During the first weekend of October, elk in Estes Park will be regaled, imitated, watched and otherwise celebrated during the community’s annual two-day Elk Fest. This festival celebrates the “wapiti,” the American elk that is native here. The Elk Fest, now in its 11th year, highlights most of the facets of human interaction with the animals.

Bond Park at the intersection of   MacGregor and Elkhorn (Estes Park’s main street) Avenues will be festival headquarters from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4.

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By: Carey Stevanus

The Estes Park Good Samaritan bus started making its way around their campus at 5:00 a.m. on Friday, September 11th.  Veterans were beginning their journey to Washington DC to see their World War II Memorial. The first stop along the way was at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. There, the Estes Park 11 met with the 117 members of the Honor Flight and the 52 guardians who would escort them on their trip. It was hard to believe that at 6:30 a.m. there could be so much excitement going on. The Veterans walked into the lobby of the convention center to be greeted by a mass of volunteers waiting to help them get their bags checked in and find them a bite to eat. The convention center was filled with hundreds of well wishers sending their loved ones on their journey.

Four CSU buses awaited the veterans as they walked out the door to cheering crowds waving American flags. The procession was led by the Colorado Patriot Guard Riders on 50 motorcycles and several police cars. Along I-25 on the way to Denver police officers, firefighters and paramedics would salute and wave as the busses went passed.

The Signature Center at DIA was the next stop, where the Veterans were again treated with an outpouring of gratitude for their years of service. Many active duty soldiers were on hand to pay their respects and to visit with the Veterans. At this point the crowd was introduced to the 100 year old WWII Veteran who was attending the trip to DC. Thunderous applause filled the building.

The side of the building opened up and we had our first view of the chartered US Airway airplane we would be boarding. Once on the plane we were told that the DIA Fire Department was going to honor the Veterans with a water arch. A fire truck was parked on either side of the aircraft and as the plane passed by they aimed their hoses and sprayed water over the plane. We were told it is the highest honor you can receive.

The flight was wonderful as the Veterans got to know one another and the guardians flying with them. The flight ended at Baltimore Washington International Airport where again, crowds of people gathered to clap, salute and say “thank you” to these amazing men and women. It was a short bus ride to the hotel where the Veterans had a large banquet in their honor. Some went for drinks after dinner, but most went straight to bed and prepared for the next day.

Breakfast was served at 6:30 a.m. and all of the Veterans were eager to begin the day. After loading onto the bus, the Veterans were shown a DVD about the making of the WWII Memorial which took over 60 years to be built. Excitement quickly switched to the views outside the bus as we caught our first glimpse of the Washington Monument and then the Capital building. The first stop was at the WWII Memorial. All 50 states are represented by large granite pillars with the state’s name carved out. The Veterans waited in line to have their photos taken under the Colorado sign or the sign for their hometown.

Senator Bob Dole was a key figure when the memorial was in its initial design stages. While having lunch the Veterans were told that Senator Dole was at the Memorial if they wanted to meet him. Senator Dole and his wife Elizabeth are at the site almost every Saturday afternoon. Several of the Estes Park residents made their way to the front of the line so they could have their photo taken with him.

The Veterans were then taken to the Air Force Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Vietnam and Korean Memorials, and the Lincoln Memorial. It’s hard to believe this can all be done in one day, but it’s true. Then it was back to BWI for the flight home and the drive up the hill. The Estes Park 11 made it home  around 11:30 p.m, Saturday, September 12th. It was a whirlwind of a trip for sure.

Many tears and smiles were shared along the way. It was the trip of a lifetime for many. The Veterans would like to thank the many people who donated money to make their trip possible. Overall, the generous people of the Estes Valley have given a total of $10,000 in donations. There are more Estes Park residents waiting to go on the trip in April 2010, so more donations are needed to make that trip possible. Donations can be made through www.honorflightnortherncolorado.org or by calling the Good Samaritan Society-Estes Park Village at 970-586-8695.

Fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park plan to take advantage of any upcoming wet or winter weather conditions to burn piles of slash from several forest thinning and hazard tree mitigation projects.

Exclusion of fire for the past century has resulted in unnatural forest conditions in some areas, with significant accumulations of forest fuels and an increased risk of a wildfire. In addition, park crews have been cutting hazard trees for mitigation of the effects of beetles.

Slash from these projects has been cut and piled by park fire crews and contractors during the last two years. Pile burning operations may began as early as September 25 and continue through April as weather permits. The piles, which are now dry enough to burn, are located in a variety of locations on both the east and west sides of the park.

Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality and environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any fire management operation. For more information please contact the park’s information office at 970-586-1206.

Elk Herd Transport – This Stanley Mountain Wagon was rigged with a cage to transport the elk from Lyons to Estes Park.

The Estes Park Museum, located at 200 Fourth Street, will open Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local History, a new temporary exhibit, on October 2 at 5:00 p.m. The exhibit will explore how elk came to live in the Estes valley and it will reflect on their tremendous impact here. The public is invited to join Museum staff and Friends for a free opening reception from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on October 2. The wine and hors d’oeuvres reception is sponsored by the Town of Estes Park and the Estes Park Museum Friends & Foundation, Inc.  Door prizes for visitors will be drawn at 6:30 p.m. Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local History will be on display through April 25, 2010 in the main gallery of the Museum.

The elk population that inhabits the Rocky Mountains descends from a Eurasian species that most likely migrated across the Bering Strait twelve million years ago. Those elk claimed this portion of the Southern Rockies as their home for the past twelve thousand years and their descendents have become an integral part of the ecosystem. When the original population in this area was decimated due to hunting in the late 1800s, two groups consisting of 29 and 24 elk each were transplanted from the Jackson Hole region of Wyoming in 1913 and again in 1915. The elk we see in Estes Park today originate from those groups. Due to their size, mating rituals, and prominence in Estes Park, elk are a draw for millions of tourists annually.

