How to Place an Obituary

Click Here to Submit an Obituary Online

After your loved one passes away, you have so many contractual details to deal with, like home, finances, burial and funeral arrangements, the last thing you want to think about is placing an obituary in your local paper, but doing so is very important. A published obituary can be used in many cases with insurance companies and creditors to help prove the official death of a loved one, as well as letting all of your neighbors, friends and loved ones know of the passing in an efficient manner.

Although this may seem like an insurmountable task, The Mountain-Ear can help. We have a simple form to help you get started. We can put it all together into a story format for you. The cost to place an obituary is $25. That includes a photo and 750 words. Need an extended obituary? No problem. We can do that too. We can help make the process as simple as possible, for you and your family. To get your forms, more information and to see examples of published obituaries, please email publisher@themountainear.com.

Peak Parenting: Forest backyard safety




Playing in our backyard Teaching kids about safety in the forests is vitally important as we raise our families in this part of the Rocky Mountains. They are a wonderful place to explore, learn and teach life long skills. PHOTO BY SARA SANDSTROM

Playing in our backyard Teaching kids about safety in the forests is vitally important as we raise our families in this part of the Rocky Mountains. They are a wonderful place to explore, learn and teach life long skills. PHOTO BY SARA SANDSTROM

In the flatlands, backyard safety for kids includes keeping gardening chemicals and tools secure, ensuring toys and equipment are in good working order, and confirming children can’t get out through broken fencing.

All of that applies up here on the mountain, but keeping everyone safe requires more awareness, observance, and practice when your backyard is the forest. Especially this time of year when wild animals are protective of newborns, and bears coming out of hibernation (or torpor) may be more aggressive as they search for food.

A seasoned mountain parent always assesses risk when sending kids out into the backyard wilderness. When a moose family started hanging around her neighborhood, Nederland resident Tasha Zaharako instructed her youngest son to ride his bike home from the bus stop. She felt the moose would be less inclined to charge if Indio was whizzing by rather than walking. Other parents insist kids venture out with a bell tied to a shoe or a whistle around their wrists. And don’t forget the bear spray, but only after passing the test on aiming the nozzle at an animal, not yourself.

Similar rules apply when unleashing your kids in the forest as when you’d take them camping. In a Tips for Camping with Kids post, retail and outdoor rec company REI suggests establishing clear boundaries so kids know where they can and can’t go. Together, walk the area’s perimeter and point out or temporarily mark the edges of the approved site. Ideally, the roaming space is small enough that you could easily hear a shout for help.

It’s important to make kids aware of wildlife dangers but not scare them. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), attacks are rare. And even rarer if you’re careful and knowledgeable. Everyone should take coyotes and mountain lions seriously, but CPW says lions have caused “fewer than a dozen fatalities in North America in more than 100 years.” Though the uninitiated may think the bear is the king of the Rocky Mountains, mountain people know it’s the moose you need to watch out for since, as CPW warns, they seldom yield to humans.

For both animals, steering clear of them means being able to tell if they’re in the area. CPW says tracks, scat, and shredded logs or rubbed trees are all indications a black bear or moose has recently wandered through. Kids should also avoid areas where bears and moose are likely to be grazing. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) says moose munch on native willow, aspen, and balsam fir trees and aquatic plants in streams and ponds.

Bears prefer a more varied diet, but the NWF warns that they are very attracted to human-associated food, so avoid sending your children out with snacks. The CPW says, “With a nose that’s 100 times more sensitive than ours, a bear can literally smell food five miles away.”

If kids spot a bear or moose, CPW Managers say step one is to pause to allow the animal space. Talk in a normal voice, and though it may feel instinctual, never run. If the bear or moose doesn’t turn away on its own, slowly back away while keeping an eye on the animal. If it’s a bear and starts to approach, kids should stand their ground and yell and throw rocks. If the worst happens and the bear begins to attack, CPW says, with a black bear, never play dead. Instead, fight back with all you’ve got, including using rocks and sticks.

In a YouTube video titled Moose Attacks Are Increasing, CPW says if a moose is charging, kids should “quickly get behind something large like a tree, a car, or a big rock.” Continue to take cover until the moose backs down and moves on. Be aware of sending kids out with the dog for protection. CPW Managers warn that moose perceive dogs as wolves, their main predator, and will go out of their way to charge and stomp the threat.

Letting your kids wander into the great wild abyss can be uncomfortable, so build in some checkpoints for yourself. Arm your child with a watch and whistle, and instruct them to blast every half hour to confirm they’re ok. Also, agree on a curfew to know when to expect them back home.

Our wild backyards come with some added risks, but the majesty these mountains reveal is more than worth it.

Peak Parenting covers everything local parents are talking about. Ideas? Email us at publisher1977@gmail.com.