2015 Winter X Games in the Record Books
The 19th annual Winter X Games in Aspen wrapped up yesterday. Event owner and organizer ESPN reports this last weekend saw the largest single day crowd in the history of the winter games. That was on Saturday when 48,500 spectators packed the base of Buttermilk Mountain over the course of the day.
As for hometown athletes, Aspenite Alex Ferreira medaled, Sunday. The 20 year old freeskier won bronze in the Men’s Ski SuperPipe. Longtime snowboarder and Olympic bronze medalist Chris Klug took home gold this weekend with his Special Olympics teammate.
This winter was the first time the X Games featured a dual giant slalom snowboard race.
Aspen Remembers Long Time Photographer/Journalist
Award winning journalist Mary Eshbaugh Hayes died Thursday in her Aspen home after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 86. Eshbaugh Hayes spent her career telling the stories of Aspen’s residents and capturing the essence of the town she loved. She did that in both her newspaper stories and in her books about Aspen. She came to Aspen in 1952 and took a job at The Aspen Times as a reporter and photographer. She worked her way up the ranks and eventually became editor-in-chief. She was at the helm when the paper went from a weekly to a daily.
Eshbaugh Hayes took 18 years off to raise five children, whom she had with her husband, Jim Hayes. She may be best known for her “Around Aspen” column capturing local society with photos of people about town. There will be a burial service in the spring and celebration of life in the summer.
After Q&A Session, Aspen City Council Considering Hunt’s Proposals
Downtown Aspen developer Mark Hunt will go before City Council tonight to take one of his affordable lodge proposals off the table for at least a month. Hunt will also ask for approval to build the other.
Last week, Hunt held a question-and-answer session and was met with a fairly warm reception on his lodge plans. Tonight, it may be a bit cooler. Some council members are critical of the exceptions Hunt is asking for in order to build the lodge on Cooper Avenue. He is seeking relief from the city of Aspen’s land use code to take parking off site.
At an event held last Thursday at BB’s Kitchen, Aspen resident Basil Falcone asked Hunt about his plans for the 15 buildings he has purchased in downtown Aspen. He was concerned that redevelopment could change the character of town. Afterwards, Falcone suggested that Hunt faces an uphill battle.
“This could be a long put.”
But many attendees came away excited about the lodge proposals. Twenty-something Reuben Sadowsky said he liked Hunt’s plans.
“As like they youngest people at this meeting, we’re really excited about what he’s bringing to the community. We’re excited about a place where we can actually go hang out, when we invite our friends from across the country and globe and the state to come hang out in Aspen they will actually have a place where we can say “you can here instead of my couch.”
Alice Pendelton said she was glad she attended the community meeting.
“From some of the things you read about in the paper, you know, he comes across as a development monster and what not, but he’s really got great intentions, absolutely. And I might even go to city council … to stand behind him because I think what he’s doing is, you know, great.”
Todd Shaver hosted the meeting with Hunt. He said almost 100 people showed up — about twice the amount of attendees he originally expected. Shaver says it shows a strong interest in Hunt’s intentions for Aspen.
“I think it was an opportunity for the public to actually see him and who he is a real person and I think he came across quite well.”
Hunt goes before the Aspen City Council this evening. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the basement of City Hall.
Garfield County Library District Considers a New Gun Policy
Early next month the Board of Directors for the Garfield County Library District will decide whether to adopt a new gun policy. The District is considering outlawing open-carry, or exposed firearms.
The District’s current policy bans guns from its six libraries “except as permitted by law.” Library Executive Director Amelia Shelley says that means people with concealed carry permits and those carrying firearms in plain view, can enter the library.
Shelley says the board will consider leaving the policy as is or banning open-carry, so those with exposed weapons wouldn’t be allowed in.
“I want to just assure people that the libraries are safe but that we also are trying to do our best to make sure that we’re following what the state has set forth are the laws. For us, banning open-carry might be a way to help people feel more comfortable.”
The District’s also trying to avoid potential court trouble. Last year, a library in Windsor, Colorado dodged a lawsuit after an employee unlawfully asked a patron to remove her firearm from the library. The Garfield County Library board will take up the issue at its February 5th meeting at the Carbondale branch.
