Author: Susan Viebrock

Holbrooke Fame can be a scourge of talent, but that's not the case for one of Telluride's first families. The name "Holbrooke" resonates on the world stage, but their varied talents remain undiminished and untainted.

The patriarch of the clan is Ambassador, now Special Representative, Richard Holbrooke, the subject of a recent New Yorker profile (September 28). Holbrooke was appointed by President Obama for his intellect and fearlessness to tackle the thorniest foreign-policy problem his administration faces: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Even if Telluride is the most beautiful place on the planet, off season is a great time to spread our wings. Check out the great travel deals on Maribeth Clemente's blog, "Bonjour Telluride," where she offers fabulous trips/stays in exchange for a pledge...

Michael_d_palm Telluride may have been his second home, but our mountain hamlet was one of his great loves. The gravitational pull of the wandering planet called Michael D. Palm was irresistable. Michael was, by any measure, a remarkable man: gifted educator, musician, athlete, businessman, and philanthropist. Michael and another long-time, part-time Telluride local, Steven Gluckstern  (Steven first visited Telluride in 1976 and in 1980, became superintendent of school) founded reinsurance company Zurich Centre Group. Throughout their highly successful business association, Michael, Steven and Steven's wife Judy remained the best of friends. After Michael's death from complications from AIDS in Telluride in August 1998, Steven and Judy dedicated themselves to ensuring the causes Michael embraced in his lifetime would continue to receive his support.
[click "Play" to hear what's happening at Ah Haa this Fall]

Ahhaa_hp_middle Fall in Telluride is a colorful time of year as aspens turn gold and local institutions  such as the Ah Haa School for the Arts announce their kaleidoscopic Fall/Winter season.

Abstract paintings and drawings pulsing with the energy of the Telluride region by artist Meredith Nemirov are on display throughout the month of October in Ah Haa's newly renovated Daniel Tucker Gallery. In November, the exhibition space will feature the work of the winner's of Ah Haa's Youth Arts Awards. (Submissions from 7 – 12 graders due by October 26.)

[click "Play" to hear Susan speaking with Dave Wakeling]

Image001  He describes himself as "The happiest man in ska." Tonight, October 6, Telluride welcomes back Dave Wakeling and The English Beat. The band is performing at Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House, resplendent in its re-stenciled glory.

Doors/box office open at 7:30 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m.

The English Beat is celebrating its 30th anniversary...For Crying Out Loud. The set includes a medley of the band's greatest hits such as "Stand Down Margaret," "MIrror in the Bathroom," covers such as "Tears of a Clown" and "Can't Get Used to Losing You," and chestnuts-in-the-making such as "The Love You Give Forever."

[double click to view in larger format]

OK, Telluride: dress for the occasion, thinking caps and party shoes, when singer/songwriter Dave Wakeling and The (reincarnated) English Beat perform Tuesday, October 6, at Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House.

English Beat in Concert Margaret Thatcher may be out of the spotlight, but Dave Wakeling's band, (they blasted on to the scene in 1979, the year she became PM) is still making news – and tracks, on tour to  celebrate the band's 30th anniversary...For Crying Out Loud. (Still, the band's "Sit Down Margaret has relevance as more and more Americans embrace the power of one.) Since then, Wakeling has never met a challenge he didn't want to take on: Greenpeace, Rock the Earth, CND, Amnesty International, The Smile Train, and Heal the Bay to name a few headliners.

DSC06610 Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House, constructed in 1913  by W. A. Segerberg, was a combination vaudeville and movie theatre. Floors connected to the luxe New Sheridan Hotel, facilitating the passage of prominent entertainers of the period, including Sarah Bernhardt, Lillian Gish, and speakers such as Socialist Presidential Candidate Eugene Debs, directly from the stage to their rooms, with little fear of paparazzi dogging them.

However, beauty fades with neglect and this jewel box of a theatre fell into a serious state of neglect that only a major facelift could repair. Enter the Sheridan Arts Foundation.

Telluride local Maribeth Clemente does not, to my knowledge, possess a magic carpet. She is, however, in command of something that serves the same purpose: a talk radio show."Travel Fun, which airs bimonthly in and around the Telluride region on KOTO radio and simultaneously...

[click to hear Kristin's conversation with Susan]

Shot16_018 Shot4_combo Telluride Inside...and Out's fashion queen, Kristin Holbrook of Two Skirts, is the model for the hip, young designer, Juliana Cho. Cho's line, Annelore, is for working women who don't give a second thought to the glass ceiling, because they have carved out their own niche. Annelore customers are smart, sexy, self-confident and resourceful. The clothes, like the women, conform on the surface – but there's a twist.

Home base for Annelore is a charming little women's shop near the Meatpacking District in New York's West Village. The business survived the blight on the neighborhood of indie shops thanks to a loyal following of trend-setting customers, attracted to investment clothes.