The March Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) meeting moved forward several easement resolutions, created new board member positions for representatives of Garfield County and the City of Rifle and considered funding strategy options for Hogback transit services beyond November 2026. While RFTA has assured Hogback commuter routes until November, the organization is seeking collaborative solutions […]
Annalise Grueter
Posted inEducation
RFSD confirms Carrie Hassel as principal of Sopris Elementary
Last month, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) announced its pick for the new Sopris Elementary School principal, who will assume the role, permanently, next school year. Carrie Hassel has been serving as the school’s interim principal this year, after nearly a decade spent as its vice principal. She was selected to step into the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Douglas fir beetle management addressed at Naturalist Nights
The wood-accented room was full. Adults of all ages sat in rows from wall to wall, filling the space from the lit projector screen in front to the conference table in the back at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies’ Hallam Lake location. Dr. Dan West of Colorado State University (CSU) and the Colorado State […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFSD Report: District launches mill levy override exploratory process
Earlier this month, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) board of education officially launched a mill levy override (MLO) exploratory process. Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole shared this at the Feb. 11 board meeting in Carbondale. The research work will evaluate the possibility of initiating and promoting a ballot initiative for this autumn, November 2026. A […]
Posted inBusiness
New sparks at Bonfire Coffee — instant blends and other news
For nearly 15 years, Bonfire Coffee has stood as a place to gather on the north side of Main Street in Carbondale. The cafe has become a community treasure for its message board packed with event posters and social opportunities, for exhibiting local art on the walls and, most of all, for its delectable coffee. […]
Posted inEducation
Defying limits: Austria’s Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner to speak about climbing the world’s tallest mountains
On Feb. 24, Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House hosts a speaker who will turn the audience’s attention to the heights. Not just any heights: specifically, 8,000 meters, the 14 tallest mountains in the world. She is Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, one of the only women to have climbed the planet’s tallest mountains, and the first woman to have […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFTA Report: Legislative strategy, new midday Hogback route and e-bike safety
This month’s Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) meeting focused on reviewing the organization’s legislative agenda. Board members also considered lease amendments for the Brush Creek Park & Ride, and CEO Kurt Ravenschlag covered several regional updates. During board comments, Erin Zalinski of Glenwood Springs shared that she had attended a mayor’s meeting in Parachute and […]
Posted inEducation
Writer Susan Orlean never imagined doing anything else
Susan Orlean cuts a slight but certain figure. When she and moderator Christine Benedetti took the Paepcke Auditorium stage on Jan. 28, no one in the audience could doubt that Orlean enjoys a good conversation. That was how she passed the next hour: Cheerful chatting about her years as a features journalist and her newest […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Thunder River’s winter events turn attention to high elevations
This winter, Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) has mountains on the mind. Next week, the nonprofit opens its third show of the winter, “K2.” The play is named for its setting, the second-highest mountain in the world, where two men confront mortality and the meaning of life. In preparation for that show, TRTC last weekend […]
Posted inEducation
RFSD Report: Board discusses declining enrollment, budget, safety
In addition to January’s planned regular board meetings on Jan. 14 and 28, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) also held a community meeting on school safety on Jan. 27 from 7 to 8pm to discuss its current strategies and protocols with families. The gathering complemented the regular meetings’ focus on updates to the 2025-2026 […]