Spectacular Success Of Stanley Museum And Education Center’s Challenge Grant

In a very generous act of philanthropy, anonymous donors offered Estes Park’s Stanley Home Museum and Education Center a challenge they were delighted to accept. They offered to match other donors’ contributions to pay down the museum’s mortgage up to $66,000.

“Our challenge grant supporters understood that reducing our mortgage would help us accomplish one of our museum’s key long-term goals: Becoming debt-free” said JoAnn Batey, Stanley Home Museum Executive Director. “We knew that this was a very special opportunity, and we had no idea how our supporter base would respond” said Randy Kampfe, Historic Stanley Home Foundation Vice President.

The Historic Stanley Home Board sprang into action and contacted past and potential new supporters with the opportunity to have their contributions doubled with the dollar-for-dollar match. Help they did!

With their generous donations, the Historic Stanley Home Foundation raised not just $66,000, but over $150,000 by the end-ofyear challenge deadline.

“When I told our challenge grant creators about the spectacular fundraising success of their gift, their response was immediate and unequivocal: they would match all of the funds raised.”

With the help of the resulting total of over $300,000, the Historic Stanley Home Foundation will be able to reduce the museum’s mortgage by 50% by the end of 2024. This is great good news for the Stanley Home Museum and Education Center, which opened its doors to the public in 2021. This grand home in Estes Park was built by F. O. and Flora Stanley in 1904. The two-story home is in a beautiful location with one of the best views in Estes Park. It is elegantly restored and features period furniture. Trained guides lead visitors through the home while describing the inspiring accomplishments of F. O. and Flora Stanley, their contributions to the development and flourishing of Estes Park, and the home’s history and architecture. For more information about tours and museum events, please visit Stanleyhome.org. There are many ways you can become a part of this exciting organization.

Quaker/Unitarian Meeting On Cybersecurity

The Quaker/ Unitarian/ Other Group will meet, as we always do, each Sunday morning at the Hix Room of the US Bank (363 East Elkhorn Ave.). From 1010:30 is silent meditation, then 10:3011:15 is social and refreshment time. At 11:15 there will be a presentation and/or discussion on an interesting topic. This is a hybrid meeting so it can be joined either in person or by way of Zoom.

On February 26th we are pleased to have as our speaker, Matthew Thomas. Matthew's parents are Dr. Steve Thomas and Carol Dreselley of Estes Park. He will speak via Zoom from Atlanta, GA. His presentation will include various aspects regarding security on our various devices.

All are welcome to attend. For questions or Zoom info please contact Randy Maharry-515-229-8299 or Jim Linderholm-402-890-8707.

Estes Park Car Club Announces Tentative Plans For 2023

Estes Valley Cars and Coffee will be held the 1st and 3rd Saturdays May through October, at the Recreation Center lower parking lot at 660 Community Drive. It is an informal gathering of car enthusiasts starting at 9:00 a.m. This is a chance to bring your cool ride and share your enthusiasm. Donations for coffee and donuts is appreciated, but not required.

The very popular Estes Park Car Club Cool Nights Cruz-In’s, will be June 30th, July 28th, and Aug 25th, at the US Bank Building parking lot, starting at 4:00 p.m. Submit your choice for spectators’ choice awards for your favorite car. You’ll enjoy seeing hot rods, muscle cars, antique classics and cool late models.

The annual Estes Park Car Club Parade of Years will be May 20th, a low pressure drive with afternoon car show. Contact Craig Bigler 970-586-4839 for details.

The Estes Park Car Club 4th of July Car Show at Circle 119 (American Legion Hall), is an informal car show just for fun and at a great location. Come show your car and enjoy the Circle 119 events for the 4th of July. It’s a great location. No charge for vehicle or spectators.

Check out the Estes Park Car Club Facebook page or their website at www.estesparkcarclub.org For questions contact EstesParkCarClub@gmail.com

Program: Sisters Of Courage

On Saturday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. join Dave Lively as he presents: “Sisters of Courage: The Harbisons,” an ordinary family who led extraordinary lives. In partnership with the Estes Valley Library, the program takes place in the Estes Park Museum Meeting Room, light

Kittie and Annie as they cross Berthoud Pass to create a successful dairy ranch serving the expanding Grand Lake area. Experience their story as told by a direct descendant leading up to the development of Rocky Mountain National Park and beyond.

