Valley Gardening: A bill for the 'Emma's' of the world

What a great fall week! Probably one of the greatest things to happen is that Wolf Creek Ski Area is opening up for the weekend! I am hoping that we get snow and more snow and more snow to build on the base of 14 or so inches that they are starting with. We all need to be hoping for the same thing!

Meanwhile….it was great to have a good turnout for the ‘Meet the Candidate’ night at Society Hall this week. It was a good turnout, but would have been better if it had been packed—maybe next year. One of the things I learned is that there is a Proposition 111 to vote on, in regards to Limitations on Payday Loans. Hallelujah and hurray!

Years ago we helped a person in our neighborhood with her payday loans. She had five of them. Let’s call her Emma. She has had a problem with alcohol. She could barely read. In the olden days, she would have been labeled mildly retarded. Emma is in her early 60’s and was certainly abused in her childhood.  She slipped through the cracks as far as getting the help she needed.

Emma had five payday loans—I guess I already said that. Her monthly income was just a little over $600 a month. As I went to the offices of the loan places, asking for her paperwork, I was given different stories. Our printer is down, we can’t find her file, etc. What an eye opener these loans were for me—and 99 percent of the folks I talked to thought the interest had to be ‘really high’, like 30 percent! Not!

FINALLY, we got all the paperwork. It was amazing that some of her loans were charged out at 250 percent interest! And Emma did not even understand what that meant—no idea. We got the businesses to forgive the interest and we helped Emma get them paid off. I hope she is still off them.

At one business there was a help wanted sign. I told the gal working that I would have a hard time sleeping if I worked there. She said, “If you got our bonuses you would sleep just fine.” You see…if a person came in and paid off their loan, they were trained to ask, “would you like to roll that over”? It was a sad thing to see. All ages, all races. No matter. File cabinets and more file cabinets filled with customer loans. It was very sad.

Proposition 111 reduces the loan costs on a payday loan to a maximum APR of 36 percent and eliminates other fees. I am in favor 100 percent. 

The new jail addition is very nice, and very state of art. It will house 64, if I am remembering right. As the remodeling goes on in the old portion of the jail, 30-35 inmates will have to be housed elsewhere. I guess we will learn what that will cost in the near future. My fear is that when the entire jail is open, there will not be enough money to hire all the employees needed to staff the facility as it needs to be, 24/7. I keep hearing different figures. Time will tell.

I’m thrilled that Kenny Anderson is Alamosa’s new Chief of Police. Finally we have someone who has worked here, who has lived here, who has raised his family here, to be our chief. He knows what he is getting into and he loves our community. He is not wanting to use Alamosa as a training ground, or as a stepping stone to bigger pastures. Welcome Kenny! And thank you for wanting to lead the team. I have heard nothing but good about this move. 

Get your yard cleaned up and plan ahead for October 27th at the SLV Regional Landfill. All loads are accepted for donations of non-perishable food items that will be donated to the Monte Vista Food Bank. This is a WIN-WIN situation. The hours are 8 am to 12 p.m. noon.  For more information call 852-3810. 

As I get ready to help set up a Memorial for Renee Phelps at Society Hall, all I can say is hug your children, hug your grandchildren. If you need help, please reach out. I don’t have the answers or all the phone numbers to call but I will help you, if I can.