Notes from your editor, 2/4/21
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.
Here we are in February! So, I’ve been working on special articles for NEXT week – being Valentine’s Day weekend. Be sure to support your local restaurants and bakeries and card shops! They have a big selection of quality, unique things right at your doorstep.
Our next “Person on the Street” (use to be “Man on the street”!) will be “what was your most memorable Valentine’s Day?” Watch out for our favorite “reporter on the street”! ha! Rebecca Batson. We are also looking for some poems to match the occasion; let us know if you’re interested in submitting something! Well, I’m not going to give everything away… you’ll have to wait till next week to see a FULL ISSUE of “Heart” oriented articles!
So, let’s get started with the News…
TOWN NEWS
PINEWOOD SPRINGS Grass Fire: January 30 — Knit McPurl reported on Facebook that a fire near her home was reported to the fire department. She said, “Up 2-3 houses from our house — on Pima — Rudy and our neighbor were first on the scene. They dug a fire ring and Rudy had a fire extinguisher and a couple buckets of water on it when the fire dept got there. Fire dept has it all out now.” She said it was due to someone dumping fireplace ashes that were still hot. If you can’t put your hand on it, it’s still too hot to dispose of! Also, it makes a mess; it is like slurry mud; does not blend in with the dirt.
FAREWELL: final day Jan. 31st = “Good day friends! I’m in Boulder for the last time today but Jacaranda is open and serving at the Stone Cup.” Moudou
COMMUNITY FARM: Vasilena Smith posted on Facebook that she would like to get a group of folks together to co-create a community farm and animal sanctuary. She will be submitting to us more information, and how to contact her, in the next issue.
BOULDER — Dave Hight, the McGuckin Hardware co-founder who spent six decades building the iconic store, died at 91 years of age.
POLITICS
==PENCE: “Former Vice President Mike Pence is beginning to build a political future without Donald Trump, including making plans to form a policy-focused political committee that would help him maintain a relationship with donors,” NBC News reports
==Republican Party: Some members of the Republican party have started a movement to go back to their conservative principles. People can go to: www.Country1st.com They also welcome centralists who are willing to compromise.
==Democratic President: Biden is doing just about all his campaign promises in his first two weeks in office; an unprecedented pace.
ECONOMY / Unemployment Insurance Program:
Colorado’s statewide unemployment rate rose two percentage points to hit 8.4% in December, after Red Level restrictions. People can now apply for unemployment insurance due them. Beginning February 1st, you will have to apply for it again, be denied, and then apply for the new federal version. Here are the instructions to the FEDERAL pandemic benefits program.
SEE OUR ARTICLE later this month on Colorado’s ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, And the USA – Wages, Unemployment, Rescue Plan, and Grants
CLASSES OR EVENTS:
Go to FLASH NEWS for more activities and deadlines.
repeat: LIBRARY – Register for their first Annual Winter Reading Program. Win prizes! Open to adults and kids. Winter Reading Program: Warm up to Great Books
repeat: LEAF MENTAL WELLNESS on ZOOM – On HOLD –See Rebecca Major, OUR Center, for assistance: rebecca@ourcenter.org.
repeat: BLOOD DRIVE: February 12th. To those who donated last time, we can donate again on the 12th. Times are 10:00 to 2:15 p.m. but they will have another person this time so we can go longer if we have people to fill the slots. The site already has the times to make appointments to donate. Thank you for helping to save lives!
SKATING POND: It has been closed for about a week with weather around 60 degrees. The coming week will be closer to 30-40 degrees and snow, so it may reopen. They unfortunately do not update their web page daily, but they do post it on Lyons Happenings in Facebook, or you can try to call the town, or just drive up to the pond and look at the sign. https://www.townoflyons.com/591/Ice-Skating-at-LaVern-M-Johnson-Park
===Great Outdoors Grants===2021 Small Grants Announced; Awardees to build trails, boost local farms and gardens, greater access==LOVELAND, Colo. – Larimer County Natural Resources is proud to announce $18,764 in grants to support seven community and neighborhood projects that help educate and connect people to the land. The awards were given to a wide range of organizations across Larimer County through the department’s Small Grants for Community Partnering program. Annually, $20,000 is set aside from the tax funds for grant awards each year. Since 2008, Larimer County has awarded $347,936 for 214 community and neighborhood projects.
