Tuesday December 30, 2008
Snow in Glenwood Springs is beginning to pile up—so the city is spending more money with private contractors to dig up the mountains of ice and snow and haul it off to the rodeo lot.
About 30 thousand dollars was budgeted originally for snow removal….that figure has now doubled.
One man from Colorado and two others from the United Kingdom are being charged with out of bounds skiing at Aspen Highlands over the past weekend—–a serious infraction that could have cost them their lives.
Adam Francis 19—and his father Russell Francis 51—from England, were skiing with 23 year old Charles Kashiwa of Denver—in the G9 area of Highland Bowl.
All three appear this morning in Pitkin County Court. They could face the maximum fine of one thousand dollars—and denial of the right to ski in the area in the future.
The trio were arrested by pitkin County deputies after they exited the area on Sunday.
The young bank robber apprehended in Las Vegas and charged with a bank heist two weeks ago in Glenwood Springs—-is also the primary suspect in an earlier robbery at the Ramada Inn—-where he once worked.
27 year old Jeffrey Smith was pointed out by hotel management in the investigation into the robbery of the Ramada just before thanksgiving—-but he was not arrested.
On December 15th, surveillance cameras at Alpine Bank in West Glenwood showed who is believed to be Smith holding up the bank using a handgun.
Family say Smith had a gambling addiction and that he had to steal to support it.
The Danger of Avalanche is still very high throughout the mountains—-six snowmobilers died in British Columbia on Sunday after being caught in a slide—-locally the danger is also extreme—especially on south facing slopes outside of controlled ski area boundaries.
Here’s our ski report—
Weather: We’ll have partly cloudy skies later today but are expecting only about a twenty percent chance for new snow tonight and on New Year’s eve.
That chance for new snow increases on New Year’s day to fifty percent—-
0800
There is and has been a leash law at Crown Mountain Memorial Park near El Jebel for some time—but its news apparently to many nearby residents—who say let the dog run! They do! But Eagle County is cracking down on leash law enforcement—-there’s been a couple of close encounters between dogs and owners in the 44 acre park—-now animal control officers are monitoring the area and will be handing out tickets for not complying.
More of the same problem in Aspen—long known for some residents who feel they can control their dog without a leash—-but recently, during a bust by animal control officers in Pitkin County and the Aspen Police—on the Rio Grand Trail—-several passerby, with their dogs running freely—passed the scene apparently without concern. Pitkin county says its time to start enforcing the leash law before anyone gets hurt! Fines will run into the hundreds of dollars.
In about thirty minutes—three out of bounds skiers will face charges in Pitkin County court.
On Sunday— Russel Francis 51and his 19 year old son Adam –visiting from England—and 23 year old Charles Kashiwa of Denver—allegedly left the boundary ropes on highland bowl and entered the treacherous G9 area—
They were arrested later by Pitkin County Sherrif’s deputies and charged with violation of the skier safety act.
Backcountry travel is especially dangerous right now—as we receive some sun on all that snowpack—six people died over the weekend in British Columbia—after their snowmobiles were buried in a massive avalanche.
The same level of danger, says the Colorado avalanche information center, exists throughout the central and especially southern mountains of the state.
27 year old Jeffrey Smith –who allegedly robbed the Alpine Bank west branch office in Glenwood Springs on December 15th—and who was later caught in Las Vegas—is now believed to be the bandit who robbed the Glenwood Springs Ramada Inn just before Thanksgiving.
Smith, who says he has a gambling addiction, worked at the Ramada for one year as a night auditor.