Jerald Conyers as “Grumpy” of Grand Junction talks to three-year-old Zoey Smelser of Fruita, a little girl he met first when she was two-months-old.

Author Eric Weiner, right signs a copy of his book “The Geography of Bliss” for Jan Mays of Grand Junction at the Mesa County Central Public Library at 5th St. and Grand Ave in Grand Junction. This is part of the One Book, One Mesa County book series. This is the 6th year for the One Book program.

Ten-year-old Autumn Barros, right, and Jaden Arzapalo, 12 race up the dual slide on the playground at 10th Street and Gunnison Avenue. The two friends were playing at the park next to East Middle School after school Wednesday.

Toni Miller, right, an instructor with High Desert Martial Arts, works with three-year-old Marli Rubick while seven-year-old Jayden Meyer, center prepares to hit a teaching pad during a contact exercise for kids participating in a free kidnapping self-defense class Saturday afternoon.

Members of the Brigham Young University, blue stripes and Denver Barbarians, green stripes, squared off Saturday in a cold and wet rugby match at Canyon View Park.

Central High School’s Amy Kame, right, takes a shot over Mountain Range’s Tori Craig during the first half of Saturday’s playoff game at Central.

Fruita Monument’s TJ Pollock pulls up a jump shot Friday over Boulder’s Jared Kane in the first half at Fruita Monument High School.

Energy Expo

The new bridge over the Colorado River on U.S. Hwy 191 is now open.The old bridge is now being demolished, left of the new bridge.

A Grand Junction police car was t-boned at the corner of Fifth and Pitkin Avenue Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses at the scene said the police car turned on its siren and lights as it accelerated east on Pitkin just as the light turned green for cars traveling south on Fifth. A Pontiac broad-sided the cruiser. No one was hurt.

At United Way of Mesa County’s 2009-2010 Campaign Celebration lunch, Laura Stafford, right, gestures for Jamie Hamilton of Home Loan and Investments to come to the front as she and Julie Hinkson wait to present him with a giant fork and spoon in recognition of his company’s eight years of sponsorship of the Taste of the Grand Valley fundraiser for the charity.

Construction workers install sewer and utilities in the 300 block of Main Street for the Downtown Uplift Project Wednesday. Stores on both sides of the street are open and can be accessed by the sidewalks

Grand Junction High School’s Sam Morgan eyes the basket as he maneuvers through the defense of Smoky Hill’s Phil Hill, left, and Robby Turk during the second half of Tuesday’s playoff game at Grand Junction High School.

Joseph Foelker and Rhiannon Chinn enjoy a little sunshine on a walk downtown with their 13-year-old dog Suzie Wednesday

Cassandra Beltran of Montrose uses a pillow to keep the snow away as she waits outside Brownson Arena at Mesa State College.

A bundled up rider pedals through a snow storm on Grand Avenue Sunday.

Sherrill and Wayne Lizer of Fruita dance during the Fasching , or German Mardi Gras, at the Palisade Brewery on Sunday

A fire rages at Bestway Services.

Grand Junction Fire Department investigators, Joe Cordova, left and John Hall rummage through the ashes at Bestway Services.

Contributing editor Michelle Nijhuis, left, and editor Jonathan Thompson confer on pages being finalized at the High Country News office in Paonia.

Three-year-old Elijah Barrett watches a fire burn as Grand Junction resident Jonathan Higley talks with Grand Junction Police Officer William Cox at Higley’s home off of Gunnison Avenue Wednesday evening. Higley accidentally caught himself on fire while building a fire in his front driveway last Friday evening Feb. 12. Officer Cox was in the area and spotted the situation, rushed to the scene and put Higley and the fire out.

Flashing signs, John Coomer of Grand Junction implores passing motorists along the eastbound lanes of the 900 block of North Avenue to “Stay Positive” as Mesa State College student Nicholas Moore asks them to “Seek Knowledge”  Tuesday. The two were part of a four-person endeavor “trying to keep up the collective consciousness,” as Coomer described it.