The last two weeks have felt like one big winding down from the amazing fun that was had over the weekend of Nederland’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. The 150th was a great success, and all because of the grand efforts of some thoughtful, caring, and hardworking volunteers. This is to give them all a special thanks.
Thanks to the Nederland Community Presbyterian Church, to Margie DeFord Yansura, and all those who helped to make the community potluck dinner such a special event.
Yansura thanked her friends Debbie Stevens and Kathy Kelley “who teamed up to prepare baked ziti for 300 people,” as well as everyone who helped set up the event and who cleaned up afterwards, including Jeff Yansura, Jim Reis, Mark Haynes and Paula Gipp.
Thanks to the Peak to Peak Chamber of Commerce for hosting the Barn Dance, and to High Performance Earthworks and the Sesquicentennial String Band.
Thanks to Natalie Duplessy of Peace, Love and Cake for Nederland’s beautiful 150th birthday cake. Duplessy thanked all those who provided images for the scrapbook-inspired design of the cake, including the Nederland Area Historical Society, Jessie Ansari, Margie DeFord Yansura, Ann Marie Morgan, Kat Barr, Lisa Ezra, Jill Dreves, Tom Ritter, Lynette St John, Stephanie Andelman, Jeanette Smith, Lee Tillotson, and James DeWalt.
“You all helped to make this project extra special and I appreciate you all,” Duplessy said.
Thanks to the Nederland Area Seniors and to the Map and Memories Committee, for their behind-the-scenes work in gathering many of the old timers for the Pancake Breakfast, as well as for providing yearbooks and other historic memorabilia for attendees of the breakfast to enjoy.
The committee consists of Lee Tillotson, Linda and Danny Glasser, Sue Leto, George Blevins, Jessie Ansari, Jeanette Smith, Sheila Ranegar, and Kay Turnbaugh, with special thanks to the Nederland Bugle.
Thanks to the Nederland Lions Club for their work organizing and managing the Pancake Breakfast. Co-chairs Anne Marie Morgan, Susan Kelly, and Margaret Freeman worked with a committee consisting of Reba Mitchell, Dawn Baumhover, Emily Sielski, and Serene Karplus.
“We had so many great volunteers! Some of whom really went above and beyond to make the breakfast a success,” Morgan said. “There were too many folks to mention who stepped up and were helpful and flexible as the day evolved.”
Morgan thanked Arden Buck, Betsy Buck, Barbara Davis, Beth David, Brent Warren, David Freeman, Diana Suich, Emily Sielski, Eugene D’Alessandro, Guy Falsetti, Harry Jacobson, Jane Curtus, Janna Butler, Jeanne Barrett, Ray Barrett, Jeff Yansura, Jim Hubbard, Jim Morgan, Jim Navratil, JoAnn Baker, John Mattson, Karen Siefer, Laura Pezley, Lauren Pfister, Mirasy Pfister, Lynn Abrams, Margaret Freeman, Mary Meyer-Scully, Natalie Duplessy, Nate James, Pat Ottum, Pat Whited, Paula Gipp, Randy Baker, Roger Shepherd, Ron Banecks, Rose True, Roy True, Scully Scully, Serene Karplus, Stephanie Andelman, Susan Kelly, and Tom Simmons.
Thanks to all of the volunteers from the Nederland Area Historical Society (NAHS), including Jessie Ansari, Emmit Hoyl, Rebecca Wickre and many more, for delivering historical authenticity, connecting the residents of Nederland to its storied history.
A special thanks as well to Kay Turnbaugh and those volunteers at the Nederland Mining Museum and Gillaspie House.
Shoutouts are deserved as well to those from Wild Bear Nature Center, to the Town’s three churches, (St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Nederland Community Presbyterian Church, and Calvary Chapel), to Time Served Productions and the Nederland Downtown Development Authority for the Summer Concert Series, to all those who organized and participated in the Chalk Art Contest, as well as the Class of 1974 High School Reunion, and to James Navratil for organizing and hosting the car show.
And a very special thank you to Nederland’s Public Engagement Manager Peter Cacek for all of his work in making the 150th a successful locals-focused event.
“I just coordinated the things that the different groups wanted to do, made sure they had the resources they needed, and I think they all knocked it out of the park,” Cacek said, following up after the event-packed weekend.
“I’m glad it wasn’t tourism-based and that it really was focused on ‘This Is Ned.’ But the people who did visit, they got to see and learn about what we were and about what we are now as a town, and they got to just have fun with it.”
In addition to Cacek, thanks are due to many Town of Nederland employees, including Brian Biggs and the entire Parks and Streets Department crews, for their help in managing the logistics of the jam-packed weekend.
Also, thanks to Nicki Dunn, not just for her work as Parks Department Manager, but for stepping in and honoring the Town and its citizens with a great speech to kick off the celebration.
Jeanette Smith, one of Nederland’s cherished citizens, who was honored as the Grand Marshal of the parade and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAHS, reached out to The Mountain-Ear to extend her heartfelt thanks to all those volunteers who made the 150th into such a beautiful memory for her.
“I personally had friends come from all over the country, from Utah, Oregon, and even New York,” Smith said. “It was just one big homecoming to everyone who went to Nederland High School.”
“It was so much fun to see all those people that I hadn’t seen in years.”
