Editor:
Saturday, Oct. 27, was Make a Difference Day. We, as a community, need to stand together and support the Cultural Center in a time of need and make a difference..
Ive been a volunteer for nearly two decades working with Ardy Ptolemy, both of us longtime natives. In fact, the Lewis community was named after our grandfather, W. R. Lewis, because he started the post office and general store. We look forward to working every summer covering one of the 6-to-10 shifts, visiting with people from all over the world and offering local history. It is amazing how many people visit the Cultural Center. A recent years statistics were: The total number of visitors including program attendees was 12,435, coming from all states except West Virginia, as well as 33 countries with Germany topping the list with 45 people; 1,600 signed the guest book and left positive comments. The total volunteer hours was 5,104 , and would have been much more if Patsy Brown, volunteer coordinator, and others had recorded their hours. Think what a difference that would make to the local economy not to have that number of visitors spending the night in Cortez
Buford Wayt was a driving force in the success of the CU Center that later became The Cortez Cultural Center. One of his greatest gifts to the community is the life-sized mural of an Indian Pueblo Village painted on the north side of the center. He planned and did most of the painting himself. Visitors are so impressed we sell many postcards and calendars depicting the scene. The amphitheatre outside of the center where the Indian dances are held was named The Buford Wayt Park in his honor. Also, Buford had an active role in the development of the Hawkins Preserve, a 122-acre site southwest of the city limits donated by Jack Hawkins before his death in 1999, the property to be managed by the Cultural Center and have it accessible to schools and residents for education and recreation.
Many volunteers are dedicated to this project, promoting events and programs there. We are so grateful for all the classes for adults and children, the Birding Festival, Pueblo To Pueblo Run, The Sweetheart Ball, the splendid exhibits in our art gallery, and much, much more that we must not lose.
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built not what you got, but what you gave. Michael Josephson)
Jean Martin
Cortez
Via email