{"id":2452303,"date":"2019-12-16T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T05:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=317762"},"modified":"2019-12-18T09:12:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T16:12:40","slug":"former-aspen-ski-racer-jake-zamansky-and-family-determined-to-bounce-back-from-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/former-aspen-ski-racer-jake-zamansky-and-family-determined-to-bounce-back-from-tragedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Aspen ski racer Jake Zamansky and family determined to bounce back from tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.9301075268817\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-317762-944\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Jake Zamansky and Tara Dakides stand with their children Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, left, and Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, center right, next to a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family lost their fifth-wheel RV to a fire believed to be caused by a generator and makeshift skirting on the outside of the RV. The family was off the property when the fire started.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"3.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"18\">\n<p><strong>Jake Zamansky and Tara Dakides stand with their children Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, left, and Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, center right, next to a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family lost their fifth-wheel RV to a fire believed to be caused by a generator and makeshift skirting on the outside of the RV. The family was off the property when the fire started.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jake Zamansky and Tara Dakides stand with their children Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, left, and Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, center right, next to a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family lost their fifth-wheel RV to a fire believed to be caused by a generator and makeshift skirting on the outside of the RV. The family was off the property when the fire started.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Jake Zamansky, left, and his wife Tara Dakides clean up the area around their burnt fifth-wheel RV as their daughter Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky walks out of the snow on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The children expressed that they loved living in the RV. Tara said that it was nice to feel like they had a home to feel settled in.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Jake Zamansky, left, and his wife Tara Dakides clean up the area around their burnt fifth-wheel RV as their daughter Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky walks out of the snow on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The children expressed that they loved living in the RV. Tara said that it was nice to feel like they had a home to feel settled in.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jake Zamansky, left, and his wife Tara Dakides clean up the area around their burnt fifth-wheel RV as their daughter Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky walks out of the snow on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The children expressed that they loved living in the RV. Tara said that it was nice to feel like they had a home to feel settled in.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-2-1024x670.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Tara Dakides wipes tears from her eyes while talking about the things her family lost in the fire, but how grateful she is that no one was hurt in the accident inside of the barn they\u2019re building on the family\u2019s property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Tara Dakides wipes tears from her eyes while talking about the things her family lost in the fire, but how grateful she is that no one was hurt in the accident inside of the barn they\u2019re building on the family\u2019s property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-2-1024x670.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Tara Dakides wipes tears from her eyes while talking about the things her family lost in the fire, but how grateful she is that no one was hurt in the accident inside of the barn they\u2019re building on the family\u2019s property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | The family talks inside of one of the rooms in their under-construction structure where they have a heater set up on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Most of Jake Zamansky\u2019s things were being stored in this room, because he was out of town during most of the time that the family was living in the RV.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>The family talks inside of one of the rooms in their under-construction structure where they have a heater set up on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Most of Jake Zamansky\u2019s things were being stored in this room, because he was out of town during most of the time that the family was living in the RV.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The family talks inside of one of the rooms in their under-construction structure where they have a heater set up on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Most of Jake Zamansky\u2019s things were being stored in this room, because he was out of town during most of the time that the family was living in the RV.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-4-1024x726.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Tara Dakides, right, holds a page from a Curious George book that was salvaged from the fire to show her children on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The page talks about a fire and Dakides plans to frame it as a reminder of what happened.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Tara Dakides, right, holds a page from a Curious George book that was salvaged from the fire to show her children on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The page talks about a fire and Dakides plans to frame it as a reminder of what happened.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-4-1024x726.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Tara Dakides, right, holds a page from a Curious George book that was salvaged from the fire to show her children on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The page talks about a fire and Dakides plans to frame it as a reminder of what happened.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-5-1024x684.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, left, and her brother Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, play in the corner of the room on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Their mother, Tara Dakides, said that on the way to the property Bowie told her that he wanted to find one of Meadow\u2019s stuffed animals in the fire rubble so that he could give it to her. Meadow expressed that she would have been very sad if they had lost someone in the fire, but all they had lost was stuff and that was replaceable.