Massage therapist Andy Trujillo is a native Las Vegan, although he didn’t grow up here. He was born in one of the small buildings on the Plaza, but never thought he would return after his family moved to Albuquerque. His story is in his calming nature and you can hear it as Andy recounts how he grew into his profession.
“I feel like I have been doing massage most of my life. I have memories of massaging my father’s back and shoulders by walking on his back as a small child. I also remember doing the same for my uncles and somehow knowing where and how hard to press. As a pre-teen or a teenager, I remember my relatives bringing babies to me if they were fussy or crying a lot and I would know how to quiet them down very quickly and put them to sleep. Sometimes rubbing their tummies or just knowing why they were crying.
“My work was never truly satisfying until after I was injured in a car accident in 1990 and underwent regular massage therapy in my recovery. I knew in my heart that I could help people through massage and decided then to pursue my Massage Therapist education and license. I have been licensed as a massage therapist since 1992.”
Andy has owned his business for the entire 28 years of his career, and prides himself in providing a therapeutic, but gentle massage. He specializes in pain relief and practices on all ages.
“My youngest client was an infant and my oldest client was my 99 year-old grandmother. In my practice, I offer a combination of different types of massage to fit the client’s individual needs, including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Polarity and Reflexology.”
Andy said COVID-19 down time was used to complete the the process of moving his office.
“When the health and safety restrictions were instituted, my wife and I decided to renovate a part of our home and create a new office during the time I was unable to work. The loss of income was worth it for me to allow me the time to rethink my business and how I would operate moving forward,” he said.
For Andy, the good that came out of temporary closure was a renewed emphasis on continuing to provide a safe environment for customers.
“Massage therapy is truly an individual session, in close quarters to the client, so I now conduct my business with even closer attention to infection control practices,” Andy said.
His practice if fully reopened. He controls the number of clients he sees each week, which takes care of social distancing, but Andy also follows mandated restrictions set forth by health officials to protect his clients and himself.
“I have been cautious as I reopen by screening my clients and taking temperatures before we start.”
Andy will continue to maintain high-level precautions by limiting the number of people he sees.
“By spreading my appointments out, I have time to disinfect my entire office, including not only my table, but all the furniture, lamps, down to the pens I have for clients to use. I wear a mask and have my clients wear a mask during the session. I ask a short series of screening questions and take the individual’s temperature before we start. My wife and I have both been tested and are negative right now for the virus.”
Andy loves his profession and is committed to the safety of clients, himself and family members.
“I will not compromise on that,” he said. “I will probably keep most of the new precautions in place in my business even after we have a safe way to live in the world with COVID-19 because they make sense and provide a much healthier way to serve the community.”
Few are prepared when something as devastating as a pandemic hits. Andy said he was fortunate his professional organization provided the guidance he needed as he prepared to reopen with safety in mind.
Moving forward, Andy shared a concern many small businesses owners have, that they, or their clients might become infected despite all the precautions. He will continue to operate under the new guidelines, now and into the future. For Andy, it is simply the right thing to do.
Andy Trujillo Massage Therapist is located at 2910 8th Street. The entrance is on Williams Drive.
“I work mostly Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but am available for weekends or later hours if needed.”
Contact information for the practice is 505 250-7928.
“Please leave a message if I do not answer. “I silence my phone and do not take calls when I am with my clients.”
NOTE: I am featuring local businesses, nonprofits, and organizations in this series of articles about how COVID-19 has affected our community . If you would like to participate, email fsharon@msn.com for more information.
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When COVID-19 hit in New Mexico, restaurateurs had the choice of closing or doing curbside service. Chef Sean Sinclair at 
“We are not seating guests inside at this time. We have a spacious patio and outdoor dining is much safer. All tables are generously spaced beyond any social distancing standards. Guests also must wear masks everywhere on the property except when seated and dining,” Sean said.
LilKy Spa Products is an unusual business with two enterprising young ladies at the helm. Lily Arguello and Kylie Lopez, 10-year-old best buds, took their idea from a dream to a reality in January of 2019. After attending a tea party where they used a hand scrub, the two became intrigued by the idea of it and whether they could create similar products on their own. The two took what they thought of as a fun idea and – with the help of their moms – turned it into a growing enterprise. Lily and Kylie started with hand scrubs but their business has expanded and now includes hand/body scrubs, lip scrubs, lip balms, and body butter.
“They sold enough to donate $1,000 to The Las Vegas Vegabonds in May of 2020,” said Kylie’s mother, Katherine Lopez. “They did this because they wanted to help people in our community get the food that they needed.”
COVID-19 has become painfully personal. No, I don’t have it, and neither does my husband Bob, but he did fall and break his left femur and consequently ended up in Santa Fe at Presbyterian where he is – as I write this – in surgery. It is, a doctor friend tells me, a short and straightforward surgery, one he has had before on the other side. The personal part of this is that I cannot be with him or see him after surgery. Strict rules regarding patient safety in the age of COVID-19 prevents family members from seeing or being with their loved ones while they are hospitalized.
Unikat Fine Jewelry opened its doors in Las Vegas, N.M., in May of 1998. Owner Andrea Gottschalk has been a self-employed jeweler since 1988 and subcontracted with many jewelry stores in the Santa Fe and Las Vegas area prior to opening her own gallery. Her store at 160 Bridge St., provides space for seven large showcases and plenty of room for paintings, Navajo rugs and other wall art.
Business for Semilla increased because of the pandemic, but Jane’s concerns for her staff remained. “I wanted to make sure my employees were going to be taken care of in the long run. I applied for the PPP loan (Payroll Protection Program), and the SBA loan, mainly because I had no idea what the future was going to hold.
Charlie’s Spic and Span Bakery and Café is an established eatery owned by only three people during its more than 60-year history. Founded in the early 1950s, its primary offerings were chile and tamales. Carmen Fernandez expanded the bakery and added breakfast and lunch. In 1998 Charlie and Elizabeth Sandoval acquired the Spic & Span and have added fresh-made tortillas and increased the menu items. Its core reason for being is to serve customers Northern New Mexico cuisine and good old-fashioned comfort foods in a friendly atmosphere. Generous portions, fresh ingredients and friendly service are the standard.
One program that has been of great help to the restaurant is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). “This program has really saved my business,” Charlie said.
Sharon Vander Meer 