Look at all you’ve done this past year, “Carbondale, the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond,” — to quote KDNK! It’s been one heck of a cycle and The Sopris Sun has done its best to roll with the punches and deliver the news as it comes; there certainly was no shortage in 2024.
The Sun wishes you all a pleasant and safe holiday season and looks forward to seeing what everyone will be up to in 2025. Happy New Year!
January
After a video of an injured mountain lion attacking a raccoon outside of a Carbondale home — within town limits — went viral, there were a slew of other sightings, likely of the same mountain lion. Because injured big cats will go after smaller, easier prey, a former resident of Hendrick Drive, Rico the cat, also, sadly, met his untimely demise.
Carbondale Bike Project operators Jim Githen and Valerie Gilliam put the word out for a new manager. Shortly thereafter, Erik O’Connell took on the role.
Trustees prepared to share their meeting space at Town Hall with 20 migrants, of the 60 housed at the Third Street Center. During this time, migrants, mostly from Venezuela, were also offered week-night meals at Crystal River Elementary School. The Town hired a shelter facilitator. The emergency response efforts were covered by a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The Town phased out emergency shelters by April. Later in the year, West Mountain Regional Health Alliance was awarded $355,000 from The Colorado Trust “as support for providing housing assistance and wraparound services to immigrants and refugees, specifically recent arrivals from Venezuela.” With Denver now facing less of an influx of refugees, Mayor Ben Bohmfalk doesn’t foresee a repeat, at least to the same degree, this winter.
Carbondale Trustees authorized the submission of a tax credit financing application to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority for the Town Center affordable housing project. The application was denied later in the year, but the Town can apply again in February 2025.
Former Carbondale coal miners Robert Congdon, Smiley Wise, Gene Schilling and Mario Villalobos swap stories at KDNK as part of Carbondale Historical Society’s 2024 Winter Speakers Series..
Seven Carbondale trustee candidates submitted petitions to run for office: Jess Robison, April Spaulding, Katie Tabor, Susan Rhea, Christina Montemayor, Nicholas DiFrank and Ross Kribbs.
The Art Base welcomed its new executive director: Annie Henninger.
February
The Meeting Place, an addiction recovery hub in Carbondale, hired its first executive director, Karlynn Fulmer.
A Carbondale resident filed a complaint alleging that the temporary fence, surrounding the construction site for the new Forest Service building, blocked the public’s right-of-way.
Roaring Fork School District purchased a $1.226 million townhouse for future superintendents to reside, located in the Crystal Bluffs area of River Valley Ranch.
The Garfield County Public Library District provided funding for the Glenwood Springs Historical Society & Frontier Museum to hire an archivist for a two-year period.
Thunder River Theatre wowed audiences with Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame,” while Sopris Theatre Company tackled unconscious bias with “Native Gardens.”
The Garfield County commissioners denied the Town of Carbondale’s request for $50,000 to help with refugee response.
Marie Herr assumed the executive director role at Sopris Lodge.
Girls and boys Rams basketball teams advanced to the playoffs.
The commissioners sent a letter of intent to the library board that it planned to oversee the trustee appointment process, from advertising to final appointment, starting with the then-vacant Rifle seat.
Jalisco Grill celebrated its grand opening in Carbondale, and the 122-room Hoffman Hotel opened for business across Highway 82 from Willits.
Photo by James Steindler
March
The commissioners passed a resolution declaring Garfield a “non-sanctuary” county. “Their actions are political and do nothing to resolve the barriers that both long-term and new immigrants face in Garfield County. Instead, they merely make clear where they stand — that police and public officials are not here to serve the Latino community. And that is shameful,” said Voces Unidas de Las Montañas CEO Alex Sánchez in response.
Dr. Anna Cole, who had been serving as the interim superintendent for the Roaring Fork School District, was named the sole finalist for the position.
Carbondale trustees declined to consider a Gaza ceasefire resolution, brought forward by Ceasefire Now RFV, on the heels of the Glenwood Springs City Council approving its own in February.
LIFT-UP opened a new warehouse in Glenwood Springs.
Community members gathered at Sayre Park in Glenwood Springs to publicly denounce the commissioners’ resolution declaring Garfield County as “non-sanctuary.”
The Carbondale Historical Society hosted the third-part of its 2024 Winter Speaker Series, “Tales of the Ute People in the Roaring Fork Valley,” at the KDNK classroom.
Carbondalians Devika Gurung and Krishna Thapa opened Himalayan Cuisine on 6th Street in Glenwood Springs.
Vandalism on the Red Hill trail system, including the destruction of a counter-
box and stacking of debris into about 30 separate piles as if awaiting to be ignited, befuddled authorities.
Garfield County commissioners passed Resolution 24-12, effectively taking over the library trustee appointment process.
A food truck court at 111 Main Street earned trustee approval.
