Neighbors has been the space where galas, adventures and creative events of all sorts have made an appearance, but once a year, it’s all about the fish.
The Dos Mosca Fly-Fishing Tournament is a highlight of the summer for the fisherpeople among us, a chance to indulge in their favorite pastime while raising money for a good cause – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado. (I know the correct Spanish would be Dos Moscas, but they translated directly from the English “Two Fly.” Lose ’em both, and you’re out of the tournament.)
Raise money, they did, a whopping $65,000. One participant was unable to fish but still raised $8,000. Now that’s dedication to a cause.
The proceeds happened despite a smaller-than-usual tournament (24 anglers and 12 teams instead of 40 anglers and 20 teams) because of the drought. Organizers didn’t want to put more stress on an already stressed-out environment.
The drought had a tiny silver lining, in that the upper Animas River was available as a fishing site. Each team fished one day on the lower Animas and one day on the upper, taking the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (a sponsor) to their guides’ favorite spots in the remote area.
The event also includes a lot of social time, with a barbecue at Mike and Sandy Bruce’s Rancho del Perro Feo (another sponsor) and a concluding banquet at Fort Lewis College to collect all the fishy, uh, I mean, fish stories and hand out the awards. The barbecue included a silent and live auction as well as casting practice for kids and adults.
The anglers came from all over Colorado, including our area but also Broomfield, Lafayette and Johnstown, along with folks who flew in from Texas and Pennsylvania.
Keith Wegen from Broomfield was the overall high-point angler, and Durangoans Ryan Mickelson and Rob Wigley garnered overall high point team honors.
Prizes also were given for the biggest catch in each species of fish. Team OX, which included Wegen and his partner Craig Hayward, caught the largest rainbow trout; Team WAP, also known as Joe Bob McGuire and John Wells, had a great weekend, catching both the largest brown trout and the biggest cutthroat; Team Crossland, with Judson Crossland and Andy Ratcliffe, caught the largest brook trout.
The R.H. Crossland Foundation was a new sponsor this year, which is always welcome, and the tournament couldn’t succeed without the support of Duranglers, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Simms.
Just as in gifts, the thought counts. Poor Mike Bruce had the dubious honor of Least Amount of Fish Caught after the first day of fishing, a title he received during the happy hour at the Lost Dog Bar and Lounge on Aug. 2. I’m not sure the Zebco fishing set and casting lessons from Don Oliver was enough of a consolation prize for that, but the Bruces are big supporters of Big Brothers Big Sisters, so the money raised was more than enough to make the tournament worthwhile for him.
Believe it or not, school starts in a week, so this is a good time to consider becoming someone important in a child’s life. There is always a waiting list of Littles waiting for Bigs. And Study Connection, the organization’s school-based program, where adults agree to spend one hour a week with a student who needs a little extra help with homework, starts up when school starts. (Although it ends up being so much richer than that.)
If you’re interested in learning more, visit www.bbig.org or give them a call at 247-3720.
HHH
“Dancin’ in the Rain” for their birthdays are Summer Lynch, Ron Ollier, Don Ollier, Van Butler (no relation), Scott McClellan, Karen Anderson, Kent Herath, Jennifer Rudolph, Sandy Dalenberg, Laura Stransky, Christine Priaulx, Robert Griffith, Bob Pope, Roy Cook, Peri Ann Milner, Bob Lundquist, Taylor Schermer, Laura Thames, Ryan Zollinger, Will Downs, Ed Dudley, Tom Higgins, Sophia Tucker, Sarah Lawton, Guy Tomberlin, Marina Hays, Jessica Martin, Corbin Miller, Michael Cobb and Walt Jackson.
Special greetings go out to one of my favorite people, Julie Schultz, on her big day.
HHH
The next few columns will be a chance to do a lot of catching up. When I started writing Neighbors more than 13 years ago – I know, time flies, doesn’t it? – the summer was pretty slow, with only Music in the Mountains in the middle to provide new material. Then June started filling up, and I only had to save stories to get through August. And now, well, don’t get me started on how busy August has become!
So anyway, here are some of the other fun things that have happened in the last few weeks.
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When Roberta Barr was given her 65-year pin for her service as a member of the Animas Valley Grange, a lot of longtime La Plata County residents and many members of the agricultural community turned out to congratulate the 99-year-old.
She actually has been a member much longer than that, because she joined as a teenager, then took a few years off as she was starting her teaching career before coming back in her 30s, but the grange doesn’t count those early years. (They probably don’t have a pin that goes that high, anyway!)
Barr’s 40 years as an educator touched a lot of people. In Crystal Carroll’s case, she had Barr as a teacher in high school before Carroll’s children had Barr as a teacher and principal in elementary school.
The grange served Girl Scout cookies (they made a donation, and that was a nice thank you) and ice cream, while Judy Michalski hauled out all kinds of memorabilia, including when Barr was honored by the Colorado Grange in 2009 and a copy of Better Homes and Gardens when Barr’s gorgeous garden was featured.
It’s so easy for the elderly to become isolated as their health fails and they can’t be out and about as much as they used to be. It was clear Barr greatly appreciated having so many people show up to honor her. The pin was just a nice excuse.
HHH
A healthy community is based on thriving families, and those don’t just happen. They require support and education, and that’s where the La Plata Family Centers Coalition comes in.
The organization provides a number of programs, such as Bright Beginnings for families with newborns, resource referrals and something I’m sorry we need but am glad they are there to provide – safe exchange and supervised visits, when the welfare of children is at stake.
June 21 marked the inauguration of a new fundraiser for the coalition, a Summer Solstice Ball, which was held at Dalton Ranch. More than 110 people attended, helping to raise more than $11,000 in cold, hard cash and another $4,400 in in-kind contributions.
There were so many sponsors I couldn’t begin to go there, but the volunteers who worked on making it happen I can name – Bev Vaughn, Kristin Dills, Charles Leslie, Laura Shelton, Bitten Skartvedt, Jenni Aguilar, Sarah Baumgartner, John Francis, Justin Broadbent, Nick Becker, Kim Emanuel, Laura Schweizer, Rodger Poore Jr., Becca Conrad-Whitehead, Whitney Pack and Jay Wood.
We pay a lot of attention to K-12 and higher formal education, but what happens at home makes all the difference in a child’s chance of success. Parenting can be a quagmire of “shoulds.” The La Plata Family Centers Coalition helps moms and dads navigate the “shoulds” to find the path that works for them and their children.
It’s an invaluable service.
You can support the coalition’s work by sending your donation to La Plata Family Centers Coalition, P.O. Box 2451, Durango, CO 81302.
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Celebrating their anniversaries with chilled ripe watermelon are David and Susan Kolb, Don and Shirley Spangsberg, Greg and Kelly Winter, Doug and Priscilla Shand, Richard and Evelyn Black, Gary and Ginna Harbison, Jon and Peeb Lupia, Hall and Joan Sippy, Bill and Linda Russell, Don and Terri Oliver and Chris and Tara Safran.
HHH
Here’s how to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com; phone 375-4584; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk. Please include contact names and phone numbers for all items.
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