XII-620 Locally owned and originated in 2000 FREE COPY Friday, October 12, 2012 Frosty Fall Morning Near Longs Peak Beautiful Photo by Dick Orleans www.raremoment.com Ewe Chew We spotted this Bighorn sheep ewe on Fall River Road this week munching on some vegetation. Photo by Kris Hazelton Estes Park News

Page 2 Friday, October 12, 2012 www.estesparknews.com Estes Park NEWS,Inc. Your Hometown News 7,800 copies distributed FREE every Friday to hundreds of Estes' popular locations. FREE ON-LINE VIRTUAL PAPER! at www.estesparknews.com Ph: (970) 586-5800 Fax: (970) 692-2611 Opinions of our columnists are not necessarily the opinions of this newspaper. Publishers: Gary & Kris Hazelton Estes Park residents and owners. Editor: Kris Hazelton Ads & Website Design Specialist: Andrew Donaldson ads@estesparknews.com Classifieds/Reception Deanna Szuter Press releases to: kris@estesparknews.com All editorial, photographic content and graphic design is copyright of Estes Park News and can not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of Estes Park News, Inc. ©2012 For subscription information contact us. EP NEWS Deadlines Monday: Space reservations today! Tuesday: Copy deadline by 4:00 p.m. Classifieds: Phoned in-12 p.m. Wed Submitted to website - Weds. 1 pm go to: www.estesparknews.com Our office/studio is located at: 1191 Woodstock Drive, Unit B Just down the road from B&B Food Fern Lake Fire Continues To Burn In Rocky Mountain National Park A wildfire located west of the Fern Lake Trailhead on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park remained uncontained as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, and is advancing slowly in all directions as expected due to conditions and terrain. Because of frequent turbulent air, it was hard for fire officials to use aircraft to make an accurate estimate of the size of the fire. The fire is believed to have burned about 400 acres. The fire, west of Moraine Park, is burning in steep, rugged terrain that includes beetle-killed trees which prohibited direct attack by firefighters on the ground. Around 65 firefighters were on scene and about 120 personnel and seven fire engines are expected to arrive to fight the fire. No structures are threatened. A heavy helitanker joined the fire suppression efforts Wednesday, but was called off in the afternoon due to high winds. That helicopter and another helitanker are expected to be available later this week for fire suppression efforts. No rain is forecast for the area of the fire through the end of the week. The continued safety of visitors and staff and the full suppression of the fire remain the top priorities of park and fire offi- EP NEWS/ Kris Hazelton cials. Trail Ridge Road remains open. Fire crews will continue to work to contain the fire inside park boundaries, north of Glacier Creek, west of Hollowell Park and south of Trail Ridge Road. Currently, Bear Lake Road, Upper Beaver Meadows Road and Moraine Park Campground are closed. Trails west of Bear Lake Road and south of Trail Ridge Road are also closed. Smoke is visible at times, yet it's business as usual in the town of Estes Park. Due to the high fire danger, smoking and open fires in the park's backcountry are now prohibited. For more information please call the park's recorded fire information number at (970) 586-1381 or visit www.nps.gov/romo EP NEWS/ Kris Hazelton Visit Estes Park Orientation Margaret Jensen photo EP NEWS/ Kris Hazelton Richard Lake photo Richard Lake photo Visit Estes Park, the Destination Marketing Organization, will be holding their second orientation on Thursday, October 18 at 9 a.m. The session will take place at their offices at 1200 Graves Avenue and will review Visit Estes Park's mission and vision, funding sources, staff, current projects, and more. All are welcome to come learn more about or just revisit what destination marketing is and how Visit Estes Park markets our mountain village. Q & A time will be included so bring any and all questions! Orientation sessions will be held on the third Thursday of every month. To RSVP for this month's orientation, please email Kirby Nelson at knelson@visitestespark.com, or call 970-586-0500.

