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Volume 8, Number 36 | October 13, 2016
Adopt MEnOW
Jessie Cruz, the feline specialist at CARE, shows off Dale Cooper, one of the adoptable pets at the animal shelter located on the CMC Spring Valley campus. Dale Cooper is a somewhat distinctive 2-year-old cat – he has 24 toes. For more on CARE’s adoptable pets, and last weekend’s blessing of the animals, please turn to page 9. Photo by Jane Bachrach
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Carbondale Commentary The views and opinions expressed on the Commentary page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sopris Sun. The Sopris Sun invites all members of the community to submit letters to the editor or guest columns. For more information, e-mail editor Lynn Burton at news@soprissun.com, or call 510-3003.
Garfield County Libraries face big budget cuts Over the last 10 years, the Garfield County Public Library District Financial challenges has worked hard to honor the promises made when we became a During this time of success, our library district has faced significant special district in 2006. We are supported through a quarter-cent financial challenges. The Great Recession hit Garfield County hard, and Garfield County sales tax and also one mill of property tax, sched- our sales tax revenues declined dramatically. Then, beginning in 2011, uled to sunset in 2027. We designed and completed all six building the district has had roughly $2 million withheld from our sales tax revprojects within seven years of the ballot initiatives enues, due in part, to the Noble Gas settlement. It is impassing -- and came in $50,000 under budget! We portant to note that the library district was not at fault have given our communities six quality facilities with for either of these circumstances. Through hard work places to read, gather and learn. We have also exand creative problem solving, the library district and its panded services such as free events, technology trainboard of trustees were able to use a combination of findBy Emily Heisel ing and summer reading for all ages. ing efficiencies and using some reserves to keep all our During these 10 years we have remained committed to being good libraries operating at a high level, with no noticeable public impact. stewards of taxpayers’ money. Not only did our six building projIn 2017, Garfield County Libraries is facing an additional, drastic ects come in under budget, we have continually found efficiencies budget cut due to a significant property tax reduction from oil and gas and fostered partnerships to make your money go farther. We have industry valuations. In fact, we must cut $1.2 million from next year’s partnered with Colorado Mountain College to install solar panels budget -- which equates to 29 percent of our annual operating costs. on three of our buildings, which help reduce our energy bills. We Currently, we are working on how to accomplish this daunting task. have worked with schools and teachers to bring more and more chil- Over the last several weeks we have been brainstorming, vetting ideas dren into the libraries, and encouraged families to take advantage of and are creating a draft budget. We will continue to post updates as the free resources available at our locations. And, we were the founding plan is created. member of the Garfield County Shop Local Partnership, which is deThis big of a budget cut will affect our users and our staff. While we signed to help small businesses and raise public awareness of the ben- will continue to provide the best service possible, we anticipate our efits of shopping locally. hours and services will change. If you have comments or suggestions, Our libraries also continue to be a hub in each of our communi- please send them to Interim Executive Director Sandi Kister at ties. Last year alone we had over 650,000 people walk through our skister@gcpld.org. doors, use our computers for nearly 64,000 hours, and members borWe at the Garfield County Libraries appreciate the support you rowed over 725,000 books, movies and other materials. This high have shown us up to this point. We are going to need it even more in usage is heart warming. Last year an amazing 94 percent of people the future. surveyed said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the skills and knowledge demonstrated by library staff members. Emily Heisel is Brand Manager (sic) for Garfield County Libraries.
Find Your Story
Sincerest thanks to our
Honorary Publishers for their generous, ongoing commitment of support. Jim Calaway, Chair Kay Brunnier Bob Ferguson – Jaywalker Lodge Scott Gilbert: Habitat for Humanity - RFV Bob Young – Alpine Bank George Stranahan Peter Gilbert James Surls Umbrella Roofing, Inc. Bill Spence and Sue Edelstein
ank you to our SunScribers and community members for your support! It truly takes a village to keep e Sun shining.
Letters
The Sopris Sun welcomes your letters, limited to no more than 400 words. Letters exceeding that length may be edited or returned for revisions. Include your name and residence (for publication) and a contact email and phone number. Submit letters via email to news@soprissun.com or via snail mail to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. The deadline to submit letters to the editor is noon on Monday.
A disturbing encounter
Vote for Byars
Dear Editor: As I was on the final leg of my run on this glorious fall morning, I encountered a woman spraying something on a local business lawn in Carbondale. She warned me not to take my dog through the grass, and a strong smell was in the air. I asked her what it was, and she told me it was a weed killer/fertilizer. Those statements right there tells me and should tell anyone, that these chemicals should not be used EVER! This mentality has got to be addressed. A green, weedless lawn is a place to start. The fact that we all think we need one is bad enough. Let’s make the connection of where those harsh chemicals are ending up. So many of us don’t think about those chemicals making their way to our water table, and into our food. They are unsafe for us, our pets and our children. Not to mention bees, birds and all other wildlife. At one time, we worked hard as a community to outlaw pesticides in public spaces and we adopted the dandelion as our town flower. This seems to have gone away. What good does it do when residents and business owners continue to use these chemicals? Please seek out alternatives to using these pesticides. And by the way, dandelions are beautiful flowers and packed full of nutrients. Leslie Johnson Carbondale
Dear Editor: I’m a local girl, born and raised. I am connected to this landscape. As a child I caught my first fish in Thompson Creek. I yanked the fishing pole straight up when I got the bite, and the fish got stuck in the tree branches above me momentarily before escaping back into the water. I am made of this place. The water here fills the blood in my veins. This in part is why I have worked relentlessly toward protection of these waters that I hold sacred. They are a public trust, not only for us, but for innumerable generations to come. I earned a bachelor’s degree in sustainability, studying the protections that we need for the Thompson Divide. I served on our Source Water Protection Steering Committee writing our Source Water Protection Plan, and the Garfield County Clean Air Champions, helping to bring an air monitoring station to Carbondale. I enrolled in a Masters of Environmental Law and Policy program through Vermont Law School to study the federal laws that could help us protect our natural resources. I have represented the Town of Carbondale to the BLM throughout the NEPA process regarding the Thompson Divide, in which we demonstrated that impacts to our community from proposed leases, were too substantial to justify gas development in our watershed.
2 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016
Today, as your trustee, I serve on the Garfield Clean Energy Authority, the Victims Assistance Law Enforcement Board, Board of the Third Street Center and I am your local government designee to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Previously I served on the Environmental Board and the Tree Board, enhancing a broad and substantial understanding of our most critical environmental concerns locally. I’m committed to the volunteerism and caring collaborations that have always kept our town strong. Collectively, my experiences in this town have given me insight and perspective on the issues that affect every person in Carbondale today. Our town is at a turning point. For over two years it has been an honor and a privilege to represent the people of this community on the Board of Trustees. I've had the opportunity to learn many facets of our town’s vibrant economy and official operations. I’ve worked hard to explore and develop solutions to the complex problems we face. By investing in attainable housing partnerships we have the opportunity to ensure that Carbondale retains its unique community character, where young families, workers and seniors can afford to live. Senior nutrition programs and transportation access are severely underfunded and underserved, but the resources exist to meet these LETTERS page 15
To inform, inspire and build community. Donations accepted online or by mail. For information call 510-3003 Editor: Lynn Burton • 970-510-3003 news@soprissun.com Advertising: Kathryn Camp • 970-379-7014 adsales@soprissun.com Reporter: John Colson Photographer: Jane Bachrach Graphic Designer: Terri Ritchie Delivery: Tom Sands CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS board@soprissun.com Barbara Dills, President Debbie Bruell, Secretary Colin Laird • Cliff Colia Diana Alcantara • Matt Adeletti • Olivia Pevec The Sopris Sun Board meets regularly on the third Monday evening of each month at the Third Street Center. Check the calendar for details and occasional date changes.
