From his seat in an empty spa, factory representative M.J. Lach of Master Spas demonstrates the benefits of one of dozens of hot tubs to Kim Shaffer of Parachute during the Swim, Swim Spa ,and Sauna show at Two Rivers Convention Center Saturday.

GRETEL DAUGHERTY/The Daily Sentinel—With her 1-year-old son, Addison, tucked under one arm, Katrina Fallas helps her other son, Nicolas, 5, pick out a free book Saturday during a celebration for the Grand Junction chapter of Imagination Library. The central branch of the Mesa County Library marked delivery of the 25,000th book to a child 5 or younger.

Two kindergarten students peer out of a pair of gun turrets on the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department’s S.W.A.T. rescue Bearcat during a day dedicated to community helpers for Rocky Mountain Elementary School kindergarten classes on Friday. The children also were able to try on bulletproof vests, helmets and shields with the help of deputies. An eye doctor, a veterinarian and a therapy dog with its handler also visited the school for community helper day in addition to deputies and the Beatcat from Sheriff’s Department.

A very large and dead cottonwood tree fell down in high winds closing J Road between 20 1/2 and 21 Roads Friday afternoon.The Mesa County Roads Department were in site cutting the tree into small sections for removal.

Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, center, meets with community leaders and those involved with working with the homeless Friday at Grand Valley Catholic Outreach. Garcia was seeking answers as to how the state can help resolve homelessness, particularly among veterans. Listening to the Lt. governor speak are, from left to right, GJ Mayor Bill Pitts, Director of Community Partnerships for the state of Colorado Karla Maraccine, and Grand Junction Police Officer Cindy Cohn.

Sydni Brandon, No.12,  from Grand Junction HS hits the shot and is fouled on the play in a 44-37 GJHS win over Montrose HS.

Champion conformation dog Narsil assumes a show stance in the front yard of Kim and Joe Giannoni’s Grand Junction home. Narsil has been ranked among the top 20 of all Bernese Mountain Dogs in the nation for the past five years; in 2012, he was ranked No.8.

Champion conformation dog Narsil assumes a show stance in the front yard of Kim and Joe Giannoni’s Grand Junction home. Narsil has been ranked among the top 20 of all Bernese Mountain dogs in the nation. The Westminster Dog Show is set for Feb. 11–12.

Noelle Blair has been showing dogs for more than twenty years. She is seen here with three of her five Pembroke Welsh corgis. The Westminster Dog Show is set for Feb. 11–12.

Noelle Blair has been showing dogs for more than twenty years. She is seen here with three of her five Pembroke Welsh corgis. The Westminster Dog Show is set for Feb. 11–12.

With her sister Haley, center, in tow, Colorado Mesa University sophomore Dylana Gross, left, listens excitedly as Tina Kleespies, the assistant director of the University Center, talks about the benefits of joining a sorority during an informational meeting Thursday at the university. Haley is a junior at Grand Junction High School and is planning to attend CMU in the future.

Director of Student Life Mitch Karsten, far left, describes to more than two dozen Colorado Mesa University students what to expect when sororities start visiting the campus during an informational meeting at the University Center on Thursday. This was the the third informational meeting on sororities and Greek life on campus.

Heather Lynn Jensen, 24, comes into Judge Valerie Robison’s courtroom in the Mesa County Justice Center Thursday morning for a brief hearing in the case of the Palisade mother accused in the deaths of her two young sons.

Stan Martinez carries packages for his grandchildren to the U.S. post office in downtown Grand Junction. He doesn’t mind that Saturday delivery will end.

The Charlie Tayler Weterwheel along the banks of Ute Creek in the town of Idaho Springs.

Mount Sneffels, at 14,150 feet, is just left of center in this view of the San Juan Mountains looking south from Dallas Divide. After recent storms, the statewide snowpack was 72 percent of normal on Feb. 1, compared with 70 percent on Jan. 1.

