Virgil H Holtgrewe was born on a farm in Southeast Nebraska on September 22, 1930. He was raised on the farm and learned how to milk the cows, feed the hogs, gather eggs from the henhouse, feed the cattle, drive the tractor as soon as he could reach the peddles and operated all kinds of farm equipment. Virgil’s profession was farming but the possibility of being drafted into the Army changed his mind. He attended Wentworth Military Academy for 1 1/2 years of Junior College and started with the ROTC program. Three years later, he graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, a 2nd Lt. Commission in the Army Crops of Engineers and married Carol in the spring of 1955. A move to Wheat Ridge, CO in 1969 really changed his life. He became activate on Rotary District committees, a member of the Denver Ag and Livestock Club, National Western Stock Show, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and the Methodist Churches in Applewood and Denver.
“You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy”. Agriculture is still his passion but many changes have been made for the Boy from the Farm!!!
Virgil
Meeting Notes for July 27, 2023
President Karen Thompson called the meeting to order.
Jim Jonell gave the Invocation.
Karen led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Madison led the song “Happy Wanderer”.
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Visitng Rotarians and Guests:
Richard Kimple is with us again this summer.
Suzy Blackhurst brought her husband Eric and introduced Bill Brown.
Ron Gordon recognized Harry Livingston, a long-time member of our club, who is visiting town from Kansas.
Annie Slack introduced David Batey. Joan Batey could not be here because she is working on the Stanley Home Gala tonight which is sold out.
Announcements:
Karen thanked everyone for Carl Robicheaux for their sponsorships of our John Denver Tribute concert.
The concert is September 2
there is always room for more donations
Ron Gordon reminded us that
we are not having the golf tournament this year
focus on this concert so it can earn our scholarship money
last year we had both events to bring in scholarship money
Suzy Blackhurst said that Brad Fitch was interviewed on NPR radio for 3 minutes and we can find it on their website.
Annie Slack said September 1 is the deadline to sign up for our social with Sunrise Club at the Lazy B Wranglers Chuckwagon dinner and professional cowboy music show at the Dao House (formerly Aspen Lodge).
It is September 15
they have reduced the number we need to 40 total to get the $40 price.
We now have 29 signed for both clubs.
They added an incentive that they would donate $20 of each ticket over our 40 minimum number.
She will describe the menu in the Spoke.
Tara Moenning said our new photo board of our scholarship students is now on display at the front of our meetings.
She reminded us that the John Denver Tribute concert is our only event to fund these scholarships next year, since no golf tournament.
Tara said our group Recycle Day is August 15 at the Event Center parking lot.
our club sponsors the paper shred truck
we accept up to 3 boxes per car.
The items being accepted at the other stations are expanded this year
electronics recycle prices are reduced due to a grant.
Club Board’s first meeting of this term is next week Tuesday August 1 at 5:00 at the Library.
Karen said there was a good article on RYLA in the latest The Rotarian magazine and she recommends all issues for inspiration.
Scott told his joke on golf this time instead of preaching.
Happy Money:
Karen is happy so many people attended today shouting out to Grant, Harry, Suzy, Gary, Mel, and our speakers Travis and Greg.
Tom Gardner is happy that all the kids in his family are coming to celebrate his 79th birthday.
Bill Smith is happy for his newest grandchild #5.
Ron Gordon is happy to have Harry Livingston back with us and doing well at age 96.
Ruby Bode is happy to be celebrating her 6th wedding anniversary with her husband, for the first time because he has been away fighting fires the previous five anniversaries!
Richard Kimple is happy every week to be here with us.
Jim Whiteneck is happy his 20 children and grandchildren will be here.
On the other hand, Bill Solms is happy that the last of his visiting family have left!
Ben Van der Werf is happy to have completed his Triathlon and he thanks Grant for a comment last year that inspired him to run the Triathlon.
