The Estes Valley is fortunate to have an excellent Library, one that is gearing up for two very popular sales.

The all-volunteer Friends of the Library raises the majority of its money from the two annual used book sales. Both sales take hundreds of volunteer hours to sort, table, transport, display and sell thousands of titles. But the hard work pays off to the benefit of the library and its patrons. Last year the summer sale earned $27,900 while the holiday sale topped $5,690, a new record.

The Estes Valley Library started from humble beginnings. In 1914 members of the Woman’s Club began the collection with just 262 books, housed in one room of the Estes Park School, which was located at the corner of Park Lane and MacGregor Avenue. Open two afternoons a week, the library was run by Florence Bond. Her salary was $1.50 per week.

Fast forward to 1990 when the library came into the tech age. A FAX machine, IBM typewriter, and three CARL terminals with a multiplexer and modem were added. Staff also started re-registration of 9,000 plus library card holders for conversion to the CARL System in March, 1991. During this time the new library was built, books were moved with forklifts, and the current library building was opened in June, 1991. The Library offered the first public access internet station in 1991.

By 2005, the staff consisted of 9 full time employees with 8 part time or substitute workers. The collection contained approximately 45,710 volumes, 200 magazine subscriptions, 15 newspaper subscriptions and 5,886 books on tape or CD, music CDs, videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMS.

Ninety seven years since its modest beginnings, the Estes Valley Library has become the cultural hub of the valley, bringing together people, ideas and opportunities with quality information, resources and services.

For more information on either of the sales call (970) 586-8116.
Estes Valley Library, 335 East Elkhorn Avenue

OCTOBER
1 – 2: Elk Fest, Saturday 10 to 5pm, Sunday 10 to 4 pm, Bond Park Downtown, 970-586-6104, Free.
8 – 9: Surprise Sidewalk Sale, Downtown Estes Park, Free.

NOVEMBER
20: Bridal Show, 10 to 4pm, Estes Park Conference Center, 970-584-9771, $5 online, $7 at door.
25: Catch the Glow Holiday Celebration and Parade, 5:30pm, Downtown Estes Park, Free.
25 thru Dec.31: 9th Annual Holiday Art Exhibition & Sale, 12 to 3pm, Cultural Arts Center Fine Art Gallery, 970-586-9203, Free.
26: Holiday House Christmas Bazaar, 9 to 3pm, Estes Park Conference Center, 970-586-7205,$1.00 at the door.

DECEMBER
2 – 3: Friends of the Library Holiday Book Sale, 10 to 4pm, Estes Valley Library, 970-586-8116, Free.
9 – 10, 16 – 17; Miracle on 34th Street, 7:30pm, Hempel Auditorium, YMCA of the Rockies, 970-586-3450, Adults $13, Youth 18 and under $7.
10: Fantasy Ball, 6:30pm, Stanley Hotel, 970-586-9519, $85.00.

Most female mountain lions give birth every two or three years between April and July, bearing an average of two to four kittens. The birth place may be a secluded spot beneath an uprooted tree or in a rocky depression. The kittens are born blind and completely dependent on their mothers. At six weeks old they will begin to accompany their mother out into the world.

There is also excellent viewing of wildlife youngsters near the Endovalley picnic area of Rocky Mountain National Park, where people commonly see elk calves and sometimes hiding in the tall grasses mule deer fawns. Female mule deer give birth to one or two fawns in late spring. The newborn fawns are golden brown with mottled spots that act as camouflage.

Black bear cubs are born in dens during winter dormancy and emerge with their mothers in spring. The cubs will grow to be about 500 pounds for males, 200 pounds for females. A black bear’s home range can extend anywhere from 10 to 250 square miles.

Sometimes in spring visitors have to be patient as a busy duck mom holds up traffic crossing with her chicks in tow. Make your reservations now to come up to the nursery. Spring babies are out and about all around the Estes Valley. Come on up and enjoy the view!

PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS! Keep your distance and proceed with caution and respect while viewing any of these awesome but sometimes dangerous creatures.

