NEWS Briefs & NOTES from your editor, 4/13/23

WEATHER: We’re experiencing a heat wave this week! with temperatures in the 70s and even 80!

CAR THIEVES are OUT in LYONS! Beware! – seen in and around cars and trucks, and “work trucks” on both north and south 3^rd, and 2^nd near High Street! This past week.

Congrats to Larry Quinn & Linda Backup who celebrated their 41^st wedding anniversary – and Linda also opens her “solo art show” this week at the Lyons library!

===GOVERNMENT NEWS==== This past week, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed over $68 million from the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) for aging water infrastructure projects in Colorado, == the majority of it — $56 million – will be spent on the construction of the mine drainage water treatment facility and chemical storage building at the Leadville MINE Treatment Plant.

BIKERS SAVING PUPPIES Needs Your Help===We could really use some help to keep Highway 50 Freedom ride moving along. We have been helping transport 5-15 dogs a week to their new rescues and the cost has been adding up lately. We are spending about $600 a month (gas, insurance, registration, PACFA fees, etc) and we want to be able to continue emptying the shelters each week. Your donations are tax deductible since we are a non-profit 501c3 (Hwy 50 Freedom Ride is “d/b/a” under Journeys End Tail Wagging Inc. – it’s the same non profit though!) www.hwy50freedomride.org

REMINDER to get your dog license – discount prices in April! See town hall.

REMINDER to get your golf cart license. (new law in Lyons) See town hall.

MOOSE in Lyons area – three people reported seeing a couple of moose in their large, backyards! – and others reported seeing their foxes come back to up their ‘nests’ again.

OUR WANDERING NEIGHBOR Cheri Hoffer said she connected with another Anglo woman in Japan thru an app called “Host a Sister,” and is staying at her home. (good to know!) Cheri says that she grounds herself on her travels by doing cooking from scratch and listening to NPR (public radio) stories.

SPRING SNOW – Lyons and Pinewood have dry ground with no snow, but Estes and RMNP still have spring snow. Bobbi Wehrs commented about her snow in a Facebook posting: New Spring snow in Colorado! Upper Beaver Meadows XC skiing yesterday. Bridal Veil Falls on spikes today (4/7/23). ==Al Pace posted deep XC tracks in the snow and said he took a: Short but challenging side trail off the Rock Creek Road, Allenspark on 4/6/23 === and Kathy Baker showed her FOOT of snow in her Estes Park backyard on 4/5/23. === Greg Lowell described his skiing as: Bluebird day, whipped cream snow, tired legs … on 4/8/23.

PINEWOOD SPRINGS Families == Did you know that every child in the Estes Valley, from birth to age five, can receive a free book once per month, mailed right to their home? Sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library today. Children who have been read to, or who are simply surrounded by books in their home, can be exposed to 30 million more words by age three, than children who don’t have regular access to books.==== April is Estes Grows Readers month at the Estes Valley Library! Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing information, resources, events, & opportunities to improve early literacy in our youngest residents==== (ALSO Meet author & artist Memo Plastilina for a family-friendly clay craft program– Wednesday, April 19)

PRESCRIBED BURN: We told you last week that the Forest Service would make a final decision on doing the fire burn (after a weekend of 6 wildfires in Colorado), and on April 8, they reported “firefighters conducted a test fire and have determined that conditions are clear to allow Forsythe II Prescribed Burn ignitions to continue as planned. Smoke may be visible.” in East Boulder. — We posted this on our Facebook page.

LIMB DROP OFF – April 22, 8am-12noon – We asked the Town for more specific info on the location and the size of the limbs, and got it this Monday — we have published a separate article with all the details. 

MEET your BOT and mayor -and- tour the Parks Department on the same day as the “limb drop off.” Except it is from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.  Mayor Hollie Rogin, Mayor Pro Tem Joceyn Farrell and Trustee Glen Delman will be there.— We understand that there will be more such Open House talk sessions, perhaps once a month with different Trustees. We’ll keep you posted.

