with [a] piling up of good deeds for her neighbors.”

It was the Carbondale Study Club that self-published long-time member Edna Sweet’s book in 1947. In it she describes the study club’s origin, purpose and community activities:

“The sturdy pioneer women, feeling the need of a cultural touch, organized the Carbondale Study Club in 1898 … We bought late periodicals and fiction and have always remained a Study Club. We labored always for the upbuilding of the community. We were instrumental in building a road and planting trees around Hillcrest Cemetery. We have helped maintain a Community House, assisted in school clinics, have donated yearly to the educational fund of the Tri-County Federated clubs, and have given competitive prizes to the Public Schools.”

In 1904, the Glenwood Reading Club and the Carbondale Study Club organized the Tri-County Federation of women’s clubs, spanning Pitkin, Garfield and Eagle counties. The Study Club lasted for nearly a century, finally ending at the dawn of the computer age.

Fortunately for Carbondale, The Seven Stars Rebekahs Lodge #91, formed in 1903, is still going strong. The Rebekahs were the women’s auxiliary to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with whom they shared the two-story brick building at 302 Main Street, on property that was owned by three different women over its first 20 years, including Mary Jane Francis, a Rebekahs member.

The building, originally constructed for the Oddfellows, was deeded to the Rebekahs in 1995, and Lodge #91 currently runs the Near New thrift store there, offering grants to schools and funding community projects with the proceeds.

Listen to the Carbondale Historical Society’s Historic Women Audio Series at www.carbondalehistory.org. For the history of Carbondale’s early buildings see the Historic Commercial Core Walking Tour posted at www.theclio.com/tour/2529

This dream is telling me that you have asked your subconscious for this practice space to be fully and unapologetically yourself. Showing up nude in your dreams when others are not is one of the clearest ways your subconscious can visually convey authenticity. The nude body symbolizes you and nothing else. It symbolizes you and all of you — the real you and nothing more, no masks of clothing.

Let’s also cover a distorted interpretation of this visual symbol. In our uncomfortable dreams, our own public nudity often gets distorted and confused with vulnerability. Dreams of being nude in public can create an extreme feeling of being seen. This may be uncomfortable for the dreamer and then is internalized as vulnerability. It may come from our feeling that the body has no protection. Yet, vulnerability stemming from our own nudity is a societally-learned feeling we were not born with.

More often than not, the subconscious is trying to tell us to look at our authentic self in these dreams of vulnerability. We don’t need other things to make us who we are. These dreams are often our subconscious giving us a chance to defy this feeling of vulnerability and replace it with our innate power of authenticity. Our bodies don’t want to harbor uncomfortable feelings even when we choose to hold onto them.

You may have had a vulnerable-feeling nude dream in your past, which would make this dream even more of the test that it is for you now. You conjured up this very public, very highly-lit place (a public beach) to practice being authentic, and you didn’t shy away. Your dream characters started taking selfies and turning away, which was to test if you would get infected by shame. You pass easily by not caring. Then you became irritated thinking of having to put clothes back on. This was another test to see if you would comply with a societal norm of masking, which in this dream is symbolized by clothing. The feeling of annoyance was your defiance toward masking.

So, this is not just some weird dream! This is a dream of empowerment. Congratulations! You passed. Now, it is time to practice in waking life. Using the symbolism given by the dream, think about what you are masking your authentic self with in public. Let your feelings point out your mask, and let your feelings show you your true north. Then, practice in waking life remembering that you now know what it feels like to succeed.

Keeping Diné traditions alive with Lupita McClanahan

I first met Diné elder Lupita McClanahan on the morning of her talk at the Crystal Theatre last week, when I picked her up at the Bustang stop in West Glenwood. Until then, we were strangers. I felt instantly self-conscious, realizing how woefully undereducated I was about Diné culture, knowing little more than a few brief mentions in my art history textbooks or the stereotypes we see in the media.

Her speaking tour through Colorado was organized to raise awareness of her cultural teaching program on what many still call “the Navajo Reservation,” though Diné people prefer “Diné lands.” We spent the next few hours together and she answered every question, many she had surely heard countless times, with patience and generosity. What became clear almost immediately is that Lupita is not someone in need of rescue. She is a culture keeper doing essential work to preserve knowledge that is at real risk of disappearing.

