First Lady to Visit Aspen this Weekend
Local law enforcement is preparing for a visit from First Lady Michelle Obama this weekend, according to sources. This will be her third President’s Day Weekend visit in Aspen. The past two years, the First Lady has brought her daughters, Sasha and Malia, to Aspen for a ski vacation. The Obamas stayed at the home of Jim and Paula Crown, friends of the First Family and the owners of the Aspen Skiing Company. The home is located on the Tiehack side of Buttermilk. That is the ski area where Michelle and the girls made turns in prior years.
It is unknown whether the Mrs. Obama’s daughters will come on this trip or whether the Crown’s will be hosting. The President is not expected to join his family in Aspen over the holiday weekend.
Gun Policy and the Basalt Library
The Garfield Library District isn’t the only library to enact a new policy around guns. Late last year, the Basalt library board decided to ban exposed firearms, or open-carry
Basalt Library Director Barbara Milnor brought the issue to the board after attending a state library function that touched on security. An incident in the summer where a man brought an exposed rifle into the Basalt facility also raised concerns. The Board decided in December to outlaw open carry by posting a sign on the front door. Milnor:
“We didn’t do this because we feel threatened or we foresee something like this happening. I’ve worked in libraries for a long time and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen somebody walk through with a rifle.”
People can still bring in concealed carry guns. The Garfield County Library District banned open carry at its six libraries earlier this month.
RFTA Plan Gets 90 Day Comment Extension
There’s a new deadline for comments about a controversial RFTA plan. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority has extended it by another 90 days. The original deadline was this last Sunday. The new deadline came after a board meeting this morning. Angela Kincade is Assistant Director of Project Management for RFTA. She says there’s a public outreach effort, too.
“We’ll do four public outreach meetings. We’ll do one in Aspen, one in Basalt, one in Carbondale, and one in Glenwood.”
There will also be an extensive mail campaign as well as lunch and dinner meetings in each region of the Valley. The RFTA Board members largely represent local governments in the area. Many wanted more time to review a plan that would preserve a rail corridor.
RFTA has been accused of moving to take private property or make it less accessible. The agency maintains it only wants to do take the legal steps necessary to preserve what’s in place now.
