Potato Days parade
Big grey elephant came down Main.
It got our attention,
till we saw its intention,
Vote GOP and elect Jeff Hurd.
But this is CARBONDALE
And we don’t want no more
Corruption, destruction and war.
So thanks for the show Mr. Hurd,
But we’ve got to go for Romero,
GO FOR ROMERO.
Bill Jochems
Carbondale
Yes on 5C
In an election defined by complicated statewide ballot measures, one thing is simple: Vote yes on 5C to use local dollars to support teachers in the Roaring Fork School District. In our valley, the cost of living has risen by 18% since 2023, becoming the fourth highest in the state. While property values and the associated taxes have significantly increased as well, the State of Colorado proportionally reduces their financial contribution, meaning that without a mill levy override (like 5C) the school district does not directly benefit from higher property assessments. Ballot measure 5C would generate approximately $5.5 million for teacher and staff salaries, recruitment and retention efforts and increased academic outcomes for all students. Homeowners would pay around $7 for every $500,000 of assessed property value every month. In other words, for the cost of a fancy coffee or a bad streaming service, voters can help keep our teacher salaries competitive, ensuring that qualified and experienced educators are able to stay in classrooms from Glenwood to Basalt. So when you open your novel-length ballot before Nov. 3, flip to the local ballot measure section and make the simple choice: Vote YES on 5C.
Lindsay DeFrates
Glenwood Springs
No on 82
Some of my favorite days in the Roaring Fork Valley are plodding up Red Hill at first light with a gaggle of women chatting, hooting-and-hollering down Plunge on my mountain bike or collapsing into a booth at the Ale House for nachos with extra pickled veggies after a sunny day hiking Highlands Bowl. These places, and the people I share them with, are why I call this valley home. I want our community to be able to protect them.
Amendment 82 threatens our ability to do that. Natural gas is already legal in Colorado. This amendment would put a right to buy and sell natural gas into our state constitution, potentially making it harder to regulate gas infrastructure and protect our communities from pollution.
The air we breathe, the water we drink and the cost of heating our homes all affect our quality of life. Expanding gas infrastructure can lock us into decades of pollution and infrastructure costs, even as cleaner energy options become more available. We shouldn’t give the gas industry special constitutional protections that could make it harder to protect our health and communities.
Unlike an ordinary law, a constitutional amendment is difficult to reverse. We shouldn’t make a permanent change to our Constitution that could limit Colorado’s ability to adapt to future needs.
I want to keep running and biking these trails, skiing these mountains and building a life with the people I love. Our Constitution should protect Coloradans, not give an industry more power over our future.
I’m voting no on Amendment 82.
Clare McLaughlin
Carbondale
Amendment 83
Amendment 83, the Right to Hunt and Fish, is the consequence of animal rightists changing laws they don’t like, slowly disenfranchising hunters. I am not a trapper or a hunter, but I view these actions much like I view the Trump administration as it attacks everyone and everything it does not like. Animal rightists have chosen to erode customs to prohibit what they don’t like.
Locally, preschoolers are not allowed outside to play for days because a bear is nearby. A ranger watches the bear, but there is no negative stimulus to move it away.
Our governor has appointed a majority of animal rightists to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. They recently changed the law on furbearers without public comment and based on a commissioner’s hasty survey, and are attempting to limit public comment again.
Animal rightists claim to be concerned that Amendment 83 would prioritize hunting over maintaining biodiversity, restoring habitat and managing diseases, but actually this is where the two groups share common ground. Hunters and trappers share these values, but the opposers of Amendment 83
are using scare tactics and claiming the spring bear hunt and leghold traps will return. The amendment does not change the state’s ability to regulate hunting, fishing and wildlife management.
Unless CPW staff can regain their authority to make decisions based on science and specific situations, Amendment 83 is a better choice than allowing the governor and his majority appointed animal rightist board to make decisions that will result in decreased personal safety, open space and loss of private land essential to wildlife.
Hunting is important to many people: a way to feed their family, enjoy the outdoors, connect with nature and friends. It is a viable way to balance wildlife populations as well.
Marj Perry
Carbondale
Two kids, one problem
Picture two kids in this valley.
The first is a girl on the Carbondale soccer team. She’s fast, she’s fierce and she wears her hair short because it’s easier. She scores a lot. Under Proposition 134, which writes a state definition of sex into law and uses it to decide who can play school sports from elementary school through college, all it takes is one parent on the opposing sideline to question whether she belongs. Then, someone with authority has to check: her records, her doctors, maybe her body.
She doesn’t have to be trans for any of this to happen to her. She only has to be good and look different from what someone expects. In Utah, in 2022, a girl who won an event by a wide margin had her school records searched back to kindergarten, after other parents questioned whether she was transgender. Nobody told her family. She wasn’t trans.
The second kid is a teenager whose family has spent a long time with one doctor working through a hard medical decision. They asked every question they could think of. The parents pushed back, waited, asked again. In the end, the family and the doctor agreed on a plan.
Proposition 135 would tell them no. It bans gender-affirming surgery for minors in Colorado and cuts off Medicaid and other public money for it. Families with money could travel to another state and pay out of pocket. Families on Medicaid, the ones working two jobs and commuting an hour each way, would simply be out of options.
Both of these kids lose for the same reason. A politician who has never met them, never seen their records and never sat in that exam room decided they knew better than the girl, her coach, the parents and the doctor.
You don’t have to agree with every choice another family makes. We still leave each other alone to make them, because we’d want the same for our own kids. That’s an old idea in this valley, and it’s worth defending.
Please vote no on 134 and 135.
Ashley Stahl
Glenwood Springs
Vote Godes
When I compare candidates for Garfield County commissioner, I remind myself that we aren’t just casting a political vote — we are hiring someone for a job. Like any critical job, the role of county commissioner demands a candidate with a proven track record, relevant leadership experience and the practical skills to deliver results for our communities. That is why I am proudly supporting Jonathan Godes for Garfield County commissioner.
Jonathan’s resume and extensive background in public service uniquely prepare him for this position. As a former city council member and mayor of Glenwood Springs, he has proven his ability to lead effectively at the local government level. During his tenure, he successfully balanced budgets, secured crucial infrastructure funding and navigated unprecedented crises — including guiding the community through the Grizzly Creek Fire and I-70 mudslides with steady, calm leadership.
What truly sets Jonathan apart is his exceptional capacity for collaboration across jurisdictions. County issues do not stop at the county line, and Jonathan has a long-standing track record of building partnerships with neighboring towns, counties and regional stakeholders to tackle complex challenges like affordable housing, smart growth and water security.
Furthermore, his deep experience as the director of the I-70 Coalition demonstrates his expertise in managing multi-jurisdictional transportation and mobility issues that directly impact our daily lives and regional economy. He understands how to bring diverse voices to the table to find common-sense, regional solutions.
Garfield County deserves leadership that is pragmatic, experienced and focused on solutions rather than division. Jonathan Godes has the exact qualifications, work ethic and vision required to do this job well from day one. I urge my fellow residents to join me in supporting Jonathan Godes for Garfield County commissioner.
Ben Bohmfalk
Carbondale
Orphaned wells
Ah the wisdom of greed and let ’em slide. The Bureau of Land Management proposes a HALVING of the bond currently required for clean up. As of July 1, Colorado has 996 orphaned wells across 2,156 orphaned sites. (Data from Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission.
Richard Votterro
Carbondale