Lupita educates on her ancestral lands at Canyon de Chelly, where she leads

immersion and sheep camp experiences and offers cultural teachings that help young Diné

By Kate Schwerin

reconnect with their traditions and give visitors a chance to learn respectfully. This is physically demanding work, done outdoors, often over long distances and in rough terrain.

As Lupita ages, it is becoming increasingly difficult for her to leave Diné lands to do speaking tours like the one that brought her to Carbondale. If she is to continue sharing traditional knowledge — knowledge passed down through generations — people

must increasingly come to her. That requires multi-seasonal spaces where she can host people looking to learn.

Understanding her current needs also means acknowledging the broader realities of life on Diné lands. According to a 2023 U.S. Department of the Interior report, about 21% of households still lack electricity. Multiple assessments show that around 30% of families have no running water — that’s roughly the population of all of Garfield County. Sourcing water takes up the better part of a day, hauling it long distances over dirt roads. Imagine driving over Cottonwood Pass to Gypsum a couple times a week to fill up the tank of water in the back of your pickup truck, not just for yourself but for your neighbors too. These conditions shape daily life not because people lack motivation or skill, but because infrastructure has never been equitably extended across the region.

Lupita’s needs reflect this context. There are two structures on her land that require support. The first is her primary home, which will also serve as

a gathering space for community members, students and for recording oral histories. The second is restoring the ruins of a log cabin nearby into interim housing for visitors, so learners can stay close by, an increasingly necessary option as travel becomes harder for her.

Both structures need finishing so they can function as year-round teaching spaces. The log cabin will remain intentionally rustic with no plumbing, limited electricity from a generator until solar can be added and simple furnishings. Its purpose is not luxury but access: a warm, safe place for visitors and students to be near her. The home beside it will allow Lupita to live sustainably while continuing to host teachings, gatherings and culturally-rooted community work.

Finally, support is needed to help her finish payments on

her pickup truck — a vehicle she uses to haul firewood for other community members, to transport water where wells are unsafe and to carry supplies for the cultural programs that sustain her livelihood and her role as a teacher. Paying off the truck is not about ownership in the Western sense; it is about ensuring she can continue serving her community without being pulled into a debt cycle.

If you feel moved to help — whether through labor, materials, financial support or simply by spreading the word — you can sign up to volunteer, donate or join a cultural tour at www.footpathjourneys.com

For larger donations of materials, help with infrastructure projects or organizing teams of volunteers, contact Russell Evans at russell@transition-lab.com

For those who would like to participate directly on the land, there will be a community building week beginning March 15, 2026. Supporting Lupita is not charity, and it’s not “just a tour.” It is a reciprocal relationship, a way of gifting to one another. Your support is an investment in cultural preservation, community strength and the continuation of teachings that are irreplaceable once lost.

Joy

E. Wilker

September 15, 1936November 21, 2025

Joy Wilker, 89, of Torrington, Wyoming passed away peacefully Friday, Nov. 21 at Monument Rehabilitation and Care Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Joy was born in Pueblo, Colorado to Charles and Elsie (Lucas) Thomas. She married Tommy Wilker in 1956. They lived in Carbondale, moving to Torrington, Wyoming in 2004.

Joy was a homemaker and loved her family. She will be dearly missed.

Survivors include her two sons, Brett Wilker of Yoder, Wyoming and Bartt Wilker of Greeley, Colorado; grandson Blaine Wilker; sister Sherry Babcock of Commerce City, Colorado and brother Gary Thomas of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and daughter-in-law, Jody Wilker.

At her request, cremation has taken place and there will not be a service. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.dugankramer.com for the Wilker family. Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.

Renata SchederBieschin

January 17, 1937 - October 27, 2025

Renata Scheder-Bieschin, 88, passed away peacefully on Oct. 27 at Hillcrest Senior Living in Bozeman, Montana. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Johanna Fuchs and Willibald Kurt Pablo Mika, Renata lived a life defined by curiosity, resilience and boundless compassion.

