From the archives of the Roaring Fork Review, Valley Journal and
The Sopris Sun; in collaboration with the Carbondale Historical Society and Carbondale Branch Library
Aug. 8, 1974
Gubernatorial candidate Dick Lamm held a fundraising luncheon at 10th Mountain Veteran John Tripp’s home and sat down for an interview while he was in town. He took aim at then-governor John Vanderhoof for neglecting the needs of smaller communities.
“There’s no question that the Western Slope is the step-sister of Colorado,” he observed. “You have only to look at the power of the Denver Water Board.”
He presciently warned of looming water shortages, though his cited projections for the “tri-county region” to grow to 300,000 residents was, thankfully, overblown. He ended the session by asserting the state was “streaking into the future naked of any protection it needs.” The Review thought he might be the one to put some clothes on us, and he did indeed end up serving three terms in the post.
In other news …“Mr. and Mrs. Bob Sewell” celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Bob had been born on their ranch at the mouth of Thompson Creek. Nellie, née Snyder, was referred to exclusively by her husband’s name in the announcement.
Aug. 16, 1984
Garfield County commissioners denied an application for three driveway permits to the Te Ke Ki subdivision southwest of Carbondale. The subdivision itself had been approved in the late 1960s but had remained undeveloped due to lack of access. A road off of CR 100 had begun construction, only to be stymied by permitting issues to cross the Denver and Rio Grande Western tracks (now the Rio Grande Trail).
Next, developers tried suing the Nieslanik family for access across their ranches and petitioned for access off on County Roads 101, 111 or 153, despite stiff opposition from the Town of Carbondale and general public. The commissioners’ decision put a dent in those plans, though landowners hoped the court might come to their rescue. (The subdivision never came to fruition.)
In other news … Twenty-three-year-old Aspen High School grad Alexi Grewal was back in the Valley after his gold-medal performance in the 190-km bicycle race at the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles.
Aug. 11, 1994
The Aspen Educational Research Foundation (AERF) was working on the possibility of a new Carbondale Community School. They hoped to avoid some of the pitfalls of a charter — implicit criticism of the existing schools leading to competition and bad feelings — by partnering with the school districts themselves. Aspen School District, meanwhile, was fully prepared to annex the existing Aspen Community School, according to superintendent Tom Farrell. “I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “Parents are asking for choices for their kids — that is pretty clear — and this offers a choice.”
In other news … National Public Radio planned to broadcast an upcoming Glenwood Springs Summer of Jazz concert with South African trumpet player Masekela.
Aug. 12, 2004
A Valley Journal editorial described an incident in which Steve “Social” Horn was tased repeatedly while trying to set up for KDNK’s Blews Brews and Barbecue event as “an overreaction and excessive use of force.” It all started with a traffic stop but escalated when both Horn and Officer José Muñoz exited their cars. Witnesses contested the police assessment that Horn was being aggressive, but Mayor Michael Hassig said he would accept the official report barring new information.
The Journal, however, saw it as part of a bigger problem, citing other tense incidents over Mountain Fair weekend. “Carbondale is by no means a police state in the making, but we should not be made to feel unnecessarily uncomfortable in our own home town,” it read.
In other news … Former Basalt Town Manager Tom Baker was selected to take on the role in Carbondale after an extensive public process.
Aug. 21, 2014
More than 1,000 spectators lined Main Street as the USA Pro Challenge bike race sprinted through town on its way from Aspen to Crested Butte. Due to an uncertain arrival time, the Town had to work hard to support a road closure that cut off a section of Carbondale for several hours. The Chamber stepped up with chalk art and booths while folks waited. In the end, it took 128-world class bikers less than a minute to sprint through downtown.
In other news …Then-U.S. Representative Jared Polis introduced a bill to safeguard 60,000 acres of Summit and Eagle counties just in time for the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.