This past week former FBI agent and City of Fort Collins Master Naturalist, Brian Carroll presented the homesteading history of the Soapstone Prairie area. According to Carroll, the first ‘homesteaders’ were Ice Age PaleoIndians more than 12,000 years ago. More recently the Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers in good standing with the US Government to claim 160 acres for their own. Carroll was introduced by his brother-in-law, RCFC Programs Co-Chair Dave Stewart.
Of the many who claimed land at Soapstone, Carroll asserts that only two succeeded. The rest either abandoned their claim or sold it to others. Life was harsh due to winds, dry-land conditions, and distance to any town or supplies. When homesteaders left, neighbors often claimed windows, doors, or any other useful materials. Later ranchers would destroy any remaining buildings to minimize any taxes.
Today the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area is bordered on the north by the Wyoming state line, and is home to a purebred American Bison herd.
Carroll has also been actively involved with several Fort Collins Boards and Commissions, including twelve years as an active Volunteer with Fort Collins Natural Areas Program. There he has focused on the relationship of human culture with the natural environment.
This Wednesday, Fort Collins Museum of Art Executive Director Lisa Hatchadoorian, will give us a brief history, and share details of the museum’s current exhibit, the art of Nancy Judd. The exhibit includes a glamorous dress made of crushed glass and salvaged upholstery fabric. Programs Co-Chair Dave Stewart will introduce Hatchadoorian. 
The Fort Collins Museum of Art was originally incorporated in 1983, and moved into its permanent home in the Old Post Office building in January 1991. Built in 1911 for $89,000, the Old Post Office building is a three-story Second Renaissance Revival structure designed by James Knox Taylor, the US Treasury’s Supervising Architect. Described at the time as the “finest building in the city,” the Post Office building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated Fort Collins local landmark.
As you probably already know, this year’s Fort Collins Peach Festival will be on Saturday, August 19, in downtown Fort Collins, at Civic Center Park and Washington Park. This is the eighth year of the festival that is growing each year. It’s organized and put on by the four Rotary Clubs in Fort Collins. Once again this year, the Rotary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) committee will receive funds as will each of the four clubs. The funds raised continue to grow, so each club can help more worthy local and international projects. In order to make this happen our club needs your help! 
Tuesday, August 1 from 10-12 AM Brian Carroll will interpret about bison, homesteads, and early peoples living on Soapstone Natural Area (.jpg)
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Bill Moellenhoff has ascended all Colorado fourteeners. Bill also recognized John Reicht, who has completed all of the 54 Fourteeners in Colorado. As a show of hands, it appeared that several of our Rotary members have summited at least one fourteener in their lifetime.
It is with great sadness that we give you word of the passing of another of our Rotarians, Tom Peterson. Tom lost his valiant battle with brain cancer June 22nd. His family mentioned that they would welcome posts on the Caring Bridge website and I have listed the Caring Bridge information below. A memorial service will be planned later in the summer. 
A Memorial Service for Karen Schaffter is scheduled on Tuesday, June 27th, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located at 531 S. College, Fort Collins, CO, 80524. Please join me in sending prayers to Bill and his family. 
Have you ever wanted to climb a “fourteener”? This Wednesday our own ever-entertaining Bill “The Voice” Moellenhoff will share his passion for peaks and share experiences and tips for doing your own fourteener. Bill will be introduced by Dr. Bob Meroney. 
Last week, recently retired CSU Political Science Professor John Straayer reviewed TABOR’s impact on state and local budgets, governance and our economy overall. He noted it took three times to pass TABOR, and the author, Douglass Bruce is now in jail. A few of Dr. Straayer’s remarks:
Terra Thiebaut, a Fort Collins High School business teacher was honored at our May 24 meeting. Raised in a family engaged in business, Terra grew up expecting to pursue a business career. Nevertheless, she found that the most rewarding experiences of her eventual work in the real estate and pharmaceutical industries was mentoring and training new hires. Ten years ago these experiences convinced her to seek a master’s degree in order to pursue a career in teaching..jpg)
Twenty-five years ago, Colorado voters approved a measure that restricts revenues for all levels of government (state, local, and schools). Under TABOR, over the past 25 years the state has returned more than $2 billion to taxpayers; in 2016, refunds ranged between $14 and $37, with very low income residents receiving up to $217. At the same time, Colorado is ranked 39th nationally in K-12 funding per pupil, 47th nationally in funding per million dollars of personal income, and our state’s infrastructure and roads are considered inadequate and unsafe. 
“Amahoro” is the Kirundi word for peace. Dr. Bill Timpson shared his vision of Amahoro for the Burundians in Ngozi. Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world. They have survived colonization and forty years of violence. Even with unrest in the surrounding areas, the region of Ngozi has remained peaceful. The Amahoro project is committed to educate the people of Ngozi by infusing peace studies with an emphasis on critical and creative thinking in universities as well as the public elementary and secondary school systems..jpg)
RCFC’s service mission is accomplished through active, engaged committees and the individual effort that drives those committees. Did you know RCFC has over 50 different committees and fellowships? If you can’t find your passion in an RCFC committee, there will be a station to check your pulse. 
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This month the Rotary Club honored Julie Otto who is a reading specialist at Olander Elementary School. She told us of how she carries on small group reading interventions from kindergarten to the fifth grade. She devotes time and energy to working with students as they progress from learning to read to reading to learn. Julie finds her greatest reward in observing “the aha moments” when the reading light bulbs go on in the minds of students. She is also involved with a program to get books into the homes of low income families. Julie works in the school’s Literacy Lab and seeks to promote a safe and caring environment for students as they take up reading challenges. Julie truly enjoys working the teachers and staff at Olander Elementary as a committed specialist in her vital field.
olorado’s Front Range forests supply drinking water to 70% of the state’s population, and are home to wildlife and communities. As we’ve seen in recent years, the forested watersheds of Colorado’s Front Range are extremely vulnerable to fire, damaging water quantity and quality, wildlife, and communities. This week RCFC Past President Melanie Chamberlain will introduce Landscape Ecologist Rob Addington and Director of Science John Sanderson from the Nature Conservancy, a charitable environmental organization, with a mission to "conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends." 
The Nature Conservancy has identified 1.5 million acres of Front Range forests that are critical for healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat. During this program, Rob and John will discuss how their work affects our lives, working collaboratively to facilitate forest restoration and improved land management on the Front Range
