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Vail Valley news briefs

Daily Staff Report
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VAIL – Sam Lightner Jr., a rock climber renowned for mapping a remote peak in Borneo, will speak at Donovan Pavilion Thursday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The talk is part of the Vail Symposium’s 2006 Unlimited Adventure Series.In 1999, Lightner and a friend set out to climb the mountain that was depicted on map only as a gray, shaded area with the words “all elevations unknown.”

The best clue Lighter and his friend has was a memoir written by British officer Tom Harrisson, who had parachuted into Borneo in 1945 to gather intelligence on Japanese invaders.The memoir told Lightner the peak was known locally as Batu Lawi. Lightner says his team spent days hiking dark, soggy trails rife with leeches, bees, cobras, poisonous vipers and wild boar.The team found and climbed Batu Lawi. Lightner chronicled their adventure in “All Elevations Unknown: An Adventure in the Heart of Borneo.”Admission to Lightner’s talk is free. For more information, contact the Vail Symposium at 476-0954 or info@vailsymposium.org.

Thirteen people are running for five open seats on the board of directors of the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, which supplies water from East Vail to Dowd Junction. The agency also operates wastewater treatment plants in Vail, Avon and Edwards. The election in May and the candidates by district are: Susan Pollack, Ludwig Kurz, Mike Mathias District 1 (Central and East Vail). Chuck Ogilby District 3 (Intermountain, parts of Avon including Mountain Star). Arn Menconi (incumbent), Debbie Buckley, Bob Trueblood, Ken Sortland District 4 (Wildridge and Singletree). Darell Wegert, Ian Anderson District 5 (Minturn and eastern Eagle-Vail). Ed OBrien, Bill Simmons, Rick Pylman District 7 (Central Edwards, Cordillera, Wolcott).The seats are four-year terms, except for District 4, which is a two-year term. Information about voting eligibility and registration can be found on the districts Web site: http://www.erwsd.org.



RED CLIFF – Police are still looking for whoever broke into Johnny’s Liquors Red Cliff’s only store earlier this month.Sometime during the night of Feb. 2 and Feb. 3, Johnny’s Liquors in Red Cliff was broken into, and several bottles of alcohol and cash was stolen. The cash register at the 46-year-old store also was damaged. Eagle County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment. Callers can remain anonymous at 328-7007 or 1-800-962-TIPS.

EAGLE COUNTY – The fight against pine beetles in local forests will be the subject of a discussion tonight from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Berry Creek Middle School.Speakers include Dr. Jeff Hicke, a research scientist at Colorado State University; Bill Carlson, Vail’s environmental health officer; and Phil Bowden, a fire management officer for the U.S. Forest Service. They will discuss the harm being done to local forest and what is being done to slow the beetles’ spread. They also will talk about the impacts on scenery in areas plagued by beetles. Admission is $5.

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VAIL – Fraidy Aber, formerly a special events organizer for Avon, is the new executive director of the Vail Symposium, a nonprofit organization that brings speakers to the Vail Valley. “I am thrilled to be coming onboard as the executive director of the Valley’s oldest nonprofit organization,” Aber said. “I am excited to add my energy to the Vail Symposium’s 35-year old tradition of bringing engaging speakers and captivating programming to the valley.”From 1998 to 2003, Aber was the director of public programs for the Hudson River Park Trust, a 5-mile park stretching from Battery Park to 59th Street in Manhattan, along the Hudson River.. Aber replaces Ebby Pinson, who is retiring after seven years as the symposium’s president. “We are very fortunate to have Fraidy as our executive director,” Pinson said. “She is going to add a new energy to the Vail Symposium and her event experience is unparalleled in the valley.”The Vail Symposium, which began in 1971 as an annual think tank, organizes more than 60 events each years. For more information, contact the Vail Symposium at 476-0954 or info@vailsymposium.org. Vail, Colorado


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