I-70 westbound reopens at No Name following Saturday afternoon rockslide

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.

Snow day: Re-1 schools, CMC campuses, Adventure Park closed Friday, PI e-edition free to read today

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.

Legal battle over Garfield Re-2 school board member Tony May’s recall gains traction

The Garfield Re-2 School Board witnessed a high-stakes drama unfold on Wednesday at the Garfield County Administrative Building as board member Tony May sat at the heart of a recall storm, challenging the process on a technicality related to a petition’s filing timeline.

“The reason why we’re here today is as you noted, to protest the sufficiency of the recall petition that’s been circulated to recall Mr. May from his board position,” said Drew Kraniak, May’s attorney. “It’s our position that the petition and the circulation is insufficient, and the basis for that is that the committee has failed to submit all 99 sections that they compiled signatures to recall Mr. May; each of those were filed untimely per the statute.”

Kraniak argued for a strict adherence to the statute, which states that  the recall coalition had only 60 days from the petition’s approval to gather signatures.

The contention arises from when the clock started ticking. The petition was approved after business hours on a Friday, but Garfield County Clerk and Recorder Jackie Harmon advised the coalition to start collecting signatures the following Monday. This advice led to a legal battle, with Kraniak suggesting such an extension is against Colorado law.

Harmon, in her defense, maintained that setting the timeline within her purview was consistent with her responsibilities. 

“My interpretation of these statutes was that as a designated elected official conducting the events of the recall election, that I was responsible for approving the petition and setting the 60 days of the petition circulation no more than 60 days,” Harmon said. “The start date of the circulation, Nov. 27 is noted on the front of the petition.”

Harmon said that she had emailed the letter of approval with the start date and the end date of the petition circulation to the committee. The letter noted a start date to begin circulation on Nov. 27 and a submit date of 5 p.m. Jan. 26. Harmon highlighted that she turned in the petition at 3 p.m. on the final day.

The recall petition, deemed sufficient on Feb. 29 with 2,441 signatures, aims to remove May from his position following controversies over educational standards within the district. May has the option to resign or face a special election, which due to legal and procedural timelines, may not occur until 2025.

Glenwood Springs native Scott Bolitho is presumed to challenge May if the recall proceeds. The recall effort, spearheaded by the Coalition for Responsible Education in Re-2, arises from dissatisfaction with May’s handling of educational content standards during his tenure as school board president.

“The committee had 60 days from the date that the form was approved by Miss Harmon to file with the clerk and recorder, they did not do so,” Kraniak emphasized, suggesting a breach of statutory requirements.

On the other side, Garfield County Assistant Attorney Janette Shute argued for a liberal interpretation of recall rights, implying that the actions taken by Harmon and the recall committee did not disadvantage May. 

“The committee relied on the clerk’s setting of the circulation period,” Shute said. “Mr. May was aware of the circulation dates, and although he had no above legation to raise objection, he in fact had no objection or communicated any concern.”

The final decision to determine where May’s position on the Garfield Re-2 board must be decided by April 10.

CMC Board of Trustees seeks public input for their next college president search 

In a news release detailing their hiring process for Colorado Mountain College’s next president, the college’s Board of Trustees said they would soon be accepting input from community members regarding their search; and the invitation has officially arrived.  

Last week, CMC President Carrie Besnette Hauser announced her decision to step down in August after over 10 years in the role. In a separate announcement on March 22, the board said they would be opening an internal application for current CMC employees from March 27 to April 5.  

Now, trustees are asking members of the public to complete a survey “to assist them with understanding community priorities pertaining to the next college president,” according to a Wednesday news release.  

The survey may be completed through April 5 at colomtn.me/presidential-search. Trustees will also elicit feedback from students, faculty and staff, according to the release. 

“Trustees will meet again in April to determine next steps in the search process, with a goal of having a new president in the role by the start of the 2024 fall semester,” the release states. 

