Estes Valley Voice Podcast

Story by Barb Boyer Buck

In a packed five-hour meeting that began at 7 p.m. on June 10 and adjourned five and a half hours later on June 11 at 12:30 a.m., the Estes Park Town Board voted five to two remove Belle Morris from the Transportation Advisory Board.

“I think it has grown into something it was never intended to be,” said Mayor Gary Hall at the Town Board meeting on June 10. He was speaking about the Transportation Advisory Board, and its effectiveness in providing recommendations on transportation issues to the Town Board, for which Trustee Mark Igel is the liaison.

After a passionate discussion among the Trustees about the consequences and implications of removing a citizen from an appointed position to an advisory board, Igel motioned to remove Morris from TAB, citing issues with her decorum and performance. Trustee Bill Brown seconded the motion.

Igel’s initial motion to oust Morris began as an item on the agenda of the May 27 Town Board meeting. No information was included in the board packet for the public to review or the Trustees to consider at that time. The matter also came up late on the agenda and since two board members were gone that evening, the Trustees decided to continue the matter until last night’s meeting, with a recommendation that the TAB board take advantage of the mediation services provided by Restorative Justice. However, this did not happen as both parties needed to agree to participate.

“I met with every member of the TAB individually, confidentially, because I wanted to hear what their opinions were,” continued Hall. He also met with Igel and Morris together and separately.

Hall received letters, some of which were confidential, that expressed concern about Morris, and others that thought the problem was Igel’s approach as liaison to TAB. While what he discovered was concerning, he said, “It’s not a personality or person difference that we’re talking about here, but I do think that the committee is dysfunctional. It’s not going to get better just leaving it alone.”

Suggestions from the Trustees ranged from sunsetting the entire committee to appointing both a new chair and a new liaison.

During public comments on the matter, TAB member Wally Wood and his wife, Melissa Wood, spoke out in support of Morris and against his removal.

Morris spoke to advocate for herself in her role as a volunteer on the advisory board.

Aracely Thomas attended her first meeting as a new TAB member in May. Thomas said she left the meeting wondering if she had made the correct decision to join the TAB based on the tension in the room between the chair and Trustee Igel. Thomas explained that Morris questioned the process of how the new members were vetted to serve on the advisory board. Thomas raised the concern that it appeared to her that Morris was not satisfied that the process of Thomas’ appointment was legitimate.

Misti Marcantonio, another TAB member, told the Trustees that she wanted to ensure respectful dialogue was encouraged on the TAB. Marcantonio said she had been met with dismissive responses such as eye rolls, head shaking, and audible scoffing from Morris when she expressed a dissenting opinion. Marcantonio credited former Public Works Director Greg Muhonen, who has been the Town staff liaison to the TAB, for encouraging Marcantonio to contribute to discussions even when rebuffed by Morris.

Marcantinio also suggested that, since Trustee Frank Lancaster has been on vacation with Morris on more than one occasion, his personal relationship with her would bias his ability to fairly cast a vote regarding whether or not Morris should be removed from the TAB.

Lancaster clarified that he and his wife had purchased trips through a local nonprofit organization’s fundraiser, as had Morris and her husband, and that he had also had the opportunity to be involved in a few other social events with Morris. He dismissed Marcantinio’s conc

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Story by Suzy Blackhurst

Maintaining hope, continuing political action from cross-partisan constituents, and persistent small victories in Congress are among the most important strategies that will lead to political change in the nation’s capital, U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, told a packed audience at the Allenspark Fire Station Community Room Wednesday afternoon.

Neguse’s town hall meeting followed a press conference in Estes Park at the Lake Estes Marina, where he and Sen. John Hickenlooper, along with Larimer County EMS Director Lori Hodges, Former Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent Darla Sidles, and Tracy Coppola, senior program manager for the Southwest Regional Office of the National Park Conservation Association, made a joint appearance to highlight a message that the Trump administration is threatening Colorado’s national parks and public lands, including Rocky Mountain National Park.

Neguse, Hickenlooper, and the other speakers in Estes Park stressed that additional proposed budget cuts could hamstring wildland firefighting efforts as Colorado heads into peak wildfire season and called out the Trump administration’s proposals to sell our public lands. 

From the press conference in Estes Park to the town hall in Allenspark, Neguse quickly segued to messages of encouragement and motivation to continue what he called a “vociferous outcry” against actions currently occurring through presidential executive orders and other decisions coming from congressional actions.

