A rockslide closed I-70 westbound near the No Name rest area for over three hours Saturday afternoon. 

CDOT Regional Communications Manager Lisa Schwantes said she was notified of the incident, just east of Glenwood Springs at mile marker 119, around 2:15 p.m.

Westbound traffic was being stopped at Dotsero as maintenance crews cleared rocks and debris from the roadway.       

No serious injuries were reported as a result of Saturday’s rockslide according to Schwantes. However, a semi-truck required towing and rocks scattered along the interstate were large enough to require a front-end loader, Schwantes said.

I-70 westbound reopened at around 5:20 p.m.

In the immediate area of the rockslide, I-70 westbound was limited to one lane and CDOT urged motorists to use caution.

Saturday’s rockslide was the first of the season to cause an interstate closure, Schwantes said.

Editor’s note: The weather isn’t making it easy for many folks to get a print copy of Friday’s paper, so we’ve made the e-edition free to access today. Go here to read Friday’s paper.

Roaring Fork School District has canceled school Friday in anticipation of continued adverse weather.

All after-school and extracurricular activities are also canceled, although Glenwood Springs High School’s girls swim team had already left for an event in Grand Junction and would still compete.

In a statement Thursday night, district public information officer Kelsy Been said early reports point to unsafe road conditions continuing Friday.

“Although we do not usually make snow day decisions this early, we’ve received earlier than usual reports from road and highway plowing operations departments of expected unsafe and hazardous road conditions,” Been writes. “Any decision to cancel school is based on student and staff safety.”

Go here to read Roaring Fork School District’s policy on cancellations.

In addition:

• Colorado Mountain College’s Glenwood Center, Spring Valley, Carbondale, Rifle and Leadville campuses will be closed Friday for the entire day. The Aspen campus remains open. Central Services in Glenwood is closed. For more information, call the CMC Rifle snow line at 625-6990 or the CMC Spring Valley/Glenwood Center snow line at 947-8153.
• Glenwood Springs City Hall will open at 10 a.m. Friday, instead of 8. The Community Center will open at 6 a.m. for normal business hours.

• Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is closed Friday. Friday Afternoon Club is canceled.
• Interstate 70 westbound from Golden to the Eisenhower Tunnel is closed. No alternate routes are available, and CDOT strongly recommends people don’t travel during today’s storm.

A winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service remains in effect until 5 p.m. Friday, with up to 8 inches of snow expected Thursday night and up to 4 more inches expected Friday morning.

Garfield School District 16 schools in Parachute are not canceled for Friday, and Friday is a normal off day for Garfield Re-2 schools.

Call 511 for the most up-to-date road conditions.

We’re not anti-immigrant, we’re for legal immigration

In his May 1 guest column, Alex Sanchez continues to conflate our local Latino neighbors with illegal alien “newcomers.” I am not Hispanic, but I am a legal immigrant and am angered by Alex’s lumping my hardworking, family-centered Latino neighbors with the millions of illegal, unvetted, unvaxed invaders that Biden’s open border treason has brought.

No one I know is “anti-immigrant.” We are for legal immigration. “Legal,” an adjective Alex and social globalists ignore.

A country without borders is not a country. We are witnessing the modern-day Trojan Horse. Among the millions of newcomers, there are undoubtedly thousands of criminals and terrorists.

I hope the globalists will take credit for the coming chaos our naive border policy enabled.

Bruno Kirchenwitz, Rifle

“Genocide” doesn’t mean what you think it does

Language, and in particular certain words, are powerful in the depth and strength of meaning. I’ve been thinking on this lately, especially with how the word genocide is being so loosely used in terms of the Gaza War. When words like this are misused they become cliché, devoid of their original strength and meaning. What is happening in Gaza is horrific and very well could be, should be considered a war crime. But it is NOT genocide. What the Nazi’s did to the Jews of Europe, Stalin to the Ukrainians, Europeans and Americans to the native North American peoples, Rwanda, were actual acts of genocide. Genocide is the deliberate targeted killing with the intent of total extermination of a particular group of people. What Hamas did on October 7, 2023, comes much closer to actual genocide. What the Israeli Defense Forces are doing in response is unconscionable and they must be held accountable for the killing of so many innocent civilians. But it is not genocide. Use words and language with care lest they become cliché and meaningless.

Ken Neubecker, Glenwood Springs

A heartfelt ‘thank you’ from the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) ran its third annual Job Skills Training Camp April 29-May 3. Thirty-one high school students from five different Schools for the Deaf participated in hands-on projects to expand their sense of career options and skills with which to enter into the workforce.

The ACDHH Board and its program leaders would like to thank the local organizations who supported the opportunities presented to the students. We are grateful to Aspen Rotary, Sorenson, the City of Aspen, Dan Johns of Rocky Mountain Builders, the Western Colorado Independent Electrical Contractors apprenticeship lab run by Neva Hiscock and Christina Vittum in Glenwood; Emily Williams from ACES, and Scott Ely and Jeremy Brown of Sunsense Solar in Carbondale. The variety of project opportunities given to students made for a rich and memorable week-long experience for our participants. We appreciate the ongoing interest from the Roaring Fork Valley community as the camp moves forward in its effort to expand the number, the relevance and the quality of its programs.