City of Glenwood Springs awarded $1 million grant for Blake Avenue reconstruction 

The City of Glenwood Springs was awarded a $1 million grant by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for their upcoming reconstruction project on Blake Avenue. 

The $1 million grant funds come from state severance tax proceeds and will pay for utility upgrades on Blake Avenue, which will make up part of a larger set of restorations and improvements for the street. 

“Having these DOLA grants allows us to accomplish a lot of our goals,” City Engineer Ryan Gordon said. “The rate of inflation and costs is exceeding the money coming in, so it makes it difficult. These grants are really critical to be able to bridge those budget shortfalls.” 

Gordon said obtaining the grant has been a six-month process between putting together an application, interviewing with DOLA representatives in mid-February and waiting for a response. 

DOLA’s award letter to Mayor Ingrid Wussow states that the grant was awarded based on a variety of factors, including “its connection to energy impact, degree of need, measurable outcomes, amount of request, relationship to community goals, level of local match and community support, management capacity, resiliency and readiness to go.” 

Conditions for the grant include a roughly $1 million match from the city, which will make up part of the $3-$3.5 million overall cost for the reconstruction project. The City of Glenwood Springs’ contribution will come from its local infrastructure fund, which is funded through sales tax. The city has also received additional funding for the project from the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. 

“It (the grant) is part of our Blake phase one project, which is infrastructure repairs from 24th street to 27th street,” Gordon said. “The DOLA grant specifically is for most of our underground utilities and infrastructure.” 

The project’s boundaries cover the stretch of Blake Avenue between 24th and 27th Street, including the connecting 24th and 26th Street roadways onto Colorado Highway 82. 

City of Glenwood Springs Public Information Officer Bryana Starbuck explained that there are three parts to phase one of the reconstruction project: Below-street utility and pothole-prevention work, surface road repair, and above-ground connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists. Future phases of the project will consider a master plan for the 13th-to-27th-Street-stretch of Blake Avenue. 

Gordon said that the area from 24th to 27th street doesn’t have much stormwater infrastructure, and that the money from DOLA will be used for brand-new stormwater collection system upgrades, which will make up the utility phase of the Blake Avenue project. 

“There are some really antiquated water lines along 26th street … and (we will be) upsizing and repairing some of the sewer laterals along Blake, and then a short section of new sewer in 24th Street,” he said. “Additionally, the dollar money will be used for electrical infrastructure. This section of road has no overhead or pedestrian safety lighting at all, and so part of this project is to include electrical lines to support that overhead and pedestrian lighting for pedestrian safety.” 

Outside of that first phase, the overall Blake Avenue project consists of completely “redoing and rebuilding that entire stretch of road,” according to Gordon. 

“That section of Blake has more potholes than road,” he continued. “Our plan is to fully remove not only asphalt, but the filling subgrade beneath it and fully rebuild the roads entirely.” 

Another highlight of the overall project will be an 8-to-10-foot-wide concrete multi-use path in the same stretch of road, which will predominantly serve as pedestrian and biking infrastructure, which is currently missing from 24th to 27th Street. 

“We want to start to build and fix these areas of town that don’t have good biking and pedestrian facilities,” Gordon said. “This will connect the BRT station at 27th Street to more of Glenwood’s existing biking and pedestrian infrastructure.” 

The west side of Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs already has a well-established biking and pedestrian path that runs through the Rio Grande trail. The city’s hope with this project is to create an equally accessible path on the other side of Grand Avenue. 

“We have an overall goal for the Blake corridor to make it the predominant biking-pedestrian route on the east side of Grand Avenue,” he said. “We don’t have something similar on the east side, so Blake is going to be that conduit. This is the first step in making sure we have really good, high-quality pedestrian biking facilities for people to use.” 

Gordon said the grant has also given the city an opportunity to “stretch those infrastructure dollars” by considering the extension of a water line branch to bring a fire hydrant between Ace Hardware and Community Thrift & Treasure, as that area is considered a “fire hydrant desert.” 

