In Vail, January Piles It On
"Snowiest month' upon us

By Stephen Lloyd Wood
January 9, 2004

My, my, how things get quiet after the holidays.

While the yuletide crowds have come and gone, the powder they left behind is quite fine. Conditions this week at Vail and Beaver Creek, in fact, were just short of epic.

"Now's the time for locals to get out and enjoy it," Jen Brown, spokeswoman for Vail Mountain, said Thursday. "The whole mountain is open, and the snow is phenomenal."

More on favourable snow conditions at The Vail Daily

01.10.04 @ 08:52 PM MST [link]

Help Needed To ID Jeffco Body Found Buried At White Ranch Park
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is hoping that someone will be able to identify the adult male found in a shallow grave near White Ranch Park on December 20, 2003. Additional tattoos have become distinguishable and with an artist’s rendering, hopefully someone will come forward to identify the decedent.

posted on Fri, 01.09.04 @ 03:30 PM MST [more..]

Stop Feeding Wildife Or Face Fines
DENVER (AP) - The state Wildlife Commission has voted unanimously to ban feeding of fox and coyotes in urban areas and putting out salt blocks to attract deer and elk in nonagricultural areas of northeastern Colorado.

"We have prohibited feeding coyotes and fox in any area where shooting a gun is not allowed," said Mike King, regulations manager for the state Division of Wildlife. Full Story

01.09.04 @ 10:17 AM MST [link]

Mountain Lion Attacks California Biker; Body Found Nearby
LOS ANGELES -- A mountain lion attacked and severely injured a bicyclist in an Orange County, Calif., park and may have killed a man whose body was found nearby, authorities said Friday.

Authorities shot and killed a 2-year-old, 110-pound, male cat hours later near where the man's body was found. They were "pretty confident" it was the animal that attacked and took it to a laboratory for testing on Friday, said Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the California Fish and Game Department. Full story
01.09.04 @ 09:18 AM MST [link]

Jeffco Kindergarten Registration Begins This Month
Elementary schools in Jefferson County will hold kindergarten registration from January 26-30, 2004 to align with the district’s new choice enrollment process.

All neighborhood schools offer full or half day kindergarten programs. It is best to call the neighborhood school and check on registration dates and times. If parents don’t know the name of their neighborhood school, they may call the district’s school boundaries office at 303-982-2339 or on the district’s web site.

posted on Thu, 01.08.04 @ 04:52 PM MST [more..]

Mad Cow Scare Prompts Jeffco Schools To Pull Beef
GOLDEN, Colo. -- Jefferson County schools are pulling some beef off the menu until it can confirm it's safe to eat. Full story
01.07.04 @ 03:44 PM MST [link]

Chimney Fire Forces Evergreen Family Out Of Home
A fire that may have started in a chimney forced an Evergreen family out of their home Tuesday night.

Firefighters arrived at a home on the 3800 block of Mountainside Trail within nine minutes of receiving the call about a fire. They found smoke coming out of the chimney. Crews were able to contain the fire within 45 minutes. Full story

01.07.04 @ 03:43 PM MST [link]

Helpful hints for winter hiking
The recent snow and continuing cold temperatures have turned our mountain backdrop areas into a winter wonderland for visitors. Hikers are advised to take care when visiting these areas by heeding the following tips:

posted on Tue, 01.06.04 @ 03:12 PM MST [more..]

Colorado tax checkoff helps wildlife
River otters once again are splashing around Colorado and black-footed ferrets and Canada lynx are roaming their historic prairie and mountain ranges thanks in part to voluntary taxpayer contributions to the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.

The Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund is the oldest of its kind in the United States and has helped Colorado biologists undertake significant efforts to conserve 750 species that are not hunted or fished. Residents can support the fund by filling in line item 30 in the Checkoff Colorado portion of their 2003 state income tax form. Supporters say donations are especially important in the current climate of economic uncertainty and tight budgets. Fund managers speculate that donations to all of the Checkoff Colorado nonprofits dipped last year due to the sagging economy.

posted on Tue, 01.06.04 @ 01:58 PM MST [more..]

Colorado lawmakers lose taste for water
With a tight budget and a lingering bad taste from water legislation, Colorado lawmakers are facing fewer water bills than last year in the legislative session that begins Wednesday.

Other environmental issues on tap for the General Assembly are likely to focus on conservation and public health impacts of other laws.
01.05.04 @ 05:33 AM MST [link]