{"id":445660,"date":"2017-10-16T09:28:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T15:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=445660"},"modified":"2017-10-18T10:08:07","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T16:08:07","slug":"brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/","title":{"rendered":"Brewery helps breathe life into downtown Truth or Consequences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"slides-445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\" class=\"navis-slideshow\"><div id=\"445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984-slide1\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-1.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\/1\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dozens of people filled Truth or Consequences\u2019 new brewery on a Friday evening in early September.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984-slide2\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-2.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\/2\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Masterson, left, and Marianne Blaue stand behind the counter at their new brewery.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984-slide3\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-3.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\/3\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marianne Blaue, left, and John Masterson show off the tank containing Cosmic Blonde No. 1, T or C Brewing Company\u2019s first beer, in early September.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984-slide4\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-6.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\/4\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marianne Blaue talks with a customer at T or C\u2019s new brewery on a Friday in early September.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984-slide5\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-5.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\/5\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Menus from nearby restaurants await customers on tables at T or C\u2019s downtown brewery. Several eateries deliver food to the brewery.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984-slide6\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-4.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-79e58779b5443eedfa56aef471eec984\/6\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Masterson shows off the tank containing Cosmic Blonde No. 1, T or C Brewing Company\u2019s first beer, in early September.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES \u2014 Marianne Blaue and John Masterson discovered this offbeat town by accident in September 2015.<\/p>\n<p>They intended to pass Truth or Consequences as they traveled from Albuquerque to Silver City on vacation, but they were tired. They pulled off and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express.<\/p>\n<p>Masterson found the community\u2019s artist directory in the hotel lobby the next morning. It piqued their interest in a town they knew nothing about except for its funny name.<\/p>\n<p>They stayed in T or C most of the day. They explored downtown\u2019s quirky businesses, which are interspersed with vacant, often dilapidated buildings. They discovered soothing hot springs and quality restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>And they had enlightening conversations. \u201cThe people presence was really positive \u2013 nice, helpful people really engaging us,\u201d Blaue said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"module align-left half type-aside\">\n<h3>About this article<\/h3>\n<p>This article\u00a0is part of the State of Change project, a multi-newsroom examination of\u00a0the challenge of building resilient rural communities &#8212; and what some\u00a0in New Mexico are doing right. <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/series\/state-of-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>She and Masterson, who were living in Seattle at the time, eventually left for Silver City. But they felt called back and returned to T or C a few days later for an art hop. They found bands playing downtown and shops serving wine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe developed a crush on the town,\u201d Masterson said.<\/p>\n<p>He and Blaue weren\u2019t actively looking for a new home but were keeping their eyes open. They decided to find a spot in downtown T or C to get a beer and talk things over.<\/p>\n<p>No luck. The last downtown bar had closed years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>Masterson and Blaue were baffled. Seattle has a flourishing brewery scene. Masterson had been doing home brewing for years. They had thought about opening their own brewery or brewing supply store in Seattle, but decided the market was saturated.<\/p>\n<p>In T or C they found a place they loved, and an opportunity. What started as a joke \u2013 they should move to T or C and open a brewery \u2013 became a serious business venture. They bought an old building downtown and renovated it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torc.beer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Truth or Consequences Brewing Company<\/a> opened its doors in June, serving beer from other New Mexico brewers. Three months later, Masterson, 48, and Blaue, 35, hung a sign outside the business and started serving Masterson\u2019s own brews. They expanded the brewery\u2019s hours earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>Masterson and Blaue are among those in T or C who have taken on financial risk, hardship and lots of work to make T or C a place people will visit for days a time. The new brewery helps create a needed nightlife and serves as a gathering space for the community. Now the question for T or C is how to attract other entrepreneurs \u2013 and keep them.<\/p>\n<h3>Poverty and exodus<\/h3>\n<p>Truth or Consequences is a hot, dusty town nestled between a pair of manmade lakes to the east and Interstate 25 and the Gila National Forest to the west. The town was originally named Hot Springs after waters Apache leader Geronimo is said to have enjoyed in the 19th Century. In 1950, when the host of the popular game show Truth or Consequences said he would broadcast from any town that took on the name, residents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cntraveler.com\/stories\/2013-01-07\/truth-or-consequences-new-mexico-maphead-ken-jennings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">voted 10-1<\/a> for the new name, seeking to distinguish their town from others named Hot Springs.