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Posted inThe Roundup

The Roundup | Our new Executive Director & recent news

Curtis Wackerle by Curtis Wackerle August 27, 2021September 9, 2021
Aspen Journalism Local. Nonprofit. Investigative
The Roundup newsletter: A weekly roundup of Aspen Journalism’s original stories with a letter from Mark Harvey, president of the board, and The Bucket, a selection of news from other sources.
Letter from the Board President, Mark Harvey.
Curtis Wackerle has been named as Aspen Journalism’s executive director. He will continue serving as AJ’s editor and as editor and reporter on the Connie Harvey Environment Desk.

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

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Recent reporting from Aspen Journalism

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.

Continue reading…

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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.

Continue reading…

The Bucket: A selection of stories of interest to readers with a stake in Aspen and the Colorado River basin
A selection of stories of interest to those with a stake in Aspen and the Colorado River basin we’ve been reading from other news sources this week.

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

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Curtis Wackerle

Curtis Wackerle

Curtis Wackerle is the editor and executive director of Aspen Journalism and the editor and reporter on the Connie Harvey Environment Desk. Curtis has also served as editor, managing editor, and reporter... More by Curtis Wackerle

Latest News

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  • Tracking the Curve February 1, 2023
  • Data dashboard: Roaring Fork basin snowpack at 128% of average February 1, 2023
  • Data dashboard: Roaring Fork basin snowpack reaches 133% of average January 25, 2023
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