“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This is the pledge we learned in the 1940s, on our first day of kindergarten. The principal’s voice came over the loudspeaker; we were told to […]
Opinion
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The View from the Therapy Pool: The existential joys of camping
I had a delightful childhood primarily because of the thick layers of love that were spread around my family’s home like warm butter, but also due to the spiritual adventures we experienced together. We camped. Our most frequent campground was the Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan. They have a dune there they actually […]
Posted inLetters
Letters – June 11, 2026
CorrectionS: Standard Solar is headquartered in Maryland, not Massachusetts, as described in the “State of renewables, part one” article in last week’s paper. Wild Flight’s song “Home is Just a Memory” was incorrectly labeled “Home Assisted Memory” in last week’s article “Wild Flight to see ‘full circle’ performance at Crystal Theatre.” Art Around TownOn behalf […]
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The student crisis of debt
In a world full of morals and mottos people tend to say that education is worth any cost, but when faced with the crushing reality of the real world — where money is the dictator of our life and well being — that saying can get put into question. I’m straight from the working class, […]
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Guest Opinion: The day my mother had a stroke and no one noticed
Sometimes I think the trouble started on Saturday, and sometimes, with yet more chagrin, earlier. I remember noticing on that day before Easter that my mother’s walking had deteriorated. She looked wobbly. But walking has increasingly been, due to neuropathy, hard for her. “Well,” I thought, “age may finally be catching up.” Last year we […]
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Guest Opinion: It’s time to slow down
By now, we have all heard the sentiment that “AI is the future” and we must “adapt or get left behind!” This is all or nothing rhetoric. Pause. Breathe in and exhale. Let’s think for a moment. We have been using “AI” for decades. You read that right: since 1956, when the term “artificial intelligence” […]
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Ps & Qs: Redneck pride
This June marks the 10th annual Redneck Olympics in my neighborhood. Satank is in unincorporated Garfield County, about a 20-minute walk from downtown Carbondale. Satank, née the Townsite of Cooperton, predates Carbondale and was named for Isaac Cooper who ventured down the valley from Aspen in the late 1800s. Still lawless as far as HOA […]
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Seeking Haystacks: One must imagine Sisyphus happy
The other night, I asked my students: If you are dedicated to righting a “wrong” in our world — say addressing your most urgent environmental issue, with inspired and assiduous effort — yet your efforts bring no change to the world, would you continue to engage, or give up? There was a long pause, and […]
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Letters – June 4, 2026
Support Cavern SpringsAs faith leaders, we ask your support for Cavern Springs mobile home park’s effort to become resident-owned and save their homes from a corporate buyout.For decades, hundreds of residents have called Cavern Springs home. These workers make the Roaring Fork Valley tick. Their park, 98 units adjacent to Glenwood Springs, is for sale […]
Posted inColumns
A free-flowing river, and the need for continuing vigilance
According to Ute elder Roland McCook, the Ute name for the Crystal River Valley was “Nuche-Mu-Gu-Avatum-Ada’he,” or “The People’s Place of the Heart.” The first white settlers who arrived in the Valley somewhat unimaginatively named the river “Rock Creek.” The contrast in cultural sensitivity was palpable. It was soon realized by early settlement boosters that […]