Make a stop at the Museum during Elktober and discover the unique role the elk have contributed to the Estes valley’s history, from their interactions with Native Americans and settlers, to current issues such as overpopulation and chronic wasting disease.  Objects on display include historic photographs of the elk transplant project, artwork, and collectible souvenirs from the Elkhorn Lodge.  Interactive stations throughout the exhibit encourage learning about the animal. Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local History will be on display through April 25, 2010.

The Museum is located at 200 Fourth Street and is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. now through October 31. From November through April, the Museum is open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The mission of the Estes Park Museum is to collect, interpret and preserve local history, as well as to present exhibits, programs and events for the education and benefit of residents and visitors of all ages. For more information call the Estes Park Museum at 586-6256 or visit the Museum’s website at www.estes.org/museum.  Admission is always free.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park and Sunrise Rotary have joined Rotarians worldwide in raising an additional $200 million to help fund their “End Polio Now” campaign.

“Rotary has received grants in the past 18 months totaling $355 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to end polio. Rotary clubs here and around the world have agreed to match those funds by raising another $200 million so that we may achieve a world free of the crippling disease, “Rotarian Julie Phares said.

More than 3,300 Rotarians in 51 clubs throughout Wyoming, Northern Colorado and portions of Nebraska and Idaho are joining together during the month of October to highlight End Polio Now fund-raising efforts. Locally, on October 23, our Rotary Clubs will host assemblies at the schools to teach students about this terrible disease and accept $1 donations as part of their Purple Pinky Project. On October 24, the Rotary Club of Estes Park and Sunrise Rotary will invite the community to participate as they host a fundraiser Pancake Breakfast from 7-11 a.m. at the American Legion Hall and an afternoon Safeway Purple Pumpkin Drive as Estes Park’s contribution to eradicate polio in our world.

Since launching its landmark PolioPlus Program in 1985, Rotary has contributed more than $800 million to the cause, devoted countless volunteer hours providing vaccines in more than 200 countries, and witnessed the immunization of two billion children! The occurrence of polio has been slashed by 99 percent worldwide by the end of 2008. For as little as 60 cents worth of oral polio vaccine, a child can be protected for life. Unfortunately, polio still threatens children in parts of Africa and South Asia.

The Gates Foundation recognized that a major funding gap faced the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. They chose Rotary, a spearheading partner (along with the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF), to launch this final stage in the effort to eradicate polio once and for all. Without this effort, the world could experience a dangerous comeback in polio cases.

“There are more than 33,000 Rotary clubs in nearly 200 countries with some 1.2 million Rotarians,” Julie Phares said “We’ve embraced the effort by digging deeper into our own pockets, planning special fundraisers and rallying community support,” she said.

Rotary invites everyone who wants to learn more about this historic opportunity to end polio once and for all to visit the Rotary website at www.rotary5440.org for more information. Public contributions for the End Polio Now campaign can also be sent to The Rotary Club of Estes Park, P.O. Box 1365, Estes Park, CO 80517. Remember, for only $1.00, you can save the life of a child!

Leon Jenkins passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at his home in Estes Park. Leon was born February 4, 1925 in Bowling Green, KY. After many years in Arizona he settled his family in Colorado in 1969. Leon’s wife of 60 years, Kathleen Morrison Jenkins preceded him in death on April 22, 2008. Leon was a mortgage loan officer in Boulder and Estes Park. He was an active member of the Lions Club, kept books for the Contractor’s Association and was a volunteer at the Longs Peak trailhead. Leon also loved to paint and build model ships. Leon is survived by three daughters, Debbie Jenkins, Pattie Brown and Leisa Silkey all of Colorado, two sons-in-law Joel Brown and Rick Silkey and three grandchildren, Kaylin Schuett, Pamela Schuett and Kevin Jenkins.

In lieu of flowers, donations my be sent to either Boulder County or Estes Park hospice.

See www.allnutt.com to see Leon’s on-line obituary and send a message to his family.

Joe B. Mitchell passed away September 11, 2009 at Poudre Valley Hospital after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Joe was born on October 7, 1938 in Crawford, OK.  He was born “Donald Francis Samples” but was adopted at young age in Denver, CO by Jake and Mabel Mitchell of Loveland, CO. After searching for many years Joe and his sister Emma Lou found their younger brother Guy Samples.

Joe lived in the Loveland, Estes Park, Ft. Collins and Wellington areas most of his life. Joe was a heavy equipment operator and worked in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. He last worked for Coulson Construction of Loveland, CO.

Joe was married to MaryAnn McGraw of Estes Park, CO and had one son, James Scott Mitchell. He later married Dorothy Tate of Ft. Collins and had two daughters Kelly and Jodi.

Joe loved to hunt and fish, and passed that love on to his kids. Joe especially loved elk hunting, it was his favorite time of the year.

Joe is survived by his older sister Emma Lou Cashion of Point, TX and his younger brother Guy Samples of Wapakeneta, OH and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his son, James “Scott” (Mary) Mitchell and granddaughter Alexandra Mitchell of Wellington, CO. Daughter Kelly (Chad) Hallenbeck and grandsons Branden Klyczek, Lee Hallenbeck and  granddaughter Makaela Hallenbeck of Ft. Collins, CO., and daughter Jodi Mitchell and grandson Jordan Mitchell of Ft. Collins, CO.

Please join us in a celebration of Joe’s life with a Pig Roast and potluck, at the T-Bar Inn in Wellington, CO on Sunday September 27th at 1:00 p.m. Please bring a covered side dish to share. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pathways Hospice of Larimer County, 405 Carpenter Road, Ft. Collins, CO  80524.