PHOTOS Top to bottom, left to right:
“Myths of the Earthmaker,” nature- altered, wire-wrapped books by Mary Ellen Long.
Review

“I Met Him on the Train,” recycled mixed media by Mary M. Thomas, at the “Myths and Prophesies” art show at Durango Arts Center.

“An Education Sensation,” acrylic on canvas by Tirzah Camacho, from the “Myths and Prophesies” show at Durango Arts Center.

June 27, 2006
By Leanne Goebel | Special to the Herald
Telling a story or predicting the future is fertile ground within which artists can create. So it is unfortunate that The Four Corners Commission, “Myths and Prophesies” juried art show at Durango Art Center isn’t filled with more divergent and impacting work.

Prophesy (with an ‘s’) is a verb. I expected artwork of action and mystery. Work that challenged and taunted. Unfortunately, I saw little that made me ponder or told me a compelling story.

The problem with this show is the big cash prizes and the involvement of the Durango Area Tourism Office and the Chamber of Commerce selecting work to be reproduced as posters and postcards. The best artwork does not a tourism poster make.

There were 115 submissions, and juror William Biety, gallery director for the Sandy Carson Gallery in Denver, chose 56 works.

“I couldn’t have imagined hanging more,” he said from his cell phone in Denver.

Biety based his selection on the quality of the work and not the theme, but admitted that some works were excluded because they had absolutely nothing to do with the theme. Some work was chosen because it added to the balance of the show in terms of media. As an example, Biety mentioned several pastel landscapes. “In a way, our landscapes are disappearing so it could be a myth or a prophecy,” Biety said.

Awarding prizes, the juror said, was the toughest part. Biety’s choices do represent some of the best work in the show.

Best of Show went to John Grow for the quality and technical ability in his oil painting “Duropoly” ($3,200), an image of two girls playing a game similar to Monopoly but with a lot more money, a lot more houses and extra game pieces including horses, tractors, tumbled churches and a book of matches.

“The Sentinels” ($800) a particularly fresh mixed media canvas by Anne Strawn won the Jurors Choice. Strawn’s wide canvas is colorful. The red, orange, and yellow phantasmagoric trees contrast with the too intensely blue sky and cacodemon clouds. Strawn wrote in her statement: “In this painting trees are posed and ready to protect their world.” I don’t believe Strawn understands her own work. The nine trees in Strawn’s painting are leafless and seem unable to defend against the malevolent spirits in the clouds. In medicine, a sentinel is an indicator of disease.

Honorable Mentions went to Scott Harris for “Sunflowers,” ($350) oil on Masonite and Carolyn Reeves Johnson for “Wolf Moon” ($250) a monotype print. Mary Ellen Long received a Merit Award for “Myths of the Earthmaker” ($1,800) an installation of nature-altered wrapped books.

I found myself drawn to Long’s work, wanting to read all of the text and pick through the relic. Long planned for this work of art.

I also found myself attracted to Deborah Gorton’s “Where Have they Gone?” ($350) a mixed media panel with ten bone and egg shaped three-dimensional relics mounted on a dark-stained wood background. Each stone or relic is marked with glyphs. It is like a mysterious artifact from the future. She understood the theme.

So did Tirzah Camacho. Camacho’s acrylic painting on canvas “An Education Sensation” ($1,275) is the best work in the show. A river, a train track, a white Christian church and the blood red abstracted native symbols are swallowed by the mouth of the building. Inside the snake head of the train track are these words: Kill the Indian, save the man. Myth and prophecy.”

While not one of the best shows the Arts Center has launched this year, “Myths and Prophesies” is still worth seeing, for the few artists who grasped the theme and stretched themselves to execute diverse work.

The Four Corners Commission, “Myths and Prophesies,” through Friday, 10 a.m.-5p.m.Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave. 259-2606.

lgoebel@centurytel.net
Leanne Goebel is a freelance arts journalist from Pagosa Springs.

Contents copyright ©, the Durango Herald. All rights reserved.

Want to know the true market value of a property? Buy it at auction. A real estate auction is conducted in an open forum where all bids are known. This open competition allows values to ascend to the level determined by the market, levels that are neither inflated nor deflated. This makes for smart investment decisions for the real estate investor.

In a traditional real estate transaction, an appraisal is merely an informed opinion about what the property is worth. The real measure of a property’s value, at any given time, is what it will bring under competitive bidding from informed and motivated buyers.

