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In Brief: 3rd CD recount, wildlife closures, new nature preserve

Recount underway for 3rd Congressional District

State elections officials this week began a mandatory recount in the closely watched 3rd Congressional District race between Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and her Democratic challenger, former Aspen City Councilman Adam Frisch.

Boebert leads Frisch, who has already conceded, by 550 votes. But, under Colorado law, a mandatory recount occurs when the number of votes separating the leading two candidates is less than 0.5% of the number of votes cast for the leading candidate. 

The 550-vote margin represents 0.3% of the 163,842 votes cast this year for Boebert.



Recounts rarely shift the margin in a race beyond a few votes, which is why Frisch conceded in the closer-than-expected contest.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office says clerks in each of the 27 counties in the 3rd District, which spans the Western Slope into Pueblo and southeast Colorado, will recount ballots in the same way they were processed during the election. 




Twenty-six counties of the 3rd District’s counties will recount the ballots with scanning equipment, while the 27th, San Juan County, will hand recount ballots.

The recount must be complete by Dec. 13.

Colorado Sun

Winter wildlife closures in effect now

Winter wildlife closures are now in effect for much of Sky Mountain Park (including North Rim and Seven Star), Brush Creek Trail, Glassier Open Space, Red Wind Point, Wheatley Open Space, Aspen Valley Ranch, and the Perham Creek trailhead, Pitkin County officials said.

Also, the Rio Grande Trail is closed between Rock Bottom Ranch and Catherine Bridge. The closures are in place to help wildlife during the harsh winter months and give animals time to recover in the spring, they said.

New preserve along Arkansas River

Lake County will manage a soon-to-be nature preserve on the Arkansas River, encouraging people to visit its natural beauty. The new Arkansas River Community Preserve will protect two miles of riverfront and 271 acres of land between Leadville and Twin Lakes, county officials said.

While the preaerve is not currently open to the public, it’s scheduled to welcome visitors some time in 2024. Once open, visitors will be able to fish in Gold Medal trout waters and hike the banks of this river, officials said.

The preserve is located along Highway 24 south of Leadville at the junction with Highway 82, near the turnoff to Twin Lakes. Travelers can see it today while driving the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway.

Historical Society to start up tours

Aspen Historical Society Tours begin again Dec. 13. Most tours require advance registration (except the Wheeler Opera House Tour and the on-mountain ski tours), and most are capped at a maximum of 12 participants. Children 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Private tours and guided experiences are offered based on guide availability; call 970.925.3721 to book.

Here is a quick rundown :

Premiere of GRINGA supports music arts scholarships

The Jake Foerster/Jazz Aspen Snowmass Music Arts Fund will present the Aspen premiere of GRINGA at the Wheeler Opera House on Dec. 27 at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds from the premiere will benefit the JFMAF/JAS Music Arts Scholarship programs.

Longtime local EJ Foerster (action director/associate producer) and former Aspenite Patrick Hasburgh (writer/ director) — both of Aspen Extreme fame — have teamed up again on this indie feature filmed on location in Mexico. Snowmass filmmaker Marny Eng co-directs and produces alongside Foerster with Hasburgh penning this original screenplay.

Tickets ($25) are on-sale now and can be purchased at http://www.aspenshowtix.com or at the Wheeler Opera House box office.

The JFMAF/JAS Music Arts Scholarship Fund is a local non-profit that provides scholarships and mentorships to graduating high school seniors who are continuing their education and show promise in the medium of music and sound. Founded in 2014, over 40+ scholarships have been awarded to graduating seniors in Aspen and throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.

For more information: http://www.jakefoersterfund.org.

Walmart sets up way to donate to nonprofits

Between Nov. 25 and Dec. 25, Walmart customers can round up purchases, then donate the change to a favorite charity while shopping on Walmart.com and the Walmart app. Walmart said it will will match customer contributions 1:1, up to $1 million ($2 million total, including customer donations). Spark Good Round Up allows customers to choose the approved nonprofit they’d like to donate to and set up recurring Round Ups on the Walmart app or online.

To incentivize customers and nonprofits to take part in the campaign, Walmart is awarding up to 3,000 nonprofits a $1,000 grant when they receive 20 or more Spark Good Round Up donations, for a total contribution of up to $3 million.

To participate: After a customer checks out while shopping online or in the app, they will be prompted to search for a favorite charity for their round up donations. Customers can also go to Walmart.com/SparkGood and search for the charity of their choice to receive their Round Up contributions.

“Last year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $1.5 billion in cash and in-kind donations to organizations around the world,” said Erin Hogue, a senior director of associate and customer engagement at Walmart.

The Spark Good Round Up campaign has a number of nonprofits for customers to choose. But, if a customer can’t find the local cause they want to support, they can send a referral link directly to the 501(c)(3) of their choice, Walmart officials said.

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