Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. sharp, the phone rang. While not unusual, this call was different.
It was a representative of the U.S. 160 reconstruction project, and they weren’t happy.
They invited us over to the construction site so we could see where someone, either deliberately or while completely oblivious to the world around them, was dumb enough to walk through freshly poured concrete, setting the project back days and increasing the budget.
We feel this should go without saying, but here goes: Don’t be dumb.
This one act set the project back by an estimated two days and more than $10,000, and could compromise the ability of the construction team to have all of the sidewalk concrete on the 400 block done ahead of Thanksgiving week — a time when our businesses rely on a boost of visitors.
It also could set the individual back, with the Colorado Department of Transportation noting the vandalism has been reported to law enforcement.
For the benefit of our community and the workers, let’s not stretch this project out any longer than necessary when we all want it to be completed so things can get back to normal. And let’s keep in mind these construction folks are here to do a job, and they’re contributing to our community while they’re here. We don’t need to make their jobs more difficult.
Tuesday, thankfully, started off a bit better and featured one of our favorite events of the year to photograph — the annual Veterans Day breakfast hosted by Pagosa Springs Middle School eighth-graders.
The breakfast started in 2001 and for almost every year since (2020 was a different story), has been a heartwarming and educational event that, as far as we can tell, benefits everyone in attendance.
Veterans are honored, treated to a home-cooked breakfast and fellowship with other veterans, and have the opportunity to share about themselves, their history in the Armed Forces and U.S. history with younger generations.
Veterans also share a flag ceremony, explaining what each fold of the flag means, as well as some history of Veterans Day and more.
Students have the opportunity to learn about these experiences and history, perhaps hear different viewpoints, practice numerous skills in interviewing and speaking with the veterans, and provide a wonderful example of community service. They also honor the veterans with music presented by the school’s band and choir.
All together, it’s a recipe for not only a wonderful breakfast, but also an experience that will stick with the veterans and students for years to come.
Another job well done we’d like to highlight this week is the effort of the Pagosa Springs High School Pirate football team.
The team’s season and playoff qualification are both great reasons to have Pirate pride, and we’ve had several conversations over the last few days about the growth the team showed this fall.
From starting the season 1-3 to competing with a team that had previously beat them 41-0 until the final buzzer sounded during Saturday’s playoff game, the team showed grit, determination and impressive growth. The team left it all on the field and should be proud of the 44-38 final score, even if they were on the wrong end of it.
We congratulate the Pirates on an impressive season and encourage them to hold their heads high. With the qualities they’ve shown, the future is bright for these student athletes.
Randi Pierce
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