Honoring President Carter
Governor Jared Polis has ordered flags to fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset for 30 days to honor the life and service of former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at age 100. A National Day of Mourning is planned for Jan. 9.
Exercise for books
Holiday overindulgence got you down? The Glenwood Springs Kiwanis Club can help. The annual Great Holiday Burn-Off will get you moving from Jan. 6 to Feb. 2 while supporting Raising a Reader, a local literacy nonprofit. All registration fees from the event will be used to purchase books for free distribution to pre-K kids. More information and registration is available at www.tinyurl.com/HolidayBurnOff
USFS prescribed fires
The White River National Forest seeks public comment on a proposed update of the 2011 Aspen-Sopris Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project, which uses prescribed fire and other treatments to reduce wildfire risk in pinyon-juniper, shrublands, aspen groves and grassland. The scope of the project includes the Roaring Fork, Crystal River, and Fryingpan River valleys and Glenwood Canyon. Another objective is to increase winter range for big game, which has been significantly reduced over past decades by development and suppression of wildfires. More information, including how to comment, is available at www.tinyurl.com/PrescribedFires Comments are due by Jan. 17.
Community theater 101
Join Aspen Community Theatre (ACT) Board President and Sopris Theatre Company Artistic Director Brad Moore for a six-week, community education course at Colorado Mountain College’s Aspen campus. ACT cast and crew will be on-hand to explain the workings of theatre — on and off stage. The class is open to anyone 18 and over and runs Saturdays from Jan. 18 to Feb. 22, 9am noon. Registration and more information is at www.tinyurl.com/FindingCommunityinTheater
Job openings
The Town of Carbondale is looking for someone to maintain town parks, athletic fields, open spaces, playgrounds and public facilities. This full-time, salaried job with benefits involves equipment operation and includes mowing grass, landscaping, working on irrigation systems, snow removal and more. Applications are available at Town Hall or online at www.carbondalegov.org For more information, contact Russell Sissom at 970-510-1327 or rsissom@carbondaleco.net And the Rec Center is looking for a customer service representative and a recreation assistant. Both positions are part-time. Contact Erica Savard at esavard@carbondaleco.net for the customer service job and Will at wtempest@carbondaleco.net for the recreation assistant job.
Wolf news
Just before Christmas, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced an agreement between the Southern Ute Tribe and the State of Colorado. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) provides a framework for collaboration as CPW implements gray wolf reintroduction for the second year. The MOU recognizes the sovereign authority of the Tribe on its lands and the Tribe’s hunting, fishing and gathering rights in the Brunot Area, about 4 million acres outside of tribal land in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Those rights are protected by an 1873 agreement. CPW must also ensure a minimum 60-mile buffer between wolf release sites, the Utah state line and the exterior boundaries of Southern Ute tribal lands. CPW is not to release wolves within the boundaries of the Brunot Area.
Pipeline feedback extended
The deadline for comments on the proposed pipeline south of Rifle has been extended to Jan. 17. The pipeline, proposed by Terra Energy Partners and Grand River Gathering LLC, would take produced water and natural gas across seven miles of private and public lands in the West Mamm Creek area. The project would ship produced water to and from a water management facility in Rulison and use the recycled water for future hydraulic fracturing. According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Garfield County is in favor of the project but conservation groups, CPW and others have concerns. You can read the draft environmental assessment and submit comments at www.tinyurl.com/WestMammCreekPipeline
They say it’s your birthday!
Folks celebrating another trip around the sun this week include: Ryan Camp, Anne Grice, DJ Hill and Dan Sadowsky (Jan. 1); Dustin Eli and Eric Rudd (Jan. 2); Angela Bruno, Patrick Casse, Jay Engstrom, Mark Hamilton, Kerry Honan and Lucas Pulver (Jan. 3); Bob Albright, Skip Bell, Rick Herrington, Pat Murray, Paul Nieslanik, Brad Palmer and Melinda Schultz (Jan. 4); Logan Doherty, JP Bauer and Rachel Orosz (Jan. 5); Taylor Faczak and Peter Lamort (Jan. 6); Sean Passmore (Jan. 7); Stephen Paul (Jan. 8).
