Notes from your editor, October 29, 2020
If there ever is an emergency in town, or timely news needing to be distributed, you can trust the Lyons Recorder to put it online immediately.
EVENT NEWS: – always check Flash News for events and their related dates.
GENERAL NEWS…
HALLOWEEN – no Town sponsored events. The Lyons Chamber has produced a map of places that will be open for Trick or Treating. See FLASH NEWS for more details. Some of the stores in town have “contactless goodie bags” for any kid coming in who is wearing a costume, any day of Halloween week! Be safe!
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME: Turn back your clocks one hour on October 31, Saturday night/Sunday morning at 3 a.m.
The Lyons LEAF Food Pantry will begin allowing two people at a time to enter the hall and pick their food items beginning in November. Masks must be worn. People will be given a number and should wait in their car until called. If you are in need of food, go to the Pantry on Wednesdays, from 3 to 5 p.m. located in the Lyons Community Church, lower hall.
Spirit Hound Distillery’s latest release is a handcrafted bourbon aged for 3 years on American oak barrels. It will get its unveiling in a two-day tasting event on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Includes opportunity to learn from Co-owner and Head Distiller Craig Engelhorn while they enjoy. See their web site for more details.
THIS WEEK’s ARTICLES:
Lyons Garden Club. It is both a history of the club, and a request to support them through donations because they were unable to do their annual fundraiser Chili Contest on Halloween.
FOREST FIRE Emergency Page (links, phone numbers, maps, tips, lists and more): This was an ongoing page for two weeks, with packing tips, links to maps, resources, and more. == Read the Daily Journal, which was updated twice a day, from October 17 to 28, while the Calwood fire raged.
-NEW- “FOREST FIRE WRAP UP” article, October 28th: Concluding article on the four wild fires that affected Lyons in the month of October, plus photos. ~~ And, thank you’s to all the people and groups who stepped up to fight the fires, and those who supported the firefighters in marvelous ways, plus photos.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: a letter from each the Lyons Fire department and the Pinewood Springs Fire department! plus photos.
LIBRARY NEWS: October report from Bill Palmer – concentrating on the “tech help” available for free through the library.
VOTING NEWS, Links, Tips Election-2020 – this has been updated throughout October
VOTING-
All-in-one page for election information: I have republished our VOTING-2020 page so it will be at the top of the newspaper’s Front Page, for this final week of voting. There were many additions to it since it was first published – how to respond to getting notification that your signature doesn’t match – how to vote if you have been displaced because of a fire – how to get a discounted ride from LYFT to vote – and more. Go to: Election-2020
Over two million Coloradans have already voted! As of today. That’s 48 percent of Registered Voters. – We will post the results of the elections next week, as confirmed and received. May the best candidates win!
SCAM WARNING:
(1) Fake Proud Boys Email: Office of Homeland Security said that the biggest threat is disinformation campaigns. Don’t believe everything that you see on Facebook or get in emails. “We are doing ourselves damage and India Iran and Russia don’t have to work as hard this year. Their goal is chaos, which appears to be happening already.” People are questioning who are the agitators at peaceful marches? Homeland warns that adversaries are digging up unflattering information on candidates’ campaigns and prominent Americans.
US government officials are reporting that Iran and Russia have tapped into the USA Voting records. Iran has sent out emails to Democrat voters claiming that they are the Proud Boys and that they can see your records, and if you don’t vote for Trump, that they will come after you. These are fake emails; vote as you please.
(2) Legit Looking/but/Fake Newspapers: One company has set up 1200 fake newspapers across the country, with names that look legitimate (like “CO Business Daily”, “CO Springs Times”). They are printing correct articles, with the truth twisted based on their paying client’s requests. Never trust a newspaper that you have not known for years.
COVID-19 = ORDERS issed: back to Safer at Home Level 2 – Boulder County // Larimer County is at Level 1 (but rates are at “high”):
Level 1 is “cautious”; 2 is “concern”; 3 is “high risk.” the next step is “Stay at Home”
As of this week, Boulder County is on the precipice of going from Level 2 to Level 3. =new cases in the past two weeks is 174.5 per 100,000, up from 135.7 last Thursday, Oct. 22. Safer at Home Level 3 begins at 175 per 100,000 population. The five-day rolling average of daily cases among county residents is 52.6 cases per day, which is higher than any other time except during the height of the surge of new cases among young adults. (Lyons added two new cases this past week, for a total of 12 for 2,000 people).
