Town Accepting Letters Of Interest For Open Trustee Position

The Town of Estes Park is accepting letters of interest for an open Trustee position on the Board of Trustees due to the untimely passing of Mayor Pro Tem Scott Webermeier. The position will be from the date of the appointment through the next Municipal Election in April 2024. To be eligible for the Trustee position a person must (1) be a United States citizen; (2) be at least 18 years old; (3) be a resident of the Town of Estes Park for the past twelve consecutive months; and (4) be a registered elector.

The Board of Trustees seeks a forwardthinking individual who is willing to contribute the necessary time and energy to assist the Town in achieving their strategic plan. Letters should include a list of expe- riences and why you wish to serve in this capacity. The preferred candidate will have previous municipal government experience and make the commitment to attend all regular Town Board meetings and special meetings, serve on other boards and committees as a liaison, attend Trustee Talks, and other Town related functions.

Please submit your letter of interest to Town Clerk Jackie Williamson, Town Hall, 170 MacGregor Avenue, Room 130 or by email jwilliamson@estes.org, by Friday, April 21, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. The Board will review the letters of interest and possibly conduct candidate interviews. The Town Board of Trustees reserves the right to make the final decision on the appointment

Trailblazer Internet Connectivity During Power Outages

Springtime in the Rockies is always full of surprises, which recently included a systemwide power outage for the Estes Park Power and Communications service area during the evening of March 30th. Estes Park Power and Communications line workers worked to restore power quickly and safely in less than three hours. During the outage, a number of questions came into Trailblazer Broadband’s 24-hour customer service line about the impact of a power outage on broadband service, and the Trailblazer team thought it was important to share the answers to those questions publicly.

First, in the event of a power outage such as the one on March 30th, Trailblazer Broadband internet service is available and accessible, thanks to backup resources that power the broadband network combined with redundant fiber paths out of Estes Park. If one fiber path is compromised, another one is instantly and automatically used to reroute internet traffic. If an outage is cause by fiber damage rather than a power interruption, the internet connection may be lost until a repair can be made. In that case, Trailblazer clients can go to www.trailblazerbroadband.com and click on “Status” for updates. The second part of the connectivity answer depends on the internal workings of your home or office. Assuming your home is still connected to the internet, the next link is your Trailblazer Nokia Gateway modem/router which requires power to operate the same way your TV, monitors, and gaming devices do.

Of course, anything with a charged battery will work – a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc. For that reason, anyone who depends on their internet for work or school may want to consider investing in an Uninterruptible Power Supply, commonly called a UPS. Basically, a “battery in a box,” a UPS is a backup power supply for your Gateway and other essential devices, which can provide power for periods of time ranging from minutes to hours during a power outage.

If your Gateway has power from a UPS and the batteries are charged on your other devices, those devices can connect to the internet via WiFi or a hard-wired connection during a power outage. Many UPS products have multiple outlets and/or USB ports, much like a power strip, so you can power other essential devices as well as your Gateway modem/router as needed. Costs and capabilities of UPS backups range greatly across a variety of potential purchase options.

Volunteer With The Estes Park Museum

Volunteering at the Estes Park Museum is a great way to give back and get involved in the community. The museum has nearly 30 volunteers that support daily operations year-round. It is evident that the museum could not function without these individuals donating over 1,000 hours towards its mission by serving thousands of guests annually.

Now is a great time to join the museum team! There are a variety of opportunities to get involved with a typical threehour shift once a week, every other week, or once a month. Positions available include:

Gallery Host: Welcome and interact with guests from all over the world by serving as the front-line representative for the museum gallery experience.

Historic Fall River Hydroplant Docent: Lead group tours to discuss F. O. Stanley’s 1909 Hydroplant, the insatiable need and growth of electricity over the decades, and the 1982 Lawn Lake Flood that ended operation at this historic site. The site is open the first week of June through the first week of September 2023.

If you would like to contribute to the success of the museum, have fun, and share local history, please contact Curator of Interpretation Mikaela Fundaun at mfundaun@estes.org or (970) 577-3762.

Join Us For The Next "Cocktails & Conservation" At The Barrel April 20th

Mark your calendar to attend the next Rocky Mountain Conservancy “Cocktails & Conservation” program at The Barrel beer and wine garden, April 20th, from 6 to 7 p.m. Jeremy Siemers from Colorado State University will present “Bats in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and Colorado: Species, Threats, and Research.”