Renata was married to the love of her life, Max A. W. W. Scheder-Bieschin, with whom she shared a joyful and spirited partnership. Together they raised two sons, Maximilian Felix (Ann, nee Remley) and Christian Thomas Paul (Gretchen Peek), who remained the center of her world.

Known to her grandchildren as “Mamo,” she was grandmother to Maximilian Joseph, Elisabeth Caitlin, Gabrielle Ann, Katherine Anne, Elisabeth Riley Bunka (Wyatt) and step-grandchildren Synclaire Milee Waldron and Baxter Duncan Waldron, as well as great-grandson Beau Bennett Bunka.

She was preceded in death by her dear brother, Juan Pedro Mika, and her nephew, Juan Pedro Jr. She is lovingly remembered by her nieces, Monica Beatriz, Liliana Patricia and Nadia, all of whom continue her family’s connection to Argentina.

After beginning to lose her hearing in 1963 and becoming profoundly deaf by 1997, Renata transformed her personal challenge into a mission of service. She wrote extensively for the hearing-impaired community, worked with nonprofits and helped develop hearing programs adopted by hospitals and theaters nationwide after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also helped establish Aspen’s “deaf skier” bib program, now used at ski mountains around the world.

Renata was known for her radiant smile, her habit of thanking others generously and her deep love of nature, literature and the arts. Fluent in five languages and an avid photographer and reader, she found beauty everywhere and shared it freely.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to organizations supporting individuals with hearing loss.

MEDICARE

from page 5

(coverage denial for preexisting conditions). She continued, “The one good thing about United pulling their [MA] plans out of the area is clients now have a Guaranteed Issue Right (through Feb. 28, 2026) to get certain Medigap plans without going through medical underwriting.”

Coverage for OM, Part D and those obtaining a Medigap plan during open enrollment starts Jan. 1. However, as Moon pointed out, those who wait to apply for Medigap until after Jan. 1 will face the 20% “gap” in Plan B coverage until the policy takes effect. She continued, “I highly recommend people choose a Medigap plan during open enrollment.”

RFSD from page 9

elementary students. Abate stated that current biliteracy programs at GSES are challenging and frustrating to implement.

After reviewing adjustments to several district policies, the board heard and passed resolutions recognizing Native American Heritage Month, supporting language development and educational equity for students and recognizing outgoing board member Kenny Teitler for his service to the district. The board also conducted a final vote approving new members appointed to the District Accountability Committee: Michelle Lundin, Heather O’Malley and Steven Fotion.

The board also voted to approve moving the kindergarten entry age cutoff up by 45 days starting next school year. The change requires that incoming kindergarten students must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 15 of the year of entry, and 6 years old on or before that date to enroll in first grade. Previously the cutoff was Oct. 1. The new policy permits, by request, an exception for incoming children next school year (2026-2027) who turn 5 between Aug. 16 and Oct. 1 of 2026 to ease the transition.

Bridges leadership

On Nov. 21, the district announced through a press release that Bridges High School Principal

CLIMBING

from page 13

Harrington, central character in the film, was a stellar competition climber from her early teens. Over the years she won five national championships and, in 2006, a world title at Serre Chevalier, France. “Girl Climber” lays out layers of learning about El Cap from Honnold, who partners with her in support, and explores Harrington’s life with her husband, Adrian Ballinger, an Everest guide, and her mentorship by the great ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson of Telluride, killed in a tragic fall on Makalu, in Nepal, three years ago. It is a tale of trying, failing and gutting out setbacks on Golden Gate, a 33-pitch (i.e., ropelength) route on El Capitan with four sections of 5.13, meaning steep, fiercely difficult moves. “Girl Climber,” an exceedingly honest look at the ups and downs and attendant tragedy in Harrington’s journey, thrills us even before we find out whether or not she makes the goal.

The film has, sorry, an awful scene or two, especially of a climbing fall that ends with a ghastly thud as Harrington smacks her head. I saw the world premiere at Mountainfilm in Telluride last summer and reared up, shocked by the audio.

