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Students at Aspen Country Day School are using one of John Denver’s most well-known songs as the focal point for their original spring play. Today and Saturday at 5:30 p.m., eighth-graders at ACDS will perform an original production, “Country Roads, Take Me Home” at The Wheeler Opera House. The musical play was written and choreographed by the students themselves. Visit aspenshowtix.com for information on ticket availability and pricing.

I’m writing on behalf of Citizens Against Bigger Planes and the unheard majority of Roaring Fork Valley residents who oppose the airport runway expansion and the bigger planes it will allow. Who am I? I first moved to Pitkin County in 2005, and like many here, I was a...

For an active Aspen couple with three grown children and eight grandkids, the decision to build a new residence centered on their constantly shifting need to accommodate family visits and guests. To meet this need, they desired flexible spaces that could rise up to a variety of occasions. “They wanted to put down roots and create a legacy property, one where they could gather and have fun with family and friends, but as guests leave, the house wouldn’t then feel overwhelmingly huge,” explains Denise Taylor, who tackled the interiors with co-designer Geneva Podolak Knox. Having observed many homes packed with extra bedrooms that often gather dust outside of holidays, the pair were up for the assignment. “All of the rooms multifunction here—the offices convert to guest rooms; a gaming table expands into a kid-friendly dining table—and every bit of square footage is designed to be enjoyed daily,” Taylor notes.

Larry Welling Rynearson was the first born son of Helen and Wesley “Buck” Rynearson. He was born on December 1, 1932 in Madison, Nebraska. Larry was called to the ministry early. He from Concordia Seminary in 1956. As a Lutheran Minister, he started three new congregations in Texas: Holy Cross in Dallas, Hope in Friendswood and Gloria Dei in Nassau Bay. While in the Friendswood area, he developed a passion for sailing. Quite frequently, after a sunny day in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, Larry looked like he had ‘raccoon’ eyes when he preached on Sunday. After nearly 20 years, he retired from the ministry. After leaving the ministry he became a paint contractor, initially in Texas, then moved to Colorado. Larry settled in the Roaring Fork Valley. He has lived in Carbondale, Marble, Redstone and Glenwood Springs. Back in the late 70’s to 80’s, you would’ve seen Larry painting throughout the valley. He painted the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen. He also painted the Village Smithy in Carbondale several times. It was one of his favorite spots for a good meal. In Redstone, his artistic side emerged and he started wood carving. He’s done relief carvings of the Redstone Castle, Redstone Inn and the Crystal Mill. One of his notable carvings while he had his gallery in Redstone, was of ‘Jess Bearly’; a full size bear carved from a tree. His largest piece of work is the totem pole that he did in 1996 at a local Doctor’s house in Glenwood Springs. His other passion was jeeping. He crossed his first pass, Pearl and Schofield, in August 1975. He started with a CJ5 in 1979 and later acquired his CJ7. We’ve always considered those Jeeps an extension of Larry. He loved being in the mountains and showing the beauty of the flowers to his friends and family. It was through this love that he met his last love, Laurel Williams. They loved going jeeping to see the wild flowers. They were married in October of 2007. They loved to travel and meet new people. His love of the Colorado Rockies led him to a new passion, writing. The mountains inspired him to write a book “Colorado’s Historic Mountain Passes” along with Rick Jones. The book is filled with stories of all the Colorado passes and was published in 2014. He went on to write a second book, “Legends of Glenwood Canyon” in 2017. Larry and Laurel traveled all over Colorado merchandising these books and made many wonderful memories. Larry passed peacefully on Easter Sunday, 3/31/24. He will always be remembered as a person who never knew a stranger. He was quick to share his stories, his smile and his laughter with everyone he met. He’s touched many people throughout the years sharing his love for life. He will be greatly missed. Larry is survived by his wife Laurel Williams, son Marty Rynearson, daughter Carol (James) Simerly, granddaughter Megan and great-grandchildren, Lydia, Skylar and Hayden. He is also survived by Laurel’s family; daughter Cindy (Brad) Williams , Rosalie (Tom) Lewin and granddaughter Ashley. They were also an important part of his 17 years with Laurel. He is also survived by his brother Rodney Rynearson (Velma) and nephews, Tim and Peter. There will be a celebration of life on May 18th at the First Presbyterian Church in Glenwood Springs at 2:00 pm. The family hopes that you’ll join them to celebrate Larry’s life. There will be refreshments and fellowship at the church following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family would request that donations be made to the First Presbyterian Church or to dementia research.

Within the peaks of the Elk Mountain Range lies a ranch with 3,720 acres of land, irrigated meadows, private mesas and plenty of forest.

Jacobs Engineering recently presented to the Aspen City Council a comprehensive analysis on the Entrance to Aspen. The foundation of the analysis is that all proposals, including the “straight shot,” require a new bridge over Castle Creek. It also concluded the current bridge is nearing the end of its useful life and continual repairs are a waste of funds.

Mountain Valley Developmental Services wishes to thank the Ladies of the Aspen Thrift Shop for their generous donation. We are honored to have been selected as an Aspen Thrift Shop grant recipient. MVDS has operated our greenhouse since the 1980s, growing produce, bedding plants, house plants, herbs and gifts to...

Kudos to the BOCC on the new Airport Layout Plan. I moved to the valley as a kid in the 1970s and have friends who worry that a new airport will bring larger planes and growth. But growth is determined by beds and buildings, not by limiting critical infrastructure. To...

On today's newscast: over 50 people gathered Tuesday to express disapproval over the Garfield County commissioners' decision to take over library board appointments, Pitkin County commissioners awarded transferable development rights to the Aspen Chapel to help keep it on its feet, western leaders gathered this week to discuss how wildfire destabilizes home insurance markets, and more.

Folks travel to Basalt in so many ways; biking, walking, kayaking, RFTA, and yes, in cars and trucks. The new Midland Avenue Streetscape is designed to welcome all these methods of transportation with bike-charging stations, wider sidewalks that are ADA compliant and areas outside where groups can gather and sit together.

Thanks to the Aspen Daily News for your time and for covering the story of the Best Buddies in your articles. We so appreciate you getting the word out and helping to spread awareness about Best Buddies in the Roaring Fork Valley. It means a lot to us!. Best Buddies...

The healing power of a horse is unquestionable. We know incorporating horses in mental health sessions can help individuals see a brighter, happier life as we get to witness these incredible transformations daily through the work we do in our program. That’s why we’ve joined an exciting national fundraising and...

Following the departure of former Glenwood Springs Elementary School principal Jessica Schwarz at Glenwood Springs Elementary School (GSES), the Roaring Fork School District has announced leadership appointments for the coming school years, according to a news release. Lora Smith, previously the assistant principal at GSES, has been elevated to the...

As Basalt prepares for its second election in two months, the sides squaring off over the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project are busy trying to frame the issues and capture voters’ attention. Proponents of the project have established a campaign organization called Keep Basalt Moving Forward and are promoting “No...