In late September, news broke that the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) was making an unexpected shift from a self-insurance health plan back to a managed health care plan, at significant cost to the district. While a shock to the public, the decision was the result of months of review on the first year of […]
Annalise Grueter
Posted inEnvironment
CPW prepares West Slope for impending wolf reintroductions
The first year of official reintroduction of wolves to Colorado has had its ups and downs. The state-managed process is controversial. For years, the topic of facilitating the return of the species has had enthusiastic advocates and staunch opposition. Gray wolves, the species native to the central Rockies, were eradicated by humans by the 1940s […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFTA Report: Budget for 2025 nearly finalized
The Nov. 14 RFTA board meeting focused heavily on the third iteration of the 2025 budget and strategic planning. During this shorter meeting, members leaned into clear questions and considerations not only of what to expect in 2025 but in the several years following.There were no public comments volunteered at the beginning of the meeting. […]
Posted inSports
Running coach and ultra-athlete Zoë Rom reflects on Valley’s athletic culture
In the Roaring Fork Valley, one need only go for coffee to encounter an acquaintance who participates at a high level in outdoor sports. Each year, countless local residents podium at trail races and in various snow sport competitions. The Sopris Sun receives more tips lauding sports accomplishments of siblings, children, parents and friends than […]
Posted inEducation
A conversation with author, activist Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson has done many different kinds of work over the years, including authoring 15 books since 1992 on facets of faith and spirituality — selling more than three million copies. In recent years, she has twice run as a Democratic presidential candidate, championing progressive positions with an emphasis on centering love within political action.Williamson […]
Posted inNonprofits
Challenge Aspen Sole Mates put the racing in ‘fundraising’
It began 21 years ago — this branch of fundraising, anyway. Challenge Aspen was founded as an organization 29 years ago. The original focus was supporting adaptive ski programs for people with visual impairments. However, the mission quickly expanded to creating and supporting adaptive sports opportunities for people with many forms of physical and cognitive […]
Posted inEducation
Experiential Education: CMC backs outdoor skill development for adults
This summer and autumn, I explored the history of U.S. and Roaring Fork Valley experiential education and shared about some of the many programs available for local youth through school and private organizations. In this winter feature the series turns to outdoor education opportunities for adults of all ages. For this iteration I spoke to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wilderness Workshop comments on BLM plans
Last month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced finalized resource management plans (RMPs) for the state of Colorado. Two of the plans announced are for lands managed by the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction field offices and will affect roughly two million acres on the Western Slope for the next 15 to 20 […]
Posted inNoticias
¿Conoces la atención para la fertilidad a la que puedes acceder en el valle de Roaring Fork?
Para muchos adultos jóvenes, las conversaciones sobre fertilidad inician y terminan con: si tienen acceso a anticonceptivos o al Plan B y a pruebas de enfermedades de transmisión sexual (STD por sus siglas en inglés) y su tratamiento. Algo de esto viene como parte de la educación escolar, la cual hace hincapié en estos temas. […]
Posted inEnvironment
GORP Act aims to protect watersheds and ecosystems
In late September, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet officially introduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act to Congress. Per Bennet’s office, the proposed legislation is the largest public lands bill introduced in Colorado since the early 1990s. It proposes increased protections of over 730,000 acres of public land via designation changes and wilderness classification additions. […]