"Related and fellow developers J.E. Robert Cos. and Dubai investment arm Istithmar World this week sued the lenders...."
Here's a sign that summer is fading and winter's no longer far away: the announcement of Aspen/Snowmass ski passes that go on sale August 22, 2010.
The controversial former King of Snowmass--and head of Related Westpac in the waning days of the boom--has resurfaced as Kevin Costner's chief operating officer in the Gulf of Mexico. "Ocean Therapy Solutions, Costner’s company where Smith is chief operating officer, is currently producing and deploying 32 special centrifuge machines, which separate oil from water, in the Gulf. Each machine can clean up to 210,000 gallons of oily water per day, according to Ocean Therapy Solutions’ website," reports Catherine Lutz. "Costner, a part-time local resident whose home and 'field of dreams' is the last private property east of Aspen on the way to Independence Pass, was reportedly touched by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989."
Posts filed under 'Snowmass'
Aspen, CO, August 2, 2010–– The Studio for Arts + Works (SAW) will feature a First Friday benefit for Flash Bell and Anderson Ranch Art Center’s student scholarships. Flash Bell, one of the studio dogs at SAW, was recently hit by a car. Some of SAW’s friends have generously donated works to a group show called “Flash Drive.” A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to Flash’s veterinary bills. Other proceeds will be donated to Anderson Ranch’s scholarship funds. Artists featured at “Flash Drive” will include: James Surls, Mark Cesark, Rick Parsons, Brad Reed Nelson, Doug Casebeer, John Hitchcock, Jason Schneider, Erin Dinsmoor, Elizabeth Ferrel, Paul Collins, Stanley Bell, Steven Colby, Carly Rebeiz, Diane Kenney, Alleghany Meadows, Sam Harvey, K. Rynus Cesark, among others.
Continue Reading August 10th, 2010
Last year, as one part of the mission of Common Sense Alliance, I prepared a report to the Colorado Transportation Legislation Review Committee, a group made up of state legislators charged with overseeing state transportation projects. The general perspective of the report was that the state needed to take action to protect its citizens from the complete collapse of federal oversight of transportation funding. Despite that rather gloomy assessment the report also noted that "efforts to secure remediation of this problem at the federal level will continue", and we are now back to work on that approach.
Problems with the way the Department of Transportation (DOT) is doing its job can be reported to their Office of Inspector General (OIG). Beyond that, the federal government has now set up an Integrity Committee, to whom complaints can be addressed regarding problems with the way the OIG is doing its job.
Last week, I sent the letter below to the Integrity Committee, along with a complaint* regarding both the DOT and the OIG.
Any federal elected official or candidate might find the link below to be especially interesting, as it recounts the practical and real world methods used by federal employees to avoid taking responsibility to fix problems brought to their attention. I have not attempted to contact any elected officials or candidates, as I do not have any particular connection to any of them that might cause them to take notice. If you do have the ear of a federal elected official or candidate, please feel free to pass this email along.
* http://www.entrancesolution.com/Integrity%20Complaint.htm
Dear Integrity Committee,
The enclosed complaint is being sent to you at the suggestion of Valerie T. Blyther, Investigative Research Analyst for FraudNET at the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
A central aspect of the problem being reported is the manner in which it was handled by staff of the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, and that appears to be your specific area of responsibility.
However, the full authority of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity & Efficiency would be better suited to respond to the broad scope of deficiencies in the oversight of federal transportation funding which is detailed in this complaint. The mission and purpose of the Council to “address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies”, and “continually identify, review, and discuss areas of weakness and vulnerability in Federal programs and operations with respect to fraud, waste, and abuse” could have been written in reaction to the situation I am reporting.
The inevitable buck passing that occurs as a result of the bureaucratic compartmentalization of responsibility and authority has been a major problem that formation of the Council is clearly intended to overcome. The more pernicious failure of accountability that I encountered has been the consistent practice by nearly every federal official contacted to avoid acknowledging or discussing any of the information with which they are presented – apparently in order to evade any responsibility to act on that information.
If the intent of the architects of your agency was to make the Integrity Committee the enforcer of personal accountability by federal employees, the power to do so will need to be extended far beyond the various IG offices.
