News
Opinion
World AIDS Day help was great
Red Ribbon would like to thank the Eagle County community for the support received during our World AIDS Day events the week of Dec. 1.
We appreciate the sponsorship of Alpine Bank and Wells Fargo for our fundraising and awareness efforts surrounding HIV/AIDS and healthy sexuality programming in Eagle County.
Most importantly, the Vail Daily had extensive coverage of Red Ribbon Project's fundraising, awareness and free HIV testing campaign leading up to Dec. 1.
In addition, we would also like to thank E-Town for not only hosting our event, but the staff for going the extra mile to make it the best it could be. A special thanks to Kevin Egan at E-Town for all of his help!
Red Ribbon Project received numerous in-kind donations from local businesses to support our silent auction, Crazy Mountain Brewery donated kegs of beer, Trent Talbot from Republic National Distributing Co. donated wine, Gallegos Corp. donated four Suite Avalanche Tickets, Chris Alexander and Steve Korr played great music, and Battle Mountain High School students Jack Wickum and Jasper Stone were able to show off their music talents that evening in support of Red Ribbon, and Todd Pentello from Battle Mountain helped create awareness at school.
Also, Red Ribbon Project is extremely fortunate to have dedicated volunteers that helped out that evening.
Since 1996, Red Ribbon Project has been a local non-profit that offers comprehensive life skills programming to Eagle County schools with classes such as HIV 101, STDs you have to know, bullying prevention, drug addiction, puberty, etc.
In addition, Red Ribbon Project provides free HIV testing in Eagle County. Go to www.redribbonproject.org or call 970-827-5900 for more information.
Denise Kipp
Eagle
Thanks from Dickensville
A happy new year to everyone and my sincere thanks go out to the following people for their generous support of the successful “Dickensville in the Village” Christmas train and village display.
A special thanks goes to Carol Glasson and Jen Wright of Wright Companies for their generous contribution of the great space. It worked perfectly! Also the help of Kim Bradley and Erin Vega of the ER HOA.
I couldn't have done it without the junior conductors each night who lit the display -- Davis Burns, Jack Harbriger, Garrett Bradley and Trey Glissman, Oscar Wilkison, Ashley and Nick Wagner, Reece Kohrman, Liam Cambell, and Thomas Chandler.
And hugs to the great hosts from the Eagle Ranch Eagle Ranch community -- the Burns, Westcotts, Smiths, Lamberts, Himmeses, Hoys, Franks and Hollises.
This doesn't happen without the heavy lifting from Michael Hoy, Victor Galko, Jim Himmes, Phil Frank, John Cortez, Marty VandeVen and Walt Marquez. Thanks boys!
Though their benevolent efforts a lot of toys, food, and money were raised for the Mason-Eagle Fire Toy Drive, so Christmas can be brighter for our local kids.
Sig Bjornson
Some safety suggestions
Would like to weigh in on the exchanges about mountain safety that we've seen over the last few days.
As always, the Yellow Jackets are doing a great job this year, and we appreciate their efforts to keep large ski areas safe for all. With a relatively small number of people to do that job, it must be challenging.
However, with so many skiers and riders using fewer runs, and with those runs being more icy and dangerous this year, there's a need to be even more vigilant about safety.
I have a few suggestions:
1. We've all seen the worst offenders fly by (while barely slowing down) the safety patrollers who are using arm motions to attempt to get skiers and boarders to slow down in the bottleneck and/or poor visibility areas.
Maybe Vail Resorts could temporarily staff up so that another Yellow Jacket can be positioned farther down the hill to intercept these folks.
If they chase down 10 or 15 speeders per day and give them stern verbal or written warnings or even citations, word will start getting around that everyone needs to take it a little easier, especially this year.
2. Last year, the police had a presence on the mountain.
On a number of occasions we would see them in the lift line or walking around the base areas. From what I understand, having them ski around on very busy days helped convey the serious message about safety. It also probably deterred some equipment theft, which has increased here again over the last few weeks.
How about bringing them back?
3. Have some signs put up at each lift with different messages such as: “Did you know that it's a felony to leave the scene of a ski accident in which you are involved without giving your contact info to a VR employee?” Or: “Did you know that you can face severe criminal or civil penalties if your unsafe boarding or sking causes bodily harm to another?”
