Each year, hundreds of young people from around the world get J-1 visas to work on the mountain and at local businesses in Aspen. But complaints about housing and working conditions raise questions about a program that can make international students vulnerable to unfair treatment.
Tag: Data Desk
Stories carrying the Data Desk tag were either produced directly by the Aspen Journalism Data Desk, led by Laurine Lassalle, or benefitted from the assistance of our Data Desk. This often takes the form of data analysis to aid in reporting, creating data visualizations, maps or other graphics, or research into data sets and/or public records.
Posted inEnvironment
In a ‘sacred valley,’ community partners seek to preserve the legacy of St. Benedict’s
A 3,700-acre property owned by St. Benedict’s Monastery is now on the market for $150 million as the religious institution faces a dwindling population of monks. Past efforts to preserve the land never came to fruition — but some local groups hope a collaboration might help.
Posted inEnvironment
Forecasting what will fly if runway is moved animates airport debate
Data from other airports in the Western U.S. that serve mountain-resort destinations where such planes can land suggests there is relatively little demand for private Boeing 737s that are currently too big for Aspen.
Posted inLocal Public Data
‘We’ve never really been older before’
Full-time residents are getting older in the Roaring Fork Valley, as in most of the United States, but the local economy and its challenges are highlighting this generational rebalancing. The midvalley area has seen the most dramatic demographic shift in recent years with the older-adult population growing faster and in some towns now outnumbering children.
Posted inSocial justice
All you need is luck: Playing the odds in APCHA ownership lotteries
From 2002 through 2023, a total of 32,846 bids were made for 1,278 sales of local affordable housing units that went through an APCHA lottery where the number of bids was recorded.
Posted inWater
In dry years, Colorado’s Crystal River runs at a trickle — but why?
The factors that lead to a dry river bed are many and include unique geology, ill-defined legal concepts, misunderstandings about the value of water, inefficient irrigation systems and vague state guidelines regarding waste that seem to be enforced only under specific circumstances.
Posted inWater
Crystal River mapping project
Beginning high in the Elk Mountains, the Crystal River flows 40 miles through three counties, cutting a canyon under the flanks of Mount Sopris and winding past the towns of Marble, Redstone and Carbondale before joining with the Roaring Fork River. Along the way, its waters turn mesa hayfields, acres of alfalfa and Carbondale parks […]
Posted inEnvironment
SkiCo closes Hero’s ski area boundary, impacting backcountry access
The move to close the boundary, unveiled when the company released this winter’s trail map in August, came in part at the request of landowners of two adjacent parcels, one of which is being marketed as a multimillion dollar real estate investment.
Posted inWater
Pitkin County exploring concern that Shoshone deal could harm Roaring Fork
Pitkin County in November hired Golden-based engineering firm Martin and Wood Water Consultants to do a technical analysis and modeling of the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers.
Posted inWater
Auction of Colorado River water nets $4.7 million
According to Shuman, of the 15 buyers, six were farmers; four were dairies; two were developers; two were municipalities and one was a farm foundation.