Blog

As I write this towards the end of the first week of 2024, Monte Vista’s city officials have already begun discussions with The OptiMystics about the logistics of putting on this year’s Cinco de Mayo Street Festival. So much growth requires so much more advance planning, and we’re honored as well as grateful for the city’s proactive assistance with what is becoming a community tradition. More on that in a minute.

Meanwhile, let’s take that minute to sum up the latter half of The OptiMystic’s 2023 adventures among our growing and rapidly interconnecting communities.

We’ll begin with the SLV Fast Friends Car Club’s Draggin’ Main Block Party on the first weekend in June. The OptiMystics, renown street party warriors that we are, were tapped by SLV Fast Friends to help organize their concluding event on Adams Street, which not only involved vendors, but live music from Ol’ Scratch, who performed a memorable set. The sight of children dancing in the street between the bank and Rain Brews made for a memorable event.

SoCo Suds & Sounds in August was in the Cinco spirit of “build it, and more will come every year.” Among the many highlights were the demonstrations by Ms Kai’s Dance Academy and the Monte Vista Mini-Cheerleaders in front of the stage on the west side of Chapman Park. Thanks to the LOR Foundation, visitors to 2023’s Suds & Sounds enjoyed live music with multiple acts. We were astounded by the estimates put out by others, which placed attendance that day at over 4,000 people; roughly the population size of Monte Vista. As with Cinco, Suds & Sounds is having growing pains. And as pains go, we’ll take ‘em. With the support we’ve gotten from our sponsors, the city, and the public, we remain OptiMystic.

Throughout the late summer and autumn, new businesses were popping open like a string of firecrackers across town. One of the greatest things to come out of 2023 for us was our partnership with the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce to show support for these businesses as we cut the ribbons for their grand openings. Somehow in these straitened, inflationary times, people are stepping up to fill the empty spaces.

It’s a lesson in focus. We can either complain about what’s against us, or we can get to work with what we’ve got to make things better. Negativity is contagious. So is bold optimism. We’re not taking credit for the explosion in business activity in Monte, but we’re proud to say we’re helping wherever and whenever we can.

Our engagement with RERC (Recreation Economy for Rural Communities) proved fruitful in terms of learning what can and cannot be done in Monte Vista, given its infrastructure and amenities. There is still much to learn and absorb before committing to any projects, but we have all of 2024 ahead of us. We’re grateful Monte Vista was chosen by the program leaders. It’s an opportunity to improve upon Monte Vista’s existing resources to make it more of a destination town than a stopover for travelers.

Having concluded our hot minute, I want to mention one of the finest accolades the OptiMystics received this year. In November, the Church Project hosted Campfire Conversations, a traveling group of people from varying ethnic and professional backgrounds in the San Luis Valley, sharing their stories. One of the speakers, in answer to a group question about what made them feel good about the Valley in the present day, mentioned our Cinco de Mayo festival. “The community,” he said, by way of explanation.

That was all, and it was worth more than the Nobel Prize to us. Reach out to the community, and the party happens naturally. The 2024 Cinco de Mayo Street Festival will be Monte Vista’s fourth, but we’re already feeling the pressure to make this worthy of the legend it has already become in its few short years. It’s early January, and we’re already taking meetings and drawing up plans. We’re talking Chihuahua races, cultural talks, live demonstrations and all kinds of wild stuff.

Here’s to Monte Vista’s Happiest New Year yet!

L. Roy Aiken, Secretary
OptiMystics CAN!

Here we are halfway through 2023 and already looking into 2024. From January through June, the OptiMystics found themselves adapting to the consequences of their past successes and scaling expectations forward. With great success comes the responsibility to adapt to our growth and keep the momentum going, and we’re already looking to grow beyond what we’re growing into this year—which already happens to be huge.

