In Brief: Missing teen found; Aspen student scores in national contest

Missing teen found in Garfield County

A juvenile reported missing in Garfield County has been found, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Ayla Marie Weston, 16, of Craig, was reported missing shortly after 7 a.m. on Sunday. She was last seen in the Rifle area and was reported found shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

“She’s been found and returned to her parents,” the sheriff’s office said. “Thank you to all who shared and helped us out.”

Aspen student wins national award

Blake Zilberman from Aspen High School received national recognition at The Future Business Leaders of America Awards of Excellence Program on June 30 at the National Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Zilberman competed in Securities and Investments and brought home third place win. 

“In my 24 years of serving as an FBLA adviser, this is the first time our chapter has had a sophomore place in the top five at a national conference. This is also the first time since I have been at Aspen High School we have had a student place at a national level. We are beyond proud of Blake and this accomplishment,” said Sheri Smith, Aspen High School’s FBLA adviser. 

The award was part of a comprehensive, national competitive events program sponsored by FBLA-PBL that recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers. In addition to competitions, students immersed themselves in interactive workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and heard from motivational speakers on a broad range of business topics.

More than 14,000 high-school students traveled to Atlanta as they competed for the opportunity to win more than $200,000 in cash awards.

The conference was held June 27-30 in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants from across the United States and abroad attended the conference to enhance their business skills, expand their networks, and participate in more than 70 business and business-related competitive events.

Survey seeks to better understand trail use

Starting this week, some trail users in the upper Roaring Fork Valley will be asked to carry a GPS unit that tracks their route and participate in a survey to assess their experiences in the outdoors.

This is the second year of an effort to collect survey data aimed at helping local land managers better understand visitor experiences and perceptions on various popular trails in Pitkin County.

Throughout this month, doctoral students from Utah State University’s Recreation Ecology and Management program will be stationed periodically at 10 trailheads to conduct the survey work, with the goal of connecting with up to 1,000 visitors. The locations provide access to adjacent public lands — either on open space or in the national forest. Last summer, five sites were selected for the survey.

The survey teams will intercept visitors, who will be asked to voluntarily carry a GPS unit that records their route. Upon their return, participants will respond to questions that explore social conditions and their experience during that visit.

The visitor survey data and additional research findings will be compiled into a baseline report that describes existing ecological information, use patterns, and visitor expectations and experiences. 

Partners that initiated the project include Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, City of Aspen, and towns of Snowmass Village and Basalt. The entities have formed the Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition, which has chosen Design Workshop to facilitate the coalition’s goal of setting collaborative priorities for recreation management and natural-resource conservation within the upper Roaring Fork Watershed. An online, community survey is also planned this summer and fall.

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs celebrates Bastille Day

The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the international gastronomic society, invites the community to join their Aspen chapter for their Bastille Day celebration on July 14.

Led by founder Barbi Benton, the Aspen chapter offers a blend of outdoor activities and fine dining aimed at fostering camaraderie among enthusiasts, including a hike in Aspen, followed by lunch at The French Alpine Bistro.

For inquiries and event registration, contact lachaineaspen@gmail.com.

Established in 1248, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is the oldest and most-esteemed international gastronomic society, dedicated to preserving the art of fine cuisine and fostering camaraderie among gastronomes worldwide.