Loveland Colorado

On Monday, April, 19, 2010 the Loveland Colorado Mountain View Rotary Club will have a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the recently installed computer center at Loveland’s Angel House.  The event will take place at 5:00 pm.

Creation of the computer center involved converting an existing laundry room into a convenient, comfortable and private location where clients could have access to an internet equipped computer to enable them to search for employment and other services vital to overcoming homelessness.

The project involved moving the electrical and plumbing services and relocating the washer and dryer, removing the flooring and installing carpet, removing the existing ceiling to raise the room height, installation of new lighting, wall texturing and painting, installation of artwork, construction of a computer desk, and installation of a computer.   All told, the project involved just less than 200 hours of volunteer labor, just under $1,400 in hard costs and just under $1,200 in donated materials.  A portion of the funding for the project came from a grant from the Rotary Foundation.

Executive director of the Angel House, AnnMarie Arbo, says “Overcoming homelessness is a complex task and being able to provide on-site computer access helps in countless ways.  We are excited to be able to dedicate the room and put it to good use.”

About Loveland Mountain View Rotary

Loveland Mountain View Rotary was chartered in 2007 and currently has forty-four members. http://www.lovelandmountainviewrotary.org/ for more information.

About Angel House

The Angel House is the day center of the Loveland Berthoud Interfaith Hospitality Network; a non-profit agency providing shelter (churches), hot meals, case management and mentoring for temporarily homeless families with children.  The Angel House is located at 101 East Sixth Street, Loveland, CO 80537.  For more information please contact AnnMarie Arbo, Executive Director, at (970) 663-1716.

This spring should bring out all the splendor of the Pawnee Grasslands. We have had record snowfall this year from the foot of the mountains all the way out onto the plains. Each year the rain is in amounts above normal the grasslands break into bloom like you do not normally get to see.

Located 70 miles East of Ft. Collins on Highway 14. A visit to this National Grassland is like returning to the way it was in the 1860′s when the first white settlers arrived here. The Pawnee has great walks,  hiking and birding. At night the stars are unreal because there is no street lights and city lights to block the view.

From Ault it is about a 15 minute drive east until you reach the first portions of the grasslands designated as National. The grassland contain close to 200,000  acres of prairie and there are   private farms and ranches scattered throughout that adds to the immensity. It stretches east from highway 85/87, north to the Wyoming border and south to Highway 14. Most of my exploring is done from north and east of Briggsdale a small town on highway 14.

A short drive further east from Briggsdale you reach county road 103 and a small green sign pointing left to Koeta. This little town is not on many maps nor is it referenced in any literature I could find. There is a map at the Colorado visitors center on Prospect and I-25 that shows it on a wall mural map as a ghost town. Which it really is not, Koeta does have at least a couple of families there both I believe work for Weld County road division.

About a 10 minute drive north of highway 14 finds the ghost town of Koeta at an intersection of three county roads.  One of these roads is the abandoned railroad right of way of the CB&O railroad. You can actually see Koeta from quite a distance as an old water tower is still standing black against the sky.  There is some rock foundations and a few uninhabited houses and one large building that at on time looked like the corner general store or bar in old western movies but is now in total disrepair.

Another 15 or 20 minutes and you arrive at the Pawnee Buttes. There are two parking areas on to the west is the upper parking and the one to the east is the lower parking area. These are my descriptions not theirs. The upper parking area is at the trail head and observation point where you can view down from the northern buttes or start the main trail down into the flats and continue between the buttes to the base of the furthest butte east. The trail ends at the base of the east butte. This trail is 4 miles round trip.

From the time you enter the prairie you should start seeing wild flowers everywhere this year. It is going to be a good year. Viewing can strat as early as late April and well into May.

Highlight your dog-related business at the 4th annual paws on the promenade

LOVELAND – April 7, 2010, The Promenade Shops at Centerra invites local dog-related businesses to be a part of their 4th Annual Paws on the Promenade dog expo on Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 10am to 4pm. The event is held outdoors at the Main Plaza of The Promenade Shops and dogs are encouraged to attend.

Paws on the Promenade is a signature event that features vendors, demonstrations, contests for dogs, silent auction for custom-built dog houses, yappy hour and more! All vendors are given the opportunity to speak to a captive audience in the outdoor classroom.

Vendor applications can be found at www.thepromenadeshopsatcenterra.com under Summer Events or contact Tiffany Villavicencio at 970-461-1285, centerramkt@gmail.com.