I used to love the peace and quiet of the off season. Just a lazy time of year between the ski season and the summer season when we could kick back and stop and smell the blooming flowers.

Now we have to put up with bulldozers, trucks carrying everything from dirt to gravel to nothing, and the “beep, beep, beep” of construction vehicles backing up at 7 and 8 a.m. It’s kinda like a heavy equipment mating call, but not quite as appealing as listening to birds chirping against a background of silence.

But worst of all is that after a season of bumper-to-bumper traffic, trying to get in and out of Aspen, we now have to put up with construction all summer as the city attempts to work on the Entrance to Aspen again.

If you drive through this mess you can easily see what’s going on. They are trying to align the highway with the new Maroon Creek Bridge. My question is “why?”

With all the talk about the “calming effects” of the S-curves, we could easily add two more S-curves to the mix, calming traffic even more. And isn’t that what we want? Based on the last election regarding the S-curves, it just makes sense to add more.

I see highway workers moving the road to the left (coming into town) to line up with the bridge, and then realigning the highway to line it up with the roundabout. So, why not just make a 90-degree turn to the left, then a 90-degree turn to the right to hit the bridge; same thing coming out the other side.

We’ve already got traffic down to a crawl in that area, so two new turns would fit right in. Hey, if you don’t like it, don’t come to town. If you’re in town and you don’t like it, don’t leave. Spend your money in town.

And another thing, while I was making my way in and out of Aspen with the fire trucks now out at the ABC, you better hope we don’t have a fire during rush hour.

When seconds count, how long do you think it will take a fire truck to make it through all that traffic and over a two-lane bridge with no place to pull over? I want to see that hook and ladder flying around the roundabout and getting through the S-curves.

Ah, yes. It’s that calming effect working its magic again. If it weren’t for the volunteers, who often get to the fire before the trucks, we’d have no protection at all.

And while you’re at it, we still have that traffic squeeze between the hospital and Aspen. I say don’t have a fire and don’t get sick or you’re up that proverbial creek.

Actually, the more you think about it, the more City Council reminds me of the Slowskys — you know, those turtles that can’t stand Comcast’s high-speed Internet service.

While I think those commercials are funny, it’s not so funny when you are trying to get into or out of town.

And what’s with the raid on that house on Spring Street? The chief of police didn’t have time to tell the sheriff about it? Give me a break. He didn’t have time to make one friggin’ phone call?

I’m glad the sheriff is ok with it, ’cause I’m not.

But now for some good news: The annual Battle of the Bands will take place once again in Basalt on May 17. Thirty bands from 17 schools will compete, and if you miss it you’ll have to wait another year to see it again.

If you can’t go, at least contribute some money to a good cause. Some of these kids are really, really good, and if you don’t go, you could be paying hundreds of dollars to see them in a stadium someplace. And you’ll be saying to yourself, “You know, I had a chance to see them on a small stage in Basalt, Colorado, and blew it.”

Sheldon Fingerman welcomes your comments at sheldon@sopris.net.