Rechargeable battery collection set for Labor Day weekend
Have some lithium or metal-hydride batteries ready for a recycling effort? Estes Valley Sunrise Rotary will be collecting those items this weekend, as the organization works to gather specialty batteries and recover the rare earth minerals in them for reuse.
There will be a collection box in the silent auction tent at the Labor Day Arts & Crafts Show in Bond Park, where individuals can drop their items to be safely bagged and shipped to Redwood Materials for processing.
The program is specifically for lithium batteries or batteries used in rechargeable devices. Regularly used batteries are not included in this collection.
The craft show is open today through Monday, Sept. 1.
“Rock-it” science program at observatory tonight
“Rock-it” scientist Vicky Hamilton, a geologist specializing in laboratory spectroscopy of minerals, meteorites, and returned samples, will present a program – Insights from Asteroid Bennu: What OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Has Revealed – Saturday evening, Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Estes Park Memorial Observatory, 1600 Manford Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The program, organized by the Estes Valley Astronomical Society, is free and open to the public. The presentation, including a question-and-answer period, lasts about 90 minutes. After the presentation, weather permitting, visitors can look through the observatory’s 16-inch dome telescope at various celestial objects.
Pilot program extends weekday transit service
A pilot program to offer weekday transportation service in the Estes Park area will begin Tuesday, Sept. 2.
The free seasonal transit service, known as “The Peak,” will offer weekday service (Monday through Friday) from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the Brown, Blue, Silver, and Gold routes. This eight-hour weekday pilot program is partly funded by the 2024 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, awarded through the EPA.
The regular 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekend service (Saturday and Sunday) will continue through Sunday, Sept. 28. In addition, the Bustang service to Estes from the Denver area will continue running every weekend through Sunday, Sept. 28. Tickets for purchase are available at RideBustang.com.
Weekend service along the Red Route (downtown/Elkhorn Avenue) will be maintained through Sunday, Oct. 19.
Ridership will be monitored at each stop to help provide potential route and schedule adjustments for the 2026 season. Riders can access live route tracking online or by scanning the QR code posted at every stop.
This pilot program is based on recommendations in the Estes Park Multimodal Transportation Plan and the Estes Park Transit Development Plan. The Peak is operated by the town and funded through the town’s General Fund, Parking Services Fund (via paid parking revenues), Federal Transit Administration grants, and local sponsors. Daily summer service hours for The Peak end Monday, Sept. 1.
New online reporting system offered in Boulder County
The public can now report non-emergency and non-violent crimes in the unincorporated Boulder County to the sheriff’s office online. The system can be used as long as there is no suspect information.
Types of reports accepted by the service are misdemeanor or petty theft, fraud or identity theft, criminal mischief, third-degree criminal trespass, trespass to a vehicle, lost or found property, and similar incidents. The service began on Aug. 18.
If an incident is occurring in the moment or involves a gun or other deadly weapon, the public should call 911 for emergencies or the non-emergency number at 303-441-4444.
For more information about the online reporting system or to use the new service, visit www.BoulderSheriff.gov.