10th Anniversary Event Celebrates Community
Though he spent only a few hours in Ouray, comedian and outdoor educator Eeland Stribling recognized the strong sense of community at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership. Many old and new friends gathered at the Ouray Community Center to recognize the accomplishments of our nonprofit and the efforts of our volunteers and staff.
The evening began with a delicious potluck dinner with a cornucopia of culinary contributions from the 60-plus people who showed up to celebrate and share stories about their lives, passions, and the watershed. Special thanks to The Liquor Store for the donation of beer and wine, and Chipeta Lodge for the complimentary rooms.
A slide show full of the faces of past and present UWP staff, board members, volunteers, and partners was shown throughout the dinner. Our nonprofit’s founding, history, and activities over the years is featured, and we welcome you to watch and learn more about our mission, goals, and projects.
The first presentation of the evening was awards to the winners of the Spirit of the River Art & Poetry Contest. See the art, poetry, and winners in another UWP post. Many thanks to the anonymous donors who contributed to the prize money, and Citizens State Bank for displaying the art and poetry at their Ridgway branch from Nov. 20 to Dec. 19.
UWP Executive Director Tanya Ishikawa then recognized and presented gifts to significant leaders since the founding of the nonprofit, with appreciation of the donations from author Mary Menz, authors Don and Beth Paulson, and RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service.
UWP Nonprofit Founding Members: Ken Lipton, Jerry Roberts, Scott Williams, Dennis Murphy, Judi Chamberlin, Cary Denison, Anthony Ramsey, Bob Larson, and Jack Flowers,
UWP Steering Committee (pre-incorporation): Ken Lipton, Debbie Cokes, Jeff Litteral, Rein Van West, Ben Tisdel, Pat Willits, Bob Larson, and Marshall Pendergrass
Past & Current Board Members: Jon Barker, Brad Wallis, Dudley Case, George Patten, Michael Johnson, Scott Williams, Dennis Murphy, Gary Roberts, Jay Montgomery, Amanda Clements, Mary Menz, Arlen Huggins, Phil Harrold, Carl Mackey, Taylor Poyner, and Dave Ludwick
Staff: Agnieszka Przleszlowska (former watershed coordinaor), Ashley Bembenek (technical coordinator), Pamela Cannalte (assistant to the board treasurer and executive director), and Jake Kurzweil (scientific contractor)
The evening ended with an entertaining and inspiring talk by comedian and outdoor educator Eeland Stribling. You can watch the full 30-minute talk or video clips from it on UWP Youtube channel.