STARS LAB = Keith Gleason, our local astronomy expert posted on Facebook: Nostalgia. Watched a Zoom presentation last night celebrating the 75th year of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Science (LASP). I was impressed to learn how big the institution has grown (over 700 people now, compared to maybe 40 or so back when I worked there as a grad student back in ’77-’78, when it was less than 30 years old). As was pointed out, LASP is the ONLY educational space research organization in the world that has been involved in missions to EVERY ONE of the planets in the solar system, plus the Sun, asteroids, comets, and beyond. —Me, in grad school I was involved peripherally with the OSO-8 (Orbiting Solar Observatory) satellite, data from which comprised my graduate thesis

WOMEN’S GROUP: Nancy Pecone described the new social group (for women of all ages) as: “A place for women to come together to share their journey with other women. The first meeting at the Lyons Library on April 18 at 6:30. Future meetings will have cacao ceremonies, fireside gatherings, meals together, meditation, yoga, and other balancing activities. We can let the divine feminine in us all loose together in fellowship.” (This was initially going to be for women going thru Menopause, but is expanded due to interests voiced.)

THANKS == (1) from LAHC – All those pieces of art that are hung around the library and town hall take time to coordinate and hang — Shout-outs to Jacob Leewenberg, Claudia Paterno, Meta Roth, Rick Collette, Susan Pruitt, Ann Hall, Robbie Mandel, Kara Bauman, and Kim Mitchell for helping to dismantle / hang / orchestrate the four art shows this past week === (2) And LCF earned a few bucks selling wonderful pastries at the High Ministries (Planet Bluegrass) Easter Church Service.== (3) Thanks to Rev Sam Tallent for putting on the Annual Easter Celebration on Planet Bluegrass grounds (and thanks to PB for opening up their property!) (4) EASTER EGG Hunt: Thanks to the Lyons Fire Dept. who put on a public Easter Egg hunt on Sunday, and brought their fire truck for the kids to climb on.—Also thanks to all town people who donated candy!

Frizzle Farm is being put up for sale next month. You may know Daneka and Jeremy who worked there and at St. Vrain Market. They are now looking for a new place to live in Lyons.

Lyons (BOT) Ordinance 1143 =Increase in customer-owned generation of electricity= The Board of Trustees recently passed Ord. 1143 which allows all customer-owned generation (COG) of electricity to have a maximum capacity of 25 kilowatts instead of the current 10 kilowatts.

===SPECIAL ACTIVITIES=== See Things to Do for full Details

LYONS Co-Ed Softball League registration is open!  REGISTER The Adult Recreational Softball is back this summer. Get out that old leather glove, grab your teammates, and head out to the fields for some FUN! This summer we’ll be offering an 11 week season consisting of 10 weeks of regular games and the final week of championship games. Depending on the number of teams on the schedule, your team may have a by week. A minimum of 6 teams is needed for the league to run. Teams must have 8 – 16 players. Each team must have a minimum of 4 players that identify as female on the roster. No experience is necessary to play. If you are a free agent, we will find a team for you. Players provide all their own gear. ==Ages: 16 and up==Dates: Thursdays, June 1 – Aug 10; games at 5:30 or 6:30 pm==Location: Bohn Park, 199 2nd Ave==Fee: $30 per player plus $400 fee per team

“4/20” – do you celebrate 4/20? – Red Rocks Amphitheater will have a show on 4/19 and 4/20 – the Marley Brothers -ft  Ziggy Marly & Stephen Marley & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Ky-Mani Marley & Julian Marley. 

===SCHOOL NEWS=== (1) Students start their SAT & PSAT testing this week.  (2) April 11-16 Student Art show at Boulder Fairgrounds (Longmont) incl. Lyons students!   (3) Hey Families of Future 6th, 7th and 8th Graders! This summer we are going to be running Project Launch at Lyons Middle Senior High School! Project Launch will be a free opportunity for students to strengthen their reading and math over the summer in a fun, friendly, camp-like environment. Students will receive small classroom instruction from high-quality St. Vrain Educators. Deadline to register is April 15th   (4) We have TWO School News ARTICLES this week — one a summary of current events for parents, and one a call out for people to join the Accountability committee to draw up new rules. (5) Only a limited number of YEAR BOOKS are left. Order online. If questions, strzyz_annamarie@svvsd.org. Distribution is May 15th.

