Downvalley
There’s no news too small for the Downvalley column, Contact Pam Boyd at pboyd@eagle valley enterprise or call 970-328-6656 Ext. 4
Trail dedication
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned at the new Haymeadow trail on Friday, Sept. 13. The winner of the trail-naming contest will be honored and following the event a special showing of “Singletrack High” is planned at the Dusty Boot as a benefit for the Vail Valley Composite Mountain Bike Team.
The new trail will host the Colorado High School Mountain Bike State Championships Oct. 18 and 19.
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Housing workshops planned Friday
On Friday, Sept. 6, the Colorado Mountain Housing Coalition (CMHC) will host a day of workshops for housing organizations, lenders, developers, Section 8 providers and those concerned with rural housing issues.
The workshops will be held at the Ramada Inn in Glenwood Springs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are open to all non-profit, government or business entities interested in attending. Cost is $25 for government and non-profit entities and $50 for businesses and non-CMHC members.
Workshop topics include developing small projects in rural communities, how lenders work with deed-restricted properties, updates from CDOH staff on state programs, and the impacts of the sequester on the Section 8 program. Keynote speakers will discuss the correlation between the economy, jobs and housing. The event is sponsored by local lenders, including US Bank, Alpine Bank, Community Banks of Colorado and Land Guarantee Title Company.
For more information, contact Eagle County Housing Director Jill Klosterman at jill.klosterman@eaglecounty.us or 970-328-8773.
AARP Driver Safety Class
An AARP driver safety class for people age 50 and older is planned Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Center, located at 1402 Blake Ave. in Glenwood Springs.
This class will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Most Colorado auto insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who complete the course. There is a $12 fee for AARP members and a $14 fee for non-members for the workbook and handouts payable to the instructor. The class covers the following driving topics: how to compensate for changes in vision, hearing, and reaction time; how to handle problem situations such as left turns, right-of-way, freeway traffic, trucks, and blind spots while driving; what to do if confronted by an aggressive driver; how medications may affect driving; how to properly use anti-lock brakes, air bags, and safety belts; and how to assess your own and others’ driving abilities with a Personal Driving Capability Index.
AARP Driver Safety Classes are sponsored by High Country RSVP and taught by RSVP volunteers. High Country RSVP is a sponsored program of Colorado Mountain College.
To register, call 970-384-8747. For more information, email dspgws@rof.net.
Fore the Future
The Eagle Chamber of Commerce, the Gypsum Chamber and the Eagle Valley Homebuilders Association are teaming up with CenturyLink to present “Fore the Future” — a fall golf tournament planned at the Gypsum Creek Golf Club.
The event is planned Friday, Sept. 13, with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Tournament fees are $110 per player or $400 for a four-person team. The fees include 18 holes of golf with cart and an apres party with live music, a silent auction and prizes.
The event is a fund-raiser for college scholarships for local high school students. The deadline to sign up as a team or hole sponsor is Monday, Sept. 9. For more information, call 970-370-7065.
Colorado Master Steward Program
If you’re new to managing land that’s 100 acres or less, you may greatly benefit from the Colorado Master Steward program being offered in Garfield County.
This short course will show you how to implement proper stewardship to keep property healthy. Topics covered include everything from proper pasture management to ideas on how best to operate and maintain an irrigation system. Whether you have domestic animals or need suggestions about attracting or deterring wildlife, the program will provide the tools for more effective management strategies.
To ensure a deeper understanding of what is best for their properties, participants will write their own management plans during the course enabling students to:
Maintain healthy pastures that have fewer weeds;
Understand ways to reduce soil erosion;
Promote healthier water quality in rivers due to less runoff and leaching;
Manage livestock more effectively;
Recognize what is needed to maintain defensible space from potential wildfires, and much more.
Each class includes presentations by local experts and insight from community members who are implementing conservation practices on their own land. Field tours will also be part of the course.
This program, provided by Colorado State University Extension, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, local conservation districts and other partnering agencies, was developed specifically to help small-acreage landowner
Classes are offered Tuesday nights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning Sept. 10. Registration fee is $100 per property owner and to register or get more information, contact John Rizza: john.rizza@colostate.edu; call (970) 241-5068 Ext. 128; or go to: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/sam/ms.
USFS offices closed in Glenwood
If you were thinking of dropping by the White River National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 900 Grand Ave. for information or to buy a forest map you may be surprised that the office is closed.
Since July 1, White River National Forest (WRNF) has limited visitor information services temporarily housed at the Colorado Mountain College/Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association (CMC/GSCRA) Visitor Center located at 802 Grand Ave. in downtown Glenwood Springs. The WRNF Supervisor’s Office is undergoing an HVAC renovation through February 2014. During this period the Forest Service is partnering with the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association and Colorado Mountain College (CMC) to provide visitor information.
The CMC/GSCRA Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays year-round and half-days on Saturdays. Summer season weekend and holidays hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that the Chamber does not have Forest Service Staff on site during weekend hours.
For information on the White River National Forest, please go to the Colorado Mountain College/Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association (CMC/GSCRA) Visitor Center located at 802 Grand Ave. in downtown Glenwood Springs. For further information, including how to contact Forest Supervisor Employees who were moved, please contact Christian Oyler at (970) 319-2670. During this time, maps and other items for sale are available at ranger district offices only.
Internet service survey
The Northwest Colorado Council of Governments is asking all community members to complete a short survey and internet service speed test, which will help build good information for the regional broadband plan the NWCCOG is developing.
If you have already taken this survey at your work location, please take the speed test again from your home internet connection and enter your physical location. The data will not be released or used outside of the strategic plan and no one will contact you or collect your e-mail address. This data will only be used to identify broadband quality in the region.
The study effort does require information about physical location so NWCCOG can map the actual internet speeds around the region, which will help identify the areas most in need. This plan’s goal is to help ensure residents and businesses in the region have sufficient access to broadband. The survey can be found on NWCCOG’s website: http://www.nwccog.org under “News and Current Issues” on the homepage.
