Noticias

• Sarah Landeryou Says Goodbye
• Coal Transition Communities Find Support
• Cat Movie Fisher with Risho Unda

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Sarah Landeryou Says Goodbye

Sarah Landeryou moved to Telluride in 2007 to become a reference librarian at the Wilkinson Public Library.

“We were always attracted to the mountains. Our first visit to Telluride was to do the Imogene Pass run. That’s what brought us here, and we were like, ‘Oh, this is a neat place,’” Landeryou said.

A friend worked at the library and suggested Landeryou apply for the job.

“When we moved here, it was Chris, my son Spencer, two cats, and a dog. We showed up at the end of January in 2007,” she said.

The rest, as they say, is history. Landeryou became the executive director of the library in 2011, but after 18 years with the organization, she is heading off on the next chapter: retirement and a move back to Denver.

While her role at the library has shifted over the years, Landeryou says it’s her curiosity and love of reading that initially drew her to the profession.

“I love having, at your fingertips, all the information that you could possibly want to find,” said Landeryou. “Immersing yourself in that world and being surrounded by people who have that similar mindset of ‘Let’s find out more, let’s research that, let’s look into it,’ that’s always what’s drawn me into it. And a love of reading and a love of books, that’s old-school, and whether you read it in digital form or print form, or audio, it doesn’t matter, it’s still losing yourself in that book.”

With the rise of audiobooks, digital media, and technology, the role of the library has evolved, Landeryou notes. But at its core, she says, the library’s role as a community space has remained constant.

“We’ve always been a community center, we’ve always been a place where people gather or come, and whether that was to use the computer or now it’s to attend programs or to use the space to work, we’ve always been responsive to the community to make it their library,” Landeryou said. “Because it’s really your library. It’s not our library and our idea of a library and we’re going to shove that on you. You get to create what this is. This is your library, tell us what you need, and while those needs have changed, the central role of the library is still the same as a community gathering place, creating connection either through people learning something at the same time or meeting each other in a program.”

When reflecting on her time at the library, Landeryou says she is most proud of supporting the staff.

“This is a career when you come to the library to work. Recognizing that and respecting the work that the staff does is really important, and we’ve really elevated that over the years. Also recognizing the need to have bilingual staff and Spanish-speaking programs, that’s been a real push recently, and it’s been very successful. Watching and being able to see everyone come into the library and everyone feel welcome has been a real treat,” Landeryou said.

As for what’s next?

“Not sure. Chris and I are moving to Denver and we will see where that takes us. Fill the day somehow,” Landeryou said.

The Library Board recently announced that Peggy Parrish will take over as executive director at the end of April. When asked what advice she would give Parrish to help bring the library into its next chapter, Landeryou said, “I would tell Peggy to take her time, get to know everybody and embrace Telluride and all its fun ways of doing things.”

Landeryou’s final day as executive director of the Wilkinson Public Library is Tuesday, April 1. She says she and her family hope to return this summer to hike.

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Coal Transition Communities Find Support

When the Office of Just Transition was created through Colorado state legislation in 2019, the goal was simple: to work with communities adversely affected by the loss of jobs and revenue from the closure of coal mines and power plants, helping them transition to new economic development.

For Nucla and Naturita, the closure of the coal power plant and coal mine in 2019 made the office integral to the community’s transition away from power plant revenues. However, Colorado State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer says the office could be doing better.

“Hopefully you will all be able to support Senate Bill 37. This is an important bill,” Kirkmeyer said. “The JBC did go up and meet with the community in Western Colorado. And we heard several stories of frustration in dealing with the Office of Just Transition—from Montrose to Nucla to Moffat County—they all had issues. So that’s why we’re adding in things here in this bill to end that frustration. It provides clear timelines and transparency and ensures that the dollars will actually reach the communities in a way that they need them and get them quickly.”

Kirkmeyer spoke at a Senate hearing on February 19, where several amendments were approved and the bill was moved into consideration. Co-sponsor Senator Dylan Roberts also spoke about the bill.

“What we’re trying to do within this bill, as amended now, is make some important modifications to the Office of Just Transition to make them more responsive to the communities that are experiencing those transitions,” Roberts said. “And allow the money that will be awarded from the office to be reflective of true community need. That’s largely what Section 1 does—it makes the office more accountable, more transparent, and more responsive to local needs. Section 2 is a very important provision for Moffat County and the city of Craig specifically. And as you heard, we’re adding back in Section 3 to try and give those communities that need some assistance a little more preference in the existing DOLA grant process.”

Moffat County, along with Western Montrose and San Miguel counties, are designated Tier 1 coal transition communities—a classification from the state of Colorado for those most adversely affected by the loss of coal revenue.