www.estesparknews.com On The Other Hand by David Tavel "All Aboard, All Aboard." That was to be a most pleasant invitation on a recent trip which took Yours Truly and his Better Half on a tour of Historic Rails of Colorado. One of the few things which is missing living up here in the high country is the haunting sound of the train whistle. So . . . we headed to where the rails . . . and whistles . . .can be found and heard. A good starting place is the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden which has over seventy locomotives and cars. Fine! Inviting! But we want to go for a ride. So then we head to Georgetown, just south of Interstate 70, to ride on the Georgetown Loop, a railroad constructed originally to haul silver ore. But that was over a century ago. Now it hauls tourists, over such uneven terrain up to Silver Plume that the route spirals over itself. When you're on the upper level of the spiral you are seventy-five feet above the level you just came from. Awesome! Colorado Springs was our next stop, it being well located for a train ride the next morning on the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Destination? The peak Zebulon Pike decided couldn't be climbed. It would be named after him anyway, and would be the source of inspiration for Katherine Porter to write the song which should be our national anthem --- America the Beautiful. Since we are in the area we'll drive through the Garden of the Gods Park with its famous red rock formations. We start our next day on the rails riding through the famous Royal Gorge carved by the Arkansas River. The train runs under the long Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge, the world's highest suspension span, I've been told. The bridge towers 1,000 feet above our open train car. The sun was brightly shining as we left the rails for the roads. The change had its own merits, however, as we followed the river to Salida, headed over Poncha Pass to Alamosa, and the next day traveled to Antonito. Antonito! Way down near the New Mexico border? You betcha, for here we find our longest and highest narrow gauge steam railroad. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad runs between An- tonito and Chama, New Mexico. En route it crosses back and forth over the state borders eleven times. Its history stretches back into the late 1800s. At that time this was great mining country. Railroads served to bring supplies to the mines and brought back valuable extracted ore. Wait a second! Wait a second! If this was great mining country, why build what has become a tourist railroad through an area full of mine tailings, deforested hills and valleys, and poisoned waterways? Answer: That may be how some imagine former mining areas to look, but it does not fit this area, Just ask someone who has been on the Cumbres and Toltec railroad. It winds and twists through lush green meadows and aspen groves. It goes over 10,015 foot Cumbres Pass. It is a visual delight. Following the Great Depression of the 1930s auto traffic increased, highways became more common, and people relied less on trains. There were plans to tear up the track of the railroad in 1970 but the governors of New Mexico and Colorado had some second thoughts. Their states purchased the 64 winding miles through the mountains, and in June 1971 the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad opened for business. The railroad today is for tourism, for scenery. One can start the trip at either end, and then go all the way or half way, dine, and return Getting hungry? Not to worry. At Osier, long ago a toll station and small community, there's a dining hall. Our train ticket included an "all U can eat" stop here --- a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Go back for seconds, thirds, especially deserts. Stuffed "to the gills" we head to Durango, which means briefly leaving the rails. If a first-timer thought the Cumbres - Toltec ride was "IT," the Durango to Silverton line would leave him speechless. This is THE "It." Riding along high on a mountain side and looking out the train Photos by Marcia Tavel window (or over the side of an open car) at the Animas River far below is something unforgettable. The destination is the once mining center of Silverton. I didn't make note of it at the time, but I believe that even with its shops strictly for tourists, it's your typical mountain town with just one paved street. Our trip included Ouray, which locals pronounce You-ray. Great for fourwheeling and hiking. But neither You nor I can get there by train! Friday, October 12, 2012 Page 3

