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FLC scholarship funds benefit from generous bidders
Photo by NICK MANNING/Special to the Herald
Chris Nelson, left, of the La Plata County Humane Society brings around one of the four furry auction item (either Sky or his brother, Hawk) to Duane Smith on Wednesday night at “TLC for FLC,” a fundraiser at the Henry Strater Theatre.
The Fort Lewis College Foundation's largest fundraiser of the year, its goal is to raise scholarship money for students. In these economic times, when the value of the foundation's portfolio has taken a hit (although not as much as the market at large, thank goodness), the money is needed more urgently than ever.
On Wednesday, the 156 attendees began the evening at one of three restaurants. John Sheehan and Nancy Rowley at the Red Snapper, Wayne and Karen Barger at Season's Rotisserie & Grill and Rod and Laurie Barker at the Mahogany Grill were gracious and generous hosts, offering items created specifically for the evening and some all-time favorite menu items.
This year, Al Harper, the owner of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, organized the event.
He and his wife, Carol, also donated a number of items for the live and silent auctions, including a trip for 10 in their personal car, the General Palmer, and, the one I coveted, a trip for two with the track inspector on the Pop Cart. I have wanted to ride on one of those all my life.
The donations for the auctions came from all kinds of folks who support the college, and included jewelry and art, legal consultations and bowling at the new Rolling Thunder Lanes at the Sky Ute Casino.
Two-year-olds Otto Aaland and Emma Hyder "described" their fathers' donation of a day of fly fishing with six dozen hand-tied flies. Their dads, by the way, are Chris Aaland and Aaron Hyder. Margie Deane Gray, the executive director of the foundation and Office of Development, and her husband, Will, donated so many items I lost track, including jewelry, family fun and a crystal champagne cooler.
Calvin and Pat Story of Treasure Auction Service once again donated their time and talents to create a bidding frenzy for the live auction. One of my favorite parts was that four of the items on the auction block were alive.
The Humane Society of La Plata County donated two puppies, Sky and Hawk, and a little bit of fluff, a black and white kitten named Lewis - all three, of course, named in honor of the college.
Harper also donated a Billy goat to keep the weeds under control.
Because the money raised - more than $31,000 - goes to scholarships, it only seemed appropriate that six scholarship recipients were on hand to help at the event. Adam Ruetschle and Taylor Anderson are attending FLC on the Anesi and Blackstone scholarships. Katie Mackey has a basketball scholarship. Rachael Badger and Haley Engstrom were awarded Betty Haskell scholarships. (Badger also received the Judy Allsup Scholarship.) Kevin Emrich is studying through the Lang Foundation and Blackstone scholarships.
You may have noticed that some of those scholarships are named after people. Some of them donated the money themselves, in other instances, family and friends may have endowed one in honor or memory of someone. The more of those that are funded, the better. If you'd like to find out more about how that works, call Sandy Jameson at 247-7121.
For some folks in the community, FLC is important because that's where they attend cultural or sporting events.
But as a matter of fact, a healthy FLC pumps a lot of money into our economy, brings in a lot of our work force in terms of students who have jobs and is a major attraction for newcomers.
I can't begin to count the number of people who moved here because they wanted a college town in the Rockies, and they fell in love with Durango and FLC.
- - -Tulips are in full bloom for the birthdays of Vicki Ochocki, Donna Jean Hensley, Nancy Carr, Sandra LeFevre, Bonnie Brennan, Sandy Sunderland, Deanna Schardt, Sophie Brill, Carrie Vogel, Bob Riggio, John Sandhaus, Cheryl Wiescamp, Clint Wolf, Barbara Denk, Jim Winkelbauer, Katie Benner, Hayden Stanes, Mark James, Ryan Slater, Hannah Helms, Amy Mantineo, Chris Spahr, Aeneas M. Brayer and Mark Mishu.
- - -A number of studies have shown children who learn to play an instrument do better in a number of academic disciplines. That's why it's so exciting that Lech Usinowicz is working to get more music going at Bayfield Elementary School.
It's turning out to be something his young students really want. At the first Strings Club meeting, 17 students showed up at 7 a.m.