<\/p>\n<p>Interest in the town again spiked <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/10\/05\/travel\/05Surfacing.html?mcubz=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a decade ago<\/a> when the state opted to build Spaceport America in the desert to the east. Virgin Galactic\u2019s pledge to fly high-dollar customers into space from the facility was to create a tourism boom for the region, but accidents have delayed those plans and fueled skepticism. Meanwhile, T or C\u2019s population has shrunk and its economy has stagnated.<\/p>\n<p>Today the spaceport <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/series\/spaceport-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is operational<\/a> and Virgin Galactic says it hopes to begin flights <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/after-years-of-delays-virgin-galactic-prepares-for-spaceflights-from-nm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">next year<\/a>, but substantial tourism hasn\u2019t yet materialized.<\/p>\n<p>Big dreams aside, T or C\u2019s downtown is a unique draw. Historic buildings line the one-way loop under an expansive sky. The Geronimo Springs Museum includes a display of about 30 different styles of barbed wire. At the downtown grocery store Bullocks, people can still rent VHS cassettes \u2014 and pick up a good bottle of whiskey, or a kombucha if they prefer.<\/p>\n<p>People can soak in hot springs for a few dollars or opt for an upscale experience at businesses like billionaire Ted Turner\u2019s Sierra Grande Lodge &amp; Spa \u2013 though T or C is home today to about a quarter of the hot spring spas that existed before World War II. There are unique restaurants, a used bookstore and other shops that sell clothing, antiques and art.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"slides-445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec\" class=\"navis-slideshow\"><div id=\"445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec-slide1\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-9.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec\/1\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">An early September scene on Broadway Street, part of T or C\u2019s downtown loop.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec-slide2\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-8.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec\/2\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">T or C\u2019s new brewery is already helping bring more people downtown.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec-slide3\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-14.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec\/3\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Linda DeMarino, executive director of MainStreet Truth or Consequences, designed the hybrid hot springs\/Zia symbol logo that adorns a bike rack at the new downtown plaza.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec-slide4\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-17.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec\/4\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Truth or Consequences resident Jessica Murphy helps friends sell their vegetables at T or C\u2019s farmer's market, which is located near downtown, on a Saturday in early September.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec-slide5\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-21.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-954b9376c2aaad973127f83b3a3591ec\/5\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downtown Truth or Consequences is filled with public art and hot springs water features like this park next to the Geronimo Springs Museum.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>There\u2019s been a noticeable increase in downtown traffic in recent months, which some attribute to the brewery. But many businesses have come and gone in recent years, and some believe the town\u2019s best days are in the past.<\/p>\n<p>The interstate exit that leads to downtown T or C and the hot springs doesn\u2019t point people there. It\u2019s instead labeled as the exit for the adjacent village of Williamsburg. Even T or C\u2019s name is a relic of the past, some say, pointing out that many of today\u2019s youth have never heard of the game show for which the town is named.<\/p>\n<p>T or C is located in one of the poorest counties in one of the poorest states in the nation. The town\u2019s poverty rate of 25 percent is five percentage points higher than the state\u2019s. Its median income in 2015 \u2013 $26,877, according to the U.S. Census \u2013 was about $18,000 below the state average.<\/p>\n<p>Between 2007 and 2014, unemployment in T or C spiked from 3.5 percent to 11.3 percent. This year it has hovered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dws.state.nm.us\/Portals\/0\/DM\/LMI\/Table_A_2017_06_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">between 7.7 and 10.1 percent<\/a> \u2013 worse than the state and much worse than the nation as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>Sierra County, where T or C is located, has more elderly residents and fewer children than the state averages. And from 2000 to 2016 more than twice as many people died as were born in the county, according to Headwaters Economics.<\/p>\n<p>T or C has lost 7 percent of its population in recent years \u2014 falling from 6,474 residents in 2010 to 6,023 in 2016, according to the Census.<\/p>\n<h3>Entrepreneurs needed<\/h3>\n<p>Through that period of stagnation, some entrepreneurs have found success in T or C. Rob and Ralph Stuart, for example, have built Blackstone Hot Springs into a successful business. They bought the historic property a block south of downtown in 2004, originally intending it to be only a personal getaway. They live most of the time in Pecos, in northern New Mexico, where the average annual low temperature is about 34 degrees \u2013 12 degrees colder than in T or C.