Keep kids fed

Kids should not be going hungry because their families can’t afford food. The Healthy School Meals for All program is an investment in public education and in our children who need healthy food to learn. 

When all kids have access to free meals at schools, up to 40% more kids are able to get the food they need and avoid going hungry. It is important that all kids have access to food when they need it, but rising costs are putting a lot of families in a tough position. This November, voters can help do something about it by supporting Proposition FF. 

Prop FF will provide long-term funding for healthy school meals for public school students in our state. This will have positive benefits for schools, support local farmers and food producers, increase wages for the people who work so hard to prepare and serve meals for our kids, and most of all it is a concrete and effective way to help eliminate food insecurity in our state. 

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Studies have shown that when children are given healthy food they do better in school and stay healthier overall. Healthy food is as important as any other tool for children to learn, grow and thrive. Right now low income thresholds are leaving many children out of current school meals programs. I am excited to vote yes on this measure in the fall to do something about it and ensure that kids don’t go hungry. I hope that others will join me. 

Ashley Wheeland, Denver

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Don’t reward dishonesty

​​Lauren Boebert taking credit for legislation that she voted against is like an ex-president claiming (without proof) that they won an election, that they clearly lost. 

All but their blinkered faithful followers see through the deceit. Don’t reward dishonesty, vote for Adam Frisch for Colorado CD3. He will represent all of his constituents, even Boebert.

JM Jesse, Glenwood Springs 

Moller for Clerk

I’m writing today to endorse Becky Moller for Garfield County Clerk. I have known Becky since 2012. Becky has been in the valley for decades and is dedicated to public service. 

Becky spent 13 years on the Parks and Recreation Board for the Town of Carbondale, six of those years as the chair. She understands what it takes to be an effective leader and believes deeply in the core tenants of democracy. 

I believe that Becky will ensure that the Clerk’s office is transparent and open and will create an environment of trust and effectiveness. 

Jess Robison, Carbondale

Couey endorsement

I have had the pleasure of working with Carrie Couey in numerous ways over the last two years. She serves as a board member of the Colorado County Treasurer and Public Trustee Association (CCTPTA) and as chairperson of Colorado CCTPTA District 1. 

Treasurer Couey is respected by her peers throughout the state of Colorado. She has proven to be a professional, hardworking, non-partisan leader in the CCTPTA. 

We share the same desire to ensure our local government conducts business with efficiency, accuracy, accountability and equally for the benefit of all residents and taxpayers. She has been a dedicated servant to the citizens of Garfield County over the last two years as she worked to establish superior customer service and implement best practices and principles for the Garfield County Treasurer’s Office.

2022 provides Garfield County the opportunity to assure that you retain an experienced, dedicated, proven financial professional in the Treasurer’s Office, vote Carrie Couey for County Treasurer and Public Trustee!

Lane Iacovetto, Routt County Treasurer and Public Trustee

Nurses for Gordon

As professional nurses, we are concerned about the health of the people in our community, and that’s why we are voting for Ryan Gordon for Garfield County Commissioner.

Ryan took COVID-19 seriously from the beginning, following instructions from doctors for staying safe, wearing a mask in public, and getting a vaccine once it was available. He understands that science, not politics, is what will help us fight this and other communicable diseases.

He has proposed a logical idea that would have helped cool the rhetoric of 2020, and will definitely help us address future health issues. Ryan says it’s time to appoint medical professionals to serve along with the three county commissioners as the County Board of Health.

County commissioners are expected to keep track of many issues. They rely on advisors in many fields. Their decision-making would benefit greatly from having medical professionals sitting at the table when they meet as the Board of Health.

It’s not just COVID. Other health problems face our county, including the very dangerous use of fentanyl, the need for a detox facility, and rebuilding trust in mental health care.

Ryan Gordon is a problem-solver with fresh, creative ideas. He can help make Garfield County a healthier place to live. Please join us in voting for Ryan Gordon for Garfield County Commissioner.

Wanda Berryman, RN, BSN; Trish Kramer, RN, BSN, MHA; Sheri Tonozzi, RN, Glenwood Springs

Another for Moller

I’m endorsing Becky Moller for Garfield County Clerk because she is an excellent leader who is extremely well versed in the law and handles complex issues professionally and fairly.  

I’ve been honored to work with her on a municipal commission and also a community project and have found her easy to work with. She will make an excellent County Clerk.

John S Williams, Carbondale

Better things to pray for

Driving to work every day, I pass the picketers in front of Planned Parenthood with their signs and slogans, enjoining everyone to “Pray to End Abortion” — and I’m offended afresh by their disingenuous and sanctimonious posturing.

Disingenuous, because they are not attempting to engage in moral persuasion but instead wish to impose, by force of law, their patriarchal politics, disguised as piety, on others who have different moral and political understandings.

Sanctimonious, because they imply that only they care about the lives of infants and the moral health of women. As if the decision to abort a pregnancy were as selfish, as thoughtless, as contextless as the decision to have sex usually is for a man.

I wish I had time to make the signs I would like to carry among theirs. They would say, “Work and Pray to end Sexism,” “Work and Pray to End Racism,” “Work and Pray to end Poverty,” “Work and Pray to End Factory Farming,” “Work for Justice,” “Work to Regenerate the Earth.” 