SPIRIT AWARD
Congratulations to TIM MOORE, our Spirit Award winner for fiscal 2023 ! Last year’s winner, Mel Rueppel made the presentation for outstanding work by a new member. (This is the first time since our June banquet that they have both been in town and Mel was able to make the presentation.)
President Karen Thompson
Tim Moore receiving Spirit Award
from Mel Rueppel
Program:
Annie introduced Town Manager Travis Machalek and Town Engineer Greg Muhonen who presented the case to renew the expiring 1% point of our sales tax sunsetting June 30, 2024.
They explained what the old and proposed 1% are for.
The main new additional funding from the tax is for storm water dispersion utility work -for large to tiny projects- in town and our Valley.
Question them at:
tmachalek@estes.org
gmuhonen@estes.org
Travis Machalek President Karen Thompson, Travis
and Greg Muhonen receiving a Piece of the Rock
Adjournment:
We closed with the Four Way Test.
Madison Casey, scribe
Rotary Social at the Lazy B Chuckwagon Show
The Lazy B Chuckwagon Supper and Western Show Social is scheduled for September 15, 2023 for both the Noon and Sunrise Rotary clubs. It is located out highway 7 at the Doa House. This is the same show as was previously produced at the Elkhorn Lodge. They had to move due to change of ownership and remodeling of the Lodge. The show opens at 5 PM and supper is served at 5:30 PM. Cut off date for signing up for this Social is September 1st.
Quentin Wedan, owner of the Lazy B, adjusted our requirement from 70 to 40 members. Our cost is $40/person. He will still “kick back” $20 to Rotary as a donation for scholarships, for every ticket sold after 40 adult tickets are sold to any group member. (We will share that money with the Sunrise club.) He has opened the night to the general public but he can block more seats at any time, so long as he has availability.
The website is lazybchuckwagon.com if you want to explore just what the Lazy B is about. It is a western type of vaudeville with extremely talented actors and musicians. It serves a meal of beef brisket, pulled pork and cowboy beans, biscuit, hot potato and cold peach, brownie, lemonade and coffee. Alcoholic beverages are available. Kids from 4 to 12 cost $18. Younger children than 4, must sit in a parent’s lap and eat from the parent’s plate.
I hope you will come and enjoy this very special evening with your Rotary friends.
Annie
Club Completes Successful Global Grant Project
For Children's Learning Center in Albania
Children at Learning Center
A global grant project initiated by our Club’s International Service Committee in August 2018 was recently completed and the final reports have been submitted to Rotary International. The start of the project was significantly delayed by COVID but overcame various hurdles to reach a successful completion.
Our club partnered with the Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation, the Pogradec, Albania Rotary Club, and Nehemiah Gateway on this project. The cost of the global project was $35,000. The amazing fact is our Club only donated $2,500 to the project but it grew to $35,000 with help from our Club Foundation, matching funds from Rotary District 5440 and $15,000 in matching funds from the Rotary Foundation.
Pogradec is a city of 37,000 people in southeastern Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe. Special education is a new and growing area in Albania. Pogradec schools do not offer services for children with special needs and Nehemiah Gateway is one of the only places to offer these services free of charge. Grant funds allowed Nehemiah Gateway to expand their program and facilities and hold trainings on working with children with special needs. Trainings were developed for clinic staff, for teachers in Nehemiah Gateway’s schools, and for teachers from local public schools.
The global grant project continued our Club’s connection with Nehemiah Gateway and the Pogradec, Albania area. Club donations, along with District matchings funds, have financially supported six summer camps since 2018 and provided a new playground at the Amaro Tan school. The summer camps provide a safe place for low income and special needs children to learn and grow during a time when school is out, and when many children are forced into begging and trash collecting.
Autumn Gold has an online sign up...they just need to contact Susan Johnston to volunteer at Autumn Gold. (September 23, 24) susank001@msn.com
Let Jean Rissmiller, Sunrise Rotary President, know if you want to order peaches. She is taking orders through August 8th. jean.rissmiller@gmail.com or 214.497.8015.