<\/p>\n<p>Their architect suggested they embrace a larger vision for a destination that would help people deal with societal uncertainty. \u201cWe tried to create an experience where people would come and regain their sense of wellbeing with a chaotic world around them,\u201d Rob Stuart said. \u201cTo open a hole in the ground and pull out water that\u2019s 110 degrees is a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They opened Blackstone when one room was ready in 2006. As the nation headed into the Great Recession they couldn\u2019t get another loan to complete construction, so they cashed in points on their credit card to buy doors and windows at Home Depot. They opened additional rooms in 2008. The business embraces the town\u2019s TV name by creating themes in its rooms for shows like The Golden Girls and The Jetsons.<\/p>\n<p>Today Blackstone\u2019s occupancy is twice the average for hotels in Santa Fe, Stuart said. And he sees potential for more tourism in T or C, which he calls a \u201cwide open\u201d market, but also a problem: \u201cWe have more visitors coming already than we have entrepreneurs to serve them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some new entrepreneurs are trying to change that. Masterson and Blaue are working to create a public space with their brewery. Lynda Thompson recently opened a new shop that adds to the arts community downtown. Gaelan and Jasna Brown and their son recently started a food truck, which they park near the brewery.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_443868\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-443868\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-18-771x521.jpg\" alt=\"Lynda Thompson\" width=\"771\" height=\"521\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-18-771x521.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-18-336x227.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-18-768x519.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-18-1170x791.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-18.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lynda Thompson shows off a recent creation at her downtown T or C shop Angel Remnants. Thompson scavenges minerals in southern New Mexico and creates decorative angels out of those rocks and other materials to sell at the shop.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Thompson, a Montana native who lived in Santa Fe for 20 years, decided last November to move with her secondhand and art store, Angel Remnants, from Santa Fe to downtown T or C because she was \u201ctired of being cold.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI came here for the warmth, the healing waters, and the rockhounding,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n<p>She scavenges minerals in southern New Mexico, which she uses to create decorative angels. She supplements her income with a part-time job as a bartender at the brewery, which is just across the street.<\/p>\n<p>The Brown family has traveled for years, \u201cwaiting for the right time and place\u201d to launch their food truck, Gaelan Brown said. Collaborating with Masterson and Blaue convinced them \u201cthe time is now and the place is here,\u201d he said. Me Gusta World Street Food now delivers orders to customers at the brewery and sells food out of the truck.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_443860\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 336px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-443860\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-10-336x470.jpg\" alt=\"Jasna Brown\" width=\"336\" height=\"470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-10-336x470.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-10-768x1073.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-10-771x1078.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-10.jpg 1031w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Me Gusta World Street Food, a new food truck, parks near T or C\u2019s downtown brewery. Head chef Jasna Brown prepares food for a customer on a Friday in early September. In the background is her husband Gaelan Brown.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Such collaborations can help build a critical mass that attracts customers. Later this month, T or C Brewing Company and Me Gusta are holding a joint grand opening and Oktoberfest celebration with a shared beer garden in the alley behind the brewery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re excited to be part of elevating downtown T or C as a destination for quality food and night life,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n<p>Like the Stuarts, it was a stretch for Masterson and Blaue to come up with the cash to open their business. The couple invested big in their T or C dream, spending their savings on the brewery. It wasn\u2019t enough to gut and renovate the historic building downtown, which has housed a car dealership and art gallery, among other things, in its more-than 90 years.<\/p>\n<p>The couple secured a $125,000 grant through a state economic development program that helped with renovations. In exchange, they have to create at least eight manufacturing jobs within five years \u2013 which puts T or C Brewing Company on a path to becoming a beer distributor in addition to a drinking establishment. The business also received grants from USDA\u2019s Rural Development Office to install solar panels and energy efficient equipment.<\/p>\n<p>They brewed their first beer, Cosmic Blonde No. 1, on the day of the solar eclipse in August. They had a costume party to celebrate its debut in mid-September, and the brewery filled up with more people than ever.<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018Creating lifeblood\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Given the right conditions, breweries can help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curbed.com\/2017\/6\/13\/15788960\/brewing-economic-development-craft-beer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">revitalize small towns<\/a>. In New Mexico, the number of full liquor licenses is limited by state law, which makes them <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fronterasdesk.org\/content\/9283\/high-cost-liquor-license-new-mexico\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">highly coveted and expensive<\/a>. Over time, metro-area drinking establishments or chain stores like Walmart have bought up many of them. That and the shift of retail stores away from downtowns creates an opportunity for local breweries, according to John Gozigian, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCraft breweries have gravitated to the very areas that have been left behind for a variety of reasons: ample space, unique and historic architecture, affordable rent, and the intangible coolness of not being in a cookie-cutter retail development,\u201d Gozigian said.