1917 Book Club Returns

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the 1917 Book Club returns to the Estes Park Museum to ex plore local titles and au thors. Discussions will take place every third Wednesday of the month from January through April, 2023. The program runs from 10-11:30 a.m. and is held in the Museum Meeting Room. Light snacks will be pro vided. This program is free and open to the public. It is strongly encouraged that participants read each selection prior to the program to take part in the discussion.

The March selection are three essays by Dr. James Pickering. The essays are all from the digital publication, From the Archives: Essays and Documents on the vided. This program is free and open to the public, registration is required. To register for this event, click here or visit the Estes Valley Library’s website. The Civil War, westward expansion, and the panic of 1893 take on a new meaning through this story of a single family. Afflicted by these national events, the Harbison family is forced to start life over. Travel from Denver with torian, Certified Interpretive Guide and Certified Tour Guide with knowledge and passion for the region. He has volunteered at Rocky Mountain National Park for over 12 years conducting Ranger-led history walking tours. For any questions, please contact Curator of Interpretation, Mikaela Fundaun, mfundaun@estes.org.

Early History of Rocky Mountain National Park. The three essays that will be discussed are as follows: The History of Sprague’s Lodge: Abner Sprague’s Story; Mountain Tragedies in High and Lonely Places: Reports Official and Otherwise; and The History of Deer Ridge Junction. The PDF and Kindle editions can be found on the Museum’s website, www.estes.org/museum. Author Dr. James Pickering will be in attendance to answer questions and contribute to a lively discussion facilitated by Museum staff.

For any questions, please contact Curator of Interpretation, Mikaela Fundaun, mfundaun@estes.org.

Memory Cafe In Estes Park

Memory Café is a free, relaxed, social gathering for Estes Valley community members experiencing memory loss due to any form of dementia with a caregiver, spouse, or friend. This supports caregivers as well as those experiencing dementia.

The Memory Cafe includes coffee/snacks, conversation, singing, and sharing remembrances through activities. Guests and volunteers enjoy each other's company and have fun together. We meet at St. Bartholomew’s church (880 MacGregor Ave.) from 10:00 –11:30 the second Thursday of each month.

Thursday March 9th our theme will be fun and games. We will explore different activities that your loved one might enjoy doing at home as well as a some group activities to stimulate our memories of the past. Call 970-430-8105 for more info.

We would love for you to join us!

Do you ever find yourself thinking about yogurt, oranges and cooking oil? Yeah, me too.

Take yogurt. When I open a new container of yogurt—not the individual serving size because that puts a whole lot of evil plastic into our environment, but the 24 ounce size, which still contaminates with plastic, just not as much—when I open that yogurt and pull back the foil seal, I see a solid glob (what else can I call it?) of creamy white substance. Yogurt. I dish up the amount I want to eat, put the lid back on the container and place it in the fridge.

The next time I want some yogurt, I get out the container, take off the lid and there, in the place where I scooped out a serving last time, are a couple of tablespoons of clear-ish liquid. No way, you say. Yes, whey. As in Little Miss Muffet sitting on her tuffet. Whey is a liquid that separates from dairy when it is processed. Because it is a healthy protein source I just stir it back into the yogurt in the container.

My question is this: where is that whey when I first open the container to spoon out the initial serving? I look into the yogurt tub and—no whey. The next time— whey. It’s like magic. No whey. Whey. It confounds me.

Then there’s oranges. When I was growing up, an orange was an orange was an orange. My mom peeled them, placed several sections on our plate, topped them with some cottage cheese (yes, whey), and called it a salad. But oranges were hit and miss: sometimes they were sweet and juicy, other times they were on the dry side and bitter. We were lucky when Mom added canned mandarin oranges—and mini-marshmallows—to JellO instead.

Then, in the 1990s, those canned mandarins started to show up in grocery stores but they weren’t in cans and they weren’t called mandarins. They were “Cuties, ” and they changed the way we eat oranges. The little guys peel easily and there are no seeds—a huge plus—and today we eat orange sections like popcorn. We haven’t give up on “real” oranges, however. Yet, no longer is an orange just an orange. Several years ago Joe pointed out to me that “forty-twelves” are the sweetest, juiciest orange on the market. When I shop, that’s what I look for: the oranges with the PCU code of 4012. They are delish.