It is somewhat surprising that your intake method does not start with the Council, who then makes a determination regarding whether to pass the information on to the Integrity Committee. Regardless, I trust the Integrity Committee is perfectly capable of forwarding this request to the full Council for action that will “transcend individual Government agencies”.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Jeffrey Evans
June 29th, 2010
Spent the day yesterday with a former Krabloonik sled dog from Snowmass and it was heartbreaking. "Reform" of "best practices" there would be an hour a day off the tether. I say shut it down. Listen for more on "Con Games" Saturday-Sunday, 9-11 AM Mountain, YourRadio.com, 101.1, 96.7, 107.7.
Continue Reading June 1st, 2010
| Aspen, Colo. (January 7th, 2010) – Imagine a year of your life submerged in outdoor activities, culture and fine dining in a place high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Qittle is now providing people the chance to make this dream a reality. On January 1, 2010, Qittle’s “Live the Dream – A Year in Aspen/Snowmass” contest went live, and those eligible can now go to the website http://livethedreamaspensnowmass.com and register for their chance to win. |
| Mobile marketing company Qittle has partnered with various local and national clients for “Live the Dream” contest. One lucky winner will receive accommodation, grocery allowance, lift pass, equipment for winter and summer activities and tickets to local events among other prizes. He or she will work for Qittle hosting a weekly radio/TV show that will air locally and will also be responsible for his or her own blog, where they will share their experience in Aspen/Snowmass with the world. |
| The second part of the contest will begin June 1st 2010 where 100 random names will be selected from the entries to compete in a personal viral marketing campaign called ACTION (Announce yourself, Create a new lifestyle, Take chances, Inspire, be Outgoing, Network with friends and family to support your dream). Participants will be judged on their own campaign, and five finalists will be selected to come to Aspen/Snowmass for an interview. The overall winner will be announced on July 4th 2010. |
| “This is the ultimate prize: a year in one of the best places in the world, living in the heart of the Rockies, going to some of the coolest social events and hitting the slopes of Aspen/Snowmass. We are excited to be working with some awesome brands to provide this. Good luck and I hope to meet you in the final round in June.” said Casey McConnell, CEO of Qittle. |
| During the contest, there are also weekly prize giveaways from various “Live the Dream” sponsors on each of the "Swag Fridays". This Friday, January 8, is the first Swag Friday giveaway and is provided by LoveSac, the alternative furniture company. LoveSac offered up a CitySac (http://www.lovesac.com/citysac.asp) to give away this Friday. |
About Aspen/Snowmass Colorado The small towns of Aspen and Snowmass boast an eclectic mix of people. The rich and famous often find themselves mingling with some of the most talented ski bums, living paycheck to paycheck in order to live the mountain lifestyle. When the days are snowy, you can step outside to ride powder runs on one of Aspen/Snowmass’ four majestic mountains. During the summer months, “lifestyle” doesn’t slow down and many who came for the winters stay for the summers when biking, hiking, concerts, fishing and festivals take over. Many only dream of the chance to live even one year of their life in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. This is the year that Qittle help one lucky person live that dream. |
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to individuals 21 years of age or older as of January 1, 2010. Various residency and skill requirements apply. See Official Rules at http://livethedreamaspensnowmass.com/ for complete Promotion details. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Sweepstakes Registration Period ends 5/31/10 and Contest Submission Period ends June 14, 2010. |
January 7th, 2010
Aspen/Snowmass got some love in the Toronto Sun today. Live The Dream was 1 of 3 campaigns featured, the other 2 are both based in Canada.
The time has never been better to be a ski bum.
Three separate contests in the Canadian and the U.S. West give skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to become the ultimate slope slacker, with prizes that include free skiing throughout the entire 2010 winter, free cat- and heli-skiing, free airfare, free hotel accommodation, free food, even free use of an SUV for the season.
