By Mac Neely
Abe Saunders is turning 83. There will be a special birthday party for him at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Wrightsman House, 209 Bauer St. Everyone is invited to join and wish Abe a happy birthday.
Abe served in the Korean War on the destroyer USS Brush from 1951-1955. Twenty-three years ago, he and his wife, Alice, purchased the Wrightsman House and operated a bed and breakfast for several years. When Alice fell ill, it was closed. I remember when I first came here, Abe on his guitar and Alice playing the washtub/gut bucket and singing old Western songs. It was great. Abe’s niece Jo Savage came to stay with him this winter, but liked Mancos so much, she decided to stay. Abe is always going to pick up his guitar and sing. All you have to do is ask. He has a great voice.
He is part of the color guard at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5231, which has many requests throughout the year. He and the others can often be seen proudly bearing our flags. Come and join others from the VFW to wish Abe a happy birthday.
The Mancos Valley Chorus
Last week, 39 members of the Mancos Valley Chorus started practicing for the May 7–12 presentation. Members are from Mancos, Cortez and Durango. In 1998, a group of 15–17 men and women met in Mancos and started the chorus at the United Methodist Church. Other singers soon joined, and Kriss Larsen became their director in 2000. And in 2006, pianist Lee Bartley joined the chorus as accompanist. The chorus puts on four to six shows in May and December. The theme this year is “Love Makes the World Go Round.” In addition to the chorus, there will be solos by Terry Wells and Gloria Thatch-Woody, as well as a few surprises. All the performances are free, but you can always make a donation.
Don’t forget: “Love Makes the World Go Round,” May 7–12!
The Mancos Public Library tells me registrations are coming in for the Mancos Cowboy 5K Run on Saturday, June 24. Sign up soon, and you get a discount. For more information, visit http://mancoshalf.mancoslibrary.org.
