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Mountain Echoes, the Estes Park Elementary School Choir, will sing at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Dec. 13, at their regular noon meeting. Their singing will help us celebrate the holidays. Visitors, family and friends are welcome to come and enjoy the program.

Mountain Echoes is an after-school choir for students in third through fifth grades at the Estes Park Elementary School. They meed weekly to rehearse. The choir is directed by Mrs. Jenna Williams and accompanied by Mr. Mike Williams.

For the past two years, they auditioned and were chosen to sing the national anthem for a Rockies baseball game. Also, they have sung the National Anthem for a local boy’s varsity basketball game. In November, they sang holiday songs for the Estes Park Tree Lighting Ceremony, and have several more performances coming up.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, disease, clean water, hunger, illiteracy and poverty.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park meets Thursdays in the Timberline Conference Room at the Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, 101 S. Saint Vrain Avenue. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Rotary program: microfinance, social business

What's it all about? Find out Thursday

Janet Hay, member of the Rotary Club of Canterbury, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Dec. 6, at their regular noon meeting. She will talk about micro-finance and the concept of social business, which is revolutionizing current thought about charitable giving.

Janet Hay with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, economist, and civil society leader who founded the Grameen Bank and pioneered the concepts of micro-credit and micro-finance.

Hay started her working life as a stage and production manager and moved into special event management. She then spent 10 years in her own business as a property developer and investor.

In 2010, she went to work on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia. While there, she was responsible for looking after asylum seekers, mostly from Iran and Iraq, who arrived by boat from Indonesia. She had various roles on the island including welfare officer, teacher and asylum boat receiving team member. She was present the day such a boat sank in rough seas, killing over 50 people.

She then moved to Nauru, located in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Australia and the world’s third smallest country, and to Manus Island, an island northeast of Papua New Guinea. While there, she worked for the Salvation Army, until the government cancelled their contract.

In 2015, Hay decided to go back to school and completed her Master’s Degree in International Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid. During her study, she was influenced by the concepts of micro-finance and social business.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park meets Thursdays in the Timberline Conference Room at the Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, located at 101 South Saint Vrain Avenue. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m..

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Kevin Mullin's program will update club

on E.P. Health Foundation activities

The Estes Park Health Foundation remains committed to improving the health of the people in the Estes Valley. Specifically, its goals include raising funds to support the capital and operational needs of Estes Park Health, to build and steward its endowment in order to ensure future financial sustainability, and to raise community awareness of the important work done by Estes Park Health.

Kevin L. Mullin, Executive Director of the Estes Park Health Foundation, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Nov. 15, at the regular noon meeting. He will provide an update on The Foundation’s activities.

Kevin L. Mullin

The Foundation is the fundraising arm of Estes Park Health. In this role, Mullin provides leadership and management to The Foundation, focusing mainly on fundraising. Kevin has served in this capacity since March 2016.

Mullin has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising, having previously served in roles with the American Red Cross, Inner City Health Center, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He has a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from Regis University and holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation. He also earned a Master of Nonprofit Management degree and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Capacity Building from Regis, and is a graduate of the Institute for Leaders in Development at the University of Denver.

In addition, he serves on the Boards of the North Colorado Medical Center, The Elizabeth Guild, and the Denver African American Philanthropists (DAAP). Kevin serves on committees with the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable.

Kevin is originally from Fresno, CA, and is the father of Kevin L. Mullin Jr., who is a student at Western Washington University preparing for a career in Philanthropy. Kevin enjoys domestic and international travel, downhill skiing, fast cars and learning about technology. He also plays softball and volleyball, and is currently (slowly) learning to play golf.

Rotary District Governor to visit our club

Chuck Rutenberg, Governor of Rotary District 5440, will speak at the regular Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Estes Park on November 8. His district includes 53 Rotary clubs in Wyoming, Northwern Colorado, Eastern Idaho and Western Nebraska.

D. G. Chuck Rutenberg

The R.I. theme for the year is Be the Inspiration! DG Chuck is expected to focus on the People of Action Campaign for Rotary International and the difference that Rotarians make in their community. The theme is meant to put focus on all the projects and activities that the Estes Park club accomplishes, both locally and internationally. Opportunities are plentiful for potential members, young and old, to help Rotary achieve its mission of “peace and understanding throughout the world,” and by bringing their passion for service to their communities.

Rutenberg joined the Rotary Club of Fort Collins in 2001 and served as president in 2007-08. In 2007, he was honored as Rotarian of the Year for District 5440 and has received many club honors, including the 5 Areas of Service and the Spirit of Rotary awards. He is a multiple Paul Harris Award and Bequest Society member. He also served as president of Rocky Mountain RYLA and chair of RYLA and YRYLA. He served as assistant district governor 2010-13, serving the four Greeley clubs.

Chuck served as President of the Board for SAINT INC, an alternative transportation organization for seniors in Fort Collins and Loveland, and as the President of the Board for Care Housing Inc., a non-profit organization providing affordable housing in Fort Collins and Windsor, for three years. He spent 31 years working for two Fortune 500 companies and retired this year after 16 years in the financial services industry.

He has been married to Lynn for 34 years. They have a son and three daughters, as well as seven grandchildren. Chuck likes to hike, play golf and is also a nature photographer.

Rotary Quote of the Week

"November is Foundation Month in the Rotary world and a time when we focus on our foundation. For me that means thinking about all the good our donations does in our communities and around the world. Like most Rotarians, I get great joy from charitable giving…sharing my material blessings with the foundation to make this world better.

So I’m asking you think about the good made possible by your donation and Be The Inspiration to your family and community by giving generously throughout the year to our foundation. It feels wonderful, it's the ultimate in enlightened self-interest and it's the right thing to do."

- District 5440 Governor 2018-19 Chuck Rutenberg

Come and learn about Estes Park's Explorer Post 911

This week's program will be on the Estes Park Explorer Post 911. Our speaker, Richard Ralph, is the unit commissioner for Explorer Post 911. He will will provide a general perspective on Scouting and specific information regarding Scouting in Estes Park.

Richard Ralph

Rick has 15 years of experience as a volunteer adult leader in Boy Scouts. As Assistant Scoutmaster, he created and directed a program for patrol formation and initial rank advancement for new Scouts. As Scoutmaster, he revitalized a troop which enabled an above average number Scouts to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. As Unit Commissioner, Rick has served Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and now Explorer Post 911.

Rick and his wife Joan are originally from the upper Midwest. Rick’s career in electric power generation included roles in engineering, operations, and project management. In 2005 Rick was a team member that received R&D Magazine’s R&D 100 Award for ultrasonic cleaning of nuclear fuel, a new technology that safely removes deposits from irradiated fuel assemblies in nuclear power plants.

Rick and his family are long-time visitors to Estes Park. He and his wife recently moved here, thereby fulfilling a dream.

Anonymous memorial gift to Polio Plus honors three members, amazes club

There were some gasps and some tears at Thursday's meeting as members reacted to this message to our club from Rotary International:

Dear President David Evans,

Greetings from the Rotary Foundation! I wanted to alert you of a recent donation from a member of your club to the PolioPlus Fund. While the donor wishes to remain anonymous, the gift has been made in honor of late Rotarians Jim “J.R.” Robertson, Ron Kuhns, and Rob Ludlum.

Because of the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this gift will translate into $75,000 for polio eradication activities, including immunization and surveillance around the world.

In light of the upcoming World Polio Day fundraising festivities, the donor would like an announcement to be made close to October 24^th to acknowledge the impact Rotarians can have towards eradicating polio worldwide.

On behalf the Rotary Foundation, we thank your club for its continued support of Rotary.

Kindly,

Christena Swartz, Major Donor Coordinator | Donor Services and Support, Rotary International

The announcement came just days before observance of Wold Polio Day on Wednesday, Oct. 24. In addition to this incredibly generous donation by one club members, we can all make a difference in our own ways.

Place dollars, change, checks into one of the two dozen donation jars in local businesses. Karen Thompson and her committee have placed with the End Polio Now logo in businesses across town. Please help fill them! Encourage your friends to give between now and Oct. 24.
Go to endpolio.org and make a tax-deductible donation.

“Our club wanted to raise awareness of the worldwide campaign to eradicate this horrible disease, said Karen Thompson, Fund Development Chair. “With the 2:1 match, every $1 contributed becomes $3, thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It’s awesome to think that polio can be eradicated in our lifetime, but it will still take millions of dollars and many years to make it a reality.”

