Carbondale Fire District Hires Former Board Member To Do Consulting
Carbondale’s Fire department is hiring three consultants to help the district get back on track. The Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District is dealing with a rapidly dwindling budget. One of the consultants hired is a former fire board member who lost in the most recent board election.
Mark Chain is a volunteer firefighter and had been a board member in the past. He was not re-elected last May. Mark Chain Consulting LLC, along with Lamont Planning Services, will receive more than $53,000 to spearhead the district’s community involvement, including surveys, outreach, and more. The contract also covers reviewing financial matters for the district. The third consulting firm is based in Florida. The District plans to spend more than $86,000 for all three.
Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club Preps For Bonfire Dinner
The Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s nordic program is preparing for its largest fundraiser of the year. The 30th annual Nordic Bonfire Dinner will be held on Saturday night.
The fundraiser is a “progressive dinner” that takes participants on skis and snowshoes from food station to food station around the Aspen Golf Course. Last year 300 people attended, raising $10,000 for the Club.
Next to the Club’s alpine offerings, the Nordic program is relatively small with just 160 kids. Seventeen year old Julia Budsey says she’s an endurance athlete who runs cross country in the spring.
"It translates really in the winter onto the snow with our Nordic skis. It’s a similar environment to running. The community’s so welcoming, it’s so fun to be around."
The team has some of the best Nordic athletes in the country. One skier is competing in Junior World Championships right now in Kazakhstan.
Nordic Program Director Maria Stuber says the kids are dedicated athletes.
"The work ethic that we get on the Nordic team is like none you’ll find anywhere else. These are kids who want to work hard whether anyone’s watching them, or not."
The Bonfire Dinner began as a fundraiser for the Aspen Snowmass Nordic Council but eventually shifted its focus to AVSC. The event starts at 6pm on Saturday.
Glenwood Springs Considers Controversial RFTA Plan
Glenwood Springs’ City Council is considering a controversial plan by the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. At tonight’s regular meeting, council members will review concerns with a proposed access plan.
The official comment deadline is this Sunday, February 9th. Officials with RFTA told Aspen Public Radio earlier this week the authority will consider extending that deadline but won’t know until later next week.
Alpine Ski Racer Bode Miller Takes A Fall
At the World Alpine Ski Championships in Beaver Creek, long time alpine skier Bode Miller took a tough crash today. That was in the men’s Super Giant Slalom. The thirty seven year old was racing for the first time in nearly a year. He's trying to become the second oldest World Championships medalist. Miller previously won six Olympic medals. In today’s crash he walked away with a nasty cut on his right leg after hooking a gate with his left arm.
