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Les Dames d’Aspen

Mary Eshbaugh Hayes
Christine Aubale Gerschel, center, welcomes Cliff Morris and Sherry Achi-Morris to the Les Dames gala. (MEH)
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A gala dinner dance was held in the Hotel Jerome Ballroom in late August when Les Dames d’Aspen held their annual celebration. Les Dames is an organization of women who support the arts in Aspen. Funds are raised through dues ($1,200 a year) and auctions held through the year. Of the first $100,000 raised, 80 percent is for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (30 percent supports the ballet’s professional company and school, and 50 percent supports the Aspen Dance Festival presented during the summer), four scholarships of about $2,000 each go to art students in the Aspen/Basalt Schools, and the remaining funds are divided between the Aspen Writers Foundation and Theater Aspen. Funds also are given to the Aspen Music Festival and Jazz Aspen Snowmass. Les Dames membership is by invitation only. The next meeting is at the Hotel Jerome on Jan. 9. For more information call President and Executive Director Christine Aubale Gerschel at (970) 925-9028.

Jill Sheeley is all excited about the publication of her newest book “The World According to Fraser: A Memoir by Aspen’s most famous Yellow Lab.” The earlier books about Fraser were adventure stories, but this book relates Fraser’s personal history, told by him and Jill. There are five Fraser adventure stories, “Rescue on Snowmass Mountain,” “Rescue on Vail Mountain,” “Rescue on Star Mountain,” “Rescue on Aspen Mountain” and “Rescue on Cougar Mountain.” All were illustrated by Aspen artist Tammie Lane. The memoir by Fraser is illustrated with whimsical drawings by award-winning editorial cartoonist Bill Schorr and are sure to make you laugh.

An annual event is the “Roaring Fork Valley Quilters” presented in the Aspen Chapel Gallery. The exhibition opened with a Nov. 15 reception and it will hang through Jan. 7. Quilters who are represented are Sandy Boyd, Cynthia DeFrancia, Susan Dodington, B’Anne Greene, Kathleen Molitor, Adele Plantec, Maureen Rogers and Sheila Wright. Sadly, Maureen died Nov. 14 in a car accident on Highway 133.”Music in the West End” is a concert series held during the winter for the fourth year by Christ Episcopal Church. The concerts are held in the church at 7:30 p.m.; there are no tickets sold but those who attend are invited to make a donation. Concertgoers are invited to attend a reception following each event. Concerts planned are Andrew Palmer Todd, pianist, Jan. 19; Caroline Goulding, violin, Feb. 16; and Peggy Mundinger, Jennifer Michaud and Scott MacCracken presenting an evening of music from Broadway on March 23. The December issue of Architectural Digest includes an article about Aspen interior designer Laura Hunt and the makeover she did of the Aspen home belonging to Joseph W. Luter III. With the encouragement of Luter’s wife, Karin Fyrwald, Laura transformed the former bachelor’s pad into a gracious family home. The article is illustrated with photos by Aspen photographer David O. Marlow. David photographed another article in the magazine about a house in Beverly Hills, Calif.Undercurrent … The snowcats are growling again on the mountain!