Editor’s note: The complete audio version of this story is archived at KDNK.org Driving toward El Paso, Texas, I see the border wall for the first time, its stark brown form extending endlessly parallel to Interstate 10.Then, I see the colorful homes of Ciudad Juarez on the other side and I imagine how it would […]
Opinion
Posted inNews
Raining cats and dogs
A clipped ear on a kitten or a blue line on a puppy’s belly is a signature of compassion, a small mark of sterilization that stands between chaos and care. An unwanted kitten, left to the streets, transforms in a matter of months into a feral tomcat. Because cats can produce litters of up to […]
Posted inOpinion
Letters – July 2, 2026
Independence Day, 2026 Fifty years ago, I remember feeling excitement about America’s bicentennial. Although we had recently watched a president resign over corruption (minor compared to today’s standards, as even Vice President Vance admits!), Americans were generally proud and supportive of each other and our nation. That feeling is missing today, as we have competing […]
Posted inOpinion
Seeking Haystacks: Dear Students
Dear Students, “Seeking Haystacks” was the title of student Isaac Gerber’s final project, who sought to use artist Claude Monet’s painting of haystacks as a metaphorical window into self-reflection. Isaac saw Monet’s haystacks as an invitation to living beautifully, a portal to passionate engagement. Isaac, like so many of you, wrote about what calls to […]
Posted inOpinion
CVEPA Views: Taking the veil off Treasure Mountain Ranch
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this column are solely those of the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association. Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) does not support land swaps of National Forest for private land — especially with the intent of personal gain by developers. This is exactly what the current developers with Treasure Mountain […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Letters – June 25, 2025
CORRECTION: The June 17 article, “Two more wolves die in western Colorado” misstated that the breeding male wolf of the King Mountain Pack died during a re-collaring operation in 2024. The wolf died during a re-collaring operation in early 2026. Weiser for Gov.As a local elected official working on solutions to affordable housing, climate, transportation, […]
Posted inColumns
Dig a Little Deeper: Governing like a one-termer
Government is a core pillar of society. When choosing our leaders there is a lot to unpack, and this column, running every last week of the month up to election day, is intended to help readers do just that. My dad was a Garfield County Commissioner in the ‘80s, and while we shared the honor […]
Posted inOpinion
Laugh your ass off and warm your heart with ‘Dances with Donkeys’
Some people really ought to write a book. I mean, people who have looked death in the face, maybe time and time again, and lived to tell the tale. Now that may seem a bit dramatic, but when it comes to horse — or ass — rearing and cowboying the risk is there. Jim Duke, […]
Posted inOpinion
Dream Well: Caretaking a home in the astral
Natalia Snider is a certified dream practitioner living in Carbondale. She works with people’s dreams and imaginations to facilitate self-healing. Every month, she will analyze someone’s dream in The Sopris Sun. Anyone can submit a dream for personal analysis or inclusion in this column by visiting dreamhealings.com Dream Every dream I have, whether it’s about […]
Posted inOpinion
Historiography: Alice Cooper in Carbondale
In Mills, Iowa in 1875, Isaac and Sarah Cooper welcomed their second daughter Alice into the world. Shortly afterward, the family came to Colorado, where Isaac engaged in mining operations. After traveling to Boulder, Golden and Leadville, the Coopers eventually ended up in Defiance, at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers. Isaac […]