Re: ReEnergize
Last week’s paper included a press release from Garfield Clean Energy (GCE) asking residents to apply for “ReEnergize” and other programs which subsidize home energy use reduction measures. It noted that the program has limited funds. Another article reported that last year the funds ran out after 50 retrofits countywide. So, if you noticed your heating bill this winter, apply ASAP for improvement funds. If you didn’t notice your heating bill, consider a tax-deductible contribution to CLEER (cleanenergyeconomy.net), which manages these programs, so they can serve more of the applicants. Either helps reduce carbon pollution contributing to climate disruption.
Much of the funding for GCE and CLEER comes from our towns and the county. These entities almost doubled their revenue from energy taxes and fees last year. Perhaps they should also specifically increase their contributions to this existing underfunded program.
Fred Porter, Carbondale
Re: Harm reduction
In response to a quote in the Feb. 7 edition of the Post Independent, “You don’t think harm reduction encourages the use of opioids? That’s a question that’s out there.”
Here’s the answer: 30 years of data in the United States shows that individuals who use drugs are five times more likely to access treatment if they use harm reduction programs. While we support folks to make their own life choices, these services have been shown to ultimately reduce drug use.
Harm reduction programs also reduce crime, the spread of disease and spending of taxpayer dollars.
High Rockies Harm Reduction does much more than just give out free needles. We train hundreds all over the state on how to use Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses. We give out free Narcan, fentanyl test strips, condoms and more. We collect syringes from folks who require regular injections for a variety of reasons and reduce biohazard debris.
But the number one thing we do is build relationships, because that’s what it’s going to take to end the addiction crisis. No one program or building can do it, we all must work together from a place of compassion and be willing to learn more about what works for people with different cultural backgrounds than our own.
If you aren’t affected by addiction issues in your life somehow, that’s fantastic, but we need to uphold the voices of those most affected by these issues in determining the most effective strategies to combat them.
The CDC and CDPHE recommend that communities implement syringe service programs as an evidence-based approach to mitigate opioid addiction and overdose.
In 2020, the Garfield County Commissioners, as our Public Health Board, agreed to defer to the expertise of professionals in matters of public health, as this is not their background. At the Feb. 6 commissioner meeting, public health experts from Eagle and Garfield counties presented on the plan to expand harm reduction programming in our region, as funds have already been committed to this.
Syringe services have existed, on a small scale, in Garfield County since 2021. For more information and a service schedule, visit www.highrockiesharmreduction.com
Whether harm reduction is an effective method of combating addiction issues is not a matter of opinion, it’s a matter of public health, and it’s a FACT that syringe services save lives and reduce drug use and its negative consequences.
Maggie Seldeen, High Rockies Harm Reduction
KDNK4lynn
KDNK4lynn@gmail.com is ready for your KDNK-related memories, which I plan to use for Sopris Sun columns about the station in this, its 40th year.
Working themes include: names of shows, great moments in KDNK history, anecdotes, observations and anything else that might fit.
Several KDNKers have already sent me stuff, including Keith Edquist, who was an original volunteer DJ (“Old and In the Way”), and trained under the tutelage of the late Brad Hendicks, who told Keith that a gorilla could work the control board. “I took that to mean I’d do fine,” he told me.
Terri Ritchie was production manager at the Aspen Daily News early in KDNK’s life, and the crew used to listen to “Cowboy Randy” on Friday mornings, with “X-Actos and wax a flyin’.”
One Thanksgiving, Jane Bachrach and myself (the “Jake and Jane Show”) demonstrated and explained how to carve an actual turkey on air. We also did a segment called “Live from the Free Box” wherein Jane would lug clothes and other odd objects into the studio from the station entrance, and I’d describe them, or speculate what their use might be. (Word had it at least one staffer didn’t like the segment, or Jake and Jane’s “Sing along with the Beatles.”)
So, email me your stuff and I’ll try to use whatever fits.
Please note: It looks like my email address (kdnk4lynn@gmail.com) works with lowercase kdnk or uppercase KDNK.
Thanks in advance.
Lynn “Jake” Burton, Carbondale/Glenwood Springs
Letter policy: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Letters of 500 words or less stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and content. Please include your name and place of residence. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.