For the West End, the work of an economic transition doesn’t stop. The West End Vision Project—funded through the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) project—is creating a regional community vision to guide future economic development. Makayla Gordon, executive director of the West End Economic Development Corporation, leads the project.

Recently, Gordon and others, including Norwood Town Clerk Amanda Pierce, traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent Colorado coal transition communities.

“It was an experience of a lifetime,” Pierce said. “I’ve been to D.C. before for another work conference. This was different. To be able to go and represent our community cannot be replaced. When we got there, we were the only community in the state of Colorado that was selected. Makayla Gordon wrote that grant, so I gotta give her props and all her work on this—she’s kinda the lead on this, we’re kinda just her sidekicks.”

Pierce added that one of the most notable moments was during a Q&A session when a man who had been involved in a feasibility study for the community’s recovery after the power plant closure expressed his surprise at their progress.

“Another really notable thing—a gentleman there during the Q&A mentioned he was part of the feasibility study that this community would recover from the loss of the power plant,” Pierce said. “So for him to hear that in Washington, D.C., that we’re recovering but we need help—I think he was a little shook, so I’m gonna take that as a win.”

In 2021, the Colorado Office of Just Transition gave $1.8 million to West End communities, in addition to $500,000 from Tri-State Energy. This is compared to the $5 million offered from Tri-State to New Mexico communities after a coal plant closure. Senate Bill 37, if passed, would streamline the process for future funds going to transition communities like the West End.

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Cat Movie Fisher with Risho Unda

On Cat Movie Fisher, Telluride High School’s Risho Unda chats with members of the community about what they’re watching and reading.

This week, we’re replaying a segment with a very special guest — Unda’s sister, Kaila.

Story begins at 8:27

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CDOT to Begin Road Maintenance on Highway 145

The Colorado Department of Transportation will conduct road maintenance next week on Highway 145 between Telluride and Placerville.

Starting Monday, March 31, CDOT will begin week-long culvert and ditch clearing operations. On Monday, crews will work in Placerville, between mile markers 83 and 84. Later in the week, work will shift to a two-mile stretch of road west of the Society Turn Roundabout, between mile markers 72 and 74.

Work will run from March 31 to April 4, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with single-lane alternating traffic. Drivers should expect reduced speeds and full stops with delays of up to 15 minutes.

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Trish Hopkinson to Feature at Bardic Trails Poetry Night

Trish Hopkinson, an atheist, feminist, and empty nester, will be the featured poet for the Talking Gourds Poetry Club’s Bardic Trails Poetry Night next week.

Hopkinson, a poet and literary arts advocate, enjoys traveling, live music, wine tasting, and craft beer. She is also the co-founder and director of Rock Canyon Poets, a regional poetry group with over 50 members.

Her work has appeared in Sugar House Review, Glass Poetry Press, and The Penn Review. Hopkinson has published four chapbooks, and her full-length book A Godless Ascends was released last year.

At the event, Hopkinson will share some of her work and take questions on her influences and creative process. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share their own work.

The Bardic Trails Poetry Night will take place Tuesday, April 1, from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. Registration is available at tellurideinstitute.org.

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Bennet Confronts CIA Head Over Signal Security Breach

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet had a heated exchange with CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Tuesday morning over the inclusion of a journalist in a military planning messaging group, which led to concerns about security risks.

Bennet expressed frustration over the fact that one participant was in Moscow, where his device could have been vulnerable to interference.

“Were you aware of that? Are you aware of that today?” Bennet asked.

“I’m not aware of that today,” Ratcliffe responded.

“This sloppiness, this incompetence, this disrespect for our intelligence agencies and the personnel who work for them are entirely unacceptable. It’s an embarrassment,” Bennet said.

The exchange occurred during a previously scheduled Intelligence Committee hearing, where Bennet questioned Ratcliffe about the security breach. Ratcliffe stated he was unaware of how the reporter was added to the group thread.

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Sundance Film Festival to Relocate to Boulder

Colorado has secured one of the biggest independent film festivals in the world. The Sundance Film Festival announced Thursday that it will leave its longtime home in Utah after next year and relocate to Boulder.

For the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, Bente Birkeland has more.

Story begins at 14:11

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Colorado Mom Works to Spread Fentanyl Awareness

As young people across the country continue to die in the fentanyl epidemic, one mother on Colorado’s Western Slope is spreading awareness in schools.

After losing her 21-year-old daughter, the mother began encouraging youth to find creative outlets as a way to cope.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, Aspen Public Radio’s Eleanor Bennett reports on her efforts.

Story begins at 15:32