Lorena de Santa describes her husband, John MacKay, as a man of passion. You do not have to talk with John for very long to see that her words are correct. As our conversation went from topic to topic it was clear that John has great love and passion for people and what is right and fair in the world.

John and Lorena moved to Nederland in 2016. Before coming here they were in Georgia for a short time and spent many years in Florida.

While in Florida John was a lawyer for 25 years. First Amendment Law was his specialty and is still his passion. With a good humored chuckle, but you know the seriousness of his words, John says that he gets sucked into the David and Goliath fights of society. I have a hunch he played the role of David.

Coming to work for The Mountain-Ear was not a giant step for John. He has owned and published a small town newspaper and a magazine.

John loves to write about people. He says, “Everyone has a story, and they don’t always know it.” It is a beautiful thing when you can pull that story out and see it in print.

Being rather new to the community and writing the Mountain Folk Tales column in The Mountain-Ear has given John a chance to meet his neighbors and learn more about his new home.

John does not do this work alone. Lorena is always there as the photographer and partner to help bring these stories alive.

John and Lorena share their lives with their beloved dog Sophie and cats Mino and Mia.

They are enjoying their new home in Nederland, Colorado. How fortunate for us that John and Lorena are willing to share their talent and passions through The Mountain-Ear so we can continue to learn more about each other and develop a stronger community.