The events of 2023 evoked much compassion, perhaps even challenging our capacity to care without being overwhelmed as our world slides into unfamiliar terrain. The “Year of the Water Rabbit” in Chinese astrology has certainly been emotional and fast-paced.
If 2022 was a return to “normalcy,” 2023 had us sprinting to keep up with the changes. Many of the things that transpired this past year set the stage for an even more interesting year to follow. With a presidential election looming and artificial intelligence (AI) poised to play an ever larger role in our already-saturated information landscape, it’s a wise time to take a breath and reflect.
January
After almost 40 years of public service, former Garfield County clerk and recorder Jean Alberico passed the baton to Jackie Harmon. A boisterous retirement party was enjoyed by all.
Carbondale trustees approved naming the donated park space at 4th and Main after Chris and Terry Chacos, founders of the Village Smithy restaurant credited with bringing vibrancy to Main Street .
Spring Gulch opened for the season with six kilometers of new trails.
Elizabeth Velasco of Glenwood Springs began her work as District 57 representative in Colorado’s 74th general assembly. Perry Will of New Castle was selected to fill the Colorado Senate District 5 vacancy left by Bob Rankin’s departure.
The shortage of chicken eggs (and a sharp spike in their price) was attributed to avian influenza, though the passage of House Bill 1343 (requiring egg producers provide at least one square foot of space per laying hen) was considered to be a contributing factor as well.
A community housing plan was adopted by Carbondale trustees, with the goal of doubling the number of deed-restricted, rental-capped and town-owned units by 2032 — from 144 to 288. Trustees also approved a predevelopment agreement with nonprofit Artspace for the town-owned property surrounding Thunder River Theatre.
Swimming athlete Amélie Ogilby made the Sopris Barracudas proud at the Junior Nationals in Austin, Texas.
Cathy Derby retired, after nearly 18 years as Carbondale’s town clerk.
Alpine Bank celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Larry Day calendar and party at their Carbondale branch. Governor Jared Polis proclaimed Aug. 1, 2023 as “Alpine Bank Day.”
A rockslide on Jan. 18 paused Rocky Mountain Industrials’ operations at the limestone quarry above Glenwood Springs, initiating an investigation into possible permit violations. In April, the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a 2021 Garfield County District Court decision that the county has the authority to enforce special use permit conditions, regardless of the fact that the company operates the Mid-Continent Quarry on federal land.
February
The controversial Crystal Trail advanced, with the White River National Forest’s environmental assessment finding “no significant impact” from a proposed seven-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail between Redstone and McClure Pass. Wilderness Workshop and other orgs disagreed. “This is an 83-mile trail that the Forest Service has failed to comprehensively evaluate,” Wilderness Workshop assessed.
Pitkin County’s alert system partnered with ReachWell to offer translations in 100 languages. Meanwhile, a statewide “swatting” incident placed local schools on “lockdown” status.
The Farm Collaborative and Seed Peace, two leading regenerative ag orgs in the Valley, joined forces “to increase efficiencies while maximizing impact.”
Tuition-free preschool enrollment began for the fall semester.
Devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria killed at least 65,000 people.
March
The Valley enjoyed above-normal snowpack with a heavy winter followed by a wet spring. Roaring Fork Conservancy wrote: “The watershed has not seen cumulative [snow water equivalent] levels this high since 2011!”
Carbondale Arts’ fashion show was revived after a three-year hiatus. “Mirror Mirror,” the show sunk by COVID in 2020, finally surfaced with extra polish and good vibes.
In its 50th year, the Buddy Program expanded to Glenwood Springs.
Local libraries introduced passwords associated with online browsing.
SNAP benefits returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Garfield County Commissioners approved the Fussner Minor Subdivision, located in Missouri Heights at the same site as the previously proposed, and rejected, Ascendigo Ranch.
Colorado Rocky Mountain School dominated the Colorado State High School Climbing Championships with first place in the Varsity Boys, JV Boys and JV Girls competitions.