The National Association of Realtors believes that one in three properties will be sold utilizing the auction method by 2008. Aristotle and Janelle Karas of Pacific Auction Exchange (PAX), Auction-Options, LLC believe they are on the cusp of helping to actualize that prediction.

The Karas’ have 22 years of combined real estate experience and have been working exclusively in the auction industry for the past four years and have had tremendous success. Aristotle is the managing broker and holds real estate licenses in Colorado, New Mexico and Hawaii, although they can hold an auction just about anywhere. In addition both are active members of the National Auctioneers Association and Janelle is on the Board of directors for the Colorado Auctioneers Association.

“There could be any number of reasons why a seller chooses the auction method,” Janelle says. “They just want to sell their property quickly to get out of paying two mortgages, or they have had the listing on the market for a while. Perhaps they have a very unique home or maybe it is a changing market and they are just ready to move on.”

So when is the best time for an investor to buy at auction? During a changing market: one that is shifting from a sellers market to a buyers market or a buyers market to a sellers market. Another good time is during a dull market where there might be too much product available but buyers are still interested. If you want to purchase a unique or rare property on a lakefront, a beach or in a popular mountain community, then auction is a great option. Another great opportunity for buying at auction is in an emerging market—new developments—commercial and residential. Developer pre-sales. And of course in a sellers market where there is known high demand a lot of competition from buyers.

Most auctions today do not result from foreclosure or distress situations. They are not “fire sales.” Today’s real estate auctions are the result of a seller choosing a cost-effective, accelerated method to sell a property. Builders and financial institutions and developers prefer auction rather than laboring for months or years to sell units one by one. Auction allows the seller to eliminate long-term carrying costs

Types of Auctions:

An absolute auction is an auction without reserve. In an absolute auction the property is sold to the highest bidder, regardless of price. A sale is guaranteed and no specific price has to be met. This type of auction generates the most response from the marketplace. Financial institutions and government agencies are beginning to use this method more frequently for selling property.

A minimum bid auction is one in which the auctioneer will accept bids at or above a published minimum price. The minimum price is always published and will be announced at the auction. At a minimum bid auction you know the bottom line going in and often a minimum bid auction has fewer interested prospective buyers to compete with for the winning bid.

A reserve auction is an auction subject to confirmation. In this scenario the high bid is an offer and not a sale. The minimum bid is not published and the seller reserves the right to accept or reject the highest bid within a specified time (up to 72 hours after the auction concludes). Because the highest bid does not guarantee a sale, buyers often don’t invest the time and money necessary to complete due diligence on the property if they are the buyer.

Auction basics:

At an auction a property is usually sold “as is-where is” without warranty or guarantee of any kind other than clear title. When buying at auction it is imperative the prospective buyers complete their due diligence in advance of the auction. To help you with this, the auction company typically prepares detailed information packages and inspection reports to assist all buyers.

The process is effective for the Auction-Option team, who boasts a 98 percent closing ratio for their auction-bought properties. “When going into the auction we know that the people in attendance are not only ready and willing, but they are able to make the transaction happen,” Janelle Karas says.

And as a buyer, you know the seller is fully committed to selling their property at a price you determine. There is no long negotiation period. No offers and counter offers. Purchasing and closing dates are known simplifying the investment process.

HOW CAN FAVORABLE FINANCING BE RECEIVED?

An auction-bought property typically closes within 30 days of the sale. The sale contains no contingencies and is settled the day of the auction typically with a 10 percent, non-refundable down payment.

Auction preparation:

In order to participate in a real estate auction, a buyer must register and provide evidence of their ability to bid by showing a cashier’s check, certified funds or money order for the required deposit as well as personal identification. The auction house provides specific instructions in the Property Information Package.

Before bidding, do your homework. Complete a thorough analysis of the property and the general area in which it is located. Personally inspect the property. Talk to tenants or neighboring property owners. Check the property records. Find out what is included in the sale. Obtain a pre-approved mortgage or line of credit. Review all auction documents—know exactly what you are bidding on and under what terms and conditions. Obtain professional advice from an attorney, auctioneer, real estate broker or appraiser.

If you are the high bidder, the earnest money deposit is generally non-refundable, unless the seller cannot close because of a defective title.

