Support each other
Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day — a day to remember, raise awareness and remind one another that hope and help are available.
For Seed Peace, this day carries an especially personal meaning. Sept. 10 was also the birthday of Casey Piscura, whose life and legacy inspired the creation of Seed Peace: Casey’s Fund Supporting Farmers. Casey died by suicide, leaving behind a family and community determined to honor his life by helping others find support before it is too late.
Suicide affects families, friends, workplaces and communities in ways that can last a lifetime. Farmers and agricultural producers face unique challenges, including financial uncertainty, isolation, long work hours, unpredictable weather and the pressure of carrying on a family business.
Studies have found that farmers are at significantly greater risk of suicide than the general population. Yet too many people continue to suffer in silence.
Seed Peace was created in Casey’s memory to support the health and well-being of farmers by helping provide access to mental health and wellness services. We believe that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and that no farmer should have to face life’s challenges alone.
On this World Suicide Prevention Day — and on Casey’s birthday — we encourage everyone to check in on the people around them. A simple conversation, a phone call or the question, “How are you really doing?” can make a meaningful difference.
If you or someone you know is struggling or experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Let’s break the silence, support one another and remind those who are struggling: You matter. Your life matters. And it is okay to ask for help.
This Sept. 10, we remember Casey, honor his life and work toward a future where more people feel supported, connected and comfortable asking for help.
For more information about Seed Peace and its FarmStrong health and wellness programs for farmers, visit seedpeace.org
Bob Piscura
Seed Peace
Music at Sopris
On Sunday, Aug. 23, several hundred people gathered in Sopris Park for a summer concert. There was a local band, Mitt Spicy and the Blues Bandits, and an out of town act from Texas, Anthony Garcia and Los Diablos Tejanos. KDNK simulcast the show and the park was hopping. There is one more concert on Sunday, Sept. 13, with Aggie Flores and Tommy the Animal starting at 5pm. Please come and enjoy the music.
Marty Silverstein
Carbondale
Thank you, Defiance
We at Mountain Valley Developmental Services (MVDS) had the great pleasure of floating the Colorado River with Defiance Rafting last week. It was a beautiful, sunny day to be out on the river!
From one passenger, Bruce, who is also now MVDS staff:
“As a former river guide (12 years) and guide instructor, I would like to offer a brief statement to Defiance Rafting. All six guides did an excellent job working with our group. They were very helpful attending to our clients, were respectful and I felt safe the whole trip, from the fitting of life jackets, the safety talk, transports and on the river. Well done, Defiance Rafting!”
We all wholeheartedly echo his sentiments. It was an amazing day!
Sara Sims
Glenwood Springs
Wine & Dine for Life
The Chris Klug Foundation (CKF) would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make our 2026 Wine & Dine for Life gala such a magical evening! This annual awareness and fundraising event helps CKF share the lifesaving message of organ, eye and tissue donation, and support individuals nationwide before, during and after transplant.
Wine & Dine’s Gold Level sponsor, The Hoffberger Family, are the reason this event happens. Thank you, Captain Jeff, Russell, Joanie and Helen, for your incredible generosity over the years and deep commitment to CKF. We would also like to thank our Silver Level supporters, the Brodsky Family. Thank you, Randy and Julie, so much for your ongoing support of the CKF mission. Finally, thank you to our Bronze sponsors, Klug Properties. Our sponsors ensured every dollar raised from the event goes directly to the CKF Mission! Thank you to our community sponsors, including the Snowmass Club, Viceroy Snowmass, Schramsberg Winery and Sashae Floral.
We are so grateful to all of our table sponsors, including Alpine Bank, White Elephant, Ritz-Carlton Aspen Highlands, Klug Properties and Chris and Missy Klug, as well as our individual ticket purchasers. We would also like to recognize everyone who supported our silent auction and various games throughout the evening — both the kind and generous local businesses and the attendees who participated.
The highlight of the evening is honoring our CKF Award Recipients for their incredible contributions to the donation and transplantation communities. Thank you to our 2026 winners for their passionate service and spirited efforts to support and advance organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. Congratulations to our Hero Award winner, Kristen Cowan, our Bounce Back, Give Back Award winner, Alison Conklin, and our Community Champion Award winner, Dr. Osama Gaber.
One final thank you to Kate Phillips and The Sopris Sun for sharing their amazing journeys.
On behalf of the CKF staff and board, thank you! We look forward to Wine & Dine 2027!
Live Life, Give Life!