For 11 straight days, 20 hours a day, groomers have been turning a massive pile of snow at Vail’s Golden Peak into a 22-foot-high superpipe 600-feet-long – what some are saying is the longest superpipe in North America.

Work is continuing to decommission and remove the Cameo generating station on the Colorado River in DeBeque Canyon. No schedule for completion of the job has been set because of the difficulty of dealing with the stacks, which are painted with asbestos pain, Xcel Energy spokesman Fred Eggleston said.

Hannah Price gets a a balloon toy puppy from Shriner Daran Mahoney at the National Pancake Day at IHOP in Grand Junction today. The restaurant is offering free pancakes until 10 p.m. to help the Shriners collect donations for their hospitals. Mahoney’s daughter has had multiple corrective surgeries via the charitable organization free of charg

MCSD and Fruita Police inspect a stolen truck at H and 24 Roads where three young people were taken into custody. The police found guns in the truck and were investigating a robbery of the guns from Fruita.

MCSD and Fruita Police inspect a stolen truck at H and 24 Roads where three young people were taken into custody. The police found guns in the truck and were investigating a robbery of guns from Fruita.

Grand Junction City Councilwoman Laura Luke laughs after taking a cell phone photo of Phyllis Norris’ campaign sign with the word “council” misspelled at the corner of Main and Seventh Street Saturday.

Robyn Parker with Women Helping Others, concerned citizen Joel Dyar and Matt Tonge with Colorado Public Interest Research Group speak to the issue of tax shelters at city hall Tuesday.

Samuel Baseler stands at his meditation point outside of his home in Grand Junction. Baseler uses E.C.R.R. or Energy Coagulation Release and Repatterning, to help people release negative energy.

City Police vehicles in the south lot of the Public Safety Center.

A specialized Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow grooms the wall of snow on Colorado Highway 65 near Powderhorn Resort on Grand Mesa. The plow lowered the pile of snow along the road making room for more snow in the future.

Bishop Fernando Isern, the new leader of the Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, is shown recently at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. He also visited nearby Holy Family School, where he received an exuberant welcome during his second visit to Grand Junction since his installation in December.

The sun peaks through snow loaded branches of conifer trees on Grand Mesa as a jet leaves a contrail highlighted by a deep blue sky.

The residents of the Memory Care Wing at The Commons of Hilltop such as Lon Suplizio, left and Fern Honstein have taken to Rez, the first dog to participate in a pilot program to train rescued dogs to be therapy dogs.

Pallbearers carefully maneuvered Greg Assenmacher’s casket out of the Fellowship Church past saluting law enforcement officers today. More than 1,200 mourners attended the service. A long procession led by police vehicles traveled to the Orchard Mesa Cemetery for the burial.

Jensen boys grandparents, Diane and Robert Mathena, have a laugh in the forth floor of the Justice center after they won the right to bury the boys in court Monday afternoon.

GRETEL DAUGHERTY/The Daily Sentinel—Grand Junction firefighters battle a blaze at 300 S. Redlands Road on Saturday evening. People who were inside the home escaped unharmed.

A male motorcyclist is dead following a two-vehicle accident on Highway 50 this morning.

Hank Drake of Grand Junction is upset enough about a new cell phone tower being built on the Monument Baptist Church property next door that he had a sign made and is pursuing legal action.

Harry Weiss of the DDA points out a map of the downtown area plan to business owners.

The Avalon Theatre in downtown Grand Junction, as shown in an architectural rendition, could look something like this after a $16 million proposition to turn the historic venue into a modern performing arts center. The Downtown Development Authority already has decided to bond for $3 million toward the project, which could help the Avalon draw bigger shows.

Slade Connell, left, and Richard Overholt of the City of Grand Junction take a core sample of the snow pack on Grand Mesa during a monthly survey of the amount and moisture content of the snow. On this sample, the snow was 45 inches deep with a moisture content of 12 inches.

The School District 51 Foundation hosted a White Iced Cocktail Party to benefit schools Saturday night (03/02/13) at the Colorado Mesa University Ballroom. Photo by Piper Davis.