Founding Board Members Allyn Harvey • Becky Young • Colin Laird Barbara New • Elizabeth Phillips Peggy DeVilbiss • Russ Criswell Honorary Board Members Denise Barkhurst • Sue Gray David L. Johnson • Laura McCormick Jeannie Perry • Trina Ortega • Frank Zlogar
The Sopris Sun, Inc. • P.O. Box 399 520 S. Third Street #36 Carbondale, CO 81623 970-510-3003 www.soprissun.com Send us your comments: feedback@soprissun.com The Sopris Sun, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations to The Sun are fully tax deductible.
Carbondale’s mayoral candidates state some views Byars, Cortez, Richardson By John Colson Sopris Sun Staff Writer Three candidates — current Carbondale trustees Katrina Byars and Dan Richardson (who is acting mayor until the election) and former trustee Ed Cortez — are vying for election as mayor to replace recently retired former mayor Stacey Bernot. The Sopris Sun, as part of its coverage of the race, has asked each candidate to respond to three questions about issues of concern to Carbondale residents. Upcoming articles will include further questions of the candidates, in an effort to let readers know where the candidates stand on specific issues. Following are the questions and each candidate’s replies (in alphabetical order according to the candidates’ last names). Some replies have been edited for length. 1) In a policy shift that came about recently, the Board of Trustees now requires agreement by three trustees to add a late item to the agenda of an approaching board meeting, where the requirement used to be two trustees. Do you believe this is an appropriate and equitable policy — is it too restrictive or not restrictive enough?
Katrina Byars “Currently the process required to have an agenda item in a meeting is too restrictive for democratic dialogue,” Byars responded in an e-mail. “The most appropriate and equitable policy to bring an agenda item forward, in my view, is to ask on the public record for support (among the other trustees) to make the case for the issue,” Byars suggested. “If there is support for the item by at least one other council member, a future agenda item could be set as an opportunity for short discussion to make the case for future action by the Board of Trustees.” Furthermore, Byars wrote, “As leaders we have to be able to bring community concerns to the table, and our current system inhibits critical discussion.”
Ed Cortez “This change in policy really astonishes me,” said Cortez. “Going from two to three, in my opinion, really doesn’t signify what my campaign is all about — exclusiveness (on the part of the current board) versus inclusiveness.” He accused Richardson of championing the change in policy, and said, “I see the board taking, or I see Dan taking, a position that maybe a patriarch would take … he pretty much sees that he knows what he’s doing, and everyone else needs to follow what he’s saying, because he believes he’s right.” Like Byars, Cortez interprets the new policy as limiting citizens’ ability to bring issues before the board of trustees. “Elected officials are only there at the pleasure of the electorate,” Cortez declared, “and I believe the electorate also has a voice in every decision that is made.” Asked whether bringing a late agenda item to the table might make it difficult for town staffers to research the issue in question and provide information to the trustees, Cortez said it should not. “Bringing a late item to the agenda doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to make a decision about it that evening,” he said, adding that the board of trustees has in the past been “notorious for making decisions on the spot,” such as a decision last summer to donate $3,000 to buy reusable stainless steel cups for sale to patrons of the Carbondale Mountain Fair. That decision came up when Carbondale Arts Director Amy Kimberly appeared without notice to ask the trustees for the money.
Dan Richardson
Oktoberfest was packed on Saturday as fest-folks downed steins of beer, played cornhole, listened and danced to Bavarian music, got their kids’ faces painted and had a great time. Observers said most of the festers were under 40, and there were lots of kids.
As the current acting mayor, Richardson acknowledged, it was he who added the change in policy to the Code of Conduct that the trustees had originally imposed upon themselves while Bernot was still mayor. He said that the revised code was discussed during Bernot’s last meeting on the board, and then adopted by the current board in July, after Bernot had left. In addition to the raised bar for adding a late item, Richardson said the new code calls for its sponsor to come up with a “short synopsis” describing the issue in question and the discussion points it might generate. Although the synopsis requirement is not set in stone, Richardson continued, “I would Photos and prefer to hold trustees’ feet to the fire” in order to provide some background information text by and other particulars for the trustees to consider. Jane He said that “any board out there” has a similar policy to not get into issues brought Bachrach up by citizens at a given meeting, in order for staff to come up with background information for the trustees, and added, “I think it’s a good policy, and that policy hasn’t prevented any discussions” on issues raised by the trustees or by citizens. For example, he said, when Trustee Byars declared at the start of a meeting in early August than she wanted to discuss street safety (see question #2), he and former Trustee A.J. The gentleman to the right, who was Hobbs agreed to “put it on the agenda immediately,” although it still had not been forhanging next to the face-painting booth, mally discussed by the trustees when a group of women turned up at an Aug. 23 meeting noted that he bought his hat in Germany. to demand action by the trustees. CANDIDATES Q&A page 8 THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016 • 3
Trustees hire lighting consultant following assaults
Carbondale Mayoral Candidates’ Forum KDNK will broadcast live and make it available on kdnk.org soon after.
Aspen Public Radio will also air the event in some capacity.
Thursday, October 20 5:30 - 7 p.m. Third Street Center Calaway Room The three candidates on the November ballot for Mayor of Carbondale, Katrina Byars, Ed Cortez, and Dan Richardson, will gather for a moderated discussion of key issues facing the town. This event is open to all.
The public is invited to submit topics for consideration by writing to chamber@carbondale.com with the subject line: “Mayoral Candidate’s Forum topic.”
er to b c O ns: o i s is Deadline for question subm
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m .co e l da email to chamber@carbon 4 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016
ter a “letter of engagement” to include this project, according to Harrington. The trustees also reviewed the ongoing 2017 budgetary work being done by the town staff, which has proposed a budget that comprises general fund revenues of $6.3 million, expenditures of $6.8 million, and a transfer of roughly $500,000 from the town's reserves to cover the gap. That will leave the town’s reserves at approximately 75 percent of a year's worth of expenditures, a level the trustees agreed to earlier in the year. The budget includes a 2.5 percent wage and salary increase for town workers, some $24,000 in expenses for equipment for the police department, and transfer of $750,000 from the general fund to the capital construction fund, to deal with rising costs of repair and maintenance to the town's infrastructure, among other expenditures. In other action, the trustees: • Approved liquor-license renewals for the Phat Thai and town. restaurants on Main Street; • Appointed Meg Plumb and Niki Delson to the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails Committee; • Approved a $300 request from the Environmental Board to promote the board's fall “Love 'em and Leave 'em” campaign to encourage locals to mulch their fall leaves into their lawns to improve lawn health.