Or maybe one sign could say it all: “Work like the devil and pray to all that’s holy to end the conditions that make abortion necessary for many women and families to survive.”

I wonder if they would make room for me and my signs? I wonder if any of them would nod and say, maybe we’re on the same side, here?

The Republican Party no longer represents conservatism. By denying the full human agency of women, it has become profoundly radical. Until it renounces its exploitative extremism and allows itself to be again one party among many in a lively and diverse polity, its position on abortion deserves to be the single defining issue of this election. Its success now would mean that the viewpoint of half the citizenry, unique for its potential to bring forth new life in radical generosity, or to decide not to, will be destroyed through compulsion.

Laurie Raymond, Glenwood Springs

Reelect AG Weiser

If you care about shrinking rivers and increasingly destructive wildfires and other environmental concerns, you should vote to reelect Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is prioritizing the protection of our land, air and water. 

In his first term, Weiser has worked hard to protect Coloradans from incalculable physical, social, and economic harm. From successfully preventing federal rollbacks to key protections to holding those who pollute our air and water accountable, Phil’s actions directly impact the physical and financial health of Colorado families. 

We can all agree that water — from world-class fishing and rafting to our incomparable fresh powder — is the lifeblood of our recreational, tourism, and agricultural economic sectors. Phil continues to guard Colorado’s water resources for all of us, advocating for smart investments and ensuring that Colorado manages our water responsibly so that we can continue to live, work, and play as only Coloradans can. He has also led on protecting water quality, pushing for important legislation — including suing the chemical manufacturers indefensibly dumping toxic “forever chemicals” (linked to cancer and birth defects) into our water supply — in this area and standing against irresponsible rollbacks of federal oversight. Here on the Western Slope, water is a key resource. As the former dean of the University of Colorado Law School and US Supreme Court clerk, Weiser understands water law and the importance of legally protecting our water. 

Phil is not a career politician or partisan hack. For good reason he has attracted the support of people across the political spectrum — Republicans, Democrats, and independents. He is smart, pragmatic, and honest. He has served us ably and admirably for the past 4 years and deserves a second term. We need more public servants like Phil. I encourage you to vote to re-elect Phil Weiser as Colorado Attorney General.

Chris Bryan, Carbondale

Paid for benefits

Who in their right mind would vote for someone or his/her party that vows to gut Social security and Medicare? Certainly not seniors, nor the people who care about them. 

Let the rich reject these benefits and leave the rest of us alone.

Joyce Jenkins, Glenwood Springs

2C is something over nothing

For decades housing has been a challenge in the hiring process in our community. Colleagues and I talked about this all the time. We wiggled around the issue, got as creative as we could with wages and benefits and still lost a lot of good people.

Here we are now. No more wiggle room. Housing has moved to the top of the list in the heath and well being of the kind of community we want. 

Because of the growing impact of sustainable housing on the people of our community, I have been doing a deep dive on this issue for the last four years. I have researched, talked with people from those experiencing housing insecurity to those people who have years of experience working in housing, to business and health professionals, and every-day folks. I have investigated efforts for solutions all over the country. It is quite astounding what can be done when a community finally gets real about housing. 

It is from all that investigating that I come to my endorsement of 2C.

2C gives a funding base that will allow us to bring in dollars from other sources. Those sources exist and are growing. We need to demonstrate that we are serious about housing. Other communities have already figured this out, so we stand only to be left further and further behind.

2C creates a board to focus on the many ways to invest in housing options that are in reach for working people without encouraging more growth. 2C gives more control over future development to see that more of that development is truly attainable.

Doing nothing will get us more of what we are already so unhappy about. 2C brings intention and attention to an issue that we can no longer ignore.

Debbie Wilde, Glenwood Springs

Jankovsky, for food security

The world has gotten much scarier since Democrats have been in office. Without a strong, respected leader in the White House, our enemies abroad have been emboldened. While the U.S. has the unique position of being insulated geographically from much of the strife in Central Europe or the Middle East, we are not immune to the side effects by any stretch. 

One look at grocery store shelves tells the story in Garfield County. Except for runs on groceries during COVID, empty shelves are a routine sight. No eggs, milk, limited bread and meat, barren sections of canned goods and less variety with prices inching up daily. 

We never had supply chain shortages before the pandemic. The pandemic is now over for the most part, yet we are still experiencing food gaps. Many of us have planted gardens and support farmers’ markets. That’s a good start, but more needs to be done and Tom Jankovsky is out front on the issue of food independence and security. 

With supply chain issues, the war in Ukraine, skyrocketing inflation, Tom understands the importance of supporting and purchasing from independent and local farms. Garfield County is a “right to farm county,” where the policy is to preserve, protect and encourage the development of agricultural land to produce food and agricultural products including fertilizer which is a byproduct of our natural gas industry.

During the pandemic, Tom worked with food banks to ensure seniors and other vulnerable populations were served. Food security is no joke. Should the world take a turn for the worse, and I hope it does not, I want a leader who is going to look out for the food security of Garfield County residents. Vote for Tom J. for Garfield County Commissioner on Nov. 8.

