Stuff by Will Grandbois

  • Sections: News Published

    Practice makes perfect for ‘Messiah’ performers

    The spirit was already there in the area’s first performance of George Frideric Handel’s choral epic “Messiah” 40 years ago, but the substance had room for improvement. “We were terrible when I think back,” said Steve Child who, along with his wife, Molly, has been participating almost since Day One. “Over the years we’ve added more parts of it and become more expert… Now the group has really blended.” read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Trustees approve 2018 budget

    The die is cast for Carbondale’s spending next year, though Town Manager Jay Harrington characterized the budget approved on Dec. 12 as “a living document.” If anything, it’s conservative projections for income — a 2 percent sales tax increase compared to 3.4 percent this year — and expenses may help avoid dipping into reserves. That’s precisely what happened last year, when trustees accepted the possibility of reducing savings to 75 percent of annual operating costs. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    What’s with this Minnie Pearl character on our cover?

    If you’re too young to recall, Minnie Pearl appeared for decades on the Grand Ole Opry and Heehaw. When Sarah Ophelia Colley created Minnie Pearl, by accident she left a price tag on Minnie’s flower-bedecked hat. Later, Colley decided that the price tag was essential to Minnie’s countrified character. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Pages of the Past: Unions, lawsuits and global warming

    In something of a surprise vote, miners at the Anschutz Thompson Creek mine west of Carbondale voted to become a non-union operation. The national United Mine Workers of America and local Redstone Workers Association had vied for the votes of 92 eligible hourly workers, but in the end an independent shop won out. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Event task force recommends common consumption

    It has been a fairly quiet year for Carbondale’s Special Event Task Force, but that may be about to change. The committee seems to have resolved many of the complaints that corresponded with its creation several years ago, Co-Chair Jake Boyles told trustees on Dec. 12. And with the calendar looking almost identical 2017 except for applying street closures to every single First Friday, it didn’t take long to approve the schedule. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Disaster (mostly) averted for Mobile Maker Bus

    Firefighters snuffed a smoldering battery compartment Rosybelle Mobile Maker Bus on Dec. 8 before it could spread further. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Zoning change proposed for new housing project

    The Garfield County Planning Commission will consider a developer’s application to amend the county’s comprehensive plan in order to accommodate a vision for a new community of up to 400 small houses in the pasture northwest of the intersection of Catherine Store Road and Highway 82. Ken Arnold, managing member of Florida and Aspen based GatorCap, submitted an application earlier this year that will be formally considered when the Commission meets Dec. 13. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Roaring Fork choir ready to sing in the holidays

    At a small school, a single teacher can make all the difference. Case in point: Marcia Kuhlman and the fledgling Roaring Fork High School Choral Music Department, which puts on its inaugural Holiday Harmonies Winter Concert event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at The Orchard. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Hometown support sought for hometown trail

    If all goes according to plan, on Friday, Dec. 15, Aspen Valley Land Trust will purchase the long sought-after 25-acre land parcel at the base of Red Hill. The sale is the first step of a larger vision to build a new trailhead and parking for the popular 19-mile trail system. “I’m super confident this is going to happen,” AVLT Executive Director Suzanne Stephens said of the land acquisition. While the land itself — which has been on the organization’s radar for more than five years — will require $825,000, the entire project carries a $1.35m price tag. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Our Town: Natalie Spears

    Natalie Spears is perhaps best known as a founding member of the local band Pearl & Wood (pearlandwood.com) that seemed to be playing every venue and event around this summer. She’s also a teacher of music and adventure, and she’s currently helping revive the art of the “crankie” scrolling stories — more at nataliespears.com. Sopris Sun: Where are you from and how did you end up out here? Natalie Spears: I grew up in Washington D.C., but I spent a lot of time upvalley as a kid because my grandpa helped start the hut system. read more →