Rocky Mountain National Park begins closures for elk rut season

Love is in the air, and Rocky Mountain National Park has instituted annual closures as the elk rut begins.

The elk mating period has begun in Colorado.

Starting Sept. 1, Rocky Mountain National Park officials instituted annual closures to prevent disturbance and harassment of elk during the period and to enhance visitor elk viewing opportunities.

The closures, which will be in effect through Oct. 31, are in place for travel on foot or horse off established roadways or designated trails from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. The areas with the closures are Horseshoe Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, Moraine Park, Harbison Meadow and Holzwarth Meadow.

The elk rut lasts from late September to mid-October in Estes Park. During that period, hundreds of elk will descend to the lower meadows of Rocky Mountain National Park and attempt to fall in love.

RMNP officials said as always, elk calling and the use of spotlights or vehicle headlights for spotting wildlife is prohibited in Rocky Mountain National Park.

In 2020, the elk-related closure time extended from 7 to 10 a.m. due to a significant increase in visitors approaching elk in previous years, when the morning meadow closures lifted.

Fishing in the Fall River, Thompson River or Colorado River within the posted areas remain the same as previous years and are closed from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Get more info here.

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Meet the Maker: Abby Stiglets

Meet Abby!

I was born in Fort Worth, Texas and moved to Edmond, Oklahoma to start high school. I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma as an Art Major with a Minor is Psychology.

Currently, my focus has been greenery. I typically hate the outdoors. Though I understand nature is beautiful, I have never appreciated being in the middle of it. I love the view from a window. So surprisingly, I have been attracted to vines, leaves, and the patterns of nature in my most recent work. The different variations of green is what drew me in. Green is a much bolder color than I realized. I love it so much, I basically bury my subjects in it.

My psychology background has greatly affected my art. I express many of my feelings for my work through symbolism, like bird cages to represent restraint, anatomical hearts to show vulnerability, and lace for being fragile and delicate. My subconscious thoughts always come through as well. Whenever I create a piece I step back and learn more about myself. I love using strong colors because they help to achieve the initial spark to stop the viewer in their tracks. I like to think of it as a quiet scream.

My paintings are created using water-mixable oil paints called Max by Grumbacher. They have the advantages of oil paint without the use of pungent solvents and can be mixed with acrylic paint and/or oil paint. I have recently started painting on panels and wood, I enjoy it more than canvas due to its texture since it is not porous like canvas, but still has a tooth to it.

My art is full of influences. I am inspired by the surrealist work of Salvador Dali, the women featured in Gustav Klimt’s pieces, Frida Kahlo’s reflective self-portraits and pop surrealist artists like Mark Ryden, Lori Earley, Greg "Craola" Simkins, and Naoto Hattori. I also love work from old masters of the early Renaissance. My favorite is the, "Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli. I study and explore the fashion of women of all decades and analyze the couture pieces of today. My favorite designers are Alexander McQueen, Helmet Lang and Valentino. I also appreciate all iconographical religious art like Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism.

P.S. A big question many people always ask me is why do I sign my work, "Aby3". It is a tribute to my childhood. I am a true believer that things happen in 3s; as it has for me. So, back in the 90s I started signing my name that way and decided never to change it due to it's sentimental value.

What are you known for?

I am known for having art and prints at DNA Galleries in the Plaza District, showing a festivals and local shops in the OKC Metro.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on an oil painting paying tribute to Salvador Dali. A surrealist icon

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

From my highschool teacher: "Why are you painting this, when I see your personal sketchbook is filled with this? Don't hide, you can create art of what you like, not what you think others would like".

Get in touch with Abby

Instagram: @aby3_art

Facebook: @abbystiglets3

Website: https://www.aby3.com

Email: abbystiglets@hotmail.com

If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Ashley at ashley@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!

Meet the Maker: SaToro Tafura

Meet SaToro!

