In Brief: Open house on Old Basalt project; Summer Cafe tickets go on sale; Aspen Valley Land Trust blueprint goes statewide

Basalt to host open house on streetscape project

The town of Basalt is hosting a public open house meeting to share information and answer questions about the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project on Wednesday, April 12. from 5-7 p.m. at the Basalt Regional Library.  

The format of the meeting will include a brief repeating slide show presentation at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to accommodate people’s schedules, town officials said. In between presentations, attendees can talk to project staff, provide feedback, and check out displays with project information and renderings.  

Project updates, newsletter sign-ups, and general information can be found at letstalk.basalt.net in English and Spanish.

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Summer Cafe Series tickets on sale now

Jazz Aspen Snowmass announced their 2023 Summer Cafe Series lineup, a mix of six new and returning artists.

The series opens Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8, with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Shelly Berg, dean of the Frost School of Music, and his trio, accompanied by two vocalists each evening.

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Multi-faceted blues, R&B, and jazz vocalist Billy Valentine will join the trio on Friday. Brassy jazz and blues Grammy-winning vocalist Catherine Russell will perform with Berg on Saturday.

The weekend will close on Sunday, July 9, with guitarist Jose Luis de la Paz and his trio, including flute and percussion. His compositions range from traditional to experimental forms in modern Flamenco music.

On Friday, Aug. 18, vocalist Jacqui Naylor returns to the café with her mix of smokey jazz to folk-rock to adult alternative influences.

“Naylor remains one of the most superbly arresting vocalists around,” said the JazzTimes.

Grammy-winning electric bassist Marcus Miller will perform on Saturday, Aug. 19. Miller, whose last JAS appearance took place at the Benedict Music Tent as part of the 2016 JAS June Experience, performs a combination of funk, soul, jazz, R&B, and groove.

The series will close on Sunday, Aug. 20, with vocalist Davina and the Vagabonds in their first JAS appearance.

“Davina creates her own Americana mishmash — a little Amy Winehouse-worthy neo-soul here, a little Great American Songbook-influenced songcraft there,” said Rolling Stone.

Performances will take place at 7 p.m. ($75) and 9:15 p.m. ($55) each night. JAS Listen Up! Artist interviews will be included with all 7 p.m. tickets. These interviews, starting at 6:15 p.m., will give attendees an opportunity to learn more about the artists, their personal histories, and the history of the origin of the music they will perform.

Tickets for the series will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at jazzaspensnowmass.org.

For more information on the JAS Café series and other JAS events, visit jazzaspensnowmass.org.

Aspen land trust’s fingerprints on statewide plan

Keep It Colorado, the statewide coalition of conservation organizations, has published a statewide plan, “Conserving Colorado: A 10-year Roadmap for the Future of Private Land Conservation,” that mirrors the goals set by the 10-year Aspen Valley Land Trust‘s Strategic Conservation Plan released last year.

Both plans aim to double the number of acres of land protected, increase community engagement in conservation efforts and programs, and develop new resources to support conservation over the next decade. 

“The need we are experiencing in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys to protect important private lands now is echoed throughout the state,” said Suzanne Stephens, AVLT executive director and Kepp It Colorado board chair. “The work we do locally does not happen in a silo. Migrating wildlife, flowing rivers, and clean air do not know county lines and depend on our collaboration for their survival. This will require more investment – from the state, local governments, corporations, and private philanthropy — if we are to protect the lands most critical to our future while there is still time.”  

“The publication of ‘Conserving Colorado’ is an important milestone for the conservation community,” said Linda Lidov, Keep It Colorado interim executive director. “The roadmap represents both the community’s collective vision of our state’s future and a celebration of all the work that’s been done over the decades to help Colorado stay the unique and beautiful place that it is.”         

Created in collaboration with regional land trusts and public open space agencies and with input from other conservation and stewardship partners, public and environmental health agencies, tribal members, outdoor recreation groups, and communities across the state, Keep It Colorado hopes the plan is “a rallying cry for the conservation community.”

About 60% of land in Colorado is privately-owned, representing the biggest opportunity for significant land protection, open space advocates said.       

“We focus our work locally knowing the impacts extend broadly,” said Stephens. “If people everywhere are inspired to protect the soil under their shoes, everyone benefits. Colorado is known for beauty and ruggedness that the entire country treasures. The goals outlined in the plan will require more resources and investment but have the potential to make a huge tangible impact on the landscape and health of Colorado.”

The roadmap calls for the continued and increased protection of Colorado’s natural resources in the face of growing threats such as climate change, drought, water loss, and population growth. Focusing on the intersection of people and nature, the plan emphasizes the need for increased engagement in conservation — specifically including those who have historically been excluded.

AVLT’s plan includes similar goals for increased community involvement with a focus on increasing access, diversity, and equity in conservation over the next 10 years.

Work resumes soon on I-70 near Frisco

The Colorado Department of Transportation, in cooperation with Ames Construction, will resume work on the Summit County I-70 Auxiliary Lane Project in mid-April. The project began last spring, took a winter break, and is anticipated to be completed this fall.

An initial impact to travelers will be the I-70 overlook east of Frisco’s on-ramp (Exit 203), official said. Currently, there is a small closure inside the overlook. A full closure will take place Monday, April 10, for the duration of the project for construction staging. Crews will then begin work by re-striping lanes for the new traffic pattern on eastbound I-70 and setting barrier east of Exit 203 at Frisco. The new traffic pattern will allow workers to widen the outside eastbound lanes in the construction zone. Last year, inside widening was completed in the same area. 

As crews begin full production, bridge improvements will resume on both the U.S. Highway 6 bridge and the bridge over Blue River. During last year’s construction season, new foundations, piers, columns, abutments and pier caps were completed in preparation to set steel girders, which is anticipated to take place at the end of April. The steel girders will allow for the bridge to be widened on the inside shoulder. Crews will be setting concrete barriers on the left side to allow for a safe working area for the bridge widening.