On Feb. 15, Mark Johnson, a local music educator and beloved community figure, tragically died in a car accident on Highway 82. In response to this, Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS), in collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and School, created the Mark Johnson Memorial Fund, a “community fundraising campaign in support of the Carbondale music […]
education
Posted inColumns
VOICES Radio Hour: From Burger King to the classroom
I came to the United States when I was 16 years old, carrying a suitcase full of dreams and shaky hope. I didn’t know the language, didn’t understand the culture and I had no idea what path to take. The only thing that was clear was that I was in a new, unfamiliar country and […]
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Elevate Your Future: A story of struggle, faith and community
By Antonia Peña I’m originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, and over 25 years ago, I came to the United States with a dream: to find better opportunities for myself and my children. It wasn’t easy to leave behind my country, my people, my roots. Nor was it easy to start from scratch in Parachute with no […]
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Seeking Haystacks: Collective innocence
In third grade, Ms. Ames kept us spellbound for weeks, months even, in a state of wonder, reading us versions of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.” We discussed who was heroic, and what it looked like to have virtue, to be brave, to be kind. It was my first exposure to what it meant to look […]
Posted inEducation
Federal government freezes $71 million in education funding for Colorado schools
As school districts in Colorado prepare for the 2025-26 academic year, a freeze of $71 million in federal education funding by the U.S. Department of Education is affecting districts across the state, including in the Roaring Fork Valley. In an email, the federal government said it is holding $6.8 billion in education funding while they […]
Posted inNonprofits
Shining bright — Challenge Aspen celebrates 30 years of service
For the past three decades, Challenge Aspen has facilitated life-changing experiences and opportunities for individuals living with cognitive and/or physical disabilities, transcending limitations through their adaptive recreation and scholarship programs. From sit-skiing and snowboarding to paddleboarding, music and theater, the organization offers customized programming for individuals of all ages and abilities. On July 19, the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Adventure awaits Youth in Nature students
Are you a high school student ready to embark on an adventure with the outdoors as your workspace? Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) invites you to apply by April 4 for its popular paid internship program: Youth in Nature. This 12-month internship connects students from Aspen to Parachute to explore public lands, meet new people […]
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Fundraising in progress to support GlenX’s vision for continuing education
Once upon a time, the building that stood near the base of Sunlight Mountain Resort was just an unassuming ranch house. Before skiing became popular recreation in the Roaring Fork Valley, the far ends of Four Mile Road hosted homestead ranches, one of which belonged to Joseph Perko, who built his home there in 1907. […]
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Yesenia Silva Estrada shares how her roots fuel a passion to help community
This story originated from Sol del Valle and has been translated and edited for English readers. Yesenia Silva Estrada is a prominent member of the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley communities. She recently took on the title of vice president of planning and chief of staff at Colorado Mountain College. In this role, she […]
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Seeking Haystacks: Bearing witness
In “A Man for All Seasons,” Sir Thomas More dismisses his daughter’s pleas to save his own life by compromising his ideals and acquiescing to Henry VIII. He says, “When a man takes an oath, Meg, he’s holding his own self in his own hands. Like water. And if he opens his fingers then, he […]