By Shannon Lukens.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has announced they are forming a temporary working group to provide input to CPW staff when it has to do with implementation of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. The group has members of CPW staff, along with advocates of wolf restoration and those with ranching interests. Areas of focus will be on building trust, addressing conflicts and potential alternatives to those wolves who continue to kill livestock, or chronic depredation.
More on the Story — CPW TO FORM WORKING GROUP REGARDING WOLF RESTORATION
Close to 20 local groups gathered at the Steamboat Springs Community Center Thursday for the first ever Health & Wellness Expo today, for those 60 and older. April Sigman is the executive director for the Routt County Council on Aging.
“It’s bringing the community together and creating connections. They know that there is a community of support out there.”
Yampa Valley Community Foundation got the idea going when a community member reached out about a concern of suicide risk in the local aging population.
Traci Hiatt, the Director of Philanthropy at YVCF, gathered together service providers and health care professionals who serve older members in the community. They collaborated to come up with the idea of a health and wellness expo.
Hiatt says, “The intent was to provide one day and one place where people could go to receive health, dental, vision and hearing screenings, as well as many other resources and services, with a goal to identify potential issues early and connect people with providers who can help.”
Hiatt says the person who started the conversation came up with the funding to help make the wellness expo happen with services and resources provided for free, on-site.
Hiatt added, “The goal was to connect older adults in our community with people who can help them with their needs.”
More on the Story — 1ST ANNUAL 60+ HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO BRINGS OLDER RESIDENTS TOGETHER
The SOSY group, as in Special Olympics Steamboat Yampa Valley, have started their summer practices. These are residents with disabilities from throughout Northwest Colorado, including Craig, Hayden, Steamboat Springs, and South Routt. Here’s Heidi Brumleve.
“I just love being out here because I like to get in shape. I like to play softball. I think it’s fun. I always have a good time out here. I have lots of friends.”
They practice bocce ball and softball at Howelsen Hill every week. Tournaments are coming up the last weekend in July in Grand Junction.
The participants are from STARS, Horizons and True North. That’s a group started by Audrey Zwak.
“It’s a non-profit that we started for young adults, 18-21, that are coming out of most of the services in town, so they can have peer groups, job coaches. We have 15 people with 15 different jobs in Steamboat. And they do life skills.”
True North means pointing adults with disabilities in the right direction.
Audrey’s daughter, Ellie, said why she likes it and gave a cheer.
“Cause everyone’s here. My best friends. Whoop!”
The SOSY group will also be having fundraisers outside of Steamboat Ace Hardware on June 15 and July 6.
Melissa Pollack is the new Special Olympics coordinator for Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley.
More on the Story — LOCAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS RESIDENTS ARE PRACTICING FOR SUMMER TOURNEYS
Yampa River Ambassadors are still looking for volunteers this summer. If you are interested, sign up through FriendsoftheYampa.com
Registration for Tour de Steamboat is open. It’s a bike ride on Saturday, July 13, and a fundraiser for Yampa Valley Sustainability Council. The one-day event has options for road rides and gravel rides, bringing together 1,200 cyclists. It is also the 20th anniversary for Tour de Steamboat. Link to register
The Routt County Humane Society is hosting a free Vaccination Clinic at Mountain Valley Bank, 635 Marketplace Plaza, in Steamboat Springs, from one to three on Friday this afternoon.
The Colorado Mustang Stampede is happening in Steamboat Springs today. The classic cars will be lined up on Yampa Street, on the other end from the Farmers Market, on Saturday.
The Hayden Museum is doing a fundraising event. It’s a Tour of the Elkhead Rock School, with authors Dorothy Wickenden and Belle Zars. There is a morning tour and an afternoon tour on Saturday, June 15. The cost is $40 for museum members and $50 for non-museum members. Go to HaydenHeritageCenter.org for tickets.
Dorothy Wickenden – former executive editor of the New Yorker and author of the New York Times bestseller book Nothing Daunted and Belle Zars- Local historian and author of the Women Writing the West WillaLiterary Award Finalist Book: Only Connect will be doing author talks and booksignings in the Elkhead Rock School house which was featured in both books.
Saturday is a Craig Pride gathering at the Luttrell Barn, hosted by the Craig Pride Alliance. It’s from noon to 3 p.m. All are welcome.
A premier string ensemble of students, called Frontier Strings is performing at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 15, in Library Hall at Bud Werner Library. It’s free to watch the show. The group performs from memory throughout the United States and Europe. They do some stunt-fiddling, and can hula hoop while performing. All are invited.
It’s Clean-Up Day for the Town of Yampa, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. Dumpsters and bins are available for trash and metal and that includes batteries Some items have an extra charge like mattresses, furniture, and electronics. This is for Yampa residents only so bring a copy of your water or sewer bill.
The Open Range Cowboy Church in Craig has their 1st annual Community Cookout Saturday. It’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Craig VFW. All are invited. 970-589-7107.
The Oak Creek Farmers Market starts this Sunday and runs through Aug. 25. It’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Oak Creek. Interested in being a vendor? Email FarmersMarketOakCreek@gmail.com
Check out what’s happening in the Yampa Valley on the Community Calendar on our website.
For the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline, call 970-824-1918.