“This is an opportunity to improve public safety by stretching those infrastructure dollars,” Gordon said. 

Community response and public input

The letters from DOLA states that the project’s “community support” was one of the factors that qualified it for the grant. 

“Throughout this project (on) the design of Blake, we’ve had multiple rounds of community meetings,” Gordon said. “We’ve had both meetings at CMC Blake center … we’ve had several pop-up meetings more locally in the neighborhoods. And specifically for this session, engineering staff and others have reached out and talked to most, if not all, of the property owners and residents along that stretch to get their input and talk about the impacts to … their properties (and) the neighborhood in general.” 

Gordon said the engineering team then took some of the feedback and suggestions they received from those meetings and incorporated them into the project design. 

One of the considerations they took from the public’s comments is which parts of Blake Avenue should function as one-way streets. Right now, 26th to 27th Street on Blake runs one-way toward the south; the city is considering expanding the one-way rule to be from 24th to 27th Street. 

“This final design reflects the various stages of public comment,” Starbuck said. “This section of Blake is not in good shape, it is actively in very bad shape.” 

Next steps

The Blake Street reconstruction project is currently out to bid. Glenwood Springs City Council will award the project to a contractor during their April 4 regular session. 

“We are going to start construction maybe as soon as the middle of April, but certainly this calendar year,” Gordon said. He added that the city anticipates completing phase one of the project before the end of the year. 

The Post Independent will continue to report on this project as more information becomes available. Future updates from the city will include detailed lists of the project’s design features, a start date, and information on the impacts on the traveling public. 

For more information about the project, visit cogs.us/blake. Questions can be directed to the City of Glenwood Springs Engineering department, or to Gordon at ryan.gordon@cogs.us. 

“We really want to make sure that anybody who has questions gets them answered,” Gordon said. “We’re happy to have a conversation (through) either phone call or email, or even to meet someone in front of their house or on-site or someplace else. We really want to have good engagement so people feel any issues are being addressed.”

Carsten column: Evidence based medicine and integrative veterinary medicine

Evidence based medicine (EBM) as a concept was brought to our attention in the 1990’s. Its goal was to improve the quality of healthcare by focusing on using information from three essential areas: 1) highest quality research available, 2) healthcare provider’s expertise, and 3) patient’s core values. This was an attempt to provide a consistent framework for optimal patient care.

Since its inception, EBM has received lots of attention. It is often used to disparage a medical approach that is not supported by a randomized controlled study or meta-analysis results. However the focus of EBM was always on the use of the best available data, which is not always controlled studies. As Tenny et al. state in 2022, EBM “…uses the scientific method to organize and apply current data to improve healthcare decisions.”

Quality of healthcare evidence has been ranked into six levels to aid in understanding its relative strength. Generally, quality increases as the research studies become more sophisticated, involve more patients, and when there are multiple studies with similar results. This is why the focus has been on controlled studies and meta-analysis. Unfortunately, results from the highest level of research are not available for every healthcare challenge. This means that some healthcare decisions must be based on less than top tier research evidence. It is up to the healthcare provider to stay current with the best data available.

Every patient is an individual and healthcare decisions should take that individuality into consideration when making recommendations. It is up to the healthcare provider to recognize the patient’s unique needs and integrate that with the highest quality evidence available. That is why Tenny et al. go on to point out that the quality of the evidence is not the only factor that EBM uses. Their article continues “…the best available science is combined with the healthcare professional’s clinical experience and the patient’s values to arrive at the best medical decision for the patient.” Sackett et al. in 1996 emphasized that research data can inform healthcare decisions but can never replace the healthcare provider’s expertise that decides how to incorporate research evidence into the healthcare decisions.

