Behavioral Health, Counseling and Psychotherapy Services in the Estes Valley
Presented by Blake Nicholson
Blake Nicholson
Blake Nicholson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of clinical and leadership experience, specializing in individual psychotherapy, crisis assessment, utilization management, program and policy development. Currently serving as an Individual Psychotherapist at UCHealth in Estes Park, Colorado, Blake provides counseling and therapy in both individual and group settings, coordinates care planning, and supports patient discharge and resource referrals. He holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas and is licensed in Colorado.
Our program on July 24th will be held in person, but a Zoom link will be provided.
There will NOT be a meeting of our club on July 31st.
Since we have not been meeting on fifth Thursdays, the American Legion facility was previously booked and is unavailable as a Club meeting place on that day. Our Club will use Thursday August 14th to address our observations about this year’s Duck Race. This input was gathered and collated from small groups at our workshop meeting on May 22nd, namely what was positive , and what needs to be improved or changed.
PLEASE make an extra effort to participate in our August 14th meeting. Given the fact that this year’s expansion used more than four hundred non-Rotarian volunteers, it is imperative that we identify what our membership WILL support if we are a participant in any future iteration of “The Great Estes Park [Rotary] Duck Race.”
The fact that the Rotary name and Brand was omitted from most publicity for this year’s event is no small matter. Going forward One thing is non-negotiable: Rotary International has specific branding requirements. When any Rotary Club participates in an event like this year’s, the Rotary trademark name and brand MUST be used - without exception - in any publicity or communication!
Jack Ford
President 2025-2026
Meeting Notes from July 17, 2025
President Jack Ford called the meeting to order. Invocation by Lawrence Trifeletti. Jack led the Pledge of Allegiance.
We sang Edelweiss, unaccompanied.
Guests came with our Speaker today. Cindy Sisson and Gabriel Avilurea.
Jack recognized birthdays. Tom Maher joins our age 90 members plaque!
Announcements: See pictures below. Historic Mining Tour to Central City/Blackhawk is July 26. Neil Standard will lead as a docent of the Gilpin County Museum. We have a bus and food. There will be stops along the way. Price is only $40 for the day. Some of our members have taken this tour and highly recommend it.
It’s Shelter Box day. Jim Austin led the donations as he does monthly.
Our Rotary Foundation will have an informal meeting here after this meeting, Madison Casey reported an official meeting had not been called.
Happy Money: Ben Van der Werf was happy for our speaker today Lori Spalsbury as he grew up with her as his baby sitter.
Karen Thompson is happy for her mother Pat Newsom’s 91st birthday!
Jim Austin is happy to see everyone today. . Program: Guy Van der Werf introduced Lori Spalsbury. An Estes Park native, she was a scholarship recipient from our club to attend CalTech. She told us about her job as a mission architect at Los Almos National Laboratory and how she coordinates all aspects of space missions, from plan to execution.
We ended with the four-way test.
Madison Casey, Scribe
Scott Robbins has a Social Event planned for Saturday, July 26, 8 AM-3 PM touring Historic Central City and Mines.
Scott Robbins
Jim Austin discussed Shelter Box, one of our affiliated charities providing shelter for homeless and displaced people across the globe.
Jim Austin
Madison Casey led us in “Edelweiss”-what a musical Club we have!
Madison Casey
Tara Moenning discussed the John Denver Tribute Concert…raising funds for our scholarship students.
Tara Moenning
Guy Van der Werf, our President-Elect, introduced our Speaker, Lori Spalsbury.
Guy Van der Werf
Lori spoke about Space Mission Architecture.
Lori Spalsbury
Lori received a “Piece of the Rock” from President Jack Ford.
Lori & Jack
Pictures courtesy of Jim Whiteneck,
Meeting Recording for July 17, 2025
Lori Spalsbury, an Estes Park High School graduate, presented Space Mission Architecture: an overview of the high-level design and implementation of a space mission as defined by its mission objective.
