By Mac Neely
It started with misfortune, and turned into a winner.
The Hospice of Montezuma County had a failing copying machine. The hospice’s tech couldn’t fix it and suggested that staff go to Triad Western Constructors to make the copies. Once there, they discovered the building was for sale – just what was on their wish list. A flurry of activity started - forgotten was the copier, but meetings with the board, banks and backers took place, resulting in a new home for the Hospice.
Even though they plan to move in at the end of August, the hospice still needs $20,000 to fulfill their wish and move in. The new building will provide an improved professional image, more space, better safety and the ability to provide quality patient care. You can check their website, www.hospiceofmontezuma.org, to follow their progress on fundraising, volunteers, and for information on their open house celebration.
Bible school starting soonHey kids, age 4 years through 12th grade, it’s vacation Bible school time at the Mancos First Baptist Church, starting July 18, 9 a.m. to noon. Be sure to come out for a great time at the block party, July 19 and 20, 5-8 p.m.
Our Creative District needs your helpI’m sure you’ve heard that the town of Mancos is now a designated “Creative District.” With the designation comes a sum of $30,000 to $40,000, but not without some strings attached. As is the case in nearly all grants, they have to have matching funds. With Mancos Days coming up this month, one of the members of the committee, Rena Wilson, said organizers are planning a silent auction and asking all the artists and collectors in town to search our houses, our sheds, our garages, and especially our hearts: What can we donate? Let’s make this the biggest sale Mancos has ever had and raise those matching funds! You’ll hear more from them later!
Firefighters jump on Mesa Verde blazeWas it just last year that the fire department was awarded the town’s title of Citizen of the Year? One reason was that they saved us from evacuation! Here’s another reason: Last Wednesday, during the nasty weather with thunder and lightning, lightning struck a cliff on the side of Mesa Verde, causing a blazing fire. Our firemen had it out in minutes. Thanks to you all!
Mancos’ patchwork of quiltersA couple of weeks ago, a friend gave me a pile of books to read. They were all about quilting. Not how to quilt, but who quilts – nice stories about women and even a few men who formed groups and met together in novelist Jennifer Chiaverni’s Elm Creek Manor. Chiaverni’s Elm Creek Quilts series speaks about this artists retreat, and her books are filled with humor, love, harmony and, of course, quilting skills. I recently walked into the Artisans of Mancos building, and there in the entrance was a gorgeous crimson, gold and blue quilt. A new artist has come to town and is sharing her knowledge with us. Her name is Nancy Nard. She will be at the Artisans for the first time on Thursday, July 7, 12:30–5 p.m. if you’d like to meet her. There are quite a few quilters in Mancos, and it would be fun to get together with them. Maybe Nancy would join us. Maybe we could even put together a quilt I started in 1944, with some materia and is now in my closet on the shelf. I’d really like to put it together – but with friends and fun. How about it, quilters? And of course, I’d like you to read one or all of Chiaverni’s books.