Meet Your Neighbors

Velma Rowland

Age: Soon to be 80

Lives in: Westbank (born in Fairplay and then lived in Como and Denver)

Occupation: Retired

Describe this valley, in a word. “Enjoyable”

What’s your favorite place in the valley? “My home — and the golf course.”
In the world? “I think Colorado, all of Colorado. Lots of things to see and do. I’m not really interested in traveling.”

What’s something that gets you out of bed every day? “To see what I can accomplish the next day, I guess. We (she and her husband, Fred) play golf, and we bowl. We belong to the Elks Club.”

Karla Bingham

Age: 48

Lives in: Cattle Creek (originally from Cut Bank, Mont.)

Occupation: Owner of The Artist’s Collective in Carbondale

Describe this valley, in a word. “Eclectic.”

What’s your favorite place in the valley? “I love Hanging Lake. I was going to Hanging Lake long before I lived here.”

In the world? “I would say St. Petersburg, Russia. Really, it’s an amazing, amazing place.”

What’s something that gets you out of bed every day? “I would say my cat. He’s pretty aggressive, and he wants to be fed. His name is Spitfire.”

Sean Smollen

Age: 9

Lives in: Carbondale (born in Aspen)

Occupation: Going into fourth grade at Ross Montessori

Describe this valley, in a word. “Weird.”

What’s your favorite place in the valley? “The Thompson Creek crag.”

In the world? “Australia.”

What’s something that gets you out of bed every day? “Cupcakes.” (His parents own Grana Bread Co. in Carbondale)

Fabian Lujan

Age: 17

Lives in: Glenwood Springs (born in Aspen)

Occupation: Going to be a senior at Basalt High School

Describe this valley, in a word. “Fantastic.”

What’s your favorite place in the valley? “I’d have to say, Snowmass Mountain. I love snowboarding.”

In the world? “I’d have to say, Cancun, Mexico. Been there twice.”

What’s something that gets you out of bed every day? “To live my life, just get up and do something.”