Background facts on Rotary’s work to end polio

From the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, more than 17.4 million people, mainly in the developing world, who would otherwise have been paralyzed, are walking because they have been immunized against polio. More than 650,000 paralytic cases of polio are now prevented every year.
If polio is not eradicated, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 children could be paralyzed by it each year. A polio-free world will be a safer world for children everywhere.
The number of polio cases has declined by more than 99.9 percent from over 350,000 in 1985 to 22 in 2017.
Since 1988, the number of polio endemic countries declined from over 125 countries to three in 2017 (Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan).
Rotary is the leader of a coalitionto advocate for increased contributions by the US Government to global polio eradication. The other members include the United Nations Foundation, Task Force for Global Health, US Fund for UNICEF, American Academy of Pediatrics and March of Dimes.
There are three types of wild poliovirus. Type 2 wild poliovirus last occurred in October 1999 and was certified eradicated in September 2015. Type 3 wild poliovirus has not been found since November 2012, suggesting that only Type 1 wild poliovirus continues to circulate.
By the time the world is certified polio-free, Rotary’s contributions to the global polio eradication effort will exceed $2.2 billion, including $985 million in matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Rotary’s contribution to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative since 1988 accounts for nearly 14 percent of all contributions through June 2017 and represents approximately 42 percent of private sector contributions.
Donate at endpolio.org
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match Rotary’s commitment 2:1.

Paramedic presenter to discuss defibrillators

Erle Collom, paramedic with Estes Park Health, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Oct. 18, at their regular noon meeting. He will explain emergency defibrillators.

Erle Collom

Collom is a critical care paramedic and shift supervisor with Estes Park Health for over 20 years. Along with his paramedic job, Erle has been the Chief Medical Officer with the Allenspark Fire Department for 27 years.

Recognized for his easy to understand approach to teaching, he has been named the “Master of High Performance CPR” by his peers.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Astronaut Loren Shriver presents Oct. 11 on a lifelong interest in exploring space

Col. Loren James Shriver, NASA astronaut, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Oct. 11, at the noon meeting. He will share with us his lifetime interest in space exploration.

Shriver received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1967, and a Master of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1968.

Loren Shriver

First commissioned in 1967, Shriver served from 1967 to 1973 as a T-38 academic instructor pilot at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In 1973, he was assigned to an overseas tour in Thailand. In 1975, he attended the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In 1976, he began serving as a test pilot for the F-15 Joint Test Force.

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in January 1978, Shriver participated in three space flights, and logged over 386 hours in space. He was the pilot of STS-51-C, launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 24, 1985. He commanded a crew of five on his second mission, STS-31, which launched on April 24, 1990. This five-day flight deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. Also, he commanded mission STS-46 in 1992. Most recently, he served as the Space Shuttle Program Manager for Launch Integration and the Deputy Director for Launch and Payload Processing at Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Over his career, Shriver has received numerous awards and honors, including the United States Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He has been inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. He and his wife reside in Estes Park. They have four children.

Oct. 4 program by LWV speaker

will highlight mid-term elections

Bonnie Seals, member of the Estes Park League of Women Voters will headline our program this week. Her topic will be the mid-term elections.

Bonnie Seals is the Communications Chair of the Estes Park League of Women Voters. Bonnie retired in 2012 after a 35-year career as an actuary, practicing in retirement plan consulting. She graduated with a degree in Actuarial Science from Georgia State University, and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Before moving to Estes Park after her retirement, Bonnie lived in Atlanta, GA, Memphis, TN, and Louisville, KY as well as a 2-year temporary assignment in Wellington, New Zealand. Bonnie has been married to Gordon for 41 years and has 2 sons.

Bonnie Seals

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

EVFPD's John Jerome to present

Sept. 20 on fire prevention strategies

The Estes Valley was protected by the Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department from 1907 through 2010. In 2010, the Estes Valley Fire Protection District was formed.The mission of the Estes Valley Fire Protection District is to continue to provide the Estes Valley with superior fire prevention, fire protection, and emergency services.

John Jerome, the new Fire Marshall and Division Chief of Prevention, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, September 20. He will discuss fire prevention strategies and the Estes Valley Fire Protection District.

John Jerome

Jerome started his fire service career in 1993 as a volunteer firefighter in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 2000, he transitioned his primary focus from Operations to Prevention as a Fire Prevention Specialist for Rancho Santa Fe. Subsequently, he served as the campus Fire Marshal for Embry-Riddle University in Prescott, Arizona from 2014 to 2018.

In March 2018, John Jerome was sworn in as the new Fire Marshal and Division Chief of Prevention for the Estes Valley Fire Protection District. He brings a diverse background in suppression, prevention, investigation, training, fire service management, and community risk reduction. As head of the Prevention Division, he will be responsible for plan reviews and inspections, code enforcement, public education, and fire prevention.

He has an A.A. in Telecommunications and A.S. in Fire Science from Palomar College, and a B.S. in Fire Administration from Cogswell College. He has received many awards and accolades, including the 2012 Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year award from San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Sept. 13 program - Via Mobility Services

Via is a private, nonprofit organization that provides transportation and mobility options that enable its customers to live a more self-sufficient and independent life. Via was established in 1979 as a private, nonprofit organization to coordinate an efficient, cost-effective and accessible transportation system for seniors and people with disabilities. Currently, it provides transportation and mobility options to 19 communities in five counties in Colorado.

Lisa Curtis, Via’s Community Engagement and Business Development Officer, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, September 13. She will discuss Via Mobility Services (Via) in Boulder and Estes Park.

Lisa Curtis

Curtis works with community stakeholders to ensure that Via is providing quality client services that have beneficial and measurable impacts. Also, she coordinates with other human services providers to more efficiently deliver services. In addition, she leads Via’s fundraising efforts from grants and private giving. Furthermore, she is responsible for diversifying Via’s revenue-generating contracts and developing new business services.

Curtis received her BA in English, her JD from Tulane University Law School, and an MFA from The University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. As a practicing attorney in New Orleans, she was a Vice President and Senior Staff Attorney for a large financial institution.

Safe water: this week's program

This week's program will will address the work of the Waterborne Diseases Prevention Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help increase access safe water and improved hygiene in households, schools, and healthcare facilities across the developing world. This work has depended heavily on valued partnerships, notably Rotary International and local chapters, including the Rotary Club of Estes Park. Our speaker will be Robert Quick, MD, MPH.

Robert Quick

Quick is a medical epidemiologist in the Waterborne Diseases Prevention Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He received his medical training at the University of California, San Francisco, obtained an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, completed residencies in family practice and preventive medicine, and worked as medical director and clinician at the Indian Health Service hospital in Bethel, Alaska.

For the past 28 years, Quick has worked at CDC, conducting research on the etiology, control, and prevention of enteric diseases in the developing world. His work on cholera in Latin America and Africa revealed the seriousness and extent of the problem of lack of access to safe water and sanitation in the developing world and inspired a research focus on waterborne diseases and their prevention. With colleagues at CDC and the Pan American Health Organization, he developed the Safe Water System, a simple, inexpensive household-based water quality intervention, and has conducted field trials in Latin America, Africa, and Asia to establish the evidence base regarding its use and dissemination (www.cdc.gov/safewater). More recently, he has conducted field trials of other water treatment technologies, and has designed, implemented and evaluated projects that integrate water treatment technologies, handwashing and other public health interventions (including micronutrient Sprinkles, improved cookstoves, HIV counseling and testing, rapid syphilis screening and inexpensive handwashing stations) with maternal and child health services, school programs, and HIV care and support services. To carry out this work in the developing world, he has collaborated with numerous partners from the public and private sectors, Rotary Club, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, and academic institutions.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Cheley Colorado Camps

-a tradition since 1921

Cheley Colorado Camps were founded in 1921 by Frank Cheley and moved to its current location in 1926. The Camps are now under the leadership of the fourth generation of Cheley descendants. Cheley Camps are a private camp in Estes Park for children ages 9-17. The camps’ program instructs young people to respect the environment and their surroundings, teaches environmentally sound camping practices and builds lasting character and resiliency.

Cheley Camps have been able to accomplish its goals through a partnership with the National Parks and National Forests. Many campers have discovered the Estes Valley through first coming to Cheley as a young camper, only to return as an adult to make Estes their home.

Don Cheley, Director Emeritus for Cheley Camps, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Aug. 16, at their regular noon meeting.

Don Cheley

Raised in Denver and Estes, Cheley graduated from Menlo School of Business Administration. He worked for various businesses and served in the Air National Guard. Eventually, he became the third-generation executive director, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

He is the past president of the Western Association of Independent Camps, national president of the American Camp Association, chair of the American Camp Foundation, board of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, Board of the Bank of Estes Park, past president of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and America’s Ambassador to the International Camping Fellowship.

Congratulations!

