When is the terrible traffic status-quo no longer acceptable?

It’s the first Tuesday afternoon in December, during peak traffic on Highway 82, and yet another major accident has occurred at the Cattle Creek Road intersection. Once again, a community member — or several — has endured a life-threatening, high-speed collision at this dysfunctional intersection, where five roads converge, one of which is a high-speed divided highway.

This is an all-too-familiar scenario in the Roaring Fork Valley. Ask CDOT about the intersection, and they’ll tell you it’s primarily the county’s responsibility. Ask the county, and they’ll shrug and point the finger back at the state. Meanwhile, our commissioners seem more preoccupied with library policies than addressing urgent public safety concerns.

When will we decide the status quo is no longer acceptable? It’s time for our community to demand action. If you expect more from your elected officials, write to them. Let them know it’s time to prioritize the safety of our critical infrastructure. Lives depend on it.

Dallas Blaney, Carbondale

Higher costs with cage-free eggs

Anyone notice the price of eggs? As of January 1st, 2025 all eggs sold in Colorado must be cage free. Any idea what that does to seniors or families with kids? Eggs are a wonderful source of protein. To have that much of an increase in an already tight budget, in my opinion, is crazy. Who decides this stuff for us? 

I think we should have a choice in anything we chose but that is being taken away. So sad to see Colorado becoming a Big Brother state.

George Ann Jewell, Rifle

RFOV thanks volunteers and partners

On behalf of the Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) Board of Directors and staff, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible volunteers and partners who have dedicated their time in to collectively steward our shared outdoors. Because of you, 2024 was our biggest season to date. With 1,993 unique volunteers combined with our pattern and RFOV staff, we contributed 13,332 hours to improve our public lands. This includes maintaining 43 miles of trail, restoring 30 acres of habitat and open space, and reducing the threat of wildfire across more than 20 acres through fire mitigation projects.

I have so much gratitude for the many hands that have contributed to making our 2024 project season a success. Our total stewardship impact on the land is immense: we’ve contributed 10% more stewardship hours than in 2023, with an impressive 40% of our volunteer hours stemming from youth. 

While the impact of those hours is visible in the tangible mark left on our public land, there is so much contained within that hour that is impossible to quantify. Each hour contributed by our volunteers, partners, and staff is a gift of their unique strength and passion. People on our projects are the best version of themselves, giving back to the land that, in turn, nourishes them. Each of us give what we can, whether that is time spent out at a project, being a trailhead ambassador, donating to RFOV, introducing us to a new partner or volunteer, serving on a project ambassador, or living out RFOV’s mission of stewardship in our own lives. This community is based on collaboration, a desire to contribute to a larger cause, a love for this place. When our many hands work together collectively, we are a mighty force, leaving the land better than we found it and our community enriched.

Becca Schild, RFOV executive director, Carbondale