David E. Steiner

Retired USAF, Teacher, Dad, Grandfather, Curmudgeon

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Changes in Estes Park

 

Like most of you, I have now made my annual tour of Estes Park, which my mother still calls “The Village.” Just in case you haven't, I can save you the trouble.

I was fascinated by the instant forest, complete with picturesque rocks, in the middle of the intersection just as you get to town. Looks as though it ought to have some bighorn sheep on it. Turns out that's what they have planned for it. Probably up there by now. Classy.

Stanley Village is nice, with some wonderful new shops such as the one where you can get Rocky Mountain Fruit Shakes, taking advantage, one supposes, of our well known fruit crop. And if you're tired of fruit and health in general, you can always find a candy store. Also the usual T-shirt shops and such. The new movie theater is there, giving us what we have needed for a long time: multiplex theaters. Now we're as good as Boulder. The McDonalds is open and looks as though it's doing good business.

The old Village Theater has been sold to the barber who's been in the building for many years, but he's not sure what he'll use the building for—part of the deal is that it can't be used as a theater.

The town struggled like mad to get the street cleared of all the new construction by Memorial Day, and they managed it, by working long hours, rain or shine, toward the end.

There's a big new driveway in front of the municipal building. Looks as though it will hold more cars than will ever want to park there.

The old Radio Shack building has been torn down; they're working on building a park in that area and they've closed the street in front of the post office. Turned the whole thing into a parking lot. Seems like a good idea.

Not much change in the west end of town or out toward Beaver Point, except that there's a new place to catch fish. I've always wondered about the name “Trout Haven.” What kind of a haven is it? Certainly not for the trout. The new one has a nifty sign. It promises you can catch “wild trout.” So I guess you can have your choice now; a domesticated trout that thinks it's safe at Trout Haven or a wild trout. Sounds scary. Think I'll stick to Trout Haven.

That's the quick tour. I'll go back around Labor Day for the sales. If anything's changed, I'll let you know.

 

 

Columns

© 1985 – 2003, David E. Steiner

Allenspark Wind Columns:

Introduction

Why Allenspark?

Going Riding [August, 1985]

Electricity

Used Cars

Peace and Quiet [1986]

Liberals & Conservatives

Going to the Movies

The Screened Porch

The Beginning of The Season

The Weather

The Hilltop Guild Bazaar

The End of The Season

The Gift of Time

The Beavers

Addresses [1987]

Hiking

Watching the Trees Grow

Postal Rates

Changes in Estes Park

Square Dancing at the Pow Wow

Back to the Hilltop Guild Bazaar

The Solstices

Bird Feeders

Elevators

The Estes Park Hardware Store [1988]

Visitors

Limousine Service

A Memorial Service

A Hummingbird

Garbage

A Hiking Trip

The Estes Park Public Library

Wild Life

Riparian Rights [1989]

Weather

Fences

Commuting

Mountain Friendliness

A Motorcycle Trip

Satellite Television

“Weaving Mountain Memories”

Hotel Rates in the Old Days

The Price of Propane [1990]

The Front Range Almanac

June

Modes of Transportation

Miller Moths

My 50th Column

Modern Conveniences

Rock Climbing

On the Death of Otto Walter, Postmaster

Otto’s Memorial Service

A Big Owl Pot-Luck Dinner

A Whine About Telephone Service [1991]

After the Persian Gulf War

Some Changes in the WIND

The Trip to the Mountains

The Mountains in the Summer

Visitors

Of Dogs, Music, and Children

Muhlenburg County

To My Grandson

The Sale of Longs Peak Inn

World War II  [1992]

Murphy’s Law and the Computer

The South St. Vrain Canyon

“Whiteout”

The Hazards of Volunteering

Crime in Our Valley

Infestations

On the Death of Charles Eagle Plume

Can We All Get Along?

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Lost Horizon [1993]

Walking

Rumors About a Visit by the Pope

Progress?

More About Fences

Woodpeckers

The Visit of Pope John Paul II

Forest Fires

The New Sewage System

The Snow Pool

The Good Old Days [1994]

The WIND’s 20th Anniversary

The Bunce School

The Shooting Gallery

The Estes Park Museum

Our Government

U.S. West Takes a Hit

The Year of the Hummingbirds

A New “Yield” Sign

Growth in Allenspark

Private Telephones?

The Salvation Army

Creation Science [1995]

Devolutionizing Big Government

Risks

Airports

Fort D.A. Russell

Domestic Terrorism

Old and New

Barney Graves

Life in the Wilderness

What’s In a Name?

Arthur C. Clarke

 

The Estes Park Trail-Gazette Columns:

July 1983

Carpentry

Estes Cone

Johnny Grant

Observations in Estes Park

The Bath House

Waving

The Sutherland’s Ice House

How Old is Charles Eagle Plume?

Dogs

Christmas Trees

Tree Murder

Mountain Driving

Garbage

Mail Boxes

More About Mail Boxes

“Are you related to ....?”

Spring

An Accident

The Wild Cat

A July Reunion

A Visit to Baldpate Inn

Opening Cabins

Summer

The Times, They Have Changed

Death and Transfiguration

The Population Explosion

The March of Time

Faith-Based Social Services

Looking for Pitch

Recent Writings I

Recent Writings II

Recent Writings III

Recent Writings IV

Recent Writings V

Recent Writings VI

 

 

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