After 16 months of publishing news about the Estes Valley and its residents, we wanted to know how we are doing and what our readers want to know more about. We wanted to have face-to-face conversations with our readers.
Over the course of five Friday mornings this month, during Coffee with the Editors, we asked community members to evaluate the Estes Valley Voice’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and suggest topics they would like us to cover in our reporting.
We didn’t issue invitations to any specific individuals. We have just issued a general invitation to anyone who would like to join us for coffee and conversation.
The participants – educators, business leaders, nonprofit leaders, community volunteers, tourism experts, retired residents, individuals in the Estes arts scene, healthcare professionals, and those concerned about the Fire District and Estes Park Health – were not bashful.
We received both fair and constructive criticism, as well as praise.
We heard thoughtful statements and insights on a wide range of subjects, and requests to continue holding community leaders accountable for their actions. We heard about the need to report on housing issues, from workforce housing to short-term rentals and everything in between.
We were asked to honor those who volunteer for community leadership positions and provide news coverage that fosters greater empathy for all socio-economic groups within our community.
All the ideas and story leads provide a roadmap for our future as the Estes Valley Voice continues to grow and serve the community’s needs for news about what matters to our residents.
Thank you to all who came for muffins and coffee. Your participation has left us more appreciative than ever of our readers. We look forward to hearing from all of you in the future. We will again hold a series of Coffee with the Editors in the spring.
But you don’t have to wait until spring to share your thoughts about what matters. Please take a few minutes to respond to our 2025 Readers Survey – it should take less than five minutes. We will put the names of everyone who responds by Monday, December 1, in a hat and have a drawing for ten $15 gift cards to local coffee shops and bakeries, as we believe coffee and conversations are important.
Feel free to contact us by phone at 970-586-1888 or email us at news@estesvalleyvoice.com if you have a concern about our reporting or would like to share a story idea. We want to listen to the voices of our readers. Thank you.
Suzy Blackhurst, Senior Editor
Estes Valley Voice