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ber, ndale Cham o b r Ca The esent and KDNK pr n u S is opr S e Th
as about increases of police patrols and other safety measures. Harrington told the trustees that the police department recently completed a survey of the “darker areas” around town, and that the department will produce a map and a report on the findings from that survey. Trustee Katrina Byars, who has been a leader in the move to improve safety for Carbondale's streets, questioned the need for a second consultant. “I’d rather put the money toward the lights,” she told the BOT on Tuesday, though she seemed somewhat mollified when Harrington told her the cost probably would be lower than $1,000. Byars, however, said she has not “felt completely comfortable” with how the street-safety matter has been handled so far. She explained that while the Rio Grande Trail was initially seen as a good place for increased lighting, it has been pointed out to her that even with lights, many locals feel the trail is “just not safe at night” for lone women. Bohmfalk, after acknowledging that he, too, has come to accept that the Rio Grande Trail is not a good candidate for “safe route” designation, said the process he described would be good for hearing from people what they view as potential safe routes. The board agreed with the proposal, and the town will extend the Land + Shel-
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the area, and oversee the installation of the system. The charges associated with the project, according to a memo from Town Manager Jay Harrington, would be paid out of the town's Capital Construction fund and a special Highway 133 Construction Account. Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, the trustees discussed plans to identify certain “safe routes” through town, where either the lighting already is adequate to ensure safety or lights can be added for that purpose. Trustee Ben Bohmfalk, liaison to the Bike, Pedestrian and Trails Committee noted that the issue has been under discussion through several meetings and that “We weren’t comfortable at our last meeting (with the idea to) add lights here, add lights there,” with no overall plan. Bohmfalk said there has been discussion of hiring yet another consulting firm, Land + Shelter, which earlier was in charge of the 3rd Street Streetscape analysis aimed at identifying improvements to the 3rd Street corridor between Main Street and the Third Street Center facility. Harrington said the contract with Land + Shelter for the earlier project could be extended to include what Bohmfalk said might include a public hearing in early November to gather public suggestions about the lighting needs and the “safe routes” idea, as well
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By John Colson Sopris Sun Staff Writer Carbondale trustees on Tuesday agreed to hire a lighting consultant to look at a stretch of the bike path along Highway 133, between Village Road and Cowen Drive, as the town tries to figure out what kind of lighting would increase pedestrian safety while not blotting out the stars of the night sky. That stretch of trail was the scene of an attempted sexual assault late on the night of July 22, against a 30-year-old local woman who was walking home after going out on a personal errand. That assault was preceded by a similar assault, though reportedly not sexual in nature, which occurred about a month earlier in the neighborhood of Gianinetti Park, which also happens to border Village Road. Police have said they do not believe the two attacks were by the same man, or were related in any way. The two assaults have triggered a heated response from the community, mainly by woman who say they are afraid to walk alone on the streets at night, and who have demanded the town do something to make the streets safer. The trustees on Tuesday agreed to hire a consultant, Clanton Associates of Boulder, at an estimated cost of about $3,600 in hourly labor, to check out the 1,020 feet of trail, design a lighting system for
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Scuttlebutt
Send your scuttlebutt to news@SoprisSun.com.
RAM concert extravaganza
RFC releases water guide
The Roaring Fork High School choir (directed by Shanti Gruber), jazz band (directed by Mark Johnson) and concert band (directed by Mean Ol’ Mr. Gray) give a gives a free concert at the school at 7 p.m. on Oct. 19. The concert band will perform “Three Courtly Dances,� “Jump Jive and Wail� by Louis Prima, and “Thunderbolt� (a P-47 tribute) by Johnny Vinson.
The Roaring Fork Conservancy has released its fourth edition of “Voter’s Guide to Water Issues in the Roaring Fork Watershed.� The RFC asked candidates to respond to two water-related questions. Their unedited responses are published in the guide, which can be found at roaringfork.org.
Last Train to Castleville? While the recent Redstone Castle sale is closing, tours are still being offered on Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 30. Tours start at 1:30 p.m. Learn about not only the Redstone Castle, but also coal mining, railroading and more. For details, go to redstonecastle.us or call 963-9656.
Make ’em squirm The deadline to submit questions for the Carbondale mayoral forum is Oct. 18. Send them to chamber@carbondale.com with the subject line “Mayoral Candidate’s Forum topic.� The forum takes place at the Third Street Center at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. KDNK will broadcast the forum live. The candidates are Katrina Byars, Dan Richardson and Ed Cortez.
WW seeks artists The Wilderness Workshop is accepting applications for its 2017 Artists in Wilderness residencies. They are looking for artists who work in mixed media, watercolor, oil, acrylic, collage – using texture, light and movement as guidelines. For details, go to the Wilderness Workshop’s website.
Roaring Fork
Brain Train, a program of Senior Matters,
is looking for more
Wreath sale Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist is hold it’s “Wreath Sale for Social Justice.� Proceeds go to social justice causes or community outreach such as its Solstice celebration or the Blessing of the Animals. Wreaths are made from sub-alpine fir from the Roaring Fork Valley and come with decorated pinecones, cedar and an optional red bow. They range in price from $20 (17 inches) to $52 (35 inches). To place an order, e-mail Rev. Shawna Foster at truu.minister@gmail.com.
WindWalkers â€œďŹ lling the feedbagâ€? WindWalkers equine therapy has launced its Fill the Feedbag challenge campaign to raise $50,000 Nov. 7. The Missouri Heights-based nonproďŹ t has added two instructors, a part-time staff position and developed a new after-school horsemanship program. For details, check out the WindWalkers website.
They say it’s your birthday Folks celebrating their birthday this week include: Carrie Close (Oct. 14); Darren Broome (Oct. 15); and Ian Edquist and Mike Grandbois (Oct. 18).
FREE TRAINING will be held Wednesday November 9, 2016 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (bring your own lunch) @ the Third Street Center Board Room 520 S. Third Street, Carbondale, CO 81623.
volunteers!
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RFBT serves people with Early Memory Loss & Mild Cognitive Impairment. Shifts are: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. or 12 -2 p.m.
She’s got the whole dog, in her hands ‌ Hey everyone, meet Rev. Shawna Foster (the new minister at Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist) and her dog Fuzzy (adopted from Colorado Animal Rescue). Foster hails from Denver, and holds a BS in political science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a Master’s of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. Foster tells The Sopris Sun she’s looking forward to working with the Thompson Divide Coalition, working for racial justice, helping in the local schools, celebrating the winter solstice and “blessing animals, bikes and backpacks.â€? Foster and Fuzzy live near downtown and she adds “I’m ‌ grateful to be serving Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist to help people with social and personal transformation.â€? Her message at the Third Street Center at 10 a.m. on Oct. 16: For Friends Who Are Like Cucumbers. Photo by Jane Bachrach
For more information email Diane Darling @ rfbt.sm@gmail.com
THIS COMMUNITY AD SPACE DONATED BY COOL BRICK STUDIOS.
For Friends Like Cucumbers with Rev. Shawna Foster Join us Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016 – 10:30 a.m. in the Calaway Room
Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist (TRUU) @ Third Street Center Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist
www.tworiversuu.org
6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016
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Ex-county manager blasts Martin, supports Acha GarCo commish race By John Colson Sopris Sun Staff Writer The race for GarďŹ eld County Commissioner Dist. 2 appears to be heating up. Political newcomer John Acha, a Democrat from New Castle who is challenging incumbent commissioner John Martin, got an endorsement last week from former longtime county manager Ed Green, who once was a close associate of incumbent commission chair John Martin but wrote that this year he will vote for Acha instead. The endorsement came in a letter released by the GarďŹ eld County Democratic Party, but penned by Green, who recently returned from living in Florida for a short time and currently serves on the Rie City Council. The letter, 864 words long, was printed as an advertisement in one local paper after the editors concluded it went over their wordlimit and thus could not be printed as a letter or an op-ed piece, according to Acha's campaign manager, Ryan Gilman. In the letter, Green wrote that Martin's 20 years in ofďŹ ce have “changedâ€? Martin and turned him into “a professional politician, one who believes he is more important than the ofďŹ ce he occupies.â€? Martin did not respond to Sopris Sun attempts to interview him for comments about this article. Green, who started working for the county in 1998, credited Martin with initially working to reorganize a county government
that Green characterized as an amorphous unstructured organization “plagued by political inuence, fear, intimidation of employees, and a severe lack of direction.â€? With the support of the commissioners, Green wrote, county government was updated and reorganized over the next dozen years or more, but then reverted to its earlier status.
that was not necessarily in the best interest of county residents.â€? Green accused Martin and the other commissioners of spending “millions of taxpayer dollars ‌ unnecessarily ‌ for properties of dubious value to the county,â€? implying that the money was spent for other, unexplained purposes.
