NEDERLAND, Colo. — As a substitute of handing out coffees and serving to folks discover their subsequent greatest learn, Blue Owl Books in Nederland is crammed with naked bookshelves and the recollections of the previous 20 years of enterprise.
A pipe burst above the store on Jan. 22, destroying half of the stock, together with uncommon books and merchandise.
“We received the meter studying from the city water meter, and so they instructed us that was 3,600 gallons of water that had pumped into the upstairs space that got here down via, simply collapsing the ceilings,” mentioned Kimba Stefane, proprietor of Blue Owl Books.
Stefane has spent the previous 20 years making the Blue Owl really feel like a house away from residence. Rising up, she constructed bookshelves in her room to carry her private assortment.
“All I needed to do was learn,” the bookstore proprietor mentioned.
Maggy Wolanske
Stefane moved out to Colorado to pursue a level in literature and dreamed of proudly owning a bookstore when she was “a bit of previous woman,” however via destiny and a friendship, that dream got here true ahead of anticipated.
“I purchased the shop from a buddy of mine. I truly labored right here when my son was a toddler, and I labored in change for books, not for pay. And I would are available with him, and we shelved books and do issues for her,” mentioned Stefane.
Sadly, as a result of flooding, Stefane was compelled to briefly shut down the Blue Owl. She hopes to reopen someday within the spring.
Maggy Wolanske
“I miss it terribly every single day. I miss being right here. I miss connecting with the neighborhood and the vacationers. Plenty of vacationers would cease via, you understand. [I’m] lacking all that,” Stefane mentioned.
Andrew Dewart, chair of the Nederland Downtown Improvement Authority, mentioned these mom-and-pop retailers like Blue Owl Books have a big impression on the native financial system.
“Small enterprise to the city is so necessary for, clearly, the gross sales tax income of the city, but additionally actually the cultural identification. And the neighborhood identification of small companies is necessary,” mentioned Dewart. “This time of yr, it is troublesome. Visitors is not all the time what it needs to be to help companies, so the companies that may keep open yr spherical, it is actually necessary that we have now them.”
Maggy Wolanske
After the flood, Stefane mentioned her enterprise obtained immense help from the neighborhood, each in-person and on-line.
“The outpouring from the neighborhood was so heartwarming,” she mentioned. “It was phenomenal. Within the face of the trauma that we felt and we have been going via, folks confirmed up inside a few hours proper right here by my aspect, simply serving to me, you understand, get out something that was salvageable.”
A GoFundMe on-line fundraiser has already garnered greater than $27,000 to assist Blue Owl cowl the prices of misplaced stock, short-term storage charges and each day bills.
Maggy Wolanske
“The GoFundMe, that is been a lifeline for us as a result of each my accomplice and myself have been employed right here. That is our livelihood, that is our life, and so we each have been instantly unemployed,” Stefane mentioned.
Stefane hopes the enterprise will have the ability to open again up because the climate turns into hotter and foot visitors will increase.
“We have been via a lot in 20 years. You possibly can think about the issues that I have been via,” mentioned Stefane. “I’ve had break-ins. , when the fireplace got here as much as Nederland and all of the canyons have been closed in the course of our peak season and we went via that. We went via the flood two years in the past when all of the canyons have been flooded, the pandemic. I imply, only one factor after the opposite, and, you understand, the Blue Owl has survived. So I’m simply feeling actually hopeful and actually pushed to have this simply be one other factor that the Blue Owl goes to outlive.”
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