SPRING GULCH

from page 14

In the meantime, Bachman Perkins encouraged people to refrain from attempting to use the trails before Spring Gulch is officially open.

A few other things of note in regards to the upcoming ski season:

• The Spring Gulch season kickoff and membership renewal event is set for 5-7pm Tuesday, Dec. 16 at El Dorado on Main Street in downtown Carbondale. Members receive a free drink ticket.

• Save the dates for the annual Rat Race community cross country skate ski race on Sunday, Feb. 1, and the Ski for Sisu ski-a-thon fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 8.

Suzanne Fitzgerald plans to resign at the end of the school year. She has served as the high school’s principal for seven years, and spent seven years prior as a science and health teacher at the school. Fitzgerald started her RFSD tenure with five years of teaching science at Glenwood Springs Middle School. The district plans to advertise for her replacement this winter.

“We are grateful for Fitz’s steady and caring leadership during her tenure at Bridges,” Park wrote. “Bridges High School consistently has the highest positive perception of student belonging, and you can feel it every day at the school.”

The school board will hold a special session on Wednesday, Dec. 3 to swear in newly elected board member Tamara “Tammy” Nimmo and re-elected member Kathryn Kuhlenberg. The December RFSD Board of Education regular meeting takes place on Dec. 17 at 6:15pm in the Colorado Room of the District Office, 400 Sopris Avenue in Carbondale. Given the observance of winter holidays, it will be the only regular meeting in December. RFSD board meeting agendas are available on the board website. Meetings are livestreamed on YouTube and recordings become available afterward.

(Be warned, I also cried buckets during the film, as did seatmates.)

Asked after the premiere whether she could have prevented her impact injury by wearing a helmet, Harrington said she usually does on El Cap, but sometimes removed it to negotiate a long, tight chimney and other rock features. She said, “I should have worn it.”

Doty, who has been climbing consistently for the past seven years, often taking adventure-climbing trips with his wife, Sarah Tory, a journalist, to Rocky Mountain National Park or faraway locales such as the Bugaboos, British Columbia, said that among the values he sees for kids in the sport is “that sense of continuing to try.” He said, “Climbing’s not easy. There’s always something you can be working at.

Tickets are $22 each. Purchase them at www. bit.ly/Crystal-showing or at the door using QR codes available in flyers at the theater, Bonfire, Plosky’s and the Carbondale Rec Center. Donations are welcome from non-attendees, but this showing is a chance to see a film born for the big screen, and it appeals to a broad audience.

• Spring Gulch is partnering with the Nature Connection, an outdoor education organization working with the Delta County Schools, to provide equipment and bring groups of elementary school students out to experience cross country skiing the week of Presidents Day in February.

• Spring Gulch also partners withWilderness Workshop’s Defiende Nuestra Tierra to host a family bilingual ski day on the following Saturday: Feb. 21.

• Finally, with the Winter Olympics coming up in February in and around Milan Cortina, Italy, keep an eye out for a couple of local US Nordic Ski Team hopefuls, Kate Oldham and Hailey Swirbul, out training on the Spring Gulch trails.

‘Changing lives one word at a time’ Literacy Outreach strengthens

the community through literacy and learning

FELIPE PEREZ Sol del Valle

Literacy Outreach has established itself as a key organization in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, offering programs in English language learning, civic education, computer skills and literacy development for English speakers.

The organization brings together volunteers who provide free, personalized English classes, both inperson and online. Its students, mostly young and adult migrants over the age of 17, receive support tailored to their individual needs, facilitating their integration and expanding their opportunities.

William Rosas García, volunteer and marketing director at Literacy Outreach, explained to Sol del Valle that English instruction is grounded in a principle of equity.

“We seek to equalize access to educational and job opportunities, reducing the gap created by language barriers,” he said.

Rosas also highlighted that the organization offers literacy classes for native English speakers, a service that reinforces its inclusive mission.

Another key focus is civic

literacy, aimed at preparing students for citizenship and providing information about rights, especially in situations related to immigration. Likewise, computer literacy plays a central role.