“There’s no singular solution that’s going to stop the draconian cuts from taking place or the purges of the workforce from material rights. It’s going to require all of us, those who share my worldview, lifting their voice in support of more thoughtful, pragmatic policy and making the case that we’re what’s happening right now,” Neguse told the audience of more than 60.

Throughout nearly 40 minutes town hall meeting, Colorado’s Second District Congressional representative continued to stress hope. 

“I don’t mean the kind of nebulous, fuzzy, hard-to-define hope. I’m talking about hope that requires faith and hard work. Sacrifice. And I believe that if we all lift our voices together, that we can change the course.”

Neguse pointed to specific actions he and his other members of congress were taking on specific issues, saying he believes that “one by one, day by day, week by week, month by month, by taking every opportunity and building on small victories, however small, we can eventually tip the scales.”

Neguse described a 14-hour Natural Resources Committee meeting followed by a 21-hour Rules Committee hearing that began at 1 a.m. the same day, but ultimately, a constituent outcry that led to the provision’s removal.

Those types of “wins” combined with thinking about the legacy left to his children and those he serves today help Neguse maintain hope for the future. 

“I derive so much strength from my constituents, from being able to visit all of you,” noting the crowds of 500 to 1,600 who attended recent gatherings in Steamboat Springs and Louisville. 

Neguse said he also derives “hope from the recognition that our country has been through a lot. Think about how much progress the country has made. Now, none of that has been easy. It didn’t happen overnight. It required great sacrifice.”

“It’s not to minimize what we’re going through right now, and the obstacles we’re facing right now. The hurdles are incredibly difficult. But we have been tested before, and we’ve always found a way to rise,” he said.

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March 11, 1947 – May 19, 2025

Kent H. Smith was a sixth-generation sign-maker who grew up in his father’s sign shop and took over production when his father passed away. 

His search for a career led him to further fields. In high school, he trained for technical theater, primarily stage lighting, toured with Premiere Dance Arts, and lit shows at Denver Auditorium Theater and Red Rocks for national performers. 

Deciding to pursue a career in education, he graduated from Colorado State College with a degree in historical research. He taught history, civics, economics, and driver education in Grover, Colo., where he served briefly as the superintendent of schools. He also taught at the University of Northern Colorado. These pursuits lasted all his life.

During his college years, Kent met Judy Findlater, an education major with a theatrical background. Their partnership lasted 59 years. After marriage, they lived in Fort Lupton, Grover, Greeley, and Estes Park – always in his beloved Colorado.

With two daughters to support, Kent returned to Smith Sign Studio full-time in 1971 and discovered that entrepreneurship agreed with him. Judi joined him in the office in the 1980s. 

Smith Sign Studio is still in operation as his daughters have followed family tradition and returned to complete the jobs on order. Audri has found her entrepreneurial spirit rejuvenated, and she and her sister, Cassi, will continue future production with the assistance of the grandchildren who “grew up in the shop.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, Kent acted as a sign product consultant and representative for several national manufacturers. He has written instruction manuals, texts, labels, advertising, and many trade magazine articles and other publications.  

While no longer a school teacher, Kent has always been an educator. With over 70 years in the business, he established a reputation as a teacher and mentor, influencing many others entering the field or exploring a new facet of the art of sign creation. 

A member of a brotherhood known as the Letterheads, he enjoyed being an integral part of their efforts to continue and share the skills of the esoteric arts. He wrote the sign gilding manual, “Gold Leaf Techniques,” among other books published by their “Walden Illumination Division.” 

These include a community effort that resulted in “100 Years: A Celebration of Women, the Extraordinary Women of the Estes Valley,” which Kent curated.

Throughout his life, he supported numerous causes, too many to innumerate. He was
always active in civic affairs. In Greeley, where he lived and worked for over 40 years,
he served as Chairman of the We CAN Committee and was a founder of the
Independence Stampede Troupe, a community theatre organization.

Over the years, he also was an active member of the Colorado Historical Society, the Lions Club, and the National Railway Historical Society. He was President of the Rocky Mountain Sign Association and of the Southwest Sign Council, both affiliated with the International Sign Association where he was Chair of the Government Affairs Committee.

He began participation in Estes with the Mountain Strong Committee in 2013. He served as a Board member for the Estes Chamber of Commerce, where he also, until recently, served on the Executive Committee and was a past board member of the Economic Development Corporation. 

Always a supporter of innovative education, Kent was most recently a member of the Long Range Planning Committee to explore the future of the Estes Schools.

Kent was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a teacher, a mentor, a consultant, and a
friend, beloved by his family and by many others. He will be sorely missed with each
unanswered appeal for advice.

