As I went shopping Sunday and Monday, it was easy to see who went to Blues Festival and who didn't. Some of the people I saw had to be in pain that night. I mean, how red can you get and not know you are burning? There was one guy who had been wearing a bandana or towel around his head. He had the strangest looking white band about 3-1/2 inches wide completely around his newly reddened head. I hope he didn't have an important business meeting on Tuesday.

The folks at the Mimbres Region Arts Council should reach out to Coppertone to see if they would sponsor a vendor booth to give away free sunscreen and suntan lotion. Or maybe they could have a photo contest to show who got the reddest. Remember the old Coppertone commercials where the dog tugged on the little girl's bikini bottoms to show her tan lines. That would be funny... but also painful.

If you didn't make the Memorial Day event at Fort Bayard National Cemetery, you missed a treat. Mr. Dan McBride told a story about why the "steel pot" was so important during his time at war. He discussed the usual things you can do with the steel pot helmet: cooking in it, using it to hold water, shaving in it, washing up in it, and even using it as a personal outhouse when necessary. He told the story about hauling beer from a tavern back to wounded soldiers in his steel pot. The story became so important that a Belgian (I think he said Belgian) beer company actually made a beer with a picture of a soldier hauling the brew in his steel pot. Memorial Day isn't just about remembering the bad things that happen, but also the humorous things that take place. Mr. McBride, thank you for sharing your story.

For you folks who haven't seen the inside of the newly renovated Grant County Veteran's Memorial Business and Conference Center, we are opening the doors for you to make an inspection. On Thursday - June 8, we, the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce, will host an Open House from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. We will also have a ribbon cutting event at 3:30 p.m. Now we haven't yet asked anyone to be a guest speaker, but I feel certain we will hear from a couple of the County Commissioners. The building is beautiful. It is a facility that every citizen in Grant County should take pride in. From the main lobby to the prep kitchen... this business and conference center is so much nicer than the old conference center. I hope you will take the time on June 8 to come visit the building and say hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. One room echoes a little bit, yet it is still a gorgeous room and has already seen some large events that turned out fantastic.

We are the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce. It is our mission to serve our members by promoting business, commerce and tourism in Grant County. We want to be an advocate for local businesses. We want to assist our local member businesses to grow and prosper. If you are not a member, check us out at www.silvercity.org or call me at (575) 538-3785. And by the way, if you aren't a member, why aren't you? Even individuals can have personal memberships for as low as $30 a year and small businesses as low as $135 a year. I hope to hear from you.