Kudos and Kindness
I love Aspen
Hello, my name is Aleeyah Slater. I am 7 years old. I have been visiting Aspen for the past five years. I live in New York City. It is very noisy here, and also everybody lives in small apartments. In Aspen, it is usually quiet. Sometimes I like some quiet, and sometimes I like noise.
There is a rec center in Aspen. It has an ice-skating rink, climbing wall and pool. Something cool in the rec-center pool is that there is a current. Warning! Parents with small children, do not go in the current without floaties.
The pool in New York is just as much fun as the pool in Aspen. One thing you can’t do in New York, but you can do in Aspen, is going to the top of the mountain in a gondola. There are a lot of fun things to do at the top of the mountain. Some of the fun things are: bungie jumping, rock climbing and a digging pit where you can find gold.
I like Aspen because it is pretty. It is easy for kids to make friends in Aspen because Aspen kids are really nice.
Please go to Aspen soon. You’ll have fun!
Aleeyah Slater
New York City
Thanks from Anderson Ranch
Anderson Ranch Arts Center would like to extend a large thank-you to the Aspen/Snowmass community for its support in making our 34th annual Art Auction a huge success! I am pleased to report that 400 to 500 people helped us raise funds for ranch scholarships and programs on auction day! We loved the enthusiastic bidding in the live and silent auctions and the camaraderie at the picnic and in the children’s art activities. It was especially exciting to have artist and director Steve McQueen and his family sharing a blanket and enjoying hot dogs at the event. Many thanks to our local community for its ongoing support of Anderson Ranch!
Nancy J. Wilhelms
Executive director, Anderson Ranch Arts Center
From rain come rainbows
Thank you to the Aspen Strong Foundation for sponsoring Hike, Hope, Heal, an event to promote mental health in the Roaring Fork Valley. The hike up Smuggler Mountain, followed by a picnic and fundraising event, took place on Aug. 23. Fundraising was a part of the event to raise money for the Aspen Strong Foundation Mental Health Fund so that anyone who needs treatment and cannot afford it can get help.
On Aug. 23, the hike day, participants anticipated it to be a great sunny summer day in Aspen. But like life, weather is not always predictable!
Life’s journey for all of us has plenty of rainy days, followed, hopefully, by some rainbows. The hike was a splendid example for all of us that moments if not days of rain can be followed by rainbows — sometimes just around the corner, when we least expect a rainbow to appear. The message is to just keep going, with the expectation of hope that a difficult time will soon pass, that the journey will get easier.
No one was alone on our hike, even if we hiked alone. There were always hikers to say hi, to offer support if needed, again a good metaphor that no one in our valley needs to face a difficult time in life and feel they need to endure it alone.
It was a day of heavy rain showers, but oh, what spectacular double rainbows we saw arcing across the sky and settling down on Aspen. This view from the top of Smuggler made the difficult journey all the more worthwhile.
There is hope in Aspen. There is help in the Roaring Fork Valley for anyone who needs some help for those rainy days. Don’t give up on the journey. Aspen, be strong. Ask for help, and don’t forget the rainbows!
Linda Carlson Shaw
Psychiatric nurse practitioner, Basalt
A compassionate community
A heartfelt thank-you from the Carr family — Richard, Melissa, Gordon and Olivia — for the huge community support following Nickie’s untimely passing. She would have been so pleased by the extent of love and affection displayed by all who attended her service and reception a few weeks ago. We appreciate all the care and efforts of those who organized and participated in both.
Our family also would like to thank all those who kindly wrote us cards or notes, sent flowers, provided delicious dinners, donated to the Aspen Valley Hospital Oncology Department and offered help and support in numerous other ways. Again, we appreciate your compassion during this difficult time.
The Carr family
ARE Day gives thanks
On behalf of the board of directors of the American Renewable Energy Institute and the ARE Day Summit staff, volunteers and sponsors, we wish to extend a heartfelt thanks and our gratitude to the Hotel Jerome, the community of Aspen and the state of Colorado for hosting the 11th annual ARE Day Summit. The four-day summit featured a luncheon with the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, who addressed climate, energy and the issue of gender inequality in the world today.
We also honored the resident and first lady Rosalynn Carter with the American Renewable Energy Institute Lifetime Achievement Award for their leadership in placing solar panels on the White House in 1978 and for bringing the Solar Energy Research Institute, which went on to become the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to Colorado, thereby putting Colorado in the forefront of renewable-energy development nationally and worldwide.
Additionally, Ted Turner and his family, Sylvia Earle, CNN anchor Natalie Allen, T. Boone Pickens, Sen. Michael Bennet, Carrie Besnette Hauser, Laura Welch, Marci Zaroff and Tom Steyer were among the many notable philanthropists, scientists, business leaders, elected officials and renewable-energy experts to present and participate.
At this time of “The Great Transition” from fossil to renewable energy, American Renewable Energy Institute applauds the clean-energy leadership from the city of Aspen, Pitkin County, Aspen Skiing Co. and the residents of Colorado toward a sustainable future.
Chip Comins
AREI Chairman and CEO
Sally Ranney
AREI President
