“Carbondale History, 1887-1976,” by the Carbondale Study Club (1976): In the early days of the town, there was a motion picture theater on the north side of Main Street [351 Main, now The Pour House]. Every week there was a show … on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Admission was 10 cents for children and 15 or […]
Columns
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CVEPA Views: Earth, water, fire and air!
Woe is us. Yes, the millions of people in the Great American West who depend on the snowpack for 80% of our water. This year has shaken us to the bone. Apparently, there was a warmer and drier year, winter 1980, that we are competing with. Oddly, more prominent in people’s memory was the terrible […]
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Mirror, Mirror: Which city is more messed up, Nairobi or Mexico City?
For eight days, Julián and I traveled through Nairobi, Kenya. The experience worked like a magnifying mirror: Observing this African city forces you, almost relentlessly, to rethink Mexico City. Nairobi is a remarkably green city. Vegetation is abundant, and trees — jacarandas, mangoes, avocados, fig trees, ceibas — reach uncommon sizes. Many are over a […]
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Former local reporter’s new novel strikes a chord for resort-town residents
Editor’s note: Potential spoilers lie ahead. Michael Bourne, a professor of writing at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and a former reporter for Aspen Daily News, recently wrapped a mini tour promoting his second novel, “We Bring You an Hour of Darkness,” a riveting read that offers a peek, albeit fictional, into the world […]
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In a world of streaming services, you still can’t beat the big screen
The Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Searing, shimmering heat. In “Lawrence of Arabia,” T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole in his first major role) and Sharif Ali (world, meet Omar Sharif) lead their soldier band at night through the “Devil’s Anvil.” One man, exhausted, falls off his camel. I saw this film probably in the ‘80s, but still […]
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Literate Life: Library director begins a new chapter
Before I came to Garfield County, I lived in two big cities: Chicago and Denver. I was surprised to learn that I did a lot more walking and biking there than I did in the more rural and suburban settings I’d lived in before. Cars are a hassle in the city. In the country, you […]
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Mature Content: ‘Don’t worry about it!’
Editor’s note: Some quotes in this column are paraphrased. Those of us living in America’s moderate- and left-leaning political spaces expected a bad year, and 2025 didn’t disappoint. The Trump-Kennedy Center, Trump-class battleships, masked (secret?) police in unmarked cars abducting our neighbors, the military patrolling city streets, yo-yo tariffs, more mass shootings, the continued dismembering […]
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Five fabulous accounts you should have
As you know (if you’ve been reading this column), your money should be growing for you as much as possible, as soon as it comes into your hot little hands. This way you can be financially independent early in life and do all the lovely things you dream of. At the end of the day, […]
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Becoming digital
The oldest artifact of my digital existence was a photo from when I was 11 in 2009, living in Montrose. After a day of groveling, my sister agreed to help me make a Facebook account. The kids at school were talking about it and I, a proverbial loser at the time, wanted to fit in, […]
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Time to raise the white flag?
I’ve never let on to be all that smart. I was a poor performer in school and I never accumulated enough merit badges to go beyond the rank of First Class in the Boy Scouts. I’m cool with that because I never put much stock in intelligence quotients. Unless you have some kind of disability, […]