Live The Dream win a year in Aspen/Snowmass Colorado
Contestants have more time to enter the Live the Dream contest for an all-expense-paid year living in Aspen, Colo. Anyone can submit their name to enter the contest, which starts Jan. 1, 2010. Contestants will be narrowed down and invited to Aspen to compete for a year's worth of free accommodation, a ski pass, new skis, a new bike, tickets to Aspen events and a credit card allowance. The winner will be required to blog on the experience, plus host weekly radio and TV shows in Aspen.
The contest is being promoted mainly via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. For more information, go to qittle.com/live_the_dream.
Click here to read the full story at the Toronto Sun
November 6th, 2009
Wednesday October 20, 2009
Announced on Tuesday: the “Mining Aspen for Ideas” city sponsored program----with up to 200 thousand dollars could budgeted to help spark business this winter.
Local news will be covering a meeting on November sixth aimed at getting those ideas organized and moving forward.
The city of Glenwood Springs has planned on minimal changes to its budget for next year-----the result of cautious planning that began one year ago.
But the Town of Basalt on Tuesday announced that it will be cutting a few positions from its staff next year----one in the planning department---to hold labor costs down.
Merchants and town elected leaders are rallying to find a way to persuade the director of Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Jim Horowitz, to keep the concerts in Snowmass and not, as is planned, move to the larger venue at Buttermilk next year.�
With all the hits taken to the local economy in Snowmass Village, some optimism was voiced by Westpac President Dwayne Romero, who last night told elected leaders that the village is “not dead yet” and that the opening by Thanksgiving of the new Viceroy Hotel, and several new businesses---will help to jump start the economy.
Send your news tips and opinions to news@aspenglenwood.com, and listen to KUUR and KSNO radio!�
�
October 21st, 2009
QITTLE TO LAUNCH “LIVE THE DREAM” CONTEST JANUARY 1ST 2010
An Individual will Win A Year in Aspen/Snowmass
Aspen, CO (October 5th, 2009) – Imagine a year of your life submerged in outdoor activities, culture and fine dining in a place high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
The little town, situated at the base of a mountain boasts an eclectic mix of people. The rich and famous often find themselves mingling with some of the most talented ski bums, living paycheck to paycheck in order to live the mountain lifestyle. When the days are snowy, you can step outside to ski powder runs on one of Aspen/Snowmass’ four majestic mountains. During the summer months, “lifestyle” doesn’t slow down and many who came for the winters stay for the summers when biking, hiking, concerts, fishing and festivals take over. Many only dream of the chance to live even one year of their life in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. This is the year you can live that dream.
Mobile marketing company Qittle is partnering with various local and national clients to create a contest—“Live the Dream.” The winner will experience the ultimate year of his or her life—complete with an apartment in Aspen, Colorado, a ski pass, health club membership, credit card allowance, winter and summer activities package, tickets to various local events and much more. He or she will work for Qittle hosting a weekly radio/TV show that will air locally and will also be responsible for his or her own blog, where they will share their experience in Aspen/Snowmass with the world.
Entry for “Live the Dream” will go live on Jan 1st 2010. The contest will be promoted via social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. People will also be able to gain more information about the contest by texting LIVEIT to 32075 or visiting http://www.qittle.com.
Anyone over the age of 18 can register to enter the contest. There will be weekly random prize giveaways to anyone who registers. The second part of the contest will begin June 1st 2010 where 100 random names will be selected from the entries to compete in a personal viral marketing campaign called ACTION. (Announce yourself, Create a new lifestyle, Take chances, Inspire, Outgoing, Network with friends and family to support your dream) Participants will be judged on their own campaign and five finalists will be selected to come to Aspen/Snowmass for an interview. The overall winner will be announced on July 4th 2010.
Qittle plans to launch the contest with a six month bus tour around the United States promoting “Live The Dream” and holding educational seminars in 60 cities helping businesses use New media tools like mobile marketing. Qittle is building a Qittle Campus Team to help spread the word across College campuses as well.
“We are Living our dreams everyday, running Qittle, living in Aspen/Snowmass and this seemed like a great way to assist someone out there to go after their dream. We are very excited to launch “Live The Dream” and have some fun with this campaign meeting people online and in person in 2010” said Casey McConnell, CEO of Qittle.
