MAY 5th Article, as seen in THE SIGNATURE

From the Director’s Desk …

I am two months in and still lovin’ it! There is so much to be done for opening weekend at Francisco Fort Museum, and it keeps me excited and always offers something new. Plus, who doesn’t love waking up each morning and driving into such a scenic area? I am spoiled!

As easy as it would be to fill up an entire newspaper with all that is going on, I will be doing my best to choose something each week that I think it particularly news-worthy. This week, I wanted to spend some time pointing out the changes that are almost all in place for the 2011 gift shop.

The aim for this season was to insure a focused and organized gift shop area. The merchandise this year has been scaled down to allow for an easy, organized shopping experience. There will be five main offerings for our visitors: an old time photo studio and old time candy shop, custom mugs, a children’s corner, and apparel.  The wonderful thing about this approach is that the shop will offer something for La Veta citizens all summer long. Even the resident that has already been through the museum can still come down for quality snacks or invite a house guest to pose for a fun keepsake photo at our studio.

Of particular note is our brand new apparel line, Declaration Clothing Company. Declaration Clothing Company is based out of Denver, and has been a web-based company until recent agreements with Francisco Fort Museum. I am very excited to announce we are the first retail location for this line, and will receive the added benefits of being listed as such on all Declaration Clothing Company web efforts. Owner Douglas Reilly, “The decision to name Francisco Fort Museum Gift Shop as Declaration’s first retail outlet just made sense; our clothing is about Colorado pride, and locals as well as visitors will be appreciating just that as they explore Colorado history”.

I am officially inviting all of you to CHECK IT OUT!  Be watching for information regarding a La Veta Open House, May 21^st. Come get your picture taken in a wacky cowboy hat, fill up a paper bag with good old-fashioned candy, and sport your Colorado pride with one of Declaration Clothing Company’s great logos!

Jennifer Nackerud