Robin Ely took this photo of Mount Garfield.

Serena DeCastro took these photos at the Grand Mesa Summit Challenge Sled Dog Race that was Jan. 26–27 on Grand Mesa. Jesse Miltier crosses the finish line with his eight-dog team.

This is Rick Meinig and his six-dog team.

Amy Eskelsen and her team are pictured on the course.

Rachel Dickes was The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction’s 1,000th Facebook like.

Cpt. Bill Helmsing, right, and Matt Soper happened to reunite on the same flight from Boston while coming home for the holidays after not seeing each other for nearly 10 years following graduation from Delta High School in 2003. Helmsing is serving with the 1st BDE 10th Mountain Division and stationed in Fort Drum, N.Y., and about to deploy to the Regional Command East in Afghanistan as a member of a Security Force Advise and Assist Team, wrote Soper, who sent this photo in early February. Soper is an alumnus of Colorado Mesa University and the University of Edinburgh’s faculty of law. He plans to take the New York Bar Exam in July.

Larry Francis caught this 29-inch, 12-pound northern pike at Harvey Gap on Feb. 2. Pictured with him are his daughter Myna Francis and grandson Tristan Francis, whose dad, Travis Francis, took this photo.

Violinist Carlos Elias and pianist Andrea Arese Elias perform for Chipeta Elementary School thanks to a grant from the Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture.

Donna Gordon took this photo along the Colorado Riverfront Trail.

“Despite the gloomy inversion, there is COLOR and FUN to be found on Lakeside Court! We filled balloons with colored water, set them outside for a couple days and now they are colored ice balls in the yard,” Robin Watchman wrote on Jan. 23.

Chuck Moore sent in this photo of “what I call ‘The Frozen Hand of Death’ emerging from a drain pipe.” The icy formation was spotted during the cold days of early January.

Garru Brewer took this photo on Jan. 21. “Today the sun is shining, the snow is melting, but the tree in front of our house still has ice on it and you can see which way the wind blew when it froze. Almost looks like a jellyfish or an alien spaceship?” Brewer wrote.

Carlton Mason, left, joined CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of the 7th Judicial District in January as the Delta County volunteer coordinator. Pictured with him are Mary Jo Mills, center, the Supervised Exchange & Parenting Time program manager, and Alma Buis, the Montrose County volunteer coordinator.

Chris Brown holds up an autographed photo of actor Matthew Broderick and his son riding a Kidz Tandem Bicycle in New York City. Brown designed Kidz Tandem.

These students were recognized by Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction in January for academic achievement and service to community. Pictured from left are Laura Borovilos of Palisade High School, Alain Bucio of Central High School, Adam Heldmyer of Grand Junction High School and Shane Petch of Fruita Monument High School. Rick Nisely with the Kiwanis Club took this photo.

The Fruita Middle School seventh grade girls basketball “A” team won the championship game on Feb. 2, wrote Jenny Kostelecky, who sent in this photo. The team’s record was 11-0. Pictured from left to right in the top row are coach Dan Schmalz, Nichol Hunter, Allison Ross, Danielle Ammons, Aryn Montgomery, Riley Snyder and Angelique Gall. In the bottom row from left are Tayler Rezak, Rio Prieto, Alison Schmalz, Hailee Kostelecky, Mallori Powell and Carlie Schafer.

Debbie Pease, Kelly Johnson, John Lamieg, Mike Andrews, Kenny Johnson and Willard Pease were at the New York Stock Exchange for the opening bell on Dec. 10. Johnson submitted this photo.

Luca Rae Smith, 7, of Montrose attended one of Absolute Dance’s performances of the ballet “Cinderella” in January. “She was mesmerized by the performance. Her biggest thrill was meeting Cinderella after the performance,” wrote Dianne Wilson, Luca’s grandma.

Aussie Girl, a 9-year-old Quaker Parrot, has a morning bath given by her owner, LK Prichard. Ken Morrell took this photo.

This photo taken along the Colorado Riverfront Trail was sent in by Lori Alpino-Holloway.

These Orchard Avenue Elementary School students and music teacher Carol Cowgill were part of the Jan. 12 Sweet Adelines’ show at Robinson Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center at Colorado Mesa University. The students sang “Oh! Susanna” and “St. Louis Blues.” Sue Chapman sent in this photo.

Lindsey Amber Whitesides, a Fruita Monument High School senior, won the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Essay Contest and received $250 at the Jan. 12 Mount Garfield Chapter’s award ceremony. Her essay — “our American heritage and our responsibility for preserving it” was the theme of the contest — goes into state competition. Also recognized at the awards ceremony was Marie Walz, who received the Community Service Award for her volunteer efforts in the AARP Tax Aide Program.

Linda Snider took this photo of her kids, Noah, Rhea and Brisco, with their friends Joesiah, Juan-Michael and Natalia at Corn Lake State Park over Christmas break.

Brisco Snider, 4, has a snowflake on his nose. Linda Snider, his mom, sent in this photo.

Doug Sorter and Donna Jean Ganss from Strive, formerly Mesa Developmental Services, and their team of packers put donated groceries in bags for the Kids Aid Program. The group gets together weekly to pack the bags because “helping out others feels good,” said Sorter. Pictured with Sorter and Ganss are Eric Blevins, Anita Enyart and Ron Enyart. Sheri LaPlante with Strive sent in this photo.

Nicholas Smith, Luca Rae Smith and Warren Smith celebrated the holidays with their grandparents, Jay and Dianne Wilson, in Montrose. The boys live in Bayfield and Luca lives in Montrose.

Stephen and Rebecca Anthony hold 5-month-old Matteo for this photo, which was the family’s 2012 Christmas card.

Maggie Moorland with Mesa County Partners presented Ken Gart with Powderhorn Mountain Resort with a “thank you” on opening day. For two years, Powderhorn has given part of opening day’s profits to Partners and Colorado Discoverability.

Rhonda Woltjer, left, program coordinator with the John McConnell Math & Science Center, and Bambi Harmon, operations manager for the center, get ready to deliver “hands-on” science kits to School District 51 elementary school classes from kindergarten to fifth grade. “These kits will be used to teach third quarter science units in all D51 schools, and were created and assembled by the Math & Science Center,” wrote Teresa Coons, the center’s executive director, who took this Dec. 18 photo.

Orchard Mesa Lions Club members Dominic Van Emery and Terry Sullivan rang bells for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle in front of Cabela’s during the holiday season.

The Orchard Mesa Lions Club donated nearly 200 coats plus hats, gloves and mittens to the Grand Valley Catholic Outreach on Dec. 24. Pictured from left are Bob Kahler, Dian Smith, Sharron Nickerson, Nick Lambuth and Dan Smith.

Tony Knott and his sons — Logan Knott pictured — shoveled the snow off pond No 2 in the Independence Valley subdivision, set up a garbage can and logs for a goal and ran hockey drills. “It is not too cold for hardy folks,” wrote Bob Tallarico, who took this photo and submitted it in January.

These teens were honored as the December Students of the Month by the Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction. Pictured from left: Jordan Blackman, Palisade High School; Lynzee Dwyer, Central High School; and Rachel Stahl, Grand Junction High School. Not pictured is Andrew Palmer from Fruita Monument High School.