Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was… Same as it ever was…

The Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce winter forecast meeting last Friday brought together folks who are confident that this winter will be great. Predictions and updates centered on more people, better events, new attractions (like a cool Umbrella Bar at Painter Boy) and lots of optimism. I was shocked!

Over the last couple of weeks, radical Islamists blew up a plane with a bunch of Russian tourists, instigated carnage in Beirut, and struck fear in Paris with the brutal killing of civilians. People are scared and civil liberties are being questioned again. These ISIS crazies, by the way, are bombing Muslims who don’t fit into their tiny belief box as much as they are going after Western targets.

The news outlets around the country spent Monday and Tuesday focusing on rich, crazy actor Charlie Sheen announcing he is HIV-positive. Distraction Action…

Same as it ever was…

Dave Ochs is excited about fat bikes and especially the Fat Bike World Championships coming to town in January.

Americans and citizens of Europe are shocked that young men from the Middle East would strike out violently at the West. Meanwhile, American drones are dropping bombs not just on Jihadi John but on weddings and hospitals in Yemen, Libya, Syria and Iraq…

CBMR is opening the lifts Wednesday with a zany costumed pirate theme party. It is free for everyone that day but you should not expect to ski Headwall.

United Airlines has decided it can make more money elsewhere with the plane it uses to fly between Denver and Gunnison in the spring. Local business flyers are upset. Some see conspiracy, given the timing of the decision after the vote to increase RTA sales taxes. It sounds more like United considers this market on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Same as it ever was…

Conservative pundits like Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol wants to see 50,000 troops storm the Middle East. Senator John McCain feels similar. Both were huge cheerleaders of invading Iraq. I wonder if there is any connection to those actions and current events—plus, what could really go wrong?

My health insurance premiums are skyrocketing again. This system is absolutely absurd and extremely painful for someone like me.

While there has been nothing official yet, it appears the developers of 44 acres just north of Crested Butte are leaning toward going through the county approval process for their proposed development with the idea of approximately 19 homesites. They went to the town a year ago for an annexation but have stated pretty clearly they were basically fed up with red tape and hoops. So the town loses a lot of perks and the county gets….suburbia between The Gasser and the cemetery. Water and sewer is in flux so, as usual, it’s not over until it’s over and there might be some fireworks in the process.

The corner of the bar at Kochevar’s on almost any late afternoon these days sure looks similar to what it looked like, say, 25 years ago…

Same as it ever was…

Donald, Ben, Hillary, Ted, Bernie, Carly. Who isn’t totally comfortable with any of them as Commander in Chief?

There is some angst floating around the valley. For some it may be Silent Tracks or Share the Slate. For others it could be how hard it is to find a cheap place to live. Still others might be questioning the state of the company that is responsible for the Mt. Emmons water treatment plant and the potential for a mine on Red Lady. Did someone say ski area expansion plans? Is 38,000 square feet too big for a new community Arts Center or should we be building 50,000 square feet for the future and a kabillion more kids in town? How about development on the edge of town and its impacts on Crested Butte?

People are excited as the valley gears up for the start of another ski season. Talk of El Niño, running ski lifts, and enough people coming in to provide locals a living get people psyched this time of year. The energy just before opening is always fun…

Same as it ever was…

—Mark Reaman