News

By WB Special to The Sopris Sun Pa Fig, hat-shaper, has laid hands on more than 10,000 hats for clients all over the world. Discretion prohibits mention of his more notable customers, but Carbondale’s crowned heads are quietly finding their way to Pa’s stand, which he sets up around town when crowds or the occasion […]

By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff Writer It started with a borrowed Aspen Earthmoving flatbed truck at Fourth and Main, and a handful of local musicians on a summer Saturday in 2001. The next year the Mountain Music Fair expanded to two days to accommodate more players who wanted to get involved. A year or […]

Submitted article The town of Carbondale — all its history and diversity, outdoor recreation, arts and culture — is promoted through the Tourism Council, a tentacle under the jellyfish auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. The Tourism Council of Carbondale (TCC) recently unveiled its summer marketing campaign to encompass the health and well-being of its […]

Sopris Sun Staff Report Once a lowly window washer, J. Pierrepont Finch rocketed to chairman of the board, thanks to a book called “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” And thanks to the newest musical production from Carbondale’s SoL Theatre Company, you too, can learn the secrets of how to climb the corporate […]

By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff Writer This time next year, residents might not recognize Highway 133 through town but they’ll probably be familiar with features such as a temporary signal at Colorado Avenue, Main Street closures at approaches to the proposed roundabout at Highway 133, and at least two detours. Roadway construction on the […]

How a small town is balancing the need for a boost from ‘The Stim’ By Trina Ortega While many small town mayors are scrambling to get their communities a piece of the stimulus pie, Carbondale Mayor Michael Hassig is not so quick to grab taxpayer money for hastily planned projects. Fast tracking projects the town […]

By Jeremy Heiman Looking for a way to spend all that spare time? The Town of Carbondale is calling for residents to volunteer for a housing committee being formed this spring to brainstorm ways to fund and create more affordable housing. The Carbondale Board of Trustees will appoint committee members from a pool of applicants […]

As Chief Academic Officer of the Roaring Fork School District, Dr. Rob Stein has spearheaded the monumental task of bringing our communities together to create an inspiring new vision for our schools. The task that lies ahead — actually bringing that vision to fruition — is even more daunting.
Stein, who led an extraordinary transformation of Denver’s Manual High School after it was closed as a low-performing school, has the experience and expertise needed to take on that task. He is not afraid to ask tough questions and to be asked tough questions by others. His responses always cut to the chase. He has an exceptional ability to think outside the box and find innovative solutions.
So why has the school board, with two newly appointed (not elected) board members, suddenly decided to change course and consider extending Dr. Diana Sirko’s contract after it expires this spring? The next board meeting is less than three weeks away, including Thanksgiving break during which the school district is closed for an entire week. I urge the school board to give the public more than this short time frame to weigh in on this critical matter.

A proposed new four-plex at the corner of Second Street and Sopris Avenue has churned up considerable resistance among some neighbors of the project, including an accusation by one critic that the owner of the property was engaging in “class warfare” in her remarks at a recent public hearing.
The four-plex, if approved, would be built at 191 Sopris, on the site of an existing 2,600-square-foot, one-story, single family home, most recently owned and occupied by long time local resident Harold Leonard but now owned by 13-year local resident Kim Kelley and a development company, Sopris Properties LLC.

The multifaceted questions surrounding the issue of trash pickup in Carbondale, debated for five years now, may finally be headed toward resolution following a decision Tuesday night that it is time for the town’s board of trustees to get to work on an actual ordinance on the topic rather than simply calling for more discussion.
The actual work, however, is not likely to start until December at the earliest, and perhaps not until some time after the new year begins.