For more information about the program, contact Jennifer Almstead, grant program coordinator, at (970) 619-4569 or jalmstead@larimer.org, or visit https://www.larimer.org/naturalresources/small-grants
—————————
PICKLEBALL in LYONS: Heather Petrarca Saunders: “Want to play some Pickleball. Come join us on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Bohn Park Tennis Court– contact me at hpetrarca@hotmail.com or on Facebook. We had three people last week. I have extra paddles if needed. We are beginners. We laugh as much as we play. If it’s super windy we just go for a walk in the park. Come join us.”
COVID-19 NEWS
See February 4th NEW article on everything COVID in Lyons, Boulder & Larimer County, and the state of Colorado – easy access, at your finger tips to all the news – I have gathered it from the various state’s web pages and news organizations to save you time
- The new Phase1B3 chart – who gets the vaccine
- The new COLOR Phase chart (going from orange to yellow)
- Boulder County statistics/facts
- Applying for 5-Star status
Colorado numbers continue to slowly decline. Lyons remains at 66 cases.
BOULDER COUNTY gets approved for FIVE STAR Program, which means approved restaurants can move to “Yellow” restrictions.
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE: President Biden has ordered that the health care plans reopen their enrollment period, particularly for those who may need health care during the pandemic. You can now sign up for insurance from February 15 to May 15, 2021.
TRAVEL/FEDERAL MASKS LAWS: As of Jan. 20, persons in all federal buildings or on federal lands must wear masks and social distance. The CDC issued orders Feb. 3 for the same on planes, trains, buses, taxis, ride shares and the like. Refusal is a violation of federal law. Those under two years of age, or with certain disabilities will be excused.
(Here is a great list of links to sign up at for vaccine information – provided by Boulder County https://www.bouldercounty.org/families/disease/covid-19/vaccines/).
THIS WEEK’S 12 ARTICLES
MANAGING & PROTECTING LYONS ECOLOGY & WATER: This week we have a report from the ECOLOGY BOARD. Note, that they ADVISE many different groups, in addition to the Town’s Board of Trustees. The report is comprehensive, and you will be boggled by the amount of work that they enter into – here are a couple of good lead sentences: The EAB will continue to push for and support projects funded by the mill levy that better manage water flows, water quality, and water allocation, that help to improve invertebrate and fish habitat, and that improve recreation and its associated economic benefits./// to promote Lyons’ Walking Arboretum, support the Weed Posse, educate community members through eco-minded newspaper articles, and provide an ecological perspective on development projects, including the Summit affordable housing development and the Apple Valley buyout properties. The EAB also celebrated several significant accomplishments in 2020…/// And that’s your teaser. Read the article to learn about their current and future projects in more detail! Congrats on a great job EBA! (Note, they have a vacancy on the Board!)
++++++++++++++++++
THESE 4 ARTICLES ARE NEW FOR FEBRUARY
THEY WILL be UPDATED throughout the month, as MAJOR news takes place:
==High School Spring SPORTS – We’ve already updated this twice! — February page.
==Town Board Meetings – Feb. 1st Board of Trustees (more added, as they happen)
==COVID News – details on vaccines, Phase 1B3, Boulder County info, and more.
==Elementary/Middle/High School News
++++++++++++++++++
==BOOK: Velocity of Being – this is a book about the “wonders of reading” which would make a great gift for Valentine’s Day. The heartfelt testimonials are combined with images of cards (mini pieces of original art) by Lyons Art-Trading-Cards enthusiasts.
==Longmont turns 150 years old! Hear about the events happening around town.
==Hwy. 7 construction – meeting taking place to discuss the fall construction
==FIRE CHIEF – new chief hired, starts March 1st
==PHOTO of the WEEK: Rainbow over Steamboat valley
==FLASH NEWS — general events and deadlines, listed by date.
==ABOUT TOWN — weekly column by LaVern Johnson of snippets of Town news.
==NOTES from Your Editor — behind the scenes news, business updates, personal notes, classes, caring messages, and more…
MY WEEKLY MESSAGE OF CARE: Take a look at the Photo of the Week — a lovely bit of a rainbow, and a lyric from “Over the Rainbow.” Hope is on the horizon…
“May heaven crown our days with joy
And fill our hearts with cheer
And give us health and sweet employ
Throughout this good New year
………..by William Arneil, Scottish poet (b. 1856)
Take Care of Yourself! See you next week!
**********Click Here For Previous NOTES FROM YOUR EDITOR************