As the Lead Zoologist for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Jeremy has worked with bats for more than 20 years. He has monitored bats throughout Colorado in habitats ranging from caves and mines to stock ponds and cattle troughs. He is also involved in the North American Bat Monitoring Program.

The Conservancy and The Barrel held the inaugural “Cocktails & Conservation” program in February to share presentations in a fun and informal setting on topics ranging from innovative research to updates on Conservancyfunded projects in RMNP. Previous programs included an exploration of women prominent in RMNP’s history and an update on factors affecting the recovery and regrowth of willows, a critical plant species in the park’s ecosystem. The idea of offering conservationthemed programs in the relaxed environment of a taproom is not new, according to Carlie Bangs, education director for the Conservancy.

Prior to the pandemic, similar programs were offered as “Wilderness & Whisky” organized by Monica Koenig and held at the Elkins Distillery in Estes

Park and since 2022, the Conservancy has partnered with “Science & Spirits” at the Spirit Hound Distillery in Lyons. Koenig started her program in 2017 when she saw a need for winter evening activities focused on the Estes Park community and bringing people together to explore environmental issues. Attendance grew steadily until the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. While Koenig is undecided about the future of the “Wilderness & Whisky" series, she is glad for the continuing opportunities for residents and visitors to focus on and learn about our environment.

The “Science and Spirits” program in Lyons is led by Spirit Hound and is an on-going speaker series, with The Conservancy helping identify topics and speakers as needed.

"Partnerships with local businesses like The Barrel create an accessible forum for people to gather in a relaxed environment to learn about issues affecting Rocky Mountain National Park,” Bangs said. “In the process, we can also share the many ways the Conservancy supports the mission of the park.”

In addition to their wide selection of beer, wine, and spirits, The Barrel carries non-alcoholic refreshments including craft soda and kombucha, and all ages are welcome. There is no charge and reservations are not required for the "Cocktails & Conservation" program. The Barrel is located at 251 Moraine Avenue in Estes Park.

Middle School Students Study For Their Ham Radio Licenses

Students in Ravi Davis’ 6th grade STEAM science class are learning to use an amateur radio to talk to amateur radio operators (known as hams) in far away places. At the same time they are studying, with the help of the Estes Valley Amateur Radio Club, to obtain their FCC ham radio license. This requires learning about radio technology along with FCC rules and regulations. Six students are meeting with EVARC mentors during the school day and five more after school. Said teacher Ravi Davis, “These students are highly motivated to learn about ham radio, and radio science. They are so excited to contact hams across the world.” To date, they have made contacts in over 20 U.S. states, the Netherlands, France, Panama, and even in an airplane flying over New York State.

By studying ham radio, Ravi Davis’ students are being introduced to a wide range of science, engineering, and computer fields. Most people don’t realize that radio science and technology is deeply embedded in our everyday life. Radio technology has so many applications, including cell phones, radio and TV broadcasting, 2way radios, drones, robotics, security systems, satellites, and radio telescopes, to name a few. Think of the career possibilities! Our ham trainers are excited to engage students and spark their interest in the world of amateur radio. Who knows where it might take them in the future?

The Estes Valley Amateur Radio Club is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. Members meet at the Estes Park Memorial Observatory on the first Saturday of the month at 8:00 a.m. Meetings are open to the public. Come join us and learn about the exciting world of amateur radio!

Students studying for their FCC ham radio licenses.

Museum Program: 100 Things To Do In Estes Park Before You Die

On Saturday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. join local author and photographer Dawn Wilson as she shares her latest published work, 100 Things To Do In Estes Park Before You Die. She will discuss the book, its contents, and how it came to be, from idea to publication. The program will take place in the Estes Park Museum Meeting Room, light snacks and refreshments will be provided. This program is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be for sale and the author will be available for signing. In addition, there will be a display of the author’s photographs pertaining to the book. There is so much to this mountain town that sits at 7,522 feet at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park. 100

Things to Do in Estes Park Before You Die provides ample suggestions for discovering its valleys, trails, and its history rich with characters and stories unlike any other in Colorado. Explore more than 400 miles of trails in the area with recommendations for experiencing the most breathtaking sunrises, prettiest alpine lakes, and one-of-a-kind photo spots. Estes Park-based writer, photographer, and guide Dawn Y. Wilson takes a journey to discover what sets this mountain town apart from others in Colorado. Her collection of all things outdoors, indoors, and around every curve in the path provides the best insider tips about the area for first-time visitors and longtime residents.

