Stuff by Will Grandbois

  • Sections: News Published

    Pages of the past: ‘Can’t we just clone Fred?’

    Feb. 13, 1997: The Town of Carbondale was searching for a new police chief after long-time and highly popular chief Fred Williams retired, and the town board of trustees asked the citizens what kind of chief they’d like to see. “Can’t we just clone Fred?” was one citizen’s response, though most took the question more seriously and advocated for someone a lot like Fred — compassionate, able to listen to constituents, possessing a solid understanding of the community, and who’s more interested in Carbondale than building a career as a cop by moving to ever-larger jurisdictions. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    C’dale author explains how gardening changes lives

    • Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; • The University of California, Davis; Coming soon: • The Carbondale Branch Library; • The Tattered Cover book store in Denver. • Canada in March. That’s a bit of Illené Pevec’s speaking schedule, after New Village Press published her book “Growing a Life: Teen Gardeners Harvest Food, Health, and Joy." read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Slam represents culmination of weeks of workshops

    Owen O’Farell stands before a group of kids just a little younger than he was when he discovered poetry. Now a junior at Roaring Fork High, he has just finished reading a poem from his phone and has kept the Carbondale Middle School students engaged almost as well as Mercedez Holtry, who introduced him and does this for a living. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Brendlinger settles into his ‘dream job’

    Eric Brendlinger said he and his wife, Patty, were “kicked out” of Aspen 25 years ago when they decided they needed to find something other than seasonal employment, and also a more affordable place to live. He had worked as a ski instructor for the Ski Co., for the Aspen Youth Program, at Colorado Rocky Mountain School and other gigs. A turning point for Eric and his family came when the City of Glenwood Springs hired him as its youth programs director at its recreation center. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Wilderness Workshop fumes over natural gas leaks

    The Carbondale-based Wilderness Workshop, a conservation watchdog group, is still evaluating whether to file a lawsuit challenging recent federal approval for enlarging a compressor station that pumps natural gas into a series of storage wells in the Wolf Creek portion of the Thompson Divide. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in December agreed to permit the changes that would increase the volume of natural gas being pumped into the storage wells, as well as the level of pressure pushing that gas along through the pipes and other infrastructure. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Valley students seize hands-on learning

    In the Roaring Fork Valley, opportunities for hands-on learning experiences abound. Children in elementary and middle school can get a taste of entrepreneurship by designing and operating their own lemonade stand on the YouthEntity’s Lemonade Day. Older youth can also participate in a sustainability and education-based apprenticeship at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, YouthEntity’s culinary arts program, or a journalism internship at The Sopris Sun. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Jewelry designers putting Carbondale on the map

    Carbondale is home to many artists and craftspeople known throughout the state, country and beyond for their distinctive creations. The town is also home to a pair of five-star-rated jewelry designers/retailers – Harmony Scott, and Colby June Fulton. Harmony Scott and Colby June (as her company is known) are both full-time jewelry designers with galleries and work spaces in town, as well as prominent internet presence and retail outlets beyond Colorado’s borders. They also employ several local residents to help make their designs a reality as needed, operate their retail operations, and travel to trade shows. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Naturalist Nights continue with wildlife and energy lecture

    Wilderness Workshop, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Roaring Fork Audubon are about halfway through their Naturalist Nights winter speaker series. With topics ranging from wildlife biology to geology, and climate science to environmental policy, they run Wednesdays at the Third Street Center (520 S. 3rd St., Carbondale) and Thursdays at ACES (100 Puppy Smith Street, Aspen). Early bird Sopris Sun readers still have a chance to catch Sarah Reed’s presentation on Feb. 9, “Energy Development Impacts on Wildlife: Lessons Learned for the Next Energy Boom” with George Wittemyer is the next event to come downvalley. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Pages of the Past: Foreign foreman and a trailer park under threat

    Feb. 10, 1977 State officials revoked certification for a former Mid-Continent mine foreman after he reportedly neglected to file a form indicating his intent to become a citizen. Tom Johansen, whose nationality was not specified, had been working as an engineer for several months after an accident that left one miner hospitalized and was also the subject of several complaints regarding worker safety. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Best kept secret: the Mt. Sopris Rec. Riders

    The best kept secret label is not so widespread anymore, but one local nonprofit certainly qualifies – the Mt. Sopris Rec. Riders snowmobile club. Consider, for just a moment, what this club of 40-100 members takes on each year. • Grooming and maintaining (with the Snow Skippers and Delta SnoKrusers) the 100-mile Sunlight-Powderhorn trail; read more →