It is a good idea to attend a real estate auction to observe how they work before jumping into the bidding arena. A few weeks before the auction, an auction company will host an open house. During this open house prospective bidders are encouraged to ask questions and become familiar with all aspects of the property. A good auction company will hold a bidder’s seminar, when appropriate, to help educate buyers.

When attending auctions, look for sales contracts available for bidder’s to review. The registration process should be easy. The staff of the auction company should be knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Financial and prequalification services are often available to bidders on site. The materials used to conduct and document the proceedings should be of high quality.

Buyers typically pay a premium of 10 percent added to the high bid to create the contract price. This premium is the auction company’s commission on the sale.

Real Estate auctions are a smart way to invest in real estate. There is little waiting, once you are determined the high bidder you are guaranteed a clear title. You come to the auction with funds and walk away with a new investment.

Leanne Goebel (lgoebel@centurytel.net) is a freelance writer in Pagosa Springs, Colo. For more on real estate auctions and Aristotle and Janelle Karas visit their website at http://www.auction-works.com

The largest sculpture garden in Southwest Colorado is at the new Mercy Regional Medical Center. The healing garden features a waterfall designed by Genesis Landscaping and five works in bronze: “Twins” and “Beavers” by Gerald Balciar; “White Deer of Autumn” by Denny Haskew; “Touch the Earth” by Star Lianna York; and “Napoleon” by Patsy Davis.

The entrance to the hospital is set off by two more sculptures: “Sprite” by Mancos resident Veryl Goodnight and the piece-de-resistance of the collection, “Spirit Mother” by Michael Naranjo, a blind sculptor from Santa Clara Pueblo.

“It vibrates with this energy that anything is possible,” Shanan Campbell Wells, the art consultant for the hospital, said of Naranjo’s work during a tour of the facility. “Spirit Mother” is a curandera, a healer; she is gathering herbs with a stick and a pot, but her features and clothing are nondescript.

“She could be anyone, anywhere,” Wells said. The hallmark of a Naranjo sculpture is the simple almond eyes without detail and the black patina.

Three years ago, Wells, the owner of Sorrel Sky gallery, applied for and was selected to be the art consultant for the hospital. Wells said she distilled what the committee of 14 to 15 people made up from staff from all areas of the hospital wanted for the hospital.

“They wanted to portray and reflect an environment of healing, sensitivity to diversity, kindness and comfort. They also wanted to reflect our culture and community, yet be sophisticated and able to “compete” on a national level of being a first-rate art collection, but not something that looked like a hotel. They wanted it to be special, not extravagant, but appropriate for the setting.”

Wells’ selection process was first and foremost about the art.

“I selected the art I felt was great art, and if you were local, even better,” Wells said.

She approached the project by breaking it down like a puzzle. What was most appropriate for ICU? What about cardiology?
Karen Midkiff, chief development officer of the Mercy Foundation Board, said that “Shanan’s ability and her museum experience really made a difference.”

There are more than 650 pieces of art by approximately 150 artists in the collection, much of it prints, posters and giclees alongside originals.

“Having a well-selected collection is what stands out as being important.” Wells said.

The art is unique in each section of the hospital, appropriate for the area of use. Florals hang in the first-floor patient wing. A collection of Stanton Englehart landscapes fills the emergency room. Photography is used in the conference and education center. Images of pottery and architecture in muted tones and colors run throughout the hallways and waiting areas of ICU and TCU. Imaging and diagnostics feature wildlife art. The waiting area for orthopedics is all landscape art, featuring the tonal work of Peter Campbell.

Artists Pino, Jose Royo and Michael and Inessa Garmash hang in the family birth center, with classic, impressionistic images of women and children. The large walkway leading to the birth center is filled with oversized sepia-toned photographs reflecting the history of the West.

Another area on level 2 includes horses and barns. The work of Carrie Fell and Donna Howell Sickles adds a touch of fun in places. Hanging metal sculptures by Brent Lawrence are strewn throughout the hospital. Cardiology reception features a Navajo weaving collection, and near the main elevators is an interior sculpture, “This Fragile Life” by Star Lianna York.

The commissioned paintings in the lobby by Jan Thompson are simple, graphic and colorful representations of the symbols used in the donor feature, a monumental, museum-quality installation that recognizes the many donors who gave nearly $11 million to make the hospital possible. Donors paid for all of the art, and nearly $100,000 was spent on the healing garden alone.

