Mesa Verde Centennial Celebration.

Mesa Verde is the historical familial home of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is a heritage center and leading archeological park that offers visitors an educational experience in a well-kept preserve. The park offers many ancient archeological sites such as the elaborate stone cliff dwelling structures, artifacts, and ceremonial kivas dug deep into the earth. Due to devastating fires over several annual seasons, attendance at Mesa Verde National Park has been disappointing. Capitalizing upon the centennial celebration in 2006, the park's 100th birthday, park officials hope to increase patronage. Historically the park has been partly responsible for bringing several hundred thousand visitors and much of the tourism dollars that flow into the remote southwestern Colorado and four-corners region each year. It is not only responsible for a direct economic impact but also an indirect economic impact found with other area tourist attractions such as hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Thus, lower park attendance figures have a significant impact on the surrounding four-corners region. Tracy Chavis, Executive Director of the Mesa Verde Museum Association, knew all about the disappointing park attendance and problems the park had faced over the past few years and knew she had to do something about itÛand she knew she had to do something soon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]