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in Paonia, Colorado, a town of about 1,500 people on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, the local brewery has had a substantial impact. Gretchen King and her husband moved there from Alaska to open Revolution Brewing in 2007, while the nation was heading into the Great Recession.<\/p>\n<p>Revolution was popular immediately, King said. People came from out of town to visit it. Farmer\u2019s markets and vineyards ramped up activity too, \u201cwhich created a small hum.\u201d While the Colorado beer scene exploded, Revolution built its reputation and began distributing beer in cans.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Neal Schwieterman, who was Paonia\u2019s mayor at the time, credits Revolution with helping save the town\u2019s economy during the recession. While other area governments sank into the red, Paonia\u2019s sales tax revenues remained roughly flat and helped the town government avoid substantial budget cuts.<\/p>\n<p>King and her husband sold the brewery after he decided to quit drinking, and it remains open today. Schwieterman said Paonia is changing. Mines have closed, and some of those residents have left. New residents are seeking rural homes and quality of life. There are more kids.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a whole different vibe,\u201d Schwieterman said. \u201c\u2026Change is inevitable, and you can\u2019t stop it. What you can do is try to keep and grow some jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>T or C has changed too, as its population slowly drops. Government assistance, like that provided to the town\u2019s brewery, can help communities adapt to such economic downturns. USDA Rural Development has funded a number of projects in T or C while the town\u2019s spaceport dreams have stagnated. In recent years, the agency has helped fund improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, business development downtown, a street sweeper, ambulances, a new hotel and home repairs, said Terry Brunner, who ran the agency\u2019s office in New Mexico during Barack Obama\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s impressive about that list is the wide variety of projects that have an impact on all sorts of sectors of the community,\u201d Brunner said. \u201cThose projects aren\u2019t fluff. They are the types of efforts you need in a town if you plan to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of whether Spaceport America succeeds, Brunner said he is optimistic about T or C\u2019s efforts to build \u201ca new economy\u201d as a unique tourist destination. T or C\u2019s downtown is \u201cperfectly set up\u201d as a walkable area with a variety of hotels, spas, restaurants and shops, he said. \u201cIf you look at successful tourist destinations around the country, they all have that in common,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Masterson and Blaue are working to thoughtfully integrate into T or C and develop symbiotic relationships with other businesses. They asked people for input before using the town\u2019s name for the brewery. They coordinate with the taproom at the bowling alley a mile north of downtown so the two are offering different beers. The downtown brewery places menus from area restaurants on tables, and several deliver food to the brewery\u2019s customers.<\/p>\n<p>They include A Little Slice of Heaven, a downtown sandwich shop that has adjusted its hours since the brewery opened \u2014 and, according to owner Bryan Becker, seen a spike in business as a result. The brewery is \u201ccreating lifeblood\u201d in T or C, Becker said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_443861\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-443861\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-11-771x549.jpg\" alt=\"Jared Bartoo\" width=\"771\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-11-771x549.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-11-336x239.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-11-768x547.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-11-1170x834.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-11.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Truth or Consequences resident Jared Bartoo speaks about the town\u2019s future during a recent forum at the downtown brewery hosted\u00a0by NMPolitics.net and KRWG Public Media. At right is T or C City Manager Juan Fuentes.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>\u2018You gotta have grit\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>That vibrancy will be key to making T or C more than a cheap place to retire. Jared Bartoo, 35, used to be among the town\u2019s naysayers. He \u201chigh-tailed it\u201d out of T or C in 2000, moving to Dallas a couple of months after graduating from high school in search of a place where he could pull up to any stoplight, look in both directions and see people younger than he was.<\/p>\n<p>Today, though, he\u2019s back in T or C \u2014 and fed up with those who say the town\u2019s best days are in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Bartoo returned in 2005 because he wanted to raise his children in a place \u201cwhere you say hi to everyone in the coffee shop because you know everyone.\u201d He began working for his father\u2019s sand and gravel company and took over as general manager the year the spaceport was built. The company poured concrete for the hangar Virgin Galactic is leasing from the state and had a record year.