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April 27, 2007
Snowmass Village Construction Information
Spring 2007 Construction Areas
BASE VILLAGE
The new Base Village will include 600 luxury residential units offering various ownership opportunities, hotel facilities and amenities, an aquatic center and fine dining and shopping for residents and visitors. The Base Village development is expected to be complete in 2011. Phase 1 of the Base Village development will be complete by the 2008 ski season including 90 whole-ownership condominiums (87 of which have been pre-sold), a new state-of-the art 26,000 square foot Children's Center and exciting mix of retail including five new restaurants.
TOWN HALL
New administrative office building for Town departments and future Police Headquarters. Expect truck deliveries throughout the season.
Completion November of 2007.
WOOD RUN PLACE
Building two tri-plex units.
VILLAGE MALL
Pedestrian mall includes restaurants, retail, rental shops, event space, and access to nearby lodges, public transportation, and Fanny Hill.
TOWN PARK
37 acres of recreational areas including Recreation Center, Village Shuttle Depot, Visitor Center and two playgrounds. Building new skatepark, tennis courts, volleyball court, basketball courts, and expanding the soccer field.
RODEO PLACE HOMES
Building Phase I: 4 duplex units and 11 single-family homes, expected completion of phase I late fall/winter 2007. Periodic deliveries expected accessed through events arena and Horse Ranch Drive.
FUTURE ENTRY LANES/INFORMATION
Road work to build pull out lanes, temporary parking and a 24-hour sheltered visitor area.
SAM'S NOB
New on-mountain restaurant, expected completion date of winter 07/08 season.
More details on the Snowmass Village Construction
Posted by jmidthun at 10:26 AM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2007
No Off-season for the Aspen Art Museum
Four Thursday Nights: Minus
April 26 and May 3, 10, and 17, 6 p.m.
April 26, 2007 at 6 p.m.
The Simpson Verdict, 2002 by Kota Ezawa
Film introduction by artist Kota Ezawa and AAM Director and Chief Curator Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson
May 3, 2007 at 6 p.m.
Once in the XX Century, 2004 by Deimantas Narkevicius
Film introduction by AAM Assistant Curator Matthew Thompson
May 10, 2007 at 6 p.m.
Firehole, 2006 by Pawel Wojtasik
Film introduction by AAM Assistant Curator Matthew Thompson
May 17, 2007 at 6 p.m.
Phat Free, 1995/1999 by David Hammons
Film introduction by AAM Director and Chief Curator Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson
During the months of April and May, the Aspen Art Museum will present its annual video and film series entitled Four Thursday Nights. Offering a thematic selection of exciting contemporary video and film from around the globe, a new work will premier each Thursday night and run for one week in the museum’s Lower Gallery.
Four Thursday Nights: Minus examines reductive or minimizing gestures that are used to direct and focus the attention of the viewer. In Kota Ezawa's The Simpson Verdict (2002), the artist creates a flattened animation from original courtroom footage of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, calling into question our relationship to reality in the age of the spectacularized media events. Lithuanian artist Deimantas Narkevicius re-edits and reverses footage in Once in the XX Century (2004) to create a bizarre pseudo-documentary of the erecting of a statue of Lenin before a cheering crowd in a public square in Vilnius. Pawel Wojtasik's Firehole (2006) combines shots of cars getting compacted with footage from a car race in a beautifully meditative exploration of the life-cycle of machinery. In David Hammons’s Phat Free (1995/1999), a rhythmic, dissonant soundtrack is slowly revealed as documentation of a performance—rife with reference to activity and death-f the artist kicking a metal bucket down an urban street at night.
Organized by the Aspen Art Museum.
IMAGE: Kota Ezawa, The Simpson Verdict, 2002. Courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco
For more information on off-season in Aspen, please visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2007
2007 USASA Snowboarding Nationals
Stay Aspen Snowmass vacation specialist Jack Laderer qualified for the 2007 USASA Snowboarding Nationals which took place in Tahoe, CA
Jack scored an 8th place in Slopestyle and 7th place in Half-pipe.
Congratulations Jack!
For lodging and activities in Aspen-Snowmass, please visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2007
SNOWMASS VILLAGE ANNOUNCES FULL MUSIC LINE-UP FOR CHILI PEPPER & BREW FEST
From Bluegrass to Reggae, "Pepper Hill" rocks with music legends June 8-10, 2007
Snowmass Village, Colo. -- Snowmass Village is thrilled to announce the final line-up of music for the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest June 8-10, 2007, which includes The David Grisman Quintet, the Del McCoury Band, Spencer Durham, Papa Mali, Ziggy Marley, Sweet Sunny South, and Smokin' Joe Kelly.