Caleb Walker, Silt

Vote for Perry Will

I have known Perry for about 30 years. Perry is the real deal. He is honest, well informed and easily approachable. He looks at all sides of issues. He will tell you what he thinks, not what he thinks you want to hear. 

Perry has a deep understanding of the natural resources, water issues, agricultural needs, wildlife and wildlife habitat and the people of western Colorado. He has the best interests of the people and the environment at heart. He will support the best interests of the people of Colorado.

I urge you to vote for Perry Will for Representative of House District 57.

Ron Byrd, Sr., Rifle

Shallow criticism

Someone should teach “No name calling” based on recent letters rife with spite, rudeness and inaccuracies regarding Mr. Gordon. 

Ryan Gordon would give a new perspective and bring a professional approach and experience to the job.

I hope you not only know your friends at the commissioner level but have possibly attended a few meetings. I have attended them for many years now, and never felt heard, represented or understood.

Also, to blame any party for things like how much you pay for heating your home, drug use in America, inflation, etc., is truly beyond my comprehension. If you would simply look across the pond to Europe for example, gas prices, violence and inflation are happening all over the world. Let’s have deeper conversations and research of issues.

Carrie Podle-Haberern, Carbondale

Supporting Jankovsky

We give our support to Tom Jankovsky for Garfield County Commissioner. Tom has been a county commissioner for 12 years and a successful businessman in our county. He understands how important it is to make the right decisions. He has been a great supporter for those of us in agriculture. 

Tom has worked with the local Farm Bureau and Cattlemen’s associations by keeping up with legislation and issues that affect all of us including property rights, water, roads and many other things. He helped to back the livestock industry when we held our meat-in day celebrating eating meat. 

Our county commissioners have partnered with the three conservation districts Bookcliff, Mount Sopris, and South Side on a noxious weed program that provides partial financial assistance to county residents to help manage their noxious weeds. It’s one of the longest running landowner assistance programs in the state for noxious weeds. 

Tom is a big supporter of the Garfield County Fair and our 4-H and FFA children. Tom is a big part of all of this and much more. He is always willing to answer questions and help in any way that he can. Other counties and some states have commented that we have a great Board of County Commissioners that support us in so many ways. I know this for a fact because I have traveled all over the United States with the American Farm Bureau and Colorado Farm Bureau women’s committees and you know that women talk to each other. 

We are very proud to have Tom as our commissioner. We will be voting for Tom and hope you will, too. 

Charles and Angela Ryden, Silt

2C opposition not anti-housing

Voting ‘No’ on 2C does not mean citizens are against affordable employee housing. That could not be any further from the truth. While we cannot argue with the importance of finding solutions to the housing dilemma in our town, ballot measure 2C unfortunately poses more questions than answers. 

Nevertheless, our City Council chose to proceed with the lodging tax increase without including a concrete plan outlining how they will utilize these funds. Uncertainty is the main problem with this proposal.

Glenwood Springs is a highly desirable destination for tourists and we should keep it that way. Our town has thrived by being family-friendly and affordable. That is the recipe for our success. Incremental tax hikes will make Glenwood less desirable and that puts the success of our small businesses and their hard-working owners at risk. 

Make no mistake, the so-called modest tax increase to 13.6% will balloon into something much higher over time. City Council will not stop there. They directly stated these intentions on Aug. 4, 2022 at a regular council meeting. It’s important to stop and ask ourselves, where will it stop? What other industries will be impacted? The time to act is now.

Over the last few years, Glenwood Springs has seen a dramatic increase in housing developments. Most will agree these housing units are not exactly affordable for the average worker looking to purchase or rent. That’s a big problem for our community. Mismanagement and poor decision making from our local government is only making this problem worse. Why should we give City Council more money given the current situation and all of its shortcomings? 

Tax increases are definitely not the answer. No real concrete plan, incremental tax increases that hurt small business owners and poor planning from our local elected officials is why everyone should vote “No” on 2C. Glenwood needs better leadership and deserves better results.

Richard Koziol, Glenwood Springs

Slow down on taxes, growth

Slow down in town isn’t just for driving. It applies to taxes. It applies to growth. It applies to the City Council trying to change this town! We have to vote No on 2C.

From 2010-2019 Glenwood’s population grew at an average rate of 3%. In the last 3 years Glenwood’s population has grown by 20.5%. We have had over 1,000 new residential units built.

In the last three years our City Council pushed a(n): sales tax attempt; airport tax attempt; electricity increase; water & sewer rate increase; and fire & emergency services tax increase. 

City Council tried to add more people in West Glenwood and that was rejected by the voters earlier this year, too. Now they think they deserve more tax dollars, and that the city should be in charge of building more houses? Does anyone trust anything City Council does anymore?

Where are all these people going to shop? Where will they eat? Where will these children go to school? How will people be able to get to work safely and on time with the traffic? What about the water?

We can’t stop growth, but we have to minimize its impact on our community. Infrastructure has to be fixed and amenities have to catch up before this town can sustain this sort of hyper growth.

Monica Wolny, Glenwood Springs