Karen Immerso, Snowmass

Colorado Mountain College celebrated the achievements of its Class of 2024 on Saturday.

The ceremony, held at the Outdoor Leadership Center and Field House at CMC Spring Valley in Glenwood Springs, brought together graduates from the Spring Valley, Aspen, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs campuses who completed their studies during the summer and fall of 2023 and spring of 2024. Separate ceremonies honored the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy graduates on Thursday and Spring Valley’s nursing graduates on Saturday morning.

Keynote speaker Mario Carrera, CEO of Colorado Latino Leadership, addressed the graduates during the general commencement ceremony at noon. Carrera, a former chief revenue officer of Entravision and advisory board member of CMC’s Isaacson School for Communication, Arts, and Media, shared insights and encouragement with the graduating class.

This year, a total of 421 graduates from the Roaring Fork Valley campuses earned bachelor’s and associate degrees, certificates and diplomas. The Roaring Fork Valley campus saw a significant number of graduates in various academic programs, including Associate of Arts, emergency medical technician (EMT), nursing, Fire Academy, photography and computer technician.

Across all 11 campuses, Colorado Mountain College celebrated a total of 1,554 graduates, marking a notable 23.5% increase in graduate completions compared with the previous class. Graduates hailed from diverse academic backgrounds, with achievements spanning 66 distinct programs such as business administration, leadership and management, early childhood education, digital media, and nurse aide.

Lyan Faina Sanchez, a Ceremonial Marshall and graduate with associate degrees in outdoor education and science, expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided by CMC. 

“I’m very grateful for the many opportunities CMC has given me,” Sanchez said. “It has been a lot of hard work and effort, and I couldn’t be more proud of all the accomplishments I’ve been able to achieve.”

Sanchez, who originally hails from Panama, shared her journey to CMC and the impact the college has had on her.

“I grew up in Panama and I never expected to be where I am today,” Sanchez said. “CMC has granted me so many opportunities and it really is an honor to be standing here today walking across that stage.”

Sherronna Bishop, a popular conservative figure with more than 38,000 followers on Facebook and known as “America’s Mom,” took the stage at the One Door Church in Rifle on Friday, addressing a crowd of around 50 people regarding the petition to recall Tony May from his seat on the Garfield Re-2 School Board. As a constitutional conservative and outspoken advocate, Bishop rallied the audience in support of May, emphasizing the importance of his role in the community.

On March 11, a protest was filed with the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder’s Office against the recall effort organized by the Coalition for Responsible Education in Re-2. The recall sought to remove May from his seat. However, hearing officer Sheila Reiner rejected the protest in April, allowing the recall to proceed. May appealed the decision and brought it to court.

In March, the Garfield County Clerk verified that the coalition had collected the necessary number of signatures to advance the recall. They submitted 2,441 validated signatures, exceeding the minimum requirement of 2,038. Originally, the threshold was set at 2,378, but the number was later adjusted. This threshold is based on the votes cast in the last election.

In 2023, while serving as president of the Garfield Re-2 board, May had proposed incorporating the American Birthright Standards into the social studies curriculum. This program was criticized for its conservative nature and was ultimately rejected by the Colorado Board of Education in late 2022. Instead, the board adopted the 2022 State Standard following the recommendation of a review committee.

Bishop defended May’s efforts, emphasizing his dedication to the community. 

“Tony has been tireless in defending our kids. His agenda has been to see these kids be educated, not indoctrinated,” Bishop said. “Tony is one of the most important people in this valley right now because he’s done what so many people will not do. He has stayed laser-focused on the mission.”

She criticized what she perceives as harmful ideologies infiltrating the education system.

“A few minority voices are pushing horrendous propaganda and a sexualization of children unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Bishop said. She pointed to her recent travels abroad and noted that other countries are actively avoiding what she sees as problematic trends in American schools.

May expressed confidence in his ability to retain his seat if the recall election proceeds. 

“If it comes to an election, I have full confidence that we can be successful,” May said. He called for community support to “help out and get the word out.”

Senior Director of Moms of America Kelly Kohls criticized the recall efforts as an unnecessary waste of resources. 

“To start a petition because you don’t like what they said — that’s ridiculous,” Kohls said. “It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars because the taxpayers will have to fund Tony’s defense. It’s a waste of money that should be educating children, and instead, these radicals bring a petition because they don’t like what he said, and (he) didn’t violate anybody’s rights… There’s such a thing as growing up. Maybe those vying for Tony to be removed should grow up.”

Bishop reinforced the notion that the majority of the community stands behind May, despite opposition from what she called “loud voices.” She described Garfield County as a conservative area that holds traditional values and called for unity in ensuring those values are preserved in the education system.

In addition to her statement, Bishop called for supporters of May to attend Wednesday’s Garfield Re-2 School Board meeting. May’s petition hearing is scheduled for June 17.

Bailey Barnum has been dancing since she was just under 2 years old.

Her first run-in with what would eventually become her life’s calling happened during her older sister’s dance class at the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts, when the dance instructor noticed that the wall dividing the class from the seating area wasn’t enough of a barrier to stop young Barnum from learning the older girls’ choreography through the window. 