Carbondale changed direction on a plan to spray herbicides at the Nature Park, instead consulting with Bee Happy Lands. Trustees also approved a 50-unit employee housing development for the Roaring Fork School District, currently under construction near the high school.
Mountain Parent changed its name to Mountain Pearl under the leadership of publisher and editor Kathryn Camp.
The Crow & Key opened on Main Street.
Pope Francis “repudiated” the Doctrine of Discovery, the basis of Western expansion and oppression of original peoples globally for more than 500 years. Sopris Sun contributor Amy Hadden Marsh responded with a series of interviews with Indigenous leaders.
April
Basalt’s Midland Avenue redo got underway (approved in 2021) with considerable opposition from affected businesses. Public work sessions were hosted to quell concerns, though it was determined delaying the project would be too expensive.
La Raza opened on Main Street, restoring life to the vacant space formerly housing Mi Casita.
5Point Film Festival expanded with community concerts, a comedy night and 5k race.
KDNK celebrated its 40th birthday with a party at the Third Street Center. Many founding figures and other station leaders were guests at the event and the mortgage was symbolically burned with the building on 2nd Street being fully paid off.
Elected officials gathered on the north bank of the Colorado River in unified opposition to the Uinta Basin Railway.
The Western Colorado Mycological Association held its inaugural meeting in Carbondale.
The Town of Basalt got a new logo.
Carbondale Utilities Director Mark O’Meara retired.
The Wild & Scenic Feasibility Collaborative hosted a community meeting at the Marble Firehouse, attracting many participants with a stake in the Crystal River. This meeting was followed by others all summer and another community summit in late October.
RFSD Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gatlin announced his resignation. Ben Bohmfalk would later be hired to fill the role.
Crystal River Elementary School’s 10th annual Rams Run raised a record $31,000.
Glenwood Springs’ 27th Street underpass project got underway (updates here: www.27thstreetproject.com).
May
Highway 133 between Somerset and Paonia was destroyed by a washed-out culvert, affecting the connection between communities on either side of McClure Pass.
The GCPLD board denied a book appeal, retaining three controversial manga books to the dissatisfaction of some library patrons.
Brian Colley’s artwork appeared in “Paint,” an Owen Wilson film. The town celebrated with a red carpet event at the Crystal Theatre.
Redstone community members bagged sand in preparation for possible Crystal River flooding.
A First Friday arrest resulted in Carbondale police confiscating 12 grams of cocaine cut with fentanyl. Chief Kirk Wilson warned that this dangerous drug had arrived in the community. In June, the Garfield County Special Problem Enforcement and Response team seized approximately 1,300 fentanyl pills during one drug bust, with 3,000 additional pills seized in August and September in the Battlement Mesa area.
Apple Tree Trailer Park water quality concerns made headlines, amplifying the need for House Bill 23-1257, Mobile Home Park Water Quality, introduced by Rep. Velasco and signed by the governor in June.
The RFSD board of education faced packed meetings with controversy over a comprehensive health and human sexuality curriculum, meanwhile housing task force meetings were held to explore superintendent retention strategies. Former superintendent Dr. Jesús Rodríguez then purchased a home in Denver for $840,000.
The Garfield County Assessor’s Office reported a median increase of 54% over 2021 appraisals, raising concerns over an imminent spike in property taxes.
The CORE Act was reintroduced (again) by U.S. Senators Michael Bennett and John Hickenlooper, an expansive land protection initiative. The bill previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives several times and received a committee hearing and a tied 10-10 committee vote in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in 2022.
Valley Settlement received a $2 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Hollywood writers and actors went on strike over the possibility of AI replacing their work, among other issues.
June
Aspen Public Radio hosted the inaugural Aspen Psychedelic Symposium at the Wheeler Opera House, after Colorado voters chose to decriminalize certain psychoactive plants and fungi in 2022.
