Aspen Business Journal: Top Stories

New Windstar owner linked to Houston billionaire

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:05:01 -0600

A public document on file in Pitkin County shows that the right-hand man in Aspen of Houston billionaire Jeff Hildebrand has been granted authority to make decisions regarding the Windstar property. Doug Kelly, who is also the vice president of Hildebrand’s Aspen High Mesa LLC, was named in ...

Vail's high-end buyers not paying into market upticks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:35:38 -0600

VAIL — Real estate prices might be surging in markets around the country, but the activity is not enticing buyers in Vail’s luxury second home market to pony up. Price increases during the first part of the year contributed to a slow-down in activity, according to local brokers specializ ...

Colorado senator ramps up scrutiny of U.S. secret surveillance programs

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:31:12 -0600

U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Ron Wyden, who serve on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the bipartisan group of senators who joined their effort Tuesday to limit the federal government's ability to collect data on Americans without links to terrorism or espionage is a sign of the gr ...

Reel women fly fish: Free ladies clinic at Gypsum Ponds in July

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:42:41 -0600

GYPSUM — Women interested in learning about fly fishing, lure fishing and the basics of shotguns and other firearms are invited to a women-only 'Cast ‘N Blast' clinic at the Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area, 8:30 a.m., Saturday, July 13. The cost to reserve a space is $20, which will be ...

Rifle Gap State Park reopens to boaters, Rifle Falls opens to visitors

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:49:27 -0600

After being closed due to the Ward Gulch Fire, Highway 325 reopened late last night and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is announcing that the public now has full access to Rifle Falls State Park and the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery. In addition, Rifle Gap State Park is once again open to boaters; howeve ...

Two 82 intersections to close temporarily for deer guard installation

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:21:14 -0600

Colorado Department of Transportation project contractor United Companies / Oldcastle SW Group has requested a permit from Eagle County to close the intersection of JW Drive and SH 82 and the intersection of Valley Road and SH 82. These closures will enhance safety for project crews and the trave ...

Colorado Supreme Court decision puts the "Limited" back in Limited Liability Company

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:18:07 -0600

Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling which establishes that owners and managers of limited liability companies (known as "LLCs") have limited exposure to personal liability for the company's debts. The Court also ruled that LLC managers do not owe credito ...

New Carbondale restaurant to honor legacy of iconic local rancher

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:46:18 -0600

Hattie Thompson, Carbondale’s newest restaurant is set to open Wednesday at River Valley Ranch. The restaurant features casual fine dining at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere with an unmatched setting of outstanding, unobstruc ...

Adam Sobel crowned King of Porc at Grand Cochon

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:49:45 -0600

Adam Sobel of RN74 in San Francisco, CA was crowned the King of Porc in yesterday’s finale of the national heritage breed pig cook-off, Cochon 555. Culminating the fifth national tour in celebration of farmers and chefs working to put heritage porc back on menus across the country, Grand Cocho ...

Black Forest Fire now 65 percent contained

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:08:41 -0600

Firefighters again made good progress in containing the fire yesterday. Fire behavior was reduced to creeping and smoldering due to improved weather conditions. Thunderstorms brought .11 inches of precipitation to the fire area which aided firefighters in their suppression efforts. The storm also pr ...

Mountain States leading indicator healthy for May

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:19:52 -0600

Republished from the Goss Institute for Economic Research Similar to surveys over the past several months, the overall index for the Mountain States region for May, a leading economic indicator for the three-state area of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, advanced to a very healthy reading. ...

David Ledingham 'pulls out all the stops' for this year's Aspen Fringe Festival

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:25:56 -0600

This interview originally appeared in Theatre Hotspot. David Ledingham is the man behind Aspen Fringe Festival. This year’s festival takes place June 20 thro ...

Black Forest Fire destroys 473 homes

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:39:04 -0600

Favorable conditions allowed for progress as firefighters continued to improve existing lines throughout the fire area. Thunderstorm activity brought some precipitation (.03 inches) directly over the fire area but had a limited direct affect on the fire. It did allow for increased direct fire line c ...

Wildfire north of Rifle closes Rifle Falls State Park

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:30:51 -0600

Due to the Ward Gulch wildfire currently burning north of the city of Rifle, fire officials have closed Highway 325 until further notice. The highway leads to Rifle Falls State Park and the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery. The public is currently not being allowed to enter the state park or the hatchery ...

Think outside the wine box to find value

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:25:04 -0600

ASPEN—Who doesn’t love a bargain? It’s easy to get caught up in the fancy wine fan club during the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. But after the tents fold and the crowds leave, reality, in the form of tight budgets, tends to rear its head. Fortunately, author Mark O ...

