“If this is too noisy, we can move.” This is the first thing that Thomas Barlow, a local sculptor, said in his interview with The Sopris Sun. Cars whipped by on Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs and an entire dance team sat and talked outside Jimmy John’s, where Barlow had just completed his most recent […]
July 2025
Posted inLocal Government
RFTA Report: Board focuses on Maroon Bells service heading into summer
The June 12 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board meeting opened with public comments. Several community members proposed solutions for improving community services. Teresa Salvatore lives in Satank and asked RFTA to improve river access there. She said it is a public amenity that deserves more attention. Next, Aspen High School Principal Sarah Strassburger joined […]
Posted inBusiness
‘A newer generation’ of Carbondale evident in commercial inventory
Since 2017, The Sopris Sun has compiled an annual roundup of commercial space available in Carbondale. Last year, Lynn Kirchner of Amoré Realty informed us of a more efficient way of gathering that data — using realtor software called Flexmls. Our archaic method involved scurrying around town with a clipboard, recording tally marks based on […]
Posted inColumns
Seeking Haystacks: Home
The town of Aspen is founded on a gentle pitch that leans ever so slightly from north to south, from Little Nell to the Music Tent. As the Earth moves toward the March Equinox, the melting snow moves northward from Aspen Mountain toward the Roaring Fork River. It is imperceptible to most unless you are […]
Posted inObituaries
Lois Vagnuer
December 28, 1938 – May 11, 2025 On Mother’s Day, May 11, the world bid farewell to a beacon of kindness and grace. Lois Vagnuer, a devoted mother, grandmother, teacher and friend, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, kindness and unwavering strength. Lois grew up on a dairy farm in upstate […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt & Calendar
Fire dangerA number of small fires have occurred in the Valley recently. A passenger van explosion up Snowmass Creek Road on June 30 spread flames to dry vegetation before 30 firefighters contained it. The day prior, a multi-agency effort responded to a structure fire in Glenwood Springs. Thursday, June 26, saw a human-caused fire in […]
Posted inColumns
Críticas: A magical newspaper in a magical place
This column originated from Sol del Valle and has been translated for English readers. Sol del Valle turned 4 this week, and I’ll be damned if I don’t take a moment to reflect on what this paper and its people mean to me as a first‑gen kid from the Roaring Fork Valley. I started writing […]
Posted inFiction
Carbondale Treasure Hunt number two
Inspired by Forest Fenn, we have a treasure hunt you can more easily win. Look for a clue in the Sopris Sun to let you know when the hunt has begun. The treasure vault awaits the clever mind, who reads the clues and seeks to find. Before each First Friday’s celebration starts, this treasure will […]
Posted inNonprofits
Fresh nonprofit aims to save and sustain the Crystal Theatre
Since they listed the Crystal Theatre for sale almost two years ago, owners Bob and Kathy Ezra have been intentional about any transition from the get-go. Having been the theater’s stewards for the past 40 years, they don’t want to see it fall into the wrong hands — and they aren’t alone in that. Back […]