Community Calendar
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2
ART IN PROCESS
Reina Katzenberger returns to The Art Base for the fourth iteration of “Art in Process.” She’ll be creating within the space through the end of the month, and invites the community to stop in and take part in the process.
MURDER MYSTERY
The Basalt Library hosts a New Year’s murder mystery party from 5 to 7pm. Register at www.basaltlibrary.org
COMMON ROOTS
HeadQuarters provides a space for men to gather sincerely with other men from 6 to 7:30pm. This month’s theme: Envisioning. More info at www.headq.org
ELEVATE YOUR FREQUENCY
Join Connie Baxter Marlow, Andrew Cameron Bailey and Michelle Bryan for an experiential evening of transformation, helping raise your vibration and align with the higher frequencies flowing onto our planet, at the Third Street Center from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Register at www.thecenterforhumanflourishing.org
EASY JIM
Gunnison Valley-based band Easy Jim, Music of the Grateful Dead performs at The Belly Up at 9:30pm. Tickets at www.bellyupaspen.com
JOHN MICHEL
John Michel performs at Heather’s in Basalt from 6:30 to 9:30pm.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3
HOLIDAY HISTORY
Aspen Historical Society guides a “Holiday Downtown History Tour” in Aspen from 1:30 to 3pm, meeting in front of the Wheeler Opera House. Register at www.aspenhistory.org
FIRST FRIDAY
Permitting the ice will be ready, families are invited to skate at Chacos Park for the First Friday of the year from 5 to 8pm. Skates will be available to rent from the Rec Center until 7pm.
CRYSTAL THEATRE
The Crystal Theatre shows “A Complete Unknown” at 7pm tonight, Jan. 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 16. Catch a 5pm captioned showing on Sunday, Jan. 12.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5
SUNDAY MEDITATION
The Carbondale Meditation Circle of Self Realization Fellowship, based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, meets the first Sunday of every month from 9 to 10:30am in the meditation room at True Nature. For more info, email rachelfdayton@gmail.com
HARMONIZE HEALING
Join the Harmonize Healing Workshop, intended to shed, shake up, wake up and evoke new energies and a new life, at the Third Street Center from 2 to 7pm. Register at www.thecenterforhumanflourishing.org
RANDOM CONVERSATIONS
The Carbondale Library hosts a community-building event each month filled with meaningful conversations among strangers. Check it out this evening from 6 to 7:30pm.
MONDAY, JANUARY 6
AYURVEDIC YOGA
Laura Post guides an Ayurvedic yoga series at the Basalt Library every Monday this month from 10:15 to 11:15am. More info at www.basaltlibrary.org
NEW YEAR, NEW HOBBY
The Basalt Library invites teens to discover a potential new hobby every Monday this month from 4 to 5pm. This week’s hobby workshop: candle painting. More info at www.basaltlibrary.org
MOVING & LEARNING
Cari Shurman, an educator who has transformed classrooms through movement-based learning, shares how early childhood educators can incorporate movement in their classrooms over Zoom from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Register at www.focusedkids.org
MUSHROOM MEETING
Greg Sanchez and the Western Colorado Mycological Association present “A Cultural History of Magic Mushrooms” at the Carbondale Community School from 6 to 8pm.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7
‘LIVING WITH WOLVES’
Colorado Parks and Wildlife leads “Living with Wolves,” a discussion covering, in part, outdoor recreating and protecting pets in an environment that includes wolves, at the Pitkin County Library from 5 to 7pm. The conversation will be recorded. More info at www.tinyurl.com/LivingWithWolves101
READ THE RAINBOW
Read the Rainbow, a student-led book club celebrating queer authors and stories, meets at the Basalt Library at 5:30pm. This month’s read is “Orlando” by Virginia Woolfe; copies are available on display or at the front desk. More info at www.basaltlibrary.org
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8
NATURALIST NIGHT
The 2025 Naturalist Nights series kicks off with “Terrible Beauty: Reckoning with Climate Complicity and Rediscovering Our Soul” at 6pm at The Third Street Center. Register at www.wildernessworkshop.org/events
SURVIVOR WOMEN’S GROUP
HeadQuarters in Basalt offers its first Healing From Sexual Assault Women’s Group gathering, providing a safe and empowering space for survivors to heal, share and rebuild together, from 6 to 7:30pm. Email dillonja77@gmail.com to register.