The donor feature is a column with an abstracted mountain scene wrapped around the base supporting the names of donors. Extending from the base, built into the floor, are glass Mimbres symbols lit from below: the deer, the quail, the rabbit, the fish and the turtle. Each represents a type of medicine: gentleness, a sense of community, moving through fear, inner knowing and the power to heal female disease.

Brad Cochennet, COO of the hospital, said “I think we have a pretty amazing collection that reflects how art connects to the healing environment.”

“This is the grandest collection of art Durango has ever seen,” Midkiff added.

Local artists on display:
Sharon Abshagen, Peter Campbell, Don Cook, Patsy Davis, Stanton Englehart, Mar Evers, Paul Folwell, Kit Frost, Veryl Goodnight, Pat Howard, Chris Marona, Jane Mercer, Paul Pennington, Jan Thompson, Laurie Walters, and Susan Balas Whitfield.

lgoebel@centurytel.net Pagosa Springs writer Leanne Goebel is an arts journalist

Contents copyright ©, the Durango Herald. All rights reserved.

Roberto Garcia, Jr. has wanted to teach a sculpting class in Pagosa since he moved here with his family in 1997. He finally got the opportunity at Shy Rabbit – a contemporary art space and gallery.

“The whole set up was great,” Garcia says. “And I worked well with Michael and Denise [Coffee].” The Coffees are the power couple behind Shy Rabbit.

“Our goal is to provide master level artisans who can teach professional workshops at all levels,” Michael Coffee says. “It’s great when you can find these people in your own back yard.”

Garcia is a rare sculptor who not only models his own work, but also creates his own molds and pours bronze at his foundry in Aspen Springs. As a young sculptor, Garcia was forced to learn the multi-layered process of lost-wax casting because he couldn’t afford to pay anyone to turn his clay models into bronze. So, he took his B.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and went to Princeton, N.J. to study at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture. Then, he worked commercially as a foundry assistant at Shidoni in Santa Fe, N.M.

As a young artist, Garcia apprenticed with Charles Umlauf in Austin, an internationally-known and well-respected sculptor. Garcia even cast some of Umlauf’s later work. He also taught a similar beginning sculpture class at the Johnson Atelier.

“Some things cannot be learned from books,” Garcia says. “You have to do them. It is trial and error.”

Garcia speaks English with a lilting accent. He is clearly a happy man who smiles often and laughs regularly. His brown eyes twinkle and his charcoal-black hair is beginning to gray. We are sitting across from one another, a black metal desk with a laminated wood top between us, at his Crucible Gallery in downtown Pagosa Springs. The space is long and narrow and crammed with bronze sculptures along both sides. A huge plaster piece hangs in the window-a female form in a circle. She is called “La Luna” and is finished with a patina that makes her look like a bronze.

Much of the work on the left side of the gallery is by Garcia’s wife, Anna. He taught her to sculpt several years ago and she is now quite prolific. He shows me an elephant she completed recently and I am enthralled with the texture on a clay model of a buffalo head that sits at the end of the long wall. In an alcove, Garcia keeps examples of the process – the silicone mold supported by plaster, the hollow wax copy, the ceramic shell, and the completed bronze with patina – to share with his customers. Behind Garcia is a large frame with images of him and his monumental work. An unfinished oil painting sits on an easel. His paints and brushes rest on the desktop.

“It’s overdone,” he says of the painting. “I’m just so inspired by this place – the beauty, the sun, the light. I want to capture it somehow.”

Garcia built his first foundry in Texas and created several large monumental installations throughout South Texas before leaving his limited artistic fame to live in Colorado. “I am a modern day pioneer,” he says explaining that he built his house from the trees he cut down on his property, that he still hauls water in the back of his truck. Yet, he’s not about to leave. He turned down an offer to teach sculpture at a university in Texas because he didn’t want to leave Pagosa.

“One of the things I really miss is having apprentices from a college. I could pay them minimum wage and they helped out in the foundry,” Garcia adds. He realizes that, someday, he will not be able to do it by himself; that he is getting older and he wants to share what he knows with those equally as passionate about the complicated journey known as sculpting.

“I’ll meet every student and take them as far as they can go,” he says. “If they surpass me then good for them.”

Garcia is pleased with his first workshop in Pagosa. He feels he learned a lot and that he worked out some bugs and the next time he offers the workshop it will run even more smoothly. He is hoping to work with Shy Rabbit and offer another six-week beginning workshop in the fall and possible a shorter mold-making workshop.