“ ‌ what is remarkable is that the same commissioner (Martin), who led the charge for the transformation, was the one that led the current group of commissioners to return the organization to one driven by political influence and intimidation.â€? – Ed Green, former Garfield County manager And, Green wrote, “what is remarkable is that the same commissioner (Martin), who led the charge for the transformation, was the one that led the current group of commissioners to return the organization to one driven by political inuence and intimidation.â€? In late 2011, Green wrote, the commissioners “stated that John Martin would personally handle real property sales and purchases,â€? rather than having that work done by staff. The reason, according to Green, was Martin's dissatisfaction with the way the county's property sales were being handled and “had a deďŹ nite view of the negotiation outcomes
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Green also accused the commissioners of ordering Green to dismiss certain unnamed “members of my senior leadership team� for reasons Green felt were “clear-cut violations of federal law which would have resulted in indefensible EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) claims.� Green wrote that he refused to comply with the commissioners' directives, but that three of the four “targeted� employees “suffered adverse actions after I left,� including dismissal of two of them and demotion of a third, on grounds that Green did not specify. Green also was critical of a decision by the commissioners that they “would heretofore
(starting in 2011) be involved in day to day operations of the county,â€? creating “a very centralized organization focused on them and overseen by them,â€? a reversion that he resisted. Green recounted that “about nine weeks later, I was sent out the door.â€? At the letter’s conclusion, Green stated he would support Acha's candidacy, explaining that he feels Acha is “the candidate who can help turn the county to a professionally run organization that is free of political inuence and intimidation.â€? Acha, 43, who is hoping to beat Martin, has lived in GarďŹ eld County since 2000, when he moved here to work with the Gallegos masonry company and soon opened up his own company, Action Estimating. Martin, a native of Glenwood Springs, has been a county commissioner since 1996, having worked as a Glenwood Springs police ofďŹ cer for about 25 years before that. Reached for comment about Green's letter, Acha said, “That's pretty much verbatim what I've been tossing out thereâ€? in his campaign, and that it was the reason he recently offered to promulgate a county law protecting “whistle-blowersâ€? who attempt to reveal improper or illegal activities by county ofďŹ cials. Acha said he has been approached by numerous county employees, past and present, who echoed Green's concerns about the current county administration, but who were afraid to speak out. “I wouldn't have offered the whistleblower protection law if I didn't know it was true,â€? he said of Green's charges.
Orchard Valley Farms & Market
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Pumpkin Patch Daily 10AM-6PM Hayrides leave Orchard Valley Farms
Wine Tasting Shop the Market Picnic by the River
Saturdays in October hourly from 11AM-4PM Travel to our neighbor, Camelot Farms, where you pick apples and pet some critters.Then pick some pumpkins and taste some fresh pressed apple cider at Orchard Valley Farms.
The cost is $5 per child which includes the hayride and petting zoo. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
970-527-6838
orchardvalleyfarms.com 15836 Black Bridge Rd., Paonia, Colorado • Open 10am-6pm daily
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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016 • 7
Candidate Q&A om page 3 2) The town government has been asked by constituents to increase the lighting of streets and trails in parts of town that currently are (and historically have been) quite dark at night, as a way of enhancing the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. What are your feelings about the issues of street lighting, safety, preserving our night-sky views and any other aspects of the overall matter?
Katrina Byars “Community safety is key,” Byars wrote in her emailed responses to the questions. “An increase in lighting for the purpose of community safety under our current lighting codes would be consistent by design with our current dark-sky initiative.” Explaining further, she wrote, “The dark sky initiative is intended to prevent and eliminate light pollution Light pollution not only robs us of the opportunity to reflect on the beauty of the night sky, but also interferes with migration and reproductive patterns of birds and insects.” She wrote that the town already has “several key regulations” to guard against light pollution, which she believes “could inform the intelligent design of safe and effective community lighting solutions throughout Carbondale” aimed at increasing street safety. “Community safety is the best reason to have night lights,” Byars went on. “A standard annual allocation to our streets department, and a lighting collaboration (with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority) on the Rio Grande Trail (which RFTA owns) can result in efficient, cost-effective lighting that will result in lovely nighttime corridors that everyone can enjoy.”
Ed Cortez Street safety is “an issue that requires a lot of discussion,” Cortez told The Sopris Sun, along with “research to be able to know what to do” and how best to tap into
town resources to work on the issue. ‘I believe that safety (comes) first,” he added. “That’s the essential obligation of the town, to provide streets, water and sewer, and most importantly, to provide safety for its citizens.” He said the trustees should have offered a reward, perhaps as much as $5,000, for information about the attackers as soon as last summer’s assaults happened. At the same time, he said, the trustees should have started looking for ways to better light the town’s darker areas, while calling for stepped up police patrols and perhaps special foot patrols by female officers, as a deterrent to further attacks. The real problem, he said, is that the board of trustees lacks the kind of decisive leadership to approach problems such as this from multiple fronts, which he said should include reaching out to RFTA about collaboration on paying the costs of more lighting along the Rio Grande Trail as it passes through town. He said RFTA had done a lot of research into lighting while planning to build new, improved Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stops along its routes between Aspen and Glenwood Springs. Now, he said, the town is looking to hire a lighting consultant to look into some of the technical questions surrounding the safety issue, which he said is not needed. “Once again, we’re wasting our taxpayer dollars, duplicating efforts,” Cortez charged, maintaining that the town could avail itself of RFTA’s research into the question and save some money.
Dan Richardson Referring to the Aug. 23 trustees meeting, when a group of women appeared to complain about a lack of safety in parts of town where the streets and trails are poorly lit, Richardson said, “I was glad that those people
309 9th St., downtown Glenwood Springs 8 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016
came forward. It helped to inform our later discussions.” He defended the trustees’ measured, deliberate reaction to the issues involved as appropriate and proper, noting that the town is still debating which streets and trails should be identified as “safe routes” — among the routes in question are the Rio Grande Trail, and the bicycle and pedestrian trail alongside Highway 133 leading to Roaring Fork High School. Pointing to the Rio Grande Trail, Richardson said it is an example of the complexity of the underlying issues. “People just don’t feel safe on the Rio Grande Trail at night, no matter how much you light it,” he said, citing conversations with trail users. So, while some critics of the trustees are demanding the town act more quickly to light up the dark areas, he said, “there’s a reason that it takes time to come up with good decisions,” such as a reluctance to spend scarce resources on lighting a trail that would not be used even if it were well-lit. Carbondale police have stepped up their patrols at night, and are available to give rides home to anyone who doesn’t feel safe walking alone, he said, noting that he checked to confirm those particular matters immediately after the issue arose, prior to the appearance of the concerned women on Aug. 23. Generally, Richardson said, the advisory Bike, Pedestrian and Trails Committee has recommended that the town get to work on determining which areas need lights and how to get them installed. And on Tuesday, the trustees agreed to hire a lighting consultant to look into the lighting issue at the north end of town, along the highway between Village Road and Cowen Drive, the site of last summer’s attempted sexual assault on a 30-year-old woman. CANDIDATES Q&A page 14
“Coco” adopted by Kayli Offerle
Maverick from CMC vet tech program
Susan Proctor with her llama
Unknown redhead with white dog
Jim Calaway
Kira Curtis, CMC work study student with adoptable dog “Eleanor.”
