Fishhouse Punch

Tuxedos and ball gowns highlight many of the Aspen parties during the festive holidays. An annual favorite is the Fishhouse Punch Party, with everyone imbibing the famous Fishhouse Punch and then dining and dancing … all at the Hotel Jerome.Architecture is a big theme in Aspen; the holiday party given by Aspen Magazine was at the Caribou Club and featured architects, contractors, real estate people, writers and photographers.Basalt is in the headlines. A recent issue of The New York Times Sunday Escapes section featured the town downvalley from Aspen. Mentioned as THE place to have breakfast was Cafe Bernard where Cathy (Click) and Bernard Moffroid are the chefs.The Early Childhood Center of Compass is holding its second annual “Twilight Bash” on March 12 at Bumps at Buttermilk. There will be dinner, drinks and dancing. For more information call (970) 927-8735. The Early Childhood Center is an innovative pre-K learning environment for children ages 18 months to 5 years old.Had an e-mail from longtime Aspen teacher Kay Simons, who with her husband Bob Simons now lives in Grand Junction. Kay, who is quite the horsewoman, reports that the horses are fine and Bob undergoes dialysis every week. She says that in Grand Junction they are always running into “kids” they had in school or old friends in town.

Artists Michael Tullio and Michael Petrillo will have an exhibit of their recent work opening Thursday, March 3, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Red Brick Center for the Arts. Tullio will be showing paintings of contemporary mountains and Petrillo will be showing his sculptures.Ben Westfeldt, a freshman from Aspen, participated in varsity football for Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. He finished the season with seven tackles while appearing in six games.Alexa Meyer of Aspen is a sophomore majoring in advertising at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y., and was named to the Dean’s List for academic achievement in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Also named to the Dean’s List at the Newhouse School was Braden Bruington of Basalt, who is a junior majoring in television, radio and film.James Ibbotson, class of 2006 at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., earned honors for the fall semester. He is the son of Jimmy Ibbotson of Woody Creek and Anne Ibbotson of Aspen.”Wild at Heart,” by Janis Lindsey Huggins, is a new natural history guide to the Snowmass, Aspen and the Maroon Bells Wilderness. The all-inclusive book covers the trails, geology, ecology of mountain life zones, and sections on plants, birds and mammals of the area. It is richly illustrated with color photographs, most taken by the author.Aspenites who sang solos at the Symphony in the Valley concert last night at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs were John Goss, Julie Paxton, Jeanne Walla and Tarra Vestrand.Undercurrent … The gardening catalogs have all arrived and have us all eagerly planning our summertime gardens.