<\/p>\n<p>Bartoo said he\u2019s blessed to have a good job with a successful company. But he notes that he\u2019s among only a handful of people from his high school class who still live in T or C. He\u2019s worried that his children won\u2019t have the choice to stay if the town doesn\u2019t grow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s an underlying problem. It\u2019s that there\u2019s nothing here for anybody, and it sucks,\u201d Bartoo said. \u201cI want to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So does Blackstone\u2019s Rob Stuart. He said he knows people who bought property in T or C 10 to 15 years ago because of a sense that something big was coming, but they haven\u2019t done anything with it. Now, he said, those properties are just \u201colder and more decrepit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like everybody\u2019s waiting for something big to come to stick their neck out, and I think that\u2019s a shame,\u201d Stuart said. Instead, he said, people should help create that big thing.<\/p>\n<p>Like Stuart, Bartoo believes the answer lies in bringing more outside money to the town, but he\u2019s not sure how to make that happen. \u201cThat\u2019s why I give the vague answer of \u2018You gotta have grit, you gotta keep pushing, get up everyday and do something,\u2019 \u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>T or C exudes grit. The town recycles and conserves. You can see it in buildings, fences and art displays. A business a block south of downtown hung old New Mexico and Texas license plates on the fence around the yard in the shapes of automobiles. A wall outside the home of Jessica Murphy, an employee at the brewery, is made from concrete and empty wine bottles from BellaLuca, a popular restaurant downtown.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"slides-445660-1d80aadc1c20c484c2a68821cfc4ddfb\" class=\"navis-slideshow\"><div id=\"445660-1d80aadc1c20c484c2a68821cfc4ddfb-slide1\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-19.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-1d80aadc1c20c484c2a68821cfc4ddfb\/1\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A business located a block south of downtown T or C hung old New Mexico and Texas license plates on the fence around the yard in the shapes of automobiles.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-1d80aadc1c20c484c2a68821cfc4ddfb-slide2\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-20.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-1d80aadc1c20c484c2a68821cfc4ddfb\/2\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A wall outside Jessica Murphy\u2019s home in T or C is made from concrete and empty wine bottles from BellaLuca, a popular restaurant downtown.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Many people in T or C don\u2019t have much \u2013 and make do with what they have. \u201cMore than resilience, it\u2019s determination,\u201d said Linda DeMarino, executive director of MainStreet Truth or Consequences. She, Bartoo and others participated in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WdNtW0jy65Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a recent forum<\/a> hosted by NMPolitics.net and KRWG Public Media at the new brewery to discuss T or C\u2019s future. So did City Manager Juan Fuentes, who said people are \u201cnot giving up\u201d in spite of the town\u2019s ups and downs.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps that grit and the town\u2019s generosity are their own form of entrepreneurship, an investment of things other than money. Murphy, for example, ran a farm southwest of T or C for years with the man she was married to at the time. They sold shares in the crop and once traded vegetables for massages with someone who couldn\u2019t afford to buy a share.<\/p>\n<p>While many of the town\u2019s residents are short on cash, \u201cwe have time, we have able-bodied people, we have ideas, we have creativity,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n<p>Ben Kalminson sees T or C\u2019s spirit of community as a strength. He has lived in the town for 11 years, working for the federal government at Elephant Butte and Caballo dams. He and his wife Julia, an educational assistant at Truth or Consequences Elementary School, are raising two kids \u2013 Ethan, 12, and Isabella, 10.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a lot of support here. You need help, you can always go to somebody. Whether they\u2019re a rancher, a welder, a mechanic, construction, they\u2019re always willing to help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_443862\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-443862\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-12-771x596.jpg\" alt=\"Ben Kalminson\" width=\"771\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-12-771x596.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-12-336x260.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-12-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-12-1170x904.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-12.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Truth or Consequences resident Ben Kalminson looks over a menu from a nearby restaurant while having a beer at the downtown brewery.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Kalminson, 38, is on the board of the local youth soccer league and coaches a team. He\u2019s designing a sprinkler system for a new field the league is building. He and others fundraise, and the league lets kids join for $25 \u2013 a fraction of the cost to join a similar league in nearby Las Cruces. Kalminson said his family and others who can afford it pay the fee for some families that can\u2019t. And he saves equipment his kids have outgrown to give to others.<\/p>\n<p>The town\u2019s giving culture is so strong that Kalminson says T or C could survive a larger societal apocalypse. But that\u2019s not enough to keep him here. He shares Bartoo\u2019s views of the town\u2019s shortcomings when it comes to young people and resistance to change.<\/p>\n<p>Kalminson pushed for the creation of middle- and high-school soccer teams so kids in the youth league could continue competing, but some said that would take players away from other school sports. His daughter wants to learn to play the violin, but there\u2019s nowhere in town to buy one. Even if they could find a teacher, who would Isabella play with?<\/p>\n<p>Kalminson doesn\u2019t see his children staying in T or C after high school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re going to go and they\u2019ll probably never come back, because there\u2019s no industry to keep them here,\u201d he said, adding that he and his wife will probably also leave T or C at that point.