A notable instance was our most recent Cinco de Mayo Street Festival. Although the number of vendors was nearly double from 2022, accommodating them on the actual day of the event proved to be easier than years before, given our experience in placing them. However, we learned that, with so many vendors, it would behoove us to block them off into the middle of Adams Street to leave the sidewalks free for pedestrians to visit local businesses. Assuming we get bigger—and we’ve increased vendors and attendance every year since 2021—we already have much to think about for 2024.

Every event is a learning experience and we’ve learned much from other groups we have worked with, namely, the Mystic Valley Art Council and their Third Friday Art Walks and SLV Fast Friends Draggin’ on Main. Our bicycle rack art projects are morphing into memorial benches. Our V.I.B.E. networking luncheons are becoming evening gatherings and moving to the Vali 3 Theater, now under new management.

Meanwhile, we continue to attract the attention of other community groups looking to improve the economics and the aesthetics of the San Luis Valley. As the OptiMystics see it, what benefits the Valley benefits Monte Vista. We are not in competition with anyone. We just want to shine up our little corner of southern Colorado here. If we can help others get their corners shined up, that helps us, too. We can raise each other’s expectations for what our towns should look like, for how others from outside the San Luis Valley see us when they ride in looking for a hotel room and a place to eat.

As of this writing we’re focused on the upcoming SoCo Suds & Sounds, featuring the Poor Boys Car Club, scheduled for August 19 at Chapman Park. We’ve rebranded the Brewfest and Car Show to something snappier and more familiar (“Suds & Sounds” festivals abound, and everyone knows what they’re about), and the “featuring” tag gives us flexibility in regards to whom we partner with in the future. We’re happy as can be with our relationship with the Poor Boy Car Club, but something may draw them somewhere else down the road, who knows? This is just another way of preparing for changes which may or may not happen, but just might.

The OptiMystics’ Tuesday night meetings are open to the public, and we hope to see some new faces in the months to come. No one has to “join” or pay dues, but nothing happens without people to move the tables and chairs around. Maybe you have some ideas of your own to improve Monte Vista. The idea is to get as many people in the community engaged with improving the community. Everyone who lives and works in Monte Vista is a stakeholder. When enough people take pride in where they live, wonderful things happen. That’s what the OptiMystics hopes to inspire.

L. Roy Aiken, Secretary
OptiMystics CAN!

What an unbelievably exciting year it has been for our group. Even with the challenges thrown at us, we really hit our stride and gelled as an organization in 2022. I started this blog simply by listing everything that’s transpired since January. A list that is nothing short of amazing.

• February. Officially kicked off the Monte Vista Bicycle Rack Project.
• March. Sponsored a poop bag dispenser at Skeff Nature Trail.
• May. 2nd Annual Cinco de Mayo Street Festival, downtown.
• June. Ken’s battle with cancer & decision to depart on a world tour.
• June. Established “Connecting People, Creating Community” slogan.
• July. Started our monthly VIBE meetings.
• August. Governor Polis phone call about the OptiMystics.
• August. Revision & expansion of the board of directors to 5 people.
• August. 2nd Annual Beer Fest & Car Show in Chapman Park.
• August. Joined the RERC steering committee.
• October. Monte Vista’s Halloween Festival. Worked together with 4 other non-profits.
• November. Became a fiscal sponsor for SLV Fast Friends, AKA Draggin’ on Dirt.
• December. Coop with the Art Council for a Christmas Parade float.
• December. Hosted a Holiday Meet & Greet.

In addition, this year:

-We worked behind the scenes in support of the ever expanding 3rd Friday Art Walks.

-Our social media and website engagement has continued to grow. Nearly 150,000 page views, plus 244 Facebook members and growing.

-We introduced new T-shirts, tumblers and other really cool swag, this year. We also donated a couple dozen OptiMystics branded coffee mugs to Grammy’s Kitchen. All of this thanks to member Marie McColm.

-We had four unique, artistic bicycle racks installed around Monte Vista. More are on the way for 2023.

-We launched a new program to help bring together businesses, leaders, owners and potential business members by hosting 6 unique VIBE meetings. Each meeting features special local guest speakers who have a heart for our business community.

