I vividly remember the pride and happiness I felt back in 2015 when I asked my dad to pull over so I could pick up The Sopris Sun in Basalt, where I went to school. My poem had been published — “I’d be lying if I told you…”
It was a poem I wrote in my eighth grade classroom about my uncle, who lost his battle with cancer, and my grandfather, whose heart stopped beating after many medical procedures. This poem was not only deeply meaningful to me, but it was also my very first. I mention this because The Sopris Sun gave my 14-year-old self the opportunity to share my work as a fairly new poet.
Today, I have the privilege, week after week, of creating spaces like “¿Qué pasó la semana pasada?” (What happened last week?) and “El Rincón de la Creatividad” (The Creative Corner) inside Sol del Valle. These sections were created to feature local community members on a weekly basis. Two of my favorite issues were from May and June, when we published special features for Father’s Day and the graduating class of 2024.
What made these features so special was the response from the community. We received more than 30 photos from readers via WhatsApp and Facebook for each feature. These weren’t professional photos — some were selfies, others were captured by proud parents or friends. Yet, our readers entrusted us to share these intimate moments, celebrating significant milestones in their lives with the broader community.
In “¿Qué pasó?” we showcase photos from local events sent by readers and organizations, while in “El Rincón de la Creatividad,” we highlight small businesses, poetry, stories, legends and a variety of other creative works.
Recently, I received a wholesome surprise through WhatsApp. A reader shared a photo of her father, who is in his 70s, sitting at the kitchen table, reading “El Rincón de la Creatividad” to her. He was reading quietly to himself before telling her, “Mija, let me read these two poems to you.”
Mr. Huizar, who occasionally visits his daughter in New Castle, enjoys reading Sol del Valle. She shared with me that she has been saving copies of Sol del Valle to bring to him. This story is just one testament to the impact Sol del Valle is having in our valley. From creative minds that have the opportunity to be featured locally to the readers that engage with our content, whether local or regional, informative or artistic.
The significance of Sol del Valle is reflected in the response from our community. It is a mosaic of many pieces that create something truly unique: the only local Spanish-language newspaper in the Roaring Fork Valley. Each piece contributes meaning and value, starting with our publisher The Sopris Sun and the dedicated team behind the scenes, like Executive Director Todd Chamberlin, and our incredible editors, Raleigh Burleigh and James Steindler. Alongside them are the contributors who craft impactful stories each week and the many hours of support and dedication from our board members.
Another vital piece of the mosaic is our Sol del Valle team, including Margarita Alvarez (marketing consultant), Jackie Ramirez and Daniel Torres (reporters), Diane Amsden (layout) and Ingrid Celeste Zuniga (photographer), Dolores Duarte (translator) and Jacqueline Castro (artist and translator) along with over a dozen columnists and contributors. The Colorado West Spanish News Collaborative has been instrumental in supporting Sol del Valle, ensuring that it continues to grow as a reliable Spanish-language news source, informing our diverse Latino community from Parachute to Aspen.
But the most important piece of this mosaic is our readership — reflecting the beauty and complexity of our diverse community. Sol del Valle serves as a crucial representation of the Latino population, which makes up around 40% of the Roaring Fork Valley.
With your support, people like Mr. Huizar and my younger self will continue to enjoy an informative and inspiring source of news. Between The Sopris Sun, two daily papers in Aspen, plus the Post Independent and Crystal Valley Echo, our valley is newspaper-rich. Sol del Valle, however, is the only newspaper fully in Spanish, and one of the few news sources in the underserved stretch between Parachute and Glenwood Springs.
The existence of our community newspaper would not be possible without continued financial contributions to The Sopris Sun. Help us deliver representational news to diverse people while training up new journalists by donating today at www.soprissun.com/donate or by sending a check to PO Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623.