Snowmass history: Shrieval candidates speak

“Shrieval candidates speak at S at A” reported The Aspen Times Oct. 15, 1970. “An estimated 320 people crowded the Opticon Theater at Snowmass-at-Asen Monday afternoon to hear two of the three candidates for Sheriff of Pitkin County: Carol Whitmire and Hunter Thompson discuss their views and answer questions. A third candidate Glen Ricks did not attend, but sent a note explaining that he did not approve of the TV coverage and resultant publicity and did not want to participate in what he called ‘a three ring circus.’ The session was sponsored by the West Village Association of Snowmass-at-Aspen to give Snowmass and other county residents an opportunity to see and listen to the sheriff’s candidates. Each of the two candidates was asked to give a short presentation, which would be followed by written questions from the floor. A flipped coin gave Whitmire the right to speak second. Thompson began his talk by stressing that there was nothing personal in his campaign for sheriff. The point of running for the office was not to unseat anyone, but to change the concept of the office; to put the dormant power of the office to work, he explained. ‘The Sheriff’s office could be one of the important departments in county government,’ Thompson continued. The power of the office in conjunction with other county offices could be used to good effect to help improve quality of life, to help slow development, fight pollution, check on consumer fraud, he said. His candidacy was part of ‘a continuing process to change county government for those of us who want to live here…’ to keep the place from being sold out from under us. During his presentation Thompson explained what he meant by freaks, alluding to a recent article he wrote in Rolling Stone magazine which talked about freak power in Aspen and freaks participating in local elections. A freak is not a beast roaming the streets chewing drugs, but someone who is spiritually disenfranchised who has not wanted to participate in government…” 

To read more of the article visit http://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org and go to page 7-B of the Oct. 15, 1970 paper. 

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