-We continue to have other non-profits, organizations, businesses and individuals reach out to us. They are drawn to us by what we’ve already accomplished for our town and are asking about our programs, how they can become involved, and even about fiscal sponsorship opportunities.

Additionally, we worked with and in support of numerous other local businesses & organizations through support, collaboration and donations, including:

• Proud Military Parents & Supporters.
• Rain Brews & Grammys Kitchen.
• The Mystic Valley Art Council.
• The Monte Vista Food Bank.
• National Night Out (MVPD).
• The Poor Boy Car Club.
• Monte Vista Chamber.
• The LOR Foundation.
• 3rd Friday Art Walks.
• The Crane Building.
• SLV Fast Friends.
• MVEDC.

Our expanded board is the perfect mix of people who loath long, laboriously unnecessary meetings as much as I do. It took no time for everyone to adopt our already established, efficient way of making decisions, an internal Message Group. The fact of the matter is, when things come up and decisions need to be made, we do so quickly, logically and without the need to “wait until the next month’s meeting.” Granted, not everything fits into this nice box, but the majority does, I absolutely love the efficiency in which we operate as a cohesive team and remain indebted to our board. “They Rock!”

One of the really exciting highlights this year was the phone call from our own state Governor. Upon hearing of our work Governor Polis called us and we took it on conference, giving Monte Vista City Manager Gigi Dennis-Lounsbury an opportunity to speak for the city, as well as offering us an opportunity to invite the Governor to the upcoming Potato Festival. Thanks to the efforts of the OptiMystics, the little town of Monte Vista has the positive attention of the Colorado state government.

Once again this year, we could not have accomplished everything we did without the deeply appreciated support of so many others. At the top of the list are our event sponsors, listed below. Just as important to us are the City of Monte Vista, the Monte Vista Police Department & Monte Vista Public Works. The fine folks behind these government agencies are always willing to lend a hand in support of our efforts. Specifically, we want to give a great big shout out to City Manager Gigi Dennis-Lounsbury, Police Chief George Dingfelder and Public Works Director Rob Vance. Thank You!

Of course, all of our members and volunteers are a key asset to getting anything done and we appreciate each and every one of them too. It’s so exciting to see new faces showing up at our meetings, only to become familiar faces over time. We’re also thankful for the ever growing list of vendors that continue to be a part of our events.

Last but certainly not least, YOU. The citizens of Monte Vista and surrounding towns of the San Luis Valley, who attend our events, support our efforts, and reach out to us for more information. Thank You!

Our 2022 Sponsors include RG Bank, SLVREC, Ciello, Monte Vista Coop, The LOR Foundation, Rising Fenix A&P, Sandhill Inn & Suites, SLVoices, San Luis Valley Broadcasting, Waste Management, Rocky Mountain Memorabilia, Krazie Pete’s Bounce Houses, Miracle Boy, Inc., San Luis Valley Amateur Radio Association, Monte Vista Journal, Burris & Sons Bucking Bulls, The Comm Shack, FaeMoon Wolf Designs & Grammys Kitchen/Rain Brews.

Here’s looking at an exciting 2023!

Adam Lock, President
OptiMystics CAN!

As summer prepares to turn to fall and I write our latest blog, we bid a fond farewell to our friend, first President and Co-Founder of The OptiMystics, Ken Hamko. To say he has been a large part of the driving force behind what we’ve accomplished over the past 3 years is an understatement. We first met in the summer of 2019 and it didn’t take long for the ideas to start flowing and an endearing friendship to form. As Ken embarks on a whirlwind European tour, we all wish him the best, as his retirement years finally commence. Thank you my friend, for all that you did to aid us in getting this started.