Given the complexity of providing healthcare, ongoing need for quality research, and the need to stay current with medical information, it is no surprise, that full application of EBM concepts has been difficult. Conventional medicine is often viewed as the only form of practice that adheres to EBM with the implication that conventional medicine is the only scientifically valid healthcare option. This view is ironic because while healthcare providers strive to incorporate the highest quality evidence, it is currently estimated that less than 18% of the approaches used in human healthcare are derived from the top tier quality information; a number that some feel has remained relatively unchanged since the 1990’s. One goal of EBM was to have 90% of healthcare be based on the highest quality data by 2020. It is clear from recent studies that that level has not been reached.

An important question to consider is how EBM relates to integrative veterinary medicine. Fortunately there has been a significant increase in quality research related to application of integrative therapies.  In addition, the intense interest in integrative approaches has contributed to increasing expertise in its application. For example, data is now available comparing patient response to acupuncture, conservative therapy, and surgery for herniated spinal discs in dogs. This has shown that dogs receiving acupuncture have a comparable recovery rate to those receiving surgery and is superior to conservative therapy alone for certain patients. Another example is the use of a mushroom extract in dogs with a certain type of cancer. In one study this extract provided longer survival time than the commonly used chemotherapy.

With this growing body of evidence specifically related to integrative therapies, it is no longer acceptable to say that there is no evidence to support their use. These statements demonstrate a lack of awareness and knowledge of the currently available research evidence. Training programs are continually being developed and refined so that the best therapeutic recommendations can be made using the most appropriate healing modalities including acupuncture, manual therapies, herbs, and nutritional supplements along with conventional approaches.

If you have questions about using integrative therapies for your pet, contact an integrative veterinarian that can offer an EBM approach that incorporates a range of important therapies.

Ron Carsten, DVM, PhD, CVA, CCRT was one of the first veterinarians in Colorado to use the integrative approach, has lectured widely to veterinarians, and has been a pioneer in the therapeutic use of food concentrates to manage clinical problems. He is also the founder of Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE). In addition to his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, he holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. He practices integrative veterinary medicine in Glenwood Springs. Dr. Carsten is the 2022 Colorado Veterinary Medical Association Distinguished Service Award recipient.

Garfield County Library events for Apr. 1-7

The Garfield County Libraries have the Aspen Science Center dropping by at different branches during the week. A mental health education event in Rifle is happening on Tuesday and the April Board Meeting is at the Glenwood Springs Branch on Thursday. Journal in nature on Friday at Carbondale and on Saturday, be present for the Seed Starting Workshop to learn all about growing your own food. Be sure to visit the libraries’ events pages because some may require pre-registration or include details not listed here. The webpage can be found here: https://www.gcpld.org/news-and-events

Library locations are:

Parachute: 244 Grand Valley Way

Rifle: 207 East Ave.

Silt: 680 Home Ave.

New Castle: 402 West Main St.

Glenwood Springs: 815 Cooper Ave.

Carbondale: 320 Sopris Ave.

MONDAY

Parachute:

STEM Exploration Hour with the Aspen Science Center at 11:30 a.m. 

Rifle:

Sensory Playgroup Time at 10 a.m.

Learn to Play the Ukulele at 4:30 p.m. 

Beginner Guitar for Adults at 6:15 p.m. 

Silt:

Club de Bolsitas Rojas at 10:30 a.m. 

New Castle:

Exposicion al Idioma Ingles Clase Para Adultos at 6 p.m. 

Carbondale:

Club de Bolsitas at 10:30 a.m. 

In Stitches Knitting Club at 1:30 p.m. 

English in Action: Open Hours at 6:30 p.m. 


TUESDAY

Parachute:

Dungeons and Dragons Club at 5 p.m. 

Rifle:

Great Expectations Circle of Parents at 10:30 a.m. 

What is Mental Health? at 4 p.m. 

Zumba with Alejandra at 7 p.m. 

New Castle:

Storytime at 10:30 a.m.

Glenwood Springs:

Storytime at 11:15 a.m. 

Carbondale:

Baby & Me Storytime at 10:15 a.m. 

PAWS to Read at 3:30 p.m. 