Officially kicking off the Aspen/Snowmass summer season, this hot young festival in its 4th year offers prestigious microbrew and International Chili Society competitions and tastings and jalapeno hot music.
"From bluegrass to reggae, up-and-coming musicians to beloved legends, this festival is the best music line-up yet, thanks to our Event Contractor Josh Behrman," says Town of Snowmass Village Marketing Director Susan Hamley. "Add in the chili and microbrew components and it's easy to see why the festival has become such a popular way to kick off the summer."
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY
CHILI: The International Chili Society's Front Range District Chili Cook Off and Tasting. ICS cooks square off in this sanctioned district level competition in the categories of Chili Red, Chili Verde and Chili Salsa followed by public tastings.
MICROBREWS: Over 40 elite national microbreweries compete in the professionally judged Best Summer Ale competition. Party Pass holders are invited to the following public tasting.
MUSIC:
Sweet Sunny South. Sweet Sunny South is an acoustic old-time bluegrass band that plays a unique blend of new and traditional music. Based in Paonia, Colorado, the group has performed extensively throughout the region and has a reputation for a lively stage show and great songwriting.
The Del McCoury Band. Del McCoury has embodied the best qualities of bluegrass since he first performed with Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in the 1960s. Since then, McCoury has won 31 International Bluegrass Music Association awards. He is the leader of the Del McCoury Band, which includes sons Ronnie McCoury (mandolin) and Rob McCoury (banjo) and has produced eight albums, including the 2006 Grammy Award-winning album The Company We Keep.
The David Grisman Quintet. For more than 40 years, mandolinist/composer David Grisman has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music that blends swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz and gypsy styles. Praised for his mastery of the mandolin as well as his talents as a composer, bandleader, teacher and record producer, Grisman has produced over 50 critically acclaimed acoustic music recordings (five of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards). Over the past 25 years, the David Grisman Quintet has won numerous awards and headlined at major music festivals around the world.
SATURDAY
CHILI: The 9th Annual Hot Times Regional Championship (formerly held in Cripple Creek) features prestigious regional ICS cook-offs in Chili Red, Chili Verde and Salsa followed by public tastings.
MICROBREWS: Party Pass holders are invited to the Grand Beer Sampling to taste microbrews from around the country.
MUSIC:
The Spencer Durham Group. Take one part jamband, add one part southern rock, one part blues, and mix together with a high- energy stage show and you get The Spencer Durham Group. Led by its 19-year-old phenom, the Spencer Durham Group has been compared to the Allman Brothers Band of the 1970s with its strong rhythms, bluesy slide guitar, unmistakable B-3 organ, and stirring vocals dripping with soul.
Papa Mali. Solo artist, slide guitarist, singer/songwriter and acclaimed producer Papa Mali was professionally playing funk, soul, gospel, blues, reggae, Swamp Boogie, and rock by the time he was 17. Christened "Papa Mali" during his time with the internationally acclaimed band The Killer Bees, Papa Mali's long-awaited second album was released last fall and he has worked with renowned artists including The Meters, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Derek Trucks, and many more.
Ziggy Marley. Four-time Grammy Award-winner Ziggy Marley, who won his first solo Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2007, is a native of Kingston, Jamaica, and son of reggae legend Bob Marley. He spent two decades as the driving creative force behind The Melody Makers, a triple Grammy-winning act with his siblings before releasing his first solo album in 2003. His style crafts a soulful blend of blues, R&B, hip-hop, and reggae and highlights his skills as a singer and songwriter. In addition to contributing on a variety of soundtracks and even venturing into acting as Bernie, the Jamaican jellyfish in the animated movie A Shark’s Tale, Marley is the founder of U.R.G.E., a non-profit organization benefiting charitable children's causes in developing nations.
SUNDAY (Free!)
CHILI: Local aficionados get their chance to heat up the Mall during the popular People's Choice Chili competition.
MICROBREWS: Snowmass is home-brew heaven during the Locals' Home-brew Competition.
MUSIC: Favorite local musician Smokin' Joe Kelly, the former guitarist for Ike and Tina Turner and a phenomenal rock & roller, provides the ideal closing day soundtrack for the festival.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Chili Pepper & Brew Fest offers world-class chili, microbrews and music for a phenomenal price: tickets are only $15 on Friday or $20 on Saturday for a Festival Pass which includes access to the outdoor concerts on Fanny Hill and food, beer, and wine concessionaires. For only $10 more ($25 on Friday and $30 on Saturday), a Party Pass for ages 21 and older allows unlimited access to the microbrew tastings and to sampling different types of chili each day. A $50 weekend Party Pass is available as well. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Capacity is limited: This festival is expected to sell out, so you are advised not to wait until June to purchase tickets, which are currently on sale at www.snowmasschiliandbrew.com.
