This summer and autumn, I explored the history of U.S. and Roaring Fork Valley experiential education and shared about some of the many programs available for local youth through school and private organizations. In this winter feature the series turns to outdoor education opportunities for adults of all ages. For this iteration I spoke to […]
November 2024
Posted inLocal Government
Fletchall: ‘We can agree to disagree’
With the onset of library trustee appointments being vetted through the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) rather than the Garfield County Public Library District board of trustees — as has been customary prior to this year — things are shaking up on the panel.The libraries, as of late, have been scrutinized by members of the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Sopris Lodge artist in residence: JoAnn Coffman
This is the third feature in a short series highlighting artists living at Sopris Lodge Carbondale Senior Living. It’s certainly no secret by now: The Sopris Lodge senior living facility in Carbondale is a mecca for artists where residents continue to create and share with their neighbors and visitors. One of these talented artists is […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wilderness Workshop comments on BLM plans
Last month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced finalized resource management plans (RMPs) for the state of Colorado. Two of the plans announced are for lands managed by the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction field offices and will affect roughly two million acres on the Western Slope for the next 15 to 20 […]
Posted inColumns
Existential Artist: ‘Viva la Vida’ and the tenacity to live it
Translation by Bianca Godina This story was originally printed in Spanish in Sol del Valle. It’s been translated for our English readers. “Viva la Vida, Watermelons 1954” was Frida Kahlo’s last oil painting. At the end of her life, Frida moved away from her usual themes and painted more still lifes because her health no […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt & Calendar
Lock upThe Sopris Sun received reports of a hungry bear attempting to enter cars up Cattle Creek Road. Nicknamed “Alfredo,” the bear was successful at least twice, trapping himself once inside a vehicle and wreaking total havoc. Car owners in rural places are reminded to lock their cars at night and carry tasty-smelling foods inside […]
Posted inFiction
Works in Progress
Winter Arrival By Linda Helmich © Nov. 9, 1985 Day after day,Week after week,As summer endsAnd autumn reigns,For me,There is an undercurrent Of dread.Our enemyIs crouching nearby,And will soon attack.I know it,And that knowledgeBrings with itA kind of tension. Then, one night,While we sleep unguarded,The world around us Is changed.But it is not a viciousOr violent […]
Posted inColumns
Looking ahead to Thanksgiving
Over a third of Americans, myself included, plan to travel during this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, and small wonder. It’s difficult to find any civilization without a ritual gratitude gathering when the harvest is in. They called it “Thesmophoria” in ancient Greece and “Cerealia” in Rome. Assyrians, Persians and pre-Columbian Americans all had their versions. “Thank […]
Posted inLocal Government
Carbondale Mobility Access Plan: More questions than answers
Correction: the Bicycle Pedestrian and Trails Commission is an advisory body and will not make final decisions on infrastructure changes and funding as previously stated by this article. Those decisions lie with the Board of Trustees. On Nov. 4, the Carbondale Bicycle Pedestrian and Trails Commission (BPTC) held an open house to review the third […]
Posted inLetters
Letters – Nov. 14, 2024
Re: AssaultRecently, we witnessed an unthinkable crime, and rather than coming together to support the victim and seek justice, too many have chosen to indulge in rumor, accusation, and finger-pointing. I am both disgusted and appalled. There are people here who seem to revel in the chance to spread gossip, as if violence and trauma […]