2018-19 Foundation Directors

The Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation elected the following officers July 19:

Madison Casey, President

Harriette Woodard, Vice President

Gregg Jurgens, Treasurer

Dennis Gellhaus, Secretary

Jack Boatman, Grants Manager and Ernie Altick Coordinator

Marsha Yelick, Investment Advisor (non-trustee)

Harriette Woodard, Scholarship Coordinator

Kathy Groesbeck, Board Liaison

Travel to China with Rene Moquin and Global Volunteers this week

Rene Moquin will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Aug. 9, at the regular noon meeting. Moquin has participated with Global Volunteers, teaching English as a secondary language and doing community development work in Cuba, Poland, Africa, China and Vietnam. His presentation involves his recent work in China.

Rene Moquin

Prior to Global Volunteers, Rene volunteered for a number of years in installing water wells in Africa, and also, he spent two years working with refugees in Southeast Asia. This fall, Rene will return to East Africa to continue his work.

In Estes Park, Rene was involved in the noon Rotary Club, serving as chairman and The Big Duck for the annual duck race two years ago. In addition, he has served on a number of local boards.

Program: Nehemiah-Gateway's mission, projects, collaboration with our club

Nehemiah-Gateway focuses on helping others to help themselves and to foster and create sustainable structures. Started in 1991, Nehemiah has implemented many projects in Albania, such as first-aid clinics, repair shops, soup kitchens, day care centers, and educational institutions from kindergarten to university. Since then, this work has spread to other parts of the world.

Sarah Pita, Development Director for Nehemiah-Gateway USA, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Aug. 2, at their regular noon meeting. Pita will discuss Nehemiah Gateway’s well-established humanitarian and educational work in Albania. In addition, she will talk about the summer camp for Roma youth that Estes Park Rotary is sponsoring this year as well as other upcoming Nehemiah-Gateway collaborations.

Sarah Pita

Albania is a southern European country with a unique language and culture, in a spectacular natural setting. Recently, Pita had the opportunity to learn first-hand about Nehemiah-Gateway’s work in Albania.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language and Literature from Swarthmore College, Pita went on to receive her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Since then, she has lived all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and the United States.

For the last 12 years, Pita has lived with her husband and two children in the Estes Valley. Over that time, she has helped many nonprofit organizations in the Estes Valley to grow their programs and capacity through her expertise in grant writing and fundraising. A lifelong writer, she is passionate about using her skills to help organizations that are making a positive difference in the world.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century, initiating projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, disease, clean water, hunger, illiteracy, and poverty.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park has moved to its new location, meeting Thursdays in the Timberline Conference Room at the Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, located at 101 South Saint Vrain Ave. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Roger Thorp - Rotarian of the Year

Thanks to Gregg Jurgens for sharing his words of praise for our 2018 Rotarian of the Year, Roger Thorp. Gregg presented Roger's award at the July 12 club meeting.

Roger Thorp, 2018 Rotarian of the Year, received his award from 2017 winner Gregg Jurgens

Our Rotarian of the year award winner has been a member of our club since 1976, the same year he started his local business and also our first major flood.

As a member of our club he has served in several positions. Currently as Community Services Director, where he has planned, coordinated and executed several projects to benefit our community. Current projects include the community café, The Library outside reading area, cleaning and preserving the Welcome to Estes Park Rock Sign, he also found time to rehab the shelter by Lake Estes. The same shelter our club built years ago.

He has helped bring together our Rotary Club, Duck Race and Duck Central with Delaware North. By doing this he convinced Delaware North to provide in-kind contributions to the Duck Race a new home for Duck Central and a Thank you Luncheon for all Sponsors.

His commitment to doing it right and fair continued into his business, winning the “Architect of the Year” award from the American Institute of Architects, numerous awards for Designs and was featured on the cover of The Colorado Architect. He has also won the President’s Award for Design and Land Stewardship for his work on Performance Park Pavilion and a portion of EPURA Riverwalk. One only has to google his name to find pages of awards!

We are lucky to have him step up for another term on the Board as Director of Community Service.

Thank you for 42 years of service to our Club!

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Stan Crader, author of Stihl American,

will present this week's program

Stan Crader, writer, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, July 12, at their regular noon meeting. Crader came of age watching Stihl emerge from a little known brand in America to become the world’s best-selling outdoor power tool brand. He will share his observations of the people who pioneered Stihl in America, which he wrote about in “Stihl American,” his first non-fiction book.

Stan Crader

Crader was born and raised in rural Missouri, which provided him material and rich characters for his novels. While growing up, his jobs included paper routes, mowing lawns, grocery store carry out, farm equipment, sawmills, small engine mechanic, and janitor. He found that he learned a great deal about people from their grocery purchases and how they care for their lawns and equipment.

Stan is known for the unusual. Once he caught a bat at a Cardinal baseball game, he flew the Atlantic in a Cessna, and his grandfather filmed him jumping a creek on a motorcycle. He was elected city councilman of his hometown, which gave him a new respect for those that serve as volunteers in small towns.

He attended the University of Missouri, where he met his wife. They raised their three boys in Southeast Missouri and boast six grandchildren. Currently, he is president of Crader Distributing, Stihl’s oldest and largest independent distributor.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park has moved to its new location, meeting Thursdays in the Timberline Conference Room at the Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, 101 South Saint Vrain Ave. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Please Note: Our July 5 meeting will be in Salon F at The Ridgeline Hotel.

This week's program-

Jupiter’s Wife: A Narrative of the Juno Mission to Jupiter

On July 4, 2016, a room full of NASA scientists and engineers waited with bated breaths as the Juno spacecraft executed a highly choreographed maneuver that would place it into orbit around the planet Jupiter. A successful execution of the maneuver would begin the unprecedented observing campaign for 32 orbits past Jupiter’s northern and southern poles, whereas a dire error had the potential to send the spacecraft flying past Jupiter into the depths of interplanetary space.

Lori Spalsbury, member of the Juno Team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, July 5, at their regular noon meeting. Spalsbury will bring to life the feats of engineering and the scientific challenges that drove the Juno Mission in its hugely successful quest to unveil the mysteries of our solar system.

Lori Spalsbury

An Estes Park native and 2005 high school graduate, Lori spent her childhood admiring the clear night skies of the Rocky Mountains. She went on to attend the California Institute of Technology (B.S. 2009) and later the University of Maine (M.S. 2013). While completing her studies, she contributed to a variety of scientific studies, including galaxy evolution analysis, sun-grazing comet observations, lunar exosphere measurements and solar dynamo simulations.

Upon completion of her graduate degree, Lori joined the Juno Magnetometer Team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she has served as the Instrument Operations Lead for the Fluxgate Magnetometer and Advanced Stellar Compass instruments for the past four years.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world.There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, disease, clean water, hunger, illiteracy, and poverty.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park has moved to its new location, meeting Thursdays at The Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, 101 South Saint Vrain Avenue. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

New year, leadership, goals

The traditional changing of the guard program for the Rotary Club of Estes Park introduced award winners and new club and foundation board members. Held at The Ridgeline Hotel on June 21, the 92-year old club celebrated the accomplishments of 2017-18 and welcomed the new Rotary year, which begins July 1.

“Every past president has been a mentor and advisor to me, and I thank them,” 2017-18 President Kathy Groesbeck said. “It has meant so much to be president, and I have loved every minute of it,” said added. She noted that year was marked with “challenges and changes” as the club grieved the deaths of seven members, conducted a search for a new weekly meeting location and hosted a Rotary district conference on Duck Race weekend.

Groesbeck recognized former club presidents in attendance that evening, including Jay Harroff, Thor Homme, Scott Thompson and Pete Sumey. Groesbeck welcomed special guests, Audrey TeSelle and Ann Dinsmoor, whose late husbands Ken TeSelle and Jack Dinsmoor, died during the past year. Additionally, she thanked District 5440 Assistant Governor Linda Vomaske for attending.

Club member Chuck Bonza presented the Distinguished Service Award to Thor Homme, whose leadership has been a model for other club members. Bonza praised Homme for “continuing to jump in wherever needed” by the club. His contributions include Duck Race Committee Chair (Big Duck), club president and foundation president. Bonza noted that whenever help is needed with community service projects, Homme is there to lend a hand. In accepting, Homme thanked his wife Darlene for her support.

Groesbeck presented The Legacy Award to Wayne Andersen, a club member for 18 years, for embodying the spirit of Rotary. She noted his leadership of the Salvation Army bell ringing campaign for several years, his great sense of humor, his weekly service as lunch ticket coordinator, his record-setting year as Big Duck in 2007 and his role as duck wrangler.

Two additional awards, the Rotarian of the Year and the Spirit Award, will be presented at upcoming meetings because the recipients were unable to attend the June 21 event.

Membership Director Scott Thompson recognized Guy Van der Werf with a sponsor pin for serving as a mentor to new member Dennis Gellhaus Guy's wife Leslie presented the pin .

