Roses and Thorns
Thorns to Snowmass Village Mayor Bill Boineau and Basalt Mayor Jacque Whitsitt for snuffing constituents’ desires to speak at public meetings.
Boineau once again refused to let a person speak during public comment at a council meeting Tuesday on the situation with the dogs at Krabloonik. His justification was that a council discussion of the issue could taint a jury pool in a potential criminal trial involving Krabloonik owner Dan MacEachen.
Boineau has been consistent recently on prohibiting comment on Krabloonik. However, he has been inconsistent on allowing talk about issues that could end up before a judge or jury. Boineau himself raised the issue of the need for greater lighting at a specific intersection in Snowmass Village where an alleged hit-and-run accident took place earlier this year. His comments were made even though there’s the potential for a criminal trial and a civil trial over that accident, which resulted in an injury to a pedestrian.
In Basalt, Whitsitt let six or eight owners of Gold Rivers condominiums sit through an excruciatingly long, and some would say dull, meeting before their agenda item came up, then didn’t give them a chance to speak. The owners are asking the town to eliminate Resident Occupied affordable-housing designations on their units.
Whitsitt whisked the discussion along and, with the council’s consent, directed the town staff to research issues and bring a report back to the council at a later date. The residents were never given a chance to speak after waiting patiently for more than 90 minutes. They left the meeting with somewhat perplexed looks on their faces. It’s understandable that the council didn’t want to hear their entire story at that point, but what about giving them a minute per couple to state their concern?
Whitsitt tends to run the council meetings with the zeal of a timekeeper at an eighth-grade spelling bee rather than as the mayor of a small, neighborly town where everyone tends to know one another.
Rose to Basalt Cub Scout Colton Scherer, who has shown he already has learned one of life’s best lessons — to share — even though he is only a first-grader.
Colton won a bike in a raffle held by Basalt Troop 242 but decided he didn’t need it. His existing bike was good enough. He gave the new bike back to the Troop with the request they find someone more in need of a two-wheeled steed. The Cub Scout leaders awarded it to another Scout who didn’t have a bike.
Roses to the staff of 5Point Film Festival for hosting a stellar event. The Carbondale festival attracted its full sold-out crowd for an opening Thursday night, according to Executive Director Sarah Wood. The house also was packed Friday night and Saturday afternoon for a special screening of “DamNation” and again Saturday night. Roses also go to Katie Lee, the singer and activist whose beauty and bravery were highlighted in the fight over the Glen Canyon Dam. Lee made an appearance at 5Point and provided a revealing and entertaining interview in front of the packed house Friday night. She noted that she lived in Aspen from 1960 through ’69.
Roses to Woody Creek resident John Oates for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month as part of Hall and Oates.
And finally, a bouquet of roses goes to longtime Woody Creek resident Michael Cleverly, one of The Aspen Times’ staunchest supporters over the years.
Cleverly is packing up his infectious wit and positive energy and moving down the road to Hotchkiss. Even so, his uplifting personality will leave a profound legacy on The Aspen Times newsroom. Aspen’s loss will be Hotchkiss’ gain. Farewell, Michael. We miss you already.