“My mom would bring me in to watch her classes,” Barnum said. “I would be on the side of the studio taking class with them, basically. One of my sister’s teachers noticed and started talking to my mom about possibly bringing me into classes.” 

Barnum had her first performance at 2 years old, began assistant teaching dance classes at the age of 10, and never looked back. 

Now, at age 24, Barnum owns Legacy Dance Company, Glenwood Springs’ sole dance studio. 

“I don’t see (my age) as shocking actually because my sister opened (the studio) when she was 23,” Barnum said. “So it doesn’t seem too crazy to me, but I think it is shocking to most people.” 

Barnum described the story of how she came to take over the studio as “layered.” When Barnum was in her senior year of high school, Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts (where the Barnum sister had been taking classes their whole lives), shuttered its doors. To ensure Barnum would have the opportunity to continue performing and competing through her senior year, Barnum’s older sister, Bella Barnum-Collier, created Legacy Dance Company in 2017. 

“My sister started Legacy Dance Company for me,” Barnum explained. “I’ve worked here as one of her teachers since then.” 

When Barnum graduated, she joined her sister in teaching and managing the studio. Just last year, however, Barnum’s older sister decided to make the move to Maine with her family and left her sister with an important question: 

“She gave me the choice to take over the studio if it was something that I truly wanted to do,” she said. “I really thought about it because I’ve loved dance forever, but I’ve never really thought about owning a studio. And I really sat with that and realized just how fantastic that would be. And I decided to dive in and take her up on that offer.” 

Barnum officially took over in May 2023 and nears her one-year anniversary of running the studio on her own. 

“I didn’t expect it to be so fulfilling,” Barnum said of her experience so far. “I’d say the biggest takeaway I’ve had this year is to take it one step at a time. It can seem really overwhelming and it’s such a huge responsibility, and I have such an appreciation for that.” 

Barnum’s ‘legacy’ with dance

Managing the studio can look like creating class schedules, working with the teachers on staff and endless behind-the-scenes work. Barnum, however, doesn’t stop there. 

In addition to managing day-to-day operations and long-term projects, she also teaches some of the dance classes. 

“I teach a little bit of all of the levels up to level four,” Barnum explained. “I teach ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap … and sometimes we get to throw in modern and musical theater and other fun things like that.” 

Among all the different styles of dance that Barnum has mastered throughout the years, one stands out over the rest. 

“Tap, of course, it’s my absolute favorite,” she said. “I always had an ear for rhythm … I had the opportunity to travel to different intensives in Canada, in Texas and different places, and it really opened my mind to the possibility of rhythm tap, which is my true love in dance.” 

“There’s more of a connection to the rhythm, (and) less of just showing off steps to a song,” she continued. “It is my joy to be able to inspire that love for rhythm in my students as well.” 

One of the things that makes the chaos of managing a studio more enjoyable is the collaboration between Barnum and the other two teachers at the studio, Angelina Cagle and Laurren Muñoz, whom she considers her closest friends. 

“I grew up with Bailey,” Cagle said (or Miss Lina, as her students know her).  

“I was kind of thrown into (working at the studio),” Cagle continued, and then after a moment added, “Happily thrown into it.” 

Barnum’s older sister had approached Cagle right after opening the studio and had asked her to take up teaching, to which Cagle answered: “Sure, why not?” 

“I got to dance with my best friend again, because we grew up dancing together,” she said. 

Spring is a busy time of year for the three dance instructors, who typically teach anywhere between 100-160 students, most of them ages 2-15 (with the occasional adult group and “parent and me” classes for babies). 

Legacy Dance Studio hosted its spring recital this past weekend, which was Barnum’s first time organizing the theme (Songs of the Silver Screen) and running it through the theater. 

“It was definitely the smoothest it’s been, and just so fun,” she said. “It’s so wonderful to see these dancers out on stage.” 

Barnum has also danced with other studios and performance groups throughout the valley, though “that’s just the dance side.” 

“I also have a passion for musical theater,” she said. Barnum grew up doing Stagedoor theater and became part of Glenwood Springs High School’s theater department during her teen years despite being homeschooled. From 2017-2021, she worked as a dinner theater performer with the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue. 

“Oh, and I sing in a band,” Barnum added casually. Her role as lead singer with local The Missing Link Band began two years ago. She currently also juggles her management of the studio with her job at High Country Gems & Minerals (The Rock Shop).

Ready for what’s next

Legacy Dance Company is preparing for its summer session, which is broken into two sessions: one from June 3-28, and another from July 8-August 2, with a combined recital in August. In terms of how often classes take place, Barnum said scheduling is mainly left up to individual students to provide flexibility for families. 

“The summer is always tricky,” Barnum said. “People in this valley are very lucky to be able to travel all the time, so it’s harder to keep the curriculum going for the students who are here and also support the students who can only be here some of the time.” 

When it comes to picking up dancing, however, no season is ever too early or too late. 

“(Dance) can be therapeutic,” Barnum said. “In addition to that, dance is so good for your body in so many ways, not only as a form of exercise. It helps form neural pathways, it helps with gross motor skills, and for me, there is nothing more special than moving in space with your friends.” 