In a digitalized world, having basic technological skills is essential.

Change does not happen fast when you are learning a language, but each word by word the changes happen, miracles happen.

-

organization has incorporated an experiential teaching approach, including hands-on workshops and field trips to practice vocabulary, build meaningful connections and strengthen community cohesion.

Martha Fredendall, Literacy Outreach

“A large percentage of the migrant population and rural English speakers lack these skills,” added Rosas.

Under the direction of Martha Fredendall, the

“Change does not happen fast when you are learning a language, but each word by word the changes happen, miracles happen,” Fredendall said, referring to the organization’s motto: “Changing lives one word at a time.”

Fredendall has witnessed

the impact of Literacy Outreach firsthand.

“In the 30 years I have been here, I have seen how it not only makes a difference for them, but for entire families: in their stability and in their ability to move up the job scale,” she said.

Currently, Literacy Outreach is calling on the community to consider making a donation, and, even more importantly, to donate their time as volunteers. The organization currently has 116 students waiting to be matched with a volunteer tutor.

For more information about their programs or to participate as a student or volunteer, visit www.literacyoutreach.org.

Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com

A Life Ornamented

By Jessica Amber Barnum

A young girl meanders far from home on a winter adventure through thickets of forest. She comes upon a tiny pine tree, its tip a sprig in the snow.

She almost steps on it, but doesn’t.

She leans down and brushes the snow from its branches, low and high then digs down and down with wet mittens and wild wonder until she reaches the base of the teeny thing.

Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com

It is a foot tall, at most. She pulls off her mittens and slides from her left wrist her jade-beaded bracelet that is adorned with one charm — a gold star. She hangs it on the tippity-top sprig of the tree.

She stands up and looks down.

“I’ll remember where you are in this great forest. How could I not?

You’re my new friend.

I’ll bring another ornament for you next year. And I’ll cast a ring of light around you, so that between now and then, no one finds you or cuts you down. You will live as long as you wish. I love you, Tree. See you next year.”

The young girl plops to her knees and hugs the tree, pausing in the embrace, And then stomps through the snow For a long journey home.

Seventy-eight years later.

An old woman meanders far from home on a winter adventure through thickets of forest. She comes upon a grand pine tree, its tip a sparkle high in the sky.

She almost misses it, her eyesight fading, but doesn’t.

She approaches the tree and brushes the snow from its branches, low and high then reaches up and up with wet mittens and wild wonder until she reaches the highest branch she can of the towering thing.

It is a hundred feet tall, at least. She pulls off her mittens and slides from her left coat pocket a small felted cardinal ornament. She hangs it a few branches below last year’s ceramic angel.

She stands back and looks up.

“I’ll remember where you are in this great forest. How could I not?

You’re my old friend.

I’ll bring another ornament for you next year. And I’ll cast a ring of light around you, so that between now and then, no one finds you or cuts you down. You will live as long as you wish. I love you, Tree.

See you next year.”

The old woman rises to her tippity-toes and hugs the tree, pausing in the embrace, And then stomps through the snow For a long journey home

their electorates and upholding Constitu-

But when hard times hit, we have to be willing to stand up for ourselves. We also have to understand that we aren’t Superman/Superwoman and must be willing to delegate when we must, lest imperiling our cause with burnout, which can lead to

Steps to help ease activist burnout include: taking care of your physical and emotional needs; setting boundaries so you aren’t overextended; practicing mindfulness and relaxation exercises; limiting/ balancing your social media consumption; turning to community and friends for support and assistance; and stopping to celebrate successes, even small ones. And if you have truly overextended or in some other way disturbed your mental wellness, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out professional counseling and help.

Don’t let activist burnout undermine our efforts to build a better world.

