Colorado Civil Air Patrol grounded
The 15 planes in the Colorado Wing of the Civil Air Patrol have been grounded indefinitely for lack of training exercises and trained personnel, state lawmakers were told Friday. Full story
12.13.03 @ 06:30 AM MST [link]

Postal Service investigates Evergreen carrier
EVERGREEN - Delano Blair drove for a living. He worked as a U.S. Postal Service carrier in Evergreen, driving a route through mountain roads to bring residents their mail.

Blair started with the Postal Service as an assistant rural carrier in March 1996, according to a postal spokeswoman. He was promoted to rural carrier in November 1999.

What postal officials didn't know was that the state of Colorado considered Blair a habitual traffic offender. His license was revoked Nov. 8, 2002, according to a police report. It wasn't set to be reinstated until Nov. 7, 2007. Full story
12.12.03 @ 09:10 AM MST [link]

Healthy Forests Restoration Act to spring fieldwork into action in 2004
MONTROSE - U.S. Forest Service officials didn't need President Bush's signature on the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 last week to develop a wildfire prevention plan. Full story

12.12.03 @ 06:05 AM MST [link]

Avalanche danger on the rise
SUMMIT COUNTY - Backcountry users are advised to use extra caution in the next couple of days as new snows have increased the chances of avalanches for the first time this winter.

According to forecaster Knox Williams with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), three slides were reported Wednesday - all of which were triggered by explosives at Breckenridge and Copper Mountain ski resorts. Full story
12.12.03 @ 06:02 AM MST [link]

Pikes Peak preserve offers interment in natural environment
WOODLAND PARK - Tucked into thick forest at the base of Pikes Peak, the small cemetery is almost indistinguishable from the mountain terrain.

Beneath towering pine trees, cremated remains are worked into the ground and marked by a flat brick with a bronze plate inscribed with a name, dates and sometimes a short phrase. Some are decorated with pine cones, native stones and branches. Aside from a small gathering area with 10 log benches and a stone podium, the two-acre site is natural. Full story
12.12.03 @ 05:59 AM MST [link]

A tonsil for peace of mind over chronic wasting disease
The mule deer buck - hit by a tranquilizer dart - managed to make it across Mill Creek and more than 100 yards up the side of Bierstadt Moraine before dropping next to a tree. Full story
12.12.03 @ 05:57 AM MST [link]

Holiday mailing tips and packaging guidelines
• Print complete name and address and ZIP code and your return address on all mail.

• Use box/package strong enough to protect the contents and that has little or no markings on the outside. Do not use boxes with alcohol/liquor or chemical markings on the outside. Full details

12.12.03 @ 05:56 AM MST [link]

Area Red Cross in need
The Mile High chapter of the American Red Cross is trying to avoid a projected $1.4 million budget shortfall by eliminating 12 jobs and consolidating two branch offices.

Red Cross officials said Wednesday the moves are necessary to maintain the current level of services. This comes at a time when contributions are down 14 percent, but requests for help are up by 40 percent. Full story
12.11.03 @ 01:30 PM MST [link]

Jeffco sets draft priorities
The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners has a working draft of a short list of high priority transportation projects it wants to focus attention on.

The list divides projects into two categories: those under control of the Colorado Department of Transportation and those controlled by the Regional Transportation District. The list also provides some rough cost estimates through construction. Full story
12.11.03 @ 09:03 AM MST [link]

Winterize! Trees, shrubs need special care through season
Two important measures watering and mulching help trees and shrubs get through the winter, according to Greg Vlaming, the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension horticulturist in Durango. He is also a contributor to the Woody Plant Management page on the extension's Web site.

Trees are particularly vulnerable if they're less than 3 years old and the winter is dry, Vlaming said. In dry winters, slow, regular watering is important to the health of trees, he said. Full story
12.11.03 @ 09:02 AM MST [link]

Kiwanis Clubs raise money for Windy Peak astronomy building
Eleven Kiwanis clubs from throughout Jefferson County are in the process of raising $400,000, which they will use to build a new Outdoor Education Lab School astronomy building at the Windy Peak site. This is the second time the Kiwanians have raised funds and built a new astronomy facility for the district outdoor education program.

posted on Wed, 12.10.03 @ 03:15 PM MST [more..]

Drivers beware: Deer in rut are 'stupid'
It's the time of year when drivers take the wheel in a white-knuckled grip, and their eyes dart about warily, scanning the road for hoofed road hazards.

Wildlife experts say this is rutting season for deer, and amorous bucks and does are on the prowl. And, not coincidentally, body shop owners say they see more customers this time of year wanting dents banged out and headlights replaced because of accidents involving deer. Full story
12.10.03 @ 11:00 AM MST [link]

Hayman burn area salvage sale announced
The first steps in restoring a portion of the Hayman fire area to a healthier condition will begin next week with a 5-million board foot salvage sale. Intermountain Resources was awarded the contract for tree removal in the Pike National Forest in Teller County.