Chris Klug Foundation
Godes for Garfield
Jonathan Godes has the experience and record we need on the Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
Godes has devoted the past 25+ years to community service. He founded and served as executive director of two nonprofits, the Early Childhood Network and a Boys & Girls Club, and currently serves as the director of the I-70 Coalition, working to improve safety and transit through the I-70 corridor.
As former two-term mayor of Glenwood Springs, Godes led the city’s transition to a 100% renewable electric grid and secured about $80 million in grants for water, transportation and community projects.
He has taken a stand on critical local issues facing our communities, from protecting the Thompson Divide to opposing the Uinta Basin Railway project and the Rocky Mountain Industrials quarry expansion.
Godes clearly has what it takes to confront the shenanigans we’ve seen on the BOCC for years, including participating in climate-denial conferences, taking control over the library board, spending our tax dollars to sue Glenwood Springs, cutting off funds for our local Planned Parenthood and refusing to participate in regional solutions for workforce housing and transit.
Godes’ Republican opponent has no record of taking a stand on major local issues, like protecting Thompson Divide or opposing the Uinta Basin Railway project, which would have transported 5.5 million gallons of waxy crude oil every day through New Castle and our scenic Glenwood Canyon. He didn’t even vote in Colorado’s 2022 or 2018 general elections.
Godes’ opponent was handpicked by the Republican commissioners to serve on the Planning Commission for the past 13 years. With a history of staying silent on urgent issues, he is unlikely to challenge the current commissioners and their endless bad decisions. In the words of the musical character Alexander Hamilton, “If you stand for nothing … what’ll you fall for?”
Godes has demonstrated that he is willing to fight and deliver for the people of this county. Please join me in voting for Jonathan Godes for Garfield County commissioner.
Debbie Bruell
Carbondale
GAME Act
As a Colorado resident and public-land user, I’m asking Rep. Jeff Hurd to reconsider the proposed GAME Act before introducing it in Congress.
The proposal would transfer approximately 2,158 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Consolidated Reservoir outside Glenwood Springs into private ownership as part of a larger land exchange. In return, approximately 2,103 acres of land would become public.
I support acquiring private land when it provides genuine benefit to the public. But this proposal raises an important question: Why should Congress bypass the normal BLM land-exchange process to accomplish it?
The BLM has established procedures for evaluating land exchanges, including public involvement and valuation. Those safeguards exist for a reason. When the public land is transferred to private ownership, the public should be able to see the appraisals, understand the relative values of the properties, evaluate the access implications and consider alternatives before the deal is approved.
The issue is bigger than one ranch, or one exchange. If Congress establishes a precedent for transferring valuable public land directly to private interests through legislation, what prevents similar requests elsewhere?
We should also be asking whether the public benefits being promised require giving up these particular BLM acres, and whether there are alternatives that would provide those benefits without sacrificing existing public land and its connectivity to surrounding public lands.
This is not an argument against every land exchange. It’s an argument for transparency and fair public process before public land becomes private land.
Representative Hurd should release the supporting appraisals and analysis, allow meaningful public scrutiny and reconsider the bill before moving it forward.
Public land belongs to all of us. Congress should not make decisions about giving it away without a meaningful opportunity to examine the deal first.
Heather Lafferty
Carbondale
To: Rep. Hurd
The current land swap you are proposing will not benefit the general public or your constituents on the Western Slope of Colorado.
The Out of Bounds Ranch, owned by B. Scott Smith and Tiffany Smith, wants to possess 2,158 acres of pristine irrigated Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Cottonwood Pass and Fisher Creek in exchange for 2,103 acres of private land at Timber Valley Ranch (1,020 acres) and Cow Creek Ranch (1,083 acres) near Rifle.
For the land exchange, the Smiths would buy Timber Valley Ranch, which is steep terrain with pines, oak brush, pinyon juniper and sagebrush. It is advertised as a hunting paradise.
Smith would also purchase Cow Creek Ranch, which is also steep with pines, oak brush, pinyon juniper and sagebrush and has abundant wildlife for hunting.
Exchanged for:
The 2,158 acres with excellent irrigation water rights, where the Consolidated Reservoir supplies many neighboring ranches in this area.
So basically the Smiths will buy steep, brush country outside of Rifle to trade for verdant, irrigated, natural wildlife habitat in the Roaring Fork Valley. This is not a fair trade.
This land swap will not benefit your constituents. I point out that you and Republicans are abandoning “We the People” for the extremely wealthy in our nation. BLM lands are supposed to be “our land” not for the wealthy just because they can take what they want.
Your priorities are misplaced.
Holly McLain
Carbondale