Women Who Rock The 'Boat - 2011
04/01/2011 01:00AM ● By Features
Women Who Rock The 'Boat
Photography by Corey Kopischke
Makeup by Cassandra Kaleikini
Strong and brilliant women are not a new phenomenon in Steamboat Springs.
They’ve been congregating here since Margaret Crawford supported her husband’s pioneering shenanigans in 1875 and helped domesticate this short stretch of Yampa River wilderness. They’ve been shaking things up since Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield rolled into town in 1913 with modern contortions and wild artistic dreams, luring young women to dance among the strawberry fields. They’ve been honing a smart and educated community since Dorothy Wither founded the Tread of Pioneers Museum in 1959 and Lucile Bogue started a college in 1962. They’ve dared our creative spirits to fly since Eleanor Bliss founded the Arts Council in 1972.
Through the years, Steamboat women have run ranches, built businesses, and raised a brood that runs the gamut from Olympians to astronauts. Women have made indelible marks on our collective history. They’ve embellished everyday life in the Yampa Valley with substance and intrigue, adventure and art.
In the following pages, meet 16 modern Steamboat women who carry on that legacy. They’ve got vision and power, creativity and soul, big dreams, smart ideas and above all, a passion grounded in our community. These are women who rock the ‘boat. – Jennie Lay
Eileen Allen - Power Broker“We are so remote here… I have been able to create what I want here, and make it work.”
“Western medicine completely failed me.”
Kay Clagett - Keeping Steamboat In Tune“I vividly remember those concerts back in ‘88 on the deck. I blink and 25 years have gone by.”
Pam Vanatta - Home-Grown Success“When I started out, I was hungry and had nothing… I had nowhere to go but up.”
Gretchen Sehler - Keeping Us On Trail“Riders are taking ownership in the trail system. It belongs to them.”
Tracy Barnett - All About Downtown“I have a passion for downtown. It’s the heart and soul of this community. It’s where this town started. It’s what people remember.”
Chris Painter - Enlightening Our Library“I’ve set out to prove everybody wrong, to show them that the library is relevant, it’s important and it’s one of the institutions and the great public spaces that every town needs.”
Nancy Spillane - Schooling Steamboat“I’m going to miss the most those ‘a-ha!’ moments the little ones have. When that happens, I just come undone.”
Sandy Buchanan - Outdoor Adventure Incarnate“I think there’s a goodness in the land and the people it brings here.”
Cookie Lockhart - Selling It Like It Is“If you retire from life, life retires from you.”
Kim Haggarty - Sharing Her Riches“Skating and music are two of my biggest passions.”
Sandy Evans Hall - Leaving A Legacy“When Sandy calls, I haul.” – former Senator Al White
Sonja Macys - Getting Out“The healthiest place for students to be, and to learn, is in the natural environment.”
Sue Birch - Healing Health Care“We are a country of abundance, but we haven’t yet reset our healthcare expectations.”
“I’d resist trying to paint me with the same brush. I can make my own mark.”