And others like this to remind everyone that they can and will be held responsible for their actions.
And my favorite:
4. Equip the Yellow Jackets with paint guns! A reckless skier-rider gets his coat blasted with yellow paint for minor infractions and bright red for really dangerous stunts.
The downhill patrollers can then be on the lookout for the perpetrator with the paint splotches, and then have a little chat with them.
Plus they have the added inconvenience of trying to get the paint washed off their jacket so everyone in the lift line doesn't taunt them and they don't get stopped every day by the ski patrol or safety patrol!
Lastly, this would provide hours of entertainment and excellent target practice for the safety patrol workers!
In all seriousness, we all have heard numerous horror stories about life-changing injuries and even deaths on the mountain.
Skiing and boarding are such great sports! Let's make sure that we're still at it when we're old(er)!
Steve Spessard
Vail
If it's about values
To paraphrase Aeschylus: “Truth is the first casualty of politics.”
Regarding the present U.S. executive administration in office but three years, and having inherited (at minimum) two undeclared, pre-emptive wars and a bankrupt economy, consider briefly its two principal Republican opponents who offer their candidacy as being noble, moral and necessary.
Consider, if you will, the personal makeup of these candidates as contrasted with the current president, whose sole marriage reveals a seemingly happy family, wholesome and intact, and whose financial worth has been earned presumably without scandal.
Then consider the cases of the two Republicans who present themselves as devout, practicing Christians.
In alphabetical order, the first case reveals the second wife of his three marriages accusing him of promoting intramural activity and whose financial dealings call into question his conscience in respect to Catholic-Christian economic principles.
In the second case, his financial net worth is said to equal or exceed one-quarter of one billion dollars, and which anyone claiming to be a late-arriving saint must surely remain in the dark as to what Christ meant when he said: “Woe to you who are rich; you have your reward now.”
And so, in this advertised Christian nation, when the suffering populace protests against Wall Street excesses and the party of money that runs it, would it not be prudent to reconsider who is telling the truth and who is “raising his hand in perjury”?
Art Allard
Vail
Red Ribbon would like to thank the Eagle County community for the support received during our World AIDS Day events the week of Dec. 1.
We appreciate the sponsorship of Alpine Bank and Wells Fargo for our fundraising and awareness efforts surrounding HIV/AIDS and healthy sexuality programming in Eagle County.
Most importantly, the Vail Daily had extensive coverage of Red Ribbon Project's fundraising, awareness and free HIV testing campaign leading up to Dec. 1.
In addition, we would also like to thank E-Town for not only hosting our event, but the staff for going the extra mile to make it the best it could be. A special thanks to Kevin Egan at E-Town for all of his help!
Red Ribbon Project received numerous in-kind donations from local businesses to support our silent auction, Crazy Mountain Brewery donated kegs of beer, Trent Talbot from Republic National Distributing Co. donated wine, Gallegos Corp. donated four Suite Avalanche Tickets, Chris Alexander and Steve Korr played great music, and Battle Mountain High School students Jack Wickum and Jasper Stone were able to show off their music talents that evening in support of Red Ribbon, and Todd Pentello from Battle Mountain helped create awareness at school.
Also, Red Ribbon Project is extremely fortunate to have dedicated volunteers that helped out that evening.
Since 1996, Red Ribbon Project has been a local non-profit that offers comprehensive life skills programming to Eagle County schools with classes such as HIV 101, STDs you have to know, bullying prevention, drug addiction, puberty, etc.
In addition, Red Ribbon Project provides free HIV testing in Eagle County. Go to www.redribbonproject.org or call 970-827-5900 for more information.
Denise Kipp
Eagle
Thanks from Dickensville
A happy new year to everyone and my sincere thanks go out to the following people for their generous support of the successful “Dickensville in the Village” Christmas train and village display.
A special thanks goes to Carol Glasson and Jen Wright of Wright Companies for their generous contribution of the great space. It worked perfectly! Also the help of Kim Bradley and Erin Vega of the ER HOA.
