Bridget Manley, Jerry Martin and Joe Moylan:
"Frank Moe, owner of Deer Park Inn and Suites in Craig, sent Mitt Romney's presidential campaign a video earlier this year produced by Energy America.
The video, titled "The Perfect Storm Over Craig, Colorado," highlighted the community's economic dependence on the energy industry.
Along with the video was an invitation from Moe to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to visit Craig.
"We (thought) this would be a good place for him to make the point that he is (in favor of) all forms of energy," Moe said.
On Thursday, Romney staffers called Moe and said the campaign was considering Craig as a campaign stop.
The trip was booked Friday. Romney spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said the former Massachusetts governor will appear for a public event at 9 a.m. Tuesday downtown.
It's believed the location will be Alice Pleasant Park.
Additional details of the visit could be released this weekend, Pompei said.
"When the Romney campaign called us, tears rushed over us because now Craig has the opportunity to tell its story to the entire nation," an emotional Moe said Friday night. "We all need to stand up and make our voices heard that energy can be done and done right."
Craig City Manager Jim Ferree said he and Craig Police Chief Walt Vanatta are scheduled to meet with Secret Service agents today to discuss the pending visit.
Two members of the Romney team are currently in Craig preparing for the event, Ferree said.
The local visit won't be without its challenges.
"They're looking to set up in Alice Pleasant Park, which presents some logistical concerns with Grand Olde West Days wrapping up Monday and closing down the highway, but we're going to work through it and make it happen," Ferree said. "This is a good thing for the town and for Moffat County."...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
May 27, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Newsmax "Rating Agencies Warn Further Downgrade Without Deficit Plan"
Newsmax Wires:
"Rating agencies say they need to be convinced that lawmakers have a real plan in the works to reduce the growing debt if the nation is to avert future downgrades, according to a report by The Hill.
“If Congress doesn’t put in place a process that assures people that this will be addressed in a real manner . . . then there is no doubt in my mind that our sovereign debt will be downgraded,” said Steve Bell, the senior director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “Markets throughout the world are going to be looking at the action of the United States government.”
“It’s highly uncertain . . . because of the political circumstances,” said Steven Hess, Moody’s lead analyst for U.S. ratings. “Our stance at this point is to wait and see.”
“We’d have to assess the actual content of any temporary agreement,” Hess added. “How likely is it that that will require a credible plan to be implemented within whatever time frame they come up with? It’s the actual deficit and debt trajectories that we expect that will be the most important determinant.”
Fitch and Moody’s have both put the United States on notice that future downgrades are coming without a change in course. Furthermore, Fitch identified 2013 as a crucial year for the United States to take action on its debt. Currently, it sees better-than-even odds that it will downgrade the United States.
Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a member of the Simpson-Bowles debt commission and a long time spending hawk, agrees with the findings.
“We’re going to get another downgrade. I can tell you right now. You can have a great legal case for suing the rating agencies for not downgrading us again because we have not demonstrated the political will to solve the problems,” he said in a recent interview with Bob Schieffer for CBS’s Face to Face.
Coburn argues that last year’s downgrade of the nation’s credit rating from AAA to AA+ by the ratings agency Standard and Poor’s was just the beginning, according to the CBS report. The agency made its decision just days after congress passed an 11th hour compromise to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
Standard and Poor’s in a statement at that time said it was “pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government’s debt dynamics any time soon.”...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Rating agencies say they need to be convinced that lawmakers have a real plan in the works to reduce the growing debt if the nation is to avert future downgrades, according to a report by The Hill.
“If Congress doesn’t put in place a process that assures people that this will be addressed in a real manner . . . then there is no doubt in my mind that our sovereign debt will be downgraded,” said Steve Bell, the senior director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “Markets throughout the world are going to be looking at the action of the United States government.”
“It’s highly uncertain . . . because of the political circumstances,” said Steven Hess, Moody’s lead analyst for U.S. ratings. “Our stance at this point is to wait and see.”
“We’d have to assess the actual content of any temporary agreement,” Hess added. “How likely is it that that will require a credible plan to be implemented within whatever time frame they come up with? It’s the actual deficit and debt trajectories that we expect that will be the most important determinant.”
Fitch and Moody’s have both put the United States on notice that future downgrades are coming without a change in course. Furthermore, Fitch identified 2013 as a crucial year for the United States to take action on its debt. Currently, it sees better-than-even odds that it will downgrade the United States.
Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a member of the Simpson-Bowles debt commission and a long time spending hawk, agrees with the findings.
“We’re going to get another downgrade. I can tell you right now. You can have a great legal case for suing the rating agencies for not downgrading us again because we have not demonstrated the political will to solve the problems,” he said in a recent interview with Bob Schieffer for CBS’s Face to Face.