Read full Obituary here:

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Story by Suzy Blackhurst

Just before the three-day Memorial Day weekend – the traditional vacation season kickoff – optimism was the order of the day at the May 22 Visit Estes Park board meeting.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said interim CEO Mike Zumbaugh, reflecting on the forecasting reports presented by Rachel Ward Oppermann, VEP’s marketing director.

Zumbaugh pointed to Opperman’s report on 2025 vacation insights from Key Data, which gathers statistics from companies specifically booking short-term rental vacations. Opperman told the board that, according to Kelly Kessler, owner of Ride-a-Kart, Key Data reported that occupancy rates in the greater Estes Park area from May to September are currently 10% higher than last year, with average daily rates holding steady. 

“Even more promising, guest nights for June through September are up by 23% year-over-year,” Ward-Opperman said. While Key Data only reports short-term rental data, the information for Estes Park is considered a bellwether for the travel industry here.

Ward-Opperman’s report is consistent with that of AAA. That company’s forecast calls for a strong summer travel season in 2025, with a record number of Americans expected to travel domestically.

Reports from lodging property owners in Estes Park show that travelers are “booking on shorter windows,” Zumbaugh said. “They’re making decisions on shorter time frames,” he added.

Even Estes Valley Recreation and Park District is noticing the trend. Camping operations are important to EVRPD’s overall seasonal operation income, and waiting for campground reservations at the Mary’s Lake Campground and East Portal can be difficult, Mary Davis, finance director, said at a board meeting last week.

“We normally get filled, and that’s probably what’s going to happen,” Davis said. Last summer, at the beginning of the booking season, reservations lagged, “then we had all the walk-in traffic at the last minute. It’s usually not a problem at all,” she said.

“I know some hotel owners, and they’re down. People might be a little bit leery,” of traveling Tom Carosello, executive director of EVRPD, said, in light of reports of a possible national economic downturn.

Locally, first quarter lodging sales taxes collected for VEP only use year-to-date are down 1%. Collections were off $8,389, or 4.9%, from the money collected in March 2024. However, most of that can be attributed to lodging owners who did not meet the deadline for remitting their taxes to the state, or whose accounts have been delinquent for more than one month, Zumbaugh said last week. 

The state revenue department is responsible for collecting all money due, plus interest on delinquent accounts, Zumbaugh told VEP board members.

According to data released early in May, town sales tax revenues received for March purchases increased 1.41% over 2024.  Staff is expected to provide an analysis showing classifications on sales soon.

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by Mayor Gary Hall

Eyesight is a treasure for those blessed to ​have it. It’s a wondrous thing to see the incredible variety of shades of green in the Rocky Mountain springtime.

The other kind of vision is in our minds. ​Businesses write vision statements that describe the future state toward which they aspire.

Many individuals imagine the future, and some use those ideas to propose or create inventions, national parks, projects, or art. We’ve had many ​Estesians who might be considered worthy of the tag of visionary. Some are recognized in their time, and some are recognized only later for their foresight. 

​In times of turbulence, those with a vision can help calm the waters with their ability to imagine a better future and to convey that to others. We cannot directly control what the White House or Congress does, though we can attempt to influence through our duly elected officials and through our combined voices.

Our best bet is to stay balanced locally, even when things seem to be careening nationally.  

Every year, there are imbalances in our wonderful town. Last year, the Loop was in its final and most impactful stages. CDOT was working on 34 in the east and 36 in the west. Insurance was going up. The timed entry in RMNP continued to be controversial. The national economy was uneasy. Various factors led to a decrease in tourist travel. Many businesses were suffering. We had concerns about re-zonings, developments, and electric rates.

Those who can envision a better future give us signposts to follow, and then we need to break and blaze the trail. We must keep our sense of vision of where we can and should be heading, and that focus helps us keep our balance, even when we’re walking through the storms.

Fast forward to this year, with June about to be bustin’ out all over. Workforce housing, insurance, RMNP uncertainties, electric rates, developments/rezonings, and more are still issues.

The Chocolate Factory is scheduled to open in July, and I’ve toured it a few times. This will be a unique and delightful experience. This is frosting on the cake for the Stanley-related ventures.

Mr. John Cullen brought the Stanley Hotel back from the brink to a thriving status in these last thirty years. He just completed the sale of the Stanley to the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority for long-term proper management.

He worked hard and diligently to help bring Sundance to Boulder. His work toward a film center is highly praiseworthy. And on top of it all, the Chocolate Factory in the Old Church Shops building will be absolute fun – it will bring out the kid in me.