We thought we had it all figured out when suddenly there appeared the sumo orange with its lumpy rind. The name comes from the knob at the top of the orange, suggesting the hair knot a sumo wrestler wears atop his head (some might call it a “man bun”). I would never say so to a sumo wrestler, but I suspect the name is derived from the outie bellybutton those massive wrestlers expose while wearing their loincloth during a match. No matter; what is important is the sweet nectar of this new citrus variety. An orange is not just an orange anymore—it’s a sport, and an expensive one at that. Sumos aren’t cheap.

That brings us to cooking oil. Peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame, corn, vegetable. Which tastes best? Which fries the crispiest? Which is polyunsaturated? Options abound. I used to opt for canola oil, but one day it occurred to me that if I didn’t know what canola is, how could I be eating it? I didn’t have a clue what canola is. Canola is a member of a large family of plants called crucifers. All crucifers have four yellow flower petals that form the shape of a cross, or crucifix. Canola belongs to a genus called Brassica, which also includes mustard, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and turnip. Take the seeds from the canola plant, crush them up, extract the oil, and there it is: canola oil.

Look at that list of vegetables. Healthy, right? Well, as with most foods these days, one person’s healthy is another person’s hell. Canola is called an RBD oil: Refined, Bleached and Deodorized. The RBD process uses a solvent called hexane which is considered toxic for humans. It is removed from the oil before it is bottled, but there is the potential that some hexane residue gets left in the oil. The sky is falling!

So now what? Is there any type of oil that doesn’t have something wrong with it? It ends up the answer is in my cupboard, right next to the canola oil. It’s canola’s extra virgin cousin, Olive. Extra virgin olive oil is not refined and is not overly processed. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show a link between lower risks of cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and even dementia in people who consume higher amounts of olive oil. Bonus: it tastes good! Olive it.

There’s no moral in today’s column. No key message. Nothing to write home about.

Just food for thought.

You may let The Thunker know what you think at her e-mail address, donoholdt@gmail.com.

© 2023 Sarah Donohoe

Students at EPHS are ready to perform their amazing production of Puffs or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. For seven years, a certain boy wizard went to a certain school and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs...who just happened to be there too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.

Cast:

Henry Thomas-Wayne

Zach Lewis- Oliver

Lily Shields-Megan

Amelia Bryant-Ernie Mac and Very Tall Man/ Seamus/A certain Potions teacher/Professor Turban/Ghost History

Teach/Professor Locky/Mr. Nick/Sal/Second Headmaster/Real Mr. Moody/Zach

Smith

Farrah Collins-Hannah and First Headmaster/Professor McG/Professor Sproutty/Xavier Jones/Professor

Lanny/Runes Teach/Ms. Babble

Lux Van Tatenhove -J. Finch Fletchley and Uncle Dave/Goyle/A Fat Friar/ Clumsy Longbottom/ Hermoone #3/ Viktor/ Mr. Bagman

Ethan Brown-Leanne and Ginny/Helga/FrenchyNeva Case- Sally Perks and Hermoone/ Blondo Malloy/ Rowena/ Rita Scooter/ Bippy Merin Hamel-Susie Bones and Harry/ Colin/ Hermoone #2/ Ric Gryff/ Myrtle Andie Lewelling-Cedric/Voldy

Death Buddies- Played all Tech crew: John Ferree, Ryan Schwartz, Isabella Putman, Alexis Reeves, Zal Sugar

Stage Crew-Grace Thamert and Ella Powell.

This production is directed by Jordanne Bradley and Jordan Hazelton. Performances will be held at the EPHS auditorium this Friday, February 24 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 25 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Get your tickets today at estesschools.org or at the door before showtime.

I am a traveling Grandmother. I just got back from South Dakota…it was cold. I went with Marie and family to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. Had not been there since we camped, in a tent, with our kids so long ago. Our trip also included a dinner dance where a young friend of ours was playing in the band. Had a great time, even danced a bit. Of course, they don’t dance the way I used to in my heyday. We went by car which is my preferred mode of travel. It is fun to see our country and its beauty, instead of just flying over.

Flying is my usual way; everyone lives so far, or I am on a tour out of the states. Getting to the airport is always a challenge from Estes. You either have to get someone to drive you or pay an enormous amount for parking. Getting to the airport is so time consuming. I often think even driving to Texas, Mississippi or Nevada to visit my children would be better than wasting so much time traveling 1 1/2 hours to DIA and sitting there for two hours for the flight to take off. Unfortunately, my days of driving such long distances alone are past.

