May 1
Free Slash and Log Disposal Sort Yards open
The Nederland and Allenspark Sort Yards are scheduled to open, May 1 and will operate, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Boulder County has established the sort yards to collect logs, tree branches, pine needles, cut grass and noxious weeds from county residents. There is no charge. Full sort yard program details are available at http://www.bouldercounty.org/property/forest/pages/fhsortyards.aspx. Call 303-678-6368 before hauling to confirm hours.

May 2
Slash Piles 101
The public is invited to join Boulder County Fire Management Staff for a free slash pile workshop on Community Wildfire Preparedness Day, May 2 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Nederland Community Forestry Sort Yard, 291 Ridge Rd. No RSVP is required. Bring work gloves and a water bottle. Snacks will be provided. Attendees will learn how to safely use slash burning to perform hazardous fuels mitigation in conjunction with the slash disposal and chipping programs supported by Boulder County. Residents will learn when to use slash piling as a mitigation tool, how and where to construct slash piles, state and county regulations and permitting process for burning, and how to safely burn and mop up piles. For more information, call 303-441-4500 or e-mail bcfiremanagement@bouldercounty.org. For information on burn permits, visit http://www.bouldercounty.org/safety/fire/pages/openburnpermit.aspx.

May 8
Estes Park Events Complex Grand Opening
A free grand opening celebration for the Estes Park Events Complex honoring the town’s “four seasons of fun” and local climber Tommy Caldwell, takes place, May 8 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Estes Park Event Center, 1125 Rooftop Way. The gathering celebrates year-round activities and opportunities in Estes Park and at the new facility. The event also celebrates Caldwell who will present a slide show about his recent record-breaking climb of El Capitan. The celebration features activities for all ages including a 24-foot climbing wall, fishing pond with live trout, Aerial Cirque Over Denver performances, stunts from Freestyle and BIG AIR Stunt Team and more. Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will be available. Visit http://www.estesparkeventscomplex.com, http://www.estes.org/events or http://www.visitestespark.com for information or contact the Events office at 970-586-6104 or visit.

May 8-10, 15-17
Estes Park Repertoire Theatre: ‘Laura’
The Etses Park Repertoire Theatre presents “Laura,” a murder mystery by Vera Caspary and George Sklar, May 8-9 and May 15-16 at 7 p.m. and Sundays May 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. When Mark McPherson first falls in love with Laura, he knows he’s in love with a phantom for Laura is dead, and he’s in charge of her murder investigation. Adult tickets are $15. Seating is limited, so advance purchase is suggested. Cash or checks only. No credit cards accepted. Tickets are available at MacDonald Bookshop, 152 E. Elkhorn Ave., Estes Park. The Studio Theatre is located at the Estes Park Masonic Lodge, 1820 S. St. Vrain Ave. Visit http://www.estesparkreptheatre.org to learn more.

May 9
Collage with Words & Letters by Lili Francruz
Experiment with found materials that you collect to create unique text based paper collages at the Art Center of Estes Park, May 9 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Collage with Words & Letters class by Lili Francruz includes examples, demonstration and review. Some materials will be supplied. Visit http://www.artcenterofestes.com or call 970-586- 5882 for more information and additional classes.

Electronics recycling, Shred-a-Thon and FreeCycle event
The Estes Park community can recycle unwanted electronics and have documents shredded, May 9, at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park parking lot from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. A FreeCycle event also takes place in Barn W at the same time. Residents may bring up to five boxes or one large trash bag of paper materials. A $10 donation, which will support students through Rotary Club scholarships, is suggested. Bins to recycle boxes will be available, too. For information on the Shred-a-Thon, call Tara Moenning at 970-586-3748 or Ron Kuhns at 970-577-1359. For information on the FreeCycle event, contact Kathy Bowers at 970-586-5193.

May 15
Life Signs: Tracking the Invisible
Discover the process of acquiring and developing observation skills necessary to read wild life signs with instructor Kevin Cook at Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s “Life Signs: Tracking the Invisible” class, May 15. A swelling on a twig or a hole in a stem, a stray feather or a piece of eggshell: so many different things tattle the comings and goings of secretive creatures that otherwise remain invisible. Visit rmconservancy.org to register or find more information.

May 15-17
5th Annual Golden Games
Established in 2011, the Golden Games was created to celebrate the beginning of the warm Colorado summer. The three-day weekend, held May 15-17, highlights Colorado’s outdoor lifestyle and recreation opportunities. The Golden Games is geared for all families, spectators, athletes and K9 friends and hosts a variety of sporting events, live music, free demos, free clinics, gear swaps and more. Kayaking, stand-up paddle, rafting, slacklining, river surfing and many more sports are highlighted. Visit thegoldengames.com for information, events schedule and venue locations.