Chef Ian Kleinman wears protective goggles as he shows off the foam he created using liquid nitrogen, at -321 degrees. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

“I’ve been working on a way to float food.” Kleinman takes a rectangular semiconductor about the size of a deck of cards and arranges it in a soup bowl. On top of the semiconductor, he places an O-shaped rare-earth magnet. He picks up and pours liquid nitrogen into the bowl. The liquid nitrogen sputters and lifts the O-magnet about 6 inches off the bottom of the bowl, where it stunningly hovers in the air. “That’ll stay that way for about 5 minutes,” Kleinman says. “You can use it to present a truffle at the end of the meal.” Wow.
A truffle floats in midair in a signature Kleinman dessert. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

Molecular gastronomy is something genuinely new to the dining world with its extensive use of liquid nitrogen combined with expensive and hard to find ingredients. The preparations are elaborate, difficult, and labor-intensive, but the presentation is pure theater.

Kleinman also has a food cart that makes appearances at everything from kids’ birthday parties and school assemblies, to high-profile fundraisers. This winter, it will serve the Convention Center, bringing those same treats to private functions, trade events and shows at the Wells Fargo Theatre.

For more go the Inventing Room website at: http://theinventingroomonline.com/, or 303-319-2592, email at catering@theinventingroomonline.com
Also at: Chef Ian Kleinman’s “techno-emotional cuisine” of dreams – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/food/ci_17667465#ixzz1HRvjl56i

For the first time it is now possible to adopt your duck online for the May 7th 23rd Annual Estes Park Duck Race.

A wave of rubber ducks float down the Fall River during last year’s 22nd Annual Estes Park Duck Race. (Photo: Walt Hester)

The Estes Park Duck Race also now has a Facebook page that could prove beneficial at http://www.facebook.com/EPDuckRace. “If I have 500 friends on Facebook and I send the Duck Race Facebook link to them and they send it to 500 of their friends, and there are 500-million Facebook pages in the world, who knows how many ducks will be adopted,” said Scott “Big Duck” Thompson, chairman of the Duck Race Committee. “This is just another move to take the Duck Race beyond the borders of the Estes Valley, give it broader exposure, make it easy and convenient to purchase ducks, and the ones who truly benefit are the 69 participating charities and organizations, and all the people they help.”

Supporters can adopt as many ducks as they like. Each duck costs $21.00 and has numerous opportunities to win a prize. “The more ducks you adopt, the better your chances of winning a prize and the charities will thank you,” said Widrig.

Prizes include:
46-inch SAMSUNG LED TV
Macbook Computer
iPOD 32GB with iLive wireless pod speaker system
ASUS NetBook
Wii + extra controller w/ exercise program
NOOK e-reader with WiFi access and cover + gift card
TomTom XL 350M GPS
FLIP video camcorder
SONY 9-inch portable DVD player

For more go to: www.EPduckrace.org, www.facebook.com/EPDuckRace, or www.rotaryclubofestespark.org/DuckRace/

April 3: The Colorado Brass Quintet, 2 pm., Stanley Hotel, 333 E Wonderview Ave., www.estesparkmusicfestival.org

April 9: 13th Annual Student Expressions, Park District Student K-12 District Art Show, opening12 noon to 5 pm., Cultural Arts Center Fine Art Gallery, 423 W Elkhorn Ave., exhibit continues through April 23, free, contact  info@estesarts.com.

April 14 and 15: It’s Showtime!, 7 pm. both dates, Estes Park High School Auditorium, 1600 Manford Ave., tickets $10 in advance; $12 at the door; students and children free, contact 970-586-9519.

April 16: Spring Ecology, 9 am. to 4:30 pm., RMNA Field Seminars Center, 1895 Fall River Rd., $70, contact www.rmna.org.

April 17: Estes Valley Chamber Singers Concert, 2 pm., Stanley Hotel, 333 E Wonderview Ave., $5; children and students free, contact 970-586-9519.

April 22: Fluttering Butterflies: From the Net of Dr. Weist, 5 pm., Estes Park Museum, 200 4th Street, free, contact www.estesnet.com/museum.

April 30 and May 1: Estes Park Cup 2011 International IWPA Championships, starting at 11:30 am., Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, 1209 Manford Ave., free, contact www.iwpa.net.

April 30 and May 1: All Shubert Concert, 7 pm. Saturday; 3 pm. Sunday, Mountain View Bible Fellowship, 1575 S St Vrain, free, contact ljohnson@airbits.com.

May 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15: Nunsense, 6 pm dinner; 7 pm show, Studio Theater at the Peak to Peak Grille, 451 S St Vrain Ave, $30 dinner and show; $15 show only, contact 970-577-0577.

