Marci's Favorite 2010 Stories

My reporting assignments in 2010 varied from land use to bear problems to kids playing rock and roll. Four of my favorite stories aired on our local news this morning and they are listed below.

The first is a story on the Pitkin County Commissioners voting in support of the Hidden Gems plan. I liked this story because the Hidden Gems plan was front and center for a lot of people in the Valley this year. There were vocal opponents and proponents. Bumper stickers can still be seen plastered on cars, revealing how the driver feels about this issue. The Hidden Gems plan was divisive but it brought the Valley together in a way, because everyone had an opinion.

Another big news maker was the discovery of mammoths, mastodons and more at a dig site in Snowmass Village. The story I picked out regarding this discovery, focused on Snowmass Village's efforts on marketing the huge find. The discovery and the excavation that followed, received national news attention...The trick now is for Snowmass to hang onto to that public interest.

A heartwarming story I enjoyed reporting on in 2010 focused on a Basalt family's efforts to adopt two young boys from Haiti. The Ketchum family decided to adopt the children after they had been brought to the United States following an earthquake in Haiti in January. When I reported on the family in March, they thought the boys would be living with them by Summer. It turns out, the Ketchums are traveling to retrieve their new children THIS WEEK because of hold-up's between the U.S. and Haitian governments.

My final favorite story from 2010 focused on science and a threat to Aspen's water. In May, officials at Aspen's Water Department were using more chemicals to get dust out of the water supply. The dust, from desert areas in nearby states, also causes snow to melt faster, which water officials feared could lead to a water shortage. I liked this story because it brought out a new threat to water which is often overlooked in the face of other threats like climate change and water distribution.

Hidden Gems story

Mammoth Marketing story

Ketchum Family story

Dust in Water story

Christmas Eve Musings and Sermons

Today is Christmas Eve. I suppose after Easter, it's probably the most attended day of worship in churches. But that is NOT a scientific fact, just an assumption or maybe an educated guess.

I'm a Jew so Christmas was never a big deal in my house, but I did go to our neighbor's Christmas Eve party yearly growing up. Aside from my love for mini-hot dogs and Swedish meatballs, which was fervent and only satiated on December 24th, I loved the glow of the tree, the sound of the music and (I can't lie), the present under the tree with MY name on it.

As I got older I even attended several years of midnight Mass at a nearby Catholic church and the service was always beautiful. My favorite part of church is the peace handshake at the end of the service.

Each year I've been at Aspen Public Radio I do a story on Christmas Eve Day about sermons. It's not deep or research intensive, but it's fascinating to me. I ask local pastors what their message will be in their sermon. It's true, it's generally the same. Joy. Peace. Love. The story of Christ. But making it fresh every year, that seems to be the catch. I've heard tales of likening the Christmas story to the movie Avatar, the stars in the sky and the beauty of our modern world. I'm amazed and in awe of those who are committed to their faith and the desire to share it. It can't be easy coming up with a sermon each Christmas Eve, but it's probably not easy coming up with one each Sunday either.

My yarmulke goes off (meaning hats off) to all those who are spreading their message of joy and peace tonight, and hopefully it will stick and 2011 will be a most joyous and peaceful year.

Name some great water songs

Here are a few to wet your whistle.

A Little Water Music Mix

What are some other great water songs?

Water Law in Colorado

As part of our week-long series about water we have researched more aspects of the topic than we can possibly broadcast on air. One of the most interesting aspects, and most complicated is water law in the state.

Water law in Colorado was at first modelled after California and how that state dealt with water rights during intensive mineral mining, like during the gold rush. The general framework for Colorado water law was built around the first miners who came here and progressed from there.

I got the chance to interview Justice Gregory Hobbs, a state Supreme Court Justice and water expert. Not only is he a passionate water expert, he's also a great poet! He recited poetry to me at the end of our interview. If you want to learn more about this fascinating subject, you can listen to our interview.

Water, Water, Water. Slurp, Slurp, Slurp.

When I write and research about water sometimes I just get thirsty.

