August 2017

Aug. 25, 1977: Several years of litigation came to a close when a judge ordered the sale of some 90 residential lots that were part of the defunct Marble Ski Area. The envisioned resort community might have had a population of up to 20,000 during peak seasons, but the company ended up filing for bankruptcy after drawing opposition from local environmentalists and state commissions alike. (There now numerous homes in the area.)

In the 40 years since its founding, The Church at Redstone has had just three pastors, and the fourth is planning on similar longevity. Chris Moon is in the process of taking over from longtime pastor Bruce Gledhill, who is moving to Woodland Park with his wife, Connie, at the end of the month. “I’ve loved being in Redstone and being with this church and getting to be who I’ve been for the last 17 years,” Gledhill said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Brian Colley painted a lovely cover to help us remind folks to support The Sun — and we’re hoping someone will want to take the original 8″x10″ painting home. Bid by emailing news@soprissun.com or calling 510-3003 through Sept. 6. The current bid is $150.

Carbondale is experiencing “significant” activity related to the presence of numerous bears in town looking for food in local dumpsters, according to a statement issued by the police, and residents are being cautioned that they had better make sure their trash containers are sufficiently bear-proof to avoid penalties that can reach up to $1,300 in fines. To punctuate the point, on Aug. 9 a young bear cub, roaming with its mother around the streets of old town, was electrocuted when it climbed a power pole and had to be put down by the Carbondale Police Department.

The Aug. 21 total eclipse of the heart — er, sun — is shaping up to be one of the most talked about astronomical events in most locals’ lifetimes. And while the Great American Eclipse, as it’s been dubbed, won’t be total over Carbondale (Colorado, that is — our Illinois counterpart is on the path), we’re still looking at more than 90 percent coverage. That’s comparable to the annular eclipse we experienced in May 2012. That time, the moon was too distant from the earth to mask the sun completely anywhere, which apparently will be the norm in about 500 million years, as the moon’s orbit will move it away from earth at a rate of 4cm per year.

As the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo wraps up its summer season, it’s worth remembering that the Gus Darien Arena takes its name not from a star rider but from a hard working rancher and steady stopwatch man. “Gus was an amazing character and one of the last of the old guard,” said John Armstrong, who worked with the Dariens for years. “He could do pretty much everything — farming, ranching, woodworking… He was from that self sufficient generation.” John gave his son, Ben, Gus as a middle name. He remembers the original as a tall man of short stature who styled himself as the meanest guy in town but was really a pillar of the community.

Carbondale’s signature consignment store, Miser’s Mercantile at 303 Main St., is now a week into a transition, following seizure of the store and its contents by landlord Dale Eubank on Aug. 10. Eubank contends that former owner Sam Hunter owes more than $12,000 in back rent. Most of the existing employees have been retained and continue to work at the store, according to a statement on Aug. 15 by spokesperson Diane Angelo.