May 7: 23rd Annual Estes Park Duck Race, begins at 11:00, ends when the last duck crosses the finish line, race start at Nicky’s Resort on Fall River, end at Riverside Plaza in downtown Estes Park, $20 per duck, contact 970-586-9519.

May 14 and 15: Jazz Fest and Art Walk, jazz performances noon to 5 pm., Art Walk 10 am. to 5 pm., Performance Park Amphitheater, 417 W. Elkhorn Ave., free, contact 970-577-9900; 800-44-ESTES.

May 14 and 15: Parade of Years, 9 am., to 11:00 am., Bond Park, Downtown Estes Park, free, contact 970-586-6256.

May 21: Safety Fair, 10 am., Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, 1209 Manford Ave., free, contact 970-577-3701.

May 28, 29, and 30: Antiques & Collectibles Show, 10 am., Barn W, Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, 1209 Manford Ave., $1, contact www.rooftoprodeo.com/antiques.asp.

Kaiyote Tours is recommended by Backpacker Magazine and Fodoris Travel Guides as an excellent winter birding guide company. With over 300 species of birds in Rocky Mountain National Park having a knowledgeable guide take you directly to the most prolific sighting areas is imperative. Kaiyote Tours has three tours that are especially nice.

Cub Lake: a moderate level hike. This is one of their top hikes for birds and wildlife. Trailhead is at 8080 feet: the hike is 4.6 miles round trip and there is a 540 foot elevation gain. Cub Lake is a large lily covered pond where Ring-necked ducks nest and bears like to swim. The trail starts along Moraine Park and follows along marshy ponds before it heads up to Cub Lake.

Hollowell Park and Mill Creek Basin Loop: this is an easy level hike. Trailhead is at 8400 feet elevation; it is 3.4 miles round trip and has a 620 foot elevation gain. This is a great hike for birds and wildflowers. The trail starts out in a small meadow where beavers have damned up Mill Creek and willow trees have filled in the area. The trial then follows the creek, which has many beautiful little cascades and rises through an aspen grove and then through pines where it drops down into Mill Creek Basin.

Upper Beaver Meadows Ute Trail: this is the most difficult hike they offer, but still quite manageable. Trailhead is 8,440 feet; its 4.3 round trip and 870 foot elevation gain to 9,310. This hike is great for birds, elk, coyotes and little critters. The trail starts out at the Upper Beaver Meadows picnic area and follows the Ute Trail to the top of the moraine with great views of Longs Peak and Moraine Park.

Call Kaiyote Tours at (970) 556-6103 or visit their website at http://www.kaiyotetours.com/colorado-birding-tours/birding-rocky-mountain-national-park.htm

This high altitude race was co-founded in 1979 by Chip Salaun, who was a mountaineer, triathlete and author. Salaun had a passion for the area and laid out the course to challenge all levels of runners. In April of 1985 Salaun fell into a crevasse while climbing Mt. Cook in New Zealand, his remains were not recovered. Runners claim the breeze that blows during the race is his spirit pushing them on.

The races have multiple age divisions, with check in at the Town Hall in downtown Estes Park, 170 MacGregor Ave. January 30th; start time for the 5K is 11:00 a.m., the 10K at noon. Call for entry fees at 970-586-8191.

Unwind after the race here at the Silver Moon Inn, within walking distance of delicious restaurants and after dinner dessert and aperitifs. Cozy rooms are still available so make your reservations now.

The results were compiled from online surveys completed by nearly 3,300 visitors. The surveys show 38% of respondents possessed a college degree and another 38% a Master’s or Doctorate degree.

The household income for almost half of the visitors (43%) exceeded $100,000/year.

The most exciting result came under the category of overall satisfaction with their experience where a whopping 94% rated their visit as “excellent”; the highest ranking from five choices. Again and again, Estes Park has proved to be an unparalleled vacation destination.

90% of the visitors chose Estes Park because they desired a “relaxing mountain getaway”. The proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park and the easy availability of wildlife viewing opportunities were also cited as predominant reasons for visiting the area. When asked what other destinations they considered before Estes Park, 64% responded they did not consider any other location for their trip. 25% indicated considering other popular Colorado vacation spots like Breckenridge, Vail, Boulder and Denver.