News in Brief

Frommer’s lawyer withdraws from caseASPEN The attorney for Peter Frommer withdrew from the case Monday. John Van Ness said he withdrew because of a “breakdown in the attorney/client relationship.”Frommer, who is from California but has been living in Aspen, is charged with nearly a dozen felony counts of check fraud in Pitkin County. He will be allowed to return to California before his next court date here, on March 19. Frommer said he will have a new attorney by that time. Deputy DA Mucklow gone after less than four monthsGLENWOOD SPRINGS Deputy district attorney Pamela F. Mucklow is no longer with the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office after working there for about 3 1/2 months.It’s unclear why she left after such a short duration.”I’m not going to get into the specifics of personnel decisions,” District Attorney Martin Beeson said.”I think the change is a change that will benefit both her and this district,” he added.Mucklow said she started at the office Nov. 13 last year. Her last day was Feb. 23.”I resigned,” she said, adding that she did not want to elaborate on the reasons why or on her impressions of working there. (Glenwood Springs Post Independent)

Glenwood to clarify guidelines for tourism grantsGLENWOOD SPRINGS A new grant program to promote tourism in Glenwood Springs will be revisited by the city in an attempt to clarify its rules and intent.Council agreed last week to take another look at the program after questions arose in regard to a $5,000 application by the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts for its Taste of Glenwood event.The city’s Financial Advisory Board recommended denying the request because Taste of Glenwood doesn’t qualify as a start-up event after seven years of existence.However, Mayor Bruce Christensen questioned that reasoning. He said it would preclude the Glenwood Springs Summer of Jazz from applying under the program, even though council originally had envisioned events such as Summer of Jazz being eligible when it created the program.The new grant program is being paid for by the city’s 2.5 percent bed tax on lodging establishments. The city contracts with the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association to spend the bulk of the tax’s proceeds on tourism marketing efforts. However, council decided last year to set a goal of spending 20 percent of the tax’s revenues on tourism promotion grants.This year, the city is making nearly $108,000 available for events, beautification projects and capital improvements that draw visitors to town.Last week, council agreed to fully fund an $8,000 request by the arts center and chamber for an Art on Grand program. It decided against providing any of the $20,000 requested by the Yagatta Regatta because of a change in directors and plans for the rafting festival. The new director plans to reapply for funding.Council also turned down the Taste of Glenwood request, based on the Financial Advisory Board’s recommendation. However, it decided to take a second look at the criteria for the grant program and encouraged the advisory board to reconsider the application for Taste of Glenwood.”It’s becoming very clear that the Financial Advisory Board is dealing with pretty large amounts of money, and we need to give them clear guidelines to work with,” Christensen said.The grant program isn’t supposed to provide ongoing administrative or operational revenue for any entity. But Christensen said that doesn’t mean long-term events are ineligible for grants. He also said the fact that Taste of Glenwood is a fundraiser for the arts center shouldn’t preclude it from eligibility.”The arts center is a piece of Glenwood, which if it thrives and grows, it will bring in other visitors,” he said. (Glenwood Springs Post Independent)