WEDNESDAY

Parachute:

Storytime at 10:30 a.m.

Learn to Play the Ukulele at 2 p.m. 

Rifle:

Preschool Playgroup at 10:30 a.m. 

English/Spanish Conversation Circle at 6:45 p.m. 

Silt:

Storytime at 10:30 a.m. 

Glenwood Springs:

Club de Bolsitas Rojas at 10:30 a.m. 

STEM Exploration Hour with the Aspen Science Center at 2:30 p.m.

Carbondale:

SPARK at 2 p.m. 

STEM Exploration Hour with the Aspen Science Center at 3:30 p.m.


THURSDAY

Parachute:

Little Red Bag Club at 10:30 a.m. 

Club de Bolsitas Rojas at noon. 

Rifle:

Storytime at 11 a.m. 

Geri-Fit at 5 p.m. 

Glenwood Springs:

Get the Wiggles Out! at 11:15 a.m. 

April Board Meeting at 2 p.m. 

Carbondale:

Storytime at 10:30 a.m. 

FRIDAY

Parachute:

Baby & Me Storytime at 11:30 a.m. 

Rifle:

SPARK at 11:30 a.m. 

Club de Bolsitas Rojas at noon. 

Teen Tech Club at 1 p.m. 

Anime Club at 2:30 p.m. 

Silt:

Shake Your Sillies Out at 10 a.m. 

Meal Monkey at 11:30 a.m. 

SPARK at 11:30 a.m.

New Castle:
Club de Bolsitas Rojas at 10 a.m. 

STEM Exploration Hour with the Aspen Science Center at noon.

N.C. Gamers at 4 p.m. 

Glenwood Springs:

Your Story, Your Life at 10 a.m. 

Carbondale:

Nature Journaling with Words and Drawings at 1 p.m. 

Curso Basico de Computacion Para Adultos at 5:15 p.m. 


SATURDAY

Carbondale:

Seed Starting Workshop with Growing Empowerment at 10 a.m. 

Sound Immersion at 1 p.m.


SUNDAY

Carbondale:

The Lost Art of Random Conversations at 6 p.m. 

Doctor’s Tip: A potpourri of health tips

Every now and then it’s useful to offer important but short health tips that don’t warrant a whole column of their own.

From “Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It” by John Abramson, MD, Msc.

  • It’s not all about how long people live but how many years they live without quality of life-robbing illnesses—called healthy life expectancy. Since 2000, Americans’ healthy life expectancy has gone from 38th in the world to 68th, now behind China, Cuba, and Jamaica. Japanese now live 8 years longer in good health and Canadians 5.2 years.
  • America has by far the most expensive healthcare system in the world but is far down the list for health outcomes. We spend 17.7 percent of our GDP on healthcare annually, while 11 other wealthy countries spend 10.7 percent.
  • Over the past 40 years, public funding for medical research has declined; pharmaceutical companies now control most medical research, which therefore is biased.
  • Peer reviewers, medical journal editors, and guideline writers do not have access to the complete data from industry-sponsored drug trials, so that even articles in respected medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) can be biased, unbeknownst to medical professionals.
  • Seven out of eight newly approved drugs are promoted as providing previously unavailable benefits even if they don’t.
  • Big Pharma’s primary motivation has become “the exploitation of each situation as a unique opportunity to maximize profits, regardless of the overall impact on society.”

From the winter 2024 issues of “Good Medicine” published by PCRM (Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine)

  • A plant-based, whole food diet, which lowers the risk of many diseases including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, can lower food costs by at least 16 percent. Furthermore, it cuts health care and drug costs for individuals.
  • Regarding the environment, compared with an animal-based diet a plant-based, whole food diet results in 75 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions, 75 percent less land use, and 54 percent less water use, in addition less deforestation and pollution.
  • For those interested in animal rights, billions of animals are slaughtered every year in the U.S. for food:  9.5 billion chickens, 208 million turkeys, 125 million hogs, 34 million cattle, 2 million sheep and lambs, 26 million ducks, and 369,200 calves. To see what kind of lives animals have on industrial farms, watch the documentary Food, Inc.
  • A PCRM study found that a low-fat vegan diet that included soybeans reduced menopausal hot flashes by 88 percent, in part due to changes in the gut microbiome.

