By: Kris Hazelton

Thanksgiving is a time for food, celebration, and fun. Every year on Thanksgiving, families gather around the table to enjoy a meal and give thanks. But for some folks, Thanksgiving can be a lonely time. Many adults spend the holidays feeling isolated and depressed.

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To The Editor:

On behalf of the newly formed Estes Park Repertoire Theatre Company, Inc. I extend our thanks to the community for making our inaugural show of T.S.Eliot’s, “Murder in the Cathedral” a sold out hit. The cast and I greatly appreciated your attendance and support.

We commence our First Season (2009) in January with Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.”  Casting will commence the week of November 3. Casting call information is posted below.
To those of you who arrived at St. Bartholomew Church only to find that the show was sold out, we apologize.

We wish that we could have seated you but due to the limited seating and our staging of the play in the church, seating was very limited. Thank you again for your understanding. We missed having you there. To some late comers we also are sorry we could not seat you. We start our productions on time and will continue to do that throughout our forthcoming season.

Again, thanks to the community for supporting our new theatre experience.

A. W. (Art) Blume III
Founder/Managing Director

Ruth Tlamka, 48, of Estes Park, passed away October 20, 2008 in her home.

Ruth was born January 11, 1960 in Appleton, Wisconsin to Kathleen (Hawley) and Quintin Rathsack. She was the third  youngest of 16 children. She grew up in Appleton and moved to Colorado in 1980. She worked at National Park Village North and  Mountain Cottage Daycare before starting Meadowbrook Preschool in 1983. Ruth loved working with children. She remained in the business of preschool education until having children of her own. In November of 1995 Ruth married Joe Tlamka in Negril, Jamaica. Ruth and Joe had two daughters, Rylee (12) and Kodi (8).

Ruth enjoyed gardening, jet skiing, cheering on a good Broncos or Packers game and watching auto racing. She loved decorating for all of the holidays.

Ruth is survived by her husband and daughters, by siblings: Bill (Judy) Rathsack of Appleton, WI; Dave Rathsack of Black Creek, WI; Kathy (Jim) Gerrits of Appleton, WI; Dick (Jan) Rathsack of Appleton, WI; Tom Rathsack Sr., of Neenah, WI; Mary Lou (Don) Vande Hey of Hortonville, WI; Betty (Art) Zabel of Germantown, WI; Luane (Dick) Osborne of Oshkosh, WI; Jerry Rathsack of Appleton, WI; Paul “Fred” Rathsack of Appleton, WI; Jim (Joan) Rathsack of Appleton, WI; Jean Kessler of Menasha, WI; Pat (Monica) Rathsack of Appleton, WI; and Joe (Therese) Rathsack of Neenah.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her oldest brother Bob Rathsack.

A private family service will be held.

Memorial contributions may be made to Rylee and Kodi’s College Fund in care of Allnutt Funeral Service, 1302 Graves Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517.

Please visit www.allnutt.com to view Ruth’s online obituary, sign the family guestbook and send condolences.

Rachael Mary Preston, 75, of San Angelo, passed away Friday, October 24, 2008 at her residence.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at Johnson’s Funeral Home Chapel. Interment took place in Fairmount Cemetery.

Rachael Mary Geraldine (Theresa) Benchoff was born on December 29, 1932 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Edmund Frederick and Thelma Hanratty Benchoff. She would become the eldest of five children. As a youngster she lived in several different towns, as her parents moved often, following the oil business. They finally settled in Salem, Illinois in 1939.

She married J.R. Preston on January 27, 1955 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After living in Evansville, Indiana, they too followed the oil business, living in Midland, Texas; Traverse City, Michigan; Houston, Texas; and finally (semi) retiring in San Angelo. They raised three children. Over the years they owned various properties in beautiful settings such as Sanibel Island, Florida; Estes Park, Colorado; and their ranch in Fort McKavett, Texas. They never lacked for guests, welcoming friends and family warmly.

Rachael will be remembered for her creativity, vivacity, wit and humor, her generosity, her contagious laugh, her attention to detail, her curiosity and determination, her artistic talent, her unerring intuition about people, her ability to put anyone at ease, and her capacity for love. Rachael will be missed dearly by all who knew her.
Rachael was preceded in death by her parents, her husband J.R., and her sister Marilyn Gerst (Bob). She is survived by her children, Steve Preston (Laurel), Jon Preston (Diana), and Anne Cummins (Terry); also by her sisters M.A. Leede (Ed), Sharon Pine (Clyde), her brother Michael Benchoff, 7 grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

The family wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Toni and Layne Smith, who cared for both J.R. and Rachael throughout their respective illnesses with dedication, expertise and affection. The family also wishes to thank Andy and Letha Gonzales. Their cheerfulness, warmth, and friendship have become a welcome addition to Rachael’s home.

Family and friends may sign an online memorial at www.mem.com and are encouraged to donate to their favorite charity in memory of Rachael. Rachael preferred to give to organizations whose good work benefitted children, education, and healthcare; such as Ambleside School, Bellevue Schools Foundation, HeartGift, and the James Phillips Williams Foundation.

On Oct. 18, 2008, Angela Marie Tucker was unexpectedly taken from her family and friends. Although she is gone from all of us her zest for life and her infectious smile will live on forever in the hears of her family and everyone that knew her.

Angela is survived by her husband and love of her life, Ken Tucker.

Also surviving are her children Angela and Jennifer (husband Marty); grandchildren Kalyn, Olivia, and Ben. Mother Marie Dirito, Step Children Hannah (husband Will), Derrick, and Scott. brothers Joe and Tony; Sister Donna.

She was predeceased by her father; Joe Dirito.

She was also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

She will be forever loved and missed by everyone who knew her.

Beginning on Monday, November 3rd, the right-turn lane of north-bound East Riverside Drive will be closed for approximately four weeks.

The intersection of Elkhorn Ave. at Riverside Drive will receive a new concrete safety island with a new traffic signal pole, right lane widening that will allow nearly constant traffic flow onto east-bound Elkhorn Avenue from Riverside Drive. The new right-turn-lane will be wider and have a larger radius to better accommodate trucks. Other work at this site will include new sidewalks, landscaping, and ingress to the parking lot. Upgrades will be performed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to replace the signal pole, mast-arm and add a new warning flasher, all of which will improve traffic movement. CDOT will also provide video detection as a general intersection upgrade. Work is scheduled to be completed by November 26th.

This work will produce traffic interruptions, and road lane closures. The Truck-Detour on Rockwell Street will be temporarily closed during construction. The Public Works Department is requesting your consideration and attention when driving in and around these work zones.

If you have questions or comments please feel free to contact Greg Sievers, Project Manager at the PW Dept. at 577-3586.

Over the next five months, weather conditions permitting, fixed wing and helicopter flights will occur over Rocky Mountain National Park. These flights will assist with the survey procedures to estimate elk populations in the park. Park staff anticipate no more than three days of flights per month. The flights will not occur on weekends or on holidays.

Both a fixed wing aircraft and a helicopter, flying at different altitudes, will be used. The main purpose of the paired flights will be to enhance the monitoring of the number and distribution of the elk population in Rocky Mountain National Park. This is a joint study with the National Park Service and United States Geological Survey (USGS).

For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call (970) 586-1206.