Though it hasn’t been long since Barnum took charge of the studio, she said she can’t imagine herself doing anything else. 

“It is just the most wonderful thing to be able to create connections with these dancers and see them grow,” Barnum said. 

El acoso es un problema que afecta a muchas personas y, a veces, el lenguaje en torno al acoso no es tan detallado como debería. En la última reunión del concejo municipal de la ciudad de Rifle en abril, se hizo un pequeño cambio al código municipal con respecto al acoso.

La administradora de la Corte Municipal de Rifle, Kathy Pototsky, presentó el cambio durante la reunión.

“Esto simplemente agrega un poco de especificidad a nuestra ordenanza existente sobre el acoso,” dijo. “Uno de nuestros oficiales notó que aunque dice ‘inicia comunicación directa o indirectamente,’ luego enumera una gran cantidad de formas diferentes en las que puedes hacerlo, que probablemente se han agregado a lo largo de los años… pero no había nada que mencionara específicamente ‘en persona.'”

Kaia Anderson, víctima de acoso y defensora, residente de Colorado, fue entrevistada sobre su opinión sobre el cambio que había realizado el Ayuntamiento de Rifle.

Anderson dijo que si bien se trata de un pequeño cambio en el código y puede parecer casi sin sentido, el acecho es un delito que inflige una violación emocional. Su caso de acoso comenzó después de graduarse de la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder.

“El acoso comenzó en 1979,” dijo. “Éramos compañeros de clase en la universidad y yo era amable con él. El era un tanto solitario.”

Anderson recibió cartas y llamadas telefónicas durante años. También invadió repetidamente su casa y agredió a su marido. Ella denunciaba estos incidentes a la policía, pero fueron tratados como incidentes separados.

En los primeros años, no existía ninguna ley sobre el acoso en Colorado. Se consideró acoso, un delito menor de tercer grado — el menos grave de los delitos con las penas potenciales más cortas.

“Las primeras leyes sobre acoso en Colorado evolucionaron de un delito menor a un delito grave menor. No fue hasta hace poco que el acoso se convirtió en un delito grave que conllevaba una sentencia importante,” dijo Anderson.

El acoso duró casi 20 años y, sin embargo, nada había cambiado para Anderson.

“En 1998, lo arrestaron por acosarme y también lo acusaron del delito grave de agredir al oficial de policía que lo había arrestado por acosarme,” dijo.

Si bien su acosador fue condenado a 12 años por agresión al agente de policía, la fiscalía se vio obligada a retirar el cargo de acoso.

“La defensa presentó un recurso de desestimación por considerar que la ley era inconstitucional. Existe una tensión entre el derecho del acosador a la libertad de expresión y el derecho de la víctima a la privacidad,” explicó Anderson.

Ha habido muchas impugnaciones constitucionales de este tipo contra los estatutos sobre el acoso. Afortunadamente, en Colorado existe una ley sobre el acoso que surgió en 1999.

“El Consejo del Fiscal de Distrito utilizó mi caso como catalizador para cambiar la ley,” dijo Anderson. “Hablé con el director ejecutivo y él revisó mi caso. Ya era consciente de muchos problemas con la ley actual.

La ley se cambió a lo que es ahora, convirtiendo el acoso en un delito grave e investigando cada infracción en su conjunto en lugar de por separado, lo que significa que cada contacto que recibió Anderson ya no serían incidentes separados.

Desafortunadamente, el acosador de Anderson continuó acosándola desde el interior de la prisión, enviándole cartas que describían violencia contra ella e incluso más llamadas telefónicas.

“Tres años después de su encarcelamiento (por agredir a un oficial), apeló con éxito su condena. Me acosó nuevamente, incluso desde la cárcel, y en 2005 finalmente fue llevado a juicio ante un juez (juicio sin jurado),” dijo.

A partir de la impugnación constitucional, el juez dictaminó que no era el discurso lo que se castigaba, sino la conducta lo que se castigaba, y el acosador de Anderson fue declarado inocente por razón de demencia.

“Colorado no tiene un veredicto loco y culpable,” dijo Anderson. “Estaba internado en el instituto psiquiátrico estatal de Pueblo.”

Aun así, incluso después de haber sido internado en una institución psiquiátrica, le enviaba cartas a Anderson y hacía llamadas telefónicas. Anderson presentó una denuncia contra el hospital, cuyo personal se negó a hacer nada sin una orden judicial.

“Tengo una orden de restricción permanente que estaban ignorando por completo,” dijo. Presentó una denuncia ante el estado y el subcomité de la Ley de Derechos de las Víctimas concluyó que el hospital había violado sus derechos. Finalmente, comenzaron a examinar sus cartas.

Anderson recibió asesoramiento y continúa usando lo que aprendió allí para ayudarla a lidiar con lo que sucedió durante la mayor parte de su vida. También puso gran parte de lo que aprendió en el libro que escribió sobre su terrible experiencia, llamado “Prueba de Fuego: Un viaje personal de conciencia, poder y libertad.”

“Estaba en un viaje de autodescubrimiento y podría haberme salvado la vida,” dijo Anderson. “Cuando lo escribí, tuve que tomar un remedio homeopático todo el tiempo.” Estaba tomando Rescue Remedy, un calmante para el estrés, especialmente para el terror y el pánico.

