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Friday letters: South Bridge, Red Mountain Cross, FBI checks, and more

South Bridge project overlooks Midland Avenue corridor’s growing traffic impact

The impact on the “Midland Avenue Corridor” needs to be included in the South Bridge project. The project is only considering the 4 mile and Glenwood Park growth, not the area from Parachute to Glenwood Springs. The study that I was involved in back in 2001 for the relocation of Highway 82 along the river corridor showed only 2.5% average growth in traffic the next 20 years (12,000 to 17,000 by 2024). The last count is 28,000 through the Glenwood Springs corridor. Completion of the 27th street and Hwy 82 interchange makes it easier for the traffic to enter the traffic headed south. Thus, its popularity grows each day, even though the speed limit is supposably 25 miles per hour. The South Bridge will only open up another way to get back on to Hwy 82. It is a false conclusion in my opinion that the Glenwood Park and Four Mile residents will use the South Bridge to go north towards the city of Glenwood Springs. Believe me, no one wants to get on Hwy 82 if they can avoid it, they will go by way of Midland into town or the 27th interchange. Don’t forget back in the early 70’s Midland was to be the bypass for Hwy 82. We are talking about several neighborhoods and Sopris Elementary that this traffic will affect. All of those apartments old and new ones located in the Glenwood Meadows will spill onto Midland and what will they choose going south Grand or Midland to get on Hwy 82? The city engineer should not be limited to 2003 directive.

Don “Hooner” Gillespie, Glenwood Springs



Cross on mountain divides public opinion

Cross on the mountain. It’s unfortunate that this blatant display of Christianity is in the public face. Hello! We are a diverse society and becoming more so all the time. That symbolism is non representative of a large portion of the public. I realize it was moved to private property because people complained about it. Mr Lewis should move his symbol to his front yard where not so many will be offended.



Ken Fry, Glenwood Springs

Presidents treating America like a repossessed car

Post Reagan and Carter, Ford and Nixon and George H.W. Bush, presidents have treated this country as a repossessed car: disrespect, beginning with Clinton’s hanky-panky in the Oval Office, George Bush’s revenge for his father in Iraq, to Obama’s vain claims. Is that what Trump saw? He’s seen the inner dysfunction in his first term, and now, on the threshold of his second, he’s mastering his approach. The Biden Administration has ripped off the mask. They are taking a metaphorical baseball bat to their repossessed car as the impound wrecker arrives—the coup de gras: giving Ukraine missiles to attack Russia to start World War III. The cocktail parties in New York and Aspen are all abuzz.

Fred Stewart, Grand Junction

Why skip FBI checks for appointees?

An announcement was made that the new president’s picks for department heads would not be background checked by the FBI. An FBI check has long been a requirement. Some of the picks have a checkered past. The fear is that a person might be blackmailed by foreign adversaries into revealing state secrets. For example, they might have taken top secret documents. And even show them around. Or, they might have a problem with romantic activities. Or, they might used government funds for personal use. Or, they might misused campaign funds. Or, they might have had close personal and private contact with adversarial foreign leaders. Or, they might have legal charges against them. Gee, this all kind of sounds like the new president. I wonder if he could even pass an FBI background check. 

Patrick Hunter, Carbondale

Do Garfield County Commissioners overstep on library board?

I would like to know how the Garfield County Commissioners obtain jurisdiction over the Garfield County Library Board inner workings. I can’t find the empowering legislation. The library system is funded by dedicated sales taxes and Real Estate mill levies voted in by the populace, establishing the Library Board as a seemingly, fiduciarily independent entity. I would ask the BOCC to stand down and honor the Library Board’s sovereignty and  1st amendment rights. If the BOCC granted sufficient County funds of their own to the Library Board they would be well within their rights to withhold those funds, but not to dictate Library Board composition or decisions.

​​John Hoffmann, Carbondale


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