Actor Donald Sutherland got to meet Kaileen Pickett-Heaps.

The big time Canadian, with his third wife, also a native of the Northland, and their little dog, stopped for dinner at Bobby Starekow and Chris Miller’s Silverheels at the Ore House on Old Main Street Frisco the other evening.

The star and wife dined on the busy heated patio, with Kaileen – admittedly star-struck – working as their server.

Sutherland is well-known for appearing in the original “MASH” movie, which made him a bonafide star as the rebellious doctor Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman’s film with Elliott Gould. He was also in “The Dirty Dozen” and “Klute,” (with Jane Fonda), among others.

Sutherland’s wife, Canadian actress Francine Racette, is best known for her work in numerous French-language films, including “Monsieur Klein,” with Jeanne Moreau, and Louis Malle’s “Au revoir.”

Sutherland has several children, most famous of whom is FOX “24” star Kiefer.

Kaileen found the Sutherlands to be very nice patrons and easy to get to know. They were on a road trip, driving a son’s Toyota SUV with a keyboard he needed in Denver, where they dropped the vehicle off and grabbed a flight up north.

The vast open spaces of adjacent Utah, and the West, provided the Sutherlands with an escape from their crowded lifestyle, prompting them to want to return, Kaileen says.

Just turning 76, Sutherland was on oxygen, but was not visibly slowed by our 9,100 feet above sea level elevation, according to Kaileen, who’s been here for 21 years and working at Silverheels for almost 13 years.

“I’m moving in on Patti (“Did I Say Thousand Island?”) Davita’s record here,” says Kaileen, who lives on Ptarmigan Mountain above Silverthorne with husband Dave, an electrician for Gary Probst’s Triangle Electric.

In addition to being a server, Kaileen is a professional wedding and portrait photographer, and even puts in some time with Alpine Gardens. In the winters she works in guest services up at Arapahoe Basin, for Alan Henceroth.

“I just love Bobby and Al,” says Kaileen. a native of Long Island, N.Y. “I’m proud to work at both places.”

She was named an employee of the quarter up at the ski area last winter.

And naturally, she’s an accomplished alpine skier, a fact bolstered by her holding the A-Basin Enduro distaff record of 63 runs in 10 hours with her good buddy, post-opt nurse Jody Thompson.

Kaileen, “48 and holding,” and Dave are still good friends with Joni Ellis (remember her rafting company?) and Pat Watham, after renting a basement from them long ago.

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Claudia Alster of Grand Junction and Frisco, writes that husband Bob, who’s an entertainer and booking agent for others, has produced his latest CD, “Candlelight Guitar.”

“It’s now available on iTunes,” says Claudia, “search for robert alster (all lower case).”

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Roberto Moreno, formerly of Frisco, reports he’s been busy with multiple initiatives in Denver – especially the regional family camping program developed for the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service last year.

The effort landed him among 10 finalists for the L.L. Bean Outdoor Heroes Award this year.

“Over 600 groups/programs/individuals were nominated and apparently we have a pretty good chance of making the top five,” he reports.

See this link: http://www.llbean.com/heroes

“By the way, we saw Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige at Carmine’s on Penn a couple of nights ago, celebrating his 65th birthday,” Rob says.

Miles F. Porter IV, nicknamed “Spike,” a Coloradan since 1949, is an Army veteran,

former Climax miner, graduate of Adams State College, and a local since 1982. An award-

winning investigative reporter, he and wife Mary E. Staby owned newspapers here for 20 years.

Email your social info to milesfporteriv@aol.com