MENDEZ & JOHNSON
Josefina Mendez, known for her unique jazz style vocals in English, Spanish and Portuguese, performs with saxophonist Mark Johnson at Heather’s in Basalt at 6:30pm.
THE WHIFFENPOOFS
The Whiffenpoofs, the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group of Yale University, perform at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org Head there early for Supper Club, hosted by Epicure Catering, at 6pm.
‘PORCELAIN WAR’
Aspen Film screens indie documentary “Porcelain War,” a 2024 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner about Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya and Andrey who choose to stay amid the turmoil in their country, at 7:30pm at the AF Isis Theatre.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9
SOL AUDITIONS
Youth theater company SoL holds auditions for “Junie B. Jones The Musical JR” today through Saturday. Sign your child up at www.soltheatrecompany.org
GERI-FIT
The Carbondale Library hosts an older-adult fitness class every Thursday through Feb. 27 at 12:15pm. Call 970-625-5282 ext. 3084 to register.
PATIO NIGHT LIVE
Aspen Film partners with Patio Night Live Comedy for a night of stand-up at the AF Isis Theatre, featuring local comedians Louis Beck, Matt Cobos, Beth Brandon, Miller Ford, and Jordan Lowe, at 8pm. Tickets at www.aspenfilm.org
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10
NORTH STAR SKI
Megan Ballard guides a Nordic ski tour at the North Star Nature Preserve, covering the area’s history, wildlife and more, starting at 11am. Registration and more info at www.tinyurl.com/NorthStarSki
BALANCING OLD AGE
Seniors are invited to learn strategies to maintain balance, improve coordination and navigate around obstacles at the Glenwood Springs Library every Friday through Feb. 28 at 1:30pm. Call 970-625-5282 ext. 3084 to register.
TRUE NATURE RETREAT
True Nature hosts its “Winter Retreat: A True Nature Healing Arts Showcase” starting with an “Attune to Winter” ceremony today at 1:30pm and wrapping up midday Sunday with a farewell circle. More info at www.truenaturehealingarts.com
BANK & HARRIMAN
Chris Bank and Hap Harriman perform at Heather’s in Basalt from 6:30 to 9:30pm.
THE MOTET
The Motet performs at TACAW at 8pm. Tickets at www.tacaw.org
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11
URBANE COYOTE
Urbane Coyote performs at Heather’s in Basalt from 6:30 to 9:30pm.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
GAY SKI WEEK
Aspen Gay Ski Week enters its 48th year today through Jan. 19. Visit www.gayskiweek.org for a list of events and more info.
MONDAY, JANUARY 13
HALLAM SOUND BATH
Megan DiSabatino guides a nature-based, restorative sound journey at Hallam Lake from 5:15 to 6:30pm. Register at www.aspennature.org
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14
OPEN STUDIO
Tish McFee hosts open studio hours for painters from 1 to 4pm every Tuesday through Feb. 11 at The Art Base. Register for one or all sessions at www.theartbase.org
LINCOLN CREEK
Roaring Fork Conservancy presents “What’s the Big Deal with Lincoln Creek?” delving into the reasons for monitoring the stream at 10,000 feet and recent concerns, at the Basalt Library at 5pm. Register at www.roaringfork.org
‘FIRST DRAFT’
Mitzi Rapkin hosts her podcast, “First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing,” featuring author Sarah Gerard speaking about her new investigative book, “Carrie Carolyn Coco: My Friend, Her Murder, and an Obsession with the Unthinkable,” at TACAW at 6:30pm.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15
CHEYENNE JACKSON
Emmy and Grammy nominated actor Cheyenne Jackson performs in concert at the Hotel Jerome tonight and Friday at 8pm. Tickets at www.theatreaspen.org
SPECIAL EVENTS MEETING
The Town of Carbondale hosts a Special Events Task Force meeting covering proposed 2025 events at Town Hall from 5:30 to 7pm.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16
GREAT DECISIONS
The Aspen Institute kicks off an eight-week series inviting participants to engage in meaningful discussions regarding foreign policy every Thursday through March 6 from 6 to 8pm at the Aspen Institute in Aspen Meadows. More info at www.aspeninstitute.org/series/great-decisions-series