Retirement party set for park manager
Doug Secrist, longtime manager at Navajo State Park, is retiring, and community members are invited to a celebration party from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Vista Clubhouse, 230 Port Ave., in Pagosa Springs.
Lunch and beverages will be provided.
Originally from Ohio, Secrist started working for Colorado State Parks after graduating from Ohio State University in 1980.
During his 33 years with Colorado State Parks, he has also worked at Golden Gate, Highline, Chatfield, Sylvan Lake, Mancos and Lone Mesa state parks. He became manager at Navajo State Park in 2006.
Secrist and his wife, Cyndy, plan to remain in Pagosa Springs.
For more information, visit http://cpw.state.co.us.
Mesa Verde closes Spruce Tree House
Because of safety concerns related to recent rockfall, Spruce Tree House is temporarily closed at Mesa Verde National Park.
During this closure, a geologic site assessment will be completed.
This week, Spruce Tree House will have limited visitation access to a southside viewpoint. Rangers will direct visitors to safe viewpoints and provide site information and interpretation.
Beginning Sunday park rangers will offer three free talks daily from site overlooks. These talks are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and will cover Spruce Tree House architecture, history and current archeological and geological concerns.
At this time, there is no scheduled reopening date for Spruce Tree House. The Petroglyph Trail and Spruce Canyon Trail are available to hike. People who want to hike these trails should stop at the museum or the Chief Ranger’s Office for current conditions and access information.
Site assessment work will be visible on the Spruce Tree House webcam Nov. 3-5. To access the webcam, visit www.nps.gov/meve/learn/photosmultimedia/webcam.htm.
For more information, visit www.nps.gov/meve.
Alpine Bank receives environmental award
Alpine Bank was recognized at the 16th annual Environmental Leadership Awards for outstanding environmental achievements that help keep Colorado a desirable place to work and live.
In partnership with the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board and the Colorado Environmental Partnership, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment presented the 16th annual Environmental Leadership Awards on Oct. 16. The awards recognized 160 Colorado organizations with gold, silver and bronze designations for voluntarily going beyond compliance with the state and federal regulations and for their commitment to continual environmental improvement.
Alpine Bank was acknowledged as a Gold Leader – the highest possible level. First achieving gold designation in 2008, Alpine Bank is the only financial institution that participates in the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program.
For more information, visit www.alpinebank.com.
Park passes available to fourth-graders
Fourth-graders in traditional or nontraditional classrooms are eligible for a National Park Service pass, which allows free entrance for the student and up to three adults each time they visit one of the 409 National Park Service sites or other federal lands.
Students can visit www.EveryKidinaPark.gov to print their voucher, which can be exchanged for an “Every Kid in a Park” pass anytime during their fourth-grade year. The pass will be good for their fourth-grade year and will expire Aug. 31.
Herald Staff