Coburn argues that last year’s downgrade of the nation’s credit rating from AAA to AA+ by the ratings agency Standard and Poor’s was just the beginning, according to the CBS report. The agency made its decision just days after congress passed an 11th hour compromise to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
Standard and Poor’s in a statement at that time said it was “pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government’s debt dynamics any time soon.”...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today "Our View: At 1st glance, Shell impresses"
Steamboat Today Editorial Board:
"Shell Oil is yet to have its first public hearing on its first proposed exploratory well in Routt County, but the encouraging impression the company made during a community open house last week should serve as an example for other energy operators seeking to do business here.
We’re not naive. Shell is a huge multinational corporation sophisticated enough to know it must connect with the communities where it seeks to drill for oil. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be grateful for the manner in which the company appears to be conducting its business in Northwest Colorado.
During a midday event Wednesday at the Steamboat Springs Community Center, Shell executive Matt Holman and a team of 15 company employees representing many facets of its operations matter-of-factly described their plans for Northwest Colorado. Holman made his company’s intent crystal clear — they want Routt County to allow Shell to drill three exploratory wells this year — while also clearly stating their intent to obey all 60 oil and gas permit guidelines adopted by the county....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Shell Oil is yet to have its first public hearing on its first proposed exploratory well in Routt County, but the encouraging impression the company made during a community open house last week should serve as an example for other energy operators seeking to do business here.
We’re not naive. Shell is a huge multinational corporation sophisticated enough to know it must connect with the communities where it seeks to drill for oil. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be grateful for the manner in which the company appears to be conducting its business in Northwest Colorado.
During a midday event Wednesday at the Steamboat Springs Community Center, Shell executive Matt Holman and a team of 15 company employees representing many facets of its operations matter-of-factly described their plans for Northwest Colorado. Holman made his company’s intent crystal clear — they want Routt County to allow Shell to drill three exploratory wells this year — while also clearly stating their intent to obey all 60 oil and gas permit guidelines adopted by the county....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Owning the town comes with a price"
Dave Danforth:
"An Aspen developer felt he had to deny an open space ranger’s report that the developer swore he’d get the ranger fired after receiving a $100 ticket for trespassing on a closed trail.
Usually when someone denies an account written up by law enforcement, they take issue with a fact or two. But Nikos Hecht simply denied the whole thing. The April 7 episode, featuring an (allegedly) irate Hecht who claimed he’d contributed to saving open space, never happened, Hecht said.
Hecht eventually paid the ticket. Whatever his attitude towards the ranger, the (alleged) adventure raises an interesting question. Is there a limit to the number of people who can suggest that they own the town?
If wealthy folks are willing to pay up for a little special treatment, do we really have a beef with that? Why not accommodate them? Hecht’s (alleged) behavior is simply an example of a well-heeled citizen wondering why, in view of his wealth or stature, he isn’t owed a little slack......
.......Yet there’s a phalanx of others who think they’re due a little extra respect not because of lifetime achievement, but because of lifetime wealth.
It wouldn’t be entirely facetious to simply accommodate them. Instead of making developers crawl through all sorts of twists and turns requiring a band of experts (lobbyists), let’s grease the skids a bit. For a lofty contribution to the right cause, (Open space? Employee housing? A few park benches? Free jazz?) couldn’t they just buy the fast track and get it over with? They’re going to get the same result anyway.
We’ve given unparalleled power to a band of meter enforcers, whose sole job is to raise revenue for City Hall. Instead of making esteemed citizens feel like crooks, why not sell them a season pass? Now, for a discount, we’d get a 10-pack of violations. We’d feel entitled...........
...........So, who owns Aspen? First and foremost, the true candidate will never be caught dead proclaiming such stature. They don’t have to. (Think Klaus Obermeyer). And, in an ideal world, the next open space ranger who runs into the next (alleged) Nikos Hecht will have a “square” (credit card swiper) in order to dispense a little favor on the spot for a well-earned premium payment..."
(Read more? You should. Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"An Aspen developer felt he had to deny an open space ranger’s report that the developer swore he’d get the ranger fired after receiving a $100 ticket for trespassing on a closed trail.
Usually when someone denies an account written up by law enforcement, they take issue with a fact or two. But Nikos Hecht simply denied the whole thing. The April 7 episode, featuring an (allegedly) irate Hecht who claimed he’d contributed to saving open space, never happened, Hecht said.
Hecht eventually paid the ticket. Whatever his attitude towards the ranger, the (alleged) adventure raises an interesting question. Is there a limit to the number of people who can suggest that they own the town?
If wealthy folks are willing to pay up for a little special treatment, do we really have a beef with that? Why not accommodate them? Hecht’s (alleged) behavior is simply an example of a well-heeled citizen wondering why, in view of his wealth or stature, he isn’t owed a little slack......
