ASPEN ACTIVITIES -- COMMUNITY DANCE FEATURING FOXTROT TWO-STEP

My back hurt, my feet ached, and I was exhausted – oh boy did I have a great time at the latest Aspen Community Social Dance! No, really – I had a blast.  The aches and the tiredness resulted from having loads of fun at this dance – I didn’t want to sit down to take a break!

Last Saturday (like every third Saturday of the month), organizers, Junee Kirk and Mel Taylor, and the rest of the crew treated us once again to one of our favorite Aspen activities, the monthly Aspen Community Social Dance, this time preceded by intermediate cha-cha-cha and beginning Foxtrot/Two-step lessons from instructor, Susan Kosch.  A birthday party even broke out!

Unfortunately, we were not able to make it to the cha-cha-cha lesson, but we did arrive in time for the foxtrot/two-step lesson which was great for us  because it not only helped solidify our basic foxtrot steps, but it also allowed us to practice these steps (and turns) to country-western Texas two-step tunes.

ASPEN COLORADO EVENTS & ACTIVITIES - 2012 4TH OF JULY PARADE

Aspen events are always fun and entertaining and the 2012 4th of July was no exception.  One of my favorite activities is the annual Aspen 4th of July parade. Here were some of the highlights:

Some pretty interesting critters were floating around the 2012 Aspen, Colorado 4th of July parade

Created with flickr slideshow.  More 4th of July Parade 2012 Photos from Aspen, Colorado   (Love having the front-row view!)

Aspen, colorado 4th of july parade 2012

View more presentations from AlpineRich.

Related articles

• Aspen Colorado - What's Been Going on - What's Coming Up

  ---

WILDFIRE IN ASPEN? INFORMATION - PREVENTION – PREPARATION

A Type 2 Incident Management Team takes control of a fire emergency. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wildfire prevention, preparation, and emergency plan funding and execution were the themes at a recent emergency Aspen City Council meeting called by Aspen Mayor, Mick Ireland.

Pitkin County Sheriff and Incident Response Team Leader, Joe DiSalvo, referring to the roles of Pitkin County and the City of Aspen, stressed that during the first 24 hours of a wildfire emergency, “We are responsible”. 

Mayor Ireland assured the sheriff and other attendees that the local incident response teams will, “have the funds to do whatever is necessary”, in the event of an actual emergency, and then opened discussion regarding additional, specific funding for public outreach about the danger and what one can do to be prepared.

Sheriff DiSalvo, Aspen Fire Marshal Ed Van Walraven, White River National Forest Public Affairs Officer Bill Kight, and several other area officials discussed the wildfire issue in some detail. 

They outlined the current fire conditions in the county, the history of wildfires in the Aspen and surrounding area, the city and county’s emergency response structure and current level of preparedness, and steps they have taken to inform the public about the current fire danger, including what preventative and preparatory measures individuals and entities can take to be ready for a local wildfire emergency.  They also relayed their personal experiences in this arena.

White River National Forest Public Affairs Officer Bill Kight said that he, like many people, used to think that having to be evacuated would never happen to him. After experiencing it twice himself, he now knows it can happen to anyone at any time.