Mountain residents urged to review insurance policies
Jul 16th
Boulder County and Foothills United Way to host two free insurance workshops
Boulder County, Colo. – Recent fires all along the Front Range have served as catastrophic reminders of the need for foothills and mountain dwellers to make sure they are adequately insured before disaster strikes.
Now is a critical time for mountain residents to check their insurance policies and ensure their homes are adequately covered and to take some easy steps to prepare for any disaster.
Foothills United Way and Boulder County are holding two free educational workshops to help residents make sure they are properly insured and to learn how to be prepared for any natural disaster:
- Nederland – Monday, July 23, 7-8:30 p.m.
Nederland Community Center, 750 Highway 72
- Boulder – Tuesday, July 24, 6:30-8 p.m.
Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St.
The workshops will cover several topics, including:
- Lessons learned from Fourmile Canyon Fire Survivors
- Tips from United Policyholders’ ‘Roadmap to Preparedness’ Program (www.uphelp.org)
- How to ensure your insurance policy accurately reflects the real cost of rebuilding in the mountains west of Boulder
- Practical ways your family can be prepared in the case of a natural disaster
Often, the cost to rebuild, especially in the mountains, exceeds the amount of coverage policyholders carry for their homes and other property. Adding to this problem is the homeowner’s lack of awareness that the policies they carry are inadequate.
“One of the hard lessons of the Fourmile Canyon Fire was that more than 60 percent of property owners were underinsured,” said Garry Sanfaçon, Boulder County’s Fourmile Fire Recovery Manager. “These workshops will give people the tools they need to make sure they are adequately covered.”
Search for 74-y.o. woman in RMNP has been suspended
Jul 16th
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle has announced that the search for Patricia Wallace will be suspended. After consulting with the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and Wallace’s family a decision has been made to suspend the search.
On July 3, 2012, at approximately 4:00 p.m., members of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Front Range Rescue Dogs, and the Allenspark Fire Protection District responded to the area of Camp Dick, located near the 50 mile marker of the Peak to Peak Highway, west of Lyons, on the report of a lost hiker, Patricia Wallace, 74 years old, from Lafayette, Colorado. Wallace was hiking in the area of Buchanan Pass Trail with a group of acquaintances, when she decided to take an alternate route which she believed to be less difficult. She was not seen again.
Buchanan Pass
An extensive search of the area, both in Boulder and Grand counties, was conducted by the Boulder County and Grand County Sheriff’s Offices. Also, assisting in the search were members of Rocky Mountain Rescue, Allenspark Fire Protection District, Larimer County Search and Rescue, Alpine Search and Rescue, Grand County Search and Rescue, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Search and Rescue, and air resources from Flight For Life and Buckley Air Force Base.
During the 13 day search effort nothing was ever found that belonged to Ms. Wallace or that would aid in establishing a track. A group of hikers contacted in the area on July 3rd indicated they had seen someone they believe to be Ms. Wallace approximately 200 feet from the summit of Buchanan Pass on the Continental Divide earlier that day. At that time, she was hiking in a westerly direction toward Grand County; that individual was never located.
At this time it is presumed that Ms. Wallace has likely perished from exposure or the lack of food and water. The search will be resumed if evidence is located that might indicate where she could be found.
Boulder Reservoir swim beach closed temporarily
Jul 12th
The Boulder Reservoir swim beach, 5565 N. 51st St., will be closed at least through 4 p.m. Friday, July 13, due to elevated levels of bacteria. The increased levels are believed to be the result of the significant rain runoff from rain earlier this week. Swimming was temporarily suspended at 4 p.m. today as a precaution after a routine water sampling test determined bacteria levels were elevated.
Water at the swim area was then re-sampled and test results are expected by Friday afternoon. The reservoir swim beach will re-open once bacteria levels are reduced.
A spike in bacterial levels is not uncommon in natural bodies of water after significant rain runoff.
