Jan 23, 2009 6:01 pm US/Mountain
Colorado Town Comes Together In Hard Times
Written for the Web by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith
HARTSEL, Colo (CBS4) ―
-
-
CBS4's Suzanne McCarroll talks to local shopkeeper about hard times in Hartsel.
CBS
Tucked in the mountains of Park County, Colorado, Hartsel sits at the geographic center of the state. Once you look past the breathtaking beauty, you realize economic hardship has hit hard there.
"We've had people laid off of jobs they've had for ten to fifteen years," said Violet Jacobus, owner of the H.O.B. Café & Saloon.
At the town's general store, the shopkeeper keeps track of every resident.
"I know all sixty-four, their kids, their dogs, their cats, and their horses," Susan Jones told CBS4.
When her customers brought in their treasures, Jones agreed to sell them on consignment. When they can't pay for their groceries, she lets them charge.
"They've got to eat. I am not going to let any person go hungry especially children," Jones added.
In that same vein, Jones and Jacobus work together to run an impromptu food bank. When residents have extra canned goods they make a donation, and when they need a little help they get some free food. That's where CBS4 is paying it forward with $1,000 dollars to help restock the shelves.
"We're an old fashioned town, if it works why change it," Jones said.
The old fashioned values in Hartsel allow the residents to barter their goods and services before they'd ever ask for government assistance or a handout.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
