MONTE VISTA — Sue Getz, local historian and long-time Valley resident, has created a new book from the writings of her father, Gordon “Shorty” Wheeler. “As Time Goes By: The Thoughts, Observations and Opinions of Gordon “Shorty” Wheeler” was published by MJS Publishing Group, LLC. It is a compilation of articles written by Wheeler in the 1980s and 1990s.

Shorty was a native of the San Luis Valley, and many will remember him as the proprietor and chef of the Rock-A-Way Café in South Fork in the ’60s and ’70s. He loved this country for its beauty and bounty.

He wrote articles for the local papers and regaled his readers with tales about growing up in the Valley, the people he knew and the changes he observed as the world moved forward — in ways he didn’t always relish.

Shorty and his wife, Peg, were in the restaurant business for many years, running the We-Ask-U-Inn in Del Norte, the City Café and Lounge in Monte Vista—the first business in Monte Vista to serve alcohol in 1947, and the Rock-A-Way Café in South Fork. His stories about running restaurants and bars are both funny and poignant.

While Shorty loved the restaurant business, nothing made him happier than being outside — hunting, fishing, or just poking around old mining sites or trails in the mountains. He worked for the Forest Service for a time, and he was also the caretaker at Metroz Lake. Sue Getz, Shorty’s daughter, says, “He was in heaven then!”

Shorty was a local character himself and his articles are entertaining and informative, and delightfully relevant today.

As Time Goes By is available at: www.mjspub.com for $16.95 plus tax and shipping.







For the complete article see the 02-04-2010 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 02-04-2010 paper.