Letter: Getting things done for Basalt’s future

My wife, Denise, and I decided to move from Aspen to Basalt eight years ago; I never knew I’d someday be writing a letter to the editor endorsing my friend and neighbor Rick Stevens for mayor, but this only goes to show how much we appreciate what he has done for Basalt in the past as well as what he can do for Basalt’s future. I got to know Rick back in the early ’90s when we taught skiing together at Buttermilk. Me fresh out of college at the time and Rick a veteran ski instructor, he gave me my first insight into how cool Basalt really is as a community. Rick raised his two boys here in Basalt, so he has not only experienced our schools firsthand but can have an opinion for my wife and our two girls, who also are going through this wonderful Basalt Elementary School. I ran into Rick skiing Ajax a couple of months ago, we got talking about the Pan and Fork riverfront park and development, and he pointed out to me that “we really need to keep an eye on our entire community and not get stuck on one project.” This made such a huge impact on me in that not only does he care so much about all of Basalt but he also experienced firsthand most of our major projects that occurred in the past 25 years here in Basalt. He pointed out that of course we do have an amazing opportunity for our future in downtown Basalt but also not to forget about other amenities and projects that would benefit us all besides the downtown riverfront. He knows it all and has experienced it all and is a family man who cares about the future generations of Basalt residents like our two girls. Having Rick as our mayor would give us huge hope in knowing that our children would get the best representation for our community, since Rick can get things done and has proven to get things done for the better.

Vote for Rick Stevens for mayor of Basalt!

Michael Latousek

Basalt