Thank You from Bennett Kemp
Bennett Kemp
Class of 2025
Dear Rotary Club,
Thank you so much for your incredibly generous scholarship. As I head off to school at Grinnell College this fall, I will continue to feel honored by your organization's generosity. I would not be able to step into this next chapter without all of the help you have provided via these funds. I will do my best to stay in touch and give updates on my year! Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Bennett Kemp
August Fundraisers Reminder
Rotarians At Work Dave Talbot's Non-profit Brad Fitch
I want to give a Thank You to all the volunteers who signed up for the Estes Recycles Day, August 9th, Event Center parking lot, 9-noon.
A reminder to the rest of the Club about bringing their items for recycling. Annie will be collecting assistive devices for Crutches4Africra.
Also, the signup sheet for the JDTC will be going around again this Thursday and we still need people to label seats and help with the cleanup. Consider being a sponsor might be good to add—reminder to those we have contacted and an invitation to the rest.
Thank you,
Tara
Please reserve these dates, to volunteer and/or attend:
August 9th, Estes Recycles Day, Event Center parking lot, Shredathon
August 23rd, the John Denver Tribute Concert, Ruesch Auditorium at the YMCA
Historic Mining Tour is right around the corner!
When: Saturday, July 26, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Where: Meet at the Estes Park Parking Garage
Cost: $40/person
Don't miss out! July 26 will be here before you know it! For a mere $40, you can get all your questions about hard rock mining in north central Colorado answered, experience a fine lunch at a casino in Central City, and have free admission to the Gilpin County Museum. Transportation will be provided. Local historian and Rotarian Neal Standard has graciously offered to lead our tour of mining town and other points of interest between Estes Park and Central City, on Saturday, July 26.
Neal is a former high school History teacher, a longtime member and officer of the Gilpin County Historic Society, a docent for the Gilpin County Museum, perhaps most importantly, was an organizer and portrayer of famous persons interred at the cemetery. You had me at the word "interred"!
Once we are on the road, we will have stops in Meeker Park, Ward, Nederland, and, of course, Central City and Blackhawk, including the Gilpin County Museum.
We still have openings. Anyone interested in joining this very special social event should call or email me, Scott Robbins, at esttesrotarymembership@gmail.com, ph., 720-838-3215
Dues Reminder - Updated
Some Club Dues are still outstanding. The cost is $330, or you can put it on Credit Card for $340. If mailing, send to PO Box 1365, or you can drop it off at the Quality Inn anytime and leave it for Gregg.
Strengthening Food Security and Health in Petit Trou De Nippes Haiti
Update on Progress
Hospital in Haiti
Here is information on one of the international projects our club is supporting. The email came from Darryl Brown with the Boulder Rotary Club.
Good Afternoon Fellow Rotarians,
Thank you for your patience as we work through the first phase of this grant.
Will have a more comprehensive report in early August that will be sent out to all. In the meantime:
The well has been drilled
The farm has been plowed
The outdoor greenhouse has been built
Lots of planting and landscaping has commenced (120 pineapple trees)
The white over green building is the hospital and you recall that the dedicated site is behind the hospital.
Sunrise Rotary Needs Volunteers
Sunrise Rotary would like to have volunteers from Noon Rotary sign up to help at both of Sunrise Rotary's Fundraising events:
Also, 2025 Autumn Gold Raffle tickets are now on sale here. Only 350 raffle tickets will be sold, giving ticket holders a 1 in 50 chance to win one of seven cash prizes, including:
Grand Prize: $10,000
Second Prize: $2,500
Five prizes of $500 each
Thank you,
Jean Rissmiller
Past President 2023-2024
Sunrise Rotary
From The Chaplain
Do you know a Club Member who needs assistance? Maybe a ride to meetings, or just a phone call to keep in touch? Please contact Bill Smith 970-420-1033 or billsmithbronx1956@gmail.com.