“Mia” adopted by Tari Williams
Jorie DeVilbiss with her dog Mikey
From left to right: CARE special events manager Keira Clark with Jack (who was adopted on Saturday); CARE office coordinator Samantha Pickard with Olive; CARE foster care coordinator Payton Wright with guinea pigs Bug and Rhino. Photo and text by Jane Bachrach
Animal blessings
A record number of two-legged and four-leggeds attended the annual Blessing of the Animals held at Colorado Animal Rescue on Saturday. Rev. Shawna Foster, minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Carbondale, did the official blessings, and Jimmy Byrnes provided music. According to shelter director Wes Boyd, “This event … brings the entire community together under a common bond, our beloved pets.” THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016 • 9
Community Calendar THURSDAY Oct. 13 RFHS SPORTS • Roaring Fork volleyballers host Grand Valley at 6:30 p.m. LIVE MUSIC • Carbondale Beer Works serves up a jazz group on its patio from 6 to 8 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday of the month. ROTARY • The Mt. Sopris Rotary meets at Mi Casita at noon every Thursday.
Thurs.-Sat. Oct. 13-15. THEATRE • Thunder River Theatre concludes its run of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeâ€? at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday. The play is the Jeffrey Hatcher adaptation of the classic horror thriller. The San Francisco Chronicle calls the piece “Hip, sexy and intense ‌ .â€?Corey Simpson, TRTC’s new executive director, calls the production a “ ‌ provocative, fun and challenging pieceâ€? to start off the new season. “The cast is so talented. Many of them play multiple roles, and it has been a joy watching them explore the demanding vocal and physical work and the dark, sexy undertones. The production features Owen O’Farrell, Franz Alderfer, Cassidy Willey, Gerald DeLisser, Richard Lyon and Jennifer Schiller. The Staff includes Sean Jeffries (lighting/set/sound design), Murray Johnson (stage manager), Jennifer Schiller and Madeline Miles (costume design), and Diane Johnson and Collin Tugwell (props). Tickets are $30 adults, $20 for 20/30 somethings, and $15 for fulltime students at thunderrivertheatre.com.
To list your event, email information to news@soprissun.com. Deadline is noon on Monday. Events take place in Carbondale unless noted. For up-to-the-minute valley-wide event listings, check out the Community Calendar online at soprissun.com. View events online at soprissun.com/calendar.
Info: 963-8200. Thunder River Theatre is located at 67 Promenade (across from the Carbondale Recreation Center). This performance is recommended for mature audiences only.
continue every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at the same time. Bring a mat if you can. Info: 963-2054.
FRIDAY Oct. 14
HARVEST PARTY • ACES’ Rock Bottom Ranch holds its annual Harvest Party from noon to 4 p.m. There’ll be food, music (the Caleb Dean band), farm tours, pumpkin carving, face painting, ranch games, a silent auction, and beer/wine at $5. This is a car-free event. Info: aspennature.org.
MOVIES • The Crystal Theatre presents “The Light Between Oceansâ€? (PG-13) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14-15 and Oct. 17-13; “Bow Wow Film Festivalâ€? at 2 p.m. Oct. 15; “Life, Adjusted.â€? at noon on Oct. 16 and “The Beatles: Eight Days a Weekâ€? (NR) at 5 p.m. on Oct. 16. SECOND FRIDAY • Highlights at Basalt’s Second Friday include the Ann Korologos Gallery show “Inhabitations: Western Landscapes, featuring Andy Taylor, Dan Young, Peter Campbell, Marie Wise, Dinah Worman, Simon Winegar and Elizabeth Sandia.
SATURDAY Oct. 15
HEALTH FAIR • Aspen Valley Hospital’s Midvalley Health Fair takes place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the El Jebel Community Center/Eagle County Government Building. Info: avhaspen.org or 544-1296.
SUNDAY Oct. 16
ART BASE ANNEX • The Art Base Annex in Basalt and Poss Architecture host an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. for Boulder-based artist Sarah McKenzie. The show continues through Nov. 5. Running concurrently at the Charles J. Wyly Gallery at the Art Base is the Laurie Doctor show “Map of Regrets.â€? Info: theartbase.org.
SPECIAL FILM • The film “Life Adjustedâ€? is shown at the Crystal Theatre at noon. This is a heart-felt movie about the human/animal connection, and the healing capabilities between the two. The main actor, Dr. Jay Komarek, splits his time between Crested Butte and Boulder, and will attend the film for Q&A. Info: 970-759-9733 and jade@thehealing revolution.com.
LIVE MUSIC • Steve’s Guitars in the old part of the Dinkel Building presents live music every Friday night. Info: 963-3340.
MON.-SAT. Oct.17-22
YOGA • Yoga classes with Himalayan Yogini Devika Gurung take place at the Launchpad from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and will
DANCE INITIATIVE • Dance Initiative’s Artist in Residence program returns with the New York based company Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener. The program kicks
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off with a lecture at the Launchpad from 6 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 18. At the Launchpad at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, there’ll be a studio presentation of works in progress followed by a Q&A session. A masters class is offered at the Launchpad from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 22. Space is limited. Register at danceinitiative.org
MONDAY Oct. 17 MUSIC • The Ukulele Ladies’ Band starts rehearsals from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Church at Redstone. Experience is not necessary and all levels of players are welcome. Membership is free but you must supply your own uke; two music books and a chord chart will cost about $42. Info: Stephanie Askew at 963-1417. GONG BATH • Richard Rudis, who created the “Gong Bath,â€? bring a session to the Third Street Center from 7 to 8 p.m. He created the sacred sound healing technique in 2008 and has helped more than 35,000 participants, according to a press release. Bring a blanket and floor mat to lay on and water. Wear loose, comfortable clothes The cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Info: sacredsoundgongbath.com. GRIEF AND LOSS • PathďŹ nders offers a grief and loss support group every other Monday at 6 p.m., and a caregiver support group every other Wednesday (starting on Oct. 5) at noon. An RSVP is required to Robyn Hubbard at 319-6854. PathďŹ nders CALENDAR page 11
Community Calendar offers support groups from Aspen to Rie and is located in Carbondale at 1101 Village Rd. Info: pathďŹ ndersforcancer.org.
TUESDAY Oct. 18 A READING • Aspen Words closes out its 2016 Writers in Residence program from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with a free reading by Lesley Nneka Arimah at the Hooch Craft cocktail bar (301 E. Hopkins).
WEDNESDAY Oct. 19 HABITAT HEROES • The Basalt Regional Library presents “Habitat Heroes: Wildscaping 101â€? from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Led by Audubon Rockies’ Habitat Hero coordinator Jamie Weiss, the workshop will focus on restoring communities “one garden patch at a time.â€? LIVE MUSIC • Dan Rosenthal hosts an open mic night at Rivers restaurant in Glenwood Springs every Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m.
