Silent Auction, Dinner and Fashion Show
Hosted by Estes Park Medical Center Foundation
March 21, 6:00 p.m.
Rocky Mountain Holiday Inn
Tickets: $65 per person

Proceeds to purchase medical and lab equipment for Estes Park Medical Center

Mid-winter doldrums got you down? Need something to get you excited for spring in Estes Park? Bored with your tired, old winter duds? It’s time to get out on the town, have some fun, enjoy a scrumptious dinner and see the newest spring lines in a professionally modeled fashion show. It’s time for The Gala!

Continue Reading

Little baby Chippewa, the young foal who was featured in last week’s EP News, continues to make upward progress and is growing every day. According to Dr. Marie Richardson (Dr. C), “Chip is definitely stronger. He still has his some neurological problems but they seem to improve a little each day. He’s now getting goat milk and that has helped him gain weight. I’ve also been giving him plasma the last two days and that is going very well. We’re doing everything possible to get him through this.”

As one might imagine, the supplies and medication needed to treat little Chip are very expensive. Just for the plasma alone, Marie had to spend $600. That combined with his other medications, bandaging, bedding and food, Dr. C has incurred considerable expenses to care for this baby. That doesn’t even take into account the many, many hours given by Dr. C to take care of Chip. But she is 100% dedicated to this little horse and will not give up on him.

If you would like to help out Dr. C with some of Chippewa’s medical expenses, you can drop off or mail a donation to Animal Hospital of the Rockies, P.O. Box 2897, Estes Park, CO 80517. Any size donation would make a difference in the life of this young horse who has such a determined will to live.

Thank you in advance from little Chippewa and Dr. C, and keep watching the EP News for further updates.

Culling operations have concluded at Rocky Mountain National Park for this
winter. Forecasts of the number of female elk to be culled last September suggested that up to 100 animals may be taken to keep the population within historic numbers. Recent modeling of historic data as well as two surveys completed by the park within the last few weeks suggests that 30 to 40 female elk should be culled, and that the park population is likely within the range of 600-800 elk as prescribed in the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan. To date the park has culled 33 (20 in support of research related to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and multi-year fertility control research and 13 as part of park culling operations); additionally, there has been one road killed elk. During the culling period, there were two recorded kills by mountain lion(s) as well, that we are aware of.

Park staff will continue to monitor the population to determine what management actions will be needed for next winter.

To recap the numbers:

20 taken in support of the CWD/Multi-year fertility control research/study- these animals were darted and euthanized by researchers

13 were taken by the culling team. First day of the culling operation was January 27, 2009 the last day an elk was culled was February 19, 2009.

CWD testing has been completed on 11 of the 13 animals culled. Eleven tested CWD not detected two tests are pending.

In addition during the culling operation:
One road kill (one female elk)
Two mountain lion kills that we are aware of (one female and one male elk).

Map courtesy Town of Estes Park

At its regular meeting on February 18, 2009, the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority (EPURA) gave final approval to a pilot program aimed at improving the facades of business properties within the Urban Renewal Area (URA) of Estes Park.  (See map at right of the Urban Renewal Area). The goal is to improve the appearance of individual buildings, as well as the overall look of business areas.

Continue Reading

Huntington Beach, CA resident Charles Ramey died of a heart attack at Estes Park Medical Center on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. He was 64 years old. Charles Lee Ramey was born August 1, 1944 in Inglewood, CA. His parents were Clyde Fulton and Verna (Robertson) Ramey.

Chuck graduated from Lennox High School in Inglewood, CA and attended Long Beach State College. Chuck married Darlene Dunn on July 6, 1997 in Maui, HI. He was previously married to Joanne Malta. He worked 35 years for Rockwell International as Director of Operations overseeing the company’s entire telecommunications network. He also worked for Axcelerant as a Vice President and was instrumental in helping to establish the company.

Chuck was an avid racquetball player for 33 years, having recently won a Gold Medal in a national Master’s Tournament.  He was President of the Huntington Beach Athletic Foundation and also the President of his step-daughter’s Field Hockey Booster Club. Chuck and Darlene traveled extensively and especially loved to cruise.  Chuck was a big football fan and enjoyed fishing. He loved to cook and was an avid wine collector.

He is survived by his wife Darlene of Huntington Beach, CA, two sons, Christopher Scott Ramey and wife Sasha of Loveland, CO and Sean Michael Ramey of Loveland, CO, a step- daughter, Margaux Mae Dunn of Massachusetts, a granddaughter, Shayanne Ramey of Loveland, CO, a brother, Kenneth Ramey and wife Judy of Lancaster, CA. He was preceded in death by a son, Brett Matthew Ramey and his parents.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA on February 28th at 1 p.m.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to National Heart Association in Chuck’s name.

In January, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Town of Estes Park teamed up to provide an opportunity for area residents to recycle corrugated cardboard. The second opportunity will be on Saturday, February 28 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Residents are asked to bring their corrugated cardboard to the Rocky Mountain National Park truck/trailer site on Mills Drive. Please enter from Hwy. 66 to Mills Drive by turning at the Rock Inn Steakhouse. Continue up Mills Drive to where trailers will be staged to collect the material. The event will be repeated on Saturday, March 28.

Corrugated cardboard will be the only material accepted at this recycle event. No cardboard from packaged frozen food (boxes from frozen, bulk hamburger patties, hotdogs, fish, etc.) will be accepted. No paperboard boxes will be accepted (cereal boxes, gift boxes, shoe boxes, egg boxes, soap boxes, paper towel tubes). No newspaper or office paper will be accepted. No magazines or phone books, plastics, or metal of any kind will be accepted. Please recycle those items in other appropriate locations.

There will be Rocky Mountain National Park staff on site to assist residents and verify appropriate material. Volunteers from the Estes Park League of Women Voters will be involved as well. This effort is to help area residents with their personal corrugated cardboard recycle needs.

The first Community Cardboard Recycle day was held on Saturday, January 31. Approximately 60 residents recycled 46 cubic yards of corrugated cardboard.

Grand Prize Winner:

Robin Serafini

5 Runners Up:

Guinevere Crabtree

Fred Brauer

Dale Maugans

Barb Legg

Arla Hay