Margarita Alvarez Flores is the owner of LOCAL Kitchen and Coffee Shop in Glenwood Springs and French Pastry Café in Aspen. Originally from Querétaro, Mexico, she has lived in the Valley for 17 years, building a path marked by effort, consistency and a passion for cooking. Tell us a little about your journey. I came […]
December 2025
Posted inArts & Entertainment
New Castle’s new gallery — small works, big beginning
Last Friday, a new exhibit titled “Mini-Masterpieces” opened at GogoArts, a new gallery in New Castle. The gallery sits on Main Street in a well-lit space that holds the promise of exceptional local art on its walls. It is the first gallery of its kind in town, and this exhibit features seven contemporary artists exploring […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Aspen Winter Words to center memory and human connection in 2026
From late January through early February, Aspen Winter Words will return to the Valley. The annual author series this year includes a special focus on memory and connection. All three 2026 events are held in memory of Wally Obermeyer, who passed away from cancer in May of 2025 at the age of 68. Obermeyer was […]
Posted inFiction
No place like Glastonbury for the holidays
Winter holiday celebrations in Glastonbury, United Kingdom, also known as “the heart chakra of the world,” are a joyous mixed bag. It’s two months of pilgrimages and parties. After the Wild Hunt, heralding Hallowe’en and Samhain (SOW-en), the beginning of winter in the old Celtic traditions, comes Carnival. Floats the size of semi-trucks are pulled […]
Posted inSports
Under the moonlight at Sunlight
Usually, skiers can’t wait for the first turns of the season; lift lines are long and stoke is high. But for a growing number of snow sliders in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, it’s not the downhill that has them chomping at the bit — it’s the climb. Uphill skiing — also known […]
Posted inEnvironment
CPW seeks public input on beaver conservation and management strategy
In mid-November, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released the draft of its “Beaver Management and Conservation Strategy” (“Beaver Strategy”) study and invited the public to review and comment on it. As stated in the document’s Executive Summary, the strategy’s purpose “is to increase and sustain the prevalence of beaver and beaver-influenced wetlands in suitable habitats […]
Posted inNews
Basalt Police Department deploys AI technology to save time doing reports, paperwork
Christmas came rather early for the Basalt Police Department (BPD) this year. For about the past few weeks, the midvalley law enforcement agency has been using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help its patrol officers knock out otherwise time-consuming paperwork. Called Code Four, an AI assistant launched eight months ago by 19-year-old MIT dropouts George […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt
Carbondale burglaryJust after midnight, Dec. 3, Carbondale police responded to a residential burglary in the area of Garfield Avenue. The homeowner was awoken by the sound of someone inside their house and confronted the intruder, who fled with several stolen items. Carbondale officers located a vehicle connected to the suspect based on the homeowner’s descriptions. […]
Posted inSports
Roaring Fork girls win Patch tournament for second straight year
Roaring Fork High School’s girls and boys basketball teams kicked off the 2025-26 season with the annual Brenda Patch Tournament Dec. 4-6 on the home court in Carbondale. The Lady Rams emerged as the tournament champions for a second straight year, taking care of business in convincing fashion, and affirming their top-10 state ranking in […]
Posted inLetters
Letters – Dec. 11, 2025
Thank you, RFHSNext time you meet a Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) student, shake their hand and offer them a heartfelt thank you. Over a period of three weeks, RFHS students filled the shelves at the Lift-Up pantry. They collected more than $1,000 and nearly 3,000 food items. A month ago, the pantry was struggling […]