Settlement reached in Common Ground case

by Curtis Wackerle, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

A settlement has been reached in an affordable-housing rent overcharging case in which a property owner allegedly charged $1,000 per month in excess of housing authority limits for furniture.

Larry Bielfield, who owns a deed-restricted category 3 home at Common Ground, an affordable-housing development near Hunter Creek, subleased his home from November until July to Michael Bailey and his girlfriend, who were not told the unit was deed-restricted. They learned, however, that the maximum rent on the two-bedroom home was $1,400 per month — not the $2,400 per month they were paying — after complaining to a neighbor about steep rent.

Ryan land trade could be up to voters

by Brent Gardner-Smith, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

It has taken 10 years, an act of Congress and countless negotiations and meetings to arrange for a scenic 35-acre meadow between the Ashcroft ghost town and the Pine Creek Cookhouse to  become — potentially — Forest Service land left in its natural state.

Now it will likely take an affirmative vote on Nov. 4 by the citizens of Pitkin County to complete the deal, which will also add a variety of other parcels of land to the county’s open-space inventory in the process.

Three run for two seats on Snowmass council

by Catherine Lutz, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

Three candidates are vying for two open seats on  Snowmass Village Town Council this fall, while the mayor’s seat, which is being vacated by current Mayor Doug “Merc” Mercatoris, is contested by two men who paint sharply different pictures of each other, but were both on the council that voted unanimously for Base Village.

As of last Monday’s filing deadline, Markey Butler, Kay Honigman-Singer and John Wilkinson had returned signed affidavits and petitions to run for Town Council. Current Councilman Arnie Mordkin announced his intent to run for mayor in February; former councilman and current planning commissioner Bill Boineau joined the race the first day paperwork was available in early August. Mercatoris, who has served a pair of two-year terms as mayor and has sat on the council for 18 of the last 20 years, said recently, as expected, that he intends to take a break from town politics.

Man busted in motorcycle theft

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Aspen police arrested a 26-year-old Colorado Springs man for allegedly stealing a motorcycle on Saturday night.

The man, Neal Littlejohn, faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, running a stop sign, second degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, and not having a motorcycle endorsement on his driver’s license, according to police reports.

The interloper's report: Buddha of the Sports Desk

by Andrew Travers, Roaring Sports Columnist
If there's another thing that sportswriting teaches you, it is that there are no transcendent themes in life. In all cases things are here and they're over, and that has to be enough.
- Richard Ford, The Sportswriter

Editor’s pick: 2008 Ride for the cure

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Roaring Sports Columnist
On Saturday, Sept. 6, bikers will assemble at Koch Park in Aspen for a great cause: To raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

This year's Ride for the Cure promises to be a great one.

Athlete profile: Tim Stenovec

Aspen Daily News Staff Report, Roaring Sports Columnist
Current residence: Lenado and Vail

Age: 24

Climbing Rifle's Chambers

by Jonathan Bastian, Roaring Sports Staff Writer
Rifle Mountain Park is a lush enigma that shimmers like an oasis between natural gas rigs, starched-yellow cow pastures and a thirsty range of mountains that undulates towards Utah. It is a perfectly carved canyon lathered with limestone - rock that looks as if it has been run through a rusty, mangled cheese grater, transforming the crag into prickly ripples, chiseled punctures, perforated veins. Between the walls, a slate-gray creek purls and curls through the greenery, an endless silver shoal, ankle-deep, purring in a delicate aural landscape - one that is assaulted depending on the time of day.

You just need to close your eyes to absorb the culture clash: Roughnecks with shit-kicking Chevy trucks blasting country, tossing Bud's into the creek; Hispanic families cranking trumpet-tuned-Spanish-sung songs from their radios; Earth-loving climbers emerging from their dirt-splotched Subarus, clinging to the crag, adrenaline-juiced yelps echoing up and down the canyon.

Beach game, mountain style

by Kai Beech, Roaring Sports Staff Writer
On all fours with a face full of sand, a man, who was equally tall as he was tan, wiped the dirt from his beach blonde hair and looked up as the doubles team of Matt Akromis and Jeff Pheffere congratulated each other on their quarterfinal win during the 36th annual Mother Lode Volleyball Classic at Aspen's Kock Lumber Park.

As Akromis and Pheffere-the tournament's reigning men's master division champions-high fived each other, the man rose from defeat, dusted himself off and was soon lounging under a tree enjoying a cold one with his friends.

Hang time: A sincere thank you from one of Bastian's Boys

by Corby Anderson, Roaring Sports Columnist
"Make it as weird as possible!" Those were my marching orders, direct from the top office of the Roaring Sports corporate HQ, where their newly ordained first Editor Jonathan Bastian was taking this snorting bull by the tail and whipping it into finely sliced tri-tip.

I made it very clear, right from that first phone call, that I had no experience as a sports writer, or really as any kind of writer, unless you count long screeds to the editor and several past girlfriends. But that didn't matter to Jon, not at all. He believed in me, he saw a storyteller where others saw only an endless chain of words. I am not sure why, but Jon trusted me to be one of his new magazine's columnists. I became, along with Andrew Travers, one of Bastian's Boys - a writer (yes!) in search of a good time, a bit of adventure, sprinkled with a dash of sportiness.

Hurricane watching vs. heavy sledding

by Sheldon Fingerman, Aspen Daily News Columnist
As I write this column, Hurricane Gustav is closing in on New Orleans. As you read this column Gustav should have hit land and you are probably watching CNN or some other news channel to see what’s going on.

Meanwhile, here we sit in Aspen — immune from hurricanes, major floods (depending on where you live) and tornadoes. If you weren’t aware, we do have earthquakes, and I’ve probably felt at least three of them, but damage is usually minimal. It’s often more of a “What was that?” than an “Oh my God!”

Bikinis and intertemporal choice

by Gene Weingarten, Aspen Daily News Columnist
I am looking at the results of a recent highly scientific study titled “Bikinis Instigate Generalized Impatience in Intertemporal Choice.”

After men were allowed to fondle lingerie and look at a video of hundreds of breathtakingly sexy women stampeding through a jungle in skimpy swimsuits, the study found, the men’s judgment became impaired. Once aroused, they were less likely to cut shrewd deals in simple business negotiations.

Fired for a hangover?

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

Scoop your poop

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

Again with the non-poop-scoopers! What’s wrong with these people?

Don’t miss ‘The Iron Wall’

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

Galia Golan in her Aspen Institute lecture on Aug. 25 confirmed everything I have been saying and writing about Israel for the last six years.

Obama is qualified

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

A recent column by Michael Reagan, the right-wing radio show host and eldest son of former president Ronald Reagan, alleges Barack Obama is not qualified for president. He offers some predictably negative comments by Obama’s rivals in the run-up to his nomination.  Of course, he presents not one fact.