Praise for Sinfonia
On May 4, I was treated to an excellent concert at TACAW by the High Country Sinfonia featuring 16 musicians of the highest quality this valley has to offer. With their theme of “Chopin!” their soloist, pianist Kevin Kaukl, a sensitive musician, performed a chamber arrangement of Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op.11.” In contrast to the full orchestral version, this performance treated the audience to a gossamer-like texture of transparent lines weaving together the orchestra and soloist. What a joy to hear such a contrasted performance.
In addition, the Sinfonia’s cello section performed Tchaikovsky’s “Chorale” from the “1812 Overture.” Again, hearing this piece with four cellists, instead of a whole section, was quite exciting. The Sinfonia was also joined by Charlotte McLain, a lovely harpsichordist, playing C.P.E. Bach’s “Sinfonia No. 2 in B-flat major.” I have often praised this group for their wonderful performances and I will continue to do so always. Make sure to catch their next concerts throughout the Valley.
Deborah Barnekow, musician
El Jebel
Crystal River thanks
I would like to thank the Town of Marble along with the River District and Pitkin and Gunnison counties for hosting the recent community summit on the Future of the Crystal River. The Crystal River is the lifeblood of this incredible valley and most of it, from the headwaters to almost all the way to Carbondale, runs wild — a rare thing for a river in Colorado! The packed firehouse in Marble, with over 100 people in attendance, made it clear that people up and down our small valley care deeply about the future of the Crystal River and are willing to work together to permanently protect it. At the summit, I was reminded that so many of us share the same values when it comes to safeguarding this incredible resource, including keeping it free-flowing and preventing out-of-watershed diversions while protecting its ecological health and natural beauty.
Soon, a steering committee will be selected who will then present different options for a path forward for the Crystal at another community summit this upcoming fall. As a resident of the Crystal River Valley and an avid whitewater kayaker, I am excited to see the progress being made. As a real estate broker, my experience is that the wild and free-flowing nature of the Crystal makes our valley a more desirable place to live. I encourage my friends, neighbors and all who love the Crystal to stay engaged in this important community conversation. Our beloved Crystal, the prettiest river in Colorado in my opinion, will be better off for it!
Pete Bellande, Carbondale
Dear Town of Carbondale,
Thank you for graciously and respectfully receiving Katrina Blair and the Bee Happy Lands team to share their perspective of healthy, organic weed management this Dandelion Day.
With appreciation,
Will Evans, Carbondale
Bee aware
Dandelion Day has come and gone, and every child’s favorite flower carpets our yards and farmlands. Aren’t you glad?
Dandelions are not only lovely to behold, they provide a critical source of both nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) for honeybees and our native pollinators. Deer and elk like to eat them. Without dandelions, honeybees can and do starve. Bees emerge from winter with their honey stores largely depleted. They need to make more. Since they don’t make honey in cool weather, snow or rain or cold during the dandelion bloom can spell trouble for the little darlings.
The more dandelions, the better. Gardeners, dandelions are not your enemies. They’re your friends — useful plants that are easy to grow. You can do your part by refraining from poisoning them or digging them up or mowing them. Why does your yard or garden have to look like the centerfold in one of those stupid garden magazines? Relax! Instead of obsessing over how to get rid of dandelions, help Mother Earth and leave them alone.
Ed Colby, New Castle
Seat belt safety
“We see the tragic consequences of motorists not wearing their seat belts every day,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “No matter how safe you are behind the wheel, you can’t control drivers and conditions around you. Buckling up not only is the law, but it’s also a proven way to reduce injuries and save lives in the event of a crash.”
Consider: race car drivers drive for a living and they wear seat belts. Perhaps we should take this task as seriously as they do?
Take A Minute, think about it and Slow Down in Towns
Diane Reynolds, Glenwood Springs
Ross Montessori
Choosing the right school for your child is challenging. As the head of the public charter Ross Montessori, I understand the impact of early childhood education and how that sets your child up for success into the future.
We value the potential of every child and recognize that each child requires an individual path of learning. Our mission is to prepare compassionate life-long learners while embracing the joy of discovery, dedication to mastery, and compassion.
The Montessori Method emphasizes collaboration, communication, self-direction, and risk-taking. Students are encouraged to take chances, fail, and keep going to get to mastery. We intimately know our students. We follow their needs and respond to them.
In her book, “Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs,” Ellen Galinsky found that children with strong executive functioning skills become young adults who have higher self-esteem, less drug use, higher overall educational level, better reports about how they are doing in their early 30s, more success in academic goal achievement, better better self-control, and positive interpersonal relationships.
We offer transportation around the Valley. Our students have a range of abilities, and we provide programming and support for each of them. We see our students as individuals and offer counseling, Spanish-speaking teachers, special education, and gifted student services. Our students regularly go on field trips into the community, plan and participate in annual camping trips, and learn about gardening, sustainability and art, and experience therapeutic horseback riding.
We invite you to please come and see us! We have scheduled tours each week. You can learn more at www.rossmontessori.org
I look forward to sharing more with you about our fabulous school and community of students, teachers, and parents.
Sonya Hemmen, Head of School
Holy Cross election
Shortly, customers of Holy Cross Energy will receive a mail-in ballot for the upcoming board election. Thanks to the current board and staff, over the last 15 years, Holy Cross has undergone an amazing transformation, becoming one of the greenest utilities in the county, with a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030, and high percentages achieved long before that. This all occurred while delivering a reliable and affordable power supply. To keep this trend going, I’m urging you to vote for two candidates with proven track records. Alex DeGolia, in the Western District, has served on the board for the last four years and has helped steward this transition. Kim Schlaepfer, in the Northern District, has been working in the field of climate action, and in cooperation with Holy Cross, for many years. Because there are so many candidates running, I’m asking for you to vote for Alex and Kim specifically, even if other candidates support the same goals. That’s because a split election could hand a seat to candidates for whom climate and affordable clean energy are lesser priorities.
Auden Schendler, Basalt