University of California-Berkeley Wellness Letter

  • Adjusting for inflation, Americans spent an average of $1,073 on prescription drugs in 2018, compared with $140 in 1980—a seven-fold increase. One in four adults has difficulty paying for their prescription drugs.
  • Added sugar contributes to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and cavities, but here’s a new association:  kidney stones. “The more sugar consumed, the greater the prevalence of kidney stones.”
  • Melatonin is our natural “sleep hormone,” and is also available as a supplement, which some people take as a sleep aid. Unfortunately, supplements (in contrast to prescription drugs, which are controlled by the FDA) are poorly regulated. In one study 25 melatonin products were tested and 1 had no melatonin at all. The other 24 contained 74 to 347 percent of the amount claimed on the label.

Dr. Feinsinger is a retired family physician with special interest in disease prevention and reversal through nutrition. Free services through Center For Prevention and The People’s Clinic include: one-hour consultations, shop-with-a-doc at Carbondale City Market, and cooking classes. Call 970-379-5718 for an appointment, or email gfeinsinger@comcast.net.

Easterly history, vernal celebrations and the curiosity of the rabbits

Equinoxes and solstices have been identified by humans for thousands of years, as shown by the multiple structures that line up with the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the winter and summer solstices. 

According to the official Stonehenge website, the circular structure of Stonehenge, dated to 3000 BCE, stands in Wiltshire, England, and on the summer solstice the sun rises directly above the Heel stone. LiveSciene’s article by Laura Geggel about the Great Sphinx in front of the Pyramid of Khafre says that it aligns with the vernal and autumnal equinox as the sun settles on the right shoulder of the Sphinx. The Sphinx, with the face of the Pharaoh Khafre, links the Pharaoh with the sun, depicted by the god, Ra. 

These are not the only examples of humans tracking equinoxes and solstices according to the Almanac site: the ancient Puebloans’ Sun Dagger in Chaco Canyon, Newgrange in Ireland, the Mayan Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Incan Machu Picchu in Peru are all examples of the yearly phenomena.

In Mesopotamia, these phenomena were celebrated, the vernal equinox akitu celebrating the start of the new year. According to The Ishtar Gate site, originally as festivities in the city of Ur, founded in 3800 BCE, to the moon god, Nanna (or Sin), and sun god, Utu (or Shamash), it changed after upheavals in the Middle East.

The gateways to Babylon site says the akitu festivities became a symbol of the god Marduk, who famously dies and comes back to life, and thereafter, celebrates the coming spring. 

The vernal equinox, or the spring equinox, in particular, is the symbol of life returning to the earth: as shown by not just the Mesopotamian Inanna and Dumuzid, her consort, who did not mourn her correctly and thus spends half of each year in Kur, the Underworld. Persephone, the Greek goddess of Spring, spending half of each year in Hades, the Underworld, is another example. 

The cycle of the seasons, marked by equinoxes and solstices, often with a ‘descent to the Underworld’ has been in place since, at the least, 3800 BCE in Mesopotamia. As the world has changed, so too have the celebrations of such markings. 

Easter, the Christian celebration of the renewal of life, often interchanged with the Jewish Passover, has, particularly, roots in Germanic and Norse pagan beliefs, even though it has been acknowledged before that, as seen by akitu and Stonehenge. 

Germanic and Norse mythology weren’t always written down – according to Denise Schmandt-Besserat writing came about in 3200 BCE in Mesopotamia in the form of cuneiform. However, the Vikingeskibs Museet website (Viking Ship Museum) says the Norse people began writing with runes in about 730 CE, and some of the greatest sources of Norse religion were written by Snorri Sturluson, in the 1200s, leaving somewhat of a gap. 