Posted by Dina at 08:01 AM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2007
Friday was office ski day
After a busy winter season, the Stay Aspen Snowmass Team took a well-deserved Ski Day break. It wasn't a powder day, but instead the staff enjoyed beautiful sunshine and balmy temperature. See for yourself.
Lunch at the Sundeck on Aspen Mountain
Sean Keery waiting for the bus
An après-ski break by the Sky Hotel pool
Lunch at the Sundeck on Aspen Mountain
The Stay Aspen Snowmass Team
It is not quite off-season yet, come and visit us at www.stayaspensnowmass.com for some late season specials.
Posted by Dina at 08:13 AM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2007
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport officially closed
Aspen Daily News
Staff Report -
Sun 04/08/2007
For the next 60 days, there won't be a single airplane in the sky directly above Aspen. For some, it's a nice break, but for others it's more of a hassle for those off-season plans.
While the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport runway gets an $11.9 million makeover, alternative transportation outlets are buffing up their services.
The most notable of these are Eagle County Airport's expanded services. From April 9-23, United is offering six daily flights to Denver (four 37-passenger Dash-8s and two 138-passenger Airbus A-320s). Starting April 24 and continuing through the reopening on June 6, United Express is operating seven daily Dash-8 turboprop flights to and from Denver -- during this time last year only three flights were operational from Aspen's Sardy Field.
In addition, Colorado Mountain Express is offering discounted rates on shuttles, with 10-passenger vans starting at $300. For both Airbus flights arriving and departing in Eagle, CME is offering shuttle services for $63 per person.
Fares to the West Coast from Eagle start in the mid-$200 range and flights to the East Coast are in the mid-$300.
For more information on the closure, and CME times, visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 09:45 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2007
Sun Dog's K-9 Uphill
Aspen , CO
The 12th annual Sun Dog's K-9 Uphill, "A Snowshoe Event for Dogs and their People" will be held Saturday, April 7 th at 10:00AM at Buttermilk Mountain. Human/K-9 teams will snowshoe, ski or hike 2000 vertical feet o ver two miles from the base to the east summit Finish/Refueling "PowerStation" during this one-of-a-kind event, which benefits the NEW Aspen/Pitkin Animal Shelter and Valley Dog Rescue, two local no-kill shelters. Last year over 200 canine/human teams participated in either Recreational or Competitive categories. Most teams enjoy the more leisurely and social Recreational division. This unique event has been featured in The Spirit of Colorado TV series on PBS, the book "Canine Colorado", and articles in Rocky Mountain Sports Magazine, The Snowshoer, Aspen Sojourner, Aspen Magazine and the Denver Post.
For more information on sporting events in Snowmass/Aspen, please visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2007
Aspen International Mountain Foundation together with the Aspen Institute presents an environmental forum with Dr. Dan Garvey of Prescott College on Thursday, April 5
Aspen International Mountain Foundation together with the Aspen Institute presents an environmental forum with Dr. Dan Garvey of Prescott College on Thursday, April 5
March 28, 2007 (Aspen, Colo.) - The Aspen International Mountain Foundation together with the Aspen Institute is again pleased to present a forum on sustainable mountain environments. The event to be held at Paepcke Auditorium on April 5, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. is part of the Aspen Sister Cities' 20th anniversary celebration of their sister city relationship with Chamonix, France.
Dr. Dan Garvey, President of Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, will make a presentation entitled IMAGINE: Sustainable Futures Dialogues. After the presentation, Dr. Garvey will moderate a panel discussion with mountain environment authorities including Matthew Hamilton of the Aspen Skiing Company, Mr. Eric Fournier, Vice Mayor of Chamonix, France, Rusty Butler, Utah Valley State College and other invited guests. Also, in attendance will be Baktybek Abdrisavev, former Ambassador to the U.S. from the Kyrgyz Republic, Dr. Danielle Butler, Utah Valley State College, the delegation from Chamonix including Jacque Tomei, Chair of the Chamonix-Aspen Committee and Mr. Francois Bidault, Director and CEO of the Chamonix Mont Blanc Ski Company, and Officials of the Aspen Skiing Company. Mayor Helen Klanderud will open the forum and introduce Dr. Garvey and the other participants.
Aspen International Mountain Foundation is an organization dedicated to preserving a sustainable and healthy mountain environment. The focus of the organization is to foster world peace by creating opportunities for people to promote sustainable development in the world's mountain communities. The first environmental forum was convened in 1995 in Aspen’s sister city, Shimukappu, Japan. Other forums followed in Aspen and Chamonix, France.
