A love letter
There are so many reasons to love you, Carbondale, and I am not sure we say it enough. I recently had hip surgery and as I have crutched around town, rehabbing and slowly testing my limits, I have heard your support. People in cars and bikes shout words of encouragement as they go by. “You’re doing great,” is one of my favorites. People walking stop and offer support. These interactions always make me smile. Not every town offers this. In fact, I bet few do. Thanks, Carbondale. I Love You.
Matt Gworek
Carbondale
‘Women’s VOICES’
On behalf of the board and staff of VOICES, I would like to extend sincere appreciation to the Aspen Thrift Shop for offering a generous sponsorship of our upcoming theatre production, “Women’s VOICES: When We Dance Again.” This show is produced, directed and performed completely by local women who created an original script from their true-life stories and experiences. We know audiences will be deeply moved by their work, and we believe more than ever in the power of storytelling to open hearts and expand minds.
Our team is so proud to have the Aspen Thrift Shop’s support in amplifying the voices of women in our community, and we invite the public to attend a performance on May 22, 23 and 24 at Thunder River Theatre in Carbondale. Complete performance details are at VOICESrfv.org
MinTze Wu
VOICES, Carbondale
Re: Stan Badgett
Thank you for printing the excerpt in the April 8 issue of The Sopris Sun, “April is the cruelest month,” from Stan Badgett’s book, “Digging in the Dark,” about the Dutch Creek #1 Mine explosion in April 1981.
I knew Stan. He would share excerpts from the book-in-progress with a local writers’ group a bunch of us belonged to, led by the late Karen Chamberlain and Carol Bell. We were often treated to his mining memories and his brilliant storytelling style.
Years later, long after Mid-Continent Resources shut down, Stan and his wife Doreen along with Rob Mulford, who had also worked for Mid-Continent, took a memorial hike toward the Dutch Creek #1 Mine on a snowy day in mid-April. I say “toward” because none of us actually made it to the mine. Rob got the closest and spread roses in the snow, honoring those who lost their lives that day in 1981. The hike was made easier by Stan and Rob’s stories. I produced a radio piece about it for KDNK that you can find at tinyurl.com/StanBadgett
Amy Hadden Marsh
Glenwood Springs
Fast fashion kills
Our generation is being sold an environmental disaster disguised as cheap clothing. Somewhere along the way, clothing came to be disposable, rather than something of value. Instead of buying clothes to last, we buy them to keep up with current trends.
A shirt is no longer bought to last years. It’s bought for one photo, one trend, one season. Then it is replaced. Fast fashion has created a culture where people are constantly trying to reinvent themselves through endless consumption. Little thought is directed to where the clothes came from and where they will end up.
Today, most clothing is made from synthetic materials, such as polyester, which is derived solely from fossil fuels. Polyester sheds microplastics into waterways, fills landfills and poisons us. Every time an article of clothing containing polyester is washed, microplastics enter our waterways, contaminating them at the microscopic level and eventually finding their way into our drinking water and even the food we eat. Additionally, polyester is not biodegradable, so it can remain in the environment for up to 200 years. Without any immediate consequences, people will continue to buy cheap, trendy clothes without question.
This is not a distant problem. It affects us locally. Colorado’s rivers, wildlife, air quality and natural spaces are connected to the choices we make as consumers. We cannot claim to care about protecting the outdoors while supporting industries that actively damage it. We must be responsible consumers to protect our environment. Protecting the environment requires more than appreciating nature — it requires changing the habits that quietly harm it.
The Roaring Fork Valley is a beautiful place we get to call home. To protect our water, our air and our food, we must make conscious decisions in how we consume, starting with the clothes we buy. We have the power to choose how we can preserve our environment. Choosing to buy less, shop secondhand or support sustainable brands may seem small, but these choices make a big impact. As a result, the decisions we make today will shape the world we live in tomorrow.
Audrey Allen
Glenwood Springs
Results, not rhetoric
As residents of the Roaring Fork Valley, we are fortunate to live in a region defined by an independent spirit. From the banks of the Crystal River to the peaks of the Elk Mountains, our community has a long history of solving local challenges through pragmatic collaboration.
I want to thank Representative Jeff Hurd for his stated commitment to protecting our water rights and his work on the Shoshone water rights acquisition — a vital issue for everyone in Western Colorado. However, as we look toward the future of Colorado’s Third Congressional District, there remains a significant gap between rhetoric and the defense of our democratic institutions.
Our neighbors in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Aspen deserve a representative who doesn’t just attend photo ops, but actively protects voting access and rejects the polarizing partisanship stalling progress in Washington. We need a representative who will be a firewall for our democratic institutions, not a rubber stamp for partisan extremism.
Whether it’s Alex Kelloff’s focus on our local economy or Dwayne Romero’s record of service, the Roaring Fork Valley has options that prioritize the Constitution over party loyalty. It’s time we demanded a leader who actually reflects our Western Slope values of accountability and civil discourse.
The strength of our democracy depends on our participation. Let’s ensure our representatives know that here, we value substance over optics and results over rhetoric..
Susan Sullivan
Missouri Heights
Holy Cross election
Member-elected Holy Cross Energy board directors play a crucial role to set the strategic direction and provide oversight for the operations of the local electric utility that we all own. It’s the duty of the board to ensure that Holy Cross is run in the best interest of our overall membership and upholds our mission to provide safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity.
This year’s board election opens May 13, and ends with the annual meeting on June 11 at the 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott. I’m one of five candidates running for two board seats, and I urge you to learn more about each of us at the HCE Election website, which is: holycross.com/community/engagement/election
Most importantly, please VOTE by mail, online, or in person at the annual meeting. Thank you for participating and I hope to see you in person on the 11th.
Dave Munk
Cattle Creek
Vote green
This week, most Roaring Fork and Eagle Valley residents will get an electronic and mail-in ballot to elect members to the board of Holy Cross Energy, our local electric utility. This is one of the most important actions you can take on climate. Holy Cross has led the nation in providing clean, reliable electricity, hitting 85% renewables this year. It’s a stunning, almost unbelievable achievement.
To keep that going, I’m supporting Dave Munk, one of the architects of that transition. This will be his last term and he deserves a chance to finish the job.
I’m also backing Sarah Smith Hymes, who has extensive experience in government in the Eagle Valley as the mayor of Avon and town councilperson, and who has long worked on climate issues there.
Please vote in the Holy Cross election!
Auden Schendler
Basalt
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