Help is needed Friday through Sunday, Sept. 25-27 for the 11th annual Mancos Balloon Festival at Boyle Park.
This year there will be about a dozen pilots in need of ground crews, with some needing three volunteers each. Training will be provided.
Not so keen on the balloons? Help is still needed for the barbecue set-up scheduled for Saturday night at Bauer House.
Contact: Bobbi Black at 970-560-0203 or Dee Lynn Ford at 970-560-0259 to volunteer.
Bluebird trail and nature hike
Families, join San Juan Mountains Association on Thursday, June 18, for its first program in our San Juan Family Explorers series.
We will be leading a very special nature walk through Ponderosa forest and riparian habitats at a private Alpaca farm near Dolores.
We'll visit with the farm animals at the end of the hike. Bring a sack lunch for a picnic at the end
Space is limited. Contact Gabi Morey to sign up at gabi@sjma.org or 970-759-1170.
Michael Martin, the membership/leadership development director for the National Grange, will speak about how Granges in Colorado compare to the Great Plains Region and nationally in the presentation "Grow your Grange: Impact Your Community" on June 18 at 7 p.m.
He'll talk about how Granges are active in their communities and share examples of what's happening at other Granges. Treats and socializing will follow.
Girl Scouts will retire your American flag
Girl Scout Troop 2619 asks if anyone has an American Flag that need to be retired? An American Flag should be replaced whenever it is frayed, ripped or discolored.
On June 12, the VFW in Mancos will be holding a special flag retirement ceremony with our Girl Scout Troop 2619 in honor of Flag Day. If you have a flag that you would like ceremoniously retired then please contact Girl Scout Troop Leader Dena at 970-570-7420 or jdthomason.family@gmail.com.
Medicine Horse Center is excited to offer summer enrichment programs for children and youth, ages 7-12.
Participants will learn skills to safely work with horses, accomplish basic riding skills, do horse art projects, make horse treats and just have fun with horses.
Cost per child/per week is $200. Each week is limited to 8 participants. Camp will be held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Medicine Horse in Mancos on July 6-10, July 20-24, July 27-31, Aug. 3-7 and Aug. 10-14.
The Center also offers therapeutic riding, equine-assisted learning, equine-assisted psychotherapy and able-bodied riding lessons on a year-round basis.
To learn more, call Lynne Howarth at 970-533-7403 or visit www.medicinehorsecenter.org.
For Pets' Sake Humane Society's 2015-16 Membership Drive is under way and the dogs and cats of Montezuma and Dolores counties need your help. The Humane Society's membership year begins July 1st, so now is the time to join!
For Pets' Sake is a group of volunteers working to improve the lives of companion animals in Southwest Colorado. FPS provides financial assistance for spaying and neutering. They help local people pay for needed veterinary care and provide pet food when times are tough. They facilitate pet adoptions and help lost pets find their way home.
For Pets' Sake has no paid staff. All contributions are tax-deductible and go directly to helping the dogs and cats in your neighborhood. FPS operations are funded by your membership dues, fund raising activities, donations and grants. This year For Pets' Sake has received more requests for assistance than ever before. Your membership donation, large or small, is guaranteed to help improve--and perhaps even save--a pet's life.
Membership Packets can be found at the Cortez Public Library or call (970) 565-PETS-7387.
Get outside and enjoy the mountains on a free guided nature walk from 10 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday at Purgatory Resort through Aug. 20.
No need to register. Just meet at the ticket office ready to explore the wonders of nature. A free scenic chairlift ride is included. These tours are led by San Juan Mountains Association in partnership with San Juan National Forest.
Contact MK at 970-385-1288 or MK@sjma.org for more information.
The San Juan Mountains Association, in partnership with San Juan National Forest and BLM Tres Rios Field Office, promotes responsible care of natural and cultural resources through education and hands-on involvement that inspires respect and reverence for our lands. For more information on this local nonprofit organization, please visit our website www.sjma.org.
RahMen and Co. plans to ghost and open house party, on Friday, June 12 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., at 145 W. Grand Ave., in Mancos.
Enjoy afternoon refreshments and see the new summer line and baby clothes in the boutique.
All clothing is made from natural fibers and materials, and a portion of the proceeds from the open house will be donated to the Mancos Valley Historical Society.
Southwestern Colorado Area Health Education Center (SWCAHEC) is in urgent need of host homes in the Cortez area for graduate-level health professional students from the Denver area who are slated to complete clinical rotations with local medical providers.
Hosts receive a small stipend for student stays, act as ambassadors by welcoming students to the community and help students experience life as a "local." Karen Rider, SWCAHEC Student Services and Program Coordinator said, "Hosting allows students, during their clinical rotations, to truly experience rural life with a local family or host. Being immersed in rural culture offers a glimpse of our way of life, far from the influences of the big city."
Rider added, "As a result, students may decide to return to our area to practice and provide quality health care." Clinical rotations may last anywhere from 26 - 40 days. Once accepted as a host home, hosts may decide whether or not to accept student rotations on an individual basis; hosts are not committed to multiple rotations.
To fill out a host home application or for more information about becoming a host visit www.swcahec.org and click on the Host page. You may also contact Karen Rider, SWCAHEC Student Services Coordinator, Karen.Rider@swcahec.org or 970.375.3250
Mancos Times