This comes into play when the Venerable Bede (or Saint Bede), famous for writing the “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”, completed in 731, was writing about the month of April in another work, “The Reckoning of Time”. In this work, he mentions the Germanic goddess, Ēostre, and how in April, the Anglo-saxon people would celebrate this time. 

Ēostre is only mentioned once in Bede’s work and is mentioned seemingly nowhere else. However, since people of these ancient religions might not have written down their religions and traditions, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist – most ancient people had oral tradition, passing down stories from mouth to ear. 

Christianity was part of the invasions of places with other religions – Sturluson wrote “The Prose Edda”, “Poetic Edda” and more as a Christian hearing the myths from the people who still remembered the stories. If Ēostre was one of these names that came from mouth to ear, it would mean Bede’s mention of Ēostre might not come from nowhere. 

The name ‘Ēostre’ has roots and connections to other Indo-European dawn goddesses, like the Vedic Ushas, the Greek Eos, and the Roman Aurora. As such, the name survived thousands of years and has come to name the Christian celebration of Easter. 

As Ēostre symbolized the coming of day and beginning of spring, like others before her, so too does Easter with the death and rebirth of Joshua, much like the death and rebirth of Baldr, the Norse deity of light. 

Joshua, (or Jesus), and his rebirth during this time is celebrated today as Easter, with the ancient symbol of eggs and curiously, the symbol of rabbits. The hare was associated with Ēostre allegedly, but occurred in Germany in the 1600s as the Easter Hare judging children’s naughty and niceness during Eastertide, much like Santa Claus of Christmas.

In all this talk of Easter, Ēostre, and the vernal equinox, there are always false claims – the indication of Easter coming from Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love, creation, and destruction, isn’t true. The name ‘Ishtar’ is of Semitic derivation of the Afroasiatic languages, whereas Ēostre is from West germanic in the Proto-Indo-European languages; they’re not part of the same language trees, and therefore, no correlation can be drawn between Ishtar and Easter, even if they sound similar. 

As Easter is celebrated now, it has changed from the moon-ruled part of the year in akitu, from marking a passage of time with huge, labor-filled erections of stone edifices to align with the sun rising on the equinoxes. When celebrating Easter now, symbols of what came before are still relevant to today, almost as if they couldn’t stay buried.

A&E in Garfield County for March 29 – April 7

Note: for a complete list of calendar events from around Garfield County and the Roaring Fork Valley, go to http://www.postindependent.com/entertainment/community-calendar/.

Glenwood Vaudeville Spring Show

What: The Vaudeville Revue’s Spring Show is a two-hour family-fun dinner theater showcasing a variety of comedy skits, jokes, high energy dance numbers, unique novelty songs and original comedic presentations.

When: 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until June 15.

Where: Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, 915 Grand Ave.

How much: $28 for adults, $25 for seniors, $16 for children 12 and under.


Clay: Give it a Spin Night

What: For adults 21+ looking to reconnect with or give clay a whirl for the first time! Bring your beverage of choice, come meet people in the community and explore a creative outlet. An instructor will demonstrate the steps for making a piece on the wheel, then participants have about an hour and a half to make their own. All levels of experience welcome, completed pieces will be glazed and fired. For more information, contact artcenter@cogs.us or call 970-319-5644.

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m., March 29

Where: Community Art Center, 601 E. 6th St.

How much: $55 per person


Concerts at Steve’s Guitars

What: Steve’s Guitars will be hosting several artists and performance over the next week. For more information, visit Steve’s Guitar’s Eventbrite page or stevesguitars.net.

Dates:

  • Haley Harkin and Carly Anne, 8-10 p.m., March 29
  • Bryan Beilanski, 8-10 p.m., April 1
  • Jeff Crosby and Friends, 8-10 p.m., April 2
  • Austin Skalecki, 8-10 p.m., April 5
  • June Star, 9:45-11:30 p.m., April 5

Where: Steve’s Guitars, 19 N 4th St, Carbondale.