The Burnt Cedar Salvage Sale near Woodland Park will begin with three operators this month, and add a fourth in January. Local landowners can expect to see approximately 15 log trucks per day at the height of activity after the first of the year along County Road 3. The tree removal is expected to be completed by April.

The agency will work closely with the timber sale contractor to ensure that use of the County and Forest Service roads takes place during optimal seasonal conditions.

“Bugs have been deteriorating the value of the wood since the fire ended in 2002. We are anxious to work with Intermountain Resources and the County to remove the trees quickly and pleased to begin further restoration work in the area through this sale,” said Forest Supervisor Bob Leaverton.

Removal of the trees will allow for replanting in the spring. Potential planting areas have been identified for 25,000 Ponderosa pine seedings. In addition, collection crews gathered 450 bushels of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine cones this past fall. The seeds are now being prepared for planting by a Forest Service tree nursery in Nebraska and will be used over the next two years.

Further forest health work is expected to take place in the Hayman fire area in 2004.

12.09.03 @ 06:10 PM MST [link]

Escaping Buffalo Shot To Death In Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Three buffalo were shot and killed in Colorado Springs Tuesday morning after they escaped from a nearby slaughterhouse.

Police said 46 buffalo were able to get loose through an unsecured gate at B&C Packing Company in the 200 block of South 21st Street. Six of those buffalo eventually made their way off packing plant property. Full story
12.09.03 @ 12:49 PM MST [link]

Storm curses roads, blesses ski slopes
The biggest storm of the season so far blanketed the Front Range on Monday, causing several traffic accidents but creating stellar ski conditions in the mountains.

Clear skies are expected this morning, but chilly temperatures will hang around until Thursday. Full story

Storm slams state

A storm blew through the Rockies Monday, dumping welcome snow on ski areas hoping for a good Christmas but leaving metro-area drivers less than merry.

The storm caused a crash in Eagle County that left two injured, including a Colorado State Patrol trooper, and shut down eastbound Interstate 70 for several hours. Full story

12.09.03 @ 05:14 AM MST [link]

Winter Weather Driving Tips
With the winter driving season here, AAA Colorado recommends that you have a winter driving kit handy so that you are prepared when a winter storm hits. AAA has some tips for winter driving. Full story
12.09.03 @ 05:08 AM MST [link]

Let It Snow, Let It Snow
DENVER -- It hasn't been looking a lot like Christmas lately but that will change.

Weather watchers in love with Sunday's almost springlike weather are in for quite a shock Monday afternoon. A winter storm is headed to the Front Range, 7NEWS Meteorologist Richard Ortner said. Winter storm watches have already been issued for most of the state. Full story
12.08.03 @ 11:28 AM MST [link]

Pearl Harbor: Fewer Survivors Commemorate
Dwindling Band Of Survivors Recall Pearl Harbor

91-Year-Old 'Getting Too Old To Have Feelings'

UPDATED: 5:12 p.m. EST December 7, 2003

Sixty-two years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a dwindling number of survivors gathered in Hawaii Sunday to pay tribute to those lost.

About 250 people attended a ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial, the site near the sunken battleship which lost almost 1,200 crew members.

More at The Denver Channel...
12.07.03 @ 08:13 PM MST [link]

Pick Your Own Xmas Tree
4 areas open for cutting Christmas trees
By The Denver Post

The U.S. Forest Service has opened four Christmas tree-cutting areas in the Pike, Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests through mid-December.

A $10 permit per tree is required before entering a tree-cutting area, with a limit of five permits per person.

Read the rules at The Denver Post...

12.07.03 @ 07:54 PM MST [link]

Demand rises as flu-vaccine supply shrinks
Hundreds line up for inoculations

By Joey Bunch and Karen Augé
Denver Post Staff Writers

Hundreds of people lined up for shots at clinics in Denver-area stores Saturday after the nation's two largest makers of flu vaccine announced they have no more vaccine.

Full story at The Denver Post...

12.07.03 @ 07:48 PM MST [link]

Winter Care For Your Flowers
Helping your flowers weather the winter
December 6, 2003

Question: How can I keep paperwhite narcissus in bloom during the winter months?

Answer: To force paperwhites, fill a bulb pan (or any shallow container) with about 1 to 2 inches of potting soil, and position the bulbs in the soil so they're nearly touching one another, with pointed end up. Add potting soil so that only the top halves of the bulbs remain exposed, then water well. Place the container in a sunny window. Paperwhites will bloom four to eight weeks after potting. For a continuous show of color, start new pots of bulbs every couple of weeks through the winter. They bloom only once, so discard bulbs after they've flowered.

More Q&A at the Rocky Mountain News...

12.07.03 @ 07:39 PM MST [link]