Outgoing Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation President Thor Homme recognized his board and thanked them for their hard work during the 2017-18 year on the community grants program and major grants benefitting the library and a summer camp for disadvantaged children in Albania. Foundation board members include: Marsha Yelick, Gregg Jurgens, Harriette Woodard, Jack Boatman, Debbie Delaney, Dave Evans and Kathy Groesbeck. Incoming foundation board members include Dave Evans, Kathy Groesbeck, Gregg Jurgens, Harriette Woodard, Jack Boatman, Virgil Holtgrewe, Dennis Gellhaus and Madison Casey.

Groesbeck recognized her 2017-18 board members: Longley Parker, treasurer; Rita DuChateau, secretary; Bill Solms, sergeant-at-arms; Dave Evans, president-elect; Sue Fereday, Youth, New Generations director; Thor Homme, foundation liaison; Doug Mann, international service director; Karol Rinehart, club administrative director; Karen Thompson, fund development director; Scott Thompson, membership director; Roger Thorp, community service director.

As her last order of business, Groesbeck presented the leadership gavel to incoming President Dave Evans, along with a badge and pin denoting his presidency. Evans thanked her for leading the club through a difficult year with her endless energy. He further recognized Groesbeck for her efforts to build a relationship with Delaware North, parent company of The Ridgeline Hotel, which enhanced the Duck Race. Evans presented Groesbeck with a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of her presidency, along with a badge and pin.

Evans welcomed members of the 2018-19 club board. Rita DuChateau, Sue Fereday, Longley Parker, Karol Rinehart, Karen Thompson and Roger Thorp will remain in their current positions. New board positions include: Ron Gordon, director of international service; Kathy Groesbeck, foundation liaison; Thor Homme, sergeant at arms; Doug Mann, president-elect; and Bill Solms, membership director.

Evans pledged to devote his year to increasing club membership, fundraising efforts and capacity to meet grant requests. He said while clubs often fall into a “vicious circle” when facing challenges, he would like to turn that into “a virtuous circle” that capitalizes on the “commitment to service that is in our DNA” as Rotarians. He referred to the club’s rich history in the area of scholarships and community support through grants and the Duck Race and emphasized his commitment to maintaining programs despite declining membership.

“I think we are capable of doing even more,” he said.

President's Night celebrates Rotary year

Dinner, music, awards this week

We Rotarians get so busy with our weekly meetings, community service projects and special fundraising events that it's important to set aside an evening to reflect, celebrate and thank those who worked so hard to make the current Rotary year a success. We will also introduce next year's officers and directors.The highlight of the evening will be several special awards, top secret until the moment of presentation. This year's awards are introduced by last year's recipients, so it's sure to be entertaining.

Come and mingle with club members and their guests at 5:30 p.m. with musical accompaniment by our own Madison Casey. Enjoy dinner at 6 p.m. The program follows at 7 p.m.

This is our first President's Night at The Ridgeline Hotel - let's take the time to celebrate The Rotary Club of Estes Park!

2018-19 Rotary Theme

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Flood recovery -past and future

EP Watershed Coalition Coordinator

to present this week's program

Lindsay McFarland, Coordinator for the Estes Park Watershed Coalition, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, June 7, at their regular noon meeting. The Coalition was recently recognized for the 2018 Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award. McFarland will be discussing the Coalition’s efforts in flood recovery as well as the future of the Estes Valley Watershed.

Lindsay McFarland

McFarland is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Environmental Science-Geoscience. During her time at the University, Iowa had its own catastrophic flood. This flood defined McFarland’s career path as she soon started working in Urban Stormwater Management and flood mitigation.

Having grown up visiting her grandparents in Estes Park, Lindsay felt the pain and struggles as Estes Park flooded in 2013. After her graduation, she spent a year in Iowa as a Watershed Coordinator in Scott County before moving to Estes Park to assist with our flood recovery.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park has moved to its new location, meeting Thursdays at The Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, located at 101 South Saint Vrain Avenue. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Volunteers bring water safety message to Estes Park kindergarten students

Kindergarten students at Estes Park Elementary School had a close encounter with an otter last Friday. They learned how to keep themselves safe around water and to always be with an adult. These lifesaving lessons were delivered by our club members, friends and a rather large otter.

“We read to all four kindergarten classes as a follow up to last year’s program where we visited kindergarten and first grade classes,” said Chuck Bonza, project coordinator. “We were happy to see that Stephanie Hart had scheduled staff from the aquatic center to talk to the students about water safety, which helped to reinforce our Josh the Baby Otter lesson."

Jay and Daffney Harroff read to Stephanie Hart’s class, a special treat for Daffney, a high school student who was once one of Hart’s students. Alice Schwartz read to Edie Keller’s students, Jim Austin visited with Anne Leija’s students and Kathy Groesbeck shared the touching story with Emily Jurgens’ students.

Following the short classroom lesson on water safety, the students went to the playground, where Josh the Baby Otter mascot greeted them. Each child received a copy of the book for reading at home with parents.

“Many, many hugs were the order of the day on the playground,” Bonza said. “After the four kindergarten classes, the first graders came out and it all started again with the love and hugs for Josh.”

Josh the Baby Otter book and materials were created by the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation with a goal of educating children with a fun and simple message: “To stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult.” That message has been carried to over a million children across the U.S. Paul Foreman, a Rotarian from Colorado Springs, lost two of his grandsons in the river at Pinewood Springs two years ago. He has led the effort in Colorado to bring Josh and the reading program to hundreds of kindergartners in elementary school, and especially to Estes Park Elementary where his grandsons were students.

Thursday's program:

Thanking our Duck Race Sponsors

The Rotary Club of Estes Park will host a Thank You Reception for sponsors of the Rotary Duck Race Festival on Thursday, May 24, 2018 during the regular club meeting at The Ridgeline Hotel in the Trail Ridge Room. Duck Race Sponsors have been invited to attend to enjoy a complimentary lunch provided by The Ridgeline Hotel. 'Big Duck' Brad Rosenbaum will introduce each sponsor and award them their souvenir 2018 Sponsor Duck painted especially for them. Brad will also offer some special highlights of this year's successful 30th annual Rotary Duck Race Festival. Club member Harriette Woodard chairs this new event and has planned a delightful luncheon to honor our Duck Race sponsors. We deeply appreciate their generosity and look forward to thanking them in person at the luncheon!

Come and celebrate our Duck Race sponsors!

Grateful students earn $42,500 in scholarships from our club

What a tremendous evening for our Estes Park High School students. The senior class earned over $100,000 in scholarships from many business, clubs and organizations. Our club gave $42,500 of that total, both in academic scholarships and in named memorial scholarships. The winners are:

Academic - $8,000 each, over 4 years : Hanna Bergsten, Anya Igel, Phoebe Dixon

Hagemeister Eagle Scouts - $2,000 each: Will Peters, Amos Westley

Carver - $2,000: Braeden Johnson

Prochaska - $1,500: Marianne LaMont, Luis Guadarrama, Matthew Birchfield, Guiliana Mazza

Stanley Hotel - $2,500: Andra McDougall

Archibald Art - $1,000: Casey Walsh

Hagemeister Education - $1,000 each: Jessa Abel, Sadie Vik

Kuhns Memorial - $1,000: Will Thomas

2018 Rotary Club of Estes Park scholarship recipients (Photo by Marsha Hobert)

Ron Kuhns' sons (left) attended the ceremony to congratulate the Kuhns Memorial Scholarship recipient. (Photo by Marsha Hobert).

What will your Rotary legacy be?

Thursday's program to help you create it

Martin Limbird, fellow Rotarian from the Fort Collins Rotary Club, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park Thursday, May 17, at their regular noon meeting. He will give a presentation on Your Rotary Legacy.

Limbird first joined Rotary in 1984 in Ames, Iowa, and became a charter member of the Muncie, Indiana Sunrise Rotary Club in 1994. He served as club president in 2001-02, and, in 2004, his wife Mary Catherine, a cross cultural trainer and ESL teacher, joined the same club. Martin led a Group Study Exchange team to France in 1999 and was District 6560 Governor in 2005-06, leading all 24 districts in Zones 29-30 in per capita and total giving to The Rotary Foundation that year. He was an area polio campaign coordinator, GSE committee chair, district trainer and, in 2008-09, district membership chair, leading all districts in Zone 30 in membership growth. The Limbirds are active members of Rotary’s International Travel and Hosting Fellowship and the Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide (B.R.E.W.) Fellowship.

Martin and Mary Catherine Limbird

Martin and Mary Catherine are Rotary Foundation Major Donors, Bequest and Arch C. Klumph Society members as well as charter members of the District 6560 Paul Harris Society, founded during Martin’s governorship. Since 1998, the Limbirds have been sergeants-at-arms at 16 Rotary international conventions. They took part in a National Immunization Day in Ghana in 2007 and initiated a zone-wide partnership with Mexican Rotarians in District 4170, known as Heart2Heart, which continues today. Martin has represented RI Presidents D.K. Lee, Ray Klinginsmith and John Germ at district conferences and was Chief Sergeant at Arms at the 2016 International Assembly.