.......Yet there’s a phalanx of others who think they’re due a little extra respect not because of lifetime achievement, but because of lifetime wealth.
It wouldn’t be entirely facetious to simply accommodate them. Instead of making developers crawl through all sorts of twists and turns requiring a band of experts (lobbyists), let’s grease the skids a bit. For a lofty contribution to the right cause, (Open space? Employee housing? A few park benches? Free jazz?) couldn’t they just buy the fast track and get it over with? They’re going to get the same result anyway.
We’ve given unparalleled power to a band of meter enforcers, whose sole job is to raise revenue for City Hall. Instead of making esteemed citizens feel like crooks, why not sell them a season pass? Now, for a discount, we’d get a 10-pack of violations. We’d feel entitled...........
...........So, who owns Aspen? First and foremost, the true candidate will never be caught dead proclaiming such stature. They don’t have to. (Think Klaus Obermeyer). And, in an ideal world, the next open space ranger who runs into the next (alleged) Nikos Hecht will have a “square” (credit card swiper) in order to dispense a little favor on the spot for a well-earned premium payment..."
(Read more? You should. Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Denver Post "Colorado Adventure Center a model for all-in-one outdoor attraction"
Jason Blevins:
"DUMONT — Facing yet another challenging year for whitewater rafting, two veteran Colorado outfitters have joined forces to create a company that is moving well beyond boats.
With its five whitewater options, three biking excursions and two zipline courses between Glenwood Springs and Idaho Springs — including Colorado's longest tower zipline complex, over Clear Creek — the new Colorado Adventure Center represents the growing model for all-in-one adventure shopping....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"DUMONT — Facing yet another challenging year for whitewater rafting, two veteran Colorado outfitters have joined forces to create a company that is moving well beyond boats.
With its five whitewater options, three biking excursions and two zipline courses between Glenwood Springs and Idaho Springs — including Colorado's longest tower zipline complex, over Clear Creek — the new Colorado Adventure Center represents the growing model for all-in-one adventure shopping....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Wilderness gone wild"
Carolyn Sackariason:
"There are so many people attempting to seek solitude in the Colorado wilderness that it’s no longer possible to find it in certain areas, and that has U.S. Forest Service officials wondering whether it’s time to limit visitor use.
Take the case of Conundrum Hot Springs, where there can be as many as 120 people camping there on any given summer night.
An assessment by the Forest Service showed that there is human waste at nearly all of the campsites there, resulting in fecal coliform in the hot springs.
Conundrum is the second most popular overnight destination in the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness, behind Crater Lake where tens of thousands of people visit each year.
This two-mile hike is undertaken by hordes of tourists, peak baggers, day hikers and backpackers from all over the world; it provides access to three Colorado fourteeners, and is along the popular 4-Pass-Loop.
“Solitude is not an option on the hike to Crater Lake,” reads a statement in the Forest Service’s “Assessment of Visitor Use and Resource Conditions” of the 10 highest-use destinations in the wilderness area.
Even though Snowmass Lake is eight miles from the Snowmass Creek trailhead and seven miles from Crater Lake via Buckskin Pass, it is the third most popular destination in the wilderness area.
Thousands of people go there each summer, resulting in massive degradation of the wilderness with bandit campsites, human waste and tree damage caused by people collecting firewood — despite that fires aren’t allowed there...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"There are so many people attempting to seek solitude in the Colorado wilderness that it’s no longer possible to find it in certain areas, and that has U.S. Forest Service officials wondering whether it’s time to limit visitor use.
Take the case of Conundrum Hot Springs, where there can be as many as 120 people camping there on any given summer night.
An assessment by the Forest Service showed that there is human waste at nearly all of the campsites there, resulting in fecal coliform in the hot springs.
Conundrum is the second most popular overnight destination in the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness, behind Crater Lake where tens of thousands of people visit each year.
This two-mile hike is undertaken by hordes of tourists, peak baggers, day hikers and backpackers from all over the world; it provides access to three Colorado fourteeners, and is along the popular 4-Pass-Loop.
“Solitude is not an option on the hike to Crater Lake,” reads a statement in the Forest Service’s “Assessment of Visitor Use and Resource Conditions” of the 10 highest-use destinations in the wilderness area.
Even though Snowmass Lake is eight miles from the Snowmass Creek trailhead and seven miles from Crater Lake via Buckskin Pass, it is the third most popular destination in the wilderness area.
Thousands of people go there each summer, resulting in massive degradation of the wilderness with bandit campsites, human waste and tree damage caused by people collecting firewood — despite that fires aren’t allowed there...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice " Morning photo: Last snow? Probably not"
All credit Bob Berwyn (Click title):
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)