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Whit’s End: Creating connections

Carla Jean Whitley
cj@postindependent.com

Talk to Me

Post Independent Features Editor Carla Jean Whitley will continue her coffee shop listening series next week. February’s stop is in Silt, and Whitley will continue to travel throughout the county, with a different stop each month. Her hope is to make it easier for you to share your comments, ideas and concerns with the PI.

Stop in, buy yourself a cup of coffee and pull up a seat!

Where: Misty’s Coffee Shop, 704 Main St., Silt

When: Tuesday, 7-9 a.m.

Why: Visit tinyurl.com/picoffee for a more detailed explanation

Questions? Email cj@postindependent.com.

I’m not sure we can say enough about the value of community centers.

January 6, 2017, was my first full day as a Colorado resident, and I quickly got a taste of the place I newly called home. During lunch at Colorado Ranch House, I not only got to know my new boss, but also met one of the city’s movers and shakers, Jonathan Gorst. He became one of the people who keeps me up to date on local events, both at his Riviera Supper Club and Piano Bar and throughout the city. Daddy and I later met up with friends at Juicy Lucy’s before heading to Carbondale for my first First Friday.

That’s where the sense of community really kicked in.



My predecessor in this role, Will Grandbois, offered to take us around and introduce me to people I ought to know. Our first stop was Carbondale Clay Center.

It was a cold night — around 6 degrees — and Main Street was quiet. But the Clay Center was warmed by an elbow-to-elbow crowd. Daddy and I are both introverts, and I think I can safely say we were both overwhelmed by the gathering. But it left us both excited about the community I’d landed in.



More than a year later, I still talk to people who tell me we first met that night. I’m forced to admit I don’t remember them (did I mention how many people I met?), but those conversations underscore a point: Places such as these bring people together.

That evening came to mind this week, as I spoke to Alleghany Meadows about a Carbondale Clay Center fundraiser (see page B2). The fundraiser is for a memorial scholarship for Meadows’ friend Angus Graham, who seized every opportunity for human connection.

Meadows described the center as “a profound anchor in our community.” Art is only one way that people unify, but it’s among my favorites.

These connectors merit celebration, in whatever form they may take.

Carla Jean Whitley also enjoys seeking connection over coffee. You can find her throughout Garfield County during her monthly listening series, or you can connect with her directly by emailing cj@postindependent.com.


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