Martin retired from Ball State University in 2009, capping a four-decade career in international educational exchange beginning as a graduate student in Belgium, U.S. Peace Corps service in Ghana, directing international services offices for two decades at Iowa State University (where he earned his Ph.D.), and nearly 20 years at Ball State University. Both Mary Catherine and Martin have earned Fulbright fellowships abroad, and Martin is a past president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Indiana-Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) Partners of the Americas and recipient of the Silver Beaver award from the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America. In September, 2010, the Limbirds moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where Mary Catherine is an active member of the Fort Collins Breakfast Rotary Club and P.E.O, and Martin belongs to the Fort Collins Rotary Club, where he is a member of the club’s TRF committee. During 2013-14, Martin served as District 5440 Paul Harris Society coordinator and was presented with the district’s Foundation Service award as co-chair of a dinner that raised $2.7 million for The Rotary Foundation’s Permanent Fund. Beginning in July 2015, he became the Endowment/Major Gift advisor for Zone 27.

The Limbirds’ daughter Tina, her husband (a member of the Berlin International Rotary Club) and darling granddaughters live in Germany, and their son Scott and his family live in Indiana where he is pursuing a career in restaurant and rental property management. In his free time, Martin plays trombone and is an unrepentant amateur accordionist.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park meets Thursdays at the Rodeway Inn in Estes Park. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Please note that the club's meeting place will change beginning May 24 to The Ridgeline Hotel on South St. Vrain Ave., Estes Park.

Investing in Early Child Care and Education: How are we doing?

Nancy Almond, Executive Director of Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success (EVICS), will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, May 10, at their regular noon meeting. She will give an overview of EVICS services, current status of childcare and early childhood education services in our community, and talk about why it should matter to each of us. In addition, Almond will give a brief overview of the results from the Childcare Needs Assessment.

Nancy Almond

With over 20 years of work experience with and on behalf of young children, Almond has been employed as an elementary school teacher, a director of children’s ministry, and a residential camp program director. Furthermore, she has work experience with both public and non-profit agencies in promoting public education and information, coordinating training conferences, and creating collaborations.

Nancy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education/Therapeutic Recreation and is a 2010 graduate of the Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program.

As the EVICS Director since 2006, Nancy supports Estes Park’s early care and education programs, coordinates training and professional development and promotes community investment in early childhood. Also, Nancy supervises the Estes Park Parents as Teachers Program.

She enjoys living in the mountains, pursuing many outdoor activities with friends and family, and being a part of a small community.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs, around the world, initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park meets Thursdays at the Rodeway Inn in Estes Park, located at 1701 North Lake Avenue on Highway 34 just west of Dry Gulch Road. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Thursday's program: keeping you strong, safe and in your own home

Our speaker this week will be Bethany Matthias of In Home Fitness Solutions. In Home Fitness Solutions is personal training that specializes in the older adult population with the #1 goal of keeping the older adult strong and safe in his/her home for as long as possible. In Home Fitness Solutions is dedicated to proactive health and fitness for the older adult to reduce chance of falls and keeping the client strong, and staying in their home as long as possible.

Bethany Matthias

"I design and implement a health program specific to the needs of the client, all the while in the comfort of his/her home," Mattias said.

Matthias has been a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant for the last 19 years. She has worked full time in the hospital, home health, and nursing home settings in northwest Iowa. She moved to Estes Park last July and started In Home Fitness Solutions. She is also a Senior Fitness Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Pilates Instructor. She has a passion working with older adults, keeping them strong, improving balance, and overall mobility.

Affordable housing for families in need:

Habit for Humanity of the Estes Valley

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all faiths and walks of life to work together in partnership, building houses with families in need.

In 2017, Habitat for Humanity of the Estes Valley merged with Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley, gaining expertise in the increasingly complex world of mortgage and construction regulations.

David Emerson will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, April 19, at their regular noon meeting. He will provide an overview of Habitat’s Homeownership Program and an update on Habitat for Humanity of the Estes Valley’s current plans. In particular, he is looking for individuals interested in becoming involved in Habitat’s efforts of providing decent affordable community-adapted housing in Estes Park.

David Emerson

Emerson holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He has held positions with Merrill Lynch, Walt Disney, and 3M Company. While serving on the Board of Directors of the South Palm Beach County Florida Habitat for Humanity, he helped launch a ReStore, developed a long-term strategic plan, and led the successful search for that affiliate’s first Executive Director.

In 2006, he left 3M Company to pursue his passion for Habitat’s mission full-time. Emerson feels blessed that he is able to work in partnership with the community and with those in need, whereby Habitat can provide a hand up via homeownership. His passion was recognized when he was named 2007 Habitat for Humanity Colorado Executive Director of the Year

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

402 years after the Bard's death, Shakespeare Lives!

Robert Burkhardt to present this week's lively program

Robert Burkhardt, retired educator and founding Head of Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, April 12, at their regular noon meeting. He will present a program titled “Shakespeare Lives.”

Robert Burkhardt

Shakespeare has been “King of the Hill” in the English language for more than 400 years. Why? What makes him so great? And why should we care?

Burkhardt’s program will examine the ways in which Shakespeare continues to inhabit and shape our lives through the vocabulary we use, the ideas we share, the cultural references we make, and the very way we think. It has been argued that “Shakespeare invented us.” We look forward to a lively, provocative and engaging discussion.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park meets Thursdays at the Rodeway Inn in Estes Park, located at 1701 North Lake Avenue on Highway 34. Beginning May 24, 2018, meeting will move to The Ridgeline Hotel on South St. Vrain Ave., Estes Park. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

This week's program: Club Community Grants

This week's program will recognize the recipients of our Club Community Grants. Club members will learn how the funding will be used by each group. Dave Evans will present the program. Please plan to attend so that you can see how your Foundation support is making a difference for local organizations.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Nancy Thomas to present program on EP Woman's Club

The Estes Park Woman’s Club was organized in 1912. The women spent their first year building mountain trails and making scenic areas accessible to hikers and horseback riders. The following year, they decided to build a clubhouse, that would dually serve as the library. In 1914, the Woman’s Club was accepted into the Colorado Federation and General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

In 1916, the women established their library at the local school. By 1920, the school needed to expand so the library was moved to a rented room in a downtown hotel. Then, in 1922, the town donated a lot in Bond Park for the library site, but the Woman’s Club was responsible for the building of the Estes Park Public Library.

The Woman’s Club and volunteers donated labor and materials and raised money needed to build the library. In addition, the women established a fund to support the maintenance of the library in 1925. Today, the Estes Valley Library continues to receive the support of the Estes Park Woman’s Club.

Nancy P. Thomas, recording secretary for the Estes Park Woman’s Club, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, March 15, at their regular noon meeting. Thomas will be speaking about the history and the work of the Estes Park Woman’s Club.

Nancy Thomas

After receiving a Ph.D. in Communication, Information & Library Studies in 1969 from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Thomas became a professor in the School of Library & Information Management, Emporia State University, until her retirement in 2009.

In Estes Park, she served as President of the Estes Park Museum Friends & Foundation from 2015-2017 and chaired the Coolest Car Show in Colorado. She continues as the Editor-in-Chief of the Friends Press. She joined the Woman’s Club in 2010, and currently serves as its recording secretary.

Thomas is the author of a number of professional textbooks and journal articles. Since her retirement, she has written “A Slice of History & A Piece of Pie,” a social history of Estes Park’s first families. Furthermore, she helped edit and publish “Then the Women Took Over: A Hundred Years of the Estes Park Woman’s Club,” written by Harriet Burgess, and “The Memoirs of the Eleanor Hondius of Elkhorn Lodge,” and co-authored with her brother J. H. Pickering, “If I Ever Grew Up and Became a Man: William Allen White’s Moraine Park Years.”

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Housing needs in Estes Park:

A program by the EP Housing Authority

The new director of the Estes Park Housing Authority, Naomi Hawf, will be our speaker this week. She will describe the work of the organization and the need for housing in our town.

Naomi Hawf

The Estes Park Housing Authority is an organization developed from the Loveland Housing Authority with a mission to create and facilitate housing opportunities and services for persons of low to moderate income. The EPHA also supports opportunities for work force housing.

"We are a group of six people that support the people residing in the Estes area, as well as manage and maintain over 200 rental units," Hawf explained. "We manage 38 Housing Choice Vouchers (commonly known as the Section 8 Program). We also have a Down Payment Assistance Program and Home Ownership options."

Hawf came to Estes Park in 2015 from a suburb of Denver. She joined the Housing Authority team in May 2016.

