Keystone Reporting Sunny Weather for Feast 2002

CHICAGO, IL (June 20, 2002) - Although Colorado is grappling with the worst wildfire in the state's history, there appears to be no direct threat to the Keystone area, site of Feast 2002 and the 117th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Keystone, located about 70 miles west of Denver, is expected to enjoy sunny weather this weekend as Feast 2002 gets under way, according the National Weather Service. Rain and thunderstorms were predicted for today and Friday with high temperatures in the mid to high 70s on Saturday and Sunday.

Denominational offices have received some calls and email messages asking if Feast 2002 and the Annual Meeting will be affected by wildfires. That concern is likely prompted by news reports stating that the Hayman fire that began June 8 has already destroyed 135,000 acres, 25 homes and has forced the evacuation of 7,500 people. The Denver Post reported that the fire is far from being contained, with officials warning the fire could smolder until the first snows arrive this fall.

However, the worst damage is southwest of Denver, a considerable distance from Keystone and Estes Park, both of which have continued normal resort operations - Estes Park attendance actually has increased recently.

The nearest daily newspaper to Keystone, the Summit Daily News based in Frisco (10 miles away), was reporting nothing about the fires on its Internet News section this morning.

To follow weather reports and other area news regarding Keystone, check the Summit Daily News web site at www.summitdaily.com or the denomination's web site at www.covchurch.org.

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