The Carbondale Wild West Rodeo began a new season with new rules in response to booming post-pandemic popularity, including: parking restrictions, a shuttle service, increased ticket prices and the end of BYOB.
The presence of emerald ash borer is confirmed in Carbondale, the first case on the Western Slope of Colorado, catalyzing a plan from the Town to extend the life of selected trees with treatment while removing others. Over 438 public ash trees were identified, in addition to an uncertain number of trees on private property.
Carbondale’s own Jackson Emmer won the 30th annual Troubadour Contest at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
Ron Speaker hosted the inaugural Finance Camp, teaching investment skills to 12 students from high schools throughout the Valley.
Colorado and Wyoming signed a Memorandum of Understanding focused on the development of direct air capture technology and activity.
July
Stage of Life Theatre Company presented “Ride the Cyclone,” an “edgier” show for older kids.
COVID testing behind Town Hall ended after many months.
Work began on the Crystal River Restoration Project.
VOICES HerStory at the Thompson House brought together influential women to tell the story of Carbondale.
The third annual Anna Lynn Cunningham Foundation concert hosted Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead tribute band.
For the first time ever, Redstone’s Fourth of July parade was required by Pitkin County to obtain a permit with the goal of easing parking and improving safety. Pitkin County helped fund traffic control during the first year of this change.
Basalt’s new community bandshell opened with a free summer concert series at Basalt River Park.
Mountain Fair turned 52 with a “Where the Wild Things Grow” theme.
Aspen Valley Land Trust announced it will purchase the historic Colorado Outward Bound School Marble Base Camp.
August
WE-cycle debuted in Carbondale, with 17 solar-powered stations and year-round service.
A contract was signed by Carbondale trustees for the installation of a micro hydro project on Nettle Creek.
A D.C. Circuit Court judge overruled the Federal Surface Transportation Board’s December 2021 decision to approve the Uinta Basin Railway. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit included Eagle County and Glenwood Springs.
Two transportation-related surveys circulated in Carbondale, one regarding Highway 133 safety and the other a “Mobility and Access Plan” from the Public Works Department.
Three Rivers Little League teams won the state championships and headed to Texas for regional tournaments.
After a long process, Little Blue Preschool received approval for a rezoning that will allow them to double the number of children they care for at their Carbondale location. Trustees waived planning department and attorneys fees with a 4-2 vote.
Glenwood Springs’ city manager resigned following an executive session, given five months of severance pay.
El Dorado, in the former Batch space on Main Street, hosted a soft opening on “81623” day.
A massive wildfire claimed 115 lives on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
September
A first-ever, unique Schubert MiniFest was hosted as part of Carbondale Arts’ Garden Music Series.
World-renowned anthropologist, ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall visited Roaring Fork High School, as organized by Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
The GCPLD board meeting in Carbondale saw huge attendance in response to concerns over manga books considered pornographic by some library patrons.
Around 130 women camped out at 13 Moons for the seventh annual Red Earth / Mountain West Women’s Herbal Gathering, sharing knowledge and skills.
Town Center planning advanced with community charrettes hosted at the Third Street Center.
The first-ever King of the Crown dirt jumping competition was hosted at Crown Mountain Park.
Juvenile suspects were arrested on vandalism charges after a proliferation of graffiti in Carbondale and Glenwood Springs.
The Sopris Sun took home 15 awards from the Colorado Press Association.
A wildlife cam at Glassier Open Space captured the first detection of a badger on Pitkin County open space land.
The Roaring Fork Pickleball Association hosted “The Great Sopris Showdown” at the Young-Calaway Pickleball Courts.
Mountain Heart brewery opened on Dolores Way.
The White River National Forest awarded a $6.3 million contract to Dare-Case Contracting Services LLC (based in Grand Junction) to demolish the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District buildings and construct a new building. Public opposition to the project spanned from the removal of healthy trees, including two large blue spruces, to the loss of historic buildings and dissatisfaction with a pull-through feature taking larger vehicles from Main Street to Weant Boulevard. Close to 100 people attended an August meeting at Town Hall on the topic and many more signed a petition. Nonetheless, demolition is scheduled to begin in early 2024.
