BOCC should return trustee selection to the library

The Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) seem to forget that the Garfield County Public Library (Library) is an independent subdivision of the state, established by the voters, and more than capable of managing its own business. In 2023 the BOCC deliberately chose to ignore a 16-year tradition of confidence in the library trustees when it upended the trustee selection process.

Instead of trusting the library to interview, nominate and recommend new trustees, the BOCC attacked the actions of the trustees and library employees, accused them of pejorative “group think” without defining the term and reproved them for not adequately protecting the county’s children. A clear-eyed review of the actions of the library trustees and employees reveals exemplary dedication to the welfare of the county’s children and residents and complete adherence to the rule of law. Compliance with law and constitutional tradition is not “group think.” Rather, it is what is expected of all American citizens and is to be commended.

The clear intent of the BOCC was to influence the library to enact policies prompted by false claims about various books. Consequently, the county replaced four of the seven trustees within 12 months. What was the result?

The new library board chose not to ban books, move them to locked locations, fire the director, or create a new, restricted library card for children. In other words, having conducted due diligence, the library trustees, including BOCC appointees, concluded that the library followed the law, adopted appropriate policies for its mission, is properly administered, and that parenting is the right of parents, not government institutions. They were not misled by the vague, false and misleading statements of a small and disruptive group. They did not act to appease this group, but are to be commended for standing up for our children, our residents and our Constitution.

Ellen Dole, Glenwood Springs

Support for Feed My Sheep Ministry

As a summer visitor to Glenwood, I have had the privilege to meet the caring staff at the Feed My Sheep Ministry located in the Catholic building on Grand Avenue. Karen Pepper and her team have been providing a wide variety of services to the homeless for over 20 years. They provide food, showers, laundry, referrals, and other services in a caring environment.

As has been experienced by many nonprofits, government funding, support from churches, and other grant support has been declining in recent years. To maintain a strong and compassionate community, I would encourage the people of Glenwood to consider supporting Feed My Sheep and the many other programs supporting the needs of your less fortunate residents.

Jay Collins, San Antonio

College degrees, jobless dreams

Pursuing higher education used to be the great equalizer. We were told, “Go to college, and it’ll be easier to get a job.” But today, countless college graduates, including myself as a recent graduate of Regis University here in Glenwood Springs, are struggling to find meaningful employment.

As of July 2025, Colorado’s unemployment rate is 4.5%, yet nationally, recent college graduates aged 20–24 with at least a bachelor’s degree face an 8.6% unemployment rate. That’s nearly double, and it should be alarming when considering the future of our workforce and economy.

Many of us are moving back in with our parents and taking low-wage jobs unrelated to our degrees. These setbacks delay our ability to reach long-term career goals and undermine the very purpose of higher education.

Our Roaring Fork community needs to be more proactive in creating job opportunities for local graduates, especially if we want to retain talent and ensure sustainable economic growth. I urge local employers to invest in entry-level talent and call on Rep. (Elizabeth) Velasco (HD57) and Sen. (Marc) Catlin (SD5) to introduce legislation next session to expand workforce transition programs for recent grads. I also encourage other young people to speak up and share their experiences.

Solving this won’t be easy, but ignoring it guarantees a future we’ll all regret.

Jary Martinez, Glenwood Springs