I have to tag Mr. Cullen as a visionary of our time. We need to give him kudos for his vision for Estes. Fifty years from now, I don’t think that tag will lose its luster. It will continue to shine.  

West Elkhorn asphalt went quickly. The Tramway is open for the second year with its “new” owners. Cleave Street: Almost done. I can see the finished product in my mind’s eye, and then I see years of other artsy and fun evolution in that new dimension of the Estes experience.

RMNP management has thus far weathered the staffing storms. They’re ready for the summer burst. Superintendent Ingram’s vision is his passion for the Park. The return of functional transponders, the grand opening of the north gate, the work of staff and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to restore ungulate-damaged parts of the Park, the hiring of seasonal employees: All in all, I’m feeling good about the Estes-RMNP connection.

My greater concern is what Congress will do with the next budgets, but I hope there’s enough vision in those reps and senators to know the true and immense value of the gems of the Park system, including Rocky.  

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Story by Patti Brown

The five new board members of the Estes Valley Fire Protection District were sworn in Wednesday morning during a private ceremony that was not announced to the public or to the district’s members.

The Estes Valley Voice learned of the swearing in just after the ceremony and was able to get to the fire station and take a photo of the new board, who had gathered in the conference room for a meeting with Chief Paul Capo and the fire district’s administrator, Erika Goetz.

According to Colorado law, a gathering of more than two members of a public board must be publicly noticed at least 24 hours in advance and an agenda posted for review.

The EVFPD lost a lawsuit in December over violations of the state’s open meetings law.

When asked why he did not give public notice, Capo said he did not believe it was necessary since the newly elected members of the board had not been sworn in when they entered the building.

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Story by Elisabeth Sherwin and Patti Brown

Sarah Hills, a private practitioner, and MeeMee Lahman, a clinician at Salud Family Health, discuss the mental health issues they see in their practices

If you break your leg, you go to a doctor. But what if your problem is emotional, not physical? Hopefully, you will seek treatment for that issue, too.

Asking for help with emotional problems can be hard because of long-standing social, cultural, and personal beliefs about mental health and illness.

For some, asking for help is a sign of personal weakness. Talking about emotional issues is taboo in some cultures. Historically, the way people with mental illness have been treated – being restrained, lobotomized, institutionalized, and stripped of civil rights – has colored our understanding of mental illness.

The National Association for Mental Health, now Mental Health America, along with the U.S. Junior Chamber—the Jaycees—joined forces in 1949 to destigmatize mental illness and educate the public about mental health care. Since then, May has been observed as National Mental Health Month.

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Story by Elisabeth Sherwin

Not many people know that Danny St. John, a fixture in Allenspark for more than 70 years, grew up in Southern California.

Don’t hold that against him. 

He and his family came to Colorado during the summers until he was old enough to move here. 

“I’ve been coming here on and off since I was 1 year old,” he said. 

He and his family came to Colorado during the summers until he was old enough to move here. 

“I’ve been coming here on and off since I was 1 year old,” he said. 

DANNY ST. JOHN

His mother, Irene Hannen, was the second daughter in the family. She married Al St. John, who built a cabin on the property in 1941.

St. John said his whole family was in love with the mountains.

“But at that time, the winters were really harsh. No one lived up here year-round.”

After graduating from high school in California, he also came to the mountains.

He knocked around for a while and did a stint in Southern Colorado, where he met the woman who would become his wife, Rocky (Roxanne). In 1974, he started his own business, Wild Basin Builders. 

In the late 1970s, he began writing a column in The Wind called “Windfalls.” The column expresses his opinions on philosophy, people, events, the environment, and the state of Allenspark. 

Readers also learned about the wisdom of the Zen Tree through his column. He communes with the tree regularly. 

“The Zen Tree teaches us to look at the big picture, the whole planet,” he said. 

He loves to write and has a folder of stories and memoirs dating back to high school. He also attends a weekly online writing workshop with Estes Park author Kevin Wolf. 

He is working on a folk tale, “Old Ned: The Longs Peak Body-Snatcher,” set in the 1920s, about a chef at the Baldpate Inn who chops up the kitchen help and runs off to the mountains to hide.

“I try to write daily,” he said. He is also a teller of tales, entertaining folks with stories during the summer at Meeker Park Lodge. He provides homemade pies for those gatherings of visitors and locals. 

Folks in Allenspark know St. John through his construction business and the Meadow Mountain Café, which he and Rocky bought in 2007. Two of his four children work at the café. His son, Joe, is the cook. 

“I never thought I would own a restaurant,” he said. 

Rocky died in 2015 of breast cancer. St. John did not know if he would keep the café. 