Each LEVEL increase on the state Dial restricts the number of people who can be at a business, restaurant, or workplace, as well as decreases gathering sizes for events and fitness activities. At this time, gyms and personal care salons have not closed.
The state is at 7.8 percent positivity rate, which is above the recommended 5 percent level of cases. Eighty percent of ICU beds are in use.
YOU can help reverse this by wearing a mask when outdoors or in poorly ventilated facilities; social distancing six feet or more; and washing your hands frequently. Don’t let your guard down, and be sure to wear a mask when visiting friends and relatives who do not live with you, including in gatherings! This is the #1 cause for the increase in cases.
*FREE* COVID-19 testing begins in Lyons this Friday, October 30, 1:30 to 3 p.m. and continue for the rest of the year. – see FLASH NEWS for more details. Thanks to the Town of Lyons Board of Trustees’ encouragement for this to be done, and to Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services Alliance.
ADD YOUR PHONE: Did you get your app yet? Go to addyourphone.com for instructions and info about the COVID-19 exposure notification app. Colorado needs all the help it can get to slow the spread. This is run by the state. Your privacy is protected; no one will know your location or name. Click on the link to find out the details; quick and easy!
Here is the State of Colorado “Safer at Home” fact sheet page.
Here’s some fun: What did you forget when you evacuated?
Last week people were packing and going to friend’s homes and motels and more due to the voluntary evacuation notices for the town. The new discussion on Monday was “have you unpacked?” Most of the people said they were home but had not unpacked yet, out of precaution. Some put their boxes by their front door entrance. Others partially unpacked.
While most of us are sitting in the comfort of our homes today, we can now look back at the “emergency kits” we put together with a little bit of humor. Did you remember to pack all the essentials? Many ran into the same problem that I do when I travel – you put off packing your essentials, like toothpaste, alarm clock, morning pills, etc. until the very end because you are still using them, and then, sometimes, you end up forgetting them! On the other hand, those people who did pack and leave for a couple of days now have to dig for those essentials. One person said she packed her boots somewhere in her car, and wished she had them now. A few people said that they were now thinking of uncluttering their house.
Some funny things that people packed: a big rubber ball, all eight coats from the hallway closet for two people), nail polish; overripe bananas, the front door wreath, dog treats that he doesn’t like anyway, jar of pickles, makeup, five pairs of jeans,… A few brought musical instruments (flute and ukulele) that they haven’t played in years. And one woman said: I grabbed my husband’s most spot stained shirt that I could have possibly found. It’s in the trash at the hotel.” The most often mentioned “dumb thing” was summer clothes; and the most often mentioned “good thing” was photographs, or heirlooms.
Things they forgot: my meds on the night stand, my contacts, the computer power cord, any extra underwear and socks, … One woman said “No winter clothes. And I’m a native.” Another woman said she “left everything because I was stuck in Loveland” and never got home to pack. And, another said “Did I mention that the dog and I are sharing the same brush?”
**VETERANS DAY** is coming up — if you are a veteran, or had a family member who was, contact us with your name and military info and we’ll post it next week! Let us know if you want to be interviewed, and we’ll put in a little clip about your military service! write: LyonsRecorder.Editor@gmail.com
My Message of Care, for the Week:
There are people in Lyons who don’t have sufficient funds – either temporarily or all year – to pay for food or pay for emergency items like electric bills, and they rely on Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) to help them through. This year, the need is higher than ever due to the COVID-19 struggles. There are three ways that you can help “your neighbors”: (1) be part of the virtual “Rave to the Grave” on October 30 at 7 p.m. (2) donate to Laura Levy’s $10,000 fundraiser on Facebook, or (3) send them a check direct (POBox 324, Lyons 80540) They are a 501© 3 organization, so it is tax deductible.
Stay well, and stay informed! Keep reading the Lyons Recorder!
See you next week! Kathleen Spring, Your Editor
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