All in the family

Dear Editor:In regards to Andy Stone’s March 8 column welcoming the beginning of the mayoral race (“The mayoral circus arrives”), I want to thank him for the complimentary things he said about my son, Torre. I must however, take issue with the way he said those things. To quote his column about my son, “He (Torre) actually has a respectable political history in Aspen.” “He (Torre) has served ably on the City Council …” (If Torre loses the Mayor’s race) “… The town will lose his solid stance on so many important issues.” Very nice. BUT THEN he wrote “… his ego won out over his brains, that often happens with good looking people.” Now I will agree with ‘good looking’ (thank his mom), but the ego-driven move would have been to rest on the laurels of his city council seat. Instead, he is running for mayor. Why? Torre promises to be the best person for the job. He loves Aspen and he is dedicated to public service. He may be an underdog to his more connected opponents, but do not count him out. He will be a mayor Aspen will be very proud of, as I am. He has earned the respect of fellow Aspenites because of his stand on issues whether he has one name or 10.Now about that old last name issue, he did not lose it as Mr. Stone ‘joked.’ I have been performing and visiting in Aspen since the Jake’s Abby days in the mid 1970s. I have good friends here. When Torre first told me he was running for public office in Aspen, I pleaded, “Promise not to let people drag our family name through the mud.” He keeps his promises.Torre for Mayor.Ron MaranianDenver