Snowmass news briefs

Mammoth Meltdown starts raising funds for Rotary now

Snowmass Rotary is starting the second edition of its Mammoth Meltdown fundraiser a little early this winter.

This year the club will still place a steel mammoth on a frozen pond on the Snowmass Club golf course and ask donors to guess when it will fall through to win prizes. But instead of only offering tickets online, club members are selling tickets on the Mall and Base Village, and donations can be made in kiosks set up all over town, said club secretary Cindy LaMar.

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Funds raised by the club throughout the year support various charitable programs, according to its website. Those include a grant program for local nonprofits, a vocational scholarship program for Basalt High School students and grants for international charities.

Learn more at http://www.mammothmeltdown.com.

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Local author publishes book on retirement

Snowmass Village resident Donna Davis has tapped into her own experience and research to bring insight to millions of people approaching retirement age.

Her new book, “Retirement Basics: Help for Broke Baby Boomers,” is currently ranked No. 2 in hot new releases for retirement planning and No. 3 for aging at http://www.amazon.com, according to a statement. The book is also featured as the “Pick of the Month” at Donovan’s Bookshelf.

In the book, Davis offers common-sense solutions to the many decisions individuals and families face as they prepare for retirement.

“As I thought about the changes soon to come my way, I realized I knew nothing about the major components of retirement financial existence — social security, Medicare, retirement plans,” Davis said. “They were a mystery to me. Like it or not, I knew it was time for me to face the future.”

Davis’ research into the many aspects of retirement planning inspired her to write the book.

“The prospect [of retirement] was overwhelming, but I learned all I could,” she said. “I read government websites, pamphlets, financial articles, and collected an enormous amount of information. The knowledge made me feel confident that I could make informed choices and better decisions for myself.”

“Retirement Basics” demystifies the elements of retirement including social security, 401(k) accounts, Medicare, IRAs, when to retire, where to live and how to earn more.

“Retirement Basics: Help for Broke Baby Boomers” is available at Explore Booksellers in Aspen, Book Train in Glenwood Springs and 81615 in Snowmass Village, as well as at http://www.amazon.com. For more information, visit http://www.RetirementBasicsforBoomers.com.

Women’s writing retreat moves to Redstone

Grand Junction writer Sandra Dorr, who annually holds retreats for women at St. Benedict’s in Old Snowmass, is this year moving her event to Redstone.

The ninth “Writing the Sacred” women’s retreat, led by Dorr and yoga teacher Susan Crosby, will be Jan. 8-11 at the Redstone Inn. Called “Truth and the Muse,” it will focus on how the muse draws nearer as writers age, visible in their work and in a richer, deeper state of being, according to a statement.

All levels and ages of writers, artists and yogis are welcome. The retreat includes daily group and individual meetings and optional morning and afternoon yoga and meditation, as well as Ayurvedic self-care body sessions and hours for writing, resting, cross-country skiing or hot tubbing.

The cost is $450. Partial need-based scholarships and Paypal are available. Registration is first-come, first-served.

Contact Dorr at 970-433-6800 or visit http://www.sandradorr.com.

Seasonal trail closures in effect

Sky Mountain Park and the north section of the Rim Trail are now closed to users through May 15.

The trails are closed to recreation annually to protect habitat and migration corridors for elk and other wildlife.

Trail closure violations can result in fines of up to $5,000, according to the town of Snowmass Village. For more information or to find open trails, visit http://www.tosv.com.