The forum on April 5th will give the Aspen community the opportunity to participate in a dialogue with noted national and international authorities on sustainable mountain environment. According to Dr. Dan Garvey, "these dialogues give the citizens and leaders an opportunity to imagine and create the future we would like to live in, both in our personal lives and for the public good."
The Forum is open to the public. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:30 p.m. The community is encouraged to attend this very informative and thought provoking evening.
For information, call Karinjo Devore at 925-1140 or Pat Fallin at 927-0405.
For more information on Aspen- Snowmass, please visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 03:24 PM | Comments (0)
April 03, 2007
SNOWMASS VILLAGE ANNOUNCES NEW FREE MUSIC SERIES ALCOHOL SALES TO BENEFIT LOCAL NONPROFITS
Snowmass Village, Colo. -- Snowmass Village is pleased to announce that local Snowmass nonprofits will be the beneficiaries of the sale of alcohol at this summer's free concerts.
"We're pleased to be able to continue this beloved concert series that our community has appreciated for the past 15 years," says the town's Director of Marketing & Special Events Susan Hamley. "Donating the proceeds is another way to support the community and raise awareness for local organizations and partners."
Six Snowmass-based and marketing partner non-profit organizations, including Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Anderson Ranch, Challenge Aspen, the Snowmass Rotary, and the Little Red School House, will each be designated a particular concert night and will receive all the profits from beer and wine sales from that night. The Snowmass Village Marketing & Special Events Department will help promote each nonprofit's night in advertising and public relations to raise their visibility, and the organizations will be able to set up a booth to hand out information as well. The remaining five nights of the concert series will provide a buffer to ensure that in case of inclement weather, each non-profit will receive a reasonable donation.
The Snowmass Marketing & Special Events Department plans to keep alcohol costs affordable this summer by selling beer and wine starting at $2/glass. Three-to-four beer and wine selections of varying quality and prices will be offered both at 14 taps at three different bar stations on the hill and by four roaming vendors, while an on-site wine cellar will also be available to purchase more expensive full bottles of wine.
As part of the new alcohol policy, the Snowmass Village Marketing & Special Events Department is committed to ensuring the quality of the concert experience by excessively staffing the concerts to help ensure no long lines. The concert entrances on Elbert Lane and the Snowmass Village Mall will be manned by guest services representatives. Concert attendees carrying no coolers or bags can use a pass-through lane, while multiple other fast-moving lanes will be dedicated for those wishing to carry coolers onto the hill. Visitors who haven't heard about the alcohol policy change that now prohibits bringing personal alcoholic beverages onto the hill will be able to claim check their alcohol for pick up when leaving the venue.
While the policy on alcohol consumption was changed to comply with state laws, the rest of the free concert series remains in the same beloved format and promises the same stellar music, scenic sunsets, and a Family Fun Zone with face painting, juggling and a house of bounce for kids. Jazz Aspen Snowmass shortly plans to finalize and announce the music line-up for this summer.
For more information on the Snowmass Summer Free Music Series, please visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)
On Duty
Aspen Daily News
Christine Benedetti - Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Tue 04/03/2007 11:01AM
Jim Scott, of California, rides down the Velvet Falls run in a monoski at Snowmass Ski Area on Monday.Veterans gather in Snowmass for Winter Sports Clinic
On Monday afternoon, the vehicle loading area at Snowmass' Silvertree Hotel was more of a stage. Different groups of people clustered around the center cheering and jeering those who took on the 25-foot climbing wall erected in the middle.
"You can do it, you're halfway there!" shouted one woman.
Only to be reinforced from another section with a, "You go girl, boys drool and girls rule."
Still, there was some taunting and "friendly competition," as one person called it, but the one common thread was that each participant, or audience member, was there for the same reason: the 21st National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.
Coming from around the country, 365 veterans are meeting in Snowmass for a week on the slopes, sipping cocktails in the lounge and finding support from others going through similar experiences.
"Everyone knows how everyone feels," said Buddy Hayes, a 48-year-old Army veteran who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago and is in a wheelchair. "It's unspoken."
Hayes, the one with the go-get-'em-girls attitude around the rock climbing wall, is back for her second year.
Not only does she shred snow in the mornings and shimmy up the climbing wall in the afternoons, but this active woman won two marathons and two half-marathons after the 2002 diagnosis.
"You've only got a week here, and you don't want to waste time sitting on your butt," she joked.