Save the Date SATURDAY Nov. 5
TASTE OF BASALT • The 21st annual Taste of Basalt takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Roaring Fork Club. Proceeds go to enhance college counseling, hands-on science programs, technology, teacher training, outdoor education, art, music and more in Basalt schools. Tickets are $100 per person at basaltedu.org. The Taste of Basalt usually sells out.
continued from page 10
Further Out THURSDAY Oct. 20
SATURDAY Oct. 22
WEDNESDAY Oct. 26
MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM • The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, KDNK and Sopris Sun hosts a mayoral forum from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Third Street Center’s Calaway Room. The candidates are Katrina Byars, Ed Cortez and Dan Richardson. The public is invited to attend. The deadline to submit questions is Oct. 18. Send them to chamber@carbondale.com with the subject line “Mayoral Candidate’s Forum topic.â€? Aspen Public Radio will also air the event in some capacity.
FIRE HOUSE OPEN HOUSE • The Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District holds an open house at its Meadwood station from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There’ll be station tours, ďŹ re truck rides, a chance to meet Sparky the Fire Dog and more.
WIN • Women Interacting and Networking (WIN) takes place at from 7:15 to 9 a.m. at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library. Info: glenwoodchamber.com.
CMC • Colorado Mountain College presents author Reyna Grande at 7 p.m. at its Spring Valley Campus. Grande wrote the critically acclaimed memoir “The Distance Between Us.â€? Molina Speaks, a Denver-based poet and performance artist, will also appear. The event marks the 10th anniversary CMC’s Common Reader community reading program. Info: coloradomtn.edu.
ROCK ‘N ROAST • Growing Years School and Mt. Sopris Montessori School throw their seventh annual Rock ‘N Roast Halloween bash at the Orchard (110 Snowmass Dr. in Carbondale). The bash goes from 6 to 10 p.m. and includes: Music from Steve Skinner’s band, BBQ, a silent auction and more. Tickets are $40 per person/$75 per couple (must be at least 21 to enter). Child care will be provided. To reserve a ticket, call 963-3506 ext. 2, or go to eventbrite.com. Costumes are encouraged.
connected to sutras and tantras from the Buddhist tradition.� Info: carbondaleclay.org.
C’DALE TRUSTEES • The Carbondale Board of Trustees holds regular meetings the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at town hall starting at 6 p.m. (Oct. 11 this month); the trustees usually hold work session at 6 p.m. on the ďŹ rst and third Wednesday. Info: 963-2733 or carbondalegov.org
YAPPY HOUR • The Marble Distilling Co. and CARE team up for another Yappy Hour starting 5:30 to 7 p.m. Adoptable mutts will be on paw to take home; $1 from every cocktail all day will to CARE.
FRIDAY Oct. 28
Ongoing LEAF DAYS • Carbondale’s Leaf Days continues in the parking lot east of Town Hall. Leaves and tree branches must be removed from bags for composting; garbage bags, plastic bags etc. are not accepted. Info: carbondalegov.org, Facebook and 963-1307. STEVEN COLBY SHOW • The Carbondale Clay Center presents a show of new work by Steven Colby through Oct. 29. He said that this collection is his most personal. “I’m more than ever making work about myself, my experience and my communities, rather than the heavy historical and didactic inuence that has led me to this new period. And, the work is deeply
KOROLOGOS GALLERY • The Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt presents “Inhabitations: Western Landscapesâ€? through Nov. 15. The show features works by Peter Campbell, Dean Mitchell, Elizabeth Sandia, Andy Taylor, Marie Figge Wise, Simon Winegar, Dinah K. Worman and Dan Young. Info: 927-9668 or art@korologosgallery.com. GIRLS WHO CODE • The Basalt Regional Library offers a computer club for girls ages 6 to 12 on Tuesdays. It’s called “Girls Who Code.â€? Info: call the library.
IMMUNIZATION CLINICS • GarďŹ eld County offers immunization clinics at the Carbondale Family Resource Center (in the Bridges Center at 400 Sopris Ave.) the second and fourth Thursday of the month (Oct. 13 and 27 this month). To schedule an appointment, call 945-6614, ext. 2030.
Adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher Directed by Corey Simpson
FEATURING Owen O’Farrell Franz Alderfer Cassidy Willey Gerald DeLisser Richard Lyon Jennifer Schiller
BASALT ART WALK FRI OCT 14, 5-7 PM
DATES September 29 (Preview), September 30 (Opening), October 1, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15
All performances 7:30 p.m. except Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.
TICKETS www.thunderrivertheatre.com (970) 963-8200
$30 - Adult $20 - 20/30-Something $15 - Full-time Student
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
WOW! You Know How Good It Feels ctober’s Special
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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016 • 11
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Art Base Annex teams with Poss for McKenzie show Sopris Sun Staff Report The Art Base Annex teams with Poss Architecture + Planning and Interior design for a Sarah McKenzie show titled “Framework.” “These thresholds are liminal zones, where one might pass from one space to the next, but often a curtain, screen, or some other visual barrier interferes, holding the viewer at the point of transition,” McKenzie said. “Framework” incorporates paintings from the past eight years to the present, all featuring windows, doorways and other thresholds. Capturing architecture and the built environment in a state of flux, and with emphasis on geometry, pattern and gesture, “Framework” hovers in a zone between representation and abstraction, according to a press release. McKenzie is represented by the David B. Smith
Gallery in Denver. Depicting architecture in transition, she has been featured in Art in America, the New York Times, the Denver Post, the Huffington Post, Dwell magazine and New American Paintings. Her work has been shown throughout the U.S., including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, She was a first-place purchase award recipient at the National Young Painters competition at Miami University of Ohio. In 2012 she received a Joan Mitchell Painters and Sculptors Grant. McKenzie is represented by David B. Smith Gallery in Denver.
Next steps
What: “Framework” by Sarah McKenzie When: Oct. 14, 5 to 7 p.m. Where: Art Base Annex in Basalt
“View,” 48 X 48 inches, 2011, oil on canvas by Sarah McKenzie.
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î‚Še Gong Bath: anticipate healings, awakenings and miracles By John Hoffmann Information from Richard Rudis We live in a cosmos of vibration. Our voice, footsteps, cars, jets, the wind are all drowned out by the music of the spheres and the universe, shaking atoms into material existence. A gong bath is a form of sound therapy where the gong is played in a therapeutic way, to bring about healing. Richard Rudis uses a brass gong that is precisely shaped and tuned to the planet Earth’s resonant frequency. He creates the tones it makes by applying one of his 30 mallets and his hand passing in front of the gong. Rudis created the original Gong Bath™, in 2008 and has held over 1,000 Gong Baths around the world. The bathers bring a camp pad, pillow and blanket, lying down with their heads to the gong, radiating out and around the gong like a ower. During the bath a deep meditative state oods the people, with some falling into a healing sleep. Using principles of Vajrayana Buddhism, sacred geometry, mathematics and instrumentation, a meditative experience is created. Rudis ďŹ lls the room with strong, subtle vibrations that penetrate the body in a safe, profound way. Each participant is acoustically guided with harmonic overtones, into realms of remembered physical well-being, emotional balance, cellular healing and spiritual awareness. Vibrational constructs are used to further entice the brain into Alpha/Theta/Delta wave-scapes of enrichment. Rudis has ďŹ lmed the vibrational effects on a drop of water. It is fascinating to watch a water drop transform from a sphere as the frequency moves from 0 - 85 Hz, where the water snaps into a triangle and holds its shape until the frequency is changed to 177 Hertz, where it snaps into a 3D hexagon that can be viewed around the outer edges and on top of the water droplet with straight ridges forming a point at the top of the droplet. (Visit his website for a ďŹ lm of this phenomenon). “We are 90 percent water and it is remarkable to feel this effect on one’s body,â€? Rudis said. Rudis (Karma Sonam Dorje) has studied Eastern philosophy for over 30 years and is a teaching Buddhist. For information on his next Carbondale Gong Bath, please turn to the Monday section of Calendar in this week’s Sopris Sun.
