[This column was published in the Sopris Sun on December 18, 2024.] Recently I ran across an article from an international boarding school talking about U.S. traditions around Christmas. The “Top 10 holiday traditions” for families include: Decorate the tree. Bake Christmas cookies. Write a letter to Santa (and the reindeer). Look at the twinkly lights. Build a gingerbread house. Sing Christmas carols. Exchange gifts. Wear an ugly sweater. Watch Christmas movies. Spend time with the people you love. Institutions have traditions, too. My favorite has to be the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which has a website for the sole purpose of tracking Santa. The backstory is charming. In 1955 a child saw a newspaper ad from a Sears department store encouraging children to give Santa a call. But the child misdialed, reaching instead Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup. He happened to be the operations officer on duty for the old Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) in Colorado Sp...
[This column appeared in the November 25, 2024 edition of the Sopris Sun.] On November 1, 2024, Alicia Gresley addressed housing from the angle of commuting and public transportation. (See Trick or Treat: the Economics of the Commute .) Her points were all well-made, but I wanted to expand on some related issues. At the end of last year, Garfield County Libraries staff interviewed 90 community leaders. We asked about and tallied recurrent concerns, and housing was top of the list. Leaders identified several big issues under that heading: Recruitment . The cost of housing (Garfield County is one of the least attainable in the nation) means that it can be very difficult to bring in outside talent with rich skills and relevant experience. Even if the pay is good, it's not good enough to cover a $1.2 million house. And if new employees have to find more affordable housing in the western part of the county, they may shy away from long and frustrating commutes. Retention . What many em...