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"4.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"20\">\n<p><strong>Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, left, and her brother Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, play in the corner of the room on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Their mother, Tara Dakides, said that on the way to the property Bowie told her that he wanted to find one of Meadow\u2019s stuffed animals in the fire rubble so that he could give it to her. Meadow expressed that she would have been very sad if they had lost someone in the fire, but all they had lost was stuff and that was replaceable.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-5-1024x684.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, left, and her brother Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, play in the corner of the room on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Their mother, Tara Dakides, said that on the way to the property Bowie told her that he wanted to find one of Meadow\u2019s stuffed animals in the fire rubble so that he could give it to her. Meadow expressed that she would have been very sad if they had lost someone in the fire, but all they had lost was stuff and that was replaceable.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-6-1024x706.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | The Dakides-Zamansky family warms their hands around a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family put their \u201cJoy\u201d sign out next to their Christmas tree on their property.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>The Dakides-Zamansky family warms their hands around a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family put their \u201cJoy\u201d sign out next to their Christmas tree on their property.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/firefamily-atd-121719-1-6-1024x706.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Dakides-Zamansky family warms their hands around a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family put their \u201cJoy\u201d sign out next to their Christmas tree on their property.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/former-aspen-ski-racer-and-family-determined-to-bounce-back-from-tragedy\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/former-aspen-ski-racer-and-family-determined-to-bounce-back-from-tragedy\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">As former professional athletes, Tara Dakides and Jake Zamansky are used to putting in hard work to tackle tough challenges, but life has recently sent some super-sized trials and tribulations their family\u2019s way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A 44-foot, fifth-wheel recreational vehicle where they were temporarily living burned to the ground Dec. 10. They lost nearly all the possessions they had kept after recently downsizing. The fire was so intense it also caused exterior damage to the barn and residence they are attempting to complete a few yards away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Zamansky was in Canada at the time, coaching two ski racers from the Roaring Fork Valley. Dakides and their children, Meadow, 6, and Bowie, 4, weren\u2019t at the home at the time of the fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere were so many blessings \u2014 that we weren\u2019t there, that nobody got hurt,\u201d Dakides said standing at the homestead on a chilly Sunday afternoon. \u201cGod definitely had a hand in this, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Zamansky said the tragedy illuminated what\u2019s important and what isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAs long as they\u2019re OK,\u201d he said while gesturing at his wife and kids, \u201cit\u2019s just stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dakides, 44, is regarded as one of the Mountain GOATS (Greatest of All-time Snowboarders) by Snowboarder magazine for what she accomplished during her 18-year career. She earned eight X Games medals, dominating in big air and slopestyle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Zamansky, 38, a Roaring Fork Valley native, made the U.S. Ski Team in 1999 and competed on the World Cup circuit even after he <a id=\"N0xf665d0N0xf22b60:N0xf665d0N0xe6a3d8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/aspens-jake-zamansky-man-on-a-mission\/\">lost team funding<\/a>. He <a id=\"N0xf665d0N0xf22bc0:N0xf665d0N0xe6a468\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/olympic-debut-bittersweet-for-aspens-jake-zamansky\/\">raced giant slalom<\/a> in the 2010 Winter Olympics, placing 31st.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They settled in the Roaring Fork Valley after their careers. They are raising their family and Jake bought Novus Auto Glass, a business his parents, David and Diane, owned and operated for decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Tara and Jake bought a 28-acre lot along Panorama Drive in Missouri Heights three-and-a-half years ago and set a long-term vision for building their dream house. Their lot is an astounding piece of ground, the likes of which is rapidly disappearing in the valley. Majestic Mount Sopris looms large in the distance. Cottonwoods line a gully. Elk and deer regularly venture up from the Strang and former Hunt ranches down below. There is isolation but neighbors just around the corner and over a rise. They have planted another 200 trees designed to be wildlife-friendly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The barn and residence was a first step in achieving their dreams, but construction came to a halt in mid-2018 when they say their contractor unilaterally jacked up the price of the work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They found another contractor to take over the project but by March they said it was clear construction defects plagued his work. While the structure appears about halfway complete, they figure only about one-tenth of it is viable because of the defects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They are in litigation that involves both contractors. Meanwhile, construction is stalled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe reason we were in the RV in the first place is because our money is tied up in the lawsuit,\u201d Dakides said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They made the best of their situation. They could not find a studio apartment for their family of four due to the tight housing market. They spent about one year with Zamansky\u2019s parents, but they were eager to get onto their property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">When they were athletes, Dakides and Zamansky were used to living on the road, so adjusting to the RV was no big deal. They moved the massive fifth-wheel onto their property shortly after Thanksgiving after purchasing it in California.