Over on the slopes, flush-faced Stephen Stratman, from Edwardsville, Ill., is fresh off the hill. An on-the-job spinal injury left him with minimal function below his chest and he says it always feels like that half of his body is "next to a bonfire."
"I've never had a chance to do anything with paralyzed vets, and I just wanted to be with the people," he said. "Just because you have an injury doesn't mean you can't leave home."
Because he has a ski background, Stratman said he picked up the bi-ski -- two skis under a bucket chair -- more quickly. This is his first year at the Winter Sports Clinic, and besides skiing he and his wife are partaking in some of the other organized activities like trap shooting and gondola rides.
More than 450 volunteers show up for the week, and 200 of these are ski instructors. Beyond the coordination between getting people on the slopes and to different activities, there's the task of organizing the equipment -- 250 units from mono-skis and bi-skis to snowboards and three-track skis. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of ski equipment is loaned out and monitored by officials who are veterans themselves.
"Let's give freedom back to those who fight for it,' said R.W. Wright, who heads up the equipment department. "We'll do anything to make a difference in their week ... sometimes they think their lives are over."
For others, it's about perspective.
Up by the pool, some veterans are learning to scuba dive, and just like the rock climbing wall there are groups of people watching. Four young men sit together on one side, all in wheelchairs.
Two men, Chris Sullivan and Dallas Chambless, were stationed in Iraq. Sullivan, 23, was shot on duty and Chambless, 23, was in a motorcycle accident two days after returning from Iraq. They are both paralyzed from the waist down.
Chambless, an Army veteran, served in Iraq on two different occasions and previously told officials that he wished he could return.
"I wish I could go back a third time," he said. "I miss being a soldier -- I found joy in doing my job."
He has skied before, but said he was eager to get out there again.
"I'll give anything a try once," he added.
Hayes said there's no one-time visit for the Winter Sports Clinic.
"You try it one time and you want to come back," she said.
For more information on veteran's week, please visit www.stayaspensnowmass.com
Posted by Dina at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2007
"Aspen Soap" pops into town's bubble
Actress Felicity Huffman makes a cameo in debut
Homegrown actress Felicity Huffman made an appearance in Saturday's pilot of "The Aspen Soap" at the Black Box Theater at Aspen High School. (Charles Agar/The Aspen Times)
By Charles Agar
Aspen, CO Colorado
April 2, 2007
The Hudson Reed Ensemble turned a warped lens on the community Saturday in the pilot of "The Aspen Soap," a series of vignettes about life in town.
Felicity Huffman, star of "Desperate Housewives" and an Academy Award nominee in 2006 for "Transamerica," made a cameo appearance in Saturday's premiere alongside her mother, Grace.
The stories in "The Aspen Soap" spring from life here - in fact, the piece is the amalgam of videotaped improv skits from a one-month Hudson Reed Ensemble workshop - and the show features some recognizable characters and typical Aspen scenarios: A downwardly mobile therapist with a penchant for spanking; an eccentric mayoral candidate campaigning on doggie diapers for pooches trotting up Housewife Hill (Smuggler Mine); a Valium-gulping, neurotic mom juggling cell phones; the barkeep of the Blue Moon bemoaning the loss of the Aspen lifestyle and Wintersköl gone commercial; and the shock when a young woman working multiple jobs and living in "crackerbox" employee unit with her boyfriend finds out she's pregnant.
You might even recognize yourself in the roster.
At moments the dialogue is fast and furious, with belly laughs here and there, and the rough edges and recognizable characters from town lend to the flavor.
Since the company's 2005 debut with a performance of "The Crucible," director Kent Reed said, the goal has been to push the envelope, and he promises more episodes in the ongoing soap opera. He even offered the audience a cliffhanger hook, asking one and all to come to the next episode and find out what the young woman does about her unborn child and how the eccentric therapist fares.
The show opens to audiences at the Aspen High School's Black Box Theater for three more shows: 7:30 p.m. April 6-8. Tickets are $20.
Huffman speaks
"I love community theater," Huffman said in a question-and-answer session after the production. It gives people a chance to see people they know in roles they couldn't imagine, she said: "You get to play."
Huffman, who attended the Aspen Community School, said her mother was the one who came to her early plays when there were "10 people in the play and two in the audience." Huffman's nephew Joe Trautman plays a movie concessionaire in the show.
Huffman answered questions about her career, told of her first break - replacing Madonna in a Broadway show - and how actors plan their acceptance speech at the Oscars from the get-go. She told how her struggles in real-life motherhood qualified her for her role in "Desperate Housewives."
Huffman said she recently bought a house in Aspen along with her husband, actor William H. Macy, and plans to spend more time in town.
Posted by Dina at 08:18 AM | Comments (0)
