The Estes Edit by Patti Brown

I am thankful for so many things, but I want to reflect on several things about life in Estes Park. It is said that a picture is worth 1,000 words and Dick Mulhern’s cartoon today captures a sentiment that so many of us who call the Estes Valley home can relate to.

We are blessed to live in a gorgeous, picture-postcard mountain town that millions of people want to travel to every year just to experience a few days of our day-to-day backdrop. We may complain about the lines at Safeway during the high tourist season but how many grocery store parking lots have views of the Front Range?

Sometimes we have to pause and put it all in perspective.

I am grateful for the people of the Estes Valley who have encouraged and supported the founding of the Estes Valley Voice.

In early “what if” discussions over chips and margaritas in March at Ed’s Cantina while watching Caitlin Clark play basketball, photojournalist Dawn Wilson helped to pick the name for a new, hyperlocal, independent, journalist-led news publication. We kicked around a list of options, but “voice” captured a vision for the publication as a vehicle to record the community’s stories.

We also talked about the format – should the EVV be a print or digital publication? For many reasons, it was decided that printing on paper is the past and publishing in pixels online is the future.

More than 80% of people read their news online today. Putting resources into printing on newsprint is not an efficient way to spend resources. By the time the news is written, then laid out for press, then printed, and then distributed it is history not news.

From the get-go, Jana Sanchez got on board as a business consultant, and she brought in graphic designer Christopher Ratliff to provide branding guidance. After more than a dozen iterations, we landed on stylized images of the mountains and the Big Thompson for our logo. Thank you Jana and Chris.

We met with several others for consultation and guidance and before filling with the Secretary of State as a public benefit corporation, I wrote a purpose, mission, and values statement. Journalistic ethics are important in the media, and I wanted to build the Estes Valley Voice on a clear, articulated foundation.

We needed some computer and platform help and Jim Jensen with A through Z computing solved many under-the-hood hiccups and the team from Newspack – Megan and Steve my assigned onboarding people – held my hand as I learned all the whistles and bells of publishing on a state-of-the-art platform. Thank you.

Early on Suzy Blackhurst wanted to get on board. Suzy has a professional background as a copy editor, news reporter, editor, and also a background in advertising and marketing. We clicked as friends and also as colleagues.

Barb Boyer Buck also expressed early interest in the endeavor. She has a strong background as a news reporter, writer, and features editor. She has a passion for the Estes Valley and her writing covers civic affairs, environment, and community stories. After the holidays she will be doing some stories about immigration for the EVV – what are the issues and concerns for people in our area who are here both with and without documentation, what are their rights, what should businesses, landlords, and schools do should the authorities show up with and without a warrant? Barb’s recent story about a spate of car thefts resulted in the generous offer of a car to a group of seven immigrants from Ukraine who depended on one of the vehicles which was stolen.

Both Suzy and Barb bring a passion for storytelling to our publication. Thank you.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/28/from-grateful-heart-thank-you-to-the-estes-valley-community/

More than 6 inches of snow fell overnight in Estes; residents are asked to be mindful to not park on streets and property owners need to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours

Estes Park received more than 6 inches of snow overnight and the town’s snowplows are at the ready to plow the town’s 225 residential streets which include 59 miles of streets, 12.5 miles of sidewalks, 12 miles of trails, and 15 parking lots.

According to a public service announcement by the Town of Estes Park, a snow removal team—staff from Public Works and other Town departments—are working on nine roadway routes and parking lots which are assigned to nine plow drivers.

In addition there are five routes for sidewalks and trails, and there is a back-up drivers trained to plow when needed.

To get the job done, the Town asks for the public’s understanding and cooperation.

Emergency routes. Access to hospitals and schools are the snow removal team’s first priority. Emergency routes include MacGregor Avenue, Big Horn Drive, Riverside Drive, Peak View Drive, Scott Avenue, and any other streets that must remain accessible for police or fire emergencies. When conditions warrant it necessary, emergency routes are cleared outside of roadway plowing hours.

Roadway plowing hours. While the timing and magnitude of a snow event determines the service hours, roadway plowing typically begins between 3 and 5 a.m. Drivers strive to make a complete pass along each route in five hours, although this takes longer during dangerously slick conditions and when we are short-staffed. Plows generally stop running by 3:30 p.m. This stop time allows drivers to go home and rest before returning to their routes.

Trail plowing hours. Town-maintained trails and sidewalks are typically plowed between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

State-managed highways. U.S. 34 (includes Elkhorn Avenue), U.S. 36 (includes Moraine Avenue) and CO 7 are plowed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (orange trucks). County roads and US 66 are plowed by the Larimer County Road and Bridge Department (yellow trucks).

Parking is prohibited on Town streets. This excludes spaces designated by signs or painted markings. Most neighborhood streets are too narrow to accommodate parking and two traffic lanes. Therefore, enforcement is elevated when plows begin clearing snow, and vehicles parked along narrow streets outside of marked parking spaces may be towed at the owner’s expense.

Private driveways and sidewalks. Plows must push snow to the roadway edge, which often causes a ridge of snow to be deposited in private driveways or on sidewalks. Because the Town’s snow removal team cannot remain productive when stopping to clear every private driveway and sidewalk, this task must remain the responsibility of property owners.

The Town understands that this can be frustrating. Know that your teamwork in clearing the snow piles from your walks and driveways is greatly appreciated. Residents who are unable to clear their own driveways are encouraged to contact local private contractors who provide this service.

Residential and business sidewalks. Property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks in front of their homes or businesses within 24 hours after the snowfall stops. This includes new sidewalks recently constructed during the Downtown Estes Loop project.

By law, snow removed from any sidewalk or driveway may not be deposited into the roadway. Doing so can create dangerous conditions for motorists and negates the clearing work done by plow drivers.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/27/publics-understanding-cooperation-needed-for-town-snow-removal/

Story by Patti Brown

Lights, cameras, action — some new holiday magic happened in Bond Park Saturday night

Hundreds of people gathered in Bond Park Saturday night for the lighting of the holiday tree — a spectacular 36-foot-tall digital tree that displays a computerized light show synchronized to holiday music.

Anticipation built as the crowd shouted out the count down a few minutes after 5:30 p.m. before the tree burst into a dazzling light show as ohhs and ahhs echoed in the brisk night air.

The Town’s holiday decorations were arranged and paid for by Visit Estes Park.

The tree will be lit for four hours every evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.