Rotary youth in action

Earthquake. Typhoon. War. Famine. We hear the news every day about massive calamities in some corner of the world. We might be willing to help, but those stories seem so far away. 

The earthquake in Turkey had unimaginable scale: 20 million people affected, 50,000 killed, 1 million people homeless. Yet as we saw in Friday’s Post (2/17), we have a local teen Caleb Thompson there as a Rotary Youth Exchange student, in Adana Turkey near the border with Syria. 

Caleb and his Güney Adana Rotary Club are on the front lines of feeding & helping those affected in their city. Glenwood Rotary Club has a Turkey Disaster Relief Fund through our local foundation, tax deductible, through any Alpine Bank, or mail to Glenwood Springs Rotary at PO Box 953, Glenwood Springs. 

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These funds will go directly to Caleb’s Adana Rotary Club for the highest needs on the front line of relief. 

The world is now so connected that we’re seldom more than a degree or 2 from many human tragedies; please consider a gift to this specific relief effort, where you now have a young local hero in action.

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Steven Shute, Glenwood Springs

Knowing history helps sustain our quality of life 

Mr. Jon Banks is to be commended for his guest opinion column on “quality of life” in the Post Independent on Feb. 15. Not many of us live in Glenwood Springs because we like its traffic congestion or unchecked development; we live here because of the quality of life it provides us today as it did for our forebears in the past. The founders of the city came here to make their fortunes; the coal miners came here to make a living; the ranchers and farmers came to start new lives along two rivers. They came for different reasons but they all stayed because of the quality of life they found here. 

This search for a better life is at the core of our local history. As a volunteer at the Frontier Museum, I learned that this history is not limited to events that happened years ago, but rather we are living it every day. While helping to collate our genealogy files, I learned that many of the current residents are descendants of those early settlers. Their fascinating stories are the living history of our area. I also helped catalog the photographs and newspaper articles pertaining to the Storm King Fire. The Confluence Park monument dedicated to the brave firefighters that lost their lives is a testament that local citizens wanted them to be remembered today so that they will not be forgotten tomorrow. Another vivid example of very recent living history. 

Clearly, history does not refer to the forgotten past, but is as important and integral to the quality of life in this valley today as the beautiful scenery and abundant recreational opportunities that we enjoy. For over 59 years the Glenwood Springs Historical Society has been the organization that has preserved our past and makes it come alive for us today. I ask that you please support the Historical Society as a way to help sustain the richness of our quality of life in Glenwood Springs. 

Nick Daley, Glenwood Springs

Thanks to Banks for quality of life column

Kudos to Jon Banks’ guest opinion column about quality of life in Glenwood Springs (Post Independent 2/15/23). Our city government seems to have forgotten the citizens that have built their lives here. It appears to me they think the only people that matter are the tourist and the folks that want to move here. What about your constituents that have made their home here, raised their kids, built businesses and gave back to the community through their business enterprises and charitable giving? Quality of life is why most of us moved to Glenwood and for the past 15 years the city has forgotten about us.

I am hoping new blood on city council might change the city’s perspective. 

Dave and Polly Malehorn, Glenwood Springs

Quality of life is invaluable

Jon Banks’ Guest Editorial laments the lack of explicit attention to Quality of Life in the new Comp. Plan proposal. Interesting to me is the juxtaposition of his piece with the article about the Historical Society’s request for essential funding support from City Council.

Banks identified the crux of the issue very well: the challenges listed in the document result from growth — a long-term trend assumed to be inevitable — yet it fails to ask what the citizens want in terms of growth, and why. Potential annexation and in-fill builds on that assumption that the desirability of our town won’t diminish if growth destroys the unique quality of life the community cherishes.

Lines on a map and population figures don’t describe what makes a community a community. Our Historical Society has preserved the memories of the many generations whose stories have woven together the fabric of our unique community, from its first inhabitants through the waves of migrants and the changes they wrought, for better and worse, making it what it is. Newcomers deserve the opportunity to become members of our community. But that possibility disappears when the community itself is simply engulfed by sprawl and its history is made invisible without its dedicated protectors.

We need our Historical Society to be funded and recognized for its essential role. And we need to go back to the drawing board and ask our residents what quality of life means to us, and include it in our Comprehensive Plan.

Laurie Raymond, Glenwood Springs

Special thanks to Glenwood Springs Fire and Rescue

On Sunday, Feb. 19, the Glenwood Springs Fire and Rescue brought a team and their rescue vehicle to the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool. They made a presentation of their equipment and shared some of their protocols with the pool’s lifeguard team at their bi-weekly training session. 

Because we often interact with the EMS team on emergency situations at the pool, this was quite interesting for the guards to see all that they bring on those rescues. 

Our thanks to Chief Jesse Hood for setting up this visit. And a big thanks to Olivia, Travis and John for sharing their knowledge and allowing us to have a hands-on experience.

Deborah Barnekow, Aquatics Training Coordinator, Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

Model citizen

Regarding Monday’s article (2/20) concerning Alpine Bank and Bob Young. I would appreciate the opportunity to reinforce the 50 years of unselfish value provided by Alpine and Mr. Young. 

As I matured and began working in and learning our family business in Nebraska and Wyoming, I remember my father telling me that a good bank and banker was essential to the vitality, growth and stability of a community. Alpine and Mr. Young epitomized that for our valley. They also set the tone for public service by role modeling involvement in the community. 

Many years ago, I was walking out of GSHS as Mr. Young was walking in. After exchanging greetings, he asked where I was headed. I responded, “I’m meeting a student at the thrift store. He has to have a suit for state DECA competition and doesn’t have one.” Mr. Young replied, “He deserves a new one. Go to Anderson’s, get him one and let me know what I owe you.” 

This process reoccurred many times in many ways over the years and exemplifies the character of Mr. Young. This philosophy was and is carried on still today in both Alpine’s economic and benevolent work.

Bryan Whiting, Glenwood Springs