Elkhorn Lodge tour allows community to see where renovation project stands Developers of the Elkhorn Lodge property at the west end of Elkhorn Avenue took their plea for annexation and rezoning of an additional 40 acres of property they own to the public on Tuesday by opening up the shell of the…

Estes Valley Fire Protection District begins reorganization and staffing changes Changes are afoot as the Estes Valley Fire Protection District evaluates its administrative staffing needs. During a lengthy meeting Monday night, Interim Chief Warren Jones presented to the EVFPD board and requested…

Reflections on protest on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Today is the 40th anniversary of the first nationwide observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The federal holiday honors the life and legacy of the slain civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner. King championed peaceful protest,…

Library supplier went out of business but EVL has new distributor Baker &Taylor -- a book company that acts as a middle man between libraries and publishers -- went out of business in October. How is the Estes Valley Library dealing with this? Pretty well. "Yes, Baker & Taylor was our main book…

Letter to the Editor Senator Michael Bennet is running for Governor of Colorado! With this news, I was concerned about losing him in the Senate. When I think of Senator Bennet, three words come to my mind: respect, integrity, and dedication. I’ve long been a supporter of Senator Bennet. I recently…

EsSpanish podcast – 19 de enero The Estes Valley Voice Spanish-language podcast recaps our top news stories each week with host David Hernandez. Please let us know if you, your business, or organization would like to become a sponsor of this work. Let us know how we’re doing. Do you have ideas for…

Park Hospital District to discuss bylaws, financial policies Tuesday The Park Hospital District Board of Directors will meet at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, Jan. 20, for the first of a series of special meetings and work sessions to identify its current and future structure as a relevant governmental…

Visit Estes Park members choose new officers for coming year It’s tradition. Visit Estes Park always elects new officers during its first meeting of the year. That happened again this year when the board met on Thursday, but it was anything but traditional. The difference was that under the new…

Progress at The Ranch moves forward As county commissioners, we believe it’s important to keep our community informed about how public investments are being used and how voter intent is being honored. I’m pleased to share an update on the Ranch Events Complex and the Master Plan guiding its…

News briefs – Jan. 17 Monday, Jan. 19 is a federal holiday Looking to do business with governmental offices on Monday? Think again. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday. Among those agencies that will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day are…

A journey of service to the Amazon povides healthy water to a remote village and new insights for the travelers Jean Rissmiller will never turn on the tap again without thinking twice – or more – about the clean water she can get from her faucets. Rissmiller experienced a life-changing trip to the…

A&E: This Weekend Jan. 16-18 Here are our picks for A&E: this weekend in Estes Park, including the First Peoples Festival, live music, visual art, and NFL playoff watch parties.

Skills that need to be learned found in ‘How to Know a Person’ David Brooks, 64, is known to many as a regular buttoned-up contributor to PBS NewsHour on Friday nights and as a conservative op-ed columnist for The New York Times. He is also a nonfiction writer who came to the Estes Valley via Zoom…

Trustee Cindy Younglund announces resignation from Town Board Estes Park Town Trustee Cindy Younglund announced she would be stepping down from her position as Trustee during the Board’s meeting on Tuesday. Younglund said she would be leaving her role for “family reasons,” and wanted her seat to…

Estes Valley Library renovation to begin this summer, with focus on accessibility and community space The Estes Valley Library will begin a major renovation project this summer aimed at improving accessibility, expanding community gathering spaces, and better aligning the building with how patrons…

Dry January: A time to reflect and reset Happy New Year. As we are now halfway through the first month of 2026, I decided it would be appropriate to examine the Dry January movement, which has gained traction over the last several years. Some of you may have started the month with good intentions,…

Sarah Leonard: Getting started in Estes Park A month isn’t a lot of time to acclimate to a new community, a new job, a new set of employees, or a new employer. But Sarah Leonard, who officially joined Visit Estes Park as CEO on Dec. 1, seems to be taking it all in stride. That could be because…

La Voz del Valle podcast – 12 de enero Escucha el podcast aqui: Tina Harris announced she will seek reelection as Larimer County Clerk and Recorder in 2026. The victim of the fatal mountain lion attack that occurred on January 1 on the Crosier Mountain Trail has been identified; authorities have…

Mayor’s Message: Words and wisdom I was pleased to see the renovation announcement from our Estes Library. When plans were presented to the community a while back, it touched a chord with the community, and there was an outpouring of support. Good! A healthy library is a critical part of a…

Park Hospital District begins planning for the future Ensuring that Park Hospital District is relevant to taxpayers is of paramount importance, board members agreed during their meeting last Thursday, Jan. 8. With unanimous agreement on that topic, the board began mapping out a series of issues to…

Monthly dashboard report for November released One more month of reports has yet to be received, but with 11 months of state and local reports compiled, it is fairly clear that overall business in Estes Park has been on par with 2024 — neither significantly up nor down by an extraordinary amount.…

All hands on deck: Estes bridge players are no dummies On a weekday afternoon in Estes Park, the community room of the local Methodist church fills with the familiar sounds of shuffling cards, quiet conversation, and chairs sliding across the floor. At first glance, the Estes Park Bridge Club…

Park Hospital District Board announces meeting at last moment With no fanfare and only a silent print note at the top of its new website homepage, the Park Hospital District Board of Directors has posted information stating that a regular meeting of the board will be held later today to discuss…

A Rocky Mountain Auld Lang Syne returns to Estes Park for third year Estes Park is currently preparing to host a beloved Scottish holiday that dates back over 200 years. On Saturday, Jan. 24, the third Rocky Mountain Auld Lang Syne will bring a traditional Robert Burns Night celebration to the…

