Mayor's Blog

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I participated in the 12 Days of Aspen by doing storytime at the Limelight Lodge. The kids were adorable. Like my hat? Read More »

Good snow for cruising uphill (me) or down (lots of Bmilk skiers and borders).  Continuous hockey at the ARC, Aspen tied a colo springs team 3-3 last night after OT and were leading a team from Pikes Peak region tonight when I left.  Not as warm as it looked but the snow is staying soft.  12 days of Aspen about to start!

FREE outdoor skating at the ARC, including night skating!  Takes you right back to the Old Days with a beautiful setting.  Also saw Gov. Bill Ritter address For the Forest Thursday night, trying to get private sector action on harvesting dead trees.  And today, the rugby Old Boys gathered for lunch at the Hotel Jerome, some pretty good athletes but, unfortunately, the real life rugger who Matt Damon plays in Invictus did not attend.  Bummer.

An awesome Holiday party at the Hotel Jerome.  No crashers tried to sneak in to shake hands with The Mayor or The  Council, perhaps because officer Leon Murray was on the scene or maybe because there isn't a reality show to be had by such a move!  The half dozen or so locals with a shot at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver could use some support, so here's hoping they all make it!   Among the Olympic hopefuls, Chris Klug, who skipped running up Aspen Mountain at the Summit for Life so he could rest up for a World Cup race on Tuesday.

saturday night, cold clear 12 degrees.  Good light for biking.  last night was the Pitkin County Christmas party at the library -  well attended, fun and low cost event!  All the commissioners were there, most attendees liked the informal format, more chance to talk then just with people at your table.

Aspen girls won big Friday night, more than 60 points.  Boys also won a pair. 

Skiing on saturday was OK, best snow on North Star and Copper.   The grooming crew is keeping it reasonable.  Visiting 2nd Homeowners from Cleveland told me they can hardly wait to move here permanently and a former ski racer from Ohio told me she got an hour off from Pitkin county Drygoods to put in a few runs.  All in all, people were getting some turns in anticipating snow to ... Read More »

It was a a hard decision - so many good volunteers - but the city settled on Pete Louras as the Volunteer of the Year.   Pete served on the Citizen Budget Task Force, making suggestions for  improving housing finance and acquisition, on the Housig Frontiers group and a bunch of other committeees that add up to more than a full time job.  Official photographer Sam was on hand to get the pictures.  Winnning the Volunteer of the Year gives Pete the chance to designate a $1,000 donation to the charity of his choice.  He also was given a nify placque! (really, Scrabble players, it can be spelled that way!)

Drum roll, please!  Tomorrow night I hand out the Volunteer of the Year award at the Wheeler.  My thought - without these volunteer hours we would have to close shop pretty much or raise taxes (perish that thought).  Probably a thousand people volunteering around town.

Saw Auden Schendler this morning working the broom at the Silver Queen - some people can really do it all. Seriously, Auden has been leading the global warming (aka climate change) effort at the Ski Co and getting some harsh blowback here and there but still doing a great job fighting for winter, one of our biggest attractions.

Speaking of which, we hope to have the buses running at 8 a.m. Sunday morning in town so people can get to the slope for first tracks.

It is cold and grey and snowing this morning, what could be better?  Aspen city employee bazzar at the Old Youth Center behind the jail today, local Christamas shopping chance for low budget shoppers (me, this year), Also Red Brick Art Center objects de art on display Thursday and Friday this week, another opportunity I will be visiting.

Morning appearance at KSNO - talking about this blog and an upcoming Home Rule Charter Amendment to raise the mayor's salary to $15 per hour in return for renewable energy production by the mayor!  This comedy video should be available by Christmas.  Thanks Jim and Don for the laughs!