"Rita Kurelja hired me to manage the (then) newly opened Falcon Ridge Apartments and complete administrative functions. Following that position, I accepted the role as Housing Supervisor to oversee the daily operations of all six of our rental properties and become more involved in the additional programs we offer. Here we are today, with my next phase of this adventure as the Executive Director," Hawf said.

Hawf's background includes both private and public sector employment. She has a decade of airline industry experiences as well as six years in the public sector for two municipalities in the Denver Metro Area.

Rotary Quote of the Week

Posted by Rita DuChateau

4th Thursday - Committees to Meet

The real work of a club happens at the committee level, and this week's meeting will give everyone the chance to engage in this important work. Following lunch and a brief business meeting, members will gather in groups related to their interests.

You can see what you indicated as your area of interest at the bottom of your Spoke every week. But, fear not! It's never too late to join in, try something new, or simply "shop" for a group.

Here are the club members who will lead the small group work at Thursday's meeting:

Doug Mann - International Service
Sue Fereday - Youth/New Generation Service

Karen Thompson - Fund Development

Karol Rinehart - Club Administration

Bill Solms - Sargeant-at-Arms
Rick Taylor - Programs

Scott Thompson - Membership
Roger Thorp - Community Service

Bring your energy, your ideas and your willingness to help the Rotary Club of Estes Park be a better club for all of its members. You make a difference!

This week: Performing Art Center Update

The Rocky Mountain Performing Arts Center seeks to become the focal point of cultural life in the Estes Valley by creating a state-of-the-art performance center that will become a catalyst for downtown economic development while simultaneously enhancing the quality of life for residents and guests alike.

“The Rocky” is raising $25 million to build a 751-seat performance facility in the heart of downtown Estes Park. The quality of the performance center and its seating capacity will make possible world-class performances that otherwise would not be logistically or economically feasible in the Estes Valley.

Al Milano, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Performing Arts Center, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, February 15, at their regular noon meeting. Milano will discuss the proposed Rocky Mountain Performing Arts Center for Estes Park.

Al Milano

Milano is an art management and fundraising veteran. During his 35-year career, he has led or organized capital campaigns that raised more than $1.7 billion for the arts and other projects across the country. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Arsht Center in Miami, Hobby Center in Houston, Peace Center in South Carolina, and Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in West Virginia all have benefitted from his experience.

In addition, he organized the $200 million campaign to build the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Milano is known particularly for his success at raising funds in difficult environments. An example of this was his leadership of the 24-month, $36 million successful conclusion of the Miami campaign, which had languished in the previous eight years of its construction phase.

His business planning for the arts organizations has included a 1995 study, which helped revive the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the Music Center of Los Angeles. His first arts position was his employment to oversee the campaign that brought the Dallas Symphony Orchestra out of bankruptcy in 1977. He later served as CEO of the Dallas Theater Center and of the Cleveland Play House and most recently oversaw development at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, serving as Executive Vice President.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

This week's program: Library services for new Americans

Aracely Thomas will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Feb. 8, at their regular noon meeting. Thomas, the Estes Valley Public Library's ELL Outreach Coordinator, will present a program titled “Welcome to the USA: Library Services for New Americans.”

Aracely Thomas

The Welcome to the USA program consists of educational resources for new immigrants. The new immigrant experiences fears, hesitation, and doubt. The program seeks to make new immigrants comfortable in their new environment, guide them to local resources, and find the help that they may need. In addition, the Library aids the immigrant in becoming fluent in the English language.

Thomas was born and raised in Mexico. She came to the United States over 10 years ago, when she married her husband. In 2008, she started working at the Estes Valley Library as a Substitute for the Circulation Department. She has loved working at the Library, for which there is no equivalent concept in Mexico.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Learn the impact of Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County

Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, founded in 1986, provide a safe environment where young people can reach their full potential. It provides after-school programs during the school year and all-day activities during the summer months.

Kaycee Headrick, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Feb. 1, at their regular noon meeting. She will discuss how the Clubs impact youth in Larimer County and the Estes Valley.

Kaycee Headrick

At the Clubs, youth learn to work and play together, are given structure and responsibility, and learn about the benefits of education. Students become more self confident and develop character, and hence, more motivated to avoid alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and early sexual experimentation. In such an environment, youth can discover how to see beyond the walls of their current situation and realize they can succeed. They become better people and better members of the community and future citizens.

In 2014, in conjunction with the Estes Park School District, the Clubs opened a summer program serving more than 50 youth a day in Estes Park.

Headrick earned a B.S. in Arts and Sciences from South Dakota State. She has worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs in South Dakota and Larimer County since 2008 in a variety of roles. She has been Director of Operations, Program Development Director, Unit Director, Program Director, and Youth Impact Director, and is currently the Executive Director

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Rita DuChateau

4th Thursday groups meet this week

You can see what you indicated as your area of interest at the bottom of your Spoke every week. But, fear not! It's never too late to join in, try something new, or simply "shop" for a group.

Here are the club members who will lead the small group work at Thursday's meeting:

Doug Mann - International Service

Sue Fereday - Youth/New Generation Services

Karen Thompson - Fund Development

Karol Rinehart - Club Administration

Bill Solms - Sargeant-at-Arms

Rick Taylor - Programs

Scott Thompson - Membership

Roger Thorp - Community Service

Various members of the Duck Race Committee will also have an opportunity to convene to check on progress/plans for the 30th Rotary Duck Race Festival scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2018.

Bring your energy, your ideas and your willingness to help the Rotary Club of Estes Park be a better club for all of its members. You can make a difference!

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

This week's program: Prospect Living Center

Brook Richardson and Michelle Gordon, Prospect Park Living Center nursing home administrator and director of nursing respectively, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, January 18, at their regular noon meeting. They will share what Prospect Park Living Center (PPLC) is and what services are provided to its residents.In particular, they would like to discuss the recent improvements made to PPLC which will provide a more comfortable home for the residents and their families and friends. They also will talk about the current state of the aging population and its impact on the future of elder care. Hopefully, they provoke thoughtful reflections on how the United States cares for our elders and what the future challenges will be.

Brook Richardson, M.S.N., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., C.E.N.P.

Nursing Home Administrator Brook Richardson has an eclectic background in health care leadership, having previously served as the Regional Chief Nursing Officer with Banner Health Northern Colorado, Centura Health, and Kaiser Permanente as well as the Executive Director of Clinical Services with Fraser Health Authority in Vancouver, B.C. She was born and raised in Canada, and has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of British Columbia.

Michelle Gordon, R.N., B.S.W., D.O.N.

Director of Nursing Michelle Gordon brings 25 years of nursing and social work experience to our geriatric population at PPLC. She has spent time in public health, home health care, subacute rehabilitation, and long term care.

They are both passionate about ensuring excellence in service and quality for the residents at PPLC, for giving their final years joy and purpose.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

This week: Creating a culture of caring

Karen Randinitis, Estes Park resident who facilitates the Communities that Care program locally, will present our program this week. She will share the work of Communities that Care, which is funded by a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Karen Randinitis

Communities that Care is a science-based framework that looks at local level data and gaps in services and works towards substance abuse prevention and positive youth development. This program falls under Larimer County Dept of Health and Environment and answers the question from the Governor regarding prevention programs using marijuana retail tax dollars. Forty-six communities in the state have picked up this funding.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Jan. 4 program: learn about an eye hospital

that focuses on the poor in India

Modi Charitable Eye Hospital in Bangalore, India, was established in 1980 by Dr. P. C. Modi. Initially, the eye hospital functioned as a camp-based eye center. Dr. Modi and his eye camps are a household name in India for their dedicated services to the poor since the 1940’s.

Over the years, the eye hospital has been renovated to better serve the community, including operating room eye surgery, outpatient facilities to treat preventable blindness like cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetes, as well as pediatric eye problems.

The eye camps have doubled the day camp eye surgeries from 500 to 1000 surgeries every month and doubled the outpatient care services from 100 to 200 patient visits per day. Approximately 20 percent of the patient population pays for their services via a sliding scale, and 80 percent of the population receives free eye care.

The Modi Eye Hospital is supported by Dr. Modi’s Charitable Trust, NGO’s, public donations, and Rotary grants. The Bangalore NW Rotary Club has a several-year plan to improve the mission of the eye hospital.

Dr. Krishna Murthy, retired physician and former EPMC Specialty Clinic allergist, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Jan. 4, at their regular noon meeting. He will discuss the Modi Eye Hospital in India, which has prevented blindness in many thousands of individuals.

