Letter: MIRA Bus makes a difference in our community

Colorado educators are feeling under stress, undervalued and unsafe, and the result is an education system that’s in “dire straits.”. Those are some of the main takeaways from the Colorado Education Association’s 2023 State of Education report. The association is the statewide labor union for public educators in Colorado with over 39,000 members across numerous local chapters including the Eagle County Education Association.

This January marked my eight-year anniversary of moving to the Vail Valley after spending a lifetime in Chicago. It has prompted even deeper reflection on how special this place truly is. We’ve all heard the phrase, “I moved here for the winter but stayed for the summer.” I’ve always said,...

Around 150 people gathered in-person, and more than 120 appeared online, during a Jan. 31 Summit School District meeting to voice support and opposition to a resolution passed by the district’s Board of Education in October that reaffirmed — in part — its commitment to LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion.

Up on our ranch, a lot of conversations happen with friends in their cars and me on the road or in the field. This was no different. Late in the summer, my good friend Dagmar shouted at me as I wrestled with an irrigation sprinkler about joining the Vail Valley Charitable Fund.

Avon Elementary School’s gym was filled with joyous screams on Thursday morning when 99 first and second graders were surprised with a bike (and helmet) of their own. “With the high cost of housing and food, purchasing a new bike is out of the reach of many of our families,” said Dana Harrison, Avon Elementary’s principal. “For many students, it will be the first new bike they have ever had.”

Sometimes you have to do hard things. For Jacob Sevy, a Senior Master Sergeant with the U.S. Air Force, he knows that statement all too well. Sevy is one of 17 wounded veterans taking part in the annual Winter Family Program put on by the Vail Veterans Program, a nonprofit that was founded in 2004 and brings military wounded and their families to Vail for healing and connection.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, Avon Police Officer Al Zepeda was presented the 2023 State Directors Individual Award by the Law Enforcement Torch Run, a facet of Special Olympics Colorado. Zepeda was honored for his extensive contributions to the local Law Enforcement Torch Runs as well as other Special Olympics-rooted events.

On behalf of the Vail Town Council and the entire community, I am extremely excited to welcome the National Brotherhood of Skiers as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary Summit, “Soul on Snow,” this week in Vail. As the world’s largest snowsports organization, NBS has worked over the last half century to expand access to skiing and snowboarding through their mission “to identify, develop and support athletes of color who will win International and Olympic winter sports competitions representing the United States and to increase participation in winter sports.” We believe these efforts are critical to our current vitality and future success.

Aaron Winberry is a Realtor® with Independence Realty. After living in Vail for seven years, he moved to Leadville, allowing him to cater to a wide range of clients, whether they’re looking for luxury second homes in Vail or more affordable living in Lake or Chaffee counties. How...

The town of Avon is launching its “Recycle Together” education campaign this month to help Avon residents and businesses take steps towards compliance with the town’s forthcoming universal recycling regulations. The Avon Town Council passed Ordinance 22-13 on Sept. 27, 2022, which will require universal recycling for...

On Saturday, the National Brotherhood of Skiers is arriving in Vail to celebrate its annual Summit through Feb. 11. The organization started in the 1970s with 13 national founding clubs and a mission of creating a community and exposing people of color to winter sports and the vast outdoors. Now, 50 years after its first summit, with 57 clubs around the country, the organization is still building toward these goals and continuing to raise participation in the sport.

Mountain Recreation’s youth scholarship program each year opens the door to hundreds of families to allow kids to access programs, facilities, camps and activities. In 2023, it is expanding the access thanks to new eligibility requirements and an influx of cash from the Mountain Recreation Foundation’s end-of-year giving campaign.

My name is Savannah Shifrin, and I am a Fifth Grade teacher at Avon Elementary School. This month, students worked on editorial essays about planet Earth. At the end of the unit, students nominated four of their classmates to submit their essays to you to be published (if you wish) as a letter to the editor. This is the second of four we will be submitting as parent permission comes in. — Savannah Shifrin.

Eagle County has posted a request for proposals for opioid abatement services for the Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council. Eagle County is the fiscal agent for Region 5, which consists of Eagle, Garfield, Lake, Pitkin, and Summit Counties. Proposals for Opioid Abatement Services must include:. Harm reduction programming. Anti-stigma and...

We primarily think of Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery as a lifeline for patients in the I-70 resort corridor, but the pioneering healthcare organization has always worked to provide outreach to mountain communities far from Metro Denver. This month, VSON established a more permanent arrangement in Buena Vista to offer patients...

The National Brotherhood of Skiers is in Vail this week to celebrate its 50th Anniversary Summit and in addition to all the skiing, snowboarding, racing, fundraising and parties, there is an artistic side to this event. Stop by the Colorado Snowsports Museum and become familiar with the work of Lamont...

Congratulations to Jerry Stevens on his well-earned retirement as pickleball director for Vail Recreation District. What an enormous difference Jerry has made in the Vail pickleball community and beyond. He poured his heart and soul into the town’s local program, and from its humble beginnings, Vail Pickleball is now thriving and continuing to grow by leaps and bounds. So many of us who live in the Vail Valley, as well as countless visiting tourists, directly owe our enjoyment of playing pickleball to Jerry’s infectious enthusiasm and excellent teaching of the sport.

Taco people are the best kind of people. Just ask the crew at Rocky Mountain Taco, home of the “world’s most best taco” and, therefore, the world’s most-best-taco eaters. What started as one roaming taco truck has grown to a truck (EagleVail), trailer (Avon) and brick-and-mortar (Minturn) operation, bringing that Southern California-inspired Mexican fusion food culture to the hungry folks of Eagle County.

Each year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions to get organized, learn a new skill, exercise more, lose weight, be healthier and so much more. In 2023, there are small changes we can all make to contribute to a healthier environment. We can all resolve to think a little more about our habits and how little shifts can make a big difference when impacting the world around us.

When you’re looking for a contemporary dining menu and big city atmosphere within a European-styled alpine village, Deca + Bol is the place where metropolitan dining meets mountain culture. Deca + Bol combines upscale, flavorful dining with some of the best nightlife in Vail Village, including a unique bowling...