Triple Tragedy Rocks Popular Ski Resort : Vail: Arrests of three key city officials hit residents hard.

Things used to work so well in America’s top-rated and most popular ski resort that the constant battle for parking was the talk of the town of 3,800. Now, talk focuses on more serious matters:

* Safety Manager Mary Lawrence was charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a 2-year-old girl run down in a stroller in September. Police allege Lawrence was stoned on cocaine. The victim’s family has filed a $10-million lawsuit against the town.

* Town Attorney Tom Moorhead was arrested April 2 on charges of driving under the influence and careless driving after he wrecked the $28,998 Saab assigned to him.

* The town’s personnel manager, Bob Mach, was arrested May 30 on murder charges in the shooting of his wife, Mimi. (The couple earlier were charged with child abuse after leaving their 11-year-old daughter home alone while they took a four-day business trip to Montana.) Mach was charged with first-degree murder and was held without bail at Eagle County Jail in Eagle.

Even the privately owned ski area hasn’t escaped trouble. One of its employees was killed in February after he jumped off the edge of a road while skiing, slamming into a British tourist and seriously injuring her.

“This has not been a very pleasant year for the town,” town Manager Bob McLaurin said.

He has spent hours talking with members of the city’s 205 full-time staff members “just to make sure everyone here is OK.” Counseling was offered, though McLaurin said morale remained good.

“This is just an unrelated series of unfortunate events. We can’t hide that. We’re not trying to hide it. We’re trying to deal with it. We’ll come out of this even stronger,” he said.

Art Kittay, an outspoken critic of the town government, remarked that the town fortunately is building a police station right next to the administration building: “They can move them from the administrative office right into jail.”

He called it a scandal that all three town officials remained on the payroll after being charged. All three pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

Gaye Steinke, manager of the Vail Athletic Club, said, “It’s almost like their alleged crimes match their jobs. I mean, the safety director. . . .”

Steinke sees it as just a coincidence, “but it doesn’t reflect well on Vail. I just hope they face up to the charges and don’t try to hide behind their positions.”

Said Police Chief Ken Hughey: “My gut feeling is now that the initial shock is over people are getting on with their lives.”

“I think that everyone is probably shaken by the number of tragedies we have had,” Mayor Peggy Osterfoss said. “All of us live in an upbeat place where positive things go on and, well, tragedy seems distant.”