Dr. Krishna Murthy

Dr. Murthy has been honored as Rotarian of the Year and is a past president of the Fort Collins Breakfast Rotary Club. He has been recognized by Rotary International in Glasgow, Scotland, for his asthma day camps in India. In addition, Dr. Murthy has been recognized as Physician of the Year by the Larimer County Medical Society and is past president of the Larimer County Medical Society and Colorado Allergy & Asthma Society. He remains involved in Rotary’s End Polio efforts and international service.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Rotarians and their guests to celebrate

the season at club's Holiday Luncheon

This week's meeting will be our Holiday Social Luncheon for members and guests. Club Administrator Karol Rinehart has arranged a festive menu of mimosas, prime rib, chicken, enticing sides and a luscious dessert. She has arranged for The Uncommon Connection to provide our program. The quartet has been performing in the Estes Valley since 2014 for such events as Peak to Peak Music Series, It's Showtime, Crossroads benefits, Veterans Monument benefit and Mountain Aires shows. Member are Roger Thorp, Bert Bergland, Bob Gunn, Don Bryson and Verlene Thorp as coach.

It promises to be a memorable afternoon of Rotary fun and fellowship. See you there!

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Exchange student and scholarship recipient Ted Dumont to highlight Thursday's program

The purpose of Rotary Youth Exchange is to promote and build peace one young person at a time by engaging them in a new culture and language so that they may become global citizens. High school students who are interested in traveling abroad, to live with host families and attend school in their host communities, are welcome to apply next year with Rotary.

Ted Dumont, Rotary Exchange Student, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, December 14, at the regular noon meeting. He will talk about and share photos from his high school senior year student exchange to Nerac, France.

Ted Dumont

Currently, Dumont is attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is studying software engineering, which he plans to integrate with music production and composition for his future career.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Music to get you in the holiday mood: Mountain Echoes Choir

Mountain Echoes is an after school choir for students in Grades 3-5 at Estes Park Elementary. The students meet on Tuesdays after school for one hour to rehearse. Mountain Echoes is directed by Mrs. Jenna Williams and accompanied by Mr. Mike Williams.

Mountain Echoes performed at the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

"In November, we sang our holiday songs for the Estes Park Tree Lighting Ceremony," said Jenna Williams. "Last week, we sang the National Anthem for a boys’ varsity basketball game. For the past two years, we auditioned and were chosen to sing the national anthem at a Rockies baseball game, and our goal is to sing the National Anthem for the Rockies this spring."

The Mountain Echoes Choir formal concert will be on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Estes Park Elementary School gym. The students will finish 2017 by singing at the elementary school Christmas Sing Along at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, before going on break.

They even practiced on Halloween!

"These students have phenomenal dedication and talent that they are providing for our school," Jenna Williams said.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Who should care about childcare in EP?

Program to tell us why we all should care

Everyone depends on someone who depends on childcare. Our Estes community thrives when our families thrive because children are our future workforce, community members, and community leaders. However, families living in Estes Park are struggling continuously to access high quality, affordable child care, necessary for working families and critical to healthy development of our youngest citizens.

Michael Moon, Chair of the Childcare Services Committee, a subcommittee of the Estes Park Economic Development Committee, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, November 16, at their regular noon meeting. He plans to address the issue of insufficient childcare availability in the Estes Valley.

Moon’s career was in high tech at Harris Corporation, Storage Technology, Intel Corporation and Weyerhaeuser. He holds a BSEE and MSEE fro Georgia Tech and a MBA from the University of Oregon.

Since he moved to the area, Moon has been active in many civic activities. He was the Chair of the Lot 4 Election Committee for the Estes Park Medical Center and was a Planning Commission Chair. Additionally, he serves as an active member of the Estes Park Police Department Auxiliary, the Presbyterian Community Church, and the Broadband Committee of the Estes Park Economic Development Corporation.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries. Rotarians believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Rotary clubs work together to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water and sanitation, support mothers and children, foster education, and grow local economies. We encourage you to get involved.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Who put the Chapin in Mt. Chapin?

Jim Pickering to share the story

Jim Pickering, Historian Laureate of Estes Park, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Nov. 2, at their regular noon meeting. His program is titled, “Who Put the Chapin in Mount Chapin?”

Frederick Hastings Chapin, a Connecticut druggist, authored Mountaineering in Colorado: The Peaks about Estes Park in 1879. He was Estes Park’s first climbing guide to the region, and the man for whom Mount Chapin was named.

A native New Yorker, Pickering received his B.A. from Williams College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. He taught at Michigan State University where he served as Associate Chair and Graduate Chair of the Department of English and as Director of the Honors College. Subsequently, he was at the helm of the University of Houston as Dean, Provost, and President.

Estes Park Historian Laureate Jim Pickering

A specialist in Early American Literature and the writings of James Fenimore Cooper (a fellow New Yorker), Pickering edited also a series of college-level textbooks. These included a short story textbook, Fiction 100, first published in 1974, and an anthology, currently in its 13th edition, that has now outlasted five decades of college students.

A long time summer visitor to Estes Park and valley home owner since 1992, Jim began researching and writing about the history of Estes Park and the American West in the mid-1980's, “to give me something other than academic administration and intercollegiate athletics to think about.” To date he has written or edited over 30 books on these subjects.

Pickering formally retired to Estes Park in 2013, and has served on the Boards of the Estes Park Economic Development Corporation, the Estes Valley Library Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Nature Association.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy. Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self,” best expresses Rotary’s ideals.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park, founded in 1926, meets Thursdays at the Rodeway Inn in Estes Park, located at 1701 North Lake Avenue on Highway 34 just west of Dry Gulch Road. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

4th Thursday groups meet this week

You can see what you indicated as your area of interest at the bottom of your Spoke every week. But, fear not! It's never too late to join in, try something new, or simply "shop" for a group.

Here are the club members who will lead the small group work at Thursday's meeting:

Dave Evans - International Service
Sue Fereday - Youth/New Generation Services
Karen Thompson - Fund Development
Karol Rinehart - Club Administration
Bill Solms - Sargeant-at-Arms
Rick Taylor - Programs
Scott Thompson - Membership
Roger Thorp - Community Service

Bring your energy, your ideas and your willingness to help the Rotary Club of Estes Park be a better club for all of its members. You can make a difference!

Posted by Rita DuChateau

District Governor Bill Emslie to visit Oct. 19

Polish your Rotary pins! It's time for our District Governor's visit.

Bill Emslie, Governor of Rotary District 5440, will speak Thursday, Oct. 19, at the regular meeting of The Rotary Club of Estes Park at noon. His district includes 53 Rotary clubs in Wyoming, Northwern Colorado, Eastern Idaho and Western Nebraska.

District 5440 Governor Bill Emslie

The International Rotary theme for the year is Rotary Making A Difference! DG Bill is expected to focus on the People of Action Campaign for Rotary International. The theme is meant to highlight all the projects and activities that The Rotary Club of Estes Park accomplishes, both locally and internationally. Opportunities are plentiful for potential members, young and old, to help Rotary achieve its mission of “peace and understanding throughout the world,” and by bringing their passion to provide service.

“We’re delighted to share some of our projects with District Governor Bill Emslie," President Kathy Groesbeck said. The Rotary Club of Estes Park has participated in international, regional and local projects for 91 years. Its largest local fundraising is the Estes Park Rotary Duck Race, which generates over $100,000 annually for partner charities annually in May.The club also awards $24,000 in academic scholarships each year to graduating high school students, and also provides a robust yearly grant program for local non-profit organizations.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Group seeks to preserve Rockside,

Estes Park's 'White House'

The Historic Stanley Home Foundation was established as a Colorado non-profit corporation in October 2016 for the purpose of purchasing, renovating, preserving and operating Rockside, the F. O. Stanley home.

Anne Rogers, Treasurer of the Historic Stanley Home Foundation, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, October 12, at their regular noon meeting. She will discuss how the Stanley home will serve as a cultural center for local history education.

Supporters of the tax-exempt Foundation will endeavor to raise the necessary funds to accomplish this mission. Securing this historic treasure for the benefit of the public will be a sorely-needed addition to Estes Park’s ability to express its rich history. The open space surrounding the home will eventually be placed under conservation easement to ensure its perpetual protection.

Anne Rogers spent 15 years in veterinary medical research with USDA and Pfizer Animal Health. Following that, she sold scientific and laboratory equipment in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska for 20 years. She and her husband have owned property in Estes Park since 2000 and became permanent residents in 2013. Anne works for the Rocky Mountain Conservancy and is the President of Chapter HF, P.E.O.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Eagle Rock, RMNP collaborate to enhance science, leadership lessons

Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center and Rocky Mountain National Park embarked on a partnership in 2008 to engage students in their education by developing opportunities for students to connect with national parks and the outdoors. Both organizations desired to increase relevancy of national parks for youth diversity of employees and user base.

Jon Anderson, instructor at Eagle Rock School, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, October 5, at their regular noon meeting. Anderson and Eagle Rock students plan to discuss the program.

