A bad dream
It was a little over a year ago that I attended the Garfield County community meeting regarding the proposed development by Harvest Roaring Fork, LLC. The meeting was held on the property site, at the confluence of Cattle Creek and the Roaring Fork River, between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs.
As I stood on a mound of dirt, one with podiums displaying housing concepts awaiting our approval, I couldn’t help but think of the elk herd that winters here, using those same mounds as vantage points.
When I was a homeowner in El Jebel 20 years ago, I witnessed that elk herd displaced from its migration route to make way for stacks of luxury condos, a small water ski pond and the conveniences of big city living. That memory stays with me.
Recently, I woke up to the news that the Harvest Roaring Fork, LLC application has been deemed complete by Garfield County Community Development. The developers have submitted a proposal for 1,500 residential units, plus 450 accessory units, 55,000 square feet of commercial space and a 120-room hotel on approximately 283 acres.
Am I dreaming? It is no secret that both the quantity and quality of our water supply are already under strain. Traffic is nearly intolerable, and it feels as though we’re waiting for a catastrophe before meaningful action is taken. Grocery stores struggle to keep shelves stocked and medical facilities are understaffed and overwhelmed by the growing population.
Balancing development with the preservation of the Valley’s natural beauty and ecosystems is a responsibility we all share. Our valley’s reputation for quality of life is the reason many of us chose to live here — and we cannot afford to lose that.
Learn more at Cattlecreekcc.com
Rosemary Burkholder
Cattle Creek Road
Gotcha coming and going
I have a respiratory condition that requires the use of an inhaler. Because our government doesn’t negotiate pharmaceutical prices with the manufacturers as they do in Canada and other countries with socialized medicine, the cost of one of these devices that would last me one month is well over $100.
So, I consulted with my pulmonologist and looked to the north for my inhalers. The Canadian’s original asking price was $135 for a three month’s supply, but they wanted to hold off on that until Trump’s tariff threats were resolved.
The Canadian pharmaceutical company
frogged around and frogged around until Aug. 1 when Trump slapped Canada with a 35% tariff. The price of my three-month supply of inhalers jumped up to $580, about what I would’ve paid buying them in this country.
The fact that my country doesn’t recognize health care as a right, not a privilege, combined with Trump’s pointless trade war is preventing me from getting a reasonably priced medical device that costs about $4 to produce.
Trump says the tariffs will reduce our nation’s $38 trillion debt. Economic analysts, the folks who know what they’re talking about, say that’s highly unlikely. The downside of tariffs, inflation and resultant slow growth, will wipe out any increased revenues from tariffs.
Oh well, at least I still have Medicare, for now. The poor bastards with Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act will have that chopped next year because of last summer’s Republican continuing resolution. If you think the current administration cares one whit about this, you’re deluding yourself.
Fred Malo Jr.
Carbondale
Re: Church and state
In the Oct. 8 Sopris Sun, Jodi Barr, a school board candidate, made statements on the role of religion in schools containing several claims that require closer examination. “The separation of church and state comes from a letter by Thomas Jefferson and was intended to keep the state out of the church, not the church out of the state.”
The idea that Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation between church and state” was solely intended to protect the church from the state is wrong. While Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists did seek to reassure them of religious freedom, the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed this principle as a two-way street. The “wall” serves to prevent government from interfering with religion, but it also stops religion from becoming entangled with government functions, ensuring a neutral public sphere for all citizens, regardless of their beliefs.
Similarly, the claim that early religious gatherings in the U.S. Capitol prove the founders intended for a fusion of church and state overlooks critical context. Historical records show these services were a matter of convenience in a new city with few dedicated church buildings. They do not override the fundamental principle of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion.
The candidate’s assertion about Colorado schools is largely accurate: schools cannot provide religious instruction. However, this is not a ban on the subject of religion itself. Colorado schools, like all public schools, are legally permitted and encouraged to teach about religion in an academic context — in history, literature or social studies — as long as the instruction is objective and does not promote a particular faith.
It is crucial that we base our civic conversations on a full understanding of our history and laws, not on partial truths that can mislead the public.
Susan Sullivan
Carbondale
Sell Sweetwater
Should our beloved but flat broke White River National Forest (WRNF) sell an asset worth more than half its annual budget or just give that asset away?
Retired WRNF Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams’ 2021 plan to effectively donate 832 acres surrounding Sweetwater Lake to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for the creation of a state park might have made sense prior to DOGE’s cuts to the WRNF budget. It also might have made sense before the $23,860,000 Derby Fire burned 5,453 acres in the WRNF just one mile east of the lake.
