National perspectives and decision-making on public land continue to create pressure for state and local governments and organizations. Attempts this year to include provisions in federal legislation for selling public lands to private developers, ostensibly for housing and energy development, received bipartisan opposition from the public and from Colorado elected politicians, including District 3 representative […]
December 2025
Posted inNews
Living Stonehenge
Amy Hadden MarshFrom the Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England Looking out the bus window, I couldn’t see a thing. It was pitch black outside. No roads — except for the one upon which we were traveling and lit only by our headlights — no cars, no lights in the distance signaling habitation, just a curtain of […]
Posted inObituaries
J. Robert “Bob” Young
July 11, 1938 – December 11, 2025 The Young family is saddened to announce the passing of their beloved father, life partner, grandfather and friend. Bob died peacefully on Dec. 11, 2025, in Florida, surrounded by loved ones. J. Robert “Bob” Young, founder and chairman of Alpine Bank and its holding company, Alpine Banks of […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt
Lift-UpdateLift-Up, the nonprofit operator of food pantries and supplementary food programs from Parachute to Aspen, announced on Dec. 18 that Samantha Freese will serve as the organization’s next executive director. Freese, a New Castle resident, has worked for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment as well as Mountain Valley Developmental Services and most recently […]
Posted inColumns
Historiography: Summer Christmases of years past
Trail and Timberline (Denver), Jan. 1, 1927: Due to an inconsiderate spirit as far as Father Winter has been concerned, we are all lamenting a lack of snow up to the present time. In the late 1800s, Norwegian immigrants introduced America to snowshoeing, or skiing as we call it today. Ever since, annual snowfall has […]
Posted inNews
Curated Calendar – Dec. 25 to Jan. 7
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 CRYSTAL THEATRE“Song Sung Blue” opens at the Crystal Theatre with a 3pm matinee and repeats tomorrow, Saturday and next Friday and Saturday at 7pm with captioned shows at 5pm each Sunday. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26 MOUNTAINFILMMountainfilm on Tour stops by the Wheeler Opera House for a family-friendly matinee at 4pm. Tickets and details […]
Posted inNews
‘A Ray of Light at Christmas’
Editor’s Note: The author is a relative of Rayito de Luz’s founder. “A Ray of Light at Christmas” took place on Sunday, Dec. 21, as a year-end celebration honoring the Valley’s seniors. The responsible organization, Rayito de Luz, has six years of experience hosting events, each with a mission of bringing joy and strengthening mental […]
Posted inLetters
Letters – Dec. 25, 2025
Clay Center thanksI’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to the incredible community who made the Carbondale Clay Center’s two-day Cup Auction event a tremendous success. Thanks to the generosity of 246 donated cups from talented artists all over the world, the dedication of our volunteers and the hard work of our staff, we raised […]
Posted inFiction
Works in Progress – Happy Holidays!
Amaryllis By Linda HelmichJanuary 12, 2024 Sometimes in life, though we have had a season of flourishing, we find ourselves in a dark place, all alone. We feel like a chopped off, rather fat, ugly bulb with hardly even a sign of life. “What’s the use?” we ask. Still, maybe it won’t always be this […]
Posted inColumns
Poetry in print matters
Nancy Bo Flood regularly shares her poetry with The Sopris Sun, which is published on its Works in Progress page, a weekly section that highlights community creativity. From sketches to short stories, Works in Progress contributions have run the gambit since the page’s inception three years ago. Flip to this week’s feature by Nancy’s husband, […]