April
Colorado Parks and Wildlife considered a test-and-cull method to address the detrimental impact of bacterial pneumonia complex on the indigenous Avalanche Creek bighorn sheep herd. The fatal disease stems from contact with domestic sheep.
Carbondale ushered in its newly elected trustees: Jess Robison, Christina Montemayor and Ross Kribbs. In Basalt, David Knight won the mayoral seat, joined by new council members Hannah Berman, Angèle Dupré-Butchart and Rick Stevens.
The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) went digital.
Garfield County Planning Department considered an application to revise an existing Planned Unit Development. Georgia-based applicant Storied Development LLC’s proposed building the Spring Valley Ranch development, which would include 577 homes and possibly a ski hill, among other accommodations.
Carbondale’s Carrie Vickers was inducted into Colorado’s Running Hall of Fame.
TACAW hosted “Hanging in the Balance: Competing Needs for Water in the West,” a panel discussion presented by Aspen Journalism and the Colorado Water Trust.
Lindsay Hentschel was announced as Roaring Fork High School’s next principal. Around the same time, the school’s Booster Club raised funds to replace the scoreboard at Rams Field. And its athletic director, Crista Barlow, was recognized as the 3A Athletic Director of the Year by the Colorado Athletic Directors Association.
Alpine Legal hosted a bilingual “Law Week” at Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs.
May
The lady Rams lacrosse and soccer teams advanced to the playoffs.
3 B’s Bakery opened in Carbondale.
“Past Carbondale Mayors” concluded Carbondale Historical Society’s 2024 Winter Speaker Series.
The former principal of the Carbondale Community School, Sam Richings-
Germain, took on a new role as director of the Marble Charter School.
The Garfield County commissioners appointed Myrna Fletchall as the new library trustee representing Rifle.
The Colorado state legislature approved the reintroduction of North American wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus). It’s likely to be two years before the species is reintroduced.
Roaring Fork School District affirmed its safe haven policy in the wake of the commissioners declaring the county as “non-sanctuary.”
Twenty-eight Rams graduates earned the Seal of Biliteracy.
Carbondale Arts celebrated the grand opening of the Youth Art Park along the Rio Grande Trail.
June
Carbondale’s Wild West Rodeo kicked off its 19th season with increased law enforcement addressing illegal parking along Catherine Store Road. A second shuttle stop was added at 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in town.
Carbondale musician Natalie Spears released her debut solo album “Hymn of Wild Things.”
The Keep Missouri Heights Rural community group implored Eagle County commissioners not to approve a proposed 20-acre equestrian center, Twin Acres Riding and Boarding Stable. Other Missouri Heights residents said they’d rather see horse stables than houses.
Sol del Valle held a relaunch party at the Glenwood Springs Library, marking a new beginning as The Sopris Sun nonprofit assumed printing costs for the standalone Spanish language newspaper.
The long-anticipated Mind Springs Health withdrawal management facility opened in Glenwood Springs.
The Forest Service released its final Decision Notice authorizing the construction of a seven-mile, multi-use trail from Redstone to McClure Pass, which will become a part of the larger 83-mile Carbondale to Crested Butte trail.
July
U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, along with Senator Michael Bennett and several other key players within the Unified for Thompson Divide movement, addressed a large group of folks in Sopris Park, commemorating the 20-year Thompson Divide Administrative Mineral Withdrawal.
A bald eagle residing for years within the Aspen Glen Bald Eagle Buffer Zone still mourned the loss of her mate who was hit by a car in June, denying the advances of another new potential suitor.
The Downtowner, an on-call microtransit option for transportation within city limits, began its six-month trial period in Carbondale.
Glenwood Springs Parks and Rec hosted the first-ever glenWOODSTOCK, a festival showcasing young artists, musicians and entrepreneurs.
Carbondale trustees narrowly approved a guaranteed maximum price contract for the demolition of the John M. Fleet Pool, as well as for utility work and excavation for the new pool. Later in the month, the trustees changed the name of the pool to the “Carbondale Aquatics Center.” At a meeting in December, the trustees approved funding for all of the new pool’s add alternates.
Age-Friendly Carbondale presented its “Highway 133: Dangerous as Designed” findings to the trustees.
Cocoa Club owner Mark Burrows filled readers in on a world-wide cocoa bean shortage, which caused chocolate prices to skyrocket.
Ascendigo Autism Services Executive Director Dan Richardson announced he would step away by the end of the year but continue to support the disability community through BOLD: Empowering People and Property, which will specialize in property management services for adults with disabilities.
August
Longtime RFTA CEO Dan Blankenship, after 35 years of service to the organization, attended his final board meeting in that official capacity.
A public meeting was hosted at the Marble Fire Station regarding a proposed parking lot at Daniel’s Hill followed by a comment period. The 15-space parking lot, along with enough space for a trailer to turn around, was approved toward the end of the year.
