Aspen Journalism Editor Curtis Wackerle named as our new Executive Director
The board of Aspen Journalism is pleased to announce its selection of Curtis Wackerle as our new executive director.
A graduate of the University of Montana, Curtis came to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2005. He has worked extensively as a journalist in the valley, beginning as a reporter for the Aspen Daily News and eventually becoming its editor-in-chief through a 14-year career there. Curtis joined Aspen Journalism in the summer of 2020 as its chief editor and head of the Connie Harvey Environment Desk. He replaces founder Brent Gardner-Smith, who has taken a job as news director at Aspen Public Radio. Curtis’ colleagues, past and present, describe him as talented, thoughtful, and committed to the art of journalism.
Upon accepting the new position, Curtis said, “It is a tremendous honor, as well as an exciting challenge. I am grateful for the engagement and support I have received. I have a deep enthusiasm for and dedication to our mission of quality journalism and look forward to working with the board and staff to ensure that Aspen Journalism continues to thrive.”
Wackerle will continue to serve as Aspen Journalism’s editor, where he has been working to launch our data and social justice desks, and he will maintain his role reporting and editing on the environment desk.
As we thank our founder Brent Gardner-Smith for his vision and hard work building Aspen Journalism, we are eager to move forward to build the organization into something even better, with the highest quality of in-depth reporting possible. Your support is what will allow Aspen Journalism to move into the future with the quality of excellence you expect and deserve. Please join the board in welcoming Curtis to his new role as executive director!
— Mark Harvey, board president
Data dashboard: Air quality getting better
By Laurine Lassalle | August 26, 2021
• The Colorado River near the Utah state line ran at 3,040 cfs on Aug. 25, up from 2,330 cfs last week.
• Air temperature was lower than normal.
Tracking the Curve
By Laurine Lassalle | August 26, 2021
Over the last weekend, Pitkin County added 67 resident cases, including 20 new active cases and almost 50 historical cases. The delay in reporting was due to the time needed to review the place of residency of the cases.
Aspen Skiing Co. flexes its muscle on Pandora’s plan
“‘When I see that staff recommendation, honestly, I’m shocked, is one way to say it,’ (Aspen Skiing Co. CEO Mike) Kaplan said at the commissioners meeting. ‘Because I read that recommendation as saying skiing has got to take a backseat to residential development.’”
Source: aspentimes.com | Read more
Telluride council approves short term rental license suspension
“In an effort to assess the effect of short-term rentals’ impacts on the dearth of housing for workers, council voted 6-1 to suspend the issuance of those licenses for the next six months, citing the necessity of the emergency ordinance, in part, to a ‘land rush’ on the licenses this month.”
Source: telluridenews.com | Read more
‘Our trajectory is troubling:’ Breckenridge to set cap on short-term rental licenses
“Prior to the discussion, town staff presented troubling housing and community character trends the town has seen since 2010. The number of employees living and working in Summit County has dropped by 20% — a loss of 3,000 employees.”
Source: summitdaily.com | Read more
Report looks to water-compact lessons
“The average daily high temperature for the entire area from the Rockies and “It says a common thread running through the lessons from the three basins ‘is that the longer action is delayed to address compact compliance, the less ability local water users have to tailor compliance-related measures to local conditions and needs and reduce their adverse impacts.’”
Source:gjsentinel.com | Read more
Denver streams are glorified fountains, supplied mostly by your sprinkler heads
“If further research supports that too much drinkable water ends up greening neighborhood space, Denver and other cities could face far more pressure to conserve the existing supply instead of damming new sources.”
Source: coloradosun.com | Read more
Mountain resort communities can expect to get warmer, maybe even hot
“The studies examine what might happen with three lesser levels of emissions. Even then, a typical year in the next two decades might resemble that of 2020, a notoriously warm year, with continued warming through the 21st century but less so than the extreme scenario.”
Source: bigpivots.com | Read more
Our nonprofit mission is to produce good journalism for people who care about Aspen, the Roaring Fork Valley, and the upper Colorado River basin.