Our second annual Beer Fest & Car Show is finally behind us. It was another amazing day filled with awesome cars, twice as many local vendors, great food, delicious beer and so much more. We added even more depth this year by including the SLV Sword Guild, new food vendors, belly dancers and a corn hole tournament. Of course, we couldn’t do this without the cooperative efforts of the Poor Boy Car Club. Richard Garcia and his team are absolutely a blessing to work with. You can read more about the event in the Monte Vista Journal. And yes, very tentative plans are already under way for next year’s festival, which promises to be even bigger and better.

There were two things that stand out in my mind, regarding the Beer Fest & Car Show. One came just days before the event. How exciting it was to receive a personal phone call from Colorado Governor Jared Polis. He thanked The OptiMystics for our positive, forward thinking efforts in Monte Vista and wished us well with our annual Beer Fest & Car Show. The Governor called in part to say that he wouldn’t be able to attend our event this year, so I invited him to the SLV Potato Festival on September 10^th. Why Not? Let’s show him how Monte Vista celebrates something The San Luis Valley is so well known for.  

The other memory that stands out was as everything was set to start Saturday morning. Three hours of semi-controlled set up chaos plus months of preparation now lay behind us; and the festivities were ready to officially begin. It was then that for me, time culminated in one brief slice of unique togetherness, across Chapman Park. As our National Anthem poured forth, I rose proudly, savoring the moment. Everyone was standing, facing the flag, hatless, many with hands over their heart, some even singing. It was a priceless slice of Americana to behold…and truly a privilege to be a part of.

Earlier this summer, we kicked off monthly VIBE or Very Important Business Engagement meetings. In just a few short months, we’ve brought together dozens of small business owners, (virtual and brick & mortar); broadcast, print & digital media representatives ; members of the City of Monte Vista, potential business owners, managers and more. Our meetings include special guest speakers who touch on a variety of topics that are relevant to our businesses today. Speakers through the end of 2022 include Tara McCarroll, Master Tax Advisor for H&R Block, Ivette Attencio, MV Community Officer for the LOR Foundation, Gigi Dennis, Monte Vista’s City Manager, and Andrea Oaks-Jaramillo, URGED’s Executive Director. We welcome you to join us on the first Tuesday of every month for more OptiMystics CAN VIBE. Please email us to be put on the monthly email notification list.

Two more bicycle racks were recently installed in downtown Monte Vista with two more on the way soon. We’re placing artist created bike racks in convenient locations around Monte Vista, thereby providing locations to safely secure bikes and increase bike traffic with uniquely designed racks. Sponsorship is only $200.00 for each one of these unique artistic creations. Don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of this wonderful, artistic project in Monte Vista. Click here for The Sponsorship Order Form and get yours ordered today.

Collaboration with other local non-profits is rising to a new level this fall. We’re working hand in hand with the Monte Vista Emergency Food Bank and the Mystic Valley Art Council, to bring a family fun Halloween Festival to downtown Monte Vista on October 28th. We’ll be blocking off Adams Street for an evening that will include trunk or treating and other fun activities. Among other things planned, we’ll have a costume contest and local businesses will be handing out candy. The OptiMystics are excited to be working with these two fine organizations to bring this new event to our town. Just another way we’re Connecting People and Creating Community!

The OptiMystics signed on as part of the Steering Committee for the EPA’s Technical Assistance for the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities. We’ll have the opportunity to network with one another and exchange experiences on planning and implementing outdoor recreation initiatives for Monte Vista. We look forward to bringing you new information on this exciting program, as things get under way in late September.

Finally, we’ve made some revisions to our internal structure and how we operate. Going forward, The OptiMystics are now a board of five, as follows:

• Adam Lock, Sr. President & Secretary.
• Mark Renshaw. Vice President.
• Dustin Sigaty. Treasurer.
• L. Roy Aiken. Official Announcer & Board Member.
• Sheri Tearpak. Board Member.

The new board also unanimously decided to keep Ken Hamko on as President Emeritus. What an exciting time as we continue to expand our efforts as a group.