Page 4 Friday, October 12, 2012 www.estesparknews.com Police Department Adjusts Services During Lobby Remodel From Eric Rose Police Commander and Kate Rusch Public Information Officer The Estes Park Police Department, located in Town Hall at 170 MacGregor Ave., is beginning to remodel its lobby and front window for improved customer service and safety. The project begins this week and is expected to be complete by the end of the 2012. Certain police services must be altered or temporarily suspended during construction. The remodel primarily involves the reception and records area of the department, and the front window of the department will not be accessible during the project. Anyone who needs Police During its study session scheduled Dec. 11, the Estes Park Town Board will begin discussing the process and procedure for how funds held by the Town for the Friends of Stanley Hall (FOSH) will be dispersed. Since 2002 the Town has been holding funds originally raised by FOSH for the purpose of building a performing arts theater in Estes Park. The monies were raised through fine art auctions, dinners, foundations, grants, and from interested individuals from approximately 1997 until 2000. The contributions were intended to fund the renovation and remodeling of the Stanley Concert Hall. However, in 2000 the Stanley Hotel's ownership opted to complete the reno- Department assistance of any kind may be connected to help by using the telephone in the Town Hall foyer at the MacGregor Avenue entrance. Instructions are provided next to the telephone. Records will still be available upon request. Two regular police services will be unavailable during the renovations -- public fingerprinting and portable breath tests (PBT). For fingerprinting services, please call the Larimer County Sheriff 's Office at 970-498-5100. For a PBT, please call Recovery Abuse Program at 970-577-7046, or, The Counseling Place at 970-586-6400. The Estes Park Police Town Board To Discuss Process For FOSH Fund Dispersal A Special Way To Thank Our Downtown Merchants For Their As a way to thank our downtown merchants for their generosity each and every year at Halloween, why not consider purchasing a few bags of Halloween treats and donate them to one or more of our downtown shops who so graciously gives of their time and money to purchase treats as well as staff their front doors for the hundreds and hundreds of people who come to celebrate Halloween in Estes Park. All of the stores are now stocked up with Halloween treats, consider giving back to those who give so much for our Halloween celebration. Thank you! vation themselves and utilize the hall primarily as a hotel facility, thus ending FOSH's plans for the building. Tax laws prevented returning the money the group had collected to donors. But with permission from those who had made the contributions, an agreement was reached to transfer the monies from FOSH to The Town. They were to be held in an interest- bearing account for use in building a theater and/or the promotion and development of cultural and performing arts within the Estes Valley. In 2006 the Town partnered with Supporters of the Performing Arts (SOPA) to establish a fully functional performing arts center for Estes Park. The proposed facility would have been constructed on Department will resume these services when the renovations are complete. Police Chief Wes Kufeld commented, "We want to thank the public for their patience during this project, and we look forward to providing even better service when our remodel is complete in January of 2013." Chief Kufeld emphasized that the department will strive to maintain a high level of customer service during the project. To receive Town of Estes Park news by email, please email townadmin@estes.org. For this and other Town news, please visit www.estes.org/news. the southeast corner of the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park. Under an agreement with the Town, the FOSH funds were dedicated to the project pending SOPA raising the money required to construct the center. That agreement was terminated earlier this year. Recent reports stated that the funds had been dedicated to support the proposed Performing Arts Center on the site of the Park Theater Mall. These reports are not accurate. The Town of Estes Park continues to hold the FOSH funds in an interest-bearing account and has made no commitment to any organization, group or project. To receive Town news and/or agendas by email, email townadmin@estes.org. Community Development And Community Services Committee Reschedules Meetings Halloween Generosity The Town of Estes Park's Community Development and Community Services Committee has rescheduled its remaining 2012 meetings for the third Thursday of each month. Meetings will take place Oct. 18 at 8 a.m., Nov. 15 at 8 a.m. and Dec. 20 at 9 a.m. in the Town Board Room of Town Hall, 170 MacGregor Ave. The committee is composed of Trustee John Ericson, Chair, Trustee Mark Elrod and Trustee Ron Norris. It generally meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 8 a.m. The final three meetings for 2012 were rescheduled due to holiday conflicts in November and December. The committee will resume its normal meeting schedule in January. The Public Safety, Utilities and Public Works Committee meetings remain as scheduled. It meets the second Thursday of each month at 8 a.m. in the Town Board Room. This committee is composed of Mayor Pro Tem Eric Blackhurst, Chair, Trustee Wendy Koenig and Trustee John Phipps. Committees hear public comments and reports from Town staff, and have indepth discussions on future Town Board topics, forwarding recommendations to the entire Town Board. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. Committee agendas, minutes and videos are posted on the Town's website at www.estes.org/boardsandmeetings. For more information on the Town Board members and committees, please visit www.estes.org/townclerk or contact the Town Clerk's office at 970-577-4771. To receive Town news in your email inbox, please email townadmin@estes.org. For this and other Town news, please visit www.estes.org/news.

