Sunday, March 21st - Photo Of The Week... During last weeks beautifuly warm and pleasant weather, this herd of Bighorn Sheep were caught relaxing in the pre-spring sunshine... Spring officially arrived at 5:34AM MST this morning... Along with the Elk and Bighorn becoming more active in the Spring, so do other area residents such as, the Black Bear... After a long Winter's rest they are sure to be hungry and will be looking for food most anywhere they can find it... Early Spring is a great time for area residents to get out and clean up potential trouble spots for bears such as trash containers, grills, feeders, etc... This protects both the residents and the bear from an undesirable conflict... The wildlife was here before us and it is our obligation to try to live in a responsible, harmonious manner with the nature that we are so blessed to be surrounded with... 

Saturday, March 19th - Springtime Elk On The Move... With the coming of Spring, large herds of Elk have recently been seen in residential areas on Storm Mountain... Recent warm weather and moisture has caused grasses and other plants to start to sprout... The Elk now are coming down from higher elevations in search of these tasty young plants... Residents are advised to use caution when driving and to keep vigilant watch on fences and livestock, as reports of Elk damaging fences have been reported in the area... Spring officially arrives at 5:34AM MST tomorrow...

Friday, March 18th - Estes Park Says No To Peace Tree... On Wednesday morning, March 17th, Paul Sterling met with the Estes Park Board to get their decision on adopting the, "Peace Tree"... Apparently the tree did not have the "Luck of the Irish" on this Saint Patrick's Day, as the city rejected the offer to adopt the tree... The board stated that the "Peace Tree" is, "too hot a topic"... Sterling plans to continue his efforts to find a  permanent home for the carving, with offers and suggestions coming in from around the globe...

Governor and Legislature Agree to Budget Fix... On Wednesday night the legislative leadership and Governor Owens reportedly reached an agreement on a proposal to fix our State budget... Below is the contents of the agreement, although there may be additional details to follow... The agreement will have still to pass this November... This should be somewhat easier with the Governor’s support, but it will still be tough...

Wednesday, March 16th - Big "T" Elementary Faces Staff Reduction In Fall... In a newsletter from "Big Thompson Elementary" sent home with students on Monday, it was announced that due to financial difficulties, the number of full-time teachers on staff for Kindergarten to 5th Grade could be reduced from the current number of 10 down to 9 teachers this fall... A quote from the newsletter states, "This year we have 10 teachers for those positions. Unless they release an additional teacher to us, which there is a small chance they'll do, we will have one less teacher next year. We are also going to see big changes because of a number of teachers retiring. Things are going to look different next year. We are in a time of rough waters." Should the loss of a teacher occur, several options are being considered including multi-age classrooms where students would stay with the same teacher for two years... Big "T" is not alone in their dilemma as school districts statewide are struggling to provide quality educational services under the recent State mandated budget cuts... St. Vrain School District was reported as considering the cutting of over 60 teaching jobs...

Tuesday, March 15th - Gas Pump Prices Near All Time High Nationwide... The price for a gallon of gas is nearing the all time Nationwide average high of $2.06/gal for regular unleaded fuel... Local prices in the Estes Park area have already exceeded this all time Nationwide average high by more than $0.20/gal... In perspective, when adjusted for inflation, gas prices in March of 1981 would equate to $3.08/gal at the pump today... With tourist season due to start in a couple months, concerns over the impact these higher fuel prices will have on the local economy is being considered... Should prices continue to rise, as expected, the number of tourists traveling this season could be substantially less than in past years... As Estes Park bases it's economy primarily on tourism, high gas prices could result in a double punch to local merchants...

Firewise Chat To Be Held Wednesday At 11AM... "Firewise.org", an online organization providing educational information for people who live or vacation in fire-prone areas of the United States, will be holding an online chat on Wednesday, March 16th at 11AM MST... "S.M.E.R.T.", and Cedar Park/Cedar Springs are considering joining as a community... All area residents are encouraged to attend this free online chat... "Firewise", is also a great source of information on fighting, and more importantly, preventing wildfires...