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<b>Aspen, CO Colorado</b>
The impact of the Winter X Games, the ranchers vs. wolves debate in Idaho and, again, the hiring of a new Aspen High School football coach and the fallout over that controversy piqued the interest of online readers of The Aspen Times.
Readers had plenty to say about all those issues, and more, last week.
Regarding the X Games, one reader had this to say:
<i>I was disgusted this morning walking around Aspen. I can't recall seeing the town so trashed. Every block I walked was littered with beer bottles and cans stuck in the snow, hundreds of cigarette butts,and other debris from the large and seemingly irresponsible X-Games crowd. Trash recepticles were overflowing all over downtown, reminding me of travels I've made in poorer parts of the world. Is the X-Games worth this?</i>
And, there was this:
<i>I don't care how much money was made. My neighborhood was trashed by the X-gamers, and I won't see a penny of that money. They slept in thier cars and drank all night and left thier trash all over the roads.
When you bring losers to town, they aren't going to suddenly turn into winners because they are in Aspen. </i>
• • • •
Times columnist Tony Vagneur, himself a member of a longtime ranching family, stirred up a hornet’s nest with his Jan. 27 column, “Crying Wolf.” Some readers agreed with Vagneur, others didn’t.
Said one reader:
<i>The "poor ranchers" get to use my public lands, paid for by my tax dollars at a steep discount. I feel so bad... Maybe we should band together to reimburse them for livestock losses to wolves... oh wait... they already get that too. When public lands are involved we all have a financial stake in the debate. </i>
Another offered:
<i>I'm a Yellowstone Park Ranger and a hunter from Montana, and frankly wolves account for less than one percent of livestock losses in the Yellowstone area. So while wolves are a problem for them, they are not the impending disaster that most of them like to pretend they are.
I believe wolves are a symbol that ranchers can focus their frustration on because their livelihood is not getting any easier for them, but realistically wolves are just a small part of their troubles.</i>
One reader who took offense to Vagneur’s observations had this to say, in part:
<i>Vaugneur could've made the same points, but been less insulting to ranchers who've sustained very real losses in the process. Whether a rancher has lost a single cow to wolf depredation, or wolves have played a larger role in the case of the "87 who've gone missing," it's wrong to dismiss these ranchers' concerns and use language which characterizes them as ignorant, fearful hysterics.
…For a man who was supposedly raised on a ranch—and knows that work ethic—this seems to be a piece that spends much of its time nuzzling up to the widely held liberal prejudices about people who work the land (loggers, ranchers, etc.) to make their livings.</i>
• • • •
The appointment of Mike Sirko (the superintendent’s husband) as head football coach at AHS, and followup articles on the topic, provoked a slew of reader comments at aspentimes.com, including this one:
<i>Hmmm...they say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but look at the picture of Sirko: he has all the accoutrements of the modern American dirtball - overweight, goatee, baseball cap with the sunglasses perched on top. Whaddaya wanna bet he drives a big diesel pickup? Is this truly the "role model" that we want for Aspen's youth?</i>
Another reader offered:
<i>It happened just as the administration planned. Just continue to ignore what the people want and eventually they will all have to accept it and we'll get our way. A sad state of affairs....when it should have been embarrassing politics that stood corrected!!</i>
And, there was this:
<i>The guy's as experienced as it gets, but there's always going to be a more qualified coach out there. Rick Upchurch is opening a rib place in Rifle. Maybe we can get him if Sirko doesn't work out in a year or so. I'm not sure that's the best reason to change. I do hope it works out for the kids though. It's too bad a good coach felt pressured to leave as a result of a botched human resource process. </i>
School board president Laura Kornasiewicz’s advice to teachers over the whole flap — “act like adults” — prompted response, as well. For example:
<i>There are no mature adults in Aspen. That's the beauty of the place. </i>
But there was also this:
<i>FINALLY! Someone said it! Thank you so much to the members of the board for stating something that should have been said weeks ago. To the teachers who are still upset about this, please, stop playing the victim and teach our children. </i>
Another reader offered this:
<i>Please! Now that the School board and administation has screwed up every single move made involving coaches the past two years, accept it and act like adults. And to the kids involved, suck it up and take it. WE know whats best for you better than you do. Trust us.
Laura Kornasiewicz is still trying to use "nepotism" in the right context…</i>
And finally, this excerpt, in response to an article by reporter John Colson on teacher reactions:
<i>Here we go again. "Fear for our jobs" and "angry and in TEARS". Oh my god people, what the hell is wrong with you. Its like reading comments from a little girls diary. I feel sorry for the administration in having to deal with the teachers they have. Its mind numbing and EXTREMELY OLD. Get over it! The only reason you might fear for your job, is by making stupid comments to Colson. And Mr. Colson. You might be the most unprofessional, most negative, dirty reporter I have ever read.</i>
• • • •
Readers may weigh in on any article at aspentimes.com, anonymously if they wish, by clicking on Comments at the top of the article. Comments reprinted here appear as they were posted, without editing or correction. To see what readers are most hot about, go to aspentimes.com and scroll down to the section titled Top Commented Stories.