Jon Anderson

Anderson works in the Human Performance Outdoor Education Department at Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center in Estes Park. Jon has worked as an instructor at Eagle Rock School for the past 15 years and served as a house parent for seven years. He is responsible for running the Internship and Citizen Science program with RMNP and teaches other experiential science and leadership based classes.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Rita DuChateau

4th Thursday groups meet this week

You can see what you indicated as your area of interest at the bottom of your Spoke every week. But, fear not! It's never too late to join in, try something new, or simply "shop" for a group.

Here are the club members who will lead the small group work at Thursday's meeting:

Dave Evans - International Service

Sue Fereday - Youth/New Generation Services

Karen Thompson - Fund Development

Karol Rinehart - Club Administration

Bill Solms - Sargeant-at-Arms

Rick Taylor - Programs

Scott Thompson - Membership

Roger Thorp - Community Service

Bring your energy, your ideas and your willingness to help the Rotary Club of Estes Park be a better club for all of its members. You can make a difference!

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

What's new in Estes Park?

Frank Lancaster to headline Sept. 21 program

Frank Lancaster, Town Administrator for the Town of Estes Park, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, September 21, at their regular noon meeting. Lancaster will provide a Town update.

Lancaster has worked for over 36 years in various capacities in the public sector, including City Forester, County Forester, Director of Natural Resources, and 18 years as County Manager for Larimer County. Frank has been the Estes Park Town Administrator since 2012. He is a Colorado native and holds Bachelor and Master degrees from Colorado State University.

Frank Lancaster

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Health care's shift from volume to value:

Drs. Fonken and Bailey to discuss transition

Dr. Paul Fonken, Medical Director at the Timberline Medical Clinic, and Dr. Austin Bailey will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Sept. 14, at their regular noon meeting. They will provide an overview of the ongoing transition of the U.S. health care system from a fee-for-service driven system to a value-based system.

This transition started well before Obama Care, and very likely, will continue regardless of national politics. The change is driven by the high cost of the fee-for-service system, which promotes increasing utilization of expensive health care services while underemphasizing prevention and care for chronic diseases. In contrast, value based health system reforms are beginning to bend the cost curve by tracking and rewarding methods of care that both improve quality and decrease costs.

Dr. Fonken will illustrate this shift from a “volume-based” system to a “value-based” system by describing changes at Timberline Medical over the past 10 years. As a certified “Patient-Centered Medical Home,” Timberline Medical has improved its methods of providing primary medical care. This has resulted in better health status for Timberline’s patient population, while decreasing the total cost of medical care for Timberline’s Medicare patients.

Dr. Paul Fonken

Dr. Fonken is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He attended high school in Laramie, WY and did his pre-medical studies at the University of Wyoming. He completed medical school at the University of New Mexico in their innovative “Primary Care Curriculum”. After completing his family medicine residency in Greeley, CO in 1990, he joined Timberline Medical, where he practiced full spectrum family medicine until 1997. He then spent eight years with a team in Kyrgyzstan helping to establish family medicine as a medical specialty in the Central Asian Republics. Since returning to Timberline Medical in 2005, he has been helping the clinic to navigate the transition toward “value-based” care.

Dr. Fonken continues to care for Timberline’s patients at EPMC, where he has served twice as the chief of the medical staff. Also, he is an assistant clinical professor of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Austin Bailey

Dr. Bailey is a graduate of the University of Texas and Texas Tech University. He served 28 years on the faculty of the Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency Program at Poudre Valley Hospital, serving as its Program Director for 19 of those years. Currently, Dr. Bailey provides leadership in two major areas for UCHealth. He is the Medical Director for Population Health, where he facilitates the development of UCHealth’s Clinically Integrated Network which contracts directly with employers. In addition, he is the Medical Director for Primary Care within the UCHealth Medical Group, where he facilitates the transformation of primary care practices towards a “Patient Centered Medical Home” and advises UCHealth on its Primary Care strategy.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Group raising funds for Veterans Monument

The Estes Park Veterans Monument Committee is on a mission to raise the funds to build a Monument on Town of Estes Park land just west of the Visitors Center.

Carey Stevanus has been involved in the planning for the Veterans Monument from the beginning and will present the plans for the Monument at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, Sept. 7, at their regular noon meeting.

Stevanus has been the Activities Manager at the Good Samaritan Society - Estes Park Village for the past 12 years. During that time, she served as a Guardian on an Honor Flight Northern Colorado flight where 11 World War II veterans from Good Samaritan traveled to Washington, D.C., to see the Monument built in their honor.

Two years later she joined Vern Mertz, Bob Brunson and Gary Brown on a mission to raise money to cover the cost of every Estes Valley resident who wanted to go on the Honor Flight. The committee raised over $100,000, which paid for the flight cost of 100 veterans.

Now, the committee has set a new goal of raising the funds for the Estes Park Veterans Monument.

Thorp Associates Architecture immediately offered to design the Monument pro bono. The Town of Estes Park approved the plan, and fundraising for the Monument began this spring. Among many others, the Rotary Club of Estes Park has generously donated to the project.

Architectural rendering of Estes Park Veterans Monument

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park meets Thursdays at the Rodeway Inn in Estes Park, located at 1701 North Lake Avenue on Highway 34 just west of Dry Gulch Road. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m.

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

Improv duo to entertain Rotarians Aug. 24

The Estes Park Rotary will host the quick-witted New York City actors, Mike Durkin and Laura Livingston, for a brief performance on Thursday, August 24, at their regular noon meeting.

Improvisational theatre, is the art of making up scenes, on the spot. “It’s the theatrical equivalent of jazz,” says Laura, who with her husband Mike, runs one of New York City’s premier improv companies, Freestyle Repertory Theatre. “Many people are most familiar with improv from watching ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ on TV.”

Mike Durkin and Laura Livingston

Freestyle Rep’s professional history dates back to 1982 when the company began performing to rave reviews Off-Broadway in New York City. The New York Times has called them, “kooks on the loose.” The Post has claimed, “You’d be hard pressed to see anything better on Broadway.” And offoffonline.com calls the group “civic treasures.” They have toured to Canada, England, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, since 1988, they have performed and taught in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut schools, reaching 15,000 students every year.

Mike and Laura are known to local audiences through their presentations at the Estes Park Rotary, as well as workshops and performances for the public that the Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies sponsored in the past. Laura’s father, Harry Livingston, is a member of Rotary, and she has vacationed in Estes “every chance I get for about the last 45 years.”

Mike and Laura’s performance for the Rotary Club will consist of short improvised scenes based on audience suggestions. Audience members will even be invited to get up on stage and improvise with them. Laura explains, “A lot of times people who’ve never been performers – and who wouldn’t dream of going on stage – really enjoy improvising with us. Often they’re very good at it.” As Mike says, “We specialize in creating a supportive atmosphere where everyone has a good time.”

Posted by Guy Van der Werf

What does the Conservancy do for RMNP?

Estee Rivera Murdock to present on Aug. 17

The Rocky Mountain Conservancy promotes stewardship of Rocky Mountain National Park through education and philanthropy. The Rocky Mountain Conservancy (formerly the Rocky Mountain Nature Association) was established on July 8, 1931, making it one of the oldest national park cooperating organizations in the nation. Since its foundation, the organization has funded over $30 million of support for Rocky Mountain National Park and related public lands.

Estee Rivera Murdock, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, August 17, at their regular noon meeting. Murdock will provide an overview of the Conservancy, review recent contributions to the Park and community, and discuss challenges and opportunities for the organization.

Estee Rivera Murdock

Murdock earned a B.A in Anthropology and Spanish Literature and an M.A. in Geography with a focus on Hispanic Community Engagement and Public Lands and Geographic Information Science, all from the University of Arizona. She worked for the National Park Service for nearly a decade, first at Saguaro National Park and later at the Washington, D.C., Headquarters office. Currently, she resides with her husband and daughter in Estes Park, CO.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Skiing without sight: Thursday's program on Foresight Ski Guides

Mark G. Davis will present an overview of Foresight Ski Guides, an organization that he founded in 2001 to provide challenge recreation to blind and visually impaired skiers. Bill Murphy, senior guide with Foresight Ski guides, will also present.

Davis, founder and president of Foresight Ski Guides, lost his functional vision as a result of a rare symptom of Multiple Sclerosis in 1999. Being a skier for almost as long as he could walk, he was devastated not only by the loss of his sight, but also by the prospect of losing the freedom and thrill of skiing.

Following this sudden and tragic turn in his life, Mark decided that vision alone would not keep him from the slopes. With the assistance of Colorado Ski School for the Blind he was soon back on the mountain. For Mark, this experience with challenge recreation was the transformative experience that lifted grief and depression and brought renewed passion and confidence. Mark has dedicated his life to offering others in similar situations the thrilling, life altering adventure of ‘skiing blind.’

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