www.estesparknews.com Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith has announced his strong opposition to Colorado's Amendment 64 and joined a growing list of Sheriffs and other public officials in opposition to the proposed amendment which would give Colorado the most liberal marijuana laws anywhere in the world. While as an elected County Sheriff, he recognizes that the day-to-day role for his office is to enforce the laws of the state, Sheriff Smith also believes he has an additional duty to speak out on issues of public safety and concern. He believes this proposed amendment would significantly degrade public safety and the quality of life throughout the state. "It would be like taking the problems experienced with the introduction of medical marijuana dispensaries in local communities and multiplying them tenfold" Smith said. Sheriff Smith cited the increase in marijuana related incidents experienced by his agency, the increase in drug related school suspensions, individual family accounts of marijuana dependency with area youth, robberies of grow operations and dispensaries and a sharp increase in the marijuana DUIs that have coincided with the state sanc- WEEKLY POLICE REPORT From the Estes Park Police Dept. The charge(s) are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. On September 30 at 2:05 a.m. police stopped the driver of a vehicle in the 100 block of Moraine Ave. for failure to signal. Upon further investigation, the driver, a 24 year old female from Denver, was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol with a BRAC of .191. She also was in possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. The woman was charged with DUI and failure to signal and later transported to Larimer County Detention Center. On October 2 at 2:54 a.m. police were called about a disturbance at Dry Gulch Looking Back... Moving Forward... Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith Opposed To Amendment 64 tioning of medical marijuana businesses in Colorado starting in 2009. In addition, the Sheriff is concerned that the health related dangers the researchers at National Jewish Hospital identified in their report on marijuana grow houses constitutes a threat not only to building occupants, but landlords and surrounding neighbors as well. Based on that research, Sheriff 's deputies now take the same safety precautions in grow houses as they do in meth labs and the Sheriff 's Office is being forced to change marijuana evidence handling procedures to avoid the dangers associated with mold spores discovered on some of the test samples. "This research gives me good reason to be concerned for the health and safety of those who have the unfortunate circumstance to live near or come into contact with a grow operation." Smith stated. Sheriff Smith refuted the assertion that marijuana laws are simply a state rights issue. "In Larimer County we have already seen a handful of cases where people migrate from other states to Colorado with the admitted intent of growing marijuana to sell back in their home state. That is clearly interstate commerce which is within the purview for the federal government to act." Road and Wildfire Road. Upon arrival, a 30 year old male and a 23 year old male both from Estes Park were found to be fighting. Both males were charged with disorderly conduct and later released on a summons. On October 5 at 10:47 p.m. police stopped the driver of a vehicle for a defective headlight. After further investigation, the 15 year old juvenile passenger in the car was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a summons and later released. On October 6 at 2:05 a.m. police were called to the 100 block of W. Elkhorn Ave. on a report of a person causing a disturbance. Upon arrival, police charged a 35 year old male from Estes Park with disorderly conduct. He was issued a summons and later released. November 15, 2012 6:00 pm-7:30 pm 170 MacGregor Avenue, Board Room Town of Estes Park, Colorado The Estes Valley Restorative Justice Partnership would like to invite you to attend our 10 year birthday celebration! This community-wide event will be dedicated to celebrating the achievements of the organization and all of its participants! Friday, October 12, 2012 Page 5

Page 6 Friday, October 12, 2012 www.estesparknews.com Rocky Mountain National Park Hazard Tree Removal To Take Place On Bear Lake Trail In RMNP Beginning on Tuesday, October 9, park staff began conducting hazard tree mitigation by removing select hazard trees along the Bear Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. Weather permitting, this work should continue through October 18. The work will not take place on Fridays or weekends. Depending on where the work is taking place on the trail, hikers will be allowed to go through some sections but other areas will be closed. These hazard trees are mainly due to the recent bark beetle outbreak. Bark beetles continue to be active within Rocky Mountain National Park, impacting large numbers of conifer trees. The park's