Dangerous by design
Highway 133 through Carbondale is dangerous by design and an aesthetic eyesore that slices our town in two. You can help!
Have you ever pushed a crosswalk light and experienced a near-miss when a driver didn’t give you the right-of-way? If so, you are not alone. Within the past three months, there have been at least four documented incidents of near misses. Most of us do not think about making a police incident report. We just heave a sigh of relief that we are still alive.
Sue Zislis and Niki Delson, representing the Carbondale Age-Friendly Community Initiative (CAFCI) and the Bicycle Pedestrian and Trails Commission (BPT), have fellowships to America Walks, a leading national nonprofit that advances for safe, equitable, accessible and enjoyable places to walk. They do this by giving people and communities the resources to effectively advocate for change. After talking with local residents, Sue and Niki decided that their six-month project would be to document dangers to pedestrians and cyclists along Highway 133. They would then provide the BPT with these documented incidents, some research on possible solutions and a request for action.
Documentation is the only way to demonstrate ongoing dangers to Carbondale’s residents. You can make 133 less dangerous by doing the following:
1. When you have a near-miss or someone doesn’t give you the right-of-way in a crosswalk along 133 between Cowen Drive and Hendrick Drive, call the Police Dispatch Center (970-625-8095) and tell them you want them to document the incident. You do not have to do this at the time of the incident. You can wait until you get home.
2. Share an anecdote by sending an email to dangerous133@agefriendlycarbondale.org
Niki Delson, Co-Chair
CAFCI
Roger and me
I can’t ski like Roger Marolt or any member of his family, but I can share his frustration getting a couple of his columns summarily dumped by the powers that be at The Aspen Times. You see, I had the same thing happen to me at Carbondale’s Sopris Sun and for the same reason — because these protectors of the public sensibilities felt the columns might offend somebody they didn’t want to offend.
One of my columns was a stinging indictment of the hypocrisy of Christians, not Christianity, and the other was an assessment of the state of print journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley that was particularly critical of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. I should point out my columns were spiked by two different editors of The Sopris Sun, while Marolt’s bit the dust at the hands of The Aspen Times publisher, Ogden Newspapers, who fired the editor-to-be for printing one of them.
A veteran ink-stained wretch once told me if a newspaperman isn’t pissing somebody off, they’re not doing their job. There was a saying in journalism school — the A students stay at the university, teach journalism and starve to death on a teacher’s salary, the B students become reporters and starve to death on a newspaper’s salary and the C students get into public relations and make all the money.
I was a C student, but not being very materialistic, I decided to become a reporter. I wanted to tell it like it is, not necessarily how it sells.
I’m happy for you, Roger. You’re much more suited to be working for a locally-owned publication like the Aspen Daily News than the billionaire-owned national chain Ogden Newspapers. As for The Aspen Times, count your blessings. At least you’re not owned by a hedge fund.
Fred Malo Jr.
Carbondale
Editor’s note: In response to Fred Malo Jr.’s letter and in keeping with transparency, we have published both of his rejected columns online and leave it up to our community to decide the merit of those decisions (“The church of the hypocrites“, “Journalism in a capitalist society“). As communicated to Fred in early 2021, “I wonder what feelings you wish to inspire with your columns in these times of great woundedness?” Acknowledging truth as our ultimate virtue, The Sopris Sun also seeks to be a publication in service to healing and community above blame and division.
Garden Club
On behalf of the Glenwood Springs Garden Club, we want to say “thank you” to many who helped make our recent Welcome to Our Gardens Garden Tour so successful.
First, the planners of our 2022 Garden Tour committee spent months in preparation meetings. Second, our sponsors enabled our club to have wonderful flyers, posters, pamphlets and ads. Third, Kelly Cory of KO Creations shared her expertise and volunteered to design those promotional materials.
Fourth, The Sopris Sun, KDNK, KMTS and the Post Independent interviewed us and shared information and stories about our upcoming tour with the public. Fifth, the gardeners who welcomed the tour guests to their lovely gardens for all to view and learn more about successful gardening in our area.
We so much appreciate all the women and men who visited the gardens and shared their compliments and appreciation. Those smiling faces will long be remembered! Thank you so much everyone!
The GWS Garden Club welcomes guests to our meetings and new members always. For information about joining or about meeting topics, please call 970-384-2835.
Ann English, Judy O’Donnell, Michele Diamond
GWS Garden Club
Grand Mesa Byway
Took a nice long drive yesterday…
Carbondale through Paonia and up and over through Cedaredge and then back from Grand Junction. High altitude, 11,000 feet, a lot of lakes and resort cabins, etc. Surprisingly cooler in temperature than down below, even on a hot day.
Marty Stouffer
Carbondale