Last month, Carbondale-based energy company Sunsense Solar marked its 35th anniversary. The milestone is an impressive one amid a new era of changes for the organization. Founder Scott Ely shared reflections on the company and its evolution with The Sopris Sun. This interview was edited for length and clarity. What appealed to you about solar […]
July 2025
Posted inColumns
Copper Creek pack devastating local cattle ranchers
By Marj Perry The Copper Creek pack was removed from Grand County for chronic depredation and translocated to Pitkin County — an act going against the Colorado wolf plan. Within a month several heifers were killed on Capitol Creek, presumably by the Copper Creek pack. They have continued to kill calves and been seen in […]
Posted inLocal Government
Commercial recycling in Carbondale explained
The Sopris Sun recently received an anonymous news tip from a resident in the Valley expressing concern about a local business failing to separate its recycling. The tipster wanted to know: what are the regulations around commercial recycling in Carbondale? The Sopris Sun spoke with Kevin Schorzman, the Town’s public works director, to get some […]
Posted inEnvironment
Threat to public lands surfaced bipartisan resistance
Last month, Coloradans rose in solidarity against a proposed section of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While the bulk of the controversial legislation ultimately passed with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President J.D. Vance on July 1, the final draft of the bill removed text regarding public lands sales. Senator Mike Lee of Utah […]
Posted inColumns
Literate Life: Spotlight on Glenwood Springs Branch Library
One of the standard segments of our library board meetings is the Branch Manager Report. In July, our director of branches, Nancy Barnes, filled in for vacationing Abraham Korah. Their comments were so good I thought them worthy of wider dissemination. I have lightly edited them, adding my own intro and conclusions. IntroOur board meetings […]
Posted inSports
Like riding a bike, Inspire Cycling builds community
With summer in full swing the thrill of bike season is here. For the women of Inspire Cycling, gliding on the trails and bike paths is made sweeter when friends, new and old alike, join the adventures. Since 2022, Inspire Cycling has cultivated an intentional women’s cycling collective from Rifle to Aspen. The non-competitive group […]
Posted inColumns
Letter from Michigan: Community and Garth Taylor
Greetings, Bonedale and Valley folks, from (so far) a pretty steamy summer here on the southeastern shore of what Illinois Gov. Jay Pritzker recently proclaimed as “Lake Illinois” (humorously responding to Donald Trump’s renaming the Gulf of Mexico). Nomenclature issues aside, our beach is vast, the water is beautiful and the blueberries are ripe. These […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Unsui (Mirror)’ floats above Paepcke Park through September
In Aspen’s Paepcke Park, many local artists have activated the space in ways that attract locals and tourists alike to share in art and creation. One of these activations, made possible by a collaboration between internationally renowned artist Sanford Biggers, Buckhorn Productions, Desert X and Aspen Public Art, is “Unsui (Mirror).” Biggers’ installation features two […]
Posted inNonprofits
Building community through service: How you can become a part of Mountain Fair 2025
This Q&A with Carbondale Arts originated from Sol del Valle and has been translated for English readers. What types of volunteer opportunities does Mountain Fair offer? (e.g., clean-up, food and drink service, wristband checkers, stage crew, etc.) All of the above! There’s something for everyone and every skillset — set-up, breakdown, Peace Patrol, Cantina shifts, […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt & Calendar
Stage 2 Fire RestrictionsWith fires blazing near and far and hot-dry conditions persisting, Garfield County implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions on Thursday, July 17. The use of fireworks is prohibited. Burn permits will not be issued and previously-issued permits are cancelled. Recreational fires are not allowed. Cooking devices must be clean and in working order. Smoking […]