priorities for mitigation of the effects of beetles are focused on removing hazard trees and hazard fuels related to the protection of life and property. For more information about Rocky The National Park Service is accepting applications through November 15, 2012 for Rocky Mountain National Park's summer 2013 Artist-in-Residence Program. Selected artists are provided with a creative, contemplative environment in which to generate artistic works and share their works with the public. Artistic diversity, new ideas and creative uses of media are encouraged. Selected artists receive a two-week residency at the William Allen White cabin from June through September. Professional musicians, writers, sculptors, painters, photographers, poets and performance artists will be given equal consideration. During their stay, artists share their vision in two public presentations. Following their residency, artists donate a fully finished work to Rocky Mountain National Park, representative of their stay. Mountain National Park, please call the park's Information Office at (970) 586- 1206 or visit www.nps.gov/romo. Seeking Applications For RMNP Artist-In-Residence Program On Monday, October 15, work is scheduled to take place on the surface of the Roaring River Bridge near the Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park. Access will be allowed to the east Alluvial Fan parking lot but the road will be closed beyond that point. Visitors can walk on the Alluvial Fan trail to access the area, however parking is limited. Pedestrians would be able to walk on the trail to access the section of Endoval- The National Park Service holds a noncommercial copyright to donated artwork. A panel of professional artists will judge the applicant pool. Five to six artists will be selected to participate in the summer of 2013. Selections are made on the basis of the following criteria: entry materials, vision, and recognized talent as demonstrated by participation in juried shows, publications or performances. Having begun in 1984, Rocky Mountain's program is the longest running Artist-in-Residence program operated by the National Park Service. Interested artists may obtain more information and download an application by accessing the park's website at http://www.nps.gov/romo/supportyourpark/artist_in_residence.htm Detailed instructions are on the entry form. Applications must be postmarked by November 15, 2012. Work On Roaring River Bridge Will Close Access To Endovalley Road In RMNP October 15 ley road beyond where the bridge work is taking place to the Endovalley picnic area. Old Fall River Road closes to vehicles for the season on October 10 and will be closed to pedestrians on October 15 for road maintenance. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please call the park's Information Office at (970) 586- 1206 or visit www.nps.gov/romo This day, October 12 th in history: 1976-4 th Space Shuttle Enterprise, approach and land test (ALT) flight 1968-19 th Olympic games open at Mexico City, Mexico 1960-John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon's 3 rd presidential debate

www.estesparknews.com Stanley Ghost Stories Reprinted The Stanley Museum has revised and reprinted "Stanley Ghost Stories" by Susan S. Davis. Originally published in 2005 and out-of-print, the new edition revisits many of the ghost stories associated with the Stanley Hotel and adds new information on F.O. & Flora Stanley, who are forever connected with the hotel that bears their name. The new book is being released in stores in time for Halloween and the re-release in some theaters of the classic thriller, "The Shining." From the publisher's description: "A A big thank you to all of our supporters, friends, and theater goers for their understanding of our cancellation of last weekend's performances of "Art of Murder." Being the 16 th production in our brief history, it was a first. To have to cancel three performances on such short notice Recently a new billboard was put up in Loveland to advertise a local, Estes Park business, the Big Horn Restaurant. This is really nothing new as there are many billboards on Highways 34 and 36 promoting our local businesses to potential customers traveling to Estes Park. What makes this one unique however is that the artwork on the Big Horn Restaurant billboard was created by a local artist. This person actually moved to Estes Park from Illinois with his family thirteen years ago, with the goal of becoming a nature artist. This person became distracted from his original goal of fulfilling his dream because instead, he decided to start up a local newspaper with his wife. You may have guessed the artist's name by now. It's Gary Hazelton, co-owner of the Estes Park News who, along with his wife Kris, started the Estes Park News. Upon first arriving in Estes Park, Gary immediately began creating artwork featuring area wildlife. One of his pieces included a Bighorn sheep ram. He titled this colored pencil drawing, "His contemporary history of the famed Stanley Hotel, built