I’d like to introduce you to some movers and shakers in Mancos. You’ve seen them around at Absolute Bakery, Chavolo’s Mexican Restaurant or just walking around town. They may say “Hi” or just smile, but who are they?
Let’s start with Clara Martinez. Several years ago, someone said, “Oh, we’ve got a new grant writer in town!” But, she’s lots more than that. Clara has been a teacher for 35 years and was educated with a master’s degree from Stanford University in language, literacy and culture, and has a doctorate’s degree in education anthropology from the University of Arizona. During her 26 years in Mancos, she spent seven of them on our library board working with Patsy Smith to write the grants for $800,000 of funding for the new library. She also headed the grant team that helped to fund the preschool, and has just finished working with Brian Hanson and the school board to write a Colorado Department of Education capital construction grant to help renovate the RE-6 campus.
Her primary work is in educational program development for Native languages, cultural revitalization and literacy, and she works in Alaska, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.
She lives here because it’s so beautiful. What does she do for fun? Clara cross-country skis, hikes, goes white water rafting in the spring, and loves to mountain bike. Next time you see her at the bakery, say hi. She has curly black hair, with a few gray ones interspersed.