May 16
Peak to Peak Concert Series
The Peak to Peak Concerts Series showcases local musicians from Allenspark to Estes Park. The free, chamber music concerts are sponsored by the Oratorio Society of Estes Park and the The Old Gallery/Allenspark Community Cultures Council. A concert, May 16 at 3 p.m., at Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church, 1000 Ptarmigan Trail in Estes Park, features music for horn, violin and piano. The program features Stradella’s Kirchen Arie for Horn and Piano, Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano and Brahms’ Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano performed by The St. Vrain Trio, which includes Will Limon on horn, Catherine Limon on violin and Margie Patterson on piano. There will be a reception immediately following the concert.

May 16
Annual Safety Fair
Kids and adults are invited to the annual Estes Park Public Safety Fair, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, 1209 Manford Ave. More than 20 regional public safety agencies will bring equipment and apparatus including a bomb robot, medical evacuation helicopters, dive rescue apparatus and more. Officers serve free hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks and beverages from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Salud Family Health will give away youth bicycle helmets and the Red Cross features a potable water filtration system. Other participating agencies include Estes Valley Fire Protection District, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Rocky Mountain National Park and Larimer County Sheriff. For more information, call Officer Ryan McAueley at 970-577-3870.

May 23-25
Carousel of Happiness celebrates fifth anniversary and Memorial Day
The public is invited to join in the fifth anniversary celebration of Nederland’s Carousel of Happiness, the whimsical, hand-built attraction that has won the hearts of people both young and old. Visitors can stop by for a free slice of birthday cake and special games for kids from noon to 4 p.m., May 23 and 24. As always, carousel rides are only $1. A special Memorial Day commemoration is planned for May 25 from noon to 1 p.m. Veterans and those who wish to honor them are invited to witness the annual “Silent Spin” of the carousel, a reverent tribute to those who served. For more information, call 303-258-3457 or visit www. carouselofhappiness.org.

May 28
Mixed Media with Acrylic Pours & Skins class
The Art Center of Estes Park presents a Mixed Media with Acrylic Pours & Skins class, May 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with instructor Mary Morrison. Participants will combine collage papers, stencils, stamps on canvas panel and pour or seal the surface with acrylic mediums. The class will also work with National Geographic paper that has been treated so the inks run and create abstract colors. Acrylic skins will also be made by pouring color and medium on a non-stick surface. Some materials provided. For information, call 970-586-5882 or visit http://www.artcenterofestes.com.

May 30
Orienteering for Beginners: Map & Compass Basics in RMNP
This orienteering course, May 30, is intended for the recreational hiker who has little or no experience reading a topographic map or working with a compass. Learn about map sources, map vintage, next generation of U.S. topography maps by U.S.G.S., map symbology, reading contour lines, recognizing landforms, calculating percent and angle of slope, compass components, compass bearing and correcting for magnetic declination, using a compass to point in an arbitrary direction and correcting for magnetic declination, overland navigation via map and compass and triangulation. The class combines indoor instruction with outdoor practice at a nearby location with instructor Peggy Ellis. All material is provided and compasses will be available. Visit rmconservancy.org to learn more.

Gilpin County historical museums open for season
CENTRAL CITY
The Gilpin Historical Society’s Central City museums, including The Gilpin History Museum and Coeur d’Alene Mine Shaft House open for the season, May 23. Washington Hall, featuring tours of Teller, Opera and Thomas houses, also begins its summer hours.

Gilpin History Museum
The museum houses collections related to the history of Gilpin County. Exhibits focus on life in, and the people of, Gilpin County from the 1860s to the present and include a recreated Main Street, mining displays, school room and special exhibits related to the county. The two-story stone building, 228 High St. in Central City, was built in 1870 and served as a school until 1968. Beginning May 23, the museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Coeur d’ Alene Mine Shaft House
The mine shaft house in Central City serves as a reminder of Gilpin County’s mining heritage. Developed in 1885, the Coeur d’ Alene produced ore into the 1940s. Tours of the building, which is perched on the brow of Academy Hill, allow visitors to see antique mining equipment, the inner workings of a mine shaft house, and panoramic views of Central City and Black Hawk. It is open Saturdays and Sundays after May 23.

Washington Hall
Washington Hall, located on Eureka Street across from the Opera House, is the oldest continuously used public building in the state. Its tours of the Teller House, Opera House and Thomas House are available all year, but summer hours, Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., begin May 23.

Tours are $6 per person or $5 if more than one building is toured. Children 12 and under are free. The Coeur d’Alene is $5. Visit http://www.gilpinhistory.org, e-mail gilpinhistory@live.com or call 303-582-5283 to learn more.

Originally published in the May 2015 issue of the MMAC Monthly