BLACK HAWK - Last week was a hard week. I'm going to tell it from my perspective, in hopes it makes sense.
Many of you know I used to own the paper. Most of you also know I sold it January 2, 2023. Since then I have been the managing editor, running the paper as I always have, but with the added bonus of getting an actual paycheck.
On Thursday, October 9, at 4 a.m., Jessica LaFone and I headed to Nederland from my house. We were picking up Christopher Kelley and heading to the airport to fly to Minneapolis to attend the National Newspaper Association Convention. What a cool opportunity—and we were being given a few awards, our first national level awards at The Mountain-Ear.
But of course, we all know that didn't happen. As we were just passing Roy's Last Shot my phone rang. Thinking it was surely a pocket dial, I kept driving, focusing on the road. Then it rang again. And again. And finally, thinking it couldn't be a pocket dial, I called my sister-in-law back. She asked if I was on the way to the fire. I asked what fire and she told me the shopping center was on fire.
Deep breath. I told her I was on the way to Nederland to go to the airport and I'd let her know what was going on.
When we rounded the corner below the Sundance, we could see the glow. When we rounded the corner below the Nederhaus, we could see a bigger glow. And when we rounded before the Carousel, we saw the flames of the fully engulfed upper floor of Caribou Village shopping center. We passed the Train Cars and pulled into a parking spot at the hotel.
I climbed out of the car and spun a bit, and had a friend grab me to calm me down. I called my husband. I cried to him, "It's gone, it's all gone." He asked what and I said, "Brightwood, it's all gone." Doug headed into town and we met at the car. And cried. And held each other. And talked to our business neighbors and friends.
And of course some of you know my husband and I owned and operated Brightwood Music for the last 15 years. He started it in 2009 and we've built it together since 2010. Brightwood was a hub of the community. We put instruments in the hands of dang near every kid in the community.
This week isn't a normal Peak Perspective for me. It's personal. All of this is personal. Since the fire I have barely worked at the office, choosing to work at home and just be available for calls and messages that needed response.
I am getting ready to take a short leave, to handle all of the requirements of our insurance for the business. And to refocus a bit to figure out what is next.
Everyone keeps asking what we will do. The truth is, we just don't know. We know we will move forward in some way, as members of this amazing community. We know we will work together with other businesses to help mold the future of the "Heart of Nederland," as I have always called Caribou Village. And we know we are not ready to make any decisions on what is next. Beyond tomorrow, I have no idea.
For the foreseeable future, I ask you to be patient with me. To be patient with our TEAM that has been covering this tragedy from the very first moment. And to be patient with the other businesses that were lost, every one of them. We are all grieving what was lost. It will take time. Thank you for your continued support, as always.