“What I was looking for, Shy Rabbit provided it – that avenue. I had been planning to do (the workshop) at my own studio, but this worked out better. We are both happy with the results and want to continue,” Garcia says.

As for Shy Rabbit, he says he admires the Coffees for their vision and their incredible plans. “They have a more contemporary approach to helping artists make a living.”

Garcia has been making a living as an artist for 30 years.

“I don’t know what the secrets are. I feel I’m as good as many who are more famous or more successful than me. I just don’t have the advertising campaign or the marketing machine. It’s the story of my life. I’m a simple person. I always knew I didn’t have the wealth or the resources to make it in New York,” Garcia says.

He admits that living as an artist is like a roller coaster ride wondering how to pay the bills until a commission or a sale happens.

“I miss the security of having a stable job,” he says. “But it’s too late. I would never be happy.

“I admire the artists in my field who are successful because they’ve suffered,” Garcia continues. “They’ve asked the same question I do – how does bronze translate into bread?”

He pauses and explains the metaphor in case I didn’t understand, then continues: “I don’t do enough PR.”

His most recent commission to create a life-size sculpture of a congresswoman came via a friend who helped put the pieces together. All of his public art projects have come from networking and relationships. “I’m limited to my persuasion abilities,” Garcia says.

“Roberto is just one of those guys you want to help,” Michael Coffee says. “I don’t know why, but I want to help him. And I don’t feel that way about a lot of people.”

“I don’t feel I’m underprivileged,” Garcia adds. “I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me.”

When you meet Garcia you know you are meeting a committed artist. You know you are meeting someone who is living life on his own terms. You know you are meeting someone passionate about his work and you can’t help but honor that spirit and do what you can to help him succeed. If you work as an artist, you understand how hard it is to survive doing only your art and you admire him for his choices.

“To be an artist you have to be prepared, not only for rejection, but failure. You are going to stumble. You have to be able to turn it around. You may fail three times and finally, on the fourth try, something will click,” Garcia says. Then, he adds: “You may have a masterpiece and people will look at it and no one will recognize that it is a masterpiece until some famous critic or some famous person says it is a masterpiece. Deep down we have to listen to our little souls. That is something you can’t teach in art. We all have the power to make our own decisions, but it requires originality.”

The students in his sculpting workshop echo this idea. They reacted to the initial p
roject, which was sculpting a woman’s head, copying a sculpture Garcia did years ago from a live model. Many struggled with learning how to sculpt, the mundane copying, measuring the dimensions, creating the armature. But once they were allowed to create a sculpture from their imagination, the work flourished.

“I didn’t think I was going to get to sculpt something I wanted to sculpt,” Miki Harder says. Harder never completed her female head, but when given the freedom to explore her imagination, a sculpture of a raven took flight.

“Everybody’s head looks like a beginner,” Coffee says. “Everyone’s other sculpture doesn’t.”

“If you missed out on the recent sculpture workshop conducted by Roberto Garcia (at Shy Rabbit), you missed some great times,” sculptor Lucy Wiley wrote recently on ArtsNetwork, a Yahoo group for artists. Wiley, a Houston-based artist, is represented by Wild Spirit Gallery in Pagosa Springs and spends her summers in the San Juan Mountains with her husband, Gale, and their dog.

Wiley continued writing in her message: “I’m not one to gush but Roberto really knows his stuff and his teaching methods are positive yet challenging. Roberto brought out the best in every one of us. Even people who had never before sculpted, created works that made them justifiably proud.”

Photos (top to bottom): The lobby at Stevens Field. Avjet has a cozy new facility. A herd of cattle greet passengers as you enter the new FBO at Stevens Field. The Avjet hangar stands empty while they wait for a certificate of occupancy. The new FBO building at Stevens Field

PAGOSA SPRINGS — Getting to the new airport at Stevens Field now involves a 1.3 mile trip on Cloman Boulevard, a dirt road that meanders through pastureland where cattle roam, the valley is lush, and the view of Piedra Peak spectacular. At the end of the road, after crossing two cattle guards, I reach the airport — a large metal building —and pull into the unfinished parking area. Aherd of heifers and their calves drink from a puddle along the fence. At the side of the building is a wood and glass door with the recognizable Avjet logo.

