My father took me to see the movie “Lawrence of Arabia” in New Bedford, Massachusetts, when I was 12 years old. Just the two of us, for three hours of a great movie. Lawrence is caught between being a self-described savior of the Arab people and being a secret agent for the British Army; two […]
education
Posted inYouth News
The superintendent got a good review. So why was the board disappointed?
Getting a good review is usually something to celebrate. But at the Roaring Fork School District’s Oct. 21 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole’s positive evaluation came with one big concern: Only about half as many people filled out the community survey as last year. Cole received an overall rating of “effective,” and […]
Posted inEducation
Summit 54’s summer learning program celebrates 15 years
What began as an effort to address the “summer slide” that students often experience between school years marks its 15th anniversary this summer, with many a full circle success story to tell. Like that of Karen Munez, who attended Summit 54’s Summer Advantage program at Crystal River Elementary School (CRES) in Carbondale and now works […]
Posted inLocal Government
3 Rs opt-out rates ‘remain low’
One to 5% of students in all Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) grade levels are not participating in sexual education courses, newly released data shows. RFSD Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole told district officials last Wednesday that this average opt-out rate, gathered from a district-wide survey conducted in response to calls for strengthened information transparency and […]
Posted inYouth News
Civics Bee empowers local students to use their voice
The curtain has lifted on a national competition carving a pathway into our intimate valley: the Civics Bee. Youth empowerment nonprofit Youthentity and the Carbondale Chamber have partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to bring the first Greater RFV Regional Civics Bee tournament to Carbondale Middle School (CMS) on April 30 at 6pm, providing […]
Posted inEducation
A taste of victory: Youthentity student from Carbondale wins culinary competition
Editor’s note: Translation assisted by artificial intelligence tools and edited by Bianca Godina The culinary talent of the Valley stood out at the state level thanks to Evony Mejía Montoya, a student in the Youthentity Culinary Academy who earned first place in the Italco Charcuterie Board & Hors d’oeuvre competition, an event that brings together […]
Posted inEducation
Glenwood charter school seeks legal ruling on ability to bus students from neighboring district
A decision whether the charter Two Rivers Community School (TRCS) will be able to continue busing students from the neighboring Garfield Re-2 School District now rests with a judge. Re-2 Superintendent Kirk Banghart in October 2025 sent a letter to Roaring Fork District Re-1 Superintendent Anna Cole requesting an end to TRCS’s practice of busing […]
Posted inEducation
Carbondale Education Foundation coming into its own to support local schools
An effort to resurrect a Carbondale-centric foundation to support the local schools has yielded a fair amount of success over the last two years. In October of last year, the new Carbondale Education Foundation (CEF) also resurrected the town’s Oktoberfest celebration, taking it on as a primary fundraiser for the organization. The event raised more […]
Posted inColumns
Local journalism gave me the opportunity to pursue my dreams
Let’s rewind the clocks 21 months. I was in the Roaring Fork Valley between the third and fourth semesters of my graduate studies, which I was pursuing via a small international university in southwestern Germany. In my free time, I was writing — not a new habit — but I was wondering if it was […]
Posted inYouth News
Reflecting on cultural respect with local educators and spiritual leaders
Sopris Stars analysis by Vivienne Shapiro Every moment in our lives can influence who we are. Our culture. Our beliefs. Our values. Every single day we have the opportunity to make choices that will determine not only who we are in the privacy of our heads, but also who we are to the world around […]