Locals hope to reform Krabloonik

by Andrew Travers, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

Two longtime locals are organizing an effort to change how the Krabloonik dog-sledding kennel and restaurant treats its dogs. And the operation’s longtime owner is apparently willing to listen.

The Snowmass Village-based sledding operation keeps its 260-plus dogs outdoors, chained to raised wooden planks, from May to November while their mushers are gone. Cries for reform at the kennel — which was cited for 10 violations of state law for dog breeders in May — are nothing new for Krabloonik. It has long been a source of consternation for some in the animal-friendly Aspen area, and public outcry crescendoed in 2005 when it was publicized that owner/operator Dan MacEachen was shooting dogs that were too old or weak to pull sleds. He has since disavowed the practice.

Developers submit new Marketplace plan in C’dale

by David Frey, Aspen Daily News Correspondent

CARBONDALE — Crystal River Marketplace developers have submitted their latest proposal for the controversial site, a project that seeks to steer between the concerns that have dogged past plans.

Unlike earlier proposals, the most recent one includes no “big box” store, nor even a medium box. Instead, it presents a new City Market store as its anchor, with a mix of smaller commercial spaces, townhouses and apartments.

Aspen Valley Ranch proposes new trails

by Brent Gardner-Smith, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

The owners of Aspen Valley Ranch in Woody Creek have proposed building two new trails and two new trailhead parking areas if Pitkin County abandons an existing trail easement and relinquishes its quest to prove that a road right-of-way dating back to the 1880s runs through the luxury subdivision.

One of the new trails being proposed would bypass the ranch property and climb up and across the hillside behind the ranch. The trail would start behind the employee housing complex owned by the Aspen School District on Crescent Drive, then head east onto land owned by the Bureau of Land Management above Aspen Valley Ranch.

Ski execs bullish on industry, season

by Brent Gardner-Smith, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

The presidents of the Aspen Skiing Co. and the National Ski Areas Association took time on Thursday to bask in the glow of the snowfilled and busy 2007-2008 ski season.

And both said they are optimistic about the coming season, despite the troubled national economy.

POLICE BLOTTER: Basaltines bring the ruckus

by Andrew Travers, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Three young locals were picked up marauding through downtown Basalt in the after-midnight hours of Tuesday morning.

Police say the boys — two juvenile teenagers and a 21-year-old — stole three bikes, then stole a gasoline container from the back of a pickup truck. The drunk boys allegedly then poured the gasoline onto flower beds in the 200 block of Midland Avenue, apparently planning to set them on fire.

An American Celebración

by Christine Benedetti, Time Out Staff Writer
Take an elaborate gown, fanfare reception, both female and male courts and an extravagant dinner to create an event that sounds like a wedding. But it's not.

The 15th birthday for a Latina girl is more than just a celebration of birth, it's a coming-of-age ceremony literally making a young woman the belle of the ball. Though it's Latin tradition, the event is quickly becoming a American custom, as first, second and third generation Hispanics have taken the legacy and combined it with American excess.

Frank McCourt, in Three Acts

by Damien Williamson, Time Out Staff Writer
Frank McCourt has famously stated that he proved F. Scott Fitzgerald wrong: There are, in fact, second acts in American lives. But in McCourt's case, the 78 year old has seemingly already played out three acts, each chronicled, in turn, in his three award-winning memoirs.

The first, "Angela's Ashes," winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, outlines the sordid details of McCourt's upbringing in Limerick, Ireland, where a ramshackle apartment not-so-conveniently situated next to a public restroom used by his whole block housed a family of nine that was so destitute that sheets for flea-infested beds and milk for newborns were luxuries. An alcoholic father that frequently drank his sporadic paychecks away, the death of three siblings due to malnutrition and disease, and a near-fatal case of typhoid fever that landed him in the hospital, offering a "vacation" of sorts, were the grim realities that surrounded McCourt in the first 18 years of life.

Down Under Fun With The Waifs

by Jason Hood, Time Out Music Columnist
Is there something in the Australian water supply that, when ingested, turns an otherwise healthy individual into an enormously talented rock star? Over the last 30 or so years the continent has produced such acts as AC/DC, Little River Band, INXS, Midnight Oil, Wolfmother and Living End. Even Olivia "You're the One That I Want" Newton-John is from Australia.

