Volunteers Help Restore Fish Creek

The 2013 floods took a devastating toll on our region, and some areas are still suffering negative effects a decade later. The upper section of Fish Creek (a tributary of Lake Estes) was hit particularly hard, as the raging currents cut a deep channel through the surrounding wetlands, robbing them of surface water and drying out the entire valley. The result was a devastating loss of beaver habitat, which further resulted in the warming and sedimentation of the faster-flowing creek, now unimpeded by natural breaks.

Fortunately, Cheley Camp, the owners of the affected property, have been very proactive in their response, and have partnered with EVWC to carry out restoration projects designed to slow the water down and help restore the lost beaver habitat. To that end, we recently hosted two large volunteer groups who worked tirelessly to help build natural dams, plant willows, and remove invasive species in an effort to draw beavers back to this area.

We would like to sincerely thank Fair Oaks Presbyterian Youth Group (Chicago) and Flatiron Construction for their vision, hard work, and commit- ment to restoring our natural resources. It's difficult to over-state the impact of their accomplishments over just 48 hours: we built several new simulated beaver structures to slow down the water and give it more time to soak into the ground, planted over 300 willow stakes to help shade and cool the water, and removed countless invasive plants that gained a foothold as the valley dried out. While there is still much work to be done, our community is a better place thanks to their volunteer efforts.

Empowering Our Neighbors

By: Brian Schaffer

Estes Park Men’s Golf Association Results For August 7, 2023

Congratulations to all winners

Team Scramble

John Krueger/Dennis Bryan 55

Brad Anderson/Virgil Yarbrough 58

Gary Goss/George Smith 59

Roger Erwin/Jerry Ballinghoff 59

Walt Coleman/Mike Johnston 60

Tony Fink/Mark Moraczewski 60

Jim Toresdahl/Steve Poznic 61

Rod Unruh/Richard Smith 61

Mike Bryson/Robert Wilczek 61

Greg Shipman/ John Tessler 62

Stan Gengler/Scott Dorman 62

Austin Logan/Aaron Tulley 63

Chris Haught/Frank Bartholomew 63

Jim Jameson/Nelson Burke 63

Mike Riley/Larry Nosbish 63

Pete Smith/Kreg Leymaster 63

Dwight Stanford/Bill Cooper 63

Tandy Brown/Henry Glover 63

Bill Brown/Dave Arterburn 63

Dave McAfee/Steve Wirrig 63

President’s Cup Winners

Blue/White Division

1st Place Scott Dorman

2nd Place Tie-Bill Harms, Josh Tracy

Red/Yellow Division

1st Place Tie-Roger Galloway, Dick Smith

3rd Place tie-Jim Toresdahl, John Tessler

Estes Park Women’s Golf Association Results Of Play – Tues., August 8, 2023

The EPWGA concluded its threeround Club Championship Tournament

Tuesday. Congratulations to the 2023 Club Champion, Marianne Casey and runner-up Carla Spreng-Webb. Flight 2 winners were Pam Vendegna, Low Gross and Judi Cunningham, Low Net, and Flight 3 winners were Kathy Bryson, Low Gross and Dot Dorman, Low Net.

“Even Holes” was the game of the day, and the winners were:

1st place – Laura Mulder

2nd place – Judi Cunningham

3rd place – Carla Spreng-Webb

Tied for 4th place – Diane Butler and Kathy Bryson

Tied for 6th place – Jennifer Gergen and Jan Alderman

Congratulations to all the winners.

It’s not too late to enjoy some fun golf as a part of our league. Games are played on Tuesday mornings. If you would like more information, please contact the league President, Carla Spreng-Webb for more information at Carla.Spreng@gmail.com

A few weeks ago we received a nice letter and a check from a family who loves the work we’re doing at Crossroads. The letter was written by a son who wanted to honor his parents with a legacy gift.

“My parents were long time residents of Estes Park, and were members of Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. They were also frequent volunteers at Crossroads, and spoke fondly of their time picking up food and delivering it to the food pantry. In memory of my parents, I would like to make a donation in their names. Enclosed find a check for $5,000 to be used for hunger prevention or where needed most. Thank you for the work that you do to help those in need. Your work was very important to my parents. ”

What a wonderful way to honor the legacy of his parents by making sure our neighbors were well-fed and taken care of. Thank you for thinking of us with this special gift!

Just wanted to give you an update on our CARE program. CARE stands for Coaching And Resources for Employment. Working has been around since the beginning of time. It’s a way to provide for the basic necessities of life. With this in mind, we have a deep desire to help our neighbors find stable income, purpose and to make positive impact in our community. How do we do this? By intentionally walking alongside our neighbors. For our younger workers, we want to help them explore their future career opportunities, find their passion, and understand how God has uniquely gifted them. Once they see their future for themselves, we help them shape their plans. Whether by starting a business, attending college, gaining intern and apprenticeships, serving the military, or enrolling in technical schools –we help our young, eager neighbors make their future possible by assisting them to overcome any physical, emotional, academic, or financial barriers. For our more experienced neighbors, we help them navigate this path as well, but from a slightly different strategy. It is through an ABC model: finding a job, then a better job, and then a career. We offer our neighbors employment training, continuing education, budgeting, and one-on-one coaching to help them move forward toward a sustainable career that fits their passions. Regardless of their stage of life, we want to support our neighbors in growing their capacity to reduce dependency. Let’s continue to work together to continue empowering our neighbors to acquire sustainable jobs.

For more information about this specific program, contact Tim Van Ryn at tim.crossroadsep@gmail.com

A Barber, The Pope And A Bad Haircut

By Larry Strong

Dave was getting a haircut prior to a trip to Rome. He mentioned the trip to his barber who responded, “Why would anyone want to go there? It’s crowded and dirty and prices are sky high. You’re crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?”

Dave replied, “We’re taking United and we got a great rate!” “United!” exclaimed the barber. “That’s a horrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are rude and they’re always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?”

We’re staying at the downtown International Marriott” Dave says. The barber replies, “That dump! Man, that’s the worst hotel in Rome. The rooms are small, the service is horrible and its way overpriced. So, what are you doing when you get there?”

We’re going to the Vatican and hope to see the Pope.” The barber laughed and exclaimed, “That’s rich. You and a million other people trying to see him. You’ll be stuck in a huge crowd and if you do see him he’ll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours, because you’re gonna need it.”

A month later, Dave came to the bar ber for his regular haircut. The barber asked him about his trip to Rome and Dave responded, “It was phenomenal! Not only were we on time in one of United’s brand new planes, it was overbooked so we got bumped to first class. The food was awesome and the flight attendants gave us great service. And the hotel! They just finished a $25 million remodeling job and now it’s the finest hotel in the city. They ended up upgrading us to a beautiful suite at no extra

The barber muttered, “Well, I know you didn’t get to see the Pope.” Dave said, “You wouldn’t believe it! One of the guards tapped me on the shoulder and explained that the Pope occasionally likes to meet visitors and if I’d be so kind to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would greet me. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walks in and as I knelt down he spoke to me.”

“What did he say” replied the barber. He said, “Where did you get that bad haircut?”

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” In the case of the barber, his life and his words were shaped by his thoughts. At Men on Fire, one of the many realities we stay aware of is that the spiritual battlefield starts with the mind. The thoughts we entertain eventually show up in what comes out of our mouth, or in our actions. What we think about is important and some thoughts are worth taking captive before they capture us.

Join us at Men on Fire, Saturday, 8:00 a.m. at the American Legion for “Breakfast with a Purpose! ” No matter where you’re at on your faith journey, you’ll be welcomed and encouraged. Visiting from out of town? Join us!