A Dry Future?

On Friday I interviewed local author Jonathan Waterman about his new book, "Running Dry." He says it's a public awareness campaign about how the river is being overused and will eventually fail to sustain the 30 million people who rely on it. Waterman ran the river from its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park to the Mexican Delta, where he had to walk because the river dried up before it reached the sea. He says if things don't change, there could be a 10% percent reduction in water by 2050. That would likely impact cities like Denver, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

From the beginning of his book, there is adventure. He and a few colleagues start by snowshoeing up to 9000 feet where they use a pack raft to start the journey. He flips his boat a few times along the way and loses a paddle at one point. Throughout his travels, he talks to ranchers, farmers and other water users about what the River means to them.

The Colorado River and its tributaries run through seven states and Mexico. It feeds 3 million acres of farmlands along the way and supports over 100 dams. You can listen to a news story about the book and Waterman at www.aspenpublicradio.org.

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Shortsfest Extravaganza

Starting tomorrow, film lovers in the Roaring Fork Valley will have a chance to watch nearly 100 "shorts" at theaters in Aspen and Carbondale. The films are all under 30 minutes in length and vary from documentaries and short comedies to animations and dramas. This is the 19th year Aspenfilm has put on the festival which is an International Oscar qualifying event.

I watched the trailer for one of the films that's scheduled to screen in Aspen on Saturday night. It's called "Cigarette Candy," and a preview can be seen at www.cigarettecandy.com. It's about a marine returning home and attending a family reunion.

Several of the films are created by young filmmakers who often go on to have big careers in the film business. Aspenfilm Executive Director Laura Thielen says filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and Francis Ford Coppola started with shorts. Shorts started being produced in the late 19th century because technology didn't allow for feature-length films.

A full schedule of the films is listed at www.aspenfilm.org. Tickets can be purchased at the Wheeler Opera House or at www.aspenshowtickets.com. The films will be screened at the Wheeler and at the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale.

Winter Pledge Drive Madness

It's the fifth day of Aspen Public Radio's Winter Pledge Drive and the station is about halfway to its goal of raising $83,000. I'm using our News Blog today to ask you to pledge if you haven't already done so. From an insider's point of view, the station runs efficiently and the program line-up continues to evolve into an all-around solid product. By supporting Aspen Public Radio financially, that product will continue to improve. The Pledge Drive is hard work but it's also extremely rewarding to hear peoples' comments. This week an Aspen local said the local news has improved significantly over the past few years and to me, that means a great deal! He said he supports the station yearly and counts on it. If you count on Aspen Public Radio to keep you informed, entertained and inspired, please support us! You can call (970) 920-9000 or make a secure online pledge at www.aspenpublicradio.org. THANK YOU!

Hunger in the Valley

This week I did a series on hunger issues in the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond, to the Western Slope. Social Service workers say people in our area have been living on the edge for awhile but the recession pushed some of them over. Numbers at food pantries have shot up to record numbers. Lift Up reports the New Castle food bank served 159 people last month. A total of 76 people were fed in January of 2009.

In Pitkin County, the number of people applying for the Federal Food Assistance Program is rising. The Program, which used to be called Food Stamps, issues a sort-of debit card to people living under the poverty line to use at grocery stores. From 2008 to 2009, Pitkin County saw the largest jump statewide in the amount it issued in Food Assistance. In 2008, the County administered about $8000 and in 2009, that number rose to $20,000.

On the Western Slope overall, more and more people are depending on the Food Bank of the Rockies for their meals. Before the recession about 40,000 people used the Food Bank's services. Now, more than 50,000 people are taking advantage of subsidized food at food banks across 13 counties.

The situation seems dire but Executive Director of Lift Up Mike Powell says residents of the Roaring Fork Valley have shown incredible generousity. Large numbers of people came forward last year to volunteer their time and resources. But, Powell and others believe the problem of people needing food will persist in 2010.

More from Mexico

by Kristina

Last weekend I traveled to Uxmal, a Mayan ruin about a hour's drive south of Merida. One of the reasons I wanted to study Spanish in the Yucatan was the rich history here. I'm fascinated by the Mayans, and their ruins leave plenty more to pique my curiosity.



I think this cultural history is essential to learning a language; the Mayan and the Yucatan cultures still permeate life in Merida.



This weekend I'm headed to Chichén Itzá, another major ruin. More to come from that spot!

Reporter´s Mexico Diary

by Kristina Tabor

I´m in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, taking an intensive Spanish course. I´ll be here for four weeks, and during that time, I´m keeping a reporter´s diary on the Aspen Public Radio blog!

Merida is a lovely city about 200 miles west of Cancun. There are a few direct flights here from America. It´s at the heart of the Yucatan and the heart of Mayan culture.



This is the Monumento a la Patria. And it's just a taste of what the architecture is like here in Merida. There´s a mix of Mayan and Mayan-inspired buildings as well as colonial architecture.

The Spanish Institute of Merida's building falls in the latter category. It's on a busy corner of Merida, but within the walls, la escuela is a peaceful space.



About ten of us started school on the first Monday of January. Most are here for the full month, and everyone's taking classes all day, whether individualized or in groups.



Here's my class, where we are all beginners. Edith is our very patient teacher. This week - week one - we learned about sentence structure, how words are gendered, etc. Next week we take on verbs -- and I can't wait because all I can say is, it's very hard to speak in Spanish without verbs!



Afternoons at the school are spent one-on-one with a young Mexican guide. This is probably the most valuable time: practice through conversation. I have an amazingly patient and kind guide, Miguel, and I have learned a lot about Merida from him.

This is the Catedral de San Ildefonso, the oldest in Mexico. It anchors el Centro Historico in Merida.



As you may imagine, there is incredible food here, lovely culture and the people are so friendly. I'll write more about all that later!