We've been working on this water series for nearly two months and the day has finally arrived. (Literally, it's 3:09 am. In three more hours the first story will play on APR and KDNK).

What has interested me the most in my research on water is how differently people assess Colorado's water situation. Some say we don't have enough, some say we have plenty to move forward into the future.

My general sense from some of the conflicting things I've learned is this: Colorado has enough water for people to drink and bathe. The state does not have enough water for everyone to have huge green lawns into the future. How Colorado residents want their state to look is an integral part of how they manage water. It is up to each individual to do their share if the state as a whole is going to have enough water into the future.

Conservation is key and not just on the Front Range.

Later today I'm going to post sound and put up some of my favorite interviews from my story. I have 20 pages of typed notes just from the five interviews I did on tape. That doesn't count the many more interviews I did for research and background. I think I've become a mini-expert.

And because I feel secure in my water supply (at least for now), I am going to shower when I get up in the morning. I hope you do too!

The Search for George Aldrich

Local law enforcement is calling on residents today to help them search "targeted areas" in the community for signs of George Aldrich, of Snowmass Village. The 28-year-old went missing November 27th. He was last seen getting off a RFTA bus on the outskirts of Aspen.

The striking part of this search, to me, is the Facebook page that has developed from it. There's a fan page, of which 5,429 people are signed onto (as of Thursday morning), called, "Find George Aldrich." Comments written on the Wall include this one from Elaine: "We are praying so hard that this will be the day they find George and he will be okay!" and this one from Kristen: "The longer he goes missing, the more devastating it becomes. C'mon George... Peace & Love to your family!"

George was last seen exiting bus 555 at the Truscott stop in Aspen. He spoke briefly to a woman who said he realized he was at the wrong stop when the shuttle left. He asked her if she could drive him to the Village Commons where he lived. She told him she did not have a car. She assumed he would wait for the next shuttle bus or attempt to hitch hike home. That was the last time anyone saw Goerge. Anyone with information should call the Aspen police at 970-920-5310.

From Beetle-Kill to Energy

A group of five local non profits plan to study whether biomass can be used in the Valley to heat and power buildings. The Roaring Fork Biomass Consortium received a grant from the Governor's Energy Office to conduct a feasibility study. Types of biomass are plants, wood, grass, animal waste and landfill waste. It's most commonly burned to create renewable energy. Locally, officials with the Consortium believe wood from trees killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle and wood leftover from construction sites could be used. One non profit in the Consortium, the Flux Farm Foundation, even wants to explore the idea of planting short-rotation woody crops to supply potential biomass plants with wood. Everyone in the group says jobs could be created, and the White River National Forest supports the study. After it's completed, the analysis will be available to local governments, private businesses and other non profits. Those entities can decide whether they want to build biomass plants in the Valley.

Kristina gets some training in investigative reporting

I've been at Northwestern University for the past four days learning about computer-assisted reporting. The fellowship is with the Education Writers Association, and it has been a terrific learning experience. I have new skills with Excel and Access that I can use to crunch numbers and create some compelling original reporting for Aspen Public Radio!

The first evening, George Papajohn spoke to the group of 20 reporters. He's The Chicago Tribune's associate managing editor for investigations and their consumer watchdog group. Papajohn has much experience culling stories from existing and original data. He directed our group to read a series of stories on the effects of the No Child Left Behind legislation, from 2004 and by reporter Stephanie Banchero. It is held up as an example of stellar reporting - and as a story that did not end the way the reporter may have predicted. It's a 3-part series you can check out here.

High Score for the Aspen Skiing Company

The Aspen Skiing Company did well on the latest environmental report card from the Ski Area Citizens' Coalition. It's no surprise though, to Ski-Co workers like Auden Schendler. He's the Company's VP of Sustainability and he says employees are constantly cranking on various aspects of sustainability. Recently the Ski-Co added two LEED certified buildings and it cut its energy use by using renewable sources. There are plans in the future too to possibly build a small hydro electric project and the Company is looking at using gas from coal mines to generate electricity. Researchers behind the report card say the Aspen Skiing Company is a green leader for the industry but they add, more can be done to keep improving. To hear the entire news story, log onto our website and look under Local News.

