Story by Patti Brown

Lights, cameras, action — some new holiday magic happened in Bond Park Saturday night

Hundreds of people gathered in Bond Park Saturday night for the lighting of the holiday tree — a spectacular 36-foot-tall digital tree that displays a computerized light show synchronized to holiday music.

Anticipation built as the crowd shouted out the count down a few minutes after 5:30 p.m. before the tree burst into a dazzling light show as ohhs and ahhs echoed in the brisk night air.

The Town’s holiday decorations were arranged and paid for by Visit Estes Park.

The tree will be lit for four hours every evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Story by Barb Boyer Buck and Patti Brown

UPDATED 6 p.m.

Radio communications among Larimer County rescue agencies indicated a Civil Air Patrol plane crashed near the top of Palisade Mountain east of Estes Park, killing two and injuring one late this morning.

According to a message posted by Gov. Jerod Polis just after 5 p.m. on X the names of the deceased are Susan Wolber, a Civil Air Patrol pilot and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten. The survivor is co-pilot Randall Settergren. The single-engine Cessna Skylane 182 was on a search and rescue training mission in Larimer County.

According to information from FlightAware flight #CAP534 took off from Northern Colorado Regional Airport in Loveland at 10:09 a.m.

The crash site appears to be quite remote, with a “helicopter plus litter” ordered when the first rescue crew arrived at the scene via the Palisade Mountain Trail, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Headquarters for the rescue mission were set up at the Loveland Fire Rescue Station 9, located at 100 Palisade Mountain Dr., Drake.

A 54-year old male with head lacerations and possible broken ribs “remembers most of it (the crash),” reported the first personnel on the crash site. Two others were killed in the crash.

At approximately 1:30 p.m., rescue personnel reported that a black SUV with a black trailer “passed two (rescue) vehicles up here and scraped the sides of both of them.” The Larimer County’s sheriff’s department was advised that the trailer license plate number is 300 WIF. One of the vehicles that was sideswiped was reported to be from Estes Park.

Rescue personnel on scene reported that they were about “200 yards below the main peak of Palisade (Mountain). We’re on a boulder field, probably the worst place (for any type of landing). We’re going to need a litter and a lot of personnel and will probably need to go pretty much straight over the top to that access road. If that ‘guardship’ is enroute, I pretty much know their hover capability … we have tree tops to work with.”

At the time of this reporting, the flight crew were still on the ground at Buckley Air Force base and plans were proceeding with a hike out with the only surviving victim: “please be aware: we only have one rescue now.”

Update: Alexandra Adams, communications specialist with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, held a press conference at the Drake Fire Station at 3:10 p.m. She confirmed the Estes Valley Voice’s earlier reporting that a small plane had gone down before noon, and that there were two fatalities and one injury. Rescuers were still attempting to get to and transport the injured individual.

According to Adams, LCSO will work with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board on the investigation of the crash.

Adams said no further information would be made available this evening.

Update: The article was updated with information from a post on X by Gov. Jered Polis at 6 p.m.

Story by Barb Boyer Buck

Seven Ukrainian refugees are now without transportation since Iryna Irkliienko‘s 2003 Cadillac Escalade was stolen from the parking lot at the Park Ridge Apartments in the early morning of November 17.

An Estes Park Police Department press release issued today reported this incident was part of a bigger spree: 10 separate vehicles that were unlocked were unlawfully entered and burgled and another vehicle, a blue pick-up truck, was stolen.

“These crimes occurred in different locations in Estes Park,” stated the release.

Irkliienko’s car was being used by her father who came to Estes Park as a refugee from Ukraine in 2022.

She has lived in town for 17 years and sponsors a total of seven Ukrainian refugees who live in Estes Park, all dependent on her Escalade for rides throughout town and into the valley. Her father is the only driver among them.

“It’s hard to get around Estes Park without wheels,” she said.

A neighboring building’s security camera captured video of the Escalade along with several other vehicles leaving the parking lot at 1250 Acadia Dr. 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

While inspecting the scene, Air Pods that were burgled from a car in another part of town were discovered by police, Irkliienko said.

“No one heard the alarm on the Escalade,” Irkliienko said, who added that it worked because it went off about a month ago when she got into the car when the doors were locked. She also said that her father always locked the door of the vehicle, but that the driver’s side door malfunctioned sometimes and may have left the Escalade vulnerable.

“My dad called me in the morning to ask if I had picked up the car,” Irkliienko said, which is when she first realized there was a problem. There were no valuables in the car when it was stolen.

The other vehicles affected by the spree were entered easily, and “personal items including wallets, credit cards, and tools were stolen from the vehicles,” reported the EPPD.

No arrests have been made in connection with these incidents. Anyone who has information that can help this active investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Kirk Jellesma at 970-577-3884 or Kjellesma@estes.org.

How businesses, nonprofits and volunteers connect to benefit Estes Park youth

Story by Dawn Wilson

Over the years, some locals referred to Estes Park as Estes Village.

In the early days of the town’s history, the village would refer to the town center, a few blocks of stores and services that would support the regional residents making a living as guides, ranchers and proprietors of shops and lodges.

Because of the remoteness of the valley, with limited access points up rough routes that could barely be described as roads, the locals supported each other in time of need and as community members throughout the year.

That tradition of community support continues today in Estes Park.

