Courtesy Photo

There seems to be a concern in the community regarding the reconstruction of the two Hwy 34 CDOT bridges in the Big Thompson Canyon.

Several departments, employees and the media are receiving concerned citizen calls regarding the “removal of these bridges” and summer traffic.

This CDOT project road closure is not scheduled until next winter (January 2010).

The Public Works Department is in close communication with CDOT and their engineering staff for all events related to this project. Rest assured that many public information meetings and media releases will be provided prior to any traffic changes as well as any construction.

This is a short video clip of branding day at the historic, working MacGregor Ranch in Estes Park, CO. They do things just like they did 100 years ago… Click the link below to view video!

As seen on CNN’s iReport!

“He likes to go to ‘A Growing Business’ and smell the flowers.”

So, if you haven’t heard Kathy and Brad Fitch’s song about Chippewa, you really need to go to www.estesparknews.com and hear it for yourself. They are truly talented musicians and have wonderfully gifted voices. I am not sure that it will affect all of you the same, but I became a blubbering idiot when I first heard it. Chip seemed to really enjoy the guitar playing and was drawn to the music. It was fun to watch him. Of course there was a camera also and he has become quite the ham.

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Courtesy Artist Rendering

The questions asked in this column are derived from sources such as those asked by current donors, questionnaires and interviews with local people who are interested in this important project. We welcome your input as well and hope that if you have concerns that are not answered here you will let us know by sending a note or calling to leave a message with your own questions. Contact address and phone are shown at the bottom of each column. The answers provided will come from a SOPA INC. board member, a member of a committee related to the question or other person with expertise who is working on the project, to give the best answer and information possible.

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Estes Park resident Maggie Dye Carlton died unexpectedly at Medical Center of the Rockies on Monday, May 25, 2009. She was 59 years old. Maggie Robinson Dye was born January 8, 1950 in Bloomington, IL. Her parents were Kenneth and Lillian (Lynch) Dye.

Maggie attended school at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea and graduated from Brazosport High School in Freeport, TX. She attended North Texas State University. She managed and owned restaurants.
Maggie was a member of the Daughter’s of the King, the Community Church of the Rockies,  Estes Park Newcomer’s Club and the Estes Park Women’s Club. She volunteered at the elementary school and was also a volunteer for Estes Park Victim Advocates. Maggie loved gourmet cooking, sewing, quilting, reading, snow skiing, hiking and camping. She enjoyed running marathons and riding her Harley Davidson. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Maggie is survived by her husband, James Carlton, Ret. Col. USAF of Estes Park, CO; son Robin Sudan of San Francisco, CA; daughters Carly Sudan of Houston, TX and Lily Carlton of Estes Park, CO; mother Lillian Dye of Lake Jackson, TX; brothers Kenneth Dye and wife Joyce of Lake Jackson, TX and Tom Dye and wife Jimmie of Lake Jackson, TX; sisters Katie Himmel of Carrollton, TX, Liz Greak and husband Ted of Sugarland, TX, Ann McKeever and husband Scott of Tokyo, Japan, Mary Puckett and husband Cody of Alvin, TX and Sara Dye of Lake Jackson, TX. She was preceded in death by her father, Kenneth Dye.

A memorial service will be held at the Community Church of the Rockies on Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. Memorial contributions can be made to Victim Advocates in care of Allnutt Funeral Service, 1302 Graves Avenue, Estes Park, CO 80517. See www.allnutt.com to see Maggie’s on-line obituary and send a message to the family.

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and the Boulder Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have completed the Highway 7 Recreation Improvements Plan and Environmental Assessment which proposes changes at Lily Lake and the Longs Peak Trailhead in RMNP and the Meeker Park Campground in the Roosevelt National Forest. The plan will be available for public review and comment for thirty days starting on June 1, 2009.

The following public meetings have been scheduled:
• Tuesday, June 9, 6:30 p.m. – Highlands Presbyterian Camp, Allenspark
• Wednesday, June 10, 6:30 p.m.-Estes Park Municipal Building Room 202
• Thursday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.-Boulder County Clerk’s Office, Houston Room, Boulder

All meetings will include the following:
The purpose and objectives of the plan

A summary of the issues identified by the public A detailed look at the proposed actions at the three sites

Options for reviewing the plan and providing written comments

A question and answer session with RMNP and USFS staff
Beginning June 1, 2009, the plan will be available for review and comment at the following website:        http://parkplanning.nps.gov

From this site, use the drop down menu to select Rocky Mountain National Park. A list of current planning projects will be displayed and you can select the Highway 7 Recreation Improvements Plan. Review comments can be submitted on line.

You can also submit your written comments to us in other ways:
By mail: Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park,  Colorado 80517
By fax: (970) 586-1397
By Express Delivery: Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, 1000 U.S. Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado 80517
Hand deliver: Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, 1000 Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado
If you do not have internet access, you can request a printed copy or a compact disk of the plan by calling the park’s information office at (970) 586-1206.

Photo by Marti DeYoung

This amazing photo was taken on Monday, May 25, high on Mount Wuh in Rocky Mountain National Park, by Marti DeYoung. The couple, Marti and Derald DeYoung were hiking and came upon this cow moose who had just given birth, less than a minute before they came by. Derald said, “We watched in amazement as she knelt down by the new calf and started to lick it.”