in 1908 in Estes Park, Colorado, by F.O. Stanley, and made famous by author Stephen King and film-maker Stanley Kubrick as the inspiration for 'The Shining.' This book focuses on the alleged haunting of the hotel, recounting collected ghost stories and sightings in recent years through the use of second hand accounts and digital photographs of suspected paranormal activity. This newly Update From Director Of "Art Of Murder" was difficult and the cast and crew were deeply saddened. Saddened mostly because of the sudden serious illness of our leading man. He wanted to go on because he loved the role and did not want to let his fellow cast members and our supporters down, but...it could not happen. He is better and will be "walking the New Billboard Features Hazelton Artwork Majesty." After investing in high quality, limited edition prints, Gary presented one to the Big Horn restaurant to use for their promotion and display. Owners Sid and Laura Brown were happy to use this drawing in their advertising for the past 12 years. The two decided to include "His Majesty" in their new billboard on Highway 34. This billboard can be seen just Friday, October 12, 2012 revised edition adds further historical detail on F.O. Stanley and his wife, Flora, said to haunt the hotel, though ironically they were 'confirmed skeptics'." The book retails for $10.95. boards" of another product in the future. Our next scheduled production is the original Mike Young play (third in a series) will be presented in the first quarter of 2013. Our 2013 Season is being planned now and will be announced later this Fall. Thanks to each of you and good health to our leading man from the cast and crew of EPRTC's "Art of Murder." EP NEWS/ Kris Hazelton before entering the canyon to Estes Park from Loveland. Gary is very pleased that the Browns decided to include his artwork. It fulfills Gary's vision of people appreciating his dream of illustrating the wildlife of the Rocky Mountains. Watch for the sign on your next trip up from Loveland! Page 7

Page 8 Friday, October 12, 2012 www.estesparknews.com Firefighters To Host Pancake Breakfast And Open House This Saturday As part of Fire Prevention Week, members of the Estes Valley Fire Protection District are set to host a Pancake Breakfast this Saturday, October 13 at the Dannels Fire Station, 901 N. St. Vrain. This deliciouspancakebreakfast includes pancakes, sausage and beverages. It will be served from 8:00-10:00 a.m. and breakfast is free but donations to the fire district will be graciously accepted. Also during the breakfast, there will be an Open House from 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. where you can meet some of our firefighters, see the equipment and apparatus used and learn steps on how to be fire wise. Visit the fire safety house, have the car seat technicians inspect your child's car seat and learn all about defensible space. This event will be fun for the entire family! For any kids who received the coloring contest page at school, bring it to the station Are You Smarter Than A Learning Place Student? Hold the date for the Estes Park Learning Place Wine Dinner entitled "Are You Smarter than a Learning Place Student?" It is taking place on Sunday, November 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Mama Rose's. Don't worry - no one is going to put you on the spot! But do you remember your favorite subject in middle school? Was there a subject you needed a little help with? Perhaps you'd be willing to reminisce with your friends around the table as you partake in educational endeavors surrounded by wine, food and friendship! The five-course tasting menu for the evening includes wine pairings for each course selected to compliment and bring out the best features of both food and wine. And, while you are eating Crossroads Holds Warm Winter Coat Drive Crossroads Ministry is holding a Coat Drive. Crossroads is now accepting gently used coats, sweaters, warm hats, scarves, gloves and mittens for men, women, boys and girls. Crossroads will distribute with you to turn in, or pick one up there and color it for your chance to win some great prizes donated by Macdonald Book Shop, Reel Mountain Theater, Carmel Corn and Toy Mountain. One lucky winner will win a grand prize of a free ten week session of children's dance or gymnastics from Center Stage School of Dance and Gymnastics! and drinking, you will be supporting the Estes Park Learning Place, a non-profit organization providing tutoring for children and adults in the Estes Valley. The charge for the evening is $65 per person, all of which goes to the Estes Park Learning Place Education fund. The tax deduction for individuals is $45 per person. For more information call Kathleen Anderson at 577-0020. To make a reservation call Mama Rose's at 970-586-3330. the warm winter clothing at a special event on Tuesday, November 20. For those wishing to donate or receive warm winter clothing, Crossroads Ministry is located at 851 Dry Gulch Road. For more information, call Perry 577- 0610.

