Jerry Zink’s 65th birthday party was also a mellow celebration of his co-founding of StoneAge Waterblast Tools (with John Wolgamott) and a coming-home party for the infamous dinosaur head, which was his birthday gift.
Zink’s birthday is Jan. 2, making him one of those people whose birthday often gets lost in the Christmas and New Year’s holiday frenzy. So his party was perfect for people who were a tad partied out but still wanted to get together to mark the occasion.
The dino head is staged on a wall peeking out from greenery, and, to be frank, looks more than a little menacing. Not a critter I’d like a close encounter with, for sure. Little Jack Siggins, 2, son of Ryan and Kerry Siggins, was uttlerly fascinated. It was a bit of a New Year’s miracle that he didn’t either throw out his neck or tumble down the stairs while he checked it out. (Mom Kerry is the president of StoneAge.)
The folks at The Yellow Carrot served up blueberry-hazelnut duck wings; baked brie with cherry-habanero chutney and walnut pesto; date-Stilton cheese-chorizo-stuffed cremini mushrooms; Carolina jumbo lump crab cakes with arugula-brown butter; buttered tomato-bisque shooters with a three cheddar-and-chive dumpling; and wasabi- and ponzu-marinated salmon skewers. The Zinks added fruits and cheeses – wherever did you find ripe strawberries in January? – along with potables potent and otherwise.
And the party favor? Jerry Zink’s scrumptius homemade organic sauerkraut.
I was embarrassed to tell the birthday boy that I had never visited StoneAge’s impressive facility before. He asked Kerry Siggins to answer my questions about the current state of the company – doing business in 47 countries, employing 96. The 47 is a bit deceptive, because, for example, a distributorship in Singapore services all of Southeast Asia.
But some of the best stories of the evening were the early days of the company. Wolgamott and Zink met while classmates at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. After Jerry and Karen (Short) Zink got married and came back to Durango, Wolgamott lived with them while the two young men got the first invention – a waterblasting tool made for uranium mining – off the ground.
StoneAge is a great example of the variety of businesses we need to have for a thriving local economy. Jerry Zink hopes the dinosaur head will encourage people to come out and see what they’re doing.
Happy 65th, Jerry, and here’s wishing you many more.
HHH
Digging out for their birthdays are Stephanie Bowles, Dottie Johnson, Jamie Pratt, Shari Jennings, Paul Pane, Anne Rudolph, Alfred Rudolph, Carol Warren, Sara Rolph, Nina House, Paul Dittmer, Bonnie Fuller, Sofia Sieger, Bonnie Hermesman, Keith Widder, Pat Roberts, Pam Furze, Mick Souder, Libby Heath, Hannah Plimack and Barbara Washburn.
HHH
Therese Michels had a fun – and meaningful – celebration for her 89th birthday. About 60 people filled the parish hall at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Saturday to enjoy cake, candles and song to mark her big day.
The cake was decorated with an image of the cover of Michels’ book, The Choice of Transcendence. Guests each lit a candle from one Michels held, representing the light the retired psychoanalyst has passed on to others through her work, Stephanie Dial said.
Paul Gebo led the group in singing “Rise Above,” which he composed for Michels with Susie and Tim Bjorkland. Four generations of guests joined him on the refrain: “Rise above, Transcend the things that stifle love, Let go the chains that bind your heart, Let God release his work of art.”
Barbara Elliott, assisted by Marilynn Monger, organized the festivities. They are board officers for the Colorado Lifework Foundation, which Michels founded in 1980. She still leads groups for the organization, which furthers human development and offers healing programs.
I remember writing years ago about the Lifework Foundation’s programs for people going through divorce. It’s one of the top five most stressful situations for human beings, right up there with the death of a loved one. (And actually, it’s about death, too, when you think about it, the death of love and the death of the hope of building a life together.)
The group, Divorce and Beyond, has an accompanying group called What About the Children? that helps children whose parents are going through divorce deal with their issues as well.
Want to accept aging with grace? The Gift of Years groups offer a four-session series that deals with those issues. (Funny, I just had a talk with friends on Saturday where we were discussing different stages of beauty. Life is full of synchronicities.)
Those are just a few examples of the types of programs the foundation offers.
Visit www.coloradolifework.org to learn more.
Happy birthday, Therese!
HHH
Enjoying true winter anniversaries are Bill and Carol Thurman and Tom and Geri Mulligan.
HHH
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