I couldn't have done it without the junior conductors each night who lit the display -- Davis Burns, Jack Harbriger, Garrett Bradley and Trey Glissman, Oscar Wilkison, Ashley and Nick Wagner, Reece Kohrman, Liam Cambell, and Thomas Chandler.
And hugs to the great hosts from the Eagle Ranch Eagle Ranch community -- the Burns, Westcotts, Smiths, Lamberts, Himmeses, Hoys, Franks and Hollises.
This doesn't happen without the heavy lifting from Michael Hoy, Victor Galko, Jim Himmes, Phil Frank, John Cortez, Marty VandeVen and Walt Marquez. Thanks boys!
Though their benevolent efforts a lot of toys, food, and money were raised for the Mason-Eagle Fire Toy Drive, so Christmas can be brighter for our local kids.
Sig Bjornson
Some safety suggestions
Would like to weigh in on the exchanges about mountain safety that we've seen over the last few days.
As always, the Yellow Jackets are doing a great job this year, and we appreciate their efforts to keep large ski areas safe for all. With a relatively small number of people to do that job, it must be challenging.
However, with so many skiers and riders using fewer runs, and with those runs being more icy and dangerous this year, there's a need to be even more vigilant about safety.
I have a few suggestions:
1. We've all seen the worst offenders fly by (while barely slowing down) the safety patrollers who are using arm motions to attempt to get skiers and boarders to slow down in the bottleneck and/or poor visibility areas.
Maybe Vail Resorts could temporarily staff up so that another Yellow Jacket can be positioned farther down the hill to intercept these folks.
If they chase down 10 or 15 speeders per day and give them stern verbal or written warnings or even citations, word will start getting around that everyone needs to take it a little easier, especially this year.
2. Last year, the police had a presence on the mountain.
On a number of occasions we would see them in the lift line or walking around the base areas. From what I understand, having them ski around on very busy days helped convey the serious message about safety. It also probably deterred some equipment theft, which has increased here again over the last few weeks.
How about bringing them back?
3. Have some signs put up at each lift with different messages such as: “Did you know that it's a felony to leave the scene of a ski accident in which you are involved without giving your contact info to a VR employee?” Or: “Did you know that you can face severe criminal or civil penalties if your unsafe boarding or sking causes bodily harm to another?”
And others like this to remind everyone that they can and will be held responsible for their actions.
And my favorite:
4. Equip the Yellow Jackets with paint guns! A reckless skier-rider gets his coat blasted with yellow paint for minor infractions and bright red for really dangerous stunts.
The downhill patrollers can then be on the lookout for the perpetrator with the paint splotches, and then have a little chat with them.
Plus they have the added inconvenience of trying to get the paint washed off their jacket so everyone in the lift line doesn't taunt them and they don't get stopped every day by the ski patrol or safety patrol!
Lastly, this would provide hours of entertainment and excellent target practice for the safety patrol workers!
In all seriousness, we all have heard numerous horror stories about life-changing injuries and even deaths on the mountain.
Skiing and boarding are such great sports! Let's make sure that we're still at it when we're old(er)!
Steve Spessard
Vail
If it's about values
To paraphrase Aeschylus: “Truth is the first casualty of politics.”
Regarding the present U.S. executive administration in office but three years, and having inherited (at minimum) two undeclared, pre-emptive wars and a bankrupt economy, consider briefly its two principal Republican opponents who offer their candidacy as being noble, moral and necessary.
Consider, if you will, the personal makeup of these candidates as contrasted with the current president, whose sole marriage reveals a seemingly happy family, wholesome and intact, and whose financial worth has been earned presumably without scandal.
Then consider the cases of the two Republicans who present themselves as devout, practicing Christians.
In alphabetical order, the first case reveals the second wife of his three marriages accusing him of promoting intramural activity and whose financial dealings call into question his conscience in respect to Catholic-Christian economic principles.
In the second case, his financial net worth is said to equal or exceed one-quarter of one billion dollars, and which anyone claiming to be a late-arriving saint must surely remain in the dark as to what Christ meant when he said: “Woe to you who are rich; you have your reward now.”
And so, in this advertised Christian nation, when the suffering populace protests against Wall Street excesses and the party of money that runs it, would it not be prudent to reconsider who is telling the truth and who is “raising his hand in perjury”?
Art Allard
Vail
