By Shannon Lukens.
The Rainbow Gathering has announced that they will hold their 50th Anniversary gathering in Routt National Forest. It is July 1-7, and different reports say there could be 10,000 to 30,000 people camping up in North Routt County. It was announced on a Rainbow Gathering Facebook post that they’re actually just outside of Craig. But Aaron Voos with the U.S. Forest Service says the gathering is California Park, which as 10-15 miles west of Clark and Hahns Peak, on U.S. Forest Land.
“Still a lot to be determined about what’s actually going to happen.”
That’s because Voos says the event is not authorized or permitted. Those attending the Rainbow Gathering just spread the word and all show up each year, wherever it may be. Voos says U.S. Forest officials are aware and they will work with the group as best as they can.
“One thing we have in our favor is that the Forest Service works with this group annually. We have a lot of law enforcement and folks on our incident management team that are very familiar with it. So we are able to bring those folks in to assist us. They will also be assisting Routt County in that.
Voos says they’ll keep the public informed with a Forest Service website set up just for the gathering. It’s July 1-7 but those attending usually show up a few weeks before, which would be now. And then there’s the fire danger.
“Fire danger is definitely something that we will be keeping tabs on.”
Routt County Undersheriff Doug Scherar says all Routt County departments will be aware, including the Routt County office of Emergency Management. They’ll respond to any law enforcement or medical incidents if they need to.
In an article from the Denver Post, it says the Rainbow Family of Living Light is a “sect of hippies that say they stand for peace and love.” The Rainbow people were last in Colorado in 2006, when they set up camp in North Routt County near Clark.
The Colorado Sun is reporting that 30,000 people could attend the 50th Anniversary Rainbow Gathering. Link to article
- Rainbow Family Gathering website
- US Forest Service website on the Rainbow Gathering
- Denver Post article from March 31, 2022
- Colorado Sun article on April 1, 2022
- Blog on Rainbow Gathering
- 2022 Colorado Rainbow Gathering Facebook page has 4.8K members
County property taxes that are paid in two installments are due today. They can be paid by credit card or dropped off at county offices. That’s in both Routt and Moffat counties. In Routt County, that’s at 522 Lincoln Ave. In Moffat County, that’s at 221 W. Victory Way.
River safety… Don’t jump from any bridges, like those over the Yampa River through Steamboat Springs. Water levels fluctuate, there are unmarked obstacles and large rocks. Steamboat Springs Police sent the reminder that jumping from any bridges is prohibited. And if you’re wondering about how cold the Yampa is, it’s average about 45 degrees each morning.
Licensed staff in the Steamboat Springs School District will be getting an 8.33% increase in pay this coming school year. Classified staff, including paraprofessionals, gets an increase in pay of $4.28 per hour. The district will invest approximately $1.7 million dollars in reserves to provide two years’ worth of salary increases this year.
Here are more of the specific details from the Steamboat Springs School District.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – At the board meeting on Monday, June 13, the Steamboat Springs School District Board of Education voted to approve the compensation package negotiated between the District Bargaining Committee and Steamboat Springs Education Association. The agreement is for two years, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, with an overall package cost of approximately $2.7 million. The package includes two years’ worth of increase in advance for the first year, 2022-2023, and as a result, no negotiations will take place for 2023-2024. The district will invest approximately $1.7 million of reserves to provide two years’ worth of salary increases in the first year, 2022-23. The staff ratified the agreement on June 6, 2022.
The current licensed staff schedule will be increased by 8.33%, bringing the base salary to $48,750 (BA step 0). If eligible, current staff will receive a Step increase of 2.4% in addition to the 8.33% for 2022-2023, a total increase of 10.73%. Per the two-year agreement, current staff will receive the entire increase in the first year, 2022-2023. There will be no increases in the second year, 2023-2024. The agreement also included education-based lanes for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Classified staff, including paraprofessionals, will see a $4.28 per hour increase, a range of 13-26% for 2022-2023, depending on the position. Classified staff will also receive the entire increase in 2022-2023 and no increase for the 2023-2024 school year. The District will cover the cost of health insurance increases for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 plan years.
Several policy agreements also resulted from the negotiations. Seven years of experience will now be considered for placement of newly hired licensed staff and classified staff, up from six years for licensed staff. Policies were updated regarding using personal days for extenuating circumstances (ALD). Bus drivers will see an increase in activity trip pay (NP-54), and the district will pay salary adjustments to the extracurricular duty schedule (NP-11).
The District Bargaining Committee members are Board of Education Vice President Chresta Brinkman; Strawberry Park Elementary Principal Dr. Celine Wicks; Director of Human Resources Katie Jacobs; Director of Finance and Operations Stephanie Juneau; and Superintendent Dr. Brad Meeks.
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association is meeting for their annual convention this week. It’s in Colorado Springs. They official recognized the Pankey Ranch in Craig with the Leopold Conservation Award at a luncheon on Monday. It’s for the Pankey family’s commitment to responsible stewardship and working lands management.
Chris Gilbertson of Steamboat Springs has been named the Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping Coach of the Year by the U.S. Ski Team. (Photo courtesy US Ski and Snowboard.) List of all coaches honored.
In an announcement for U.S. Ski and Snowboard: Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping – Chris Gilbertson, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Chris Gilbertson, jumping coach for the U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team, was named Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping Coach of the Year.
Gilbertson, who had coached up to 2013, returned to the United States in the summer of 2020 when the nordic combined team was challenged to get international coaches into the USA because of the pandemic onset. The team heartily welcomed him back. In the two years since his return, he has been consistently supporting, challenging and motivating athletes.
The impact of his work has been a substantial climb up the ranks in ski jumping results compared to the past. His passion for the sport of nordic combined has been embraced by the athletes, with the results showing.
Gilbertson was named Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping Development Coach of the Year in 2001 while working with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
The vaccination bus is at the Stockbridge Transit Center in Steamboat today. This is for flu and COVID vaccines. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vaccines are free. You don’t need ID or insurance. The vaccine bus will be back on Friday, June 24, in the Walmart parking lot in Steamboat.
Tonight is a ribbon-cutting for the expanded Howelsen Ice Complex. It’s from 5-7 p.m. at the rink. The new 4,200 square foot expansion includes second-floor viewing windows and a concession area, , a new women’s locker room, new restrooms and an office. A new multi-purpose room will allow for licensed school-age childcare programming in the fall.
Tonight is Open Mic Night at the Luttrell Barn in Craig. You can watch or you can participate whether it is playing an instrument or singing a song. It’s at 6 p.m.
The Bureau of Land Management is having a one-hour virtual information meeting about wild horse management in Colorado. It’s at 5 p.m. tonight. Staff will provide updates on the management of the wild horses, the upcoming gather, and the next steps for the Canon City facility. You must pre-register at
https://blm.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_c6JZuRO5QaGO39ZVMWu5tQ