Hospital Benefit
March was the month for many organizations to hold a benefit. The Aspen Valley Medical Foundation (AVMF) led the way with a gala dinner dance March 13 in the Hotel Jerome to raise funds for Aspen Valley Hospital. The AVMF is the official conduit for people to give money to the hospital. The Foundation’s grants committee meets with representatives of the Aspen Valley Hospital three times a year and allocates funds to the hospital to meet the greatest needs.
A benefit coming up in April that looks like fun is “The Twilight Bash” to benefit the Early Childhood Center. It will be Saturday, April 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the T-Lazy-7 Ranch on Maroon Creek Road and will include a “barnyard boogie” dance, a chili cook-out and a silent auction. The Early Childhood Center is a project of Compass in Woody Creek. For reservations, call 927-8735.
This coming Saturday night, March 27, photographer Jim Paussa will launch an exhibit of his photographic portraits of longtime Aspenites at 6 p.m. at L’Hostaria restaurant. It is open to the public.
Jim last year took photos of Basalt residents and did a show downvalley. It was so well-received that L’Hostaria asked him to do a similar exhibit of Aspenites, and Jim has been photographing them all winter.
Longtime Aspenite (who also spent a great deal of time in Kentucky) Janis Nark has moved back to Aspen. Janis was a ski instructor at Aspen Highlands, where they named a ski run, “Nark’s Nook,” for her. She also served in Vietnam as an Army nurse. In May she plans to bring the Vietnam Wall exhibit to Aspen.
Dean Sobel gave a preview of the Aspen Art Museum’s plans for its 25th Anniversary celebration that will be held this summer. The preview was at the Ritz/Carlton Club at Aspen Highlands. Dean is director of the art museum.
“Soldiers on Skis” is a new exhibition showing at the Colorado History Museum, 1300 Broadway in Denver. The exhibit tells the story of the 10th Mountain Division through photographs, letters, maps and diaries from the collections of the Colorado Historical Society and the Denver Public Library. Anyone wanting to learn more about the legendary World War II division can participate on a Camp Hale tour. Flint Whitlock, son of a 10th Mountain Division veteran and co-author of the book, “Soldiers on Skis,” will lead a daylong exploration of the 10th Mountain that will include a slide show and viewing of the exhibit at the Colorado History Museum, a trip to Camp Hale (the site of the training camp during the war), and a trip to Vail to visit the Colorado Ski Museum. To sign up for the tour, call (303) 866-4686,
Aspenites sure have fun on the ski hills … During February a group of Alec Biel’s friends decided they had seen enough of his worn-out ski suit. So at Bonnie’s restaurant one day they distributed “Wanted Posters” of Alec in his old suit. Steve Sewell announced to Alec that his suit was no longer allowed on Ajax and that he would have to ski home to Shadow Mountain in his longies ” or wear a brand-new suit presented to him by Simon Pinniger, Paula and Monty Loud, Gayle Morgan, Hailey Dart, Nicole Denholm, John Armatage, Caroline Roehm, Karen Woodard, Trish Adam and others. Being a good sport, Alec quickly put on the new red suit, attached the red balloons and spent the rest of the day skiing with his friends.
Undercurrent … Downvalley they are burning the ditches and the fields.