“We are 90 percent water and it is remarkable to feel this effect on one’s body.�
Steven Carmer’s “Rising,� located at the intersection of Main Street and Snowmass Drive, is one of 15 sculptures in the Carbondale Public Arts Commission’s 2016-17 Art aRound Town exhibition. Carmer, from Fort Collins, said the transitional relationship between the sun and moon is the inspiration for the piece. Photo by Lynn Burton
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Paid for by Katrina Byars for Mayor
THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016 • 13
Candidate Q&A om page 8 3) What are your thoughts about the ongoing short-termrental issue, speciďŹ cally whether the town should impose limits on short-term rentals and, if so, what kind of limits should they be and how should compliance be monitored and assured.
“Short term rentals are currently required to pay several taxes,� Byars wrote in her response to the third question. “There is currently no limit or cap on (the allowable number of such arrangements).� In general, she continued, “There are some problems with the industry that will be worked out over time, but overall their impact on our community is strongly positive both economically and culturally.� But, she wrote, “Where short term rentals are eliminating housing stock (in situations where entire residential units or homes are rented out short-term) there are several negative consequences to the whole community. For example, when tenants are removed from a property and the property is converted to short-term rental housing, the loss of workforce housing increases strain on our already nonexistent rental market. It is up to us as a whole community to determine the right balance between community impacts and private enterprise to ensure the most diverse and vibrant local economy we can achieve.�
or as tourist housing that could provide “a secondary incomeâ€? to homeowners having difďŹ culties staying aoat in the region’s tourist economy. Cortez and his late wife, he said, were the ďŹ rst to apply for permission to add an ADU to their home for just that reason. So, he said, he is in favor of allowing homeowners to rent out rooms to tourists, under what are called “owneroccupied short-term rentals (STRs).â€? “That should not be regulated,â€? he declared, beyond rules to ensure safety and proper egress. But where non-owner-occupied arrangements are concerned, such as homes purchased as investments specifically to capitalize on the tourist trade and rented out entirely, “I believe they do have to be regulated,â€? Cortez said. Regulations are needed in part, he said, to provide “some kind of leveling of the ball fieldâ€? and prevent unfair competition between STRs and more traditional lodging facilities, such as motels and bed & breakfast accommodations. One issue he feels strongly about, he said, is the impact of absentee-owned STRs on the region’s affordable-housing market, which he called “a huge problemâ€? that he is fully aware of as a renter himself. He said he is unsure about exactly how it should be managed, and pledged to look into it if elected.
Ed Cortez
Dan Richardson
Recalling that more than a decade ago, while he was involved in town government, the trustees came up with “in ďŹ llâ€? policies aimed at boosting the density of housing in old Carbondale and lessening the ongoing sprawl of development into areas outside Carbondale’s borders. A consequence of that action, he said, was the allowance for “accessory dwelling unitsâ€? to be added to new or existing homes either as affordable housing for workers
Richardson said the trustees had “a really good discussion� about this issue in July, and basically concluded that owner-occupied STRs should simply pay sales taxes and lodging taxes as part of the cost of doing business. Such arrangements, he said, have the dual effect of possibly taking some units out of the affordable-housing mix in Carbondale, but also of providing an effective housing subsidy for the owners of the homes that rent
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511www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov Colorado Ave., Suite 911, Carbondale, CO 81623 970-963-2662
rooms to tourists. He said data collected by town staffers so far has indicated fewer than three situations where STRs appear to have displaced local workers from their housing, and that the town will continue to watch over the situation to be sure it does not become a larger problem. But absentee-owned STRs, he said, are much more likely to bring unfair competition to motels and B&Bs, so they should be required to go through the town’s Conditional Use Permit process to ensure they comply with the same kind of standards as the traditional lodging businesses. And, he continued, by requiring these kinds of STRs to get a permit, the town can monitor the businesses and revoke the permit if something happens and they stray from compliance with the conditions of the permit. The board voted to take that approach, Richardson said, adding, “I think we continue with that approach until things happen to encourage us to change it.â€? He indicated that the recently adopted UniďŹ ed Development Code will need to be amended to reect some of the proposed rules for absentee-owned STR properties, which will take some time.
THURSDAY Oct. 20
The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, KDNK and The Sopris Sun host a mayoral forum on Oct. 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Third Street Center’s Calaway Room. The public is invited to attend. The deadline to submit questions is Oct. 18. Send them to chamber@carbondale.com with the subject line “Mayoral Candidate’s Forum topic.� Aspen Public Radio will also air the event in some capacity.
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SĂĄbado, 22 de Octubre, 2016 SĂĄbado, 22 de Octubre, 2016 10:00 a.m a 2:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m a 2:00 p.m.
