Thank you, RFHS
Next time you meet a Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) student, shake their hand and offer them a heartfelt thank you. Over a period of three weeks, RFHS students filled the shelves at the Lift-Up pantry. They collected more than $1,000 and nearly 3,000 food items. A month ago, the pantry was struggling to meet the growing needs of the community. But thanks to these students, our shelves are overflowing and those we serve are incredibly grateful. If their efforts are any indication of the future, this community is indeed in good hands. So a hearty thank you to the students, teachers and administrators for their hard work and generosity.
Kathy and Frank Sgambati
LiftUp Volunteers
Sing for justice
Who Are the Raging Grannies? Join us Friday Dec. 12 at 12:15pm for a half-hour of standing and singing for justice on the sidewalk in front of the Carbondale Post Office, across from the Forest Service building.
A beautiful inner awareness grows when we become grandparents; we can see that all children are precious, not just our own. We want to leave the world a better place for these young people who bring so much love to us.
We Raging Grannies in Carbondale invite all people concerned about the current U.S. administration’s illegal actions to join us in song. We will have a sign to thank the federal workers at the Post Office and the Forest Service. We will have signs to protest the illegal actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Pete Hegseth’s bombing of boats SUSPECTED of drug smuggling.
We have a Constitution that guarantees human rights, including free speech, free peaceful assembly and trial by jury with legal representation. We need to stand up and sing for those laws. If you don’t want to sing, come anyway. Make a sign, take a stand for the U.S. Constitution.
Thank you. May the spirit of inner light, the heart of Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa be with you all.
Illène Pevec
Carbondale
Library autonomy
This Friday, Dec. 12, in a complete reversal of policy, the Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will appoint three new trustees to the library district board. Since the founding of the Library District in 2006, trustees (who are volunteers) have been appointed using the process outlined in its bylaws: Candidates were interviewed by the Library Board of Trustees and recommended to the BOCC for appointment. In the new process, the BOCC interviews and appoints new trustees, and the library board has no check on that power.
In Colorado, a library district is a separate political subdivision of the state with a high degree of autonomy, operating independently from the direct management of county commissioners. Transparency and non-partisan governance are crucial to the continued success of our libraries. Please contact the commissioners and urge them to codify a method of selecting and reappointing trustees that leverages the experience of current trustees and provides checks and balances.
Bonnie Draina
Carbondale
PUC to phase out methane
Ever since I moved to Carbondale, I’ve been advocating for the town to ban methane gas hookups in new construction, as has been done in Berkeley and San Francisco, California, New York City and Crested Butte and Louisville, Colorado.
We don’t need methane gas. Gas heaters and ranges can be replaced by cheaper, more efficient, healthier and safer heat pumps and induction stoves. Further, methane is a powerful, fast-acting greenhouse gas that is ruining our climate.
Lo and behold, who comes along with a plan, that’s not as sudden as an outright ban but more far reaching, but the state’s Public Utilities Commission? They’re telling the utilities (Xcel, Black Hill, Atmos and Colorado Natural Gas) to cut back natural-gas-heating emissions 41% by 2035 and 100% by 2050.
This covers not just new construction, but existing buildings as well. The utilities and the state will help with rebates for the cost of the switch to electric appliances. The Sierra Club estimates this will result in the elimination of 44.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
As for the Trump administration’s determination to promote fossil fuels, we’re ignoring their ignorance.
Fred Malo Jr.
Carbondale
Animals vulnerable in winter
Snowmass Creek Incident – On Thursday, Dec. 4, a friend and I were driving to a Christmas party, when, in the middle of the road, we saw a very old crippled dog and two goats. Other cars stopped to inquire why these creatures were loose, alone and out at night when temperatures were at freezing.
My friend is a dog walker/caretaker. She was extremely upset to see these poor abandoned animals. We followed them into a driveway where there was a small structure with warmth and lights, but no one was home. We picked up the old dog and transferred him from our warm car into the heated one room in the small shed structure.
We called a neighbor who identified the owner of these poor souls. Apparently the owner was out of town and his animal caretaker was nowhere to be found.
Then, we called the sheriff and reported the situation. The dog was at least warm, but the two goats were outside without shelter or water. At 18 degrees, water would be frozen, so they would be eating snow for fluids.
People who do this should never be allowed to own animals. We have called the Sheriff’s Department numerous times to check on the animals’ well-being. We also called the Pitkin County Animal Safety officer, who will record this animal abuse. The reality is that our law enforcement is limited with animal abuse problems that occur on private property. The best we can do is to make numerous reports, especially of repeated offenses, so the department can eventually take possession of abused pets.
If you own animals, make sure they have shelter, heated water and food. Some pets need warm quarters. Even with shelter, other outdoor animals might need blankets to keep their body temperatures up, and prevent them from using essential calories to keep them warm. Older animals are especially susceptible to winter conditions.
Do the right thing: Care for our four-legged friends!
Holly McLain
Carbondale
Term limits
I totally agree that people in public office need to be turned over. It’s totally absurd a county commissioner would be in that position for 20 years. All that is is job security. And the public are the losers. Right now, we have three aging-members serving as the Garfield County Commissioners. The demographics have changed drastically. Their ideology is antiquated. I understand why some of them commented that it took some time to understand the job. That detriment comes with age. One commissioner commented that he hoped the county would never become Democratic leaning. The same people that voted for him voted for Trump and his ruining of our country. It’s time to move these people out and get with the times.
Ken Fry
Glenwood Springs
Build with community
Recognition is due to Aspen Journalism, and specifically Kari Dequine, for the recent informative article in Aspen Daily News, “Private ski area proposal near Steamboat divides community.” The issues highlighted in the piece resonate deeply within our valley community. The acquisition of land by affluent newcomers and local developers is increasingly prevalent throughout the area. Marketing materials from these entities often emphasize the purported benefits of their projects, yet frequently overlook community concerns. While companies introduce initiatives that seem to offer community benefits, such gestures rarely offset the broader consequences for the community’s structural integrity and cultural fabric.
Efforts to address the housing challenge have persisted for three decades, without conclusive resolution. Even with the introduction of affordable units as part of market-rate developments, the Valley continues to experience substantial rises in median home prices. Each new project further increases the demand for workforce housing during both the construction phase and ongoing property maintenance, thus exacerbating the affordability crisis. Consequently, residents shoulder secondary costs, including higher taxes, increased living expenses and greater congestion. This ongoing cycle demonstrates that simply adding affordable units alongside high-end housing does not adequately meet the needs generated by these developments.
Water scarcity and drought remain significant challenges in our region. Arizona’s 2025 water crisis, driven by the prolonged drought of the Colorado River Basin and declining groundwater reserves, affects both urban and agricultural sectors. Ongoing large-scale development does little to alleviate these critical water issues.
It is important to consider how much longer we can disregard the efforts of those committed to preserving our Valley’s rural and agricultural character, as well as its sense of close community. Sustainable development that prioritizes the interests of current residents and supports family life should be pursued. Additionally, it is crucial to uphold our responsibility to protect the environment before irreversible damage occurs.
Join us in opposing megadevelopment at www.cattlecreekcc.com
Rosemary Burkholder
Cattle Creek
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