News Briefs – January 8 Estes Park Police name new commander Jerimiah Polucha, an interim captain with the Estes Park Police Department, has been named to the new position of commander, the EPPD announced this week. Polucha has been in law enforcement for twenty years, serving as a sergeant,…

Letter to the editor Estes Park Needs Clear Quasi-Judicial Rules Quasi-judicial hearings exist to ensure fair decision-making. Because the Town Board acts in a judge-like role, the public must be able to rely on consistent procedures, especially regarding when the evidentiary record is open and…

Bode to resign at end of school year Superintendent Ruby Bode of Estes Park School District announced today that she will be leaving at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. She has been with the EPSD since 2005. “I have had the incredible privilege of serving this community as a teacher, coach,…

Town election season officially opens Armed with 1 1/2 inch binders chock full of critical information about election details, dates and deadlines, official forms that must be filed on time at risk of daily fines, state laws, 50 pages of town policies, and a pep talk from term-limited Mayor Pro…

Mayor’s Message: Fast forward Year in summary, lessons, directions in 2026? Sure, let’s do a bit of that. National, global, economic, generational, societal, and other forces created much turbulence in 2025. Some of the most impactful national items: the cuts to national parks, forests, and…

Spanish podcast – 6 de enero de 2025 Escucha el podcast aqui: Estes Valley Voice released its 2025 Annual Report: – Over 1,110 original stories published – Coverage of local elections and community forums – Free promotion for nonprofit organizations – News remains free and accessible to the public…

Victim of mountain lion attack identified The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim of a mountain lion attack on the Crosier Mountain Trail near Glen Haven, east of Estes Park, on New Year’s Day as Kristen Marie Kovatch, 46, of Fort Collins. According to a statement released by…

Volunteerism, professional experience mix in community contributions There’s just something to be said about a girl who found numbers fascinating during elementary school classes. And while Christina Kraft, market president of the Bank of Colorado Estes Park, says she didn’t start out envisioning…

Harris running to serve another term as Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Larimer County clerk and recorder Tina Harris is running for re-election in 2026. Harris was appointed clerk and recorder by the county commissioners in 2023 to replace Angela Meyer, who retired from those roles that same…

News Briefs – Jan. 1, 2026 Interested in running for the Town Board? Individuals interested in learning about becoming a candidate for the Town Board are invited to an information forum on Jan. 6, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the Town Board Room of Town Hall, at 170 MacGregor Ave. This forum will include a…

Recent ballot questions raise bigger questions about the need to talk about annexation The Estes Park municipal code does not prohibit nonresidents from proposing or lobbying for a new Town ordinance that directly impacts Town residents and Town policy. This situation came to the forefront during…

Town of Estes Park revises regulations affecting vacation homes and B&Bs On Nov. 12, 2025, the Estes Park Board of Trustees approved Ordinance 18-25, which effects significant changes to the Municipal Code affecting short-term vacation homes and B&Bs. These changes, summarized below, took effect…

Becoming love: A path of ancient wisdom and lived experience Many of us were taught to think of Christianity as a system of beliefs, a moral framework, or a set of answers to be accepted—or rejected. For some, it arrived wrapped in beauty and belonging. For others, in harm or exclusion. Often, it…

Happy New Year from the Estes Valley Voice, and the elk

Estes Valley Voice 2025 Annual Report The Estes Valley Voice is an award-winning, independent, locally owned, and journalist-led digital newsroom that offers the Estes Valley accurate, fact-based, and in-depth local news, features, opinions, and commentary, focusing on people, businesses, and…

A&E: How To Ring in the New Year Around Estes Park Here are our picks for A&E: this New Year's Eve and weekend in Estes Park, including dining options, live music, a masquerade at the Stanley, and more.

A taste of tomorrow: Traditional New Year’s Foods and the stories they carry When the calendar turns and midnight strikes on Wednesday night, the world does more than toast with champagne. Across cultures, people welcome the New Year by setting tables rich with symbolism, tradition, and hope. New…

Spontaneous combustion caused Estes Park Lumber fire Stain rags improperly discarded in trash cans spontaneously burst into flames at Estes Park Lumber late last summer. The fire investigation and cause report by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control classified the incident as…

Spanish podcast – 30 de diciembre Escucha el podcast aqui: The Estes Valley Fire Protection District has extended Interim Fire Chief Warren Jones’ contract through the end of 2026. This decision is intended to provide the District with stability and allow time to carefully select a permanent fire…

Dick Mulhern: Happy holidays, Estes

Holly jolly traditions and decorations of the season – Part II Estes Park’s evolving Christmas decorations In 1930, the Town of Estes Park erected and decorated a large tree at the intersection of Elkhorn and Moraine Avenues. Evergreen garlands were strung across the street, and wreaths were hung…

Holiday and year round good-doings The Estes Valley is a community of generous people who lean in throughout the year to share time, talent, and treasure. Three community organizations - Estes Park Quota Club, Blue Santa, Bright Christmas -- step up at the holidays to lend Santa a helping hand,…

Christmas faith services Christian Church of Estes Park 4655 US Highway 36, Estes Park. Website click here. Christmas Eve Services - Dec. 24 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.Traditional candlelight services. Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies 1700 Brodie Ave, Estes Park; 970-586-4404 Office Hours:…

Holly jolly traditions and decorations of the season – Part I History of the holiday What we often think of as good old-fashioned Christmas traditions — such as Christmas trees and holiday decorations — were once novel and, in some cases, banned by civil and ecclesiastical laws. Even settling on a…

Navigating the season and its stressors If it seems the past few weeks of 2025 have flown by, you’re not alone, and Christmas is upon us, and next week brings the New Year. The holiday season can be especially busy with many extra events on everyone’s schedules. This week, I want to remind you…