saber dondese se encuentra encuentra elelcentro dede ParaPara saber enendonde centro reciclaje mĂĄs cercanoacontacte al reciclaje mĂĄs cercano usted visite: EstaciĂłn de PolicĂa en Carbondale www.DEAdiversion.usdoj.gov
511 Colorado Ave., Suite 911, Carbondale, CO 81623 970-963-2662 Los siguientes articulos no serĂĄn aceptados: Los siguientes articulos no serĂĄn aceptados: Agujas y objetos punzantes, mercurio (termĂłmetros),
Agujas y objetos Los punzantes, mercurio (termĂłmetros), contenedores de oxĂgeno, Los contenedores oxĂgeno, radiactivas, Sustancias de quimioterapiade/ sustancias Sustancias de quimioterapia Recipientes a presiĂłn/ ysustancias las drogas radiactivas, ilĂcitas Recipientes a presiĂłn y las drogas ilĂcitas
The following items WILL NOT be accepted; 7KH IROORZLQJ LWHPV WILL NOT EH DFFHSWHG
Needles & Sharps, Mercury (thermometers), 1HHGOHV 6KDUSV 0HUFXU\ WKHUPRPHWHUV Oxygen Containers, 2[\JHQ &RQWDLQHUV &KHPRWKHUDS\ 5DGLRDFWLYH 6XEVWDQFHV Chemotherapy/ Radioactive Substances, 3UHVVXUL]HG &DQLVWHUV ,OOLFLW 'UXJV Pressurized Canisters, Illicit Drugs
14 • THE SOPRIS SUN • www.SoprisSun.com • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016
Letters continued om page 2 critical community needs. Community safety concerns continue to increase as we face the growing pains of the present and future. The mayor of Carbondale has important influence over what our town will become, and there are real solutions to the problems we face. I believe my leadership and experience are needed to spearhead progress on these issues and I am asking for you to vote Katrina Byars for mayor in our upcoming election. In Carbondale, independent businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits support our thriving and resilient local economy. From Dandelion Day to Potato Day, and from Our Town One Table to Mountain Fair, together we create the community we wish to see in the world. I look forward to listening to your concerns and hopes for the future of Carbondale. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve this community. I’m very grateful. Please feel free to contact me at katrinabyarsformayor@gmail.com or visit katrinabyarsformayor.com. Katrina Byars Carbondale
Jeff Cheney for DA Dear Editor: All we seem to hear for the past four years are the conflicts between our current district attorney and almost everyone else. She does not play well with others. Jeff Cheney has a positive and trustbased relationship with law enforcement. While holding them accountable to the law, he also partners with officers to protect our communities. Jeff is passionate in his support and empowerment of victims of crime. He totally supports our trained victim advocates and wants to work with them in the all-important work of helping and communicating with their victims. This is not happening now. Jeff Cheney is extremely involved with our communities through River Bridge
Child Advocacy Center, as a youth coach, and Scout Leader. He was an Army infantry officer who served in Iraq, was awarded a Bronze Star, and is currently an active JAG Corps reservist. He has been an attorney for 19 years and worked for several years as an Assistant DA prosecutor. Please go to his website “Cheney4DA.com” for contact information. He wants to meet you. Please vote for Jeff. We need him. Rich and Holly Glasier Carbondale
Support BLM air quality Dear Editor: One of the sad effects of 500 nuclear tests last century was the radioactive fallout that contaminates the world’s atmosphere even today. Pollution, like air, knows no boundaries. Members of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance feel it’s unfortunate that some industry affiliates and politicians are not interested in protecting air quality for everyone. These officials continue to block policies that could protect our limited breathable air, especially when it comes to oil and gas development. In 2014, Colorado led the country in passing some of the strongest air quality rules to limit the release of methane and volatile organic compounds from oil and gas activities. And at this very moment the BLM is trying to finalize a nation-wide rule based on our work in Colorado. The BLM’s proposed “Methane and Waste Reduction Rule” targets the reduction of methane and other chemicals discharged during natural gas production due to the lack of best management practices in O&G production. The rule would encompass limits on the amount of natural gas burned off during flaring and require operators to conduct leak detection inspections more often. Yet, Rep. Scott Tipton and the Garfield County commissioners have refused to support BLM’s endeavor to protect our air qual-
Unclassifieds
ity on federal lands. Air pollution from O&G drilling in neighboring states will continue to be detrimental to the health of Western Colorado citizens. Grand Valley Citizens members believe there needs to be increased cooperation, enhanced scientific study, and more timely action from federal, state and local government officials to protect our air quality from the negative effects of O&G development, such as this BLM rule proposes. That effort needs to start here, at home and in Congress, now. Leslie Robinson Chair Grand Valley Citizens Alliance
Death with dignity Dear Editor: On Nov. 8, Coloradans will vote on Proposition 106, the end-of-life-options act. It is almost identical to Oregon’s 1997 Death with Dignity law. Since 1997, three other states implemented similar legislation and in Montana, courts have made medically assisted dying legal. Canada and many European nations also allow this option. Oregon’s legislation includes careful monitoring and annual reports. During its first 19 years, 1,545 Oregonians received lethal prescriptions and 941 used them. Verifiable reports of abuses are virtually nonexistent. Some people have deeply held religious or moral objections to hastening death in any way. If that describes you, please consider the ethics of forcing those beliefs on others. If, in good conscience, you reach the conclusion that it is moral for you to do that, you ought not to vote against your conscience. But “good conscience” hardly describes the organized opposition to Proposition 106. They are calling it “fatally flawed.” Is it flawed? Of course! Almost anything can be considered flawed, but the flaws they cite exist in every state where similar legislation
Service Directory
is already working quite well. For example, their currently featured “flaw” is that we cannot be certain the medication is administered properly and without coercion because no doctor is required to be present at time of death. Please! The opposition to 106 is almost entirely funded from two multi-million-dollar donations. Are we to believe these groups are really concerned about some alleged flaws in this particular proposition, that if these flaws were corrected, that if we had a doctor administering the medication? Of course not. These groups are opposed to 106 out of sincere religious beliefs and that is their right, but it is not their right to use deception to impose those beliefs on others and that is exactly what they are trying to do. How moral is that? Ron Kokish Carbondale
Legal Notice PUBLIC NOTICE
Lafarge West, Inc c/o Lafarge North America Inc; 1687 Cole Blvd Suite 300, Golden, CO 80401, 303-9851070, has filed an application for a Regular (112) Construction Materials Operation Reclamation Permit with the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board under provisions of the Colorado Land Reclamation Act for the Extraction of Construction Materials. The proposed mine is known as the Powers Pit, and is located at or near Section 26, Township 7, Range 86, 6th Prime Meridian. The proposed date of commencement is October 1, 2016, and the proposed date of completion is February 1, 2018. The proposed future use of the land is rangeland and commercial/industrial. Additional information and tentative decision date may be obtained from the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215, Denver, Colorado 80203, (303) 866-3567, or at the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder's office; 109 8th Street, Suite 200, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601, or the above-named applicant. Comments must be in writing and must be received by the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety by 4:00 p.m. on November 9th, 2016.
Please note that under the provisions of C.R.S. 3432.5-101 et seq. Comments related to noise, truck traffic, hours of operation, visual impacts, effects on property values and other social or economic concerns are issues not subject to this Office’s jurisdiction. These subjects, and similar ones, are typically addressed by your local governments, rather than the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety or the Mined Land Reclamation Board. Published in The Sopris Sun on October 13, 2016.
Submit to unclassifieds@soprissun.com by Friday 12 p.m. Rates: $15 for 30 words, $20 for up to 50 words. Payment due before publication.*
AUTO INJURY Under Diagnosed & Under Treated!*
SOPRIS SUN EDITOR: The Sopris Sun is planning for the future and has opened its search for a qualified person to follow in the footsteps of our current editor beginning January 1, 2017. For more information and application materials, please call or text your contact info, including email address, to Debbie at 970379-0214 or Barbara at 503-709-1534. The position will be open until filled.
*Dr. Kent Albrecht, D.C., Certified Courtroom Expert Witness
Dr. Albrecht has been diagnosing & treating auto injury cases with a thorough physical examination (Orthopedic, Neurological & X-Ray Functional Analysis, if indicated) for over 30 years.
Get a “Chiropractical” opinion today!
YOGA. Himalayan yogini Devika Gurung teaches Nepali-style yoga at the Launchpad from 9 to 10:30 a.m. every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. For details, call 963-2054. VOLUNTEER SPORTS WRITERS wanted for The Sopris Sun. Football, volleyball and boys soccer. Experience not necessary. For details, e-mail Lynn Burton at news@soprissun.com. The Sopris Sun is an equal volunteer opportunity non-employer. NEWSPAPERS. Three bound volumes of the Valley Journal for sale: January-December, 1980; January 1-June 25, 1981; July 2-Dec. 30, 1981. $25 each. E-mail Lynn Burton at lynnburton_2000@yahoo.com. *Credit card payment information should be emailed to unclassifieds@soprissun.com or call 948-6563. Checks may be dropped off at our office at the Third Street Center or mailed to P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623. Call 510-3003 for more info.
(970) 366-2030 See our VIDEOS & Info at: CarbondaleDC.com 326 Hwy 133, Suite 270D (Alpine Center) Carbondale, CO
*Most accidents by Colorado law have 100% insurance coverage under Med-Payments policy.
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THE SOPRIS SUN, Carbondale’s weekly community connector • OCTOBER 13-19, 2016 • 15
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