However, the WRNF is now so destitute that even before the federal shutdown visitor centers were closed, volunteers emptied latrines and its maintenance budget for 2,800 miles of roads was bupkis, zero, zilch, nada. The nation’s most visited national forest is not in any position to make donations.
Governor Polis desires Sweetwater Lake for a state park, so a logical solution is for the WRNF to sell those 832 acres at fair market value. The CPW is an “enterprise agency” and fiscally sound despite Colorado’s budget woes. Furthermore, the Trump administration has shown a willingness to divest federal lands thereby creating a win-win.
Selling the Sweetwater Lake land requested by the CPW should generate more than $13 million for the WRNF to fund operations or cover expenditures incurred fighting the Derby Fire. It would be a dereliction of duty for current WRNF Supervisor Brian Glaspell to execute this eight-figure donation as proposed by his predecessor.
Ken Wright
Gypsum
Endorsements
I am writing this letter in support of Kathryn Kuhlenberg and Tammy Nimmo for school board.
I have had the great pleasure of working alongside Kathryn for the last four years on the Roaring Fork School District Board of Education, and I have gotten to see first-hand what an amazing asset she is to the district. She is thoughtful, highly intelligent, student focused, organized and a great leader. In her three and a half years as board president, Kathryn moved the district forward in many ways. She was instrumental in getting all of the district’s policies up to date, some of which hadn’t been updated in 20 years. Kathryn also crafted a new and comprehensive Board handbook that sets norms, procedures, roles and responsibilities for school board governance. Additionally, Kathryn has been part of a school board that in the last four years has raised starting teacher salaries over 30% and has built an additional 50 rental housing units for school staff.
Tammy is well known in her community for her public service and can-do attitude, which includes years of substituting in the Roaring Fork School District and being president of Crystal River Elementary School’s parent teacher organization.
There are several key points that separate this slate of school board nominees. Unlike their opponents, both Kathryn and Tammy have always enrolled their children in Roaring Fork School District schools. They believe in our schools and support them with their children. Also unlike their opponents, Kathryn and Tammy don’t support arming teachers inside the classroom, but rather stand behind the Roaring Fork School District’s comprehensive school safety plan. Finally, unlike their opponents, Kathryn and Tammy support 7A, to bolster early childhood education. They know that having students enter kindergarten with an early childhood experience will pay dividends in their future academic success.
I hope you please join me in voting for Kathryn Kuhlenberg and Tammy Nimmo for seats on the Roaring Fork School District Board of Education.
Kenny Teitler
Carbondale
Yes on 7B
The Basalt Library is more than a building filled with books — it’s the heart of our community. With events and programs for all ages, it’s a welcoming space where friends, families and neighbors connect.
The library staff exemplify true community service — friendly, professional and committed to staying current with library trends to offer innovative community programming and personalized assistance.
Since its opening, the LEED-certified building has become a local treasure, an architectural gem that complements its natural surroundings.
That’s why I’m voting YES on 7B — and I hope you will too.
Voting yes does not increase the current tax rate. It simply maintains the existing level of funding, which allows the Basalt Regional Library District to: offer competitive wages to retain professional staff; provide cutting-edge library services and strong community programming; maintain the building responsibly.
It’s important to know that the Basalt Library receives no state or federal funding. Its support is 100% local, as is its governance. The library’s Board of Trustees is fiscally responsible and committed to sound stewardship of this cherished institution.
By voting YES on 7B, we ensure that the Basalt Library continues to thrive — serving as a center for learning, creativity and connection.
Please join me in supporting this vital community asset. Vote YES on 7B.
Becky Musselman
Basalt
Reality check
Can life feel normal under a dictator? Many Germans, in Hitler’s rise to power, ignored the increasing brutality and repression of others, as long as it didn’t affect them personally. While we need to still have fun, socialize with friends and neighbors, we can’t allow ourselves to normalize what is happening. We have a president who ignores Supreme Court rulings, sends the military against U.S. citizens, and who lives in a paranoid state unrelated to reality. While his popularity is underwater, he still retains about 40% approval. The good news is that only 27% strongly approve, while 47% strongly disapprove. Speak out, and move that disapproval even higher.
Red or Blue, don’t let this administration turn us against each other. Instead, let’s stand together for the foundations of democracy: our constitution, separation of powers and free speech. We can be tough without turning a blind eye to an administration that is ignoring our freedoms and our rule of law.
Please join the resistance at a rally/march in Glenwood Springs sponsored by Mountain Action Indivisible from 10am to noon on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Bethel Plaza (under the bridge) in Glenwood Springs.
Phi Filerman
Carbondale
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