A bronze eagle keeps a watchful eye over the Weaver family and friends during a private morning dedication ceremony for the new Dennis Weaver® Memorial Park Saturday, Aug. 25. Pictured, L-R, are Rick Weaver, Ute Chief Terry Knight, Gerry Weaver, Manuel Heart, Robert Weaver and Rusty Weaver.

Photo Credit: Andras Maros

Park dedication

Community gathering itself fine testament to Dennis Weaver

Some might say that Dennis Weaver would be proud of what his family did with their land along the Uncompahgre River north of Ridgway. But as was said during the moving ceremony to dedicate the 60- acre nature park last weekend, Dennis Weaver is proud.

Indeed, the shared spirit on that sunny Saturday afternoon was one which the late actor-environmentalist would have appreciated — a gathering of hundreds of townsfolk enjoying a special place in nature, right in our backyard.

After Weaver died early last year, there was no public memorial in his adopted hometown here at the foot of Mt. Sneffels. Saturday’s event served that function, and was a joyous remembrance of a man who parlayed his success in Hollywood into a commitment to do good for his neighbors, and for the earth.

In California, Weaver was president of Love is Feeding Everyone, which delivered 150,000 meals a week to needy people in Los Angeles County. Here in Ouray County, he founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, which rightly understood that environmentalism works best when its economic considerations are recognized and taken into account. Before alternatives to the standard gasoline-fueled vehicle were cool, there was Dennis Weaver tooling across America in a clean energy car.

And of course, there’s Gerry and Dennis’ amazing Earthship home at the base of Log Hill Mesa. The Weavers didn’t invent the concept of the earth-friendly structure built from recycled tires and other materials. But they took the building method to a new level, and caused thousands to rethink the constructs of what a home can be.

All of Dennis Weaver’s good work clearly inspired his family to create something special in his legacy. The Weaver Memorial Park is that, and more.

Gerry Weaver is emphatic in giving credit to her sons, Rick, Robert and Rusty, and Rusty’s wife Madison, for an incredible amount of intellectual and physical energy in making the park a reality.

In particular, Rick Weaver negotiated the difficult and arduous process of getting the land annexed into the Town of Ridgway and creating a responsible development plan. Rusty and Madison Weaver formulated a design that incorporates such cool features as rock garden compass points that mark the solstice.

At the center of the garden is the centerpiece of the park, a magnificent casting of bronzed eagle with a 21- foot wingspan and weighing 2,800 pounds. The raptor appears to just be touching the ground, but is actually mounted on a pole hidden by carefully placed rocks, creating a 15-foot cairn. The statue was donated by Ridgway resident and family friend Bill Widger.

All the work to create the park was done in intensive fashion over the last four months by the Weavers, their crew and friends and Town of Ridgway staff.

Today, the town has forever more a wonderful, preserved slice of riparian park along the Uncompahgre River, appropriately dedicated to a quiet man of principle, action and caring for his neighbors.

Thanks to all who had a part in this marvelous addition to Ridgway.

— David Mullings

Photo Credit: Alice Billings

Dennis Weaver Memorial Park Dedicated

‘In Deed We Do For Riparian Preserve’
By Christopher Pike
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 6:31 AM MDT

RIDGWAY, Aug. 28, 6:22 a.m. – On a hot Saturday afternoon along the Uncompahgre River north of Ridgway, over 200 citizens were greeted by the family of Dennis Weaver during a sometimes poignant dedication ceremony of the Dennis Weaver Memorial Park to the Town of Ridgway.

The event was the culmination of four months of intensive preparations of the site, which will be available for public use in perpetuity.

The day’s festivities commenced shortly after sunrise with a sacred blessing by Chief Terry Knight of the Ute Mountain Tribe and Manuel Heart of the bronze American bald eagle monument erected on a 14-foot stone cairn, in honor of the late actor Dennis Weaver. The three-tone sculpture, with Mt. Sneffels in the background, has a wingspan of 21 feet and is flying 20 feet above the ground at the entry point of the park.

The park comprises 60 acres of hills, canyon and a riparian area along the Uncompahgre River, situated within a 175-acre tract of land bounded by US Hwy. 550 to the east, Dallas Meadows to the north, Eagle Hill to the southwest and the new Ridgway School to the south.

Dennis Weaver’s sons – Rick, Robert and Rusty – expressed their gratitude for the donations and volunteer time that went into the creation of the eagle monument and park area, and in particular to members of the Ridgway Town Council who annexed the tract and supplied materials and staff time in its creation. Rick Weaver also thanked Ouray County Commissioner Don Batchelder, the Board of County Commissioners and the Ridgway Town Council for their assistance.

“If it wasn’t for [Town Manager] Greg Clifton, it wouldn’t have happened. We’re lucky to have him in this community,” Rick said.

In reply, Clifton said, “The Weavers are wonderful. It is the forging of a partnership that makes projects a reality.” He also thanked the Colorado Youth Corps, who provided extensive trail work on the park.

“I’m his favorite pest,” shouted Gerry Weaver, Dennis Weaver’s widow, when Clifton concluded his presentation.

A special blessing of the site and for Gerry Weaver was performed by Paonia resident and family friend Dick Darnell.

Singer Cathy Bolton performed a rendition of “Dream Your Eagle,” a poem penned by Dennis Weaver and developed into a song by Bolton two weeks after Weaver passed away in February 2006.

Ridgway Mayor Pat Willits and Gerry read from a deed, about six feet in length, containing humorous legal words and phrases that unofficially surrendered the park to the town. The title of the deed reads: “In deed we do for riparian preserve.”

The eagle statue is surrounded by a Native American medicine wheel with stone bordered paths leading down to the river bank and a picnic area and to a trail heading west in the park. The statue took one year to complete and was donated by long-time family friend and Ridgway resident Bill Widger.

“I didn’t need to know about Dennis’s dedication to the environment,” Widger said. “We spoke of it often.”

Rick Weaver reminded those in attendance of his father’s “commitment to the planet and his inspiration. His spirit will always be down here.” In an emotional moment, Rick added: “Dad, I think we’ve done you proud.”

Since the park was blessed twice that day, Gerry Weaver joked that “I’ll now be able to be anything but perfect from now on.”

Upon the advisement of the Colorado Department of Wildlife, the park will be closed Nov. 1-March 31 “in deference to the wildlife sanctuary,” according to the Weaver family.