Break out the bubbly, occasion or not

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:23:44 -0600

ASPEN—It’s fitting in this new Gilded Age that a morning seminar about “Showstopping Champagne,” one of the first events at the 31st annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, was standing-room only. The capacity crowd assembled Friday discovered plenty of reasons as to why ...

New report shows investment in lodging infastructure crucial to Aspen's future.

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:23:54 -0600

The City of Aspen today released a report on lodging demand and lodging economics entitled, Aspen’s Lodging Sector: Lodging Demand & Lodging Economics. This report marks the culmination of the City’s effort to compile background information on the needs and opportunities in Asp ...

Colorado sees 235,000 more skier visits in 2012/13 season

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:27:57 -0600

Colorado Ski Country USA announced today at its 50th Annual Meeting that statewide skier visits totaled an estimated 11,445,000 in 2012/13. This estimation shows Colorado being up 3.95 percent compared to last season. Colorado Ski Country’s 21 member resorts hosted an estimated 6.4 milli ...

City of Aspen plan will boost flows in the Roaring Fork

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:35:03 -0600

For decades, large water diversions have reduced the amount of water flowing in the upper Roaring Fork River; only a fraction of the native flow reaches the City of Aspen. At times, more than ninety percent of the native flow of the Roaring Fork is diverted from the river for transmountain del ...

Hickenlooper declares disaster emergencies for three fires

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:12:26 -0600

Gov. John Hickenlooper today signed three Executive Orders to declare disaster emergencies related to three fires burning in Colorado. The orders authorize a combined $10.15 million to help pay for firefighting and other costs. One order declares a disaster emergency due to the Black Forest Fire ...

Paraglider crashes into Aspen Mountain

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:19:16 -0600

At around 9:50 a.m. Aspen Pitkin County Communications received a 911 call about a paraglider that had gone down near the bottom of Walsh’s Ski Run. Aspen Ambulance, Pitkin County Sheriffs, and volunteers from Mountain Rescue Aspen were able to drive to within about 50 yards of the Paraglider. ...

Minor repairs underway on Castle Creek Bridge

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:20:49 -0600

Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance crews are making some repairs to the Castle Creek Bridge on SH 82 tomorrow and likely Wednesday. Specifically, crews will repair a “bladder,” or rubber seal at the bridge’s joint on the west-end (or down-valley side) bridge abutm ...

Aspen Institute launches task force on learning and the Internet

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:42:08 -0600

The Aspen Institute today announced the launch of the Aspen Institute Task Force on Learning and the Internet, a forum to understand better what is working, what needs improvement and how to ensure that online learning experiences are optimized for safety and innovation. Supported by the John D. and ...

BLM extends public comment period on proposed hydraulic fracturing rule

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:14:33 -0600

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today that it is extending the public comment period on its proposed revised rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on public and Indian trust lands. Notice of the 60-day extension, which extends the comment period deadline to August ...

Wildfires in Colorado torch homes, force evacuations

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:08:17 -0600

Fueled by hot temperatures and wind gusts, four major wildfires were forcing thousands of evacuations as they devoured dozens of homes. “Our thoughts are with those who have lost their homes and property in these fires,” U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said. “Unfortunately, Col ...

Buddy Program awards $52,500 in local scholarships

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:36:50 -0600

The Buddy Program recently awarded $52,500 in scholarships to area high school seniors. There were 17 recipients from Aspen, Basalt and Roaring Fork High Schools with nine students being the first of their families to attend college. “The Buddy Program is honored to help provide the opport ...

Sixteen teams including No. 1-ranked Sky Procycling confirmed for 2013 Pro Challenge

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:47:22 -0600

The 2013 USA Pro Challenge will feature 16 of the world’s top professional cycling teams, including UCI No. 1-ranked Sky Procycling, which includes 2012 Tour de France overall winner Bradley Wiggins and second place finisher Chris Froome. Comprised of UCI Pro, Pro Continental and Continental t ...

Beyond Colorado: How to Bring Your Products and Services to the Global Marketplace

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:13:44 -0600

Last year, Colorado set records as manufactured, agricultural and mineral exports grew 11.3 percent in 2012, growing from $7.3 billion to $8.1 billion. Find out how you and your business can take advantage of this trend. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a small or medium-sized business- ...

CU study: Amount of dust blown across the West is increasing

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:12:43 -0600

The amount of dust being blown across the landscape has increased over the last 17 years in large swaths of the West, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado. The escalation in dust emissions — which may be due to the interplay of several factors, including increased windst ...

Obama administration wants to end protections for wolves

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:00:40 -0600

In a move questioned by some of the world’s leading wolf researchers, the Obama administration is planning to strip Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves across most of the lower 48 states. The proposal concludes that wolf protection in the continental United States, in place si ...