Sen. Mark Udall will be the keynote speaker at the 100-year anniversary of the Colorado National Monument on May 21.
The event will take place at the Colorado National Monument visitor’s center in Fruita. Rep. Laura Bradford, R-Collbran; Northern Ute tribal elder Clifford Duncan and National Park Service Intermountain Regional Director John Wessels will also be on hand.
Storyteller John Stansfield will give a reenactment as John Otto, who first explored the area in the early 1890s and was the parks first custodian.
There will also be a musical performance by the Grand Junction Symphony and the Appleton Elementary School’s Choir.
The grand opening of the park’s new visitor center exhibits will immediately follow the event. The exhibits had not been replaced in 47 years.
Mitchell Byars: 303-954-1698 or mbyars@denverpost.com
