Roses & Thorns: Cheers to AHS and free concerts; jeers to crosswalk blowers

• Roses to the Aspen High sports teams and the celebration this month as the townfolk came out to cheer them on. And especially to the boys basketball team: winning a state title is a big thing, but putting together an undefeated season on the way to that hardware was an incredible feat. Enjoy that spring break, kids, and keep on making us proud.

• Thorns to drivers, local and out out-of-town, who aren’t stopping at pedestrian crosswalks. Yes, the streets are spring-time dingy and crosswalks may be harder to see. But, they are in the same places they’ve always been, and if you can’t see, it’s all the more reason to slow your roll. Be extra aware at corners, when scooting around buses, well, basically anywhere. When in doubt, yield to pedestrians. And remember, relax, it’s Aspen (and going faster isn’t going to help you find a parking spot or beat traffic).

• Roses to Mike Kaplan as he starts writing the final chapter of his story at the Aspen Skiing Co. Kaplan announced Wednesday night he will step down in April 2023 as president and CEO after helping locate and transition his successor. Yes, Skico had occasional hiccups during Kaplan’s tenure, but he inspired his troops, he eased strains between the big company and the town and, as always, Skico always runs top-notch ski areas.

• Thorns to Eagle County officials and the developers of the Tree Farm development in the midvalley for negotiating an approval that will likely add to the affordable housing crisis rather than ease it. It’s a long and complex story but the short version is this: Only 50 of the 340 approved rental and ownership residences in the midvalley project are guaranteed of being affordable housing. That’s 14%. That stinks.

• Roses to the Skico marketing and planning teams who put together a solid lineup for the Hi-Fi concert series, which kicks off Friday night at the base of Aspen Mountain. The California Honeydrops play gondola plaza Friday, then the Sea Billies on Saturday. The following Saturday, April 2, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats play downtown Aspen, and then the Johnny Cash cover band Cash’d Out will play Snowmass Base Village on April 8. Did we mention it’s all free? Oh, and the weather should be great this weekend for some live music outdoors.

Have a rose or a thorn? Send them to letters@aspentimes.com with the subject line as: Roses & Thorns.