Hanging out downtown and bantering around seemingly crazy ideas just a few years ago, I never could have imagined that this would mature to the point where our positive impact is being widely recognized, even at the state level. I am so proud and thankful to each and every one of you who have supported our revitalization & beautification projects all along the way. You attend our meetings, sponsor our events, provide support & information, donate resources, and even volunteer your time. I truly appreciate each and every one of you for what you do to help our progress as we continually move into an exciting and rewarding future for our wonderful town. Thank you one and all.

Adam Lock Sr.
President & Co-Founder

There’s an increasingly positive VIBE occurring around town and we’re ecstatic. Monthly Art Walks on Adams Street hosted by a dynamic local business couple. New businesses opening up with still others in the works. Beautiful mural paintings are being commissioned by an engaging local couple who have sponsored two murals and doing the work to find sponsors for more! New and exciting events are taking place with even more being planned or returning to our area next year. Unique Bicycle Racks are being built and painted by local artists; getting installed around the area, and receiving a lot of use. And a new walking track / nature trail on the west side of town and an updated playground in Sanchez Park. There’s a groundswell of talk, activity, pride and real action taking place, all around town. Monte Vista is more than just alive and well, it’s growing!

We were walking down Adams Street recently, in our newly printed shirts and different people stopped us to talk. They recognized the Big Blue O in our OptiMystics logo, from across the street. The feedback we gratefully received let us know that we’re working in the right direction to affect a positive change right here. We even learned of other grant programs available for our downtown revitalization efforts and will be following up on them soon. And SLVGO has offered to work with The OptiMystics to accomplish even more. With their experience and expertise Monte Vista can expect to see some wonderful changes and additions to our charming little city.

We had a local event coordinator reach out to us this month, wanting T-Shirts quickly and we helped get them hooked up with a local business person to supply their needs. Local businesses doing business with other local businesses! And we continue to make these kinds of connections with other local business owners too as they come to us asking how they can participate in the excitement. This is small town networking at its finest.  

It is super encouraging to have a proactive City Council and staff that fully stands behind this positive movement. We’re very thankful for their support and assistance and look forward to continuing to bring fresh ideas and concepts to them, not just for discussion, but action.

Our 2^nd Annual Beer Fest & Car Show is a mere 2 months away. Join us as we excitedly partner with the Poor Boy Car Club again this year to throw one of the biggest events in Chapman Park, on August 20^th. We also encourage you to attend the SLV Potato Festival on September 10^th, which as far as we know, is the largest yearly event in Chapman Park.

We will be kicking off another new monthly event in July. The OptiMystics CAN VIBE (Very Important Business Engagement) will start meeting on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00PM. Our first meeting will be held at Grammy’s Kitchen on the Rain Brews side. Owner, Tina Freel, will be generously donating free finger foods with a cash bar and of course all are all welcome to order from Grammy’s regular menu. Our first honored guest speaker will be Jason Medina, who will give a short talk on the SLV Small Business Development Center and how they can assist local businesses. We appreciate Jason for donating his time and knowledge to help uplift existing and new businesses in Monte Vista. Future speakers will include area business leaders, law enforcement/security specialists, City and County leaders, and more.

In all of this, a slogan that best describes our group, came to us over recently. “Connecting People, Creating Community.” At the end of the day, it really isn’t about us as individuals; rather our organization’s mission as a whole, along with the businesses, the people, and our town that we work with. We’re facilitators, helping to make connections and keeping this positive momentum moving ever forward.

Or course, we welcome you to join us on the 2^nd & 4^th Tuesday of each month to learn more about who we are, what we do and what we are working to accomplish. We meet at Rain Brews, a part of Grammy’s Kitchen, at 104 Adams Street, at 6:00PM. See you there…

So much has happened since the year began that it’s time for a quick update.