Roger D. Miller Glenwood Springs

I believe the Crystal development situation is far more nuanced than many people realize. I’d like to clarify a few key points and explain why I, and an overwhelming number of Crystal residents,

My name is Roger Neal, and I, too, love the town of Crystal. My family has owned three historic cabins in Crystal for almost 80 years. Next summer will be

Treasure Mountain Ranch (TMR) owns the Crystal Mill, the majority of historic cabins in the townsite and several parcels totaling more than 700 acres and roughly three miles of river frontage. For over 50 years, TMR has run a modest commercial operation: a handful of rental cabins, a general store and overnight camping. In recent decades, that business barely offset ownership costs as property values and

In 2018, a majority of TMR family members voted to sell the property. One family member, Chris Cox, borrowed money to buy out his cousins in an effort to keep Crystal intact. He initially tried to preserve Crystal by keeping the old business model. It soon became clear he would have to sell land to repay the loan. At that point, change became inevitable. None of us wanted to see development, but compared to other developer proposals — commercial buildings on Main Street and beyond — the current TMR plan is overwhelmingly preferred by the majority of Crystal residents.

Many TMR shareholders are fourth and fifth generation property owners. New investors have also shown they value Crystal’s tranquility and pristine environment. For years, TMR has worked with Crystal neighbors and Crystal Valley stakeholders to balance conservation and preservation with the need for a financially viable operation.

The land use application allows four new guest cabins and a barn to be built well outside the historic town site. All six TMR historic Main Street cabins will be placed into a preservation easement. There will be no additional occupancy in Crystal, as four historic cabins will be

retired from use and the new cabin use will not be available to the public.

The Planning Commission is not deciding whether Crystal will see development; it is deciding how it will happen. We can have a carefully planned, conservation-minded outcome, or piecemeal parcel sales. I hope you’ll support this project and help us preserve this beautiful site known as Crystal.

Roger Neal Crystal

Full bellies, thanks to you

When the federal SNAP program was suspended in early November, thousands of families in Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties faced the possibility of empty tables. What happened next was nothing short of remarkable — our community came together. In this season of Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for the way neighbors, organizations and local businesses stepped up so quickly to care for one another.

In just the first 12 days of November, Lift-Up served 1,389 individuals, a 15-26% increase over previous months. Volunteer engagement also surged. Office support grew from almost no volunteer hours in September to 15-25 hours each week in early November. Warehouse help increased from 10 hours each week in September to 25 in October — and an extraordinary 227 volunteer hours in the first two weeks of November alone, including 67 volunteers assisting with Thanksgiving preparations. Lift-Up also saw 40 community food drives launched across the valley, and their pantries welcomed one to three extra volunteers each day, many of whom intend to continue serving beyond the holidays. Harvest for Hunger also experienced a dramatic rise in need. During the last two weeks of October, they served about 420 guests each week, but in the first two weeks of November, that number climbed to 560 guests weekly. Their volunteer base grew from 90 to 116 volunteers, and increased donations allowed them to double the amount of food purchased to meet the growing demand. Multiple food drives across the community helped keep their shelves stocked and ensured families had access to fresh, healthy food during this critical moment.

At the Food Bank of the Rockies, teams so far have distributed 83,514 pounds of food to nearly 2,400 households — about 9,400 people — across our tri-county region through the first two weeks of November.

SNAP typically provides more than $1.1 million in monthly food benefits across Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties, and while no single organization could fill that gap, your donations and support made an immediate and meaningful difference. This rapid response ensured families could continue putting meals on the table, despite the sudden loss of SNAP assistance.

The Eagle Valley Community Foundation, through The Community Market, invested an additional $5,000 each week in fresh food — produce, meat, dairy and eggs — ensuring families had access to nutritious meals during this difficult period. In the first two weeks of

continued on page 23

November, The Community Market saw a 14% increase in need, with 2,869 check-in visits representing 8,699 customers served. Usually they average about 150 volunteer hours each week, but that number grew to more than 220 volunteer hours each week. Additionally, 52 food drives across Eagle County helped keep their shelves stocked and their doors open to anyone who needed support. Thanks to community generosity, local children also received grocery gift cards through early childhood caseworkers, helping parents who had been skipping meals just to make sure their kids could eat.

These numbers tell an important story — but the real story is about heart. It’s about neighbors caring for neighbors, faith communities and businesses launching food drives and volunteers rearranging their own holiday plans to make sure others would have enough. In a time when many families were worried about how they would celebrate Thanksgiving, our valleys responded with generosity, kindness and a deep sense of shared responsibility.

