{"id":99092,"date":"2018-06-19T11:01:29","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/silverton-shop-owners-feel-economic-squeeze-from-416-fire\/"},"modified":"2018-06-19T11:01:29","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:01:29","slug":"silverton-shop-owners-feel-economic-squeeze-from-416-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/silverton-shop-owners-feel-economic-squeeze-from-416-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Silverton shop owners feel economic squeeze from 416 Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"DeAnne
DeAnne Gallegos rings up Scott and Heidi Pankow at her shop, the Chocolate Dog, in Silverton on Sunday. The Pankows live in Ouray, but they went to Silverton to spend some money to help the struggling businesses affected by the 416 Fire.<\/span>Patrick Armijo\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

SILVERTON \u2013 The collateral damage inflicted by the 416 Fire hit more than homeowners and businesses within a few miles of the blaze; it also hit owners of shops and restaurants dozens of miles north in Silverton.<\/p>\n

Lost summer sales from the three to four daily runs of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad only augmented the pain many merchants in this mountain town were feeling from a weak winter season, when a paltry snowpack hurt their cash registers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe disaster really started in November, with the lack of snow. So, this is the continuation of a tough year,\u201d said DeAnne Gallegos, owner of the Chocolate Dog<\/a>, 1303 Greene St. in Silverton, and the executive director of the Silverton Chamber of Commerce<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gallegos said she wants to get the word out that while the San Juan National Forest is closed, the Alpine Loop running from Silverton to Lake City and administered by the Bureau of Land Management remains open and offers hiking, mountain biking and four-wheeling opportunities.<\/p>\n

Wyatt Carmack, owner of Outdoor World<\/a>, said the closure of the forest is particularly harmful to his outdoor recreation store.<\/p>\n

Expecting a potentially bad wildfire season, he changed his buying strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad I listened to my gut and didn\u2019t buy a lot of inventory. Honestly, I can say I did anticipate this,\u201d Carmack said Sunday afternoon. \u201cBut we got some good, steady rain today. Hurricane Bud, he\u2019s my new best bud, Hurricane Bud, so maybe we can salvage some of the season, July and August, if the rains come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carmack, who said his June sales are down 70 percent, is worried that the fire coming at the beginning of the summer will lead to problems down the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis happened early, and a lot of reservations are pending for all summer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He worries that people will assume the entire summer season will be bad and will cancel July, August and September plans in the San Juan National Forest and move their outdoor excursions elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll say: \u2018Why bother,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Heidi and Scott Pankow of Ouray and Jennifer King, who remained evacuated from her Falls Creek home on Sunday, were in Silverton to support their neighbors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to spend some money,\u201d King said. \u201cI feel (Silverton) has been so isolated and cut off. I wanted to volunteer, but most of the spots were already filled. I thought: We\u2019ll what can I do? I can spend some money.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pankows felt the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to come down and do a little power shopping and help out our friends and neighbors,\u201d Heidi Pankow said.<\/p>\n

Bill Walko, owner of Natalia\u2019s 1912 Restaurant<\/a>, 1159 Blair St., said the 416 Fire came early in June before businesses were able to accrue any earnings for the month, and the timing made it a particularly difficult business challenge.<\/p>\n

Like many shops and restaurants on Blair Street, Walko said he is particularly dependent on the Durango train runs, estimating 90 percent of his business comes from train passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing everything we can to balance the needs of our employees and keep everyone employed with limited hours. And we do appreciate everyone who has made an effort to come to Silverton. It does make a difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Melanie Bergolc, an employee at the Old Arcade Trading Co.<\/a>, 1202 Empire St., said during the past week, the days when the store was down 50 percent in daily sales felt \u201clike victories.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she said Sunday \u2013 the first day U.S. Highway 550 opened to unfettered traffic since June 1 \u2013 provided a noticeable bump in sales.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to say I\u2019m one of the lucky ones,\u201d she said, noting that many sales clerks had been laid off in town because of the fire\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n

She said Janice Sanders, owner of the Old Arcade, kept her staff employed and shuffled employees to her two stores in Ouray to spread hours and provide some shifts to everyone.<\/p>\n

\"Linda
Linda Dailey, a Silverton native, said the loss of one month of the summer season because of the 416 Fire is devastating for shop owners, who depend on strong summers to carry them the entire year.<\/span>Patrick Armijo\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Linda Dailey, owner of Rocky Mountain Gifts, said the summer is so vital to sales she can\u2019t help but be concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard on locals,\u201d she said. \u201cWe work hard for five or six months so we can live off our own money for the winter. So, yes, I am a little worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gallegos said she has begun working with Melanie Russek, development and recovery coordinator for the San Juan Economic Development Association<\/a>, to develop an economic recovery program to help small businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we are a vulnerable community,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re a small town. We\u2019ll band together. That\u2019s how we\u2019ll get through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russek said the tough winter and now the 416 Fire show the need for resiliency planning.<\/p>\n

Ideas like boosting winter and shoulder season recreational offerings, bolstering the creative arts community and attracting telecommuters are all pointed to as ideas to diversify the economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe psychological piece is important now, just maintaining community morale,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

parmijo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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