Anderson no quiere disuadir a nadie de denunciar el acoso, el acoso o cualquier otro delito que se haya cometido en su contra.

“Mi caso fue juzgado hace 20 años. El clima en torno a este tipo de crímenes es ahora mucho mejor que cuando yo lo estaba pasando,” dijo. “Muchos grupos de personas han trabajado mucho para mejorar la situación de las víctimas de acoso ante los tribunales. También están educando a las autoridades y a los tribunales sobre la dinámica del acoso.”

Cualquier tecnicismo jurídico que pueda ocurrir dentro de la ley de acoso de Colorado queda expuesto en casos individuales, dijo Anderson. O, como en el caso de Rifle, que un oficial diligente lo detecte y lo cambie antes de que se pueda acceder al tecnicismo jurídico.

Anderson ha pensado mucho sobre por qué su acosador decidió acosarla. Había acosado a otras, pero Anderson fue con quien se obsesionó, dijo.

“Existen diferentes motivos para el acoso, pero este tipo particular de acoso es inusual. Leí un libro de una psiquiatra local, la Dra. Doreen Orion, donde habla de haber sido acosada por uno de sus pacientes,” dijo Anderson.

El libro de Orion, “Sé que Realmente me Amas: El relato de un psiquiatra sobre el acoso y el amor obsesivo,” habla de un tipo de acosador al que se le diagnostica erotomanía, que es cuando crees que alguien está enamorado de ti, pero no es así. Anderson cree que su acosador experimenta lo mismo con ella, pero ella no puede entenderlo realmente.

“No se puede entender la locura a través de la mente de una persona cuerda,” dijo.

“A pesar de todo el asesoramiento, lo único con lo que sigo viviendo es el complejo trastorno de estrés postraumático,” dijo. “Tengo que pasar por un proceso para volver a profundizar en estos recuerdos.”

A Anderson no le importa, sin embargo, si ello conduce a la educación.

“No tenemos que enfrentarnos al mundo, sólo a nuestra pequeña parte de él,” dijo. “Entonces tiene un efecto dominó y se encienden más incendios.”

Más que eso, Anderson espera que aprender lo terrible que es el acoso lleve a comprender por qué es tan terrible.

“Nosotros, como sociedad, descartamos las emociones. El daño físico es cuantificable, pero emocionalmente, una persona en la mira de un depredador obsesionado, sin saber qué va a hacer a continuación… algunas personas no quieren comprender eso,” dijo Anderson. “Es quitar la energía vital, la libertad y la felicidad de una persona en contra de su voluntad, y eso es inaceptable.”

También quería corregir parte del lenguaje que se ha utilizado para describir la ley de acoso.

“A veces la llaman ‘ley contra el acoso,'” dijo Anderson. “No tenemos leyes anti-asesinato porque se entiende que el asesinato está mal. Del mismo modo, no hay necesidad de llamar legislación contra el acecho ‘anti-acecho.’ Se debería entender que acechar está mal.”

Anderson, después de haber escrito su libro y seguir creando conciencia sobre la gravedad del acoso, no se queda estancada en su terrible experiencia.

“Tenemos más en nosotros de lo que pensamos,” dijo.

La importancia de que las leyes sobre acecho sean concisas y detalladas significa que menos casos pasan desapercibidos y que las víctimas de estas horrendas experiencias reciben ayuda. Pueden continuar con sus vidas sin tener sobre ellos el peso de la atención no deseada de otra persona.

Que la ciudad de Rifle cambie su código para que sea más detallado, por pequeño que sea, genera grandes impactos.

Para leer más sobre Kaia Anderson o encontrar su libro, “Prueba de Fuego: Un viaje personal de conciencia, poder y libertad,” visite https://www.kaiaanderson.com/.

Un peatón, identificado como Ramón Chacón, murió la madrugada del lunes en un accidente de atropello y fuga en el puente del río Rifle, lo que provocó el cierre de la autopista 13 durante más de una hora. El incidente ocurrió alrededor de las 4:50 a.m., según las autoridades locales.

Se cree que el vehículo involucrado es un Jeep Grand Cherokee plateado modelo 2005 a 2010, que puede tener vidrios polarizados. El vehículo tiene daños importantes en la parte delantera y el capó, según un comunicado de prensa.

Después de golpear al peatón, el vehículo se dirigió hacia el este por la Interestatal 70, donde fue visto por última vez. La policía de Rifle está buscando activamente al sospechoso y está pidiendo a cualquiera que tenga información que se presente.

Se insta a los testigos o a aquellos con detalles relevantes a que se comuniquen con la Autoridad de Comunicaciones de Emergencia del Condado de Garfield al 970-625-8095 y soliciten hablar con un detective de la policía de Rifle.

Se creó un GoFundMe para ayudar a la familia de Chacón con los gastos del funeral.

English in Action organizó una ceremonia de inauguración de su nuevo centro de comunicación el miércoles, invitando a estudiantes, tutores y miembros de la comunidad a conmemorar la ocasión histórica.