Once inside I forget I am in a metal building. The walls are painted butter yellow and all the windows are trimmed with cherry-colored wood. The concrete floor is stained and glazed and the rooms along my right are filled with rustic wooden furniture and oversized leather chairs. The main lobby is like a living room: A fireplace, a decorative rug, leather sofa and chairs. A stack of boxes sits outside of a storage area. The view from the building is amazing. The mountains jut into the cerulean Colorado sky and the new black asphalt tarmac seems to glisten in the sun. There are three planes sitting on the ramp.

A smiling Robert Goubitz, the manager of the facility, greets me. Goubitz is Dutch and speaks with a very slight accent that makes him even more appealing. A former private pilot, Goubitz relocated to Pagosa Springs three months ago from his home in Camarillo, Calif. Goubitz has worked for Avjet since 1991. He knew he wanted to manage a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) and thought he would start his new career in Camarillo, but when Avjet CEO Marc Foulkrod learned of Goubitz’s retirement from flying and his desire to work at an FBO, he asked him to stay on with Avjet and take over their Pagosa Springs facility.

“I knew about Pagosa Springs from my travels and flying,” Goubitz said.

Goubitz is a consummate professional and his years of flying corporate jets and Hollywood stars provides him with an insight into what is important at a full-service FBO. Goubitz takes me on a tour of the new facility. We visit the pilot planning room, the pilot resting room, the conference room, the information area, his office, the kitchen. Everything is not quite complete. There is still painting touch up to be done; the boxes in the lobby are awaiting linoleum in the storage closet so items can be put away. Goubitz’s office is incomplete. The spotless hangar remains empty. No planes, no tools, no equipment. The county has not yet issued a certificate of occupancy (CO) for the space. Avjet is unable to function as a full-service FBO. But as of press date, it appears that Avjet will finally be able to move into their building.

“We believe they will get a CO. We had a favorable water test today,” County Administrator Bob Campbell said.
Avjet was supposed to move into their new facility a year ago.

“It’s been a long, tough road with many unforeseen obstacles,” Goubitz added.

“Some transitions at the county level caused problems with the overall management of the project,” Campbell said. “We did not stay on top of things as we should have.”

The biggest issue is water: The facility needs 1,500 gallons per minute for fire safety, which it didn’t have. An auxiliary pump station was installed at Industrial Circle, then the county had to enclose the pump station in a housing. Next they needed to provide a power supply to the pump station. Now Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation says not to turn on the pump station because they can’t regulate the flow of water.

“For the past two months we kept hearing just a few more weeks,” Goubitz said, clearly frustrated. “It’s sort of like buying a car and you go to pick it up and they say, no I’m sorry, you’ll have to come back because we need to put an engine in, and then when you come back they say, no, now you need a gas tank, come back again.”

Goubitz said the problems stem from a lack of oversight and improper planning from previous county administration, including former airport manager Rob Russ.

Campbell acknowledged that: “Key components were missed in the original pump station design.”

“I’m extremely disappointed in the mismanagement of the airport,” Foulkrod said from his office in Burbank, Calif. “Bob Campbell is a godsend. He is exactly what the county was lacking. He’s a businessman. He’s logical.”

Foulkrod admitted he considered selling off the Pagosa FBO in January, but then significant changes at the county — the hiring of Bob Campbell, changes in working with the commissioners — changed his mind. “Some people shouldn’t be in the capacity to make decisions because they have no background and no experience.”

Foulkrod believes that his decision for Avjet to manage the FBO is proving to be a good decision. He dealt with the previous FBO as a private pilot with a second home in Pagosa. “I’ve been flying in there for 10-12 years,” Foulkrod said. “It was not good.”

Campbell speaks highly of Avjet. “Working with them is very, very favorable. With their expertise and professionalism, they can bring business to the airport that we may not have been able to get without them. They have experience running FBO’s.”
“I do think this will be great,” Foulkrod said. “Avjet’s commitment hasn’t changed, which is evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’ve lost during this process.”

“We don’t want to do a (less than good) job for our clients,” Goubitz said. “Our goal is to provide full FBO services, but we are limited by the county because we don’t have proper tie downs and fuel storage yet. The county has not given us the tools to provide what the airport was meant to provide. Avjet is investing in the community. This is not a typical county atmosphere, but we represent the county as well.”

Goubitz pointed out that Avjet is available seven days a week. They are the ones who greet all incoming planes. County staff only works five days a week. And the delays impact negatively not only on Avjet, but on the county and the airport and the community.

