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Telluride Realty's Monthly e-Newsletter
March 2009

On Tap: March

Put on your dancing shoes because March is Music Month. Live concerts are just about every week, many of them free in Mountain Village’s Heritage Plaza. The slew of events include Charlie Hunter (free) on the 5th, The John Cowan Band at the Sheridan Opera House on the 7th, Donavon Frankenreiter at the Sheridan Opera House on the 10th, the Subdudes (free) on the 12th, Grupo Fantasma at the Sheridan Opera House on the 13th, John JoJo Hermann at the Sheridan Opera House on the 17th, Porter Batiste & Stoltz (free) on the 19th, Who’s Bad at the Sheridan Opera House on the 19th, and Jason Isbell the 400 Unit and Justin Towns Earle at the Sheridan Opera House on the 28th. And of course, talented locals put on great shows every week at the Noir Bar (Amy Taylor and Mike Pale) and The Blue Point Grill (Chris Clark).

Aside from music, there is also a generous sprinkling of benefits, performances and art exhibits during March so come to think of it, we might as well call it Arts & Entertainment Month, rather than Music Month. The Telluride AIDS Benefit Designer Trunk Show happens on the 2nd, followed by the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program’s annual fundraiser/silent auction at the Sheridan Opera House on the 6th (entitled Goin’ Cowboy at the Opera), the Telluride Medical Center’s gala F.E.A.S.T. fundraiser at the Telluride Conference Center on the 12th, Madame Butterfly at The Palm on the 13th, King Henry V at The Palm on the 19th, the Sound of Music at The Palm from the 26th to the 29th…and that doesn’t even put a dent in the goings-on (see Calendar below). Basically, if you’re in town and looking to have some fun, you can’t go wrong. You’re dance card will be full, to say the least.

As for February, it was about as action-packed as March will be with the wedding-themed Chocolate Lover’s Fling on the 7th (a calorie-ridden-cake-eating dance party benefiting the San Miguel Resource Center), the gut-busting Comedy Fest over Valentine’s weekend, and the Telluride AIDS Benefit Fashion Show/Auction on the 26th and 28th…one of Telluride’s most adored annual events amid both locals and tourists.

March Calendar of Events

2	Telluride AIDS Benefit Designer Trunk Show Purchase big name designer fashions at excellent prices
5	Susan McCormick Art Show Telluride Realty’s own hosts an exhibit of her beautiful paintings at the Stronghouse Gallery
5	Charlie Hunter Concert Free concert in Heritage Plaza
5, 12, 19, 26	Live Music Amy Taylor and Mike Pale perform at the Noir Bar
6	TASP presents: Goin' Cowboy at the Opera Telluride Adaptive Sports Program fundraiser and silent auction at the Sheridan Opera House
6, 13, 20, 27	Live Music Chris Clark performs at The Blue Point Grill
7	The John Cowan Band KOTO presentation at the Sheridan Opera House
7, 14, 21, 28	Farmer's Market Mid-winter farmer’s market at La Cocina de Luz
9	Grant-writing Workshop Full-day workshop hosted by the Telluride Foundation at the Wilkinson Library
10	Donovan Frankenreiter Live performance at the Sheridan Opera House
10 - 11	Live Theater San Miguel Resource Center presents Phenomenal Women (English on the 10th; Spanish on the 11th
12	Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Company Free concert in Heritage Plaza
12	F.E.A.S.T. Gala Annual benefit event for the Telluride Medical Center, hosted at the Telluride Conference Center and featuring Grupo Fantasma
13	Grupo Fantasma Telluride Jazz Celebration live music presentation at the Sheridan Opera House
13	Madame Butterfly Gala fundraiser/performance for the Palm Theater at the Palm Theater
14	KOTO Concert Live music TBA
14	Topaten Nordic Race 10-km race for all ages and all Nordic disciplines at the top of Lift 10
14	Artist Gallery Social Wine and cheese opening in Montrose featuring 15 artists
14	The Rainbow Fish Children’s musical based on the classic book by Marcus Pfister; Palm Theater
17	St. Patrick’s Day Wear green, eat green, drink green
17	John JoJo Hermann Live performance at the Sheridan Opera House
17	Baseball on Skis Ski schoolers and ski patrollers duel it out at the base of Lift 7
19	Who’s Bad The ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band live at the Sheridan Opera House
19	Porter Batiste & Stoltz Free concert in Heritage Plaza
19	King Henry V The Acting Company and The Guthrie Theater bring this Shakespearean classic to the Palm Theater
21	Plunge Music Festival Telluride’s Winter Music Festival featuring the best in underground hip-hop; Sheridan Opera House
26 - 29	Sound of Music at the Palm Telluride Repertory Theater performance of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic
27 - 29	Swing Camp Telluride Telluride Lindy Society offers a swing dance camp
28	Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Justin Towns Earle Live performance at the Sheridan Opera House
29	The Real Dirt on Farmer John Free movie at the Palm Theater; documentary and winner of over 30 festival awards

Regional News: Telluride Trend-sets with the Country’s First Capella

After a decade of planning, Capella Telluride opened its doors to a grand reception Thursday, February 12. Roughly 100 people gathered in the hotel lobby for speeches, cocktails, heavy apps and a momentous ribbon cutting. “It represents 10 years of hard work,” said Robert Levine, president of the property’s developer, RAL Companies & Affiliates. Mountain Village Mayor, Bob Delves, thanked Levine for his undying commitment to the project. “Robert [Levine] is a hero,” said Mountain Village Mayor Bob Delves. “No one else could have gotten this thing done.” Delves also thanked residents for ultimately supporting the project—which for years was known as the controversial Lot 50/51.