Usinowicz, who many music lovers will know as a bass player with the San Juan Symphony, is in the process of starting a nonprofit to support the program.
Music in the Mountains, the Bayfield Music Association, Katzin Music and Acoustic Rendering to Children Organization are hosting an "instrument roundup" at 6:30 p.m. today at Bayfield High School.
To get there, turn left on to County Road 501 at the light on U.S. Highway 160 in Bayfield, go around the roundabout and continue. The school is on the east side of the road.
As Usinowicz says, this will reinforce a unified effort to provide more opportunities to area children through music.
The evening will include student performances, entertainment featuring the Narrow Gauge Barbershop Chorus and fundraising. You can get in free if you bring a gently used instrument.
If you can't make it out to Bayfield tonight, the Music in the Mountains office at 1063 Main Ave. also is collecting them.
Tax-deductible monetary donations also will be gratefully accepted.
This young man is passionate about music and kids, a true gift to Bayfield children. What he's doing is admirable and can make a huge difference in his students' lives. If you can help, I hope you will.
- - -As you read this, the Week of the Young Child is coming to a close.
On Tuesday, more than 145 infant, toddler and preschool teachers and staff enjoyed an evening of appreciation sponsored by the Denver-based Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation.
The gathering took place at the Henry Strater Theatre, and came complete with yummy munchies and celebratory cake.
County Commissioner Joelle Riddle talked about the importance of what these teachers and caregivers provide to our community, reflecting about help she got as a single mother.
Martha McLellan had a hysterically funny list of the 10 nonmonetary benefits of working in the field. Included among them were a repertoire of songs, finger puppets and stories and a million craft projects using empty toilet-paper rolls.
They'll have a head start on the rest of us in the nursing home, where their skills will come in handy with the population at the other end of the age spectrum.
The women, and a few wonderful men, were surprisingly energetic after running around after little kids all day, and it was clear that they all find the work enormously rewarding, although their worth is not necessarily reflected in their compensation.
The evening ended on a high note as numerous door prizes from generous area businesses were given out.
Times may be tight, but when they heard the donations were for the people who take care of our children, every business asked gave what it could.
Study after study shows that the first five years are critical to a child's success. So these dedicated folks don't just provide babysitting, they provide love, nurturing and the beginning steps of learning.
Barbara Dodds, the project administrator for the Early Childhood Professional Training Project, is funded by the foundation.
She said early-childhood care and education is a major focus of the foundation, which has put more than $500,000 into her project in the last 10½ years.
La Plata County was a pilot project for a program to provide training to teachers in this field, and it proved to be so successful that it has been implemented in other parts of Colorado.
Tamara Volz, the director of the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County, said that La Plata County is doing much better on the child-care front, which used to be woefully inadequate. While there is always more need for infant and toddler care, the preschool category is well filled for now.
About 60 percent of the 2,500 kids who are 5 years old and younger need child care. One of the larger problems confronting providers is a high level of turnover, since pay is low, and there are virtually no benefits, a lot of staff enter and leave the early-childhood care job market in any given year.
That's not good for the staff, and it's definitely not good for the children.
Professor Kristine Greer of Fort Lewis College, in collaboration with the Early Childhood Council, is conducting a study to determine just how much turnover there is and is seeking some ideas for decreasing it.
If you are an early childhood-care provider, she would appreciate your participation by calling her at 247-7633 or e-mailing her at greer_k@fortlewis.edu.
And the next time you see someone who taught your child or who is teaching them right now, please take a moment to tell them how much you appreciate what they do.
They don't hear it nearly enough.
- - -Holding hands to keep from blowing away for their anniversaries are Van and Mary Butler, Bill and Pam Brown, Kermit and Karen Knudsen, Stan and Alice Crapo, Bob and Shannon Kunkel, Mike and Kelly Somsen, James and Ami Reed and Fred and Pauline Ellis.
- - -Here's how to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com; phone 375-4584; fax 259-5011; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk. Please include contact names and phone numbers. If you are submitting an item for preview, please send it with briefs in the subject line and e-mail it to herald@durangoherald.com.
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