The bicycle rack project is well under way. Local artist John Patterson is already working on his third bike rack and two other local artists have also expressed interest in creating even more. The second rack has been sponsored by The Hagendorfs, a wonderful local couple, and is ready to install in front of the Post Office. The Monte Vista Journal has once again been kind enough to cover this project, garnering us front page and digital coverage Local businesses or individuals wanting to sponsor a unique, one of a kind bicycle rack in Monte Vista are urged to contact us for more information, or you can visit our project web page.

Cinco de Mayo 2022 planning is well under way. We received the green light from the City of Monte Vista last week and are moving forward fast. We already have well over a dozen different food trucks & vendors committed and this year’s event promises to be even bigger and better. We learned a lot from last year’s event and are diligently applying those lessons along the way. We’re also seeking sponsors for the event and ask that you please reach out directly to us for more information. Planned sponsorship coverage this year will certainly make it worth it to participate.

Yes, we’re on target to hold our 2^nd Annual Beer Fest and Car Show in August in Chapman Park. Details are still rather sketchy at this time. Firm planning will begin upon the conclusion of this years Cinco de Mayo event. We’re working to hold the event together with the Poor Boy Car Club out of Center, again this year. Last year’s event was a total success and we look forward to working with them this year too.

FaeMoon Wolf Designs, a local retail gallery, is working to expand their 3^rd Friday Art Walk in downtown Monte Vista this summer. The OptiMystics have pledged their support of this wonderful series of artistic events and look forward to seeing our downtown area full of local artists from across the region.

We remain on the lookout for grant opportunities from various organizations around the state and country. Some in our group specialize in grant writing and have graciously volunteered to assist wherever they can. Nothing specific has come up yet, but we’re constantly watching and networking with others, seeking any grant opportunity that will help our efforts and our city at the end of the day.

Finally, we bid a warm goodbye to Board Member Scott Capron and just as warm a welcome to new Board Member Mark Renshaw. Scott is moving and we deeply appreciate his time aboard our organization. Mark comes to us with non-profit experience, most recently with the SLV Crimestoppers organization. We look forward to his input, wisdom and guidance as we continue to move forward with our revitalization efforts. Thank you for your continued support.

What an adventurous time it was for The OptiMystics last year. Here is a brief look back at 2021, recapping all the exciting things that happened with our grass roots movement.

We kicked off the year by providing an update to the Monte Vista City Council in mid-February and briefly covering our plans for the year. We returned to the city council chambers several times over the past year to provide updates and information on what we were doing.

When the year began, we felt Monte Vista was ready for something special, so we put together the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For so early in the year, we had seventeen entries in the parade, with several hundred coming out to watch. Local establishments on Adams Street and even City Hall, all got in on the excitement.

After over a year of planning, the lights on Adams Street were finally replaced. One brisk April morning we came together with SLVREC and the City of Monte Vista to get all the old lights on the one hundred block of Adams Street replaced with high efficiency, dusk to dawn LED lights. By summer’s end, most all the lights were on and working. The few remaining lights that are not functioning are slated to be fixed in early 2022.

May was another exciting month as The OptiMystics came together to pull off the first Cinco de Mayo Celebration on Adams Street. The weather was perfect, the street was lined with excited vendors and about a dozen fancy cars. It was estimated that over a thousand people made it out to enjoy the day, support local businesses, indulge in some great food, and watch the parade. Our venture was recognized all the way up at the state level.

Behind the scenes, a wonderful event was taking place all during the spring and summer months. Early in the year, The OptiMystics were offered the opportunity to take over an existing non-profit organization whose goals and objectives aligned perfectly with ours. By August, all the paperwork came together and The OptiMysics became an official 501(c)(3) organization.

Along the way, we met as a group almost weekly throughout the spring, summer and into the fall. Many wonderful and supportive faces have been to our meetings, and we appreciate all that they brought to the table.

To cap off our events last year, the OptiMystics, in conjunction with the Poor Boy Car Club, hosted our inaugural Beer Fest & Car Show in Chapman Park. This one-day show is estimated to have pulled in around 3,000 attendees, better than eighty great looking cars and over 2-dozen local vendors.