On behalf of the board of West Mountain Regional Health Alliance’s (WMRHA) initiative, Mountain Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security — i.e. Garfield County Human Services, Garfield County Public Health, Pitkin County Human Services, Eagle County Human Services, Lift-Up, Food Bank of the Rockies, Eagle Valley Community Foundation, CSU Extension, Valley Meals and More, Harvest for Hunger, UpRoot and WMRHA, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to every individual, business and organization that donated, volunteered, or organized food drives. Your compassion turned a moment of crisis into a powerful display of community strength and solidarity.

Because of you, our valleys stayed fed — and hopeful — this Thanksgiving season. Thank you.

Namrata

Shrestha West Mountain Health Alliance

Fresh water is limited

The Texas Water Quality Association reports that Americans are permanently removing 22 million gallons of water a year, which is forever lost, by throwing away plastic bottles that contain water. Land dumps are sealed, if the water leaked out it would still be contained. It cannot reenter the Earth’s water table.

Fresh water is a precious resource. If you have a bottle of water that you don’t want to drink please pour it on a tree or on the ground. That way, it eventually enters the water table. Thank you. Since we have potable water, keep a permanent water bottle that you carry with you and refill at the sink.

Thanks from Mother Earth.

Illène Pevec Carbondale

LETTERS POLICY: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please, no smearing, cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.

PARTING SHOTS

Alexandra and Anthony Jerkunica, founders and owners of Coredination and Bonedale Ballet, recently returned from a three-week European adventure visiting Austria, Croatia and Istanbul. They of course carried a copy of The Sopris Sun everywhere they went!

Alexandra was born in Grazz, Austria and got to meet relatives on her father’s side. She also enjoyed taking in the heavenly Alps, delicious cappuccinos, pastries and the incredible architecture. Anthony’s father grew up in Split, Croatia, so the couple spent time there with relatives and enjoyed the beautiful coastline of the Adriatic Sea. In Istanbul they noted the beautiful history, architecture, the cats and sacred mosques. “So much beauty in these culturally-rich countries,” Alexandra wrote.

Courtesy photos

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE

PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF COLORADO CRYSTAL THEATRE ALLIANCE

D/B/A THE CRYSTAL THEATRE HAS REQUSTED THE LICENSING OFFICIALS OF THE TOWN OF CARBONDALE

TO APPROVE A NEW LIQUOR LICENSE FOR A TAVERN LICENSE LOCATED AT 427 MAIN ST., CARBONDALE, CO 81623

HEARING ON THE APPLICATION TO BE HELD AT: 511 COLORADO AVE. CARBONDALE, CO 81623 OR EMAIL PTHIBAULT@CARBONDALECO.NET

FOR A LINK TO THE MEETING

TIME AND DATE: 6:00 PM, DECEMBER 9, 2025

OFFICERS: KATE SCHWERIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BY ORDERS OF: PATRICK THIBAULT, TOWN CLERK

ADDRESS OF THE PLACE AT WHICH PETITIONS OR REMONSTRANCES MAY BE FILED: Town Clerk’s Office, 511 Colorado Ave., Carbondale, CO 81623

Published in the Sopris Sun on November 27,2025

5th

Join a t Weant & Main at 5:3O pm

to light up the forest service tree & main str eet

Unanse a Santa en Weant Blvd y Main St a las 5:30pm para prender las luces Navideñas en el árbol del Forest Service y Main Street

free hot cocoa & sugar cookies while supplies last Cocoa Caliente y galletas de azúcar Graits hasta agotar los suministros

free sleigh rides with Santa 5:45pm–7:45pm

Los paseos gratis de trineo con Santa

A surprise

Performance by Bonedale Flashmob

Un baile Sorpresa de Bonedale Flashmob

Deck the Walls holiday market inside The Launchpad will be open until 7pm with live performances by Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra & Dance Initiative. El mercado “Deck the Walls” en The Launchpad permanecerá abierto hasta las 7pm con música en vivo por la Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra Y Dance Initiative