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of stress over the last two years,\u201d Dakides said. \u201cIt was a celebration when we got in. I was just getting comfortable in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"> Meadow said it was fun having nooks and crannies to store her stuffed animals (\u201cstuffies\u201d) and books.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They used concrete blankets and hay for insulation until they could install a trailer skirt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s those materials that ignited,\u201d Dakides said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Holy Cross Energy had a scheduled outage for the day the fire broke out. The couple planned ahead and got a generator prepared before Zamansky\u2019s coaching gig took him to Canada on Dec. 8. Dakides said the generator fired up in the morning of Dec. 10 with no problem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI was thrilled,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She was returning from Basalt that afternoon when Jake called her between 2 and 2:30 p.m.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe neighbor just called me. The RV is on fire,\u201d Jake told Tara. She was rounding the corner on El Jebel Road by the big blue silo, just starting the climb into Missouri Heights when she saw the smoke and felt the gut punch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dakides learned on the site that an uphill neighbor spotted the flames, rushed down with a fire extinguisher and risked his life opening the RV door to make sure no one was inside. The fire departments of Carbondale and Basalt responded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cBy the time we got there, it was fully involved,\u201d said Capt. Dean Perkins of the Carbondale Fire Department. \u201cThe only difficult part (of the operation) was getting close enough to determine the needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Zamansky was powerless to comfort his family from Canada. He asked family friend Jill Howard to aid Tara immediately after the fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dakides said she felt shock like she had never experienced in her life, including numbness in her legs, but soon the overwhelming feeling was gratitude that they weren\u2019t caught inside and that their neighbor and firefighters weren\u2019t injured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Some items with significant sentimental value were lost in the fire. There was her grandmother\u2019s jewelry, her wedding ring, some of her late dad\u2019s belongings and the kids\u2019 clothes, toys and books. While her laptop got fried, she\u2019s hoping pictures were preserved in the cloud.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cSo far, what I\u2019ve seen, there\u2019s nothing left,\u201d Zamansky said while rummaging the site Sunday afternoon. The twisted, burned hulk of the RV was covered with 3 inches of fresh snow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A few singed pages from a Curious George book were saved. Ironically, it\u2019s a story where the monkey is dealing with flames that escaped an unattended campfire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dakides said she doesn\u2019t want her and her family portrayed in a \u201cwoe is me\u201d kind of way. Starting over \u201cdoesn\u2019t have to be scary,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of God\u2019s plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In a way, losing possessions was liberating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s not things (that they are lamenting),\u201d she said. \u201cWe just want a home again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Part of the blessing resulting from the tragedy is learning how much love and support there is in the Roaring Fork Valley, the couple said. From law enforcement officials and firefighters when the fire struck to neighbors who were quick with condolences and now to their network of friends and congregants at Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt, they have felt a ton of support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Howard helped set up a benefit account for Dakides and Zamansky where contributions can be made at any Alpine Bank in the region. Other friends established a GoFundMe account online that can be accessed by searching Dakides\u2019 or Zamansky\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Howard said she wanted to take action \u201cthat makes the family whole.\u201d She is a longtime friend of Tara and like an aunt to Meadow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cTara\u2019s just one of those people who will give anything to anybody,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Howard said she wants to preserve the Roaring Fork Valley\u2019s special quality where people genuinely care for one another, in good times and bad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt takes a community to raise kids,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dakides said her family has received generous offers of everything from clothing to bedding to housewares. They graciously must decline stuff because they don\u2019t have a home right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Zamansky said they would appreciate the chance to rent a residence that can accommodate a family of four.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dakides said they would take \u201cprayers, first and foremost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She said her family would use any donations they receive to get back on their feet. Anything beyond that, they will pay forward by donating to others in need.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They are determined the litigation over the house construction and the RV fire are speed bumps, not walls preventing them from achieving their dream. As former professional athletes, they don\u2019t give up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEvery step we take in life prepares us for the next step,\u201d Dakides said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:scondon@aspentimes.com\">scondon@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/former-aspen-ski-racer-and-family-determined-to-bounce-back-from-tragedy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jake Zamansky and Tara Dakides stand with their children Bowie Alan Dakides Zamansky, 4, left, and Meadow Anne Franklin Dakides Zamansky, 6, center right, next to a fire pit on their property in Carbondale on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The family lost their fifth-wheel RV to a fire believed to be caused by a generator [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2452303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 01:54:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452303"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2452358,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452303\/revisions\/2452358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}