I’ve recently returned from a visit to our country’s capital. We were too late to see the cherry blossoms (climate change is causing them to bloom earlier each year), but it’s a lovely city to explore in April nonetheless.

A couple of experiences stand out as highlights from the trip. One was reconnecting with a good friend from Germany. Michaela and I met nearly 30 years ago when she was an intern for El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs, where I worked at the time. Since then we have each traveled across the ocean boughs,

Goes down with a great shout upon the hills, several times to visit the other, and last week we met up in Washington D. C. after a lengthy hiatus. We picked up where we left off as if we’d seen each other just yesterday.

And leaves a lonesome place against the sky.

The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, used a. 44-caliber pistol, which could only hold a single bullet. Security was not like it is today so Booth was able to get very close to the president before he pulled the trigger.

The second highlight of our trip was sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at sunset. All the monuments in D. C. are impressive, each with its own personality and impact. But my favorite on this particular visit was the Lincoln Memorial. Its massive white marble pillars framing the larger than life, stately Abraham Lincoln as he looks benevolently over the Mall’s reflecting pool invokes awe. Edwin Markham’s (1852–1940) poem, Lincoln, Man of the People, aptly described Lincoln as “A man to match the mountains and the sea. ” You can see that quiet strength carved in the face of Lincoln’s marble figure.

My affiliate Joe and I watched the crowd as we sat quietly on the steps leading up to president’s 19-foot tall image. There were many school groups, each group wearing matching T-shirts; perhaps they were in D. C. for the gun protest at the capitol the next day. We saw folks with disabilities who struggled to make it up the 87 tall steps, and throngs of people representing numerous nationalities from around the globe—brown, black, white, male, female, young and old.

My skin tingled as I observed people stop to contemplate, take photos, pray, laugh, hug, kiss, and listen to their echos inside the chamber where Lincoln’s seated figure resides. All of these people, from all over the world, were in this one place to honor a man—the Great Emancipator—who succeeded in giving freedom and dignity to all in our country. Lincoln was a remarkable man and his monument is sacred.

Five days after the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head with a single bullet at close range. Nine hours later he died. Again, here is Markham from Lincoln, Man of the People:

And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down

As when a lordly cedar, green with

Imagine the assassination scene if it were to take place today. Most likely the gun-bearer would not be carrying a single-shot Derringer pistol but an AK-47 rifle capable of firing 600 rounds a minute. The shooter could be standing 380 yards away from his victim/s and still kill, not just one person, but many, many fellow human beings. In the small Ford’s Theater with a captive audience, the shooting would have caused carnage. “It’s my right,” the murderer would say, and then he would reload.

Sadly, in the United States there have been 16 mass shootings so far this month. When we had dinner with my German friend Michaela and her husband, their question to us was, “What’s the deal with all the guns in the U. S.?” I was ashamed for our country, especially because I see no change in the future. My heart aches knowing there are no imminent gun laws to curb the mass shootings in this country. President Abraham Lincoln lead his country toward dignity and freedom. Where is the dignity in a mass shooting? Where is the freedom when a child cannot walk into a school without fear of being shot?

Because this is National Poetry Month, I want to share this poem by Brian Bilston called America is a Gun: England is a cup of tea. France, a wheel of ripened brie. Greece, a short, squat olive tree. America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand. Argentina, Maradona’s hand. Germany, an oompah band. America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe. Hungary, a goulash stew. Australia, a kangaroo. America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring. Scotland is a highland fling. Oh, better to be anything than America as a gun.

Please, put down the assault weapons and let freedom ring

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

© 2023 Sarah Donohoe

Debbie Holmes 970 690-1300 holmesdeb@msn.com

Investing For Your Future

Please join our monthly meeting to discuss various investing topics and strategies. We will meet the 3rd Wednesday of month, from 4:00-5:30 pm @ Vert CoWorking

April 19: “Should we be investing in this volatile market?”

May 17: “Debt Consolidation, how to get out of debt the quickest.” Topics subject to change, depending on interest and current market situations. Reserve your seat at the table by RSVPing Tuesday 4/18, by 5pm

Call me today for a quick 30-min BDollar$mart assessment that’ll help you discover different ways to improve your finances.

Deborah Holmes is an independent representative of Primerica, a licensed fiduciary, investment advisor and certified mortgage broker with Primerica Financial Services, NMLS #2257494. Private appointments available.