Topic: Politics

Afghani humanitarian leader Nader Nadery stopped by Fresh Tracks on Feb. 11, 2008, before his Vail Symposium Hot Topic presentation. Nadery focused on what unfolded in Afghanistan following a meeting of the minds in Bonn, Germany.

Host Erik Williams sits down with Democratic candidate for Congress Joan Fitz-Gerald. They discuss her campaign strategy before the caucus as well as her plans if elected.

Tuesday is Mardi Gras, a decadent, masquerade-laden celebration of sin before absolution on Ash Wednesday. It is fitting then that it will also be the day that Valley dwellers (and residents of 23 other states) will engage in politics. Yes, the stars have aligned and Mardi Gras and Super Tuesday will both fall on Feb. 5, 2008. Now vice and politics have never been mutually exclusive, but rarely has the association been so pointed. So what’s an Eagle Valley resident to do, parties or primaries? Well, why not both…

Vail’s “CarniVail” celebration has been bringing that New Orleans swing, Mask-erade Parties and crawfish boils to the Village and the Mountain since Sunday, but things really get cooking Tuesday with the Street Party and Vail’s famous Fat Tuesday Parade. Festivities kick off at 2 p.m. with the Street Party featuring the New Orleans Mardi Gras All Stars and will continue right up until 5 p.m. when the Fat Tuesday Parade begins. The Fat Tuesday Parade is the highlight of Vail’s Mardi Gras celebration. Several local businesses steer ornate floats up Bridge Street and shower crowds with treats, and at the end of the affair, one of three lucky local couples will be named Vail’s Mardi Gras King and Queen for 2008. For more information on CarniVail, head to www.carnivail.net.

The Fat Tuesday festivities should wrap up around 6 p.m. and that’s good news for you, because, if you’re so inclined, it’s time to head down Valley for some politics in action. Eagle County Democrats will need to head to the Eagle County Building which is located, surprisingly, in Eagle to caucus. Check in time is at 6:30 p.m. Eagle County Republicans have many more locations throughout the Valley to caucus, the closest being the Vail Public Library (located next to Dobson Arena) and the Eagle-Vail Pavilion in Eagle-Vail. Check in time for these caucuses is a 6 p.m. For more information on Eagle County’s caucuses, check out www.eaglecounty.us.

So, any amount of sin, celebration and politics are readily available to you this Fat Tuesday. Choose wisely and, as always, moderation in all things.

Enjoy Plum’s coverage of Vail’s 2007 Fat Tuesday Parade below.

LA Times columnist and immigration expert Gregory Rodriguez drops by the Fresh Tracks studio to talk about his new book, Mongrels, Bastards, Orphans and Vagabonds: Mexican Immigration and the Future of Race in America.

Plum Vail's resident rock star Kevin Heinz plays another one of his originals, "Don't Tell Me," on Fresh Tracks, Jan. 17, 2008.

Fraidy Aber, executive director of the Vail Symposium, stopped by Fresh Tracks to talk about some of the wonderful progams scheduled for the 2008 winter season. For more info on Vail Symposium 2008, check our preview or www.vailsymposium.org.

State Representative candidate Muhammad Ali Hassan sat down with Fresh Tracks' Jolana Leigh Smith to discuss snowboarding, his bipartisan postcard campaign and politics in the Valley.

This year's political phenomenon (and winner of last night's Iowa Caucus), Mike Huckabee has risen to the top of polls for the Republican nomination for President. Plum's Dan Honan caught up with the candidate at a recent campaign event in New Hampshire.

The Vail Symposium returns for its 37th year to educate and entertain visitors and locals alike. The Vail Symposium winter schedule will consist of 35 programs throughout the season from January to May. The programs have been divided into eight distinct series: Hot Topics, Unlimited Adventures, Arts and Culture, Documentary Film Series, Active Minds, Know Your Valley, Slow Food and Live From NY’s 92nd St Y. Organizers felt the separation of programs into distinct series better illustrated the wide range of topics covered by the Symposium and hope that the division will make the selection process easier for attendees. Still, you’re bound to find something rewarding in each of the eight series and trying (at least) one of each is strongly encouraged. Variety is, after all, the spice of life.

Hot Topics will feature renowned experts addressing issues of national and international import. The Symposium kicks off its winter season Thursday January 3 with one of these “hot topics” as Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine practitioner, addresses, among other things, the drug culture in American sports. Lingering questions about the Mitchell Report? Stop by Sonnenalp and ask Dr. Metzl. Unlimited Adventures, one of the Symposium’s free series, invites courageous individuals that have pushed their bodies and minds to the limits to share their amazing accomplishments. Arts and Culture features tours of some of the finest individual art collections in the Valley as well as workshops covering everything from the classics like painting and poetry to the exquisite art of bonsai pruning. The Documentary Film Series, also known as the Beaver Creek Film Series, will feature three outstanding films at VPAC followed by discussions with acclaimed critic Walter Chaw. In both the summer and the winter, the Film Series has consistently been our favorite program. The Vail Symposium has a real knack for picking terrific, oftentimes unheard of films and Walter Chaw’s discussions are always rewarding.

Active Minds, another of the Symposium’s free programs, offers an impartial introduction to on a variety of historical, social, political and religious subjects, and while this series is geared toward seniors all are welcome to attend. Know Your Valley may be the most self-explanatory, yet most adventurous of the Symposium series. Enjoy a behind the scenes look at Vail and Beaver Creek mountains or a guided tour of Camp Hale with a 10th Mountain Division veteran. Slow Food focuses history and revolutionaries in the fields of livestock and produce. Hear cattle industry maverick Mel Coleman Jr. speak about lobbying for reforms in the ‘70s or attend an heirloom vegetable workshop with master gardener Susan Mackin Dolan. You’ll be thinking differently about what’s for dinner. Live From NY’s 92nd St Y features some of the world’s finest minds, from Dr. Madeline Albright to Richard Sonnenfeldt, at Vail Interfaith Chapel, live via satellite.

Wherever your interests lie, there really is no wrong choice as the Vail Symposium has assembled another formidable line-up for the 2008 winter season.

For a complete schedule, check www.vailsymposium.org. For inquiries or to sign up for a program, call 970-476-0954.

Fond memories of the Vail Symposium’s past programs? Share them here, and please enjoy Plum’s coverage of the 2007 Symposium’s Unlimited Adventures series featuring Pasquale Scaturro.

Tim Stenovec sits down with former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm to talk about immigration and other policies.