Joe Henry, Guest Commentary

Moon Mondays: The astrology everyone’s buzzing about

Astrologers are swarming over the planets right now. Some have been droning on about this rare outer-planet configuration for years. If you’ve spent any time in astrology circles lately, you’ve probably heard multiple proclamations that the famous French astrologer André Barbault predicted this a...

Short-term rental market continues to shrink in Aspen, PitCo

County elected officials to discuss potential changes STR program after city passed its own set of changes last year

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Twenty-one short-term rental classic permits have been issued at Chateau Chaumont on East Durant Avenue in Aspen, as of April 3. Capped zones for classic permits don’t apply to Chateau Chaumont as it’s located in the city’s lodging zone.

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The Gant is one of the seven lodge-exempt permit holders in Aspen. The property includes 140 individually owned condominium units, which are rented similar to hotel rooms when not being used by their owners.

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The number of active short-term rental permits issued by the city of Aspen and Pitkin County has declined by a combined 9% since 2023, according to an Aspen Journalism analysis.

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Ben Wolff, general manager at Frias Properties of Aspen, helps manage hundreds of STRs in Aspen, including in the residential/multifamily zone district whose long waitlist, he believes, shows that the zone’s permit cap is too restrictive.

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Pitkin County Community Development Deputy Director Nicole Rebeck-Stout. left, and Analyst Alex Sanchez look at STR application processing times. Pitkin County saw a 29% drop in the number of STR properties in the past three years and a 62% decline…

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Snowmass Village counts 1,445 STR licenses and 209 pending permits as of May 27, including about 84 already approved permits at Timberline Condominiums located near Snowmass Mall.

Explore Books suggests complex, entertaining fiction titles

Explore Books in Aspen recommends a harrowing memoir, hot and sticky London literary fiction and an Agatha Christie mystery.

Henry: Lesser animals push for airport expansion

“Community or commodity?” The Pitkin Board of County Commissioners views our valley, at best, as a source for the generation of unlimited wealth...

Mountain bike group does what Forest Service can’t

Denise and Mark Handrich — A big shout-out to the volunteers who cleared the Mill Creek Trail (middle loop) on Basalt Mountain...

Proposition 195 would put money back in pockets

Will Hodges — I’m inviting Colorado voters to sign a petition to add Proposition 195 to November’s ballot. We only have until Aug. 3...

AI doesn’t replace creativity in reader’s music quest

Chris Martinez — More than 20 years ago, I stared through the window of a friend’s place in Missouri Heights as he worked on a drum machine...

Voces Unidas: These times require more courage from state lawmakers

The 2026 legislative session left a bitter taste among those of us who spent 120 days with lawmakers under the gold dome advocating for policies to improve the lives of working folks. For Latino advocacy organizations like mine, Voces Unidas Action Fund, the session was largely defined by missed ...

PHOTOS: Power of Four Trail Run kicks off valley’s busy race season

The Roaring Fork Valley’s summer race season hit another level on Saturday with one of the area’s most prominent foot races, the Audi Power of Four Trail Run. Produced by Aspen Skiing Company, there were 50k, 25k and 10k race options. In the featured 50-kilometer run — that’s just over 31 mile...

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Willoughby: Piano tuning heaven

The orchestra tunes, and then, in a piano concerto, the conductor and guest pianist enter, and the concert begins. You have not likely thought about the piano being tuned. You can watch and hear four-string instruments like a violin, bass, viola or cello tune, but consider what needs to happen fo...

Galerie Gmurzynska returns to The Aspen Art Fair

Galerie Gmurzynska returns to The Aspen Art Fair from July 29 to Aug. 1 at the historic Hotel Jerome, 330 E. Main St.  The booth will mix modern masters with contemporary highlights: Dan Basen’s Box with Paint Brushes (1968), Sonia Delaunay’s “Projet pour l’affiche Chocolat (1916–1917), Wifred...

How a science experiment to grow native plants on Copper’s slopes is inspiring collaboration in the ski industry

Katherine Riesberg, a graduate of Middle Park High School in Grand County, has been skiing since the age of two. Riesberg said her love for outdoor recreation is a big part of what led her to pursue a Masters of Science and Ecology at Western Colorado University, where her thesis project led h...

Aspen Acres fire surpasses 100,000 acres as crews increase containment to more than 60%

Rain fell across parts of the state Friday, bringing mixed results for Gold Mountain, Ferris, Willow, Fishhook and Elk fires.

What Goes Around Comes Around: Vintage pop-up debuts in Aspen

Vintage luxury retailer What Goes Around Comes Around will debut in Aspen with a pop-up inside The Aspen Times building at Hotel Jerome from July 25-Aug. 2. The pop-up, at 330 E. Main St., will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. “We are so excited to embark on this partnership with the i...

Local news in brief, July 18

Willow Fire was 36% contained as of Friday

The chance to dance for you

Ahren Victory stars as Cassie in ‘A Chorus Line’

Security Forum panelists debate wisdom of Iran war

Sen. Chris Murphy calls $100B spent by U.S. a mistake

Couple’s argument leads to shooting in Snowmass

Husband was shot, but deemed the aggressor

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“A Chorus Line” won nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize when it premiered on Broadway in 1976. Theatre Aspen’s revival of the play concludes on July 25 at the Hurst Theatre.

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Ahren Victory stars as “Cassie” in Theatre Aspen’s production of “A Chorus Line.” Victory grew up in Colorado Springs.

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U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks at the 2026 Aspen Security Forum on Thursday. He was joined by moderator Jim Sciutto, Robert Greenway, Karim Sadjadpour and Roxana Saberi.

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CNN’s Jim Sciutto, left, moderates a panel on the Iran war at the 2026 Aspen Security Forum on Thursday. He is joined by Robert Greenway, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, Karim Sadjadpour and Roxana Saberi.

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Margo: Let’s get louder and shake things up

“You have definitely lost your mind,” my friend Erica says, without flinching. I was telling Erica how I really want to learn...

Grueter: Infinite growth is the ideology of the what now?

I have a delicate flower confession to make. When I was a kid, the smell of lawnmower gasoline made me so nauseated...

Council kicking can down the road on housing

Ziska Childs — (Re: “Guths withdraw request to expand home’s livable area,” July 16, Aspen Daily News) By doggedly quoting code...

In support of increased airport parking fees

Michael Maple — I wholeheartedly support an increase in Aspen-Pitkin County Airport parking rates. Parking, and indeed all...

Opinion | Climate Action Collaborative: After a dry winter: What El Niño means for the Eagle River Valley

Climate change is becoming harder to ignore in Eagle County. Over the past nine months, its effects have touched nearly every aspect of our lives. We experienced a record-low snowfall last winter, followed by a dry spring that worsened our long-term drought. Unfortunately, the trifecta of histori...

Wildfires have scorched over 200,000 acres in Colorado this summer

Wildfires continued to ignite and burn across Colorado this week as widespread drought continues to plague the state. The Colorado Wildland Fire Status Dashboard showed seven large fires and a total of 28 active fires that had burned around 214,000 acres as of Friday afternoon. The wildfire ri...

Saddle Sore: It’s worth remembering what Woody Creek has been

Woody Creek is easy to misunderstand. To many people passing through, it’s little more than a post office, the Tavern and a bend in the road. But to those who have spent much of their lives here, it is something else entirely. It is a collection of dreams and memories — of ranches, hayfields,...

Hiker rescued by helicopter from Maroon Peak

Mountain Rescue Aspen successfully rescued an overdue hiker from Maroon Peak on Thursday night into Friday morning. According to a press release, the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a satellite text message at approximately 7:39 p.m., reporting an overdue hiker in the...