Montrose - Daily Press

First things first……

Local business was celebrated Wednesday night with the annual meeting of the Montrose Area Merchants Association.

Hot Tub Joe, aka Joe Derence, was named the Retailer of the Year. Joe’s been in the hot tub business for 25 years, one of those fiercely independent retailers who opens up shop everyday, makes a payroll, signs checks for community sponsorships, keeps the economy moving. Congratulations!  Joe was presented the award from last year’s winners, Wayne & Chris Adams of Park Avenue True Value.

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Executive director Juli Messenger was recognized for her leadership. She’s been promoting the business community, Montrose and retailing for 10 years, come July, as MAMA’s exec. I’ve served with Juli on a number of committees and she always come to the table with ideas and energy.

High Mesa Communications’ Greg Fishering made a short speech about how there’s no bailout coming for small, independent retailers in Montrose; to compete, survive and thrive in this economy shopkeepers need to be proactive in customer service, advertising and management.

It was a good meeting, a full house at the Turn of the Century. Catering was by Kendra’s Kitchen.

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Park Avenue’s Walt Burke and I got to talking about golden retrievers. Every morning, “Woody” brings his Daily Press to him, he says with relish. ‘Woody’ is five months old. Our golden, “Sophie,” is seven months old and she, too, is being trained to collect the Press from the driveway, along with that “liberal newspaper,” The New York Times. ‘Sophie’ chews that one a little more than the Press.

Walt says he’s been training ‘Woody’ to bring him his slippers. So, of course, when there’s a treat involved, she goes after all the slippers in the house.

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Bless those tourists!

Montrose received a hardy dose of good ink from the Encompass Magazine, an online publication of AAA Colorado. The article raved about the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Blue Mesa, Curecanti National Recreation Area and other natural, geologic treasures that we enjoy right here in our backyard.

The story also recommended for tourists to stop at two local museums, the Ute Indian Museum and the Montrose County Historical Museum.

Local businesses were mentioned by the free-lance writer based out of Colorado Springs: Café 110, Garlic Mike’s, Smugglers. Ditto lodging: Hampton Inn, Canyon Creek Bed and Breakfast. And local attractions as well: the nationally renown Montrose Skate Park (check it out, dude), the city’s Aquatic Center, the BMX track at the county fairgrounds and local golf courses.

“Gateway city,” Montrose is labeled in the article with a recommendation to stay overnight. It’s always good when a national publication throws some ink our way, particularly with tourism, one of the best “industries” around.

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Support local music in Montrose……

You know ‘em, you love ‘em…..Donny Morales, Glenn Patterson. They’re performing at Belly (309 E. Main) Saturday night starting at 8:30.

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Shop Montrose this weekend.

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Quotable

“If we give money to the widows, they will spend it unwisely because they are uneducated and they don’t know about budgeting. But if we find her a husband, there will be a person in charge of her and her children for the rest of their lives.”

—Mazin al-Shihan, director of a city agency in Baghdad, on his plan to pay men to marry Iraqi war widows, in The New York Times.

(Ouch! Ole Mazin needs to spend some time in Montrose County.)

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