A pesar del tiempo gris y nublado, que a cada segundo amenazaba con lluvia, el ánimo estaba alto entre la multitud.

“Como tutora desde hace mucho tiempo de mi alumna, Gloria, que está parada allí, acudí a ella porque me pidió ayuda para hablar inglés con confianza y participar activamente en su comunidad,” Lynn Nichols, presidenta de la campaña Welcome Home de English in Action, dijo durante la ceremonia. “…Como donante, siento que puedo ampliar ese impacto para abrir puertas y brindar oportunidades a nuestros estudiantes inmigrantes.”

English in Action es una organización sin fines de lucro cuya misión es “fortalecer la calidad de vida de todos en nuestra comunidad ayudando a inmigrantes adultos a aprender a leer, escribir y hablar inglés, y cultivando amistades interculturales.”

Fundada en 1994, la organización atiende a alrededor de 400 estudiantes mayores de 18 años con la ayuda de sus 300 voluntarios que sirven como tutores en sus programas. La organización sirve como punto de contacto para que los estudiantes inmigrantes se conecten y accedan a servicios que pueden ayudarlos a superar los desafíos de encontrar empleo y vivienda, inscribir a sus hijos en la escuela y acceder a atención médica.

El mes pasado, English in Action celebró una fiesta de inauguración de su recién anunciado Centro de Comunicación en El Jebel. Las instalaciones de última generación servirán como el nuevo hogar de la organización mientras continúan atendiendo las necesidades de aprendizaje de inglés de la comunidad de inmigrantes de Roaring Fork Valley. La fiesta inaugural sirvió también como despedida del antiguo edificio, que se encontraba en el mismo terreno que ahora se encuentra en construcción.

En el evento innovador, estudiantes, tutores, miembros de la junta directiva y líderes comunitarios de English in Action se acercaron al micrófono para entregar mensajes de gratitud a los asistentes. Además de varios discursos breves y oportunidades para tomar fotografías, la celebración ofreció recorridos por el espacio desnudo que pronto sería el edificio de comunicaciones, así como música animada, empanadas y otros refrigerios.

“Para diseñar un edificio, tuvimos que tomar en consideración todas las necesidades de los estudiantes, los tutores y el personal,” dijo Gary Harada, miembro de la junta directiva de English in Action, durante su discurso. “Creemos que lo hemos logrado y tenemos un edificio que honrará el compromiso que todas las personas han asumido tanto con el aprendizaje como con la enseñanza del inglés.”

La primera en tomar una pala y romper la tierra fresca en el sitio de construcción, por invitación de la directora ejecutiva Lara Beaulieu, fue María, estudiante desde hace mucho tiempo.

María fue una de las primeras donantes para el centro de comunicaciones y aportó un billete de $100 de sus propios ahorros cuando el proyecto aún era sólo una idea. Además de traer ocho donaciones adicionales de $100, Beaulieu compartió que María pasaba tiempo en el antiguo edificio orando por un nuevo espacio para English in Action.

“Maria tuvo la idea de este edificio desde mucho antes de que comenzáramos a planificarlo y soñó que este edificio se haría realidad,” dijo Beaulieu. “María es estudiante desde el 2017, y me gustaría que ella lanzara la primera palada… con la pala de oro.”

La emoción de María irradiaba en su rostro mientras posaba para la cámara, tomaba la primera palada y levantaba los brazos en el aire para celebrar. Líderes de proyectos, miembros del gabinete de campaña, estudiantes, tutores y más se turnaron para tomar paladas.

El trabajo en el nuevo Centro de Comunicación de English in Action inició cuando la organización alcanzó $4.3 millones de su objetivo de recaudación de fondos de $5 millones. Según la directora de desarrollo de English in Action, Heather Hicks Stumpf, la mitad de los fondos provienen de los propios estudiantes y tutores de English in Action.

“Solo quiero extender mi más profundo agradecimiento a nuestros donantes de campaña. Los contamos y son 270, y estoy muy orgullosa de compartir que la mitad de los donantes de nuestra campaña son nuestros propios estudiantes y tutores,” dijo Hicks Stumpf. “Muchas gracias a todos por invertir en este proyecto y por el tiempo que se dedican unos a otros. Es realmente inspirador.”

Crawford Properties proporcionó a English in Action un contrato de arrendamiento de terreno por 50 años, lo que significa que todo el dinero recaudado para el centro de comunicaciones puede destinarse al edificio en sí en lugar de a la compra del terreno.

“Para ayudar a recaudar los $700,000 restantes, la organización ha obtenido una subvención paralela de $50,000 de un grupo de viejos amigos que se unieron para hacer el bien. English in Action está buscando donaciones de cualquier cantidad para ayudar a completar el proyecto,” afirma un comunicado de prensa de English in Action.

El nuevo edificio estará ubicado en 33 Gillespie Drive en El Jebel y se espera que esté terminado en el 2025. Entre tanto, los programas de English In Action se están ejecutando a plena capacidad en una oficina temporal en El Jebel proporcionada por Crawford Properties.