How much: $20-$30, prices vary per performance and seating.


Beginner Fencing Class

What: A six-week beginner fencing class for grades 7-14. Students will learn the basics of footwork, bladework, tactics, and rules all in a safe, fun environment. All equipment provided, no experience necessary. Find more info and sign up, visit roaringforkfc.com/beginners.

When: 4:15-5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays from April 3 – May 15

Where: Community Art Center, 601 E 6th St.

How much: $120, with some assistance available.


Empty Bowls fundraiser

What: CMC’s eighth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser. Attendees can enjoy a selection of lunch soups, which they will eat from a hand-crafted ceramic bowl of their choosing. In addition to getting to keep their ceramic bowls, the lunch will be followed by a silent auction of art items. Proceeds will go to Grand River Meals on Wheels of Western Garfield County.

When: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., April 3

Where: Grand River Health Ballroom, 501 Airport Road, Rifle.

How much: Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at the door or prior to the event at Grand River Health Café, Grand River Health Gift Shop or through Eventbrite.


Girl Scout Trolls Party

What: Girl Scouts of Colorado and DreamWorks’ Trolls band together to explore the Girl Scout Law in a whole new way: from a Troll’s-eye view! This Girls Scouts event will help young girls make new friends, band together and create their own sisterhood. Contact the Glenwood Springs Library for more information.

When: 5:30-6:30 p.m., April 5

Where: Glenwood Springs Branch Library, 815 Cooper Ave.

How much: Free


Under the LiteraSea: An adult spelling bee and fundraiser

What: Join Literacy Outreach at the Hotel Colorado for the 30th annual Spellebration, an adult spelling bee and fundraiser! Gather teams of three and compete for the best costume AND to earn bragging rights as the best spellers in Garfield County. All proceeds from this event benefit the adult learners of Literacy Outreach. To register your team, visit literacyoutreach.org/volunteers/spellebration/.

When: 5:30 p.m., April 5

Where: Hotel Colorado, 526 Pine St.

How much: Team registration fee is $300.


Saturday Clay Play

What: Monthly pottery class for parents and children ages 3-6. Please bring a snack! Visit bit.ly/glenwoodrec-arts to register. For more information, contact artcenter@cogs.us or call 970-319-5644,

When: 10:00-11:30 a.m., April 6

Where: Community Art Center, 601 E. 6th St.

How much: $50 per child, parents or caregivers are free.

In Memoriam: Tony Manuppella

April 16, 1957 – December 27, 2023

A Celebration of Life for Tony Manuppella will be held Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 11:00am at the Rifle Elks Lodge. Please join us to share memories of Tony throughout his life.

Lions Club Easter egg hunt returns this Saturday

A Rifle tradition has come back around this Spring: the 88th Rifle Lions Club Easter egg hunt will be this Saturday at Deerfield Park ballfields in northern Rifle, a press release from the Lions Club stated. 

There will be three age groups for this hunt: children up to age 3, then ages 4-6, and finally, 7-9. Registration for giveaways of bicycles, Easter baskets and giant peeps begins at 9 a.m. and all will be given away at 9:45 a.m., the release stated. 

The Easter egg hunt will begin at 10 a.m. Pieces of candy might be marked with a number. If they are, find the number at the participating business in town and they will give your child another prize. Should they be closed on Saturday, return during their regular business hours, the release stated. 

In addition to the marked candy, there will be plastic eggs filled with toys and prizes. Also, the Rifle Fire Department will be onsite for children to get an up close and personal experience, the release stated. 

For more information, contact club president Tracy Barner at 970-319-6650 or club member Cindi Finney at 970-379-1304.

If you go…

What: 88th Rifle Lions Club Easter egg hunt

Where: Deerfield Park ballfields, 300 E 30th St.