As the Crystal Theatre suddenly finds itself the only cinema between Rifle and Aspen, it seems like a good time to publicly address a question I’ve heard almost daily since we went nonprofit last September. Why don’t we show more new movies? Exactly what someone means by that varies a bit, but the answer almost […]
Opinion
Money Juice: The Stock Market for Dummies
Picture this: You’re a 16-year-old boy… wait, it gets worse! You’re hired to crew a ship on a voyage to a faraway land to trade for exotic spices and textiles and medicine. The voyage is dangerous: rough seas, foreign animals and insects, unfriendly strangers, scurvy… but what an adventure, huh? When successful, the payoff was […]
Letters – Feb. 12, 2026
Correction: The Sun mistakenly reported last week that Patricia Savoy’s name was drawn for the top line for mayor on April’s ballot. In fact, Erica Sparhawk’s name was drawn first. Keep writing, PatIn 1969, 23-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Patrick Hunter took issue with his officer’s declaration that a moustache was “a sign of dissent,” and, […]
Letter from the Editor: It takes a community…
Today we turn a leaf, beginning Volume 18 of The Sopris Sun. For 17 years, we’ve delivered a vibrant weekly newspaper with many changes along the way. We hope you’ll celebrate our continued growth and evolution at the Thompson Barn in Carbondale on Feb. 19. There you can catch the official announcement of our next […]
Heads up on a national health threat
In this new year of the Horse, when cultures celebrate a fresh start, I recall my own in 1976, when I migrated to our Roaring Fork Valley. My first statewide joy was to contribute to the plan by Governor Lamm and John Denver to expand I-70 through Glenwood Canyon without blasting a “typical four-lane.” They […]
Ps&Qs: Let’s put AI in D.C.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the film “Idiocracy.” Have you seen it? While not an award-winning film, I have to recommend watching this movie once. Starring Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph, this low-brow comedy uncannily mirrors our society with its cast of misfits, including the elusive third Wilson brother, Andrew, as Beef Supreme […]
Letters – Feb. 5, 2026
Re: ICEEnough is enough. ICE is violating the Constitution, killing innocent people, snatching up people, including children, to meet their ridiculous quotas. Just as promised, Trump is taking revenge on blue states and cities. So, what can we do? Anything we can. Protest and build networks of resistance. Pay attention and learn from history, such […]
Palestinians’ sumud, a lesson Americans urgently need
Editor’s note: Robyn McBurney is a Roaring Fork Valley local who recently visited Palestine. In October and November of 2025, she spent 40 days in the occupied West Bank with the International Solidarity Movement, witnessing and documenting the conditions Palestinians face. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern and North African studies and shared […]
The Green Eyeshade: A few words about embezzlement
This is my first installment of The Green Eyeshade, a periodic column for the Sopris Sun, broadly covering issues of interest to small businesses and nonprofits. The name refers to the caricature of old-time bookkeepers who, according to the internet, wore cellophane visors to protect themselves from eye strain. I’m an old-time accountant myself, having […]
Cosmic Chatter: Spring transits placing you in community
Bringing astrology to the people of Carbondale and beyond is the passion of Crystal City Astrology, founded by Susanna Kitchen. Offerings include the Cosmic Chatter podcast (also periodically live on KDNK), planetary transit articles, birth chart readings and workshops. Join on Substack @crystalcityastrology or visit www.crystalcityastrology.com to learn more. Throughout January, the Sun, Venus, Mars […]
