Grand Junction marbles enthusiast Sam Lee shows one of his shooters after placing sixth at the National Marbles Tournament in Wildwood, N.J.

An assortment of marbles.

Teresa Coons peruses the displays of various uses for the lavender plant at the Palisade Memorial Park Colorado Lavender Festival.

Project architect Justin Stein and the Rev. Edmundo Valera looking up at west wall of the stained glass windows in the St Joseph’s parish hall.The windows are going to be sent to Europe for refurbishing while the parish hall is rebuilt.

Sandbars and not water are visible on the Colorado River from the air, looking east where the 5th Street Bridge and railroad bridge cross the low water of the river.

Whitewater Creek plummets off the top of the Grand Mesa near Lands End. The creek has very little water in it but looks like a lot as it drops over the cliff top.

Thousands of parade-goers line Main Street in downtown Grand Junction to watch the Grand Junction “Celebrating our Independence” Parade Wednesday afternoon.

Bystanders salute the American Flag as the veterans walk by during the parade Wednesday in downtown Grand junction.

Grand Junction Rockies pitcher Johendi Jiminian throws to a batter during the top of the second inning of Thursday’s game at Suplizio Field.

The Fourth of July parade in downtown Grand Junction Wednesday kept the kids entertained, for the afternoon.

Aaron Acker, 27, enjoys creating oil “very realistic” paintings along the lines of Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. Acker’s website is aaronacker.com.

Rehearsals and other last-minute preparations are going on now for Broadway at the Avalon’s production of “CATS.” There are 32 cast members in the musical, which can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 13–14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at Avalon Theatre, 645 Main St.

Rehearsals and other last-minute preparations are going on now for Broadway at the Avalon’s production of “CATS.” There are 32 cast members in the musical, which can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 13–14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at Avalon Theatre, 645 Main St.

Dinosaur, CO - “Dinosaur National Monument announces that the new Quarry Visitor Center received a LEED Gold certification,” stated Superintendent Mary Risser. “LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

No.40. Ben Waldrip from the Grand Junction Rockies splinters his bat in the 4th inning in a gamer Wednesday against the Orem Owlz.

A group of climbers with the Mesa County Search & Rescue Team continued the Fourth of July flag raising tradition Wednesday morning by climbing the monument and raising Old Glory. The flag will fly for the next week.

Cheyenne McGrath, 3, makes her own fireworks display at a craft table at the Freedom Fest in Fruita, in lieu of the traditional display on July 3 that has been canceled because of the fire danger. Fruita and Fruita Christian Church teamed up for a free concert in the Civic Center.

Ben Waldrip is greeted by the bench after hitting his First HR.

Criminal charges will not be filed in the case of a 19-year-old Grand Junction man who was high on bath salts, and acting violently at a party last April, when he was strangled to death by a friend who tried to subdue him, Mesa County District Attorney Pete Hautzinger said today

The Pine Ridge fire was under control Tuesday with hot spots still burning. Full containment of the wildfire southwest of De Beque is expected this week

The round-a-bout at 7th and Main Streets in downtown Grand Junction seen from an airplane during a flyover.

The Museum of Western Colorado unveiled a new statue of John Otto Tuesday morning. The statue was made by Michael Wilson, the renowned sculptor who made the large Otto statue on display in Grand Junction. The new sculpture will remain in the lobby of Dinosaur Journey.

The bluegrass band Stray Grass played a benefit for the Roice-Hurst Humane Society on June 30 as part of the Hear It Through The Grapevine summer concert series at Grande River Vineyards, 787 N. Elberta, in Palisade. The series’ next concert features the Celtic, folk music of Skean Dubh at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 7, and benefits Community Hospital.

The San Carlos camp crew from Arizona sets up a big tent at the ball park fields in DeBeque where many of the crews are sleeping during the fire. A Type-One team consists of not only firefighters but many support crews to take care of the logistical and personal needs. With all the influx of activity, the sleepy town of DeBeque has doubled in population.

Grand Junction police officer Cory Tomps, with the Homeless Outreach Team, speaks about some of the trash cleaned up along the Riverfront Trail on the Redlands near the Colorado River.

Orem’s Samuel Mulroy slides safely into second as Grand Junction’s Juan Ciriaco, left, and Matt Wessinger miss the throw during the minor league baseball game between the Orem Owlz and the Grand Junction Rockies at Brent Brown Ballpark in Orem on Monday, July 2, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald

A bug with huge antennas waits on the side of a table, presumably to nab the crumb of a potato chip at a family picnic near Montrose recently.

The Bistro Youth Center opened its doors last month selling sandwiches, pastries and coffee to the public and teens.

A worker talks on the phone at the air operations part of the camp for the Pine Ridge Fire near DeBeque. More than 400 people are working the fire or support for the firefighters. Hope remains that the fire can be contained by Thursday, according to incident commander Bill Hahnenberg. The lightning-sparked blaze began June 27 and has spread to 13,360 acres.

Incident Commander Bill Hahnenberg gives a briefing on firefighters’ progress in containing the Pine Ridge Fire outside of De Beque. Although fire weather is still extreme, the crews on the fire line now have the fire 25 percent contained, particularly along the northeast line of the fire that is closest to town.

William Springer of Grand Junction enjoys the last few feet of his Sunday float down the Colorado River before docking at the Blue Heron boat launch. Springer was being towed by a raft with his wife and a friend on board.

BLM Range tech Melissa Kindall transfers water into a holding tank near the horses.

A mare and foal are spooked by the activity at a watering hole that has gone dry in the West Douglas herd area.

Smoke from the Pine Ridge fire crept back into the Grand Valley on Sunday in the view northeast toward the DoubleTree Hotel on Horizon Drive.

One Bell 212 helicopter, top, carries a full bucket of water in to drop on the fire line as another heads back to the river with an empty bucket to get more water after making its drop during firefighting efforts along the north perimeter of the Pine Ridge Fire Sunday.

The Pine Ridge fire burns west of DeBeque Saturday afternoon.

The Avalon Theatre in downtown Grand Junction, as shown in an architectural rendition, could look something like this after a $14 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. Rendering by Westlake Reed Leskosky/ Courtesy of city of Grand Junction.

The Avalon theater as seen from the northeast corner of the Seventh Street and Main Street intersection.

Megan Reinertsen straightens a bow on a bag at her store Colorado Baby, 560 Main St. Reinertson is the owner of the specialty baby store, which opened its doors at its new location April 1.

Bob Silbernagel shares the trail with mountain biking friends Terry and Sherry Christensen on a trail near Palisade.