<\/p>\n<p>Murphy, 32, said she likes raising her three children in T or C \u2013 twins Cormac and Clara, who are 5, and Bridger, 3.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"slides-445660-91fa7cf86adc03bc3b5df6079ab863af\" class=\"navis-slideshow\"><div id=\"445660-91fa7cf86adc03bc3b5df6079ab863af-slide1\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-16.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-91fa7cf86adc03bc3b5df6079ab863af\/1\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clara, 5, and Bridger, 3, eat peaches in their backyard in T or C with their mom, Jessica Murphy.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-91fa7cf86adc03bc3b5df6079ab863af-slide2\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-15.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-91fa7cf86adc03bc3b5df6079ab863af\/2\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Truth or Consequences resident Jessica Murphy picks peaches with her son Bridger, 3, in their backyard.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cAll the demographics say it\u2019s a terrible place to raise kids, but I think a lot of those indices don\u2019t weigh things in the same way that I do,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cI value open spaces and a clean environment and access to land to run around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But she\u2019s also not certain about her future in T or C.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love a lot of things about this community,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cI am committed to improving it while I\u2019m here, but I\u2019m open to possibilities for my future.\u201d She anticipates living elsewhere, at least part-time, when her kids are older.<\/p>\n<p>Bartoo isn\u2019t planning on going anywhere. \u201cI want to stay and work, and I want my kids to have that choice too,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re very blessed. We\u2019ve been able to make a living in this small town. I just want better for everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018A little bit of hope\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>On a Friday in early September, people filled the brewery to hear a popular duo play live music. Many spilled out onto the patio to enjoy the cool night air and conversation. Employees from nearby restaurants regularly passed through, delivering food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the first time since I\u2019ve been here, there\u2019s a place where the community comes together in the same physical space and just exists,\u201d said Murphy, who has lived in Sierra County since 2009.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"slides-445660-e50f7c372054b44704f50c076745996a\" class=\"navis-slideshow\"><div id=\"445660-e50f7c372054b44704f50c076745996a-slide1\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/T-or-C-13.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-e50f7c372054b44704f50c076745996a\/1\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">State Rep. Rebecca Dow speaks about T or C\u2019s future during a recent forum at the downtown brewery convened by NMPolitics.net and KRWG Public Media. At left is Gaelan Brown, co-owner of a new T or C food truck.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"445660-e50f7c372054b44704f50c076745996a-slide2\"><img data-lazy=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/McKinstry.jpg\" \/><h6 class=\"credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/h6><h6 class=\"permalink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/brewery-helps-breathe-life-into-downtown-truth-or-consequences\/#445660-e50f7c372054b44704f50c076745996a\/2\" class=\"slide-permalink\"><i class=\"icon-link\"><\/i> permalink<\/a><\/h6><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Melissa McKinstry, who runs a yoga studio and wellness center downtown, discusses T or C\u2019s future during a recent forum at the brewery hosted by NMPolitics.net and KRWG Public Media. At right are Gaelan Brown, co-owner of a new T or C food truck, and state Rep. Rebecca Dow.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>State Rep. Rebecca Dow, at the recent NMPolitics.net\/KRWG forum, said she\u2019s encouraged by what\u2019s happening downtown. \u201cA little bit of hope goes a long way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The brewery didn\u2019t spark what\u2019s happening, Blaue said, but it is contributing to something positive in the \u201cwonderful place\u201d she and Masterson fell into by accident. \u201cThere\u2019s already so much momentum here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Brown said the hot springs and weather drew his family to T or C. What kept them here were \u201cthe wide variety of unique individuals who seem free to be themselves without pretense, and the abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see T or C as one of the many hidden gems in New Mexico,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Gretchen King, who has since sold the brewery in Paonia, is the engagement director for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hcn.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">High Country News<\/a>, a partner in the State of Change project. High Country News assisted in planning and editing for this article.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>In-depth reporting requires immense time and financial investments. NMPolitics.net depends on your donations to keep doing projects like this article on T or C. Commit to giving $5 each month \u2013 or more if you can afford it \u2013 to help fund our work. Or make a one-time donation.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/donate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click here to donate<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now the question for this offbeat, impoverished town is how to attract other entrepreneurs \u2013 and keep them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":443850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[118,138,146,3581],"class_list":["post-445660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-economy","tag-growth-and-development","tag-poverty","tag-truth-or-consequences","series-state-of-change"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/443850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}