www.estesparknews.com The Thunker by Sarah Holdt For left-brained, numbers people it is downright jejune (look it up) to hang around with wordies. We can spend a lot of time creating entendres, disputing spellings and discussing meanings while our counterparts yawn and scratch behind their ears, utterly bored. Lately I've been having word conversations with fellow vocabulary enthusiasts, also known as word nerds, while there are no bankers, accountants or mathematicians within earshot so we've been able to expound to full contentedness. For example, while enjoying ice cream cones at a picnic table, my friend Debbie asked us to spell the word discreet. Easy enough: d-i-s-c-r-e-e-t. What does it mean, she asked? Careful of one's speech or actions. Yes, she confirmed, but discrete is also a word, not a misspelling. Discrete means individually separate and distinct, as in, there are seven discrete P.E.O. chapters in Estes Park. Who knew? I sure didn't. I mean, I knew about the seven P.E.O. chapters, all discreet, but I didn't know each chapter was discrete as well. Debbie didn't stop there. What do you call bat poop, she wanted to know? Why, guano, of course. Surprisingly, no, Debbie told us. We have become accustomed to calling bat excrement guano but the original definition of guano is specifically seabird poop. Today, however, you can get away with using guano as the accepted descriptive for bat poop. Whew; off the hook! Whatever it's called, we can't figure out how bats deposit it when they're hanging upside down! Icky. That's what I call it. Knowing what we now know, do we call bat poop guano or not? It's a moot point, meaning it is up for debate. Yessiree Bob. For some reason it is generally understood that when we've been discussing a topic that has reached a dead end, we call it a moot point. In reality, a moot point is just the opposite. So do we continue to misuse the phrase because that's what people construe or do we use it correctly and be misunderstood? I consider this a moot point. Now you decide what I mean by that. There are myriad words and phrases in the English language that can lead to misunderstanding. Take the word myriad as an example. Some people think I mistakenly forgot to use an article in front of myriad in the beginning sentence of this paragraph. They think I should have said, "There are a myriad of words..." But myriad is not a synonym for plethora, but rather for several. Discussions like this one leave leftbrainers lukewarm. I wonder, what type of conversation would make them lukecool? Ha! There is no such word. So why is there a lukewarm but no other luke temperature? The word toward does not end in the letter s-in America anyway. In England they put an s on the end of toward. If you want to say towards, move to England. It's enough to bring tears to yours eyes, isn't it? At school, my seven-yearold nephew was asked to use the word crying in a sentence (the second graders were learning how to add ing to words that end in y.) Here was his answer: "I am allergic to crying. It makes my eyes water." I think he's becoming a wordie like his aunt. A witty wittle wordie. Last night my husband Mark, a numbers man who won't admit he has a bit of wordiness in him, asked what this week's column was about. When I told him, he replied without hesitation, "Just remember there's a whole lot more to the English language than a bunch of words." You may let The Thunker know what you think at her e-mail address, donoholdt@gmail.com. Next Great Decisions Meeting Energy Geopolitics is the topic for the next Great Decisions meeting. The energy markets have been shaken by the instability of Middle East oil and the vulnerability of nuclear power. Moreover, developing countries like China are becoming bigger energy consumers, while energy producers like Russia see the opportunity to widen their influence. In this changed landscape, how will the U.S.'s energy needs affect its relations with other nations? Come and discuss the global energy sit- uation and how it will effect the United States. We will meet in the Wasson Room of the Estes Valley Library at 11:30 a.m on October 16 th . Come and let your voice be heard. Read the background material and be ready to discuss the topic. See you there! Great Decisions discussions will resume in February with the 2013 topics. Please contact Sue Magnuson 970-214- 0319 to order a book. Cost approximately $23. Go to www.fpa.org for information on topics. Over 552,679 views on YouTube! www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaJ-wbMoRM Friday, October 12, 2012 IRISH PUB Page 9 Best in Live Music & Entertainment Great Fun, Food & Drink in a Friendly Atmosphere KARAOKE Every with KJ Justin D Every with KJ Colleen SPECIAL HALLOWEEN WEEKEND COSTUME PARTY BASH with BARD GRIFFIN cash prizes each night for best costumes