National Philanthropy Day is celebrated on Nov. 21 in Estes Park. Each year, the Estes Nonprofit Network hosts the event to celebrate the generosity of local businesses, individuals and non-profits who make selfless commitments throughout the year for the benefit of local community members. During the event, awards are given for Youth, Business, Enduring Service, Katie Speer Individual Philanthropist of the Year, and the Shavlik Nonprofit of the Year.

The recognition given to awardees stems from the generous donations of time, money, and initiative for their efforts to create strong spokes of the community wheel.

One such example of the efforts being provided in Estes Park highlights the work the Estes Park Mountain Shop, Kent Mountain Adventure Center, and the Estes Park Education Foundation do to support the students of the community.

“It is really a benefit of the wide variety of the community, which is our community as well regarding our patrons,” said Zack Zehr, owner of the Estes Park Mountain Shop and a board member for EPEF. “Lately with all of our small special event promotions, it is really easy to put it back into the Education Foundation because that goes to youth and the outdoors, and it is a very local piece.”

Some of the events held in Estes Park that benefit Estes Park youth include Pumpkins and Pilsners each October and the recent airing of The Devil’s Climb at the Historic Park Theatre. The movie showing sold out on both nights, with all proceeds, including ticket sales, food and beverage sales and a donation jar, being donated to the Education Foundation.

Upcoming events to benefit EPEF include a wax night to smooth out the skis on Dec. 6 at the Mountain Shop, an airing of the ski film Calm Beneath Castles coming up on Dec. 7 at the Historic Park Theatre and the highly anticipated Estes Park Ski Jor event Jan. 25 and 26.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/20/it-takes-a-village-to-support-a-community/

Story by Patti Brown

About 20 Stanley Circle neighbors met Thursday evening with representatives from the Estes Park Housing Authority and the Town of Estes Park for a presentation and discussion about plans to develop a parcel of land at 179 Stanley Circle Dr. for workforce housing for employees of the Town.

The .76-acre triangle shaped lot, which has been owned by the Town since 1999, could be developed to accommodate between 12 to 16 units of housing. The lot sits across the street from the back of the Holiday Inn and is adjacent to a strip of land that has high powered overhead utility lines and to a small condominium complex.

For the development plans to move forward, the property would need to be rezoned to multifamily, and a portion of right-of-way would need to be vacated.

The Town has asked the EPHA to serve as the developer for the property. Although the Town and the EPHA work together on many housing needs, they are two distinct entities.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/18/neighborhood-meeting-held-on-proposed-stanley-circle-development/

Story by Patti Brown

In May, the show America’s Best Restaurants came to Estes Park to film a segment on the beloved 50s diner.

Host Luis Rivera watched the chef, Ivan Rodriguez, who is also the restaurant’s general manager, prepare a classic Reuben–the most ordered sandwich at the shop–and then he bit in to savor the hot-off-the-grill corned beef and cheesy masterpiece.

Owner Val Thompson then sat down with Rivera as he sampled several of the restaurants comfort food specialties including homemade chicken tenders that are soaked in buttermilk and then hand-coated with a breading made in-house before being slipped into the fryer. Rivera praised the dish for its light but crunchy breading and commented that the chicken was “super juicy.”

He also sampled the restaurant’s tater tots, creamy mac and cheese before digging into some of Thompson’s famous pies. He started with Chocolate Peanut Butter pie, a confection made from scratch with a chocolate French silk filling and then a peanut butter silk filling topped by whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/16/americas-best-restaurants-features-estes-you-need-pie/

Limited impact on Estes Valley water security predicted

Story by Hank Lacey

The Colorado Supreme Court affirmed last week the State Engineer’s authority to impose strict volumetric limits on non-tributary groundwater withdrawals, a decision that could reshape water management practices in Douglas County, across the Front Range, and in upstream mountain communities like Estes Park.

The case highlights the growing pressure on groundwater resources in a region increasingly strained by development, climate change, and interconnected water demands.

For municipalities along the Front Range, many of which rely heavily on groundwater from the Denver Basin aquifers, “Parker Water and Sanitation District v. Rein” underscores both an imperative to plan for adequate water supplies and to carefully manage the quantity.

But the ruling may is not likely to have significant implications for communities that participate in trans-mountain diversion projects that also supply the growing Front Range and who, like Estes Park, have firm water rights to surface sources.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/13/state-high-court-upholds-state-engineers-power-to-limit-groundwater-withdrawals/

Story by Barb Boyer Buck

“I do think we should have a policy on annexation, just for consistency and predictability for the residents, for landowners, and for the county,” said Town of Estes Park Trustee Frank Lancaster during last night’s two-hour study session that preceded the Town Board meeting.

The Town’s community development director Steve Careccia explained the ragged boundary of the Town of Estes Park was formed by annexations that required the property had at least one-sixth of its boundary adjacent to the Town boundary.

Over the years, additional requirements have been put on annexations but no formal policy other than the one-sixth boundary rule, which is dictated by state statute, has been adopted by the Town Board.

Advantages to property being annexed by the Town would include infrastructure support, Town services such as road maintenance, and more. Disadvantages include additional mill levies on property included in the Town boundary and additional regulatory requirements. Annexed properties have, in the past, been required to upgrade infrastructure to Town standards before being approved.

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/11/13/annexation-strs-and-electric-rates-discussed-at-town-board-study-session/