“Para hacer realidad este sueño, todavía necesitamos recaudar más fondos, por lo que los invitamos a unirse a la campaña si aún no se ha involucrado,” dijo Hicks Stumpf. “Puede hacerlo mediante una donación o haciéndole correr la voz a un amigo que tal vez no haya oído hablar de nosotros, que quiera experimentar este sentimiento de alegría de dar, de invertir en una comunidad más brillante y desbloquear el potencial para todos los que viven y trabajan aquí en este increíble valle.”

“Este nuevo edificio en el que estamos a punto de embarcarnos comprende y reconoce ese desafío (de aprender inglés) y celebra a nuestros estudiantes que están tan decididos a aprender,” dijo Nichols. “Nuestros estudiantes nos inspiran y, como donante, hago donaciones a English in Action porque quiero capacitarnos a todos para construir conexiones.”

A few years ago, I turned a carport into a bedroom. But first I had to empty out the books, papers, furniture, rugs and tools that were in the carport. Then I took it all to a storage unit where rent was $50 a month.

After three years of thinking about it, and only occasionally pawing through the storage unit for a lost item, I finally sorted out a handful of books and items that meant something — I could have fit them in a suitcase — and held a yard sale for the rest.

I think about that when I see storage facilities spreading and expanding across the country. At least 500 units have been built here in eastern Oregon’s Wallowa County, population 7,500, and storage businesses can be found in towns and suburbs across the West. 

A local entrepreneur who owns about half the local units is now building in regional towns as well: Concrete slabs with metal buildings on top, single light bulbs inside, no plumbing.

I’m past 80 now, and, although my house is small, I have held onto a lot of stuff. In the normal course of events, my children would inherit it. 

But my two children and their families live in Arizona and Guam, busy building their own inventories of stuff. In a previous age, when there was a family house and three or more children to a house, the house and its basic furnishings would go to one child, and the remaining children would parcel out anything else. 

In my nuclear family, it worked like this: Mom passed on, and no one wanted or needed the house, so Dad called a summit meeting as he prepared to go into assisted living. 

We four siblings gathered for a week in the sunny Southern California backyard and emptied the house. Dad sat in his captain’s chair and laid down the rules: if you brought it into the house — sculpture from Africa, old sports equipment — you took it away. Or traded with a sibling. One table was set up for stuff to go to Dad’s best friend and another for a yard sale, and off we went to sort through the remaining items.

When it came to Dad’s fine collection of old cameras, they went to brother Phil; who was, in Dad’s estimation, the only one of us who knew how to take a decent photo. The tools were split between sister Mary and me: “You both at least know the difference between an end wrench and a crescent.”

Dad said that he had seen families argue and split over parental leavings, and he wanted no part of that. So on we went, sorting through grandma’s rag rugs, old diplomas, a collection of bell bottom pants and lots of keepsakes, all the while drinking beer and retelling old stories. 

We cried some as we set Dad up with a few things for the assisted living place, then left for our own homes. I got Dad’s last Ford — his cars were always Fords — as he figured my family needed a good second car more than did the others. 

It was a wonderful week.

I don’t have plans for a summit, but I am looking around the house and thinking about what child or grandchild might want the things I have held onto, such as carpets from Turkey, artwork by Northwest artist friends, cast iron cookware and so many books. 

Books written and signed by Ivan Doig and Ursula LeGuin — they can go to libraries now. And I smile thinking about taking my best Turkish carpet to a granddaughter’s first house. 

Last week, Nez Perce artist Carla Timentwa brought a fine collection of beadwork, woven basket hats and shell dresses to the Josephy Center in the town of Joseph, where I work. She said she’d ignored her grandmother’s teachings as a child, but on becoming a grandmother herself, took up the arts and began making things to give away: hats for granddaughters who serve food in the Longhouse, a fine beaded vest for her husband, dresses for young women to wear at naming and mourning ceremonies. 

It’s important, Carla said, to take care of others as they come into the world, as they grow and as they leave. It’s a good lesson — giving is always more important than storing stuff away.

Rich Wandschneider is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He feels lighter in Joseph, Oregon.

The Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers have been around for 29 years, a regional nonprofit that organizes stewardship projects of public lands, trails and natural resource areas. 

From Independence Pass to Rifle and from Marble to Glenwood Canyon, the RFOV have employed staff, students and volunteers for work on sustainable recreation, healthy landscapes and fire mitigation and restoration. 

Rebecca Schild, Executive Director of RFOV, gave more details about what the organization was all about. 

“We do trailwork, habitat restoration, invasive species removal, post fire recovery, and fuel mitigation. With those two big fires, we do erosion stabilization to help those areas recover from the fires,” she said. 

Schild reported that their staff is small, only seven people, and they bring on six more seasonal staff members for their project season.

Last year, Schild reported they had over 1,400 volunteers to help. 

“It was our biggest turnout. We’ve grown a lot in the past five years,” Schild said. “We spent 200 days in the field last year and logged over 8,000 volunteer hours.

While the RFOV is mostly adult volunteers, they get students as well, but they curate their programs for the students’ benefits.

“We have a Young Stewards program, where we have more fun activities interwoven and making sure they’re learning something tied to their curriculum,” Schild said. 

The Young Stewards program, has been around since 2012, and usually centers on enhancing local playgrounds or projects on their school campuses. 

