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Vail Daily Hits and Misses

Got a quick Hit or Miss about issues, decisions or goings-on in the valley? Send yours to editor@vaildaily.com to be included.

MISS: From a reader to the Vail Daily for choosing “to put in the sports section in regards to the ESPY awards a photo of Richard Sherman, an athlete who screamed on air and scared the wits out of the reporter about his defensive play and handshake vs. Michael Crabtree, and a photo of a gay football player who’s only in the news because of his choices. And not printing a photo of Peyton Manning, who won an award, and Mikaela Shriffin, local Olympian, although Mikaela was the cover photo, in the July 17 paper.”

HIT: To Gypsum resident Kirk French, who recently helped round up a couple of wayward goats who escaped from their home and then wrote up a hilarious anecdote about catching them, published this week in the Free Enterprise.



HIT: To the town of Avon asking voters early about their willingness to continue an existing property tax for the rec center to upgrade the center for court sports such as basketball, add an ice rink/summer activities center, renovations at Nottingham Park and other improvements. A similar ballot question failed last November, and officials are thinking about trying again. If you’re an Avon voter, then be sure to let them know what you think.

HIT: To efforts to make the Family Learning Center economically viable for the longterm. Early childhood education is too crucial for the future of not just the children it serves but the full community that benefits from better educated generations who eventually fill in the work force and indeed lead the community in their turn.

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HIT: To providing another chance to see if Toronto to Vail flights will work through $115,000 in a revenue guarantee to Air Canada. Last ski season, the first shot at the flights didn’t perform to expectations in January, but it picked up nicely in February and March. Next season the plan is for just February and March, although January probably would pick up just fine since fliers now know about the direct service.

MISS: To kneejerk assessments of U.S. presidents based on current economic numbers, especially as ardent Republicans have been fond of doing through the recession to score points with friends about how terrible President Obama is performing, according to them. What now when the same scorecard shows the kind of improvements that should put the current commander in chief on Mount Rushmore according to the very standards these critics set?

HIT: To people of a certain age who are only growing in numbers and tend to have the sought-after discretionary income so prized in resort places, while the marketeers among us obsess about the next generation to attract. There’s a certain wisdom in paying attention to the present, too.

HIT: To good recycling habits.

MISS: To passing laws forcing recycling upon the citizenry. Granted, patience encouraging good habits can test community leaders. But doesn’t legislating habits such as this enter into a category of fining people for weighing more than leaders think they should (adding to costs of health care) and such?

HIT: To Vail’s neighborhood picnics. This is something all the towns should do — meet and greet in different parts of their community, go where the residents live.

HIT: To Vail Resorts picking up an award for best use of social media for its Epic Race, which inspired more than 200 globe trotters, er, snow sliders, to compete for a lifetime Epic Pass and promote the company’s new acquisitions.

HIT: To well-earned vacations. Follow columnist Michael Norton’s recent advice to make the most of them.

MISS: To the town of Eagle approving a retail marijuana operation that really is too big for the small community. It’s a bit much.

HIT: To Gypsum Daze and Flight Days in Eagle, both nice celebrations of great small communities and a lifestyle to die for.

HIT: To Vail competing well in winter among the ski mountain resorts, although summer remains a stubborn “opportunity” to improve compared to Lake Tahoe, Telluride and even Aspen.

HIT: To the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. providing the Vail Fire Department a grant to purchase an upgraded Jaws of Life for rescuing victims of auto accidents.

MISS: To our misplaced concern about heavy traffic on Interstate 70 between here and Denver on a fraction of weekends, those key times folks want most to get to the mountains and then return home. We should be praying for potholes. The freeway acts as a governor to keep our national forest and, during winter, our ski resorts from being completely overrun. We think this is what we want. It’s not, though. Our leaders are not thinking through the consequences of speedy passage at all times from the Front Range.


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