Right now, corporate pilots are hesitant to fly into Stevens Field because the correct information about the new runway and the weight bearing capacity is just now getting out. The AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System) is scheduled to be installed in July. With AWOS installed, the airport designation will change and pilots will know they can land at Stevens Field. Business will automatically increase.

“It will be several years before we will be profitable,” Goubitz explained. “We have to recoup some of our investments. Everyone po
ints out that we are getting a great deal on our lease, but there is much more to this business than just a lease. It’s all about customer service.”

As we chatted in the pilot resting room, a Pilatus PC-12 landed and came to a stop on the ramp. Goubitz jumped up and went to see why his fueler wasn’t ready and waiting for the plane’s arrival. As the Pilatus’ single prop stopped spinning the fuel truck arrived. Goubitz went out to meet the pilot and passengers. Four people disembarked, one with a camera around his neck. Goubitz talked with them and then returned. The pilot was a second homeowner.

“It’s important, even for locals, to keep our fuel prices under control. That pilot could have landed in Colorado Springs to refuel, but he came here.” Goubitz explained that fuel and aircraft servicing are the main business for Avjet. Keeping fuel prices competitive means that their margins are very low.

“We want to do our part to help the county manage this airport efficiently and we can. We have a good future here. But there is still a lot of unfinished business — the road, basic services such as catering, that will not happen overnight. That is our challenge as a full-service FBO. There are some limiting factors,” Goubitz said, adding: “Pagosa absolutely needs this facility. We have to make the extra effort to make it special for aircraft to come here.”

Walter and Doris Green came to Pagosa Springs, Colo. in 1997 to retire. The baby boomers built a home and settled into small town life. She became president of the Pagosa Springs Arts Council. He served as president of Friends of the Performing Arts and recently dabbled in politics, running for County Commissioner. But last year, they decided to go back to work. The Greens purchased Lantern Dancer gallery from founders Jerry and Rose Zepnick. The Zepnicks started the jewelry store and gallery with artist Sue Weaver in 1992 and continued to operate the business successfully after Weaver died of cancer in 1999.

When asked why they would leave retirement behind to become small business owners, Walter said that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to assume a successful business.

“We thought we could add to that success and maintain the quality of the store.”

And they have.

Doris Green, former chairwoman of Adware Systems, was at one time the highest-ranking woman in the largest advertising agency in the world—McCann-Erickson. The most notable changes in the business since the Green’s purchased Lantern Dancer are in the slick brochures and high-fashion ads that they are running to promote their gallery and jewelry store. They have also created a preferred customer list and have associated with Fairfield Resorts, which is now the number one generator of customers for their business. Additionally, they are gradually upgrading the interior of the store; hiring local artisans to build new display cabinets.

“As much as possible, we use local vendors to create our ads and do some of our printing,” Walter said.

They are a small business supporting other local small businesses. Including local artists. They sell the work of five local jewelry artists, painters and wood sculptors: Nancy Green, Syl Lobado, Darlene Rae, Claire Goldrick and Richard Sutherland. They also carry the last remaining work of Sue Weaver.

And they have added more work by Native American artists, including Alfred Lee, Jr. and Alfred Lee, Sr. both from the Navajo Nation outside of Shiprock, Ariz. and Ute Mountain tribe member Norman Lansing who lives in Arboles, Colo.

Alfred Lee, Sr. is a silversmith who creates high quality silver bracelets, pendants, earrings and rings with the highest quality natural turquoise from his extensive private collection. Alfred Lee, Jr. is a bead artist whose work was recently featured on the model in all the print and television media for Ralph Lauren’s perfume Turquoise. Both Lee’s can pinpoint with amazing accuracy not only the mine the turquoise came from, but also the time frame of its extraction.

Lansing is one of the finest sgraffito artists working today and his intricately incised pottery tells traditional stories of his tribe, echoing the ancient petroglyphs found all over the Four Corners.

A visit to Lantern Dancer will likely involve meeting either Walter or Doris, as they are hands-on owner operators. Perhaps you will hear the story of how they came to Southwest Colo. to ride the train in Durango because Walter is a former trainman and conductor with the CSX railroad and how they drove through Pagosa Springs fell in love and bought property.

Lantern Dancer is located in the River Center on the East side of Pagosa Springs. Contact Walter and Doris Green there at 970-264-6446.