The Poor Boys and The OptiMystics were also able to make a nice contribution to the Homelake Veterans Home with proceeds from the festival and car show.

We made our first attempt at obtaining a DOLA revitalization grant in July & August. The city, council and all the business owners were on-board with the plan. While we were unsuccessful in obtaining the grant, we learned a lot about the process and met with practically every local business and building owner in the downtown area. Throughout the process, we even found ourselves able to help match up empty store fronts with prospective tenants.

In October we participated in the Kaboom project at Sanchez Park, in conjunction with the city, Kaboom & the CO Health Foundation. Several OptiMystic members volunteered for an afternoon and then attended the grand opening later that week.

In the fall we were approached by Friends of the Sandhill Cranes with a proposal for bicycle racks in Monte Vista. It quickly turned into a Bicycle Racks/ Art project. Each bike rack will be designed and built by local artist John Patterson, sold to sponsors and placed in strategic spots all around town.

We are working to establish a great repour with our new City Manager Gigi Dennis-Lounsbury. We met with Gigi, City Financial Manager Anita Kinsey, and Public Workd Director Robert Vance to discuss and begin the processes for the next Grant that is available for making improvements to Monte Vista

As a year-end close, a holiday party and a thank you to all our active members we met at Ninos Mexican Restaurant for Food, Beverage and Comradery. A good time was had by all!

One last time we want to thank all our wonderful sponsors over this past year, we could not have done it without you and deeply appreciate your support:

2021 Sponsors include RG Bank, SLVREC/Ciello, Monte Vista Coop, Sandhill Inn & Suites, SLVoices, Jack’s Market Pharmacy, San Luis Valley Broadcasting, Waste Management, Troy Plane State Farm, Wayne’s Print Shop, Monte Vista Police Department, City of Monte Vista, Monte Vista Public Works, Rocky Mountain Memorabilia, Krazie Pete’s Bounce House, Monte Vista Golf Course, Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce, San Luis Valley Amateur Radio Association, Hauser Handcrafted, Kids Connection, Alpine Achievers, Monte Vista Journal, Valley Communications, Southern Colorado Computer Services, FaeMoon Wolf Designs, The Polished Edge/Bean, Rain Brews, Quincy’s Tavern, Rancho de Animales and the Vali-3 Theater.

And of course, we could not do all of this without the support of our members. We are indebted to you for your tireless hours volunteering to help in our cause of revitalizing downtown Monte Vista. We look forward to the new year and the excitement it will bring to our historic town in the heart of the San Luis Valley.

Boy have we been busy! As this is written, the South Central Colorado Micro Brew Fest & Car Show is just 2 weeks away. We’re excited to be bringing this event to Monte Vista and the San Luis Valley. Beer tasting, local craft vendors, games, and of course lots of cool cars. The OptiMystics are proud to be working with the Poor Boy Car Club to host this special one day event. And of course we want to thank our lead sponsor, RG Bank.

To update everyone on what’s been happening, here’s a quick recap:

• We are now an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, as of June 2021.
• We gave our quarterly update to the Monte Vista City Council in July.
• We were interviewed in July on KSLV Radio about the Beer Fest & Car Show and more.
• We remain active on social media and now meet every Tuesday at 6PM at Rain Brews.
• We are actively pursuing a large grant through the Main Street: Open for Business initiative. The Monte Vista City Council voted in support of our efforts at the August 5th meeting.

The OptiMystics CAN welcomed new business Colorado 4X4/The Jeep Rescue League-South to Monte Vista with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, during their Grand Opening. It was a great event with new people and Jeeps showing up all day long.

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More pictures are on our Facebook Page. And you can also listen to Neil and Tammy’s stories in this podcast, starting at 15:55.

Contact Information:

• Phone: 910-859-0918
• Facebook
• Email
• Instagram
• Address: 1636 Grande Ave, Monte Vista, CO 81144

*Pictures courtesy of SLVoices. ©2021, All Rights Reserved.*