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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, November 13-16, 2004 A-5 The Park Record MOUNTAIN TOWN NEWS Ski towns and valleys in the West go heavily for John Kerry By ALLEN BEST Record guest writer THE WEST - Looking across the Wcsl. ski towns and resort val' leys were islands of blue in an ocean of red during the Nov. 2 national election. Some places, such as Tclluride's Sun Miguel County and Aspens Pilkin County, have always - at least for several decades - been reliably Democrat. 'ITiis remained reliable this year, with the John Kerry ticket prevailing by margins of almost three to one. Hut in many oilier resort valleys that were once dominated by ranches. Republican even now outnumber registered Democrats. In most elections, they still prevail. Not this year. Instructive were two still strongly agrarian counties in Colorado. Ciiinnison and Routl. Routt is dominated by Steamboat Springs, but has lots of outlying ranches, 'Jliis year, it went >4 to 44 for Kern,' over George Bush. Staunchly liberal Crested Bulte weni 79 percent in favor of Kerry in helping lead (iunnison County to a 57 percent majority tor the national Democratic ticket. What's happening to push resort valleys more Democratic? Allen Best, writing in a newsletter called Mountain Tumi News, offers several theories. Among them is the idea dial as rcsori valleys become more polarized economically, especially with more people on the margins, pressed by high living cosls, this adds to the ranks of Democratic Party supporters. . Another theory is that the IX'mocTalic Parly tends to attract people who are highly educated as well as those who are not affiliated with organized religion. Resort valleys rank high in both categories. Instead, the great outdoors is their religion. Ed Marsion, former publisher of High Country News, put it another way when speaking at a recent conference, calliim it the "Church of 10.000 Feet." As well, environmental values rank high in resurl valleys, and again, the general perception is that the Democratic Parly is the better protector of resort valleys. Kerry, who both skis and snowboards, has a vacation home near Kelchum. Vice President Dick Cheney, a flyfisherman. maintains his primary residence in Jackson Hole. Hut tellingly, even his home precinct of Wilson went for Kerry. Overall. Jackson Hole went for Kerry/Edwards by a 53-lo-45 margin. _*, .•_•- m ' the Rainbow Family of Living Light. •Sun Valley tries to block legalBui he is also a calculating politi- ization of marijuana cian, who constantly walks a delicate line to embrace both the liberal upSUN VALLEY, Idaho - Sun KETCHUM. Idaho - Idaho's valley newcomers and conservative Valley is trying to block an initiative Blaine County, where Kerry and his down-valley old-timers of his coun- that would allow residents lo decide wife. Teresa, have a second home, ty. For instance, he has been trying whether to legalize marijuana, but was truly an island of blue in a sea of to strike a compromise with off- allowing the city to tax and regulate Bush red. Kerry won the county by a highway vehicle users. its use. City officials argue the city 60-to-40 margin, while the margin This provoked the Democrats to has no such authority. was exactly the opposite across run a well-funded candidate against • The group. Liberty Lobby, also Idaho as a whole. him, but without success. Goodtimes wants to legalize marijuana use in However, even Kerry supporters took 50 percent of the vote, carrying nearby Kelchum and Hailcy They found a silver lining in his loss. even the most conservative districts, have so far refused, reports Ihe the Democrats and Idaho Mountain Express. Several of them surveyed by (he while Idaho Mountain Express suggested Republicans split the remainder. that a Western White House in The only criticism that stuck was •Telluride adds 27 percent Kelchum would have made life mis- that he spends lew much time and more airplane seats erable during holidays, what with county money out of the county at the swarms of reporters. Secret various meetings. In response, TELLURIDE, Colo. -Telluride Service agents, and all the other riff- Goodiimes is now posting his notes will have 27 percent more airplane raff who follow a president. It was from those meetings on the county seats this year, wilh new flights from bad enough when Kerry showed up website. the Pacific to the Atlantic. A new tax as merely a candidate, they said. in the twin resorl towns of "Jelluride And what would it be like with both •Election is over, but war and Mountain Village stabilizes a President Kerry and a California protests are not funding used to guarantee revenues Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at lo airlines. their vacation homes in GUNNISON, Colo. - 'Die elec'ITic newest flight, reports The Ketchum/Sun Valley at the same tion may be over, but the war in Iraq Telluride Watch, will be on 37-pastime? is not. Thai was the message on senger planes from Phoenix. 