Page 10 Friday, October 12, 2012 www.estesparknews.com The haTs are Back! Don't miss the fourth annual Affordably Chic fashion show and live auction. This year's fundraiser for the Estes Valley Victim Advocates will be held on October 20th, 2012 at 6:30. Come and join us at the National Park Village Playhouse on 900 Moraine Avenue for an evening of fun and support for this valuable community work. Cash bar and appetizers are provided. Tickets are now on sale at Macdonald Book Shop- advanced tickets $25 and at the door $27. Any questions contact EVVA office 577-9781 Brown Bag Lecture Features Vertigo: Symptoms And Treatment By: Kerrie Hill, EPMC Join us for our next brown bag lecture to be held on Friday, October 19, 2012, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in Timberline Conference Room at Estes Park Medical Center. This month's presentation will be "Vertigo: Symptoms and Treatment" presented by Dr. Sarmad Sabour - Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist from Front Range Ear, Nose, and Throat. Dr. Sabour sees patient sin the Specialty Clinic on the third Friday of each month. Dr. Sabour received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, and completed his residency through the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery from the University of Cincinnati. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. Vertigo affects 30% of people over the age of 65. Almost eight million American adults report a chronic problem with balance, while an additional 2.4 million Americans report a chronic problem with dizziness alone. Dizziness and vertigo rank among the most frequent complaints in primary care. Vertigo is the feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning. It differs from dizziness in that vertigo describes an illusion of movement. When you feel as if you yourself are moving, it is called subjective vertigo, and the perception that your surroundings are moving is called objective vertigo. Vertigo can be caused by problems in the brain or the inner ear. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most common form of vertigo and is characterized by the sensation of motion initiated by sudden head movements or moving the head in a certain direction. This type of vertigo is rarely serious and can be treated. Another type of vertigo can be caused A time capsule will be started as a part of the festive 50 th anniversary celebration for the Estes Park Museum, on Saturday, Oct. 27, 5-7 p.m. We encourage and invite all who have volunteered, attended events, helped with exhibits or participated in museum activities to come and bring your museum related photos, shared memories or small relevant items for the time capsule. This is just the beginning as we will start to gather objects on that evening and continue until the capsule is sealed at the end of this year. The time capsule which will be opened in 50 years will relate what was important to Estes Park residents and tell the story of the museum, its friends and Dr. Sarmad Sabour by inflammation within the inner ear (vestibular neuritis). The most common cause is a viral or bacterial inner ear infection. Other causes can be Meniere's Disease, Acoustic Neuroma (tumor of the nerve tissue) or be caused by decreased blood flow to the base of the brain. Head trauma, migraines, or complications from diabetes may also cause vertigo symptoms. If vertigo exists, symptoms may include a sensation of disorientation or motion but may also include the following symptoms: * Nausea or vomiting * Sweating * Abnormal eye movements * Hearing loss or ringing sensation in the ears * Visual disturbances, weakness, difficulty speaking, difficulty walking Any signs and symptom of vertigo warrant an evaluation by your physician. Dr. Sabour will provide an overview of Vertigo; causes, symptoms and treatments. Join us on October 19 th for this informative lecture. Bring your lunch and learn while you eat. For more information, call 577-4390. Estes Park Museum Time Capsule Needs Your Memories presence in the community. A fun evening is planned for the 50 th Open House celebration with "Treasures from the Vault," a collection of items that have rarely been seen, an ongoing slide show of unique photos from the past fifty years, a "futures poll," what one would like to see for of the future for the museum and a wall filled with personal memories. Remarks by Jim Pickering, Historian Laureate on the importance of the museum to the community as well as a proclamation by the Mayor will round out the evening with refreshment and birthday cake. Come be a part of history and join us that evening for a great celebration.