SaToro Tafura’s stone sculpture has received international acclaim and he has been recognized as one of the most promising stone sculptors of his generation. Tafura harnesses his unique artistic sensibility to speak to and listen to stone, resulting in distinctly powerful stone sculptures that transcend time and geographical space. Tafura’s stone sculpture affirms the values and wisdom of Shona culture and reflects themes that resonate universally. Tafura is the first Zimbabwean to cast his one-of-a-kind stone sculpture in bronze on a large scale. Tafura is based in Longmont, Colorado and enjoys returning to Zimbabwe each year, where he sculpts alongside his mother, renown stone sculptor, Agnes Nyanhongo. Tafura recently completed a 11.5 ton stone sculpture, a private commission, in South Denver. He’s also in the process of producing his first documentary film, delving into the complex origins of stone sculpture in Zimbabwe.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

The best piece of advice I’ve received is not from a particular person, but is a sentiment I’ve come across over and over that really resonates with me. “Know thyself” reminds me that despite all the distractions in life, there’s value in prioritizing things that help us know ourselves deeply. I’m not the same person I was even 5 or 10 years ago and as an artist, if I’m disconnected from my deep purpose in life or what I really value, my art is going to reflect that disconnect. When I think about what it means to know myself, I think about staying grounded in my culture, despite living in the U.S. That can be a huge challenge but I’m committed to learning more about my culture and finding relevance in my life today.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve been doing a lot of research on the origins of stone sculpture in Zimbabwe, and have been working on a documentary film that explores the connections to previous creative forms and also outside influences from colonization. I grew up with a widely accepted narrative that stone sculpture is a “traditional” art form, and then started piecing together information that caused me to question that and interrogate it further. It’s pretty uncomfortable to let go of a narrative that has been so closely tied to your professional work and a legacy within your family, but it’s incredibly important to me that I’m actively part of Zimbabweans and other Africans telling our history. My grandfather was known as one of the “first generation” stone sculptors in Zimbabwe. A few years ago, I started to think more about this label and the relationship to this so-called “traditional art form.” My grandfather started sculpting stone in the 50s, so how could he possible be one of the first stone sculptors if this was indeed part of our cultural roots? I had an opportunity to interview him before he passed away, and I was able to gather information about how he was introduced to stone sculpting, the connection to European art curators, and the relationship to his father’s craft as a blacksmith.

What do you like to do outside of work?

When the weather in Colorado is warm enough, I am in my garden as much as possible. This is one of the most basic ways I can connect with what is familiar to me, when living in such a different environment. Growing up in a village in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, we relied on subsistence farming. As a young boy, I herded cattle, created sculptures/toys out of clay from the land, tended the fields and vegetable gardens, and fetched firewood for my grandmothers. Some families had specific jobs for boys and others for girls, but my grandfather believed we should learn how to do everything, so I also cooked on the fire in our traditional kitchen as a young boy. Our connection to the land goes beyond meeting our basic needs, and is also related to our spiritual beliefs. These things created a strong connection to our natural world, and I try to maintain that connection through my gardening. Last summer I grew gourds and showed my two young kids which type we used for cups, bowls, and instruments.

What was the best day at work you've had in the past three months?

Last fall I completed a monumental stone sculpture, which was a commission, and the largest sculpture I’ve ever created. A couple months ago, I returned to visit the sculpture in south Denver and was surprised at how much it communicated to me, and how connected I was to the message I was able to tell through the stone. I got this commission when my daughter was born and she’s turning 5 years old this month! Most commissions don’t take nearly this long, but the stone was 16 tons when it was quarried, so you can imagine that it required a tremendous amount of time and effort just to acquire the raw stone and start sculpting. I returned twice to Zimbabwe during the quarrying process, and started the initial “sketching” process on the stone at my mother’s studio in Harare. After shipping it to Denver, I continued the work for a couple years until it was completed. It was an enriching process, and I enjoyed connecting with many people who regularly passed by as I was sculpting the piece on-site. I created some interactive elements with people sharing their reactions to the piece.

If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose?

Being far away from home in Zimbabwe, I think it’s obvious what I’d choose. Airfare is expensive!

Get in touch with SaToro

Instagram: @satoro_tafura

Website: https://satorotafura.com

Email: satoro@satorotafura.com

If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Ashley at ashley@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!

