On Oct. 1, Sunsense Solar officially transferred ownership and management from Scott Ely to the newly established Sunsense Limited Cooperative Association (LCA). The Carbondale-based company thus became an employee-owned cooperative. As this process unfolded, Ely conversed with The Sopris Sun (via email) about the company he had founded and run since 1990 and about this […]
Ken Pletcher
Posted inEducation, News
Literacy group to host Dolly Parton-themed fundraiser
Raising a Reader Aspen to Parachute will hold what they are calling a “Dolly-Palooza” night, from 5 to 8pm on Friday, Sept. 25, at Townline Trucks in Carbondale. The event, celebrating the life of the late Dolly Parton, will be a fundraiser for the Glenwood Springs-based nonprofit, which, in collaboration with Garfield County Public Library […]
Posted inNonprofits
Renowned Nepali mountaineer to speak in Aspen
On Thursday evening, Aug. 13, Paepcke Auditorium in Aspen will host an extraordinary event: “Summit of Hope: An Evening with Lhakpa Sherpa,” featuring the world-renowned mountaineer. In 2000, Lhakpa was the first Nepali woman to successfully summit and return from Mount Everest. She has subsequently climbed the mountain numerous times, completing her 11th ascent — […]
Posted inColumns
Letter from Michigan: July 4, 2026
The firecrackers and skyrockets are banging away as I sit in our little cottage writing this. Unlike back home, there is zero chance of a wildfire. Weeks of rain, including showers today, have thoroughly soaked everything. Fireworks are illegal in Michigan, with a few exceptions like July 4, when smaller types are permitted. The big […]
Posted inNoticias
El estado de las energías renovables
Han pasado cinco años desde que Garfield Clean Energy (GCE) lanzó su exitosa campaña Solarize Garfield, la cual logró la instalación de más de 100 sistemas solares fotovoltaicos en techos de viviendas y negocios del condado. Aproximadamente una cuarta parte de esos proyectos también incluyó sistemas de almacenamiento con baterías. Desde entonces, el impulso hacia […]
Posted inEnvironment
The state of renewables, Part One
It has been five years since Garfield Clean Energy (GCE) launched its successful Solarize Garfield campaign in the county that netted more than 100 new rooftop photovoltaic (solar-power) installations on homes and businesses; roughly one-fourth of them also included battery storage. Since then, the push toward cleaner energy generation in our region (mainly solar) has […]
Posted inEnvironment
Marble meeting focuses on wildfire mitigation, evacuation planning
A crowd of some 60 people gathered on May 16 at the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) firehouse in Marble to hear a presentation on wildfire behavior, mitigation and preparedness and evacuation strategies in the event of a wildfire. The Saturday-morning gathering was a follow-up to a planning meeting on March 31 at […]
Posted inLocal Government
New Aquatics Center to open May 23
Yes, Bonedaleans, it’s true! After a years-long process (including two seasons without a municipal pool), the brand-new Carbondale Aquatics Center is scheduled to open Saturday, May 23, during Memorial Day weekend. The new facility replaces the old John M. Fleet pool, which operated from 1979 to 2023. Instead of the former single pool, the center […]
Posted inEnvironment
Public Works initiates talks on Crystal River water usage
Carbondale Public Works held a meeting on March 26 with Crystal River water managers (ranchers and farmers) to begin discussions on the Crystal’s water usage this coming summer. The initiative comes in the wake of record-low snowpack this past winter and anticipated very low flows in the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers. The gathering, organized […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Legends of Mountain Fair’
A panel of Carbondale Mountain Fair leaders, movers and shakers led a wide-ranging, delightful, hilarious and often touching discussion of fairs past and present for a large and enthusiastic audience at the Third Street Center on April 9. In addition to the panelists — Brenda Buchanan, Laurie Loeb, Bob Schultz, Jim Ryan, David Thiel, Lee […]