11/10/2025
Good evening from the mountain. It was another beautiful weekend here in Ruidoso. If you didn’t make it, please come up soon. The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing. Snow will be flying soon. We are still experiencing slower than usual tourism. The fact is we’ve had so many lackluster days in this village since june 17th 2024, that it’s beginning to be a survival of the fittest. And if you have never been in business for yourself, then you won’t know fully what I’m talking about. Being a business owner is a huge responsibility and what most don’t understand is, that it is a dream that they have and they have spent their entire savings to make it come to fruition. The fact that we’ve had our share of events in the last 17 months is the driver behind this problem. But the bigger problem is the impact from all the negative publicity and felonious reports from people who had no skin in the game. And what’s left is all the struggling businesses owners, whether it’s retail, hospitality, food service or anyone trying to provide services to a customer base that is not here anymore due to the for mentioned people spreading misinformation and videos about our village. And I’m sure I’ll hear from some who say they were just telling their story. And that’s your right as an American. But please think before you act. This isn’t just a tale of a few people. It’s more than that. It’s also our village. When you look back at other natural disasters that have happened in the last year or so, and even further back, for instance, the Texas hill country, where there were many lives lost. You never heard a city official tell people to not come to their city. In fact, just a few days after the water went down and all were accounted for, they put out a statement telling people to please come visit. Just a month or so ago when Pagosa Springs was enduring their own problems with flooding, did you hear anything about not coming to their town? The bottom line is, please think before you act. Another short coming we are fighting at this point is letting everyone know that we are still here. It’s so easy to spread bad news. But it seems to be an uphill struggle to get the word out that Ruidoso is not a disaster area. It’s every weekend that I hear stories from customers that they were scared and almost didn’t come back because of the reported devastation. This is what is going to drive the perverbial nail is some small businesses coffin. We, as a village, must overcome this negative publicity if we want to survive. The facts are, yes we’ve had more than our share of problems, but we can’t keep stirring the pot of negativity. We are a resilient village, made up of strong people. This was evident in the last 17 months. But we need representation from our community leaders and advertising agencies to get the word out that we want and need our visitors. I’ve heard an excuse that it’s the economy that’s keeping people away. I spent the week in Las Vegas Nevada this week. It was just as busy as usual. So that’s not a legitimate reason. So, in closing. We need to get things together real soon or it will be too late for some to keep going. This is a trickle down effect that is only just beginning if we don’t get ahead of it now. So please tell your friends and family and neighbors and whoever else will listen to you,to come to the most awesome place around. And that place is RUIDOSO. It’s not a secret that I will be running for mayor of Ruidoso in 2026. Please keep me in mind if you want a change in the village. There’s a lot of work to be done here. But if you know me, you know that I want what’s best for everyone. From our citizens to our businesses and our visitors. So please help me spread the word about Ruidoso. Our village deserves the very best of everything. Please share if you love Ruidoso. Thanks Josh Richardson