Our MaryLee Herrmann went off to Hollywood to seek her fortune, She has come back with a one-woman show at the Dairy Center, May 19-20. It is promoted as having laughs and tears. “Diary of a Not So Great Daddy’s Girl.”

VIALANT BLOOD DRIVE in Lyons! – May 2, from 2 to 6 p.m., library community room – only a few spots left! as of 4/11/23 – BUT several Power Red donation spots – that’s a double-donation option where you donate twice as many red blood cells but they simultaneously return all of the other components of your blood…they filter the red blood cells with a special machine.  It takes longer, but is an excellent and important option! –Register! —  You can just stop by, but you will have to wait for an opening.  Town of Lyons – May 2nd Vitalant Blood Drive link

Mojo Taqueria update… message from TY: This will be our last week serving breakfast burritos. Thank you to everyone that supported that endeavor. Unfortunately we just weren’t able to gain enough traction with it to make it work, and our man Jose is moving to Pueblo. So stop in this week for the last ones and say goodbye to Jose if you’ve been coming in regularly. We might start it up again at some point, we’ll see.

MUD HUT got a new picnic table. While it is licensed as a drive through, some may want to stop and eat before hitting the road again.

CAR WASH – I sure do miss the car wash next to the St. Vrain Market in the winter months. Dam the kids who vandalized it! If you want to go to a great one – in Longmont on Ken Pratt where the Office Depot / Safeway/ and Batteries place is – go behind Office Depot. You can do-it-yourself or “drive thru.” I talked with the owner and he is really proud of his place, makes sure it is kept clean, no old ‘parked cars,’ well-lit and safe. He says he posts his phone number all over the place because he wants people to know it is independently owned and wants to make sure It is running well at all times of the day and night.

ADOPT A DUCK, Estes Park, May 6, 2023 == There are about 40 LOCAL Front Range charities listed who get $22 out of the $25 ticket. MANY of them specifically help people IN LYONS! === Lots of GREAT Prizes – and remember! It’s not a gamble because YOUR charity WINS by getting your funds! === Check out the list here: https://www.epduckrace.org/adopt-ducks/   You do not need to be present nor do you need to have the confirmation/ticket at the race. Check back on www.epduckrace.org after race day to see if you won!

PINEWOOD SPRINGS –monthly  “Drive-Way Happy Hour” is Back!  If you are a resident, either see the Pinewood Facebook page, or contact Judy Bigger for more information.

EARTH DAY April 24 – what will you be doing to celebrate our Earth?

(1) Gateway Realty Group (Dan Siddall) is excited to announce our upcoming 2nd Annual Earth Day clean-up event on Friday, April 21, from 3-5 pm. Let’s come together as a community and make a positive impact on our environment by helping to clean up our town’s parks and streets. — We will provide all necessary equipment, including gloves and trash bags, and will haul all collected trash and recyclables off after the event. —Please RSVP to help us know how many to plan for. We can’t wait to see you there and to show our town how much we care about the planet! Facebook events page: REGISTER /or if you’re not on Facebook call Gateway Realty, 303-823-8400. 

(2) Lyons Community Church will have a special guest speaker. Ellie Brown is a singer/songwriter with an album out called Funny Little Day, a professional therapist, a poet, a dreamer, and a lover of the authentic and simple pleasures of life. Ellie’s music, poetry, and musings weave together elements of whimsy and play mixed with deep spiritual resonance, making you a believer in living into your highest vibration. 10 a.m. service Sunday April 23

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“Things to do” this week:

silent auction for Crisis Advocates; annual Kite festival; talk on hurricanes; Lyons film festival; Spring Threshold Summit; book author talk– UC scandals; Boulder Art Week; new women’s group– “sharing our journey”; Book author talk– Park Ranger from 1920s; Lyons library– talk on Ethiopia culture; Earth Day clean up in Lyons. (see our weekly calendar)