October
Carbondale piloted a Home Energy Score program in partnership with Garfield Clean Energy, with qualifying homes receiving a full-service home energy audit for free.
The Painted Pig opened for business at 689 Main Street.
ANB Bank received approval for a new building north of 7-Eleven with 16 apartments and commercial space included.
Carbondale received a $716,000 Department of Energy grant for a geothermal demonstration project, a large-scale system to heat and cool 16 acres surrounding the Third Street Center, including townhomes on 2nd Street.
CRMS won the state mountain biking team title.
Carbondale trustees passed a pollinator protection resolution.
Dr. Jesús Rodríguez resigned from the RFSD superintendent position amid controversy and following his family-administrative leave time, with $144,182 on top.
RFHS JV football team hosted Glenwood Springs for its season finale, with excitement building for a varsity season next year (canceled this year due to low player turnout).
Mount Evans was renamed Mount Blue Sky, sensitive to John Evans (Colorado’s second governor) having paved the way for the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864.
The global population of humans tipped above 8 billion as India surpassed China as the world’s most populous country (1.43 billion).
The Israel-Gaza war began with the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, the worst in Israel’s history.
November
The Redstone General Store appealed to its community for support to transition into a nonprofit.
Dr. Judith Alvarez was honored during Carbondale’s Day of the Dead celebration for her work with La Clínica del Pueblo.
It’s officially announced that Carbondale Arts will take the reins for First Fridays beginning in January 2024. Carbondale Arts first founded the First Fridays tradition, which later fell under the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce’s leadership.
The presence of over 100 migrants in Carbondale, mostly from Venezuela, was made known. The Town responded by temporarily housing 60 at the Third Street Center while donations of food and clothing poured in thanks to the greater community.
The Sopris Sun launched a new website.
Garfield County commissioners denied the appointment of Hanna Arauza to the GCPLD board as its Rifle rep. Commissioners also denied Flying M Ranch PUD (144 townhomes and eight single-family homes proposed near Riverview School).
The Rodeway Inn in Glenwood Springs was converted into employee housing units for RFTA.
AXKAWA (formerly Senor Taco Show) closed.
Argentina elected Javier Milei, a self-declared “anarcho-capitalist.” As the war in Ukraine continued, U.S. lawmakers disagreed over support for the ongoing war.
December
After 38 years of selling movie tickets and popcorn, Bob and Kathy Ezra announce they will be selling the Crystal Theatre business.
Five wolves captured in Oregon were released onto public land in Grand County as part of the first phase of the 2020 voter-approved reintroduction.
The USFS released a draft environmental assessment for a Thompson Divide mineral lease withdrawal, moving closer to protecting 225,000 acres for 20 years.
In memory…
This past year, our community said goodbye to many local legends, people who shaped our home with their special way of being.
We remember and learn from their example:
Adrian (Twirp) Anderson, Ruth Vars Barnes, Scott Bowie, Monk Burkmier, Gertrude “Rusty” Burtard, Evelyn Ellsworth Condit, Marc Grandbois, Bill Hagedorn, Philip Richard Haines, Jeremy George Heiman, Alan Dean Joyner, Ann Korologos, Peter Kent Lundgren, Julia Marshall, Mark McElroy, Luke Patrick Menke, Charley Moore, Wick Moses, Bill Myers, John Nieslanik, Jack Raife, Barbara Reese, Barbara O’Neil Ross, Benjamin Bruce Sellers, Joel Shute, Bruce Somers, Paul Newcomet Sutro, Gayla Tippett, Leonard Truesdell.
Editor’s note: Names included in this list were drawn from obituaries published by The Sopris Sun in 2023. We don’t charge to run obituaries with a local connection. Just send a photo and under 500 words to news@soprissun.com