The plane wings vibrated with each acceleration. The small craft picked up speed as it headed north, with the 9,223-foot Triangle Peak as the clear aviation waypoint some miles down the valley. It was the second of three EcoFlight excursions the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 25, coordinated in partnership with the Town of Carbondale to […]
Local Government
Posted inEducation
RFSD Report: Mill levy override question going before school district voters in Nov. 3 election
Editor’s note: John Stroud is a Roaring Fork High School track and field coach and a substitute teacher at several Roaring Fork School District schools. Voters in the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) communities of Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs will decide whether to offset state funding decreases with a local mill levy override. The […]
Posted inLocal Government
Debate heats up around Amendment 84
Coloradans will vote on an amendment this fall that would enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the Colorado Constitution. Proponents of Amendment 84 say hunting and fishing with traditional methods must be protected. Opponents say it is unnecessary and could irrevocably change future wildlife management in the state. Amendment 84 is backed by […]
Posted inLocal Government
Carbondale Report: Town withdraws from SPEAR
The Carbondale Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Aug. 25, unanimously voted to halt the town’s participation in the Special Problems Enforcement and Response (SPEAR) regional crime task force. The withdrawal follows growing community concerns that SPEAR — which has full-time personnel assigned from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Rifle Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency and […]
Posted inLocal Government
Glenwood Report: Council forwards fire mill levy question to voters for Nov. 3 election
Glenwood Springs city voters will join voters in the Glenwood Rural Fire District in deciding whether to raise property taxes by $3.6 million to support fire response and emergency medical services. City Council, at its regular Aug. 20 meeting, voted 6-0 (with Councilor Mitchell Weimer absent) to place the question before voters at the Nov. […]
Posted inLocal Government
Basalt Report: One development tabled, another approved
During this week’s regular meeting, the Basalt Town Council held second readings and public hearings for two new residential developments, voting to continue the hearing for one and approving the final plan for the other. The first application discussed was for the special review of a mixed-use residential and commercial storage development at 555 Basalt […]
Posted inEnvironment
Balancing thirsty trees in town with riparian health
Drought and heatwaves affect more than just humans, which is the case this summer as the Roaring Fork Watershed continues to experience “exceptional” drought — the most severe rating per the United States Drought Monitor. Human residents can see visible stress in local plant life as well as animals. To learn more about drought stress […]
Posted inEnvironment
Division 5 water users weather the Cameo call
Water rights are about as nuanced as the glistening streams that shimmer through the rocks. This year, unsurprisingly, has tested the limits of water’s reach within the Colorado River Basin. Two calls generally affect Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) Division 5, which includes all of the tributaries from Grand Lake to Grand Junction, […]
Posted inLocal Government
Flood mitigation considered, LoVa Trail snubbed, library mill levy extension moves toward the ballot box
Commissioner Mike Samson was still absent during this week’s Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting on Monday, Aug. 17. Peach Valley resident Fred Kuersten was back in front of the commissioners during public comment to encourage addressing drainages to reduce flood risk in the area. Several property owners were significantly impacted by the Slaughterhouse […]
Posted inEducation
New executive director of child care special tax district takes helm
Colorado’s only early childhood special tax district has announced that Glenwood Springs resident Samantha Markovitz will become the district’s first full-time executive director. Ready to amplify the community’s voice, Markovitz brings a wide breadth of skills and experiences to drive forth the district’s mission to expand access to early childhood care and education. “I really […]