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SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2009
VOLUME 122, NUMBER 43 • STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO • www.steamboatpilot.com
A stimulus success story Rocky Mountain Youth Corps hires, spends locally with federal dollars Brandon Gee
tracts in the Routt National Forest went to companies in California and Florida instead of local loggers; Pavlik said the order he received from RMYC renewed his faith in the federal stimulus legislation. “It raised my hopes that some of this money will go where it’s doing the most good,” Pavlik said. “It’s wonderful. It came at the right time for me. … What RMYC has done for me with this purchase was allow me to stock more inventory.” Pavlik said he typically sells about
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps has bolstered its staff with local faces and spent about $30,000 at community businesses with the help of $254,000 it received in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. RMYC received the funds through the U.S. Forest Service, which contracted with Colorado Youth Corps Association to help mitigate the impacts of the Rocky Mountain West’s mountain pine beetle epidemic. RMYC has yet to put a crew
■ Visit www.recovery.gov and http://fs.usda.gov/ recovery for more information about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ■ Contractors who wish to bid on government projects should visit www.fedbizopps.gov.
in the field this summer, but the stimulus money already is being felt and appreciated in Steamboat Springs. Among its stimulus purchases, RMYC has placed a $16,000 order for 20 steel chain saws with Precision Sharpening and Repair Service in Steamboat. Precision owner Jim Pavlik said he was angered earlier this year when tree-removal con-
See Stimulus, back page
MATT STENSLAND/STAFF
The Rocky Mountain Youth Corps used federal stimulus dollars to purchase 20 chain saws from Precision Sharpening and Repair Service owner Jim Pavlik. He said it allowed him to increase his inventory and that he was encouraged by seeing stimulus funds being put to work locally.
Eateries join forces Restaurant Week to include food specials, rail jam and block party
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ocal restaurants are urging residents to put forks to plates during Mainstreet Restaurant Week this month. The idea, Mike Lang said, is to draw people together to support Steamboat Springs businesses. The owner of Harwigs/ STORY BY L’Apogee also BLYTHE TERRELL wouldn’t mind if visitors from the Front Range If you go or other areas What: Mainstreet motored in to Restaurant Week take advantage of When: May 18 to the deals. A block 25; rail jam is 1 to party and rail 4 p.m. May 24 on jam in front of Seventh Street What: Specials at the Urbane clothrestaurants across ing store and town, a block the new Ghost party and rail jam Ranch Saloon event on Seventh Street will cap the week May 24. “I’m trying to get the community to unite on a subject matter that is important to all of us, which is to keep our businesses open,” Lang said. Mainstreet Steamboat Springs is organizing the event, and Urbane co-owners Mel LeBlanc and Trent
SUNDAY FOCUS
JOHN F. RUSSELL/STAFF
One method police are using to combat underage drinking is the voluntary keg tag registration program. Police are able to track tagged kegs back to the purchasers, potentially holding them liable for providing alcohol to minors.
JOHN F. RUSSELL/STAFF
Kimberley Mares serves Ken Kruse inside Johnny B. Good’s Diner in Steamboat Springs last week. The diner, along with several other downtown restaurants and businesses, will take part in Mainstreet Restaurant Week from May 18 to 25.
Kolste have put together the rail jam. Some restaurants will offer three-course meals for $20 to $25 and all will have specials, Lang said. Diners also will receive coupons for businesses near the restaurants. The restaurant participant list is in the works, Mainstreet Manager
Tracy Barnett said. She expects the event to be well-received. “We are hoping to do it twice a year, spring and fall,” she said. “These are really popular all over the country.” 5280 magazine in Denver organizes one every year, Barnett said.
“It really works well in Denver because 5280, what they did was dinner for two for $52.80,” she said, adding that it probably wouldn’t work to offer two dinners for $66.95, referring to Steamboat’s elevation. See Restaurants, back page
Drilling permit requests down THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER
FILE PHOTO
Driller Triniead Ramos operates a large drilling rig on BLM land outside Parachute on July 13, 2007. Oil and gas development applications have declined dramatically in the wake of stricter rules.
PAGE DESIGNED BY NICOLE MILLER
After a single-month record for drilling permit requests, oil and gas development applications have dropped dramatically in the wake of stricter rules. Energy companies filed for 34 applications since April 1, when the new rules were implemented on nonfederal lands. The Grand Junction Sentinel reports the sharp
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decline in applications comes after companies requested a record 1,470 permits in March — nearly double the previous one-month record of 784 — to beat the April 1 deadline. Applications submitted before that date will be reviewed under the previous rules. The new rules require regulators to give more consideration to the environment, wildlife and public health and safety when approving oil and gas development.
Energy company officials say state regulators didn’t fully consider the effects of the new rules on their operations and finances. They also worry it may take longer for permits to be approved. Meg Collins, president of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, said Friday that the companies wanted to file before April 1 because the “industry still doesn’t know fully what impact the rules will have on the permitting timeframes.”
VIEWPOINTS LAST WEEK: Should Colorado have a law requiring cell phone users to use hands-free devices while driving? Results/5A THIS WEEK: Are pedestrian safety improvements needed on U.S. Highway 40 crosswalks?
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Police call ordinance successful Capt. Rae: Social host law fixes ambiguities in battle to curb underage drinking Zach Fridell
PILOT & TODAY STAFF
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Steamboat Springs Police Capt. Joel Rae said although the city’s new social host ordinance may not bring in a huge caseload, its real success will be clarifying vague state laws to help officers battle underage drinking. The Steamboat Springs City Council approved the local statute Tuesday, after multiple revisions and months of on-again, off-again public debate in Centennial Hall. Rae said he expects the new law to be used less than 10 times throughout a given year, primarily at parties with underage drinking. But he and local prosecutors, including 14th Judicial District Attorney Elizabeth Oldham, said the city’s social host ordinance repairs loopholes and ambiguity in Colorado law, ultimately helping local police and attorneys in the ongoing effort
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