Columns

I have ordered an uber ride twice in my life, and I believe I’ve experienced the spectrum of Uber. The first time, I needed a ride from downtown Denver to Longmont (approximately 40 miles) and I became fast friends with the woman who gave me a ride. I sat in the front seat and we […]

While driving Highway 82 either in the morning or evening hours and seeing the Denver-like traffic I am astounded by the way our local valleys have changed. My parents described the drive from Glenwood up valley in the 1930s on a simple gravel/dirt road. Even more primitive was the county road up the Crystal Valley […]

Spring is a time of transition, and this year that is proving particularly true for The Sopris Sun. Since I took the helm January 2016, we’ve replaced most of our staff and all of our board. Terri Ritchie and Barbara Dills were the last holdouts and it’s strange to imagine going forward without them, but […]

I recently heard the term “market failure” on an NPR interview. Pundits Elaine Weiss and Gina Adams were commenting on a $1 million childcare investment proposed by the Trump administration’s budget. Ivanka Trump, who advanced the proposal, characterized the childcare market this way: “You have care providers who are working at below-poverty wages, you have […]

When I was ten years old my best friend, Allie, and I would wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch FMTV on Channel 12. It was a local show featuring music videos from artists like David Byrne and Blondie. Then Channel 12 sold the name to a company in New York for something like […]

As winter fades away and spring beckons, some of our thoughts turn to April 15 and our tax deadline. We have spoken before about RSVP and the services they offer. One of those services is free tax preparation and free electronic filing (e-filing). Your income must be less than $50,000 annually to qualify for this […]

Let me tell you about the time I got busted for cheating in school. During my sophomore year in high school I got a big fat zero on an English assignment and, frankly, I deserved it. I suppose with pressure from juggling athletics, my social life, and academics I got tempted to take the easy […]

A couple of weeks ago I was walking with my dogs on a remote snow-packed road and I encountered some other people recreating in the woods. As they passed us, a young man (they’re all young these days) yelled at me, “Get your dogs out of here!” “I beg your pardon?” I responded, blinking in […]

I’m sure that we’ve all seen news reports of natural or manmade disasters in which people  have lost virtually everything they own, but who declare that the most important thing is that they still have their health. Oh, really? If that were true, wouldn’t those same people take better care of their health and also […]

I recently heard a speech on food freedom. The message resonated with me so strongly that I was actually moved to tears. The ideas were not new to me but the strength of my reaction caused me to question just what it was that struck a chord. I have concluded that what resonated so strongly […]