Judge denies order against Krabloonik owner

by Andrew Travers, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
A county judge yesterday shot down a request for a permanent restraining order against embattled Krabloonik restaurant and kennel owner Dan MacEachen by two of his former employees, who said MacEachen threatened to kill them.

From the winter season through this summer, brothers Carlos and Augusto Valdez worked as kitchen hands for MacEachen at Krabloonik restaurant and Maroon Bells Lodge at T-Lazy 7 Ranch. In May, they moved into a bunkroom on the grounds of the Snowmass Village kennel with MacEachen’s 260-plus dogs.

Embattled hospital treasurer resigns

by Troy Hooper, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

Beleaguered businessman John Jellinek resigned as treasurer of Aspen Valley Hospital on Thursday, the same day the hospital board’s chairman stood to endure embarrassment by disclosures about Jellinek’s conflicts of interests.

The resignation also came amid reports that the treasurer’s activities were potentially having an impact on fundraising at the Aspen Valley Medical Foundation.

Bear comes looking for downvalley trash

by David Frey, Aspen Daily News Correspondent

CARBONDALE — Everyone else eventually heads downvalley. Why not the bears?

Long a common sight in Aspen, Snowmass Village and Basalt, bears have typically been scarce in Carbondale, where the town sits farther away from their mountain habitat. So when a bruin was spotted wandering the streets on Tuesday, it attracted more than a little attention.

Drunk-driving jerk-off nabbed in Aspen

by Andrew Travers, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Masturbation is not a crime.

However, masturbating while drunk and driving and following a pretty girl around Aspen will get you arrested, as an 18-year-old man learned at about 8 a.m. Monday.

City begins talking density with B’Game homeowners

by Curtis Wackerle, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

Representatives from the Burlingame Ranch homeowners association met with city officials Thursday, kicking off a series of discussions that will eventually lead to an all-important vote on increasing density at the development.

Topics of discussion ranged from the impacts of adding 59 units to the site to the details of the covenants and bylaws governing the homeowners association in the closed-door meeting, according to city officials who were there.

Mountain High

by Christine Benedetti, Time Out Staff Writer
Hot air ballooning's ups and downs aren't just literal.

Sometimes, a little event can blow in and turn things topsy-turvy. This time, it was a rain storm.

Recent Grads Bring First Ski Flick to the Wheeler

by Damien Williamson, Time Out Staff Writer
Nick Waggoner and Ben Sturgulewski remember sitting in the front row at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival a few years ago, craning their necks to watch, what they describe, as a rather epic film on skiing in British Columbia. Two days later they made a decision. The duo - at the time both were studying film at Colorado College in Colorado Springs - would head up to Canada to make their first film during their winter break.

"We took this $500 camera that Ben had, and we just shot super low-tech and pretty low-budget for about a week," Waggoner says. "We had a really cool experience and ended up submitting the film in a local festival."

Best Case Scenario

by Jason Hood, Time Out Music Columnist
For the longest time I could not get myself to embrace the brand of music known as Americana. It sounded old and antiquated like Brylcreem or Dick Cheney. I thought of Radio Flyer wagons, roller skates with metal wheels, and segregationist senators. I thought about the Great Depression. In fact, just pondering Americana sent me spiraling into my own great depression.

However, all that has changed. It first happened when I discovered a band called the Felice Brothers, a group consisting of, well, three brothers whose last name is Felice. I found them fascinating. Their music was eclectic, roots-based, Woody Guthrie style, Americana. It didn't hurt that they dressed like extras from the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Falling into Fashion

by Giovanna DiRusso, Time Out Fashion Columnist
Finally, a fabulous season of fashion. I'm excited about this year's fall/winter collections - it's all about making women look and feel beautiful - and isn't that what it should be all about? There are choices out there, open and available for each woman's interpretation, and isn't that what every woman wants?

•Great fabrics: wool, cashmere, silk, leather

Riesling and the Return of Vibrant Autumn

by Drew Stofflet, Time Out Wine Columnist
Yes, with our gazes set toward the ever diminished sun and with great speed, the fall harvest season has spread over us, saying good-bye to the blissful days of high summer. No doubt it runs pretty short around these parts. The delicata squash have barely begun to ripen, the tomatoes won't, and the chanterelles still hide in the grasses for the time being. Some of the kale and turnip greens rise reddish-orange above the purple and green leaves. The peaches have passed, but wild apricots still deliver zest, and the sarvis berries are fat and blue, like juicy blueberries. While the bears are about foraging, we look ahead to the apple harvest, conjuring up visions of pies, stuffing, muffins and cider.

This time of the year simply invites us to let go of the past, to look ahead, as well as count our blessings. Fall is like diving into a giant leaf pile, and the flavors beg of the great, noble riesling.

Editor's Pick: A Bernard Shaw Story

Aspen Daily News Staff Report
Professional and local actors bring Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw's musical comedy to life. "You Never Can Tell" takes on women's rights, love and a bit of dentistry in a tale involving mistaken identities and memorable characters

Grading Palin

by Carol H. Ehrlich
Editor: 

Even I, a liberal-leaning independent, found Sarah Palin to be surprisingly comfortable in her speech-making, in command of her audience. Give her an “A” for presentation.

Learn about RFTA

by John Barbee
Editor:

It is important that all of us citizens of Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties learn about and get involved in developing and refining the policies that drive our transportation system — RFTA.

Palin isn’t qualified

by Denise Moss
Editor:

Wasilla, Alaska, was roughly the size of Carbondale when Sarah Palin was mayor. This is the majority of her political “experience.” I hope that voters will realize that this in no way qualifies her to run our country (she is ‘a heartbeat away from the presidency’). It would be as if our own mayor suddenly became president. No offense to Michael Hassig, but I don’t think running Carbondale, Wasilla or any other small rural town qualifies anyone to deal with the multitudes of economic, health care and international issues at hand.

We don’t need Palin

by Scott MacCracken
Editor:

This country does not need more snotty condescension as demonstrated by Sarah Palin. The only job she did in her recent acceptance speech was to regurgitate the same old inaccuracies and smears about the opposition without speaking to her own policies or questionable history. Sudden enthusiasm so generated for the Republicans is no justification to continue down their current destructive path.

No friend of black folks

by Emzy Veazy
Editor:
 

Diary of a vegetable and weed grower

by Kristine Crandall
Dear Diary, Memorial Day, 2008: Yippee! This evening I officially commenced summer by planting my vegetable garden! There was a crimson sunset, and I heard the first nighthawks of the season. I followed the schematic I had drawn up yesterday, although I called an audible about mid-way through the planting, waving my trowel and pronouncing that more carrots were needed. So I added two more rows of carrots and figured it couldn’t hurt to throw in an extra grouping of nasturtium seeds. Another important date to note: On May 14, my friend Karen and I planted potatoes. Seemed like a Carbondale thing to do.

July 7: According to my haphazard piece of scrap paper with garden recordings from last year, I had harvested first radishes and greens by now. Not much happening in this garden but small projectiles from the soil that look kind of like green whiskers. Should I replant the whole darned thing? And after two weeks of neglecting the compost bin, I looked in today to find it teeming with ants. The entire surface area was in motion, and there was a steady ant train from the front driveway colony all the way back to the compost (via the house exterior trim). I proceeded to water the bin thoroughly, making it more like Neptune than the dry-as-a-bone Planet of the Ants.

The return of supermom

by Ellen Goodman
Who would have dreamed that a hockey mom could produce such a bounce?

I didn’t even think the puck was supposed to get off the ice. But now that so many women have skated over to her side, allow me another metaphor: Sarah Palin is the Zamboni of this campaign.