Managed by John Volponi (who also manages the Inn at Lost Creek – another Levine project), Capella is hands-down the region’s most upscale hotel. The exquisite $200 million lodging facility contains a string of luxuries, including a full-service spa and fitness center, indoor swimming pool, outdoor skating rink, personal assistants, and several restaurants.

Currently, 27 of the 100 hotel rooms are open for business; 26 of them were booked opening night. This winter’s special rates for rooms start at $295. The property also includes several rentable condominium residences.

The vision of the renowned hotelier Horst Schulze, who helped found Ritz-Carlton, Capella intends to redefine luxury hotels, with Capella Telluride as its inaugural property in the U.S.

Recreation News: Bridal Veil Unveiled Once Again to Ice Climbers

Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado’s tallest free-falling waterfall situated at Telluride’s east end, transforms into an ice climber’s dream during winter months – a 365-foot frozen wall of blue ice. But for most of the past two decades, the crampon-wearing, ice-axe towing variety has had to ogle from afar as the property has been strictly closed. All that changed however, as of December 5, 2008.

Due to a successful land trade between the Trust for Public Land and Idarado Mining Company, Bridal Veil is finally open again. The deal transferred a strip of land known as the Kentucky Placer, which butts up to the base of the waterfall, to the town of Telluride, thus granting climbers legal access.

The agreement was put into effect with a celebratory climb, led by Ouray’s Mike Gibbs, and involving two disabled athletes, Erik Weihenmayer, who has been blind since age 13, and Chad Jukes, an Iraq war veteran who lost his right leg in 2007. “It was an interesting climb, and I felt very privileged to climb that route. It’s been closed for so long,” Jukes told the Telluride Daily Planet, “I was expecting it to be very, very challenging and it definitely lived up to those expectations.” Jukes, a rock climber, mountain biker, hiker, backpacker, and newcomer to ice climbing since his accident (he uses a special prosthesis with a crampon), said Bridal Veil is the biggest climb he’s ever done. As for Weihenmayer, he received widespread recognition when he became the first blind person to climb Mount Everest; he is also the only blind person to have climbed the “Seven Summits.” In 2007, Weihenmayer climbed Wilson Peak to raise awareness when the Trust for Public Land negotiated a deal providing climbers summit access.

“The Trust for Public Land is extremely grateful to Erik and Chad for giving their time to help bring attention to the falls reopening,” Tim Wohlgenant, TPL’s Colorado Director, said in a statement. “Americans need more access to the outdoors — whether it is on ice walls, such as Bridal Veil Falls in Colorado, or in parks where city children can see the wonders of nature.” Bridal Veil Falls was first climbed by Jeff Lowe and Mike Weiss in 1974, and broadcast on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.”

Community News: Telluride Foundation…Proud of the Old and in with the New

Much has been happening amid the higher-ups with the Telluride Foundation, the local nonprofit organization committed to building a strong community through the cultivation and promotion of philanthropy. For starters, part-time resident Richard Holbrooke was recently instated by President Barack Obama as the U.S. Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. He will be working under both the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Holbrooke is most known for his work in brokering a peace agreement among the warring factions in Bosnia that led to the sighing of the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. Then from 1999-2001, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

In addition, the Telluride Foundation recently added five new members to its Board of Directors: businesswoman Bridgitt Evans; former Mountain Village Mayor Davis Fansler; private investor Rebecca Jusbache; nonprofit activist Marlene Silver; and chairman and CEO of Tishman Construction Dan Tishman. The board also elected Joanne Corzine as a new Co-Chair. The Foundation’s Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing its governance and grant making.

The Telluride Foundation is a nonprofit, apolitical community foundation that provides year-round support for local organizations involved in arts, education, athletics, charitable causes, land conservation and more through technical assistance, education and grant making. As a grant maker, the Foundation awards grants and provides support to local organizations involved in all aspects of the community in order enhance the quality of life within the region. For more information on the Telluride Foundation, visit www.telluridefoundation.org.

Arts & Entertainment News: Telluride Realty’s Own Hosts Art Show

Telluride Realty broker associate and longtime local Susan McCormick is having her very own art show at the Stronghouse Gallery with an opening celebration on March 5th. McCormick is featuring her beautiful oil paintings, a string of colorful renditions of the region’s exquisite surroundings. With her brush, McCormick creatively interprets realistic scenes onto each canvas, putting a fresh perspective on many of the mountainscapes and landscapes we see all the time.

The Stronghouse Studios and Gallery is an artist’s cooperative funded and produced by the Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities (TCAH). McCormick is a member of the TCAH Board of Directors, which is devoted to the support and promotion of rising artists. One emerging local artist is featured each month with an opening reception the first Thursday of each month. McCormick’s exhibit will run through April 10th.