Downvalley
There’s no news too small for the Downvalley column. Contact Pam Boyd via e-mail at pboyd@eaglevalleyenterprise.com; or call (970) 328-6656 x4.
Screaming Eagle Golf Tournament
The Eagle Chamber of Commerce has filled most of the player slots, but is still on the hunt for hole sponsors and gift bag swag for the 2013 Screaming Eagle Golf Tournament.
The event is planned Friday, May 31, at the Eagle Ranch Golf Club. Play will begin with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. For those who want to support the event’s cause — the Eagle Chamber of Commerce scholarship program — but who don’t play golf, an apres tournament party is planned.
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For more information or to find out if you can slip in to play, contact Taylor Slaugh at 970-306-2262 or visit http://www.eaglechamber.co.
Dive into Summer
As local school kids and their teachers are well aware, the 2012-13 term is quickly drawing to a close.
For members of the Eagle Valley High School Class of 2013, the final day of school is tomorrow, May 17. Graduation ceremonies are planned Saturday, May 25, at 9 a.m. at Hot Stuff Stadium.
For all other students, Thursday, May 30, is the final day of school.
What better way to start off the summer than with a party at the pool? Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District will host its Dive Into Summer pool party Friday, May 31. Admission to the Eagle Pool is free between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Additionally WECMRD’s Rec Kids camp counselors will be on site and games, competitions and prizes are planned. For more info, visit wwwwecmrd.org or call 970-328-5277.
Play ball
WECMRD will hosts its Baseball Opening Day celebration Saturday, June 1, at the Eagle County Fairgrounds complex.
The annual festival kicks off the local youth baseball program for the summer and will include a first-pitch ceremony at 9 a.m. followed by a full slate of games throughout the day. Concessions, booths and the Colorado Rockies Skills challenge is planned. For the challenge, boys ad girls between the ages of 6 and 13 compete in ten fundamental skills of batting, base running and throwing. Winners from the local competition move on to a regional contest and qualifiers there compete at the state level. Participation in the Rockies Baseball Skills Challenge is free.
For information about youth baseball opening day visit http://www.wecmrd.org.
Ready, Set Go! workshops
For the second year, local fire agencies throughout Eagle County will join together to share critical information on how best to prepare and protect private property in neighborhoods at risk for wildfire.
A series of community preparedness meetings have been scheduled throughout May and June to educate citizens on Ready, Set, Go! — a national program developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Ready, Set, Go! is a wildfire action planning program aimed at involving the homeowner early on in protecting his or her property from the threat of wildfire:
Ready – Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildfire so your home is ready in case of a fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home. Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe spot. Make sure all residents residing within the home are on the same page, plan escape routes.
Set – Act immediately. Pack your vehicle with your emergency items. Stay abreast of the latest alerts. Sign up at http://www.ECAlert.org for emergency notification.
Go – Leave early. Following your action plan makes you prepared at this step of the process. Firefighters are now able to best maneuver the wildfire and ensure you and your family’s safety.
The Ready, Set, Go! local sessions are as follows:
May 16 – 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Brush Creek Pavilion in Eagle, hosted by Greater Eagle Fire Protection District
May 22 – 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Gypsum Fire Station 14 in Gypsum, hosted by Gypsum Fire Protection District
June 5 – 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Eagle-Vail Pavilion in Eagle Vail, hosted by Eagle River Fire Protection District
June 23 – 9 to 11 a.m. at McCoy Rodeo Grounds in McCoy, hosted by Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department
June 26 – 6 to 8:30 p.m. at West Vail Fire Station in Vail, hosted by Vail Fire & Emergency Services
The sessions are free and community members are welcome to attend any meeting that is most convenient. In addition to the fire agencies, sponsors of the program include American Red Cross, Avon Police Department, Basalt Police Department, Colorado State Forest Service, Eagle Police Department, Vail Police Department, SteamMaster and Eagle County and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the Ready, Set, Go! meetings, property owners are encouraged to contact their local fire agency for an assessment on creating a defensible space around their homes.
For more information on these and other preparedness programs, as well information on upcoming Ready, Set, Go! workshops for Spanish-speaking residents, contact Eagle County Wildfire Mitigation Manager Eric Lovgren at 970-328-8742.
Boogie at the Boneyard
On the heels of last week’s Eagle Outside Festival, the community will continue to shake off its cabin fever with the Boneyard Boogie race planned Saturday, May 18.
The Boneyard Boogie is a 10K trail run starting at the entrance to the Bluffs BLM Trailhead parking lot in Eagle and working up the dirt road following the single track to the left at the top of the hill. The trail continues on switchbacking single track through heavily wooded BLM areas, emerging from the trees and into rolling sagebrush fields. Runners will encounter some trail splits along the way along with some short burst climbs. The single-track trail descends to the Pool and Ice Rink Trail from above the east Eagle connection for an extended downhill run to the finish.
The race start is 9 a.m. and registration opens at 7:30 a.m.
Racers will enjoy a free brunch at the Dusty Boot in Eagle Ranch after the race. Prizes will be presented to the top three finishers of each age group at each race, with series prizes awarded to the top three finishers who compete in at least five events. Raffle prize drawings also will be held at each awards ceremony featuring products from area merchants and national companies.
The Boneyard Boogie is the first scoring race in the La Sportiva Vail Mountain Trail Running Series, Colorado’s premier trail running series, which is celebrating its 15th season. The seven-race series runs May through September and includes distances ranging from a 5K (3.2 miles) to a half marathon (13.1 miles). The race series was named Best Race Series in 2005 and 2008, the Vail Half Marathon named Most Scenic Race in 2010 and the Vail Hill Climb was honored as the best non-ultra race in 2011 by readers of Colorado Runner magazine.
For more information, visit http://www.vailrec.com.
Melee In the Mountains Roller Derby
The 10th Mountain Roller Dolls, the valley’s team of hard-hitting roller derby girls, is taking their game to a new level.
On Saturday, May 18, they will be joined by skaters from across the region in a knock-down, no-holds barred, winner-take-all, mix-up tournament. The Melee in the Mountains promises to be a fun day as the players divide into teams and play for the title of Mountain Melee Queens.
Besides the derby action, which will be fast-paced and hard-hitting, there will also be vendors, door prizes, a silent auction, and even some great dance shows between the bouts. The day promises to be an exciting one, so come spend a fun day supporting the community.
Event tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids and youngsters ages 3 and younger are admitted for free. Tickets are available from any derby girl, or e-mail us at 10thmountainrollerdolls@gmail.com. To learn more about derby, check out 10thmountainrollerdolls.com.
Around Town
The Eagle Valley Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is hosting its annual banquet Saturday, May 18, at 6 p.m. at the Eagle River Pavilion at the Eagle County Fairgrounds. Moe’s Bar B Que, a silent auction, raffles, a live auction and more is planned. For more information, call Dennis Goodspeed at 970-926-0836.