We have a thread on our forums started by one of the candidates: http://285bound.com/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=139&t=19587

You can also read more about them on their pages:

Greg Branch

Alec Schwartz

Grady Harn

and watch the video of them explaining their positions, experience, and goals here:

We attended the Conifer Area Council’s Town Hall Meeting and videotaped the event for those who couldn’t attend. You can access the information sent out or handed out at the meeting in the link above, including the timeline of when each speaker started so you can forward to the portion of the video of most interest to you, and watch the video on our YouTube Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StlXJmV_b6c

We update it every 10 minutes. It faces north on Hwy 285 from the IMHS Second Chance Thrift Shop toward the light at Pine Junction.

Click here for the updated pic:
http://www.285bound.com/imhswebcam.php

The link to it has been added to the initial information post in our Traffic, Cams, & Road Conditions Thread and is at the top of the webcams on our Home Page so you can view it wherever you prefer.

This is the first in a series of webcams we will be bringing online in order to better serve you; giving you a first-hand look of what’s happening on our highway so you can see if you need to come home early from the city, or stay home and be safe (or just look at the gorgeous views of the leaves turning in the fall!). We’d like to acknowledge the hours of effort and assistance from member pineinthegrass for helping to get this up and running, it was no easy feat! Thank you also to the Board of Directors at IMHS for giving us permission to host it on their premises!

Wrapping up the Lower North Fork Fire Info – Updates on Closures/Re-Openings:

West Jeff Middle School will be open Tuesday, but Conifer HS will be closed to setup again after fire crews leave. Conifer Library (inside Conifer HS) is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, April 4. Jeffco’s Disaster Recovery Center moving to Mountain Resource Center location beginning tomorrow, 4/3.

There are a few updates on the Jeffco Sheriff Blog to check out including
Additional Resources from Jeffco Public Health
Hazardous Waste material disposal recommendations
Resources Available at the Mountain Resource Center

and a Thank You from the Type 1 Incident Management Team

http://www.jeffcosheriff1.blogspot.com/

Thank you again to all of our first responders and volunteers who helped the evacuees, we are blessed to be part of such a wonderful community!

Gov. Hickenlooper names leader of prescribed fire review team, joins Congressional delegation in calling for response review

The governor and Colorado State University, which oversees the Colorado State Forest Service, called for the independent review last week.

Bass, currently the forest supervisor of the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming, will lead a fact-finding team that will assess the planning, protocols and execution of the prescribed burn. The review will include data collection, interviews of personnel involved and an assessment of the planning for the prescribed burn conducted by the Colorado State Forest Service. The team will issue a report at the end of its review, which is expected to take about 30 days.

The review is distinct from a separate law enforcement investigation by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, aided by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and other local, state and federal agencies, that is designed to determine the origin of the Lower North Fork fire and the circumstances surrounding the fatalities connected to the fire.

We look forward to a review of events and procedures so we can all be better prepared next time, and hopefully avert some of the tragedy that occurred during this event.

Lower North Fork Fire Public Announcement

Some Residents Allowed to Return to Their Homes

Conifer, Colorado March 29, 2012 . . . With improved conditions and significant progress made in line construction thanks to the efforts of firefighters, some of the residents evacuated from their homes due to the Lower North Fork Fire will be allowed to return to their residences beginning at 11:00 a.m. today. Residents are required to show I.D. as proof of residency at check points.

The following roads will be opened today beginning at 11:00 a.m. for residents only:

· Foxton Road from Highway 285 to Reynolds Ranch Open Space Park parking lot.
· Pleasant Park Road from Oehlmann Park Road to Critchell Road
· High Grade Road from Maxwell Hill Road to Critchell Road.
· West Platte River Road from Foxton Road to South Platte Hotel.

Returning residents are urged to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice if fire conditions change. Notification of immediate evacuation will be signaled by a Sheriff Deputy’s siren from the road. Any belongings residents would want to take, if evacuated again, must be readied upon return. If a siren is heard, residents must evacuate immediately. Parking on the road is not allowed until the incident has ended. This is to provide access for emergency and firefighting vehicles and for everyone’s safety. Residents are encouraged to drive slow, 10 miles per hour, to allow for firefighters activity and vehicle safety.

The following roads remain closed at this time for public and firefighter safety:

· Foxton Road from West Platte River Road to Reynold’s Ranch Open Space parking lot.
· Kuester Road remains closed south from Critchell Road
· Maxell Hill remains closed from South Deer Creek

We appreciate your patience and cooperation with the firefighting efforts.
###

The news is filled with images of devastation wrought by the Lower North
Fork Fire. For some, it will be impossible to replace that which has been
lost. For others, with time, things will return to normal. Our hearts go out
to all those affected by this disaster.

Elk Creek Fire Department is joining with the Mountain Resource Center to
collect cash donations to assist victims of the Lower North Fork Fire. If
you would like to help, please send your donation check to:

Mountain Resource Center
P.O. Box 425
Conifer, CO 80433

Please be sure to write, “Lower North Fork Fire Fund” on the memo line of
your check.

For additional information, contact Chaplain Beth Graham, Elk Creek Fire
Department, 303-816-9385, extension 15, or the Mountain Resource Center,
303-838-7552.

On behalf of the Elk Creek Fire Department and Mountain Resource Center:
Thank you.

You would be correct to say the Lower North Fork Fire was a surprise to everyone. However, if you constantly study the probability of an event, and train to respond to it, even if you don’t know where or when it may happen, you cannot be truly surprised by it.

Elk Creek Fire Department, because of their constant training and vigilance has risen to the occasion, and is now demonstrating an extremely high level of competence and expertise. Elk Creek Officers and Firefighters have been working in cooperation with other departments and agencies to bring this situation under control from the start.

In a disaster it is difficult to find anything to be grateful for, but in this instance; I believe the residents of the Elk Creek Fire Protection District can take pride in the way their Fire Department is conducting its self.

Michael Davis, Elk Creek Firefighter – Public Information Officer

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/super-7day/index.html

NOAA Forecast http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Pine&state=CO&site=BOU&textField1=39.42&textField2=-105.33&e=1

Fire Danger is 

Check out our EZ links page for newspapers and weather links.
http://285bound.com/ez_links.php

Our home page has links and RSS feeds for information as well.

http://www.285bound.com

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at contactus@285bound.com