Easter Weekend

Happy Easter weekend to you all! Yesterday, I decided to don the bunny costume and spread a little joy; opening doors at Blessed Brews and letting folks make fun of me. 

What else is new? My feeling is … if we keep laughing, this nightmare we are in right now will be more bearable. If people laugh at me, that’s even better!

Here’s a funny -- maybe sad -- thought. I dropped my truck off at Caton’s Superlube to have an oil leak fixed. They are down in business by 50%. As I walked back to the Green Spot, I went by the Vacumn shop -- which has closed their doors for good.

Next was a Beauty Parlor -- closed due to this damn virus. St. Ives was next … closed. Early Childhood has moved their location to east of town. Treasure Alley has closed. Hobby Town has closed. Woody Q’s is open for curbside/takeout. When I got to the Green Spot, I looked to the corner and saw that the gas station was open.

I looked across the street and saw that Atencio’s Market was open.  Folks were doing their laundry at the laundromat.  We are all essential — isn’t that amazing?  Lower Downtown Alamosa (LODA) is essential!

We continue to pay our taxes. We continue to serve our customers. Only time will tell whether it is a blessing or a curse to be open. 

We all are using our best skills to be careful, clean and disinfect. What amazes me, is that we are all open, yet -- in my humble opinion -- we get no respect from City officials, both elected and hired. Any economic development planned for Alamosa has only focused on the downtown corridor — nothing for LODA! I have to wonder where the taxes generated in our neighborhood are going?

Please, please, please get back to shopping locally when this is all over! I’m thinking you can call Treasure Alley and Hobby Town to make appointments for getting that special gift.  Do it! 

Don’t be lulled by the convenience of online shopping and expect our little towns in the Valley to prosper unless you shop locally. Amazon and Walmart will not support 4H, the science fair, history fair, Society Hall, Senior Citizens or the Museum. Amazon will never donate to our little communities.

Most of you all know that Ruth Heide passed away on March 30. My last email to her read like this: Hey you, By the power vested in me (in my own mind) I am commanding that you give me a quick call. Your royal heinous, the majesty of the kingdom, is hoping you are doing okay … and the pain is not too horrible.

“Did I miss my window to see you again? What can I do to help you? Anything … dear loyal subject!! Love you, Ruthie. When Keith Cerny called me on April 5th to let me know Ruth had passed, I thought: that’s why she didn’t respond. 

Little did I know that she had never received my email, as it was written on April 2nd.  Rest in Peace, my dear friend. 

Ruth was one of those folks that you never remember how you met them. You just always knew them, like forever. I know that I sent over 275 columns to her. And many times I would call her, after I had sent the column, and say -- in a nice voice -- “Hi, I didn’t get my paper today”.  She answered so nicely … asking for my address and things, until she realized who it was. Then she would say: “You need to go to Atencio’s and buy your paper, if you haven’t done so already”. And then, I would knock on the locked Valley Courier door to get my supply of chocolate — Ruth always had chocolate, lots of chocolate.

It does amaze me that Ruth lived so long after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, stage 4. Do you all remember the wonderful open house we had at the Senior Citizen Center last year? It was held on March 31st. What a sendoff that was, for such a wonderful person.

A person who is now at peace, and with her beloved Mom. In hindsight, I do wish I had asked Ruth more about what she wanted to do as a County Commissioner. I wish I had paid attention and asked questions. As quiet as she was, I believe she would have been an excellent public servant!

Hey you all … onions are in, if you want to get your hands in the dirt this weekend. Seed potatoes, too!  And just maybe a few bedding plants towards the middle of the week. Don’t dillydally when it comes to getting your seeds. I have been notified that I can’t even place an order for more seeds until the end of this week, and then it will be 2 weeks before they are shipped. Hoarding will not be allowed!

I am hoping you all have a great Easter. Carry the hope forward. Be safe, be patient and be safe.