City of Aztec Considers Leasing Hidden Valley Golf Course

     I really want to end this month with four posts, so I am adding this extra one.  I should be going to sleep as I am leaving for Las Vegas, NM tomorrow at 3:00 with my teacher buddies for part 2 of a Reads to Lead training.  And, that is right during the Superbowl celebration.  Good thing the Broncos aren't playing in it again this year.  
     It's important I get this in here, though. Below is the info leading up to the meeting about our city's possible lease of our beloved Hidden Valley Golf Course. 
     I will start with the e-mail that C.J. forwarded to me telling of the meeting.

From: cj spence 
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 1:10 PM
To: Swope, Patrick
Subject: golf course

Pat, this from Josh Ray this morning!

Good afternoon Mr. Spence.

I wanted to let you know that the City has made...

Happy Birthday to Me!

     Two days ago, I turned 48 years old.  Two days and twenty-five years ago, I started my teaching career.  Looking back, that was one of the best ways to start a career---happy birthday, here's a job that will be incredible and fulfilling, a journey for the ages.  At times, though, it has been equally as frustrating.  Rewarding for certain, but a time sucker if there ever was one.  I just spent another three hours in my classroom this morning (a typical amount of time spent each weekend), and that was after hosting my final parent-teacher conferences.  Conferences were preceded by a celebration of the 100th Day of School and my birthday celebration was tacked onto that.  A very generous parent and her daughter brought cake and punch for the class for my birthday that morning when I arrived at my door.  I love my job!  All the frustrations and time spent preparing on the weekends are worth it.  They are far outweighed by watching my students learn and grow.  Oh, and the free sugar.
     Today, Eric, Amanda, Belinda and I had dinner in Durango to celebrate our birthdays.  Eric just had his 49th birthday on the 26th, and the twins had their birthday on December 22nd.  It's an annual tradition that the four of us have held to go out for at least one birthday dinner, and sometimes we've gone out for two.  Eric plans on returning to golf, I hope, now that he has had his shoulder surgery.  I am also hoping that it all works out with the city of Aztec leasing the golf course.  We had a fabulous time together at Cuckoo's, one of Eric's and my favorite places to go after we used to go play golf at Hillcrest.  Hopefully we will go play there again as well.
     In other news, our family's favorite show, Parenthood, ended with the season's finale on Thursday.  We love that show, so it's very sad to all of us that it's now officially over.  We talked about it at dinner tonight, too, and I said that that show was one of the best contemporary television shows ever.  Goodbye, Parenthood.  You will be missed.  Catch you again when your reruns end up on Netflix.  That's it for this month.  I only posted three times, so I hope February, although shorter, will have my usual four posts.  
    

Now Wait Just a Minute

1-27-15

    I left right after school today to early vote on the Bond election for San Juan College, and who did I see but Mike Stark, my first ever golf instructor.  He is working for the county now, so we bumped into each other, and it was great to see him and get caught up with each other.  He’s doing very well.
    The more things change, the more they stay the same.  When we parted ways, I told him I was headed to the meeting at City Hall about the possibility of the city of Aztec taking over Hidden Valley and making it a municipal course.  Here we were some 15 or so years later, and we are still talking about golf, but in a different context this time.
    The meeting went very well, and things look hopeful.  Our city manager had done his homework, and he presented a budget proposal that was well thought out.  The emphasis was on what a great opportunity this was, and that the risk was minimal.  They are considering a two-year lease and if things don’t go well in the first year, they can let it go and get out of it.  Hopefully, though, that won’t happen.
    Having a golf course is good for our city and super for business.  It’s great for the children in this area who can participate in the First Tee program, and it’s wonderful for our high school students who can play competitively on the golf team.  It’s also beneficial for marketing Aztec as a place where people can come and play, and one of the things they can play is…golf.  It’s great for events, too.  We can use tournaments as fundraisers for a variety of causes, and people can rent it for other venues as well, such as weddings.  If all goes as planned, the golf course would reopen by February 15th.  It looks like love will be in the air soon after Valentine’s Day, the love of golf in Aztec again.

Hello, 2015! A Year of HUGE Changes

1-22-15

    Welcome to another year and another journal.  Belinda and I are on the cusp of new adventures, and I know that writing, especially writing in this journal will continue to be a part of it all.  She and I are retiring from public education after a combined 50+ years.  This is it.  The end is nigh.  Changes are coming, HUGE changes, and it’s a very exciting, yet stressful time. 
    So, what’s up with the golf now?  First, Hidden Valley is officially closed.  Bruce said in an e-mail they have boarded up the windows.  It’s done.  Over.  Might it start up again under new owners and new management?  Maybe.  Could it be completely redesigned and have lots for sale for home sites?  Possibly.  Will the city take it over?  There’s a chance.  Until any of those possibilities happen (or not), life and golf continue. 
    I saw the stark differences of not having our own home course anymore when C.J. and I played nine holes at Pinon Hills this past weekend on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.      First, I had to call ahead to get a tee time.  Second, I didn’t get the time I had hoped.  We wanted to play close to 11:00, and the earliest tee time was at 11:40.  Third, I chose to go pick up C.J. because his house is on the way to Pinon Hills.  No big deal; I certainly don’t mind.  Fourth, it takes longer (of course) to get there, about fifteen minutes longer.  I left my home at around ten ’til 11:00, and after a completely uninterrupted nine holes on the back nine (thanks to Dana who was working the pro shop), was back home close to 2:00.  I know that a full eighteen hole round would be easily a full five hour event, and that is if it’s not crowded.  If we were to play eighteen holes at Hidden Valley, it could be done in four hours, or maybe a bit more than that.  One of the nicest things about Hidden Valley, and one of the things I will miss the most is that it was close. 
    Next time I write, I’ll talk about the round with C.J., the first round of 2015.

Until next time…