Re: Therapy Pool
At first upon seeing Fred Malo’s opinion column picture on Jan. 8, I thought it was another Fred from the past, Fred Sanford on that ‘70s comedy “Sanford and Son.” He’s a dead ringer for Redd Foxx, omitting skin tone, and almost as funny.
It’s nice that Mr. Malo has found a hobby in his autumn years. Personally, I love gardening. But Trump Derangement is what underlies all of Fred’s past woke, socialistic “hobbies”.
From cheering open borders and hating ICE to writing that St. Paul was gay and a pedophile [Post Independent letter published Jan. 5, 2018]. Anything Trump accomplished Fred has denigrated.
But hobbies are necessary to stay active and happy. And if your hobby defines you as a “climate crusader” fighting existential environmental evil, so much more wind to blow up your own personal social bubble of delusion.
A happy and prosperous new year to all.
Bruno Kirchenwitz
Rifle
Winter foraging
Greetings from the Western Colorado Mycological Association (WCMA), where the 2025 theme was “Skunked” …
August was supposed to be our wet season, but Mother Nature had other plans. She ghosted us harder than a bad Tinder date. No rain, no mushrooms, just a lot of optimistic hiking and sad empty baskets. The only species found were for the ID table, not the dinner table! We thought winter might redeem itself, but the precipitation gods continue their cruel joke, as we are now five feet below average snow pack.
However! We refuse to be defeated. Enter our humble hero: Phellinus tremulae, the trusty medicinal polypore clinging to aspen trees where branches once waved goodbye. This woody genus of wonder has been studied for antiviral properties, particularly against corona viruses. Who knew our drought-stricken slopes were secretly harboring tiny pharmaceutical factories? We did!
If you’re curious about mushrooms or just need friends who understand your obsession with fungus, join us the first Monday of every month at Carbondale Community School, 6pm. Our next gathering is Feb. 2 for MUSHLOVE craft night!
Come for the mushrooms, stay for the community of people who won’t judge your extensive mushroom photo collection.
Hamilton Pevec
WCMA President
Celebrating Bob Weir
Who are you? Where are you? How are you?
This valley is full of heads. In my 35 years I’ve met hundreds of you. Let’s do what Deadheads do best, get together in community while celebrating the life and passing of Bob Weir. This Saturday, Jan. 17 from 5 until ??? at Roaring Fork CrossFit, 35 Park Ave in the Mid-Valley Design Center. Bring your instruments to jam, your playlists, your stories, your photos, maybe a little something to drink and munch on. This event is open to all who love and appreciate the legacy of The Grateful Dead and the impact Bobby had on our lives. Call Scott at Sopris Chiro if you have any questions.
Scott Tesoro
Carbondale
Epstein files
The Epstein files were supposed to be released a month ago; the extension for release has also passed. We are manipulated into forgetting about that, and all the other illegal actions of this administration, by their scintillating! fabulous! amazing! unparalleled! kidnapping of Venezuela’s president and his wife and the securing of national oil reserves for our private oil vulture capitalists. As if this illegal action is equal to the attack and justified killing of Osama bin Laden. As if this administration’s Dept. of War is the penultimate agent of peace in the Western Hemisphere.
Many of us saw through the ploy of justifying murder at sea as a drug enforcement project because it always was about the oil, and now many of us are rightfully wary that this administration will allow free and fair elections in November. We may have a reliable system of voting and vote counting here in colorful Colorado, but nationally? Not so much. In a free and fair electoral environment, lovers of liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness will overwhelmingly return to running the levers of government. But in this virtual reality our dictators have allowed, we won’t know what’s what or who’s who. It will take effort to find truth (FOLLOW THE MONEY), effort to resist despair (FIND PEOPLE, TALK IN PERSON) and engagement to find meaning (THE GREATEST THING YOU’LL EVER KNOW IS TO LOVE AND BE LOVED IN RETURN.*) Be the change you want to see in the world.**
*Nat King Cole
**Ghandi
Susan Rhea
Carbondale
Good news first
Happy New Year, or maybe not. Even if you’re not personally affected, your actions matter to keep Coloradans healthy and safe. There’s some good news. The Denver Broncos won the AFC West for the first time in a decade. Representative Jeff Hurd defied Republican party leadership by voting to extend healthcare subsidies for millions of Americans, overriding the President’s veto.
The bad news is plentiful. The Trump administration has targeted five Democratic states, including Colorado, with a freeze on funds for agencies, counties and nonprofits that help our poorest families with monthly welfare payments, child care and job training. The administration has also demanded information on Coloradans who receive food and other assistance. If that’s not enough to upset you, the administration is seeking to pull funding from freight rail corridors. Compared to trucks, freight rail improves fuel efficiency, produces lower emissions, is safer and reduces road traffic. The administration also wants to dismantle a global leader in earth systems scientific research, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, located in Boulder. In addition, the administration plans to open an ICE detention center in Hudson, Colorado.
I urge you to stay current on events impacting our state. Please speak up, Coloradans.
Nancy Peterson
Carbondale
TANF funding
The recent freezing of Colorado’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program poses an immediate threat to working families across the state including many right here in our community. TANF is designed to help families who are already working but still struggling to meet the true cost of living. When that support is interrupted, the effects are often immediate: parents face financial instability, childcare becomes uncertain and children risk losing the supportive environments they rely on.
Aspen Youth Center (AYC) provides free after-school and full-time summer programming for hundreds of children each year. Our programs are rooted in Positive Youth Development, ensuring children have a safe, welcoming place to learn, connect and grow. But our role extends further. By providing thousands of hours of free youth programming annually, AYC effectively supports the local workforce and even subsidizes the local business community. Many of our parents who work in low-wage and service positions are able to stay employed because they know their children are safe and cared for.
While about 15% of AYC families qualify for TANF-related support because they meet both the income limits and the age requirements, roughly 25% live below the ALICE threshold (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are working households earning too much to qualify for aid, but far too little to afford the real cost of living in Pitkin County. ALICE data lists housing for two adults in Pitkin County at $1,779 per month — a figure that does not even come close to reflecting the reality of our regional market.
The freezing of TANF funding does not only affect those receiving direct benefits. It places children at risk, destabilizes families and strains the very workforce our local economy depends on. When families lose support, parents may be forced out of work, businesses lose employees and youth lose access to stability and enrichment.
Because TANF funding has been frozen, AYC is navigating up to a $50,000 loss in program support this year. AYC will continue serving families at no cost, but community-based programs cannot replace the public systems designed to support vulnerable households. These funds exist for families and programs like ours because when children have a safe place to go, parents are able to work, families stay stable and our community is stronger.
Brian Zubek
AYC Executive Director
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