September 2, 2023
John Denver Tribute Concert
Brad Fitch
More Volunteers Needed
See Sign Up Sheet on Thursday
Estes Park YMCA of the Rockies Ruesch Auditorium
Random and True Opening 5:00 PM John Denver Tribute Concert 6:30 PM
Advanced General Admission: $35 available at MacDonald’s Book Shop and the Estes Park Visitor Center At the Gate purchase: $40 starting at 4:00 PM
NO REFUNDS AFTER 8/28/23
There will be no water, alcohol or food at this event.
Lucia is 18 and arrives in Estes on August 17. Jim and Joanie Jonell will be the first host family and she will live as part of their family for 4 months. She is from Genoa, Italy and spends a good part of the summer with her father's mother in Sicily. She is very interested in drama and will be a senior at Estes Park High School.
Service Above Self
Positions are available for:
Membership Chair
Editor of the Spoke
Audio/Visual Assistant
Scribes (2)
Contact either Karen Thompson at karen.estesparkrotary@gmail.com or Annie Slack at anneslack@aol.com for more information.
Gary Nelson Requests Your Prayers
Gary Nelson
Gary has set up a site on caringbridge.org, a website where you can send messages and keep up with his progress.
Andy Lenec Project
Andy wanted to tell you all that he will be having hip replacement surgery on Thursday, July 27, and these calls may be temporarily suspended for at least a few weeks, depending on his recuperation. Please keep him in your prayers, especially on July 27.
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.
Find Your Rotary Member Number
Do you know your member number? I will be inserting one member's number in the Spoke somewhere each week. If you find your number and let me know, I will add a dollar to the Happy Money jar. Have fun reading the Spoke!
First Name Last Name Member No Wayne Andersen 5220092 Thomas Anderson 346599 Suzy Blackhurst 1846618 JoAnn Batey James Austin 6958602 Jack Boatman 9279850 Ruby Bode 8168496 Charles Bonza 6839699 Dale Bonza 6839696 David Boon 5867619 Madison Casey 6490975 Bruce Cohen 1725296 Chris Davis 11745913 Jeremiah Connolly 6839701 Grant Delbecq 11562738 David Evans 6663716 Jack Ford 2577510 Susan Fereday 8561826 Dana Fritz 1814993 Dmitri Galcovski 8911954 Thomas Gardner 6045747 Milt Garrett 3404605 Dennis Gellhaus 10182692 Ronald Gordon 2013762 Kathy Groesbeck 8521676 Barry Hannigan 11386703 Jay Harroff 3412674 Gary Hazelton 5860401 Kristi Hazelton 5860402 Virgil Holtgrewe 408665 Thor Homme 8018288 James Jonell 11470902 Gregg Jurgens 8307709 Lee Lasson 5941281 Sandy Lasson 6717955 Mark Lee 10834848 Harry Livingston 973097 Lee Machin 407963 Thomas Maher 784282 Douglas Mann 9791222 Michelle Mann 10990380 Karen Lewis McClure 2193001 Tim McLemore 10069523 Philip Moenning 6839702 Tara Moenning 6839703 Tim Moore 11568407 Kevin Mullin 10349151 Gary Nelson 11627401 Wayne Newsom 407984 Jack Overly 346500 Longley Parker 5624562 Karol Rinehart 9204318 Scott Robbins 11310929 Carl Robicheaux 10536378 Brad Rosenbaum 8386818 Melvin Rueppel 6560812 Dave Scott 11768896 Dawn Shields 11470900 Peter Sinnott 6663719 Anne Slack 5835137 William Smith 1225092 William Solms 9588515 Paul Sumey 6079926 Karen Thompson 9405357 Scott Thompson 6839709 Lawrence Trifiletti 11568412 Ben Van der Werf 11310928 Guy Van der Werf 2289971 Gladys Van Drie 3178980 Anna Weddle 11768894 Sarah Walsh 8591079 Elizabeth Weisberg 10834852 James Whiteneck 2299772 Donald Widrig 5285669 Lawrence Williams 6560813
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