“Joe wanted to continue with it,” he said. So, they did. It is a family affair with daughter Jennifer waitressing and St. John himself doing some baking. Cookies are a specialty. 

He has seen Allenspark change considerably over the years, with the working class shrinking and the retirement community growing. 

He is now 78 years old and is content to spend his coming years in the mountains he loves. 

“My roots are here,” he said. “I’ve tried to move away, but these mountains draw me back and I cannot leave.” 

He suggests that those who want to stay in the mountains and make a living should have two skills. They should be both self-sufficient and be able to diversify.  

He hopes the Meadow Mountain Café reflects those skills. He and Joe are building planters behind the café so they will have fresh greens to serve. They will also sell produce in addition to breads and pies at the Allenspark Farmers’ Market at The Old Gallery this summer. 

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Story by Patti Brown

In the largest real estate deal in the Estes Valley since Lord Dunraven acquired more than 7,000 acres in 1874 and then sold the land in 1908 to F. O. Stanley for $80,000, the Stanley Hotel was sold today for $400 million.

The new owner is the Stanley Partnership for Art Culture and Education, LLC – which will be known as SPACE – a public-private partnership with the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority, private bond investors, John Cullen, who has owned the hotel for 30 years, and new manager Sage Hospitality Group.

Cullen sat down for an interview with the Estes Valley Voice Wednesday afternoon in front of the fireplace in the 217 Wine Bar to talk about the sale.

While Cullen will not be involved in day-to-day management, he will serve as the chair and CEO of SPACE, which is designed to be a regional economic and cultural engine that will amplify tourism in the Estes Park community and the State of Colorado.

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Book Review by Elisabeth Sherwin

I am not a very good linguist. Foreign languages do not come easily to me. However, I always wanted to be bilingual. I spent my junior year of college  in Madrid, Spain. At the end of the year, I could speak and read Spanish pretty well but I still had problems understanding people speaking to me.

Near the end of my stay, I got on the bus I always took to school. Instead of collecting a fare, the driver waved his hands and said something to me I didn’t understand. I was embarrassed to learn that he was telling me that the bus ride that day (for some reason I never understood) was free.

I don’t regret the time I spent in Spain. I loved exploring old neighborhoods on back streets, inhaling the odors of black tobacco, cheap red wine and olive oil. But sometimes I wonder if I should have gone to France. Then I realize what a ridiculous idea that is. French is harder than Spanish, and I am sure there is more public ridicule heaped on a speaker of bad French than on a speaker of bad Spanish.

Still, the idea of speaking flawless French with a native accent absolutely thrills me. And it will happen….in my next life. In the meantime, in this life, I am studying French on Duolingo, the very kind on-line language instruction platform. I turn on my computer daily for at least one lesson. I am somewhere north of 750 days in a row learning French. 

The animated cartoon characters applaud my every success and my every mistake. I still can’t speak French and my accent is incredibly terrible, but I am going to stick with it.

Mike and I have been to France and will probably go again. I know I won’t be able to speak to anyone or understand anyone, but by God I will be able to read a menu!

And I love reading books about France. Two of my favorites are “C’est La Vie” by Suzy Gershman and “My Life in France” by Julia Child.

Gershman, author of the “Born to Shop” travel guides, moved to Paris after the death of her husband. It must have taken a great deal of courage to make the move in 2000, her first year of widowhood. 

Yes, she had friends in Paris and she had enough money to live on comfortably, but still. She must have been very lonely. In her memoir she writes about finding an apartment she can afford, buying furniture, and dealing with a spartan French kitchen. Her French wasn’t that great and she got into communication trouble with a local contractor hired to work on her apartment. But no serious damage was done.

Gershman wasn’t much of a cook but thrilled her French friends by inviting them over for Mexican meals and brownies (out of a box). After about a decade in France, Gershman decided to return to San Antonio, where she had grown up and graduated from high school. She died in 2012.

Julia Child’s memoir opens in 1948 when she first went to France with her husband, Paul. She couldn’t cook and she couldn’t speak French. Mon dieu! What a difference a year made.

“The longer I was in France, the stronger and more ecstatic my feelings for it became,” she wrote. “I worked on my French diligently and was able to read better and say a little more every day,” she added. “My tastes were growing bolder, too. I had never thought of eating a snail before but tender escargots bobbing in garlicky butter were one of my happiest discoveries.”

She spent her days reading French cookbooks, trolling the markets for fresh produce, dairy and seafood, and made wonderful meals for her appreciative husband. But. 
“I wanted to roll up my sleeves and dive into French cuisine. But how?”

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