Now, it seems, the country Down Under is popping out folk-rock acts, the latest being the Waifs. Last Tuesday's show at Belly Up saw the band in rare form and good humor as the event was broadcast live on the Internet.

The Intersection of Politics and Sports

by Curtis Wackerle, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Flip-flopping on major political issues is so in right now. Check out the facts, which are almost as good as the truth.

Contrary to prior belief, we can drill our way out.

Once Upon a Time

by Linda Gerdnick, Tim Out Guest Writer
The art of storytelling is on the rise thanks to an organization called Spellbinders. Before print and technology, the main means of entertainment and public education was storytelling. Trained storytellers were valuable members of a community. They would keep traditions, history, ancestry and physical surroundings in the forefront with their art form. 

Spellbinders, a nonprofit located in Aspen with chapters across the globe, has resurrected not only this art form, but also the strong intergenerational connections and respect that it creates.

Gianni Masciarelli: The Passing of Abruzzo's Visionary Winemaker

by Drew Stofflet, Time Out Wine Columnist
Last week I was tasting the stunning wines of Italy's Castello delle Regine with  the winery's representative, Alessandra Marino. Our conversation flowed as we tasted gorgeous wines from central and southern Italy. At one point, she noted that they were one of only four wineries that received fruit from the famous Masciarelli vineyards in Abruzzo. At this point I reached into the cooler to show Alessandra the Masciarelli Rose d'Abruzzo that we are pouring by the glass at ella this summer. She exhaled and replied, "Isn't it sad, have you heard?"

Gianni Masciarelli, one of Italy's leading winemakers and international voices passed away on July 31, after suffering a stroke while on a business trip in Munich, Germany. He leaves behind a family as well as a legacy of passion, commitment and vision, and a list of accolades for changing the face of Abruzzan wines and how they are viewed the world over.

Editor's Pick: Run With the Dogs

Aspen Daily News Staff Report
It's a dog jog. But, it's not necessary to actually have a dog. Benefiting the Animal Rescue Foundation, this 3.2-mile run and walk starts in downtown Aspen at Garmisch Street and Cooper Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 24. Either bring your own pooch along, or borrow one of the rescue dogs on-hand

It’s here: Don’t miss American Renewable Energy Day!

by Connie Harvey, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Local filmmaker Chip Comins, frustrated by lack of action on a pressing problem, originated AREDAY, now in its 5th year. It is a highly successful mixture of speakers, films, exhibits, and family fun, all geared to educating people of all ages about renewable energy, and inspiring them to put their knowledge to practical use.

This year’s program features a stellar array of speakers, panelists, and media presentations. Doing nothing always seems easier than doing something. Denial and procrastination regarding climate change have been rampant for many years. Now that the consequences of that neglect are coming home to roost, big shifts in perception and behavior are underway at every level of society.

The Polish missile crisis: Bush’s Last War?

by Ted Rall, Aspen Daily News Columnist
NEW YORK— “The Cold War is over,” Condi Rice said last week.

This might be true: She and her lame duck boss seem to be starting up a hot one, instead.

Fire questions still unanswered

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:

I have some concerns about the Carbondale fire in April.

Obermeyer is a warning

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:

One thing we can be sure of, whatever comes out of the Lift 1A Convenience and Welfare of Profiteers process, it will be every bit as vibrant and lively as that Obermeyer prison complex across town.

Regarding Centennial

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:

Regarding the story that Centennial owners are going to vote about what people can or can’t do in the privacy of their own homes, I don’t smoke, myself, but I have a problem with this issue. It seems unconstitutional and makes me think of a police state. What are the neighbors going to do if they smell cigarette smoke? Call the police and have the smokers arrested?

Not all Republicans are rich

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:

As co-chair of the McCain campaign in Pitkin County, I was appreciative of your newspaper’s balanced coverage of John McCain’s visit to Aspen.

Connect the four mountains

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:

Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in Olympic swimming. Some said it was impossible to achieve. With the help of his teammates, a dream was fulfilled.

Thanks to the ADN

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:

I must admit, regrettably, that I do experience occasional bouts of memory loss. Small things like forgetting the keys, or phone, and even some detailed statistics that might help me at work.