Lift One pushes ahead

by Brent Gardner-Smith, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
The citizens’ group charged with developing a master plan for the Lift One neighborhood came to a consensus this week on a new conceptual site plan for eight acres at the base of Aspen Mountain.
    The latest plan does not include a chairlift between Dean Street and the top of South Aspen Street, and would leave the proposed base of a new Shadow Mountain Lift just uphill from its present location.

Carbondale joins list of top towns

by David Frey, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
CARBONDALE — Sorry, Aspen. Cheer up, Basalt. Get over it, Glenwood. It’s Carbondale on the cover of National Geographic Adventure magazine, listed as one of the 12 top “next great towns” in the country.
    The magazine lists 50 top “adventure towns,” and singles out (but does not rank) 12 of them. Among them are old standbys like Seattle and San Francisco, and up-and-coming burgs like Missoula, Mont.; Ogden, Utah; even Mobile, Ala. And, yes, Carbondale, Colorado.

Landscaper ordered to pay employee

by Andrew Travers, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
A local landscaping company was called out by a judge this week for not paying an employee, and other bilked workers are also crying foul.
    College student Ryan Gordon worked for Green Side Up, a Carbondale-based landscaping business, for two weeks this summer. He quit at the end of May, he told Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely on Wednesday in small claims court, because the operation was too disorganized. He was paid for three of the 11 days he worked mowing lawns for Green Side Up.

Howie Mallory’s ‘last hurrah’ at Community Banks

by Brent Gardner-Smith, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Howie Mallory’s last day as executive vice president of Community Banks of Colorado was in June. But on Friday, his co-workers, bank co-founders and friends hosted a party, and a roast, in his honor.
Someone joked that Mallory was too tight with a dollar to spring for a party while still at the bank. John McBride, an old friend, ribbed Mallory that his retirement party was being held in a bank parking lot. Aspen Mayor Mick Ireland immediately pointed out that parking lots in Aspen are worth millions of dollars. Nearly everyone who spoke acknowledged Mallory’s intelligence, creativity, civic pride and casual approach to preppy fashion.

Back when food was food

by Beth Brandon, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Remember when food was for nourishment? Imagine: A place where people were grateful for the food on their plates and ate indiscriminately. I think they call that a Third World country today. Even so, there are still incredibly picky eaters out there.
    I too was a picky eater as a child, but have since gotten over “random corn” and canned peas. I eat food because I like it and try most everything. Why not?

Equal Rites Awards return

by Ellen Goodman, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Once more, we prepare to honor our foremothers by celebrating the anniversary of the passage of women’s suffrage. Each year, in advance of Aug. 26, our one-woman committee gathers to hand out the Equal Rites Awards to those stalwarts who have done the most in the past year to set back the cause of women.
    What to say of the last 12 months?

What Obama would do

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editorial:
    In a 51-second video posted Feb. 18, 2008, on YouTube, Barack Obama tells us exactly what he will do to our military if he becomes president: cut tens of billions of dollars from missile defense systems, slow development of future combat systems, not develop new nuclear weapons (including deep cuts in our nuclear arsenal), and  negotiate with Russia to take our ICBMs off alert.

Show us the offenders

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:
    It would be most helpful if you published a list of names and photographs of those who abuse our environment in the order of the magnitude of the offense.

Congrats to Jack Silverman

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:
    Congratulations to Jack Silverman for voluntarily securing historic designation for his Pan Abode-style home.

Just wondering

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:
    I wonder how many veterinarians would agree that more large dogs are savaged by little dogs than the other way around.

River Days was great

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Columnist
Editor:
    As Wendy Woo and the Woo Band concluded the 11th annual Basalt River Days, responses from vendors, visitors, sponsors and locals alike all agreed how great it was to be a part of River Days.