Passenger screening volumes at Colorado Springs Airport expected to continue growing

Crowds moving through the security checkpoint at the Colorado Springs Airport are expected to continue growing for the rest of the summer, according to officials from the airport and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

Passenger screening numbers are now more than 25% higher than during the same period in 2019 and are expected to continue growing during the rest of the peak summer travel season, said Larry Nau, the agency's federal security director for Colorado Springs. The agency screened 26,700 people last week, up from 21,300 during the same week in 2019; that ranks as the nation's 12th fastest air travel recovery rate amid the pandemic, which crushed travel last summer.

"Colorado Springs is know for its proximity to world class outdoor recreational opportunities and is prime vacation destination," Nau said in a news release. "Because we anticipate that the volume of travelers will remain high throughout the summer, we are asking travelers to come to the airport early," especially during peak travel periods. The agency generally recommends travelers arrive at any airport two hours before their flight is scheduled to depart.

The airport's security checkpoint is busiest from 5-7 a.m., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-5 p.m., especially on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. Peak wait times at the checkpoint have ranged from 16-25 minutes during the weeks ending July 5, 12 and 19, while the average wait times during the same period have ranged between 4.7 and 6.5 minutes, so travelers should expect significantly longer waits during peak travel periods.

The agency has tried to speed up how quickly passengers make it through the checkpoint by installing a new computed tomography scanner in one of the checkpoint's three lanes. The scanner uses a sophisticated algorithm to generate a three-dimensional image of  the contents of carry-on bags in hopes of reducing the number of bags agents must check by hand, said Lorrie Dankers, a TSA spokeswoman.

The agency may install a second CT scanner at the Colorado Springs Airport as passenger volumes increase, Dankers said. Passenger numbers have surged at the airport since Southwest Airlines expanded to Colorado Springs in March with 13 daily nonstop flights to Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix. The number of passengers that boarded outbound flights in May surged to a nearly three-year high and the June total is expected to be even higher.

TSA also is trying to add more agents to the Colorado Springs Airport and other airports, Dankers said. The agency has posted both part- and full-time jobs on its website with a starting wage in Colorado Springs of $16.77 an hour and a $1,000 signing bonus that is paid in two installments upon reporting to work and after the first year of work. The agency is also recruiting security assistants, program analysts and security specialists nationwide.

TAs summer travel continues the agency also recommends travels review the list of items they can and cannot have in carry-on bags at www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all or send questions via Facebook or Twitter. The agency limits all liquids in carry-on bags to 3.4-ounce containers, but allows a 12-ounce container of hand sanitizer or any quantity of hand wipes. Travelers also can enroll in TSA's PreCheck program for faster screening during which they don't have to take off shoes, belts and light outwear. The program has a $85 fee for a five-year membership.

Get more Colorado Springs news on The Gazette.

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Stay Low at 2.73%

But those low rates might signal a still-weak economy

The average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan remained unchanged last week from the week prior at 2.73%, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

With mortgage rates hovering below 3% for over six months now, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said this may be a sign of an economy still struggling.

“This rate environment is advantageous for those who are looking to refinance in order to strengthen their financial position,” Khater said. “While many have already refinanced, the evidence suggests that upper-income homeowners have taken advantage of the opportunity more so than lower-income homeowners who could stand to benefit the most by lowering their monthly mortgage payment.”

Overall, record low mortgage rates are still fanning the refi flame regardless of who’s snagging the offer. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that the refinance index of mortgage applications hit its highest level since March 2020 last week – a whopping 59% higher year-over-year.

And while borrowers are scrambling to snag what’s left of record low inventory, LOs came out on top. Recent data from mortgage software firm LBA Ware revealed that total funded loan volume by LOs in Q4 2020 increased 106% from the fourth quarter of 2019.

The average LO managed to produce $2.6 million per month in volume in the last quarter, thanks to all those sweet low mortgage rates. That’s a 63% increase and a whopping million dollars more per person than seen in Q4 2019. 

But LBA Ware Founder and CEO Lori Brewer said loan teams should be cautious as signs the refi train slowing down are starting to show.

“As rates are predicted to rise in 2021 and for several years to come, loan teams that wish to maintain their earnings would do well to put a strategy in place that enables them to offset waning refi volume with more purchase volume,” Brewer said.

To read more, visit Housing Wire.

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