Before I left, a friend of mine, Ann, brought me some of her Crockpot Beef Burgundy. It was very tasty, and I asked to share the recipe with y’all.

Crockpot Beef Burgundy

Cook on low about 8 hours, serves 6-8 1 ½ lbs. chuck, round or stew meat (I think sirloin would be good as well and very tender.)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup red wine

1 small onion, chopped

1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained. You could use 8 oz. box of fresh

1 package of dry onion soup mix

1 Tbs. minced garlic Dump all into crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. ***

Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.

*** If your pot can sauté, I would use one Tbs. oil and brown the meat, but this is not called for in the recipe.

My dog, Sunshine is looking for a new owner with all my traveling. I am due to go to Harford, Connecticut in May for a granddaughter’s graduation from Yale. I am thinking of not going…it requires flying. I’m just kidding about Sunshine. Would you believe that she is seven years old? It feels like I just got her. Caliste, husband, has been gone 13 years, I miss him every day.

My email: esther.cenac@gmail.com Bon Appétit.

Note: In the last column with the recipe for Yummy Mushrooms with Corn Chips, the amount of lime juice needed should have listed 1/2-3/4 Cup of lime juice. Apologies for the omission.

Rocky Mountain National Park Rangers Train For CPR Instruction At Estes Park Health

Elk. Members of the Estes Valley Fire Protection District also come to Estes Park Health for their Basic Life Support training.

When National Football League player Damar Hamlin recently suffered a cardiac arrest on the

Estes Park Health has a great collaborative relationship with Rocky Mountain National Park. On February 15, RMNP Rangers came for Basic Life Support (CPR) instructor training so they can teach others these important life-saving skills.

Deb Francis of Estes Park Health is the lead instructor. She also helps train instructors for the Estes Park Police Department, the Estes Park School District, the Glen Haven Area Volunteer Fire Department, the Allenspark Volunteer Fire Department and the Volunteer Fire Department of Big field, the incident spotlighted how crucial early and effective CPR can be in saving lives and preventing long-term disability.

Estes Park Health’s Cardiac Clinic Plays An Important Role In Estes Valley Heart Health February is American Heart Month

When he needs his heart checked, 71year-old Mark Rissmiller of Estes Park simply drives ten minutes from his home to get the expert care he needs.

“It’s really important to have this quality cardiology care so close for everybody,” Rissmiller, who has a pacemaker, emphasized. “We’re doing preventative stuff and I’m on some meds, just trying to keep the battleship going in the right direction.”

His cardiology is Dr. Chad Stoltz of UCHealth who sees patients three days a week in the Cardiology Clinic at Estes Park Health. The other two days a week he performs interventional cardiology procedures at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. Dr. Stoltz has been taking care of patients in Estes Park since 2007. He’s part of a team that includes UCHealth cardiologists Dr. Wendy Austin, Dr. C. Patrick Green and Dr. Stephen Treat.

“It’s really important to have this care here where people visit and live,” Dr. Stoltz said. “The relationship that UCHealth has with Estes Park Health is a very good relationship. We take care of a lot of patients up here. A certain number of patients are too sick to manage at this hospital. Sometimes we simply need to get them down to a lower altitude and a hospital that has other procedures where we can take care of their needs.”

The cardiologists who see dozens of patients each week at Estes Park Health not only manage chronic conditions like heart failure and coronary artery disease. They also take care of residents and visitors in times of crisis.

“We get a lot of young patients, even very young patients, with no cardiac history,” really decompensate (functionally deteriorate) and just don’t do well at this altitude.”

Teamwork is crucial

63-year-old Katy Sykes said having the cardiac clinic at Estes Park Health is essential for the community.

“It’s so important,” she noted. “I’ve lived in Estes Park for 37 years year-round and I was a summer resident before that for my entire life. I remember what is was like not to have year-round health care here. People had to go elsewhere. There are people who don’t think about their health care until they have to. But others have to plan ahead.”

Dr. Stoltz explained. “They may come up here from Florida and decide to hike up Longs Peak and they discover that just getting out of the car at 7,500 feet of elevation puts a lot of strain on them and they struggle. Then there are a lot of people with cardiac conditions who thought maybe it was a good idea to come up to Estes and have a family reunion and it turns out that altitude really gets them.”