Shoppers go forth, to Basalt!

Retailers in Basalt are hoping shoppers from across the Valley and the Western Slope choose their stores to spend their money in. Some storekeepers say 2010 has been a tough year for business and the holidays could bring a needed boost.

Linda Hacker owns the Kitchenstore of Basalt in downtown. She says people are less inclined to purchase higher ticket items, so she's ordered more smaller ticket items. She increased the space in her store for items under $20. She's not alone. Across the street, at Midland Clothing Company, Manager Sandy Wirkler says the store has ordered new lines of clothing that are less expensive.

The Basalt Chamber of Commerce is holding 3 major events in an effort to bring business to local shops. The first is a tree lighting at Lion's Park in downtown this Saturday. It starts at 3pm. On December 10 and 11, a Holiday Stroll and the Winter Willits Celebration will be held.

Thanksgiving Travel

I traveled to Montana this Thanksgiving and before I boarded the plane last Tuesday, I was prepared for cancellations, delays and lots of airport food. Much to my surprise and pleasure, none of that happened. It was amazing! I've traveled a lot in the last two years and have learned to expect the worst, and to bring a pillow in case the airport floor becomes a bed. As everyone knows who lives here, flying in and out of the Aspen airport is a gamble. High winds and heavy snow can change plans quickly and lead to rented cars or last-minute bus rides to Denver. On the plane ride into Aspen yesterday, the man sitting next to me looked outside at snow and clouds and said, "Do you think we'll really land?" Fortunately we did and the other flights I was booked on performed at the same, as-scheduled level. I'm unsure whether all travelers had this sort of luck during the busiest fly-time of the year but for me, I'm content and grounded for the time being.

WRNF Travel Management Plan Interview

The time is almost here after a decade of waiting for the White River National Forest to release its travel management plan. It's the plan that dictates what trails are open or closed and what type of use -- motoroized or non-motorized-- are allowed.

It's been a long time in coming. I talked to Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams about the plan. One of the things I was wondering was since he took over the job just one year ago, if his philosophy was different than his predecessor. He said no. So much for that question.

The entire interview is posted here if you want to hear what he said about the plan (of which he revealed nothing). He talked about the challenges of writing up a plan for 2.3 million acres of land and trying to make everyone happy.

Listen here

Localizer? Who ever heard of that before?

The fact that the localizer for the Aspen Airport has been down intermittently since October has been in the news quite a bit. But I ask...who ever heard of a localizer before last month? Not me. I fly as much as my vacation allows but never thought about the equipment pilots need, not just to land, but to abort a landing. The broken piece of equipment is actually the piece that would help pilots navigate back into the sky if they have to abort a landing. Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit pilots from landing without this, even though it seems like an unlikely scenario that they would have to abort the landing. Thank goodness for safety. I've seen a few planes smashed into pieces on the sides of runways in the Himalayas -- not for me!

At a press conference the other day, Bob Kitson with the FAA explained what a localizer is. So now, this information is not going to be kept secret to the select few, but can be understood by all!

Here's his description. (By the way, he told me Aspen was the only airport in the country to have the LDA, which you will hear about in his explanation).

DREAM Act Rally in Glenwood Springs

Some of the valley’s high school students rallied for the DREAM Act in Glenwood Springs tonight. Members of Congress have suggested they will bring up the legislation during this lame duck session.

A number of the students spent the day at their high schools handing out flyers, holding assemblies and trying to get other students to come show their support. The last rally, which happened in Carbondale about a month ago, had far less turnout. Organizers were pleased with the results today. Alex Alvarado, president of the student body at Roaring Fork High School, shared his story about how he came to Carbondale with his family as a child.




Listen to Alex Alvarado's story in its entirety here.

A Boost for the Hidden Gems

On Wednesday, the Pitkin County Commissioners formally endorsed designating some public lands in Pitkin County as Wilderness. Wilderness Workshop asked the Commissioners to support designating nearly 63,000 acres as Wilderness. It's a Federal designation that keeps uses like snowmobiles and mountain bikes off those lands.

