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Spring is just around the corner and that means it’s time to make fun plans! Read on for local organizing events that you can plan to attend and help our community bloom.

Welcome to the 1st Quarter 2025 Western Colorado Alliance of Garfield County Newsletter!

In this edition:

• Public Comments for Public Transportation
• 1st Monthly Down Valley Transportation Team Meeting
• Organizing Training Events Teaser

Public comments for public transportation

One of the nice things about living in a small town is that your voice is more than just a drop in a bucket. Speaking up makes a real impact. And we’ve got a plan to speak up for the whole season. Keep an eye on the Rifle and Silt council meetings for the next few months as members of our Down Valley Transportation team share their stories during the public comment period of the meeting agendas. It’s important to hear the actual experiences of people who live here and the problems they’ve faced in order to understand what the solution looks like. And it helps our elected officials carry out their duties when they have direct community input to base their decisions on.

If you’ve ever been in a situation where better local public transportation would have helped you out, let us know. We’d love to help you share your experience with the Councils as well. Just reply to this email, and we’ll make it happen.

1st monthly Down Valley Transportation Team meeting

You’re invited! Our group of community members who support the Down Valley Transportation campaign has grown, and it’s time to start holding regular meetings so folks can share information and strategize. The first meeting is virtual and open to everyone. Whether you’ve been involved for a while and are passionate about transportation solutions or you’re just curious what this is all about, I encourage you to join the call.

The meeting will be on Wednesday, March 12 at 5:30 pm. We’ll be wrapped up by 7 pm. This first meeting will be in English only, but our plan is to make these meetings bilingual in the future. Discussion items will include the ongoing public comments, an opportunity to co-host roundtable discussions with local decision makers, and getting input from the group on communications and organizing training events going forward. Use this Zoom link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5568414523?omn=87907134253

In the last few weeks, I’ve had multiple people tell me how important it is that our communities learn how to organize. Which is so convenient! Because we’ve been planning for months to roll out a series of organizing training events! Toward the end of spring, watch out for some organizing training opportunities. These events will be aimed at supporting the Down Valley Transportation campaign, but the skills will be applicable to organizing around any issue. And they’ll be free!

Cheers to warmer weather and organizing for a better future!