ZG was hanging out in the newsroom Friday, massaging his sore thighs from yet another powder day, when an anonymous caller phoned in with a tale of violence allegedly involving an Aspen attorney.
The person said that Matt Ferguson was involved in a physical altercation with his kid’s (Ferguson’s, not the caller’s) Aspen Junior Hockey coach at a game Thursday night. Ferguson works for local law firm Garfield & Hecht and also is a board member of Aspen Junior Hockey (AJH).
ZG’s attempts to get facts led to cryptic responses from both Ferguson and the organization’s executive director, Tanner Williams.
Neither would say what went down, but Williams said AJH staff is investigating the incident and would do so “expeditiously and judicially.” Williams would not confirm the caller’s assertion that AJH would file a civil lawsuit or a restraining order against Ferguson.
He said the investigation will involve Colorado Amateur Hockey Association and Aspen Junior Hockey guidelines to aid the organization “about how to best proceed.”
He declined further comment about, you know, what actually happened.
Ferguson, too, was reluctant to say much, though he did have heated words for AJH.
“Aspen Junior Hockey has some issues,” he said as he drove his kids to the movies. “If they want to say I’m to blame for anything, I will be 100 percent vindicated.
“They can do what they want, I did nothing wrong.”
If there’s any fault stemming from the incident, it lies squarely at the feet of AJH, he added.
He declined further comment about, you know, what actually happened.
Any witnesses willing to shed more light about, you know, what actually happened, can call the Daily News at 925-2220 and share.
Aspen is the land of haves and have-nots, and a few stories from the front lines in the past week once again pointed out that obvious notion. Some wait staff at Montagna inside The Little Nell went running all the way to the bank when they each received thousands of dollars one evening after they had the pleasure of serving a guy who reportedly left a $50,000 tip. That story might make a jilted waitress at the base of Aspen Highlands cry since she was given a 30-cent tip last Saturday from a group of foreigners. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. A family from Argentina was definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time last Saturday when wind shut down the gondola. The family, who were all on foot and at the Sundeck for lunch, got stuck there until 6 p.m., and were finally taken down the mountain via snow-cat at that time.
An empty $900 bottle of wine that a patron at The Little Nell had consumed also was in the wrong place at the wrong time when housekeeping came in his room for a turn-down and mistook it for trash and threw it away. Turns out the guy saves expensive, empty wine bottles. Upon discovery that it had disappeared from his room, he reportedly went ballistic on anyone who would listen, which they have to do because it’s their job. There should be an extra tipping tax on people who are high maintenance, just like there was a “snapping tax” at the Red Onion once upon a time.
ZG got a few chuckles listening to comedian Ben Bailey during Laff Fest last weekend when he opened his act bashing on the news judgment of The Other Paper . He thought it was funny that the local butcher retiring rose to the level of a front-page news story. He referred to the article a few times during the act, which generated many laughs. What will the town do without its butcher? For the love of God! Bailey didn’t take it easy on the audience either, lambasting them for only laughing about jokes that were about locals. ZG figures that Bailey didn’t get the memo that Aspenites love themselves more than most and can sometimes be a bit self-centered. Kinda like the butcher moving to Arizona?