Rafael, 11, tipped his head, stared at a spot on a massive elk target, its rack curving skyward, in a stand of trees. He drew his bow, intent, and released an arrow. Thwack. “That was a perfect shot,” Mike said. My husband, Mike Benge, and his friend Franz Froelicher were walking courses with Rafael Gonzalez, […]
Opinion
Posted inLetters
Letters – Feb. 19, 2026
Re: SafetyIn a few recent issues of The Sun, problems with pedestrian safety or signage or speeding were mentioned. One aspect of these issues where the Town of Carbondale could improve drastically is the marking of crosswalks. At a few busier intersections, tinted concrete crosswalks were built at considerable expense to provide permanent marking. However, […]
Posted inColumns
Mature Content: The view from my window
By Susan Rhea “I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.’” -Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World” I live on a busy Carbondale corner. From my “everything” table, no longer just for dining, I look out three large windows at the local world. I see children playing […]
Posted inColumns
Will Call: Movie Business 101
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 […]
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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 […]
Posted inOpinion
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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
Posted inLetters
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 […]