Qittle helps businesses create, customize and manage a mobile marketing initiative. Launched on the dawn of a worldwide mobile reign, Qittle brings the message to the customer through the mobile phone-a device most customers don’t leave home without. Qittle has signed up numerous clients including Aspen Skiing Company, Snowmass Village, Cost Cutters, Energy Outreach Colorado, Bono’s BBQ and The Aspen Club & Spa.
QITTLE TO LAUNCH LIVE THE DREAM CONTEST JANUARY 1ST 2010
October 4th, 2009
By Associated Press
11:37 AM MDT, October 2, 2009
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado company is offering a rent-free apartment in Aspen, a ski pass and spending allowances for a year, but the winner will be expected to work for the company and blog about the Aspen experience to the world.
The contest is by Qittle (KIT-tehl), an Aspen company that does marketing via mobile phone. CEO Casey McConnell says the winner also would host a local weekly radio or TV show. Details are still being worked out.
He says contestants can enter from Jan. 1 to May 31. A winner will be chosen in July.
The contest is based on a similar promotion in Australia.
October 2nd, 2009
Has Aspen taken a dive?
Aspen is so used to being considered the top of the heap in skiing, the coolest of the cool, that the recent drop in rankings from SKI magazine have left the town in a bit of a huff. The very notion that somehow Aspen has lost its way-cool edge, like a skier with untoward skis, has left people hereabouts just a tad unhinged.
First the numbers. Snowmass, despite a raft of on-mountain improvements, has fallen to #6, the top ranking for any of the four mountains that make up an Aspen/Snowmass ski pass. Aspen Mountain, in turn, is falling out of sight—all the way down to #14, while Aspen Highlands is more than holding its own at #17. The fourth mountain, Buttermilk, is barely a blip on the national scene, except when it comes to the X Games.
Four high-quality mountains with top twenty rankings is much better than your average resort, of course, but bordering on disaster for the mighty Aspen/Snowmass empire, the jewel of the Crowns. So what went wrong?
Number one, keep in mind that Snowmass is skiing better than ever, with a new gondola and two new high-speed lifts that have that have left the mountain wide open to exploration. There’s a new barbeque joint at the top of Ajax Express—a good one—and even the abortive efforts at a new base village have added some culinary choices to the mix.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Related Westpac fiasco has left Snowmass with a gaping wound that will probably take a decade to close. And the only thing worse than too much construction is that same construction in gaping abeyance.
The result: things are getting ugly at Snowmass, with no immediate end in sight.
In my opinion, Aspen Mountain has suffered from some negative Snowmass run-off. With new gondola cabins and the same great runs, there’s no reason why the mighty mountain formerly know as Ajax should be falling in esteem, except for this: while the rest of the world continues to improve, improvements at Aspen Mountain are likely to take a backseat to backfilling at Snowmass. The overall result is a weakened Snowmass, albeit one skiing better than ever, that ironically helps Aspen Mountain in the ratings not one bit.
Amidst this flickering picture, Aspen Highlands is a glittering gem. Though modest in size, it is gnarly and beautiful, and Highland Bowl remains a literal rite of passage for skiers everywhere. The lift system is brand-new and without any obvious flaw, and the mountain can ski miraculously well on days with adequate snow or better. Highlands also has great quirky places to eat on-mountain, and a base village worthy of the Ritz that calls it home. (Though Highlands becomes a wasteland off-season.) Aspen Highlands is a natural high, and the ratings reflect that.
In the midst of the recession, there was unfortunate talk by the pols in Aspen about bringing the Aspen brand downmarket as an affordable destination. But once a brand is tarnished, it’s almost impossible to bring it back to its original sheen. If Snowmass doesn’t get its act together soon, all four mountains—even Highlands—might just keep falling down.
September 23rd, 2009
Qittle Tweetup
In Aspen on the 27th, plan on attending. We’ll have some food and drinks as well. Be sure to confirm over on Facebook, click here
* when: October 27th 2009, 9am – Noon
* Where: Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, CO
* What: Qittle New Media Conference
* Cost: FREE
* RSVP: Text TWEETUP to 32075
Please invite, Retweet or Facebook this event. We want to make it a lot of fun for everyone. Thanks, Casey
September 21st, 2009
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