By Shannon Lukens.
Over an estimated thousand skiers and riders celebrated Pete Van De Carr and his contributions to the community with a run at Steamboat Resort, followed by a toast to Pete at Steamboat Square Wednesday night. Eugene Buchanan made the toast.
Pete owned Backdoor Sports, and died in a skiing accident on the mountain in February.
Yampa Valley Sustainability Council is celebrating Earth Fest today, from 1-3 p.m. in Albright Auditorium at Colorado Mountain College. There will be interactive fun tables and activities with light refreshments. The event is free. But there is a link to sign up for a ticket on the Community Calendar on our website.
Local governments and community partners in the Yampa Valley are considering forming a Regional Transportation Authority. This is for Routt and Moffat counties. There is a meeting at 6 p.m. tonight in Town of Hayden Council Chambers.
Also on the Hayden Town Council Agenda, proclamations for Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Month of the Young Child in Hayden, The Month of Autism Acceptance, and recognizing April 25 as Arbor Day.
Find out more at SteamboatSprings.net/RTA
The town of Hayden is working with Routt County Humane Society to launch the “Wild Whiskers” Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. It is to help control the feral and stray cat population in Hayden. The humane society will help with the trapping, surgeries and vaccinations and management of the cats.
- Contact:
Routt County Humane Society – Elaine Hicks, Executive Director. 970-233-8740; ehicks@routthumane.org
Town of Hayden – Police Chief Scott Scurlock. 970-276-2535. Scott.scurlock@haydencolorado.org
The winner of the National Civics Bee in the Yampa Valley is Emma Swanson, a 6th grader at Steamboat Springs Middle School. Her presentation to the three judges was about bullying.
“This is very important to me because it affects the kids as well as the adults because if the adults get affected then they have to quit their jobs and they might not have enough money to sustain life and that can be really hard on the kids to have to worry about money at such a young age.”
Emma wins $500 and will compete in Denver, May 30, in hopes of competing in Washington DC in the fall.
Second place was Ellory Dale, and third place was Violet Bock, also from Steamboat Springs Middle School.
The event was hosted by the Craig Chamber of Commerce at the STARS Ranch in Steamboat Springs.
More on the Story — Local middle school students compete in Civics Bee
The first sighting of a Sandhill Crane flying back to the Yampa Valley was from Jason Miller this year. He wins the grand prize after spotting a solitary Sandhill Crane flying over the Way Out West Trail in Steamboat Springs at 5:37 a.m. on March 5.
Summary of the 2025 contest winners by zones and dates:
- Grand Prize: Jason Miller. 3/05/25 at 5:37 a.m. Reported a solitary Sandhill Crane flying over Way Out West Trail in Steamboat Springs.
- West Routt: Jocko Camilletti. 3/06/25 at 7:30 a.m. Reported a solitary crane 2 miles east of downtown Hayden.
- Craig: Kathy Simpson. 3/06/25 at 9:20 a.m. Reported a solitary Sandhill Crane on a ranch in Craig off of HWY 13
- North Moffat: Justin & Landa Rehfeld. 3/10/25 at 8 a.m. Reported a solitary Sandhill Crane with geese near the Little Snake River south of Baggs, WY near the state line in Colorado.
- West Moffat: Jeff Gonclaves. 3/10/25 at 8:25 a.m. Reported five Sandhill Cranes just west of the Little Snake River on HWY 318 (south of the highway) near mile marker 44.
- Steamboat Springs: Zach Ahrens. 3/17/25 at 11:20 a.m. Reported a pair of Sandhill Cranes just east of Steamboat Springs across HWY 131 by the Haymaker Golf Course on the railroad tracks.
- South Routt: Liz Rostermundt. 3/25/25 at 11:00 a.m. Reported a single Sandhill Crane calling near the Catamount Ski Touring Center.
- North Routt: Sue Fegelein. 3/26/25 at 6:21 p.m. Reported a group of Sandhill Cranes flying over CR 52 in North Routt.