Former law enforcement professional Dustin Gehring became Roaring Fork School District’s school safety and security coordinator. Meanwhile, Joan Dizon stepped up as Dance Initiative’s executive director.
The Sopris Sun team came home with a dozen press awards following the annual Colorado Press Association Convention.
Nick Isenberg, host of “The Tactile Traveler” on KDNK, and RFSD board member Jasmin Ramirez attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as delegates.
The Sopris Sun reported that MANAUS, a local social-justice nonprofit spanning 20 years and founded by the late George Stranahan, would sunset by year’s end.
Michael Francisco, a Belize man who was taken down by police on Christmas Eve 2020 at the Carbondale City Market, settled with the Town of Carbondale for $350,000, preventing litigation in the race discrimination lawsuit.
Crystal Valley rancher Tai Jacober is appointed by Governor Jared Polis to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, representing agricultural producers west of the Continental Divide.
September
Photo by Powder Street Photography
A low crop of wild food sources this year meant that bear conflict rates in Pitkin and Eagle counties were at the highest they’d been in five years. At the time, the Roaring Fork Valley was experiencing the most incidents in the state.
A 50-unit teacher housing project, located on Meadowood Drive between North Face Park and Roaring Fork High School, opened its doors to new residents.
Mystic Eagle Quarry, an alabaster mine off of Avalanche Creek Road, slowly revamped operations after ceasing in 2003. Owner Robert Congdon has some lofty and bohemian-esque ideas for the underground space — such as artist studios and an amphitheater.
October
Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets released “Dirty Demo,” recorded at Cool Brick Studios, at the 115th annual Potato Days.
Community advocate and Age-Friendly Carbondale member Niki Delson received AARP’s top state-level honor: the Andrus Award for Community Service.
Trustees approved a redevelopment at 522 Highway 133 — currently the site of a dilapidated strip mall — to make way for a new restaurant, Main Line Social. Demolition and construction is set to begin next year with a goal of opening in early 2026.
Once an Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program youth DJ, Brendan Girardot returned to steer the helm of the organization as its executive director.
Community members gathered at Centennial Park in Glenwood Springs to protest the Garfield County commissioners increased oversight over the Libraries’ board of trustees, and marched to the county administration building to post a petition on its front door calling for the rescission of Resolution 2024-12.
November
Carbondale Homeless Assistance marked a decade of service.
Photo by Rachel Bachman Perkins
A sexual assault incident, stemming from a break in off of 8th Street, rattled the Carbondale community. The suspect is still at large and has yet to be identified following an initial police investigation. Any information relevant to this case should be reported to the Carbondale Police Department.
Republicans prevail in national and local elections. Commissioner Mike Samson, reelected to his fifth term, said during a Republican watch party that it would be his last. Senator Perry Will won outgoing Commissioner John Martin’s seat. At the state level, however, voters strongly supported removing language in the constitution banning same-sex marriage and also established a constitutional right to abortion.
December
The Town of Basalt hosted a ribbon cutting for the nearly-completed Midland Streetscape Project.
A convicted felon repeatedly returns to a Satank residence in the wee-hours of the morning, prompting concern among community members and shining a light on delayed law enforcement response to the area.
Garfield County commissioners appointed Brit McLin to the New Castle library board position to finish out the final year of Crystal Mariscal’s term. They appointed Stephanie Pierucci Hirsch to fill the Carbondale position, for which incumbent Jocelyn Durrance was up for another term.
About 300 Garfield County constituents and representatives attended a meeting put on by the county and Colorado Parks and Wildlife at the New Hope Church in New Castle regarding gray wolf reintroduction. The message, from the mostly agricultural crowd, was: Pause wolf relocation.
In memory…
This past year, our community said goodbye to many friends and family. We remember them and honor the legacies they’ve left behind:
Nicholas Cole Alban, Donald Milam Andrews, William Fred Bartram, Sheryl Bogatz, Robby Burtard, Alfred Bernard Calvert, Janice Blanche (Holgate) Clark, Ralph Roger Clarke, Rex Allen Coffman, Petra Crimmel, Doris ONeill (Day), Christopher Scott Frie, Raymond Andrew Girardot, Jr., Shannon Hatfield, Richard Meade Heinz, Shirley Lorraine “Nightingale” Joyner, Joan Kette Lamont, Jay Michael Leavitt, Matt Nieslanik, Mary Margaret O’Gara, Marilyn J. Pearson, Gregory Thomas Pelland, David “Stretch” Piccione, Jerry Pluger, Margaret Helen Ritchie, Michael Jon Raaum, Sue Scott, Ray L. Speaker, Irene Stella Huck Staats, Kyle Mucci Stewart, Michael Robert VanNess and Lon Winston.
Editor’s note: Names included in this list were drawn from obituaries published by The Sopris Sun in 2023. We don’t charge to run obituaries with a local connection. Just send a photo and under 500 words to news@soprissun.com