Correction: The Sopris Sun mistakenly noted that the anonymous source for the Aug. 21 article, “Is recess enough?”, did not respond for additional comment. The source did follow up, but their correspondence went unnoticed ahead of press time.
Reelin in the years
It has been two years since Bob and Kathy Ezra first told me they were selling the Crystal Theatre, and one year since Kate Schwerin and I started seriously considering putting together a nonprofit to buy it. And now, suddenly, they’ve had their final weekend of shows and there’s a great deal to be done before the Crystal Theatre Alliance reopens the doors with “The Roses” on Sept. 12. But before I can tackle that, I need to take a moment for gratitude.
First and foremost, I want to thank the Ezras for their monumental effort in reviving the Crystal and running it tirelessly for 40 years. They have forged the path and all we have to do is walk it.
And I also need to express my appreciation for a community that has supported the theatre every step of the way. Our campaign to Keep the Crystal Theatre Rolling has raised more than $300,000 out of our $500,000 goal. The Third Street Center’s fiscal sponsorship got us started, and Kate, our founding board and cabinet of consultants have made the tremendous push to get our own 501(c)(3) up and running. We’ve had helping hands at every turn, from making buttons to serving popcorn. We still need help, financially and practically, to survive and thrive, but we have enough to get started.
You won’t see too many changes right now. Expect a similar selection of first-run films at 7pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 5pm Sunday. We’re working on an array of older flicks on select Wednesdays, including more ‘80s classics and some spooky offerings in October.
And tickets remain just $10 — though it will be much easier to pay with a card. We’re also adding some requested concession items, like Swedish Fish and seltzers.
There will be quite a few new faces, and we hope you’ll be patient as we train up a great group of volunteers — or even consider joining their ranks! Visit crystaltheatrecarbondale.com to stay in the loop, learn more or get in touch. See you at the movies!
Will Grandbois
Crystal Theatre Alliance
Housing security: priceless
I write this as a concerned community member, not in my capacity as a Glenwood Springs councilman.
Cavern Springs mobile home park is between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. It is the home of about 300 people and 98 homes — working families, seniors, children and people with disabilities.
It is for sale for about $26 million. This pending sale has, perhaps, been somewhat overshadowed by three other mobile home parks for sale and in the process of becoming resident-owned communities.
These other mobile home parks will likely be owned by their residents thanks to the residents’ organization and efforts and the coordination of loans and grants from Thistle ROC and valley governments and organizations. Cavern Springs has formed a co-op and residents are seeking to become owners of their community. Thistle ROC and various traditional governmental and nonprofit sources of assistance have been strained by prior successes and demands and are currently limited in assistance available to Cavern Springs.
Cavern Springs represents both an urgent opportunity and a test of our valley’s commitment to workforce housing, housing stability, resident empowerment and self determination and social justice.
Mobile home communities offer some of the most affordable and naturally occurring workforce housing in our valley. Preserving workforce housing and providing housing stability is a high goal of all the communities and government entities. It is essential to the health and safety of our workers, to the stability of our school systems and finances, to shortening auto trips and commutes, to keeping the businesses and services we depend on — construction, landscaping, hotels and restaurants, health care, home services, retail.
If Cavern Springs is sold to an outside investor the outcomes are predictable. Rents will likely go up dramatically — often 40% in the first year and no ceiling year after year. Rents may become unsustainable for many and residents will be severely housing-cost burdened and/or forced to move.
Moving may likely mean a loss of equity in their home, housing instability and relocation out of the Valley or a longer commute. If, with the assistance of a lender like Thistle ROC, Cavern Springs can be purchased by its residents, housing stability and affordability are likely. Yes, lot rents are likely to increase and there will be costs to bear, but the residents will manage the finances and rents of their park and not be subject to predatory increases or return-on-capital goals of outside investors.
Time is running out; a resident offer must be made in weeks. And $12 to $20 million is likely needed to “save” Cavern Springs (with the help of Thistle ROC). It is a huge ask, and a risky one. But the benefits all outweigh the risks. With traditional sources of assistance strained, there may be other private and public resources. If there are any organizations, government entities, nonprofits, church and synagogue congregations, foundations, philanthropists interested in impact investing, social justice and housing security benefiting those who help us live in and enjoy the Roaring Fork Valley, this is a time to step up. Our valley must have the resources-somewhere, somehow. A recent real estate listing for a single home: $57 million. Cavern Springs’ 98 homes: $26 million.
Please contact Maria Judith Alvarez Quiroz at mariajudithalvarezq@gmail.com or Tim Townsend at ttownsendroc@thistle.us if you wish to help fund the resident purchase of Cavern Springs and help provide housing security to hundreds of our neighbors.
Sumner Schachter
Glenwood Springs
Don’t speed
CDOT cites that roadway deaths are up and speeding is a major contributing factor. The following is a quote from their safety bulletin:
“A common misconception is that speeding saves time. According to a study conducted by AAA Colorado, a motorist moving at 80 mph instead of 75 mph would have to travel 100 miles to save roughly five minutes.”
In fact, the average driver saves just 26 seconds per day by speeding.
Diane Reynolds
Take a Minute, Slow Down in Town
Crime in D.C.
There’s a crime wave in Washington, D.C., but it’s not taking place in the streets. It’s centered in the White House, where laws are being shredded, sometimes quasi-legally, like a felon pardoning the January 6th insurrectionists. Republicans tough on crime? What about the corporations that don’t pay their taxes, the pedophiles in the Epstein report, the blatant ICE policies that can result in the round up of legal residents?
Trump wants to look tough, so he calls in the National Guard to a Democratically controlled city, with violent crime at a 30-year low, so that trees can be mulched and litter picked up. Let the National Guard go home to their families and rehire the federal workers who used to have these jobs. Everything about this administration is a distraction from the disastrous job they are doing. It’s obvious, because Republicans wouldn’t be so panicked about redistricting if they thought they had the support of Americans.
Peter Westcott
Carbondale
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