This year, the first community project available is on Tuesday May 7, focusing on Doc Holliday’s Trail and the Linwood Cemetery. For three evenings, from 4 to 8 p.m., the RFOV will be working on the trail and cemetery.

“We’re trying to make sure the trail stays in good shape. With winter runoff, weather, trail usage, and because it’s so steep, it will have damage. We’re trying to stabilize places more prone to erosion,” Schild said. “We’re also going to try and delineate the paths through the cemetery more to preserve the integrity of the historic site.”

On Saturday, May 11, RFOV will be working on the Silt River Preserve, an ongoing project to help restore the area. 

“Volunteers will plant native plants and make improvements to the area so that people can continue to walk through it, to bring ecological health back to an area that was degraded by grazing,” Schild said. 

On June 1, they intend to work on Rock Bottom Ranch in Basalt alongside the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies in terms of the path and access along the ranch. There will be activities for small children while their parents volunteer. 

“We’re also working on Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon hopefully in the fall,” Schild said. “We’re going to bring volunteers to help a professional crew as they rebuild the trails.”

The RFOV has had a management transition, which brought new energy and funding sources. They were able to increase their staff capacity and to tell their story a bit more. They’ve seen more volunteers. Schild also said this coincided with the pandemic. 

“People were looking to get outside and meet people and this was an opportunity where they wouldn’t necessarily be at risk,” she said. “There was also a surge of recreational activities, so greater stewardship was needed of public lands.We’ve been able to recruit and attract more people as a result.”

Schild said that some people back away from volunteering because they think they’re not fit enough, but she reassures them that their projects have different levels of strenuousness. 

“We communicate how strenuous a project will be on our event calendar and you don’t have to have any previous experience,” she said. “We teach you everything and it’s those low barrier entry opportunities that result in a fun day.”

Visit the RFOV website to learn more about them or check their event calendar to sign up for events and project strenuousness at www.rfov.org/.

The Forest Service is seeking comment on the Sweetwater Lake Recreation Management and Development Project. On Friday, the White River National Forest sent a news release announcing the 90-day public scoping period will begin on Monday, May 6. 

“Public involvement is an important part of determining the future of the Sweetwater Lake,” Eagle-Holy Cross District Ranger Leanne Veldhuis said in the release. “This 90-day comment period offers the public an opportunity to provide their thoughts and concerns about our proposed action before we begin our detailed analysis in an environmental impact statement.”

This Proposed Action would authorize a 20-year special use permit to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, implementing and maintaining improvements outlined in the proposed action onto 832 acres of the National Forest System lands that surround Sweetwater Lake, the release stated. 

This project area includes 488 acres of land that was acquired in 2021 through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The other 344 acres are previously existing lands in the National Forest System. The project seeks to maintain the traditional recreational opportunities at Sweetwater while also minimizing impacts to natural resources and other potential conflicts from increased public interest of recreating at Sweetwater, according to the release. 

“Partnering with Colorado Parks & Wildlife would allow us to more effectively manage this long-cherished area,” Veldhuis said in the release. 

Public open house meetings will be hosted by the White River National Forest in Glenwood Springs and Gypsum to provide additional information, answer questions and help the public provide more effective comments, the release stated. 

The June 5 meeting will be at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library Community Room at 815 Cooper Ave from 4 to 7 p.m. On June 6, the meeting will be at the Gypsum Recreation Center Community Room at 52 Lundgren Blvd from 6 to 9 p.m., the release stated. 

More information, including the proposal and how to comment, will be available beginning May 6 at: https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=64047. Comments need to be received by Aug. 5, 2024, the release stated.

The proposed action is not set in stone and may change based on public comments and the environmental analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. The more detailed the comments, the more effective they will be. Explain what you like and don’t like in the proposed action, and why, the release stated.

The release stated the highlights of the proposed action include:

• Authorizing a 20-year special use permit to Colorado Parks and Wildlife to implement improvements and manage the 832-acre site.
• Redesigning the current site to promote recreational opportunities compatible with capacity, historic use, resources, and the surrounding area.
• Evaluating existing structures for retention with an emphasis on those buildings that provide the best opportunity to interpret the rich history at Sweetwater.
• Potentially restoring retained buildings to the historic character of their 1920-to-1940 construction if feasible.
• Potentially removing existing structures that are in a state of severe deferred maintenance and out of compliance with various laws, regulations, and policies.
• Developing new campground with 15-20 primitive or semi-primitive sites in an area known as the lower pasture.
• Converting the existing nine-site Forest Service campground to day-use picnic sites.
• Constructing up to 12 new primitive or semi-primitive cabins to retain the historic opportunity that existed at the ranch for many decades.
• Moving the current equestrian area, providing new barn and stables, and creating up to seven overnight equestrian camping sites.
• Creating several new access points to the lake, likely near the existing Forest Service campground and on the northeastern shore, and improving the current access points and boat dock.
• Constructing a new lodge building with administrative, educational, and interpretive spaces to enhance the visitor experience through site amenities and services.
• Closing the wetlands and the historic pasture in the wetlands north of the lake to human entry because of their importance to wildlife.
• Creating maintenance facilities, equipment storage, and personnel housing appropriate for site management and maintenance.