Traffic at 27th
Concerning Glenwood’s 27th Street construction traffic snarls, I think I’ve figured out why up-valley and down-valley traffic is often reduced to one lane — meaning right-lane motorists must “zipper” their way into the left lane. Here is what I think happens.
Every morning, the construction supervisor comes out to 27th Street and makes one of three decisions: 1) Leave all four lanes open, 2) reduce up-valley traffic to one lane or 3) reduce down-valley traffic to one lane. In lieu of any regular newspaper notices from CDOT or RFTA on how the supervisor makes this decision, it is open to conjecture.
But ya know … CDOT or RFTA could send out regular press releases to local newspapers and other news outlets, telling the tax paying public the status of 27th Street traffic. And, they could also run periodic ads in local newspapers updating the taxpaying public on 27th Street traffic flow.
I’m sort of surprised CDOT or RFTA isn’t already doing this.
Lynn “Jake” Burton, Glenwood Springs
Candidate forum
The Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin County Democrats have teamed up to organize a candidate forum on Monday, Feb. 12 at the Basalt Library from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.
We’ll hear from Congressional District 3 candidates, Mayor Anna Stout and Adam Frisch; State Senate District 5 candidates, Cole Buerger and Mayor Barbara Bynum; and Representative Elizabeth Velasco (HD57).
Submit your suggestions for questions for the candidates to: info@garcodems.org
The forum will be a great opportunity to get to know our Democratic candidates before our [Garfield County] caucus and county assembly, which will take place on March 9 via zoom. The caucus/assembly process is a way for Democratic voters in the county to provide input on which candidates make it onto the Democratic primary ballot. (See www.garcodems.org for more info on the caucus/assembly.)
Debbie Bruell, Garfield County Democrats
Buddies in GWS
The Buddy Program is a local nonprofit with a mission to empower youth through mentoring to help them reach their full potential. In 2023, we expanded our service area to include youth and families in Glenwood Springs. Over the past year, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the Glenwood Springs community.
We wanted to take a minute to thank Alpine Bank, Bank of Colorado, Glenwood Springs Ford, Glenwood Caverns, Mike Picore and the Bay Equity team (along with Riviera Scratch Kitchen for our recent Restaurant Takeover) all for contributing to our fundraising efforts over the last year. We also are thrilled to have so many businesses offering discounts to our Big and Little Buddies. We have heard rave reviews from some Buddies about skiing at Sunlight and want to thank the resort for providing free passes, rental gear and lessons to our Buddies!
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Big Buddy or our programs in general, contact us at 970-920-2130 or info@buddyprogram.org
Lindsay Lofaro, Carbondale
Shoebox Christmas
Generosity throughout Carbondale contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project: Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected 10 million shoebox gifts in 2023.
Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2023, the ministry is now sending over 11.3 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide, including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster.
Through shoeboxes — packed with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items — Carbondale area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Across Colorado, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ or by calling 303-745-9179.
Although local drop‑off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until Nov. 18 – 25, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at www.samaritanspurse.org/buildonline
These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.
Luke Switzer, Samaritan’s Purse
Empires crumble
To tackle immigration, we must stop being reactionary, at least enough to take the time to understand what it really is. It is a major problem in the entire collective West — the American Empire and all its vassals. It is not an isolated event but a symptom of the hegemony’s permanent decline. The last bastion of colonialism has squandered its power and no longer can maintain the stranglehold on the nations it has exploited (throughout its entire history). With the collapse, the poverty created will be, as always,compelled to go where wealth remains.
The poverty was forged by the destruction of self-sustaining cultures, enabling the stealing of their resources for the “empire.” The empire’s infrastructure is as obsolete as the transportation system in America. Solutions implemented decades too late and then further debilitated with a neurotic clinging to a past that has been over for sometime. Decades. That we are somehow exceptional. Chosen.
Nothing but chaos can ensue if we do not recognize we have squandered the entire empire by worshiping the seven deadly sins, rather than implement our founding principles in the nations we colonized (under the West India Trading Co. model) with corporate greed and military bases.
We claim to export democracy but never actually do so, but instead hide our exploitation — our inherited addiction of raping and pillaging non-white peoples.
We (and all our vassals) must recognize we are the tares pretending to be the wheat. Repent and confess the long histories of sins against humanity. It is now necessary to understand the blow-back a declining empire always faces. Only this can clear our minds of the residue (of being addicted to the seven deadly sins) enough to adequately solve a vast array of problems the end of colonialism will have to confront. Immigration is just one of them. We must not treat the symptom as the disease.
Only this can turn tares (now being sifted) into wheat. One stretch of potholes.
Our addicted nation is hitting bottom. Will it continue on toward an overdose of a nuclear Armageddon?
This is the real reality we are facing.
Eric Olander, Carbondale
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