'Hie Saturday at all four corners in flight will be marketed using a feder•Voter turnout in high 80s com- Gunnison where the highway to al Department of Transportation ("rested Butte intersects with U.S. grant. Also new this year are flights mon in ski valleys Highway 50. from Newark and Los Angeles. As Meanwhile, just around the cor- well, shuttles from Denver have STEAMBOATSPRINGS.Colo. - While voter turnout across the ner of that college and ranch town been stepped up, with seven daily lo nation was the highest in more than was another political statement. Telluride and seven daily to nearby 40 years, it was extraordinarily high Several people, in an impromptu Monlrose. Altogether, 92,000 inin most ski towns. Perhaps the high- display of President George Bush, bound seats are being offered. est was in Routt County, where The waved signs that said good things Steamboat Pilot reports a 90 percent will come from the war in .Iraq. •No major alarm about major Although the town had gone heavily new ski resort turnout. Close behind, at 89 percent, was for John Kerry, the Bush supporters Idaho's Blaine County, where Sun were getting honks of support. REVELSTOKE, B.C. - Some Valley and Kelchum arc located. In 200 people gathered recently to hear Eagle County, where Vail is located, •Direct vote rejected for devel- about how development of a major destination ski resort at Revelstoke it was HH percent, while Aspen and opment proposals will affect them. Pilkin County came in at S7 percent. DURANGO, Colo. - A proposHousing costs will rise, and less •Green Party county official al that would have pushed govern- rental housing will be available, they ment more toward direct democracy were told. As well, there will be gets 3rd term* was defeated by voters in Durango. thousands of new jobs. But there TELLURIDE. Colo. - San The Responsible Growth Initiative was no overt dissent to these proMiguel County Commissioner Art would have required voter approval jected changes, reported the Goodiimes, who calls himself a of annexations of more than 10 units Revclstokc Times-Review. "paleohippie." won election to his and of commercial structures larger Brent Harley, a consultant, told third term last week, overcoming than 40,000 square feel, removing the group that planning today could opposition from both the left and those decisions from the city council. minimize potential negative the right. Builders, real estate salesman, impacts. "There are very few slci A declared Green Party member, developers and affordable housing resorts in North America with real the 59-ycar-old Goodtimes, a one- advocates all opposed the initiative, communities attached to them," he time resident of San Francisco's as did both elected city officials and said. "Where there are, Ihose communities do very well." Haight-Ashbury district, is a study in the cily staff. surprises. He is nothing if not flamAlthough losing by a 54-lo-46 But who will be the developer of boyant. He wears his hair and beard percent margin, sponsors of the ini- this major new ski resort at the site long, is prone to wearing colorful tiative told the Durango Herald that of what is now a small community robes that call to mind sorcerers, and they believed they had made their ski hill? That is still unclear. The drives a pickup that is painted mush- concern clear, which is to say that potential developer. Mount room-style with red with white the city has been rubber-stamping spots, like an Amanita muscaria. He development requests. is also an unapologelic mtimber of Please see Alcohol, A-6 •Silver lining to Kerry loss in Ketch urn area . Knot So Kneady $3o The Basic Knead ' (60 minut seuhn) $50 ; Very Knead Coll 435-6l5-8$fO lo main- an aftpointmrni Gift Certificates Available B A R C L A M1 11IS T H E O N 2 5 5 Y R. G H F H R J t A C B U OL 1 1- c N J 6 4 9 T 1 W T T T I P A R K E os T n R o ii c n A 0 A v t N i n 4 3 5 ' » O A D N ow S A IF 8jJ Iron Horse Driiv, Smle C :> R A n v ' C I I Y ra 5 5 4 0 i n a ^ T ' - - t B ' r ^ 1 J : : c ^ H - i - ' « ' ' ' P A C K C I T Y W W W . B A R C L A Y S U T E . R A . 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