Before the Commissioners made their decision, they listened to about one hour of public comment from more than 20 community members. The Gems plan has been contentious and both sides spoke up. Below is sound from the meeting. It's extended material that didn't make it into my news story. It features some of the comments made by community members.

http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/news/hidden_gems.mp3

Last Day Digging -- Mastodon Tooth on Demand and Gourmet Delight?

The last day at the dig site in Snowmass Village I was out recording sound for a national story and the three remaining scientists were determined to find something so I could get the sound of their discovery on tape.

They were in a depresseion in the mud about ten feet in diamter and the nigh before the Cheif Curator for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Kirk Johnson had unearthed ten bones while he dug furiously at sunset.

The three men shoveled with vigor and told jokes in between slamming into rocks, 45, 000 year old pieces of wood adn sand. One even broke his shovel. But with five minutes to spare Johnson had to get to the Snowmass Village town council meeting, the crew hit bone, sort of. They uncovered a Mastodon tooth, a molar to be exact. Johnson took it to the Snommass Village town council meeting as a last treasure to behold before the dig site closed for the winter. I call that tooth on demand.

Also, listen here for what sort of prehistoric delectable Ian Miller, the museum's paleontologist tasted in the field when I asked him if he tasted any Mastodon meat.

http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/news/mastodon_treat.mp3

Mammoth Discoveries in Snowmass

Last Friday I visited with some of the scientists working at the dig site in Snowmass Village where fossil bones have been found. The remains of mammoths, mastodons, a giant ground sloth, Ice Age bison and more have been discovered at the Ziegler Reservoir. What I heard over and over again from those who have been at the site is what an amazing discovery it is. They emphasized how quickly the discovery has grown since the first bone was found October 14th. It's also significant that the find is at such a high elevation, above 8000 feet. Here are some photos of the discoveries...

Historic photo of the original Valley View Hospital building

This week, Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs broke ground on its new cancer center. This is the old building that's coming down -- it is the remaining portion of the original hospital building built in 1954.

The new Calaway & Young Cancer Center is scheduled to open in mid-2012. It'll include nearly 30,000 square feet of dedicated space for cancer treatment.

Valley View Hospital has been treating cancer for years, but this new space will allow patients in the Roaring Fork Valley to receive radiation treatment locally. Before, they had to drive to Grand Junction or Edwards for treatment weekly, even daily at times.

Click here for an Aspen Public Radio story about the groundbreaking.

Aspen Public Radio & KDNK Produce "The Issue" Together

Aspen Public Radio's Kristina Tabor and KDNK's Mat Katz teamed up for the weekly podcast, "The Issue." Today's topic: Congressman Salazar's recent decision to draft legislation that could protect the land known as Thompson Divide near Carbondale.

Also, check out news director Mitzi Rapkin's report on the plan.

Aspen City Council and Aspen Art Museum

Last week, Aspen Public Radio reported that some people who are against the new Aspen Art museum were considering filing recall papers against everyone in city council except Steve Skadron (because they say he supports their view). What do you think of this? What are recalls for?

State Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101

Today, Aspen Public Radio reported on these three ballot questions that experts say will cripple government. My story focused on how the measures will impact RFTA. It is hard for the finance staff at RFTA to get a good estimate of how much the measures would cost the transit authority if passed because there is no precedent to use as a comparison when calculating the numbers. Still, financial officers there estimate that RFTA will lose 9.7% of its operating budget in 2011 and will have to cut service by nearly 70 hours a week. That will likely affect workers from around the valley and perhaps their employees too. If there is no bus service to Aspen for workers that have no other way to get up valley, it will be a struggle for some to maintain their jobs.

Certainly, there is also a major mistrust of government. Many people would rather save and spend their money than giving it to the state in the form of taxes and fees. Both political parties are against these measures and the big mystery right now is who put them on the ballot.

It is interesting to see local governments and both political parties in agreement over these issues, it doesn't happen that often.

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!