Ahead of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits coming back online (but with federal eligibility adjustments still looming), Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valley communities rallied at least 45 food drives (www.liftup.org/ongoing-food-drives) to fill Lift-Up pantries and offset the impact locally. “We have literally received tens of thousands of pounds of food,” said Lift-Up Interim Executive Director Elyse Hottel. Lift-Up volunteers served 539 households (1,553 individuals) and processed 75 new registrations the first two weeks of the month. Pictured here: Gella Sutro, Leslie Newbury and Roshni Slali of Coldwell Banker Mason Morse, which was among the groups that set up a food drive, stand beside a haul outside of the Carbondale City Market. Folks interested in hosting a food drive can visit www.liftup.org/host-food-drive — monetary donations and volunteers are also needed! Courtesy photo

Reader survey
The Sopris Sun and Sol del Valle are asking readers, and yet-to-be readers, to take a few minutes to complete an online multiple-choice survey to help the papers gauge community engagement. Thank you for chiming in! Find the survey at www.tinyurl.com/SoprisSolsurvey 

Kindergarten age entry
Roaring Fork School District announced that beginning next school year, incoming kindergartners must have turned 5 years old before Aug. 15 of the year of entry. The cutoff had been Oct. 1 birthdays. To ease the transition, parents of children turning 5 years old between Aug. 16 and Oct. 1 of 2026 can request an exception for the 2026-2027 school year. More information is available at www.tinyurl.com/RFSDentry

Beaver conservation 
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released its draft Beaver Conservation and Management Strategy and is seeking public input through Dec. 17. A major wildlife conservation movement is emerging to prioritize the ecosystem benefits from this species and increase populations in appropriate habitats. Learn more and provide input at www.EngageCPW.org

Indy Pass closed
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) closed Highway 82 over Independence Pass, from Aspen to Twin Lakes, for the winter season on Nov. 17. CDOT temporarily closed the pass on Nov. 15 due to a storm that brought several inches of snowfall, but extended it through the season due to the amount of snow and more storms in the forecast. This was still late compared to previous years. Last year, the pass closed on Oct. 31 and in 2023 it closed Oct. 30. 

Final warning
The warning period for Glenwood Springs’s newly installed speed camera ticketing system will soon end, according to a Nov. 17 press release. Speeders caught on one of the traffic cameras in select areas can expect to be ticketed going forward. “Consider this your final warning,” the press release stated. 

See smoke?
The White River National Forest announced that it will begin burning piles of debris this fall and winter and into the spring, including on 100 acres southwest of Glenwood Springs and 19 acres seven miles south of Carbondale. Burning will take place periodically as weather permits and site-specific burns will be announced on roadside signs and the Forest Service’s website and Facebook page.  

Basalt Mountain mitigation
A wildfire mitigation project on Basalt Mountain resumed this week and is expected to continue through the beginning of December, operating Mondays through Saturdays, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day. Staging will take place on Piñon Drive, the Hillside Drive trailhead and at Wilds HOA off Promontory Lane. Access to the Basalt Mountain trail system is closed for safety. Slash piles will remain throughout the cleanup area to dry out for one to two years before being reduced to ash during a controlled burn carried out in partnership with Roaring Fork Fire District. Learn more at www.basalt.net/forestry 

Ollella
Ellie Barber, known locally for her Pearl & Wood collaboration with Natalie Spears, is headed to NPR’s Tiny Desk with her solo project, Ollella. “After applying to the Tiny Desk Contest four times and finishing as a finalist twice, NPR decided to invite us to do the real ding dang thing,” Barber wrote. “Holy. Bananas.” After recording in Washington, D.C. the video is scheduled to go live toward the end of January. 

They say it’s your birthday!
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Mike Metheny and Rosie Sweeney (Nov. 20); Morris Mineo and Crystal Tapp (Nov. 21); Karen Barbee, Lindsay Hentschel, Maria Mork, CJ Trane and MinTze Wu (Nov. 22); Michael Gorman and Kellee Morris (Nov. 23); Crystal Mariscal, River Morgan, Matthew Thomas and Casey Weaver (Nov. 24); Kathy Flanigan, John Lopez, Steve Puzick, Jillene Rector and Neiby Vargas (Nov. 25); Dan Richardson, Terra Lindsay and Hunter Taché (Nov. 26).