In addition to his clinic patients, Dr. Stoltz and the other heart doctors also see patients in the emergency room and in the hospital.

“I think in the vast majority of cases, people with some heart issues come up here and as long as they don’t push themselves too hard do reasonably well,” Dr. Stoltz added. “But there is a small percentage who

Thirteen years ago, Katy suffered a dissected aorta, a life-threatening cardiac emergency. Her husband called 911 and an ambulance rushed her to the emergency room at Estes Park Health. Due to the complexity and seriousness of her condition, a helicopter was called. The flight nurse realized that it was a dissected aorta and she was flown by helicopter to Medical Center of the Rockies (MCR) where specialists performed emergency surgery in the middle of the night.

“I survived it well,” Katy said, “and I have been following up with cardiologists here at Estes Park Health and MCR ever since. Last year, they found a problem during one of my checkups and I had to have another surgery. Dr. Stoltz is the overseer of my care. He’s wonderful. He’s part of that team who saved my life twice. It’s a wonderful thing for our community to have the cardiac care of this caliber in this town.”

American Heart Month

American Heart Month is observed to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy heart and to encourage healthy habits that help reduce the risk of heart disease.

“The key is diet and lifestyle,” Dr. Stoltz stated. “There are huge reductions in heart disease later in life in people who stay fit, stay active and have a great diet. There have been fad diets, but the one diet that has been shown time and time again that reduces future strokes, heart attacks and cardiovascular death is the Mediterranean diet. It’s a very easy diet to follow. Eat fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, a little bit of red meat. Other heart-helpful parts of the diet are olive oil and red wine.”

Learn about the risk factors for heart disease, the ways you can prevent them and the lifestyle choices that can help you stay healthy. When you need professional cardiac medical care, remember Estes Park Health.

See What Our Clients Are Saying ~ 5 Star Review!

Bret helped my wife and I find the house of our dreams in Estes Park, CO We had him show us 2 properties that we were interested in and quickly realized that we needed to keep looking. Bret sensed our disappointment and offered to take us to his office (on a weekend) to see if he could find any other properties that might be meet our requirements. After about 30 minutes we saw our house, which was just listed 2 days earlier. We walked through the front door about 30 minutes later and loved it immediately! We made an offer that evening and closed the deal about 30 days later.

3 weeks later our daughter and son-in-law were married in our back yard with the sunset over the Rocky Mountain National Park providing the perfect backdrop!

None of this would have happened without Bret's experience and guidance. I highly recommend Bret to anyone looking for an experienced and friendly realtor in the Estes Valley and surrounding area! ~ Jeffrey Cooke

Larimer County Land Stewardship Manager Is Guest Speaker

The public is invited to the next Estes Land Stewardship Association meeting (ELSA) on Thursday, March 2nd, at 9:30 a.m. in the George Hix Meeting Room at US Bank, 363 E. Elkhorn. Larimer County Land Stewardship Manager, Casey Cisneros will be presenting information regarding noxious weed management in unincorporated Estes Valley, 2022 noxious weed compliance, and 2023 priorities. He will also be answering questions from the audience. Take this opportunity to learn more about how you can be good land stewards and be in compliance with the Colorado Noxious Weed Act.

More information about ELSA sponsored weed disposal events, the Estes Park weed ordinance, ELSA’s weed booklet, Weed of the Week articles, etc. can be found at estes.org/weeds

You can contact the Estes Land Stewardship Association (ELSA) at ELSA.weeds@gmail.com ELSA meetings are held the first Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. in the George Hix Meeting Room at US Bank during February, March, April and November. Monitored Weed Drop-offs are held the third Saturday in June, July, August and September. Articles will be posted in the EP News prior to these drop-off events.

ELSA is a 501 (c) (3) unincorporated nonprofit organization. Our primary objective is to address the noxious weeds invading the region by promoting awareness of invasive plants and their impacts, through education and outreach efforts.

Owning property in the Estes Valley can be challenging and different! Bagging mature weeds during the summer months is not how you want to spend your time. Be proactive –learn your native plants and manage the invasive plants in a timely manner with a weed management specialist if you don’t have the time, energy or expertise to manage your property. A list of weed management specialists who can help is available at larimer.org/naturalresources/weeds/applicators Management strategies and information can be found under at estes.org/weeds under the Helpful Documents page.