The impact of the Winter X Games, the ranchers vs. wolves debate in Idaho and, again, the hiring of a new Aspen High School football coach and the fallout over that controversy piqued the interest of online readers of The Aspen Times.
Readers had plenty to say about all those issues, and more, last week.
Regarding the X Games, one reader had this to say:
<i>I was disgusted this morning walking around Aspen. I can't recall seeing the town so trashed. Every block I walked was littered with beer bottles and cans stuck in the snow, hundreds of cigarette butts,and other debris from the large and seemingly irresponsible X-Games crowd. Trash recepticles were overflowing all over downtown, reminding me of travels I've made in poorer parts of the world. Is the X-Games worth this?</i>
And, there was this:
<i>I don't care how much money was made. My neighborhood was trashed by the X-gamers, and I won't see a penny of that money. They slept in thier cars and drank all night and left thier trash all over the roads.
When you bring losers to town, they aren't going to suddenly turn into winners because they are in Aspen. </i>
• • • •
Times columnist Tony Vagneur, himself a member of a longtime ranching family, stirred up a hornet’s nest with his Jan. 27 column, “Crying Wolf.” Some readers agreed with Vagneur, others didn’t.
Said one reader:
<i>The "poor ranchers" get to use my public lands, paid for by my tax dollars at a steep discount. I feel so bad... Maybe we should band together to reimburse them for livestock losses to wolves... oh wait... they already get that too. When public lands are involved we all have a financial stake in the debate. </i>
Another offered:
<i>I'm a Yellowstone Park Ranger and a hunter from Montana, and frankly wolves account for less than one percent of livestock losses in the Yellowstone area. So while wolves are a problem for them, they are not the impending disaster that most of them like to pretend they are.
I believe wolves are a symbol that ranchers can focus their frustration on because their livelihood is not getting any easier for them, but realistically wolves are just a small part of their troubles.</i>
One reader who took offense to Vagneur’s observations had this to say, in part:
<i>Vaugneur could've made the same points, but been less insulting to ranchers who've sustained very real losses in the process. Whether a rancher has lost a single cow to wolf depredation, or wolves have played a larger role in the case of the "87 who've gone missing," it's wrong to dismiss these ranchers' concerns and use language which characterizes them as ignorant, fearful hysterics.
…For a man who was supposedly raised on a ranch—and knows that work ethic—this seems to be a piece that spends much of its time nuzzling up to the widely held liberal prejudices about people who work the land (loggers, ranchers, etc.) to make their livings.</i>
• • • •
The appointment of Mike Sirko (the superintendent’s husband) as head football coach at AHS, and followup articles on the topic, provoked a slew of reader comments at aspentimes.com, including this one:
<i>Hmmm...they say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but look at the picture of Sirko: he has all the accoutrements of the modern American dirtball - overweight, goatee, baseball cap with the sunglasses perched on top. Whaddaya wanna bet he drives a big diesel pickup? Is this truly the "role model" that we want for Aspen's youth?</i>
Another reader offered:
<i>It happened just as the administration planned. Just continue to ignore what the people want and eventually they will all have to accept it and we'll get our way. A sad state of affairs....when it should have been embarrassing politics that stood corrected!!</i>
And, there was this:
<i>The guy's as experienced as it gets, but there's always going to be a more qualified coach out there. Rick Upchurch is opening a rib place in Rifle. Maybe we can get him if Sirko doesn't work out in a year or so. I'm not sure that's the best reason to change. I do hope it works out for the kids though. It's too bad a good coach felt pressured to leave as a result of a botched human resource process. </i>
School board president Laura Kornasiewicz’s advice to teachers over the whole flap — “act like adults” — prompted response, as well. For example:
<i>There are no mature adults in Aspen. That's the beauty of the place. </i>
But there was also this:
<i>FINALLY! Someone said it! Thank you so much to the members of the board for stating something that should have been said weeks ago. To the teachers who are still upset about this, please, stop playing the victim and teach our children. </i>
Another reader offered this:
<i>Please! Now that the School board and administation has screwed up every single move made involving coaches the past two years, accept it and act like adults. And to the kids involved, suck it up and take it. WE know whats best for you better than you do. Trust us.
Laura Kornasiewicz is still trying to use "nepotism" in the right context…</i>
And finally, this excerpt, in response to an article by reporter John Colson on teacher reactions:
<i>Here we go again. "Fear for our jobs" and "angry and in TEARS". Oh my god people, what the hell is wrong with you. Its like reading comments from a little girls diary. I feel sorry for the administration in having to deal with the teachers they have. Its mind numbing and EXTREMELY OLD. Get over it! The only reason you might fear for your job, is by making stupid comments to Colson. And Mr. Colson. You might be the most unprofessional, most negative, dirty reporter I have ever read.</i>
• • • •
Readers may weigh in on any article at aspentimes.com, anonymously if they wish, by clicking on Comments at the top of the article. Comments reprinted here appear as they were posted, without editing or correction. To see what readers are most hot about, go to aspentimes.com and scroll down to the section titled Top Commented Stories.
