In July 1831, the whaleship Mentor set off from New Bedford, Massachusetts, with 22 aboard. The sailors traveled the Atlantic to the Azores and down the coast of Africa, rounding the Cape of Good Hope. In March they crossed the Indian Ocean to Timor, Indonesia, and then headed toward whaling grounds in the western Pacific. […]
TACAW
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Free TACAW event: Celebrated author to do live podcast on edgy new book
Let’s start with the red lightning, but that’s just part of it. In Ben Fountain’s kinetic new novel “Rasputin Swims the Potomac,” published June 9, a president whose name is redacted has been approved by the Supreme Court to run for a third term. Then a “weeping sickness” sweeps the country, tanking a sputtering economy […]
Posted inLocal Government
Basalt Report: Council hesitant on storage/housing in Southside
Basalt Town Council showed apprehension on Tuesday during the first public hearing for the development of 54 commercial storage units and 47 residential housing units at 555 Basalt Avenue, citing concerns about traffic and necessary amendments to Town policies. The development, located just south of the Basalt Avenue/Highway 82 intersection, would be on the current […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Aspen Winter Words to center memory and human connection in 2026
From late January through early February, Aspen Winter Words will return to the Valley. The annual author series this year includes a special focus on memory and connection. All three 2026 events are held in memory of Wally Obermeyer, who passed away from cancer in May of 2025 at the age of 68. Obermeyer was […]
Posted inNews
Sopris Sun brings Thomas Friedman to TACAW
UPDATE: Due to a personal emergency, Thomas Friedman is unable to make his annual holiday trip to the Valley this year. Tickets purchased for the Dec. 23 “Coffee with Tom Friedman” event will be promptly refunded. The Sopris Sun and TACAW look forward to rescheduling a talk with Mr. Friedman later in 2026, as schedules […]
Posted inNoticias
Las tradiciones ute informan la conservación del agua
“Si cuidamos de esa agua, sabemos que esa agua va a cuidar de nosotros”, afirmó Lorelei Cloud, quien ha dedicado toda su vida a abogar por la conservación y el acceso al agua. Cloud, exvicepresidenta de la tribu Southern Ute, también fue la primera miembro tribal registrada en servir en la Junta de Conservación del […]
Posted inEnvironment
Ute traditions inform water conservation in the Shining Mountains
“If we take care of that water, we know that water is going to take care of us,” stated Lorelei Cloud, who has spent a lifetime advocating for water conservation and access. Cloud, a former vice chairman of the Southern Ute tribe, was also the first tribal member on record to serve on the Colorado […]
Posted inNonprofits
Dressed to the K9s celebrates party animals!
All of the party animals at TACAW appeared to have a howlin’ good time last Saturday evening during Colorado Animal Rescue’s (C.A.R.E.) annual fundraiser: Dressed to the K9s. Although the two-legged guests were treated to food, drinks, a live auction and fashion show, the real stars of the evening were the four-leggeds. Guests couldn’t keep […]
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 inArts & Entertainment
Author Torrey Peters speaks in Willits
Torrey Peters visited The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) last week to discuss her latest work, “Stag Dance,” a story collection that explores gender, transness and self-perception. The panel event was part of Mitzi Rapkin’s “First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing” podcast series, in which Rapkin interviews different authors and talks about their work as […]