Your Town, June 16, 2013

Happy Father’s Day! What special gift did you give dad in honor of his day? A new tie? Sporting goods or tickets to a game? A shirt, a bottle of wine?  In honor of Father’s Day, I’m listing the top three gifts my dad gave to me. 1. Through his genes, Dad gave me the knack to fix broken things. Shortly into my stint as a single parent, something “snapped” deep inside the clothes dryer and the barrel wouldn’t turn. Unable to afford a call to a ...

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Music Scene: June 14–20

Acoustic duo Honey Don’t will bring its brand of original and cover tunes at several venues across the Western Slope in several upcoming performances. Bill Powers and Shelley Gray, married members of the Paonia-based Sweet Sunny South, perform acoustic music based in the folk tradition, that also crosses over into the Americana realm. “Bill describes himself as a writer first and foremost and all the while that he has been writing songs for (Sweet Sunny South) and otherwise, ...

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Big names in country coming to area

At this year’s Major Mortgage Country Jam, you can decide how close you want to be to the action, from camping to tickets. Country Jam is set for Thursday through Sunday, June 20–23, at Country Jam Ranch, 1065 U.S. Highway 6&50, in Mack. Country Jam passes range from general admission to the super-sized VIP Experience and beyond. And, if camping at the venue is what you like, you can choose from a variety of camping options including standard or quiet, VIP and Premiere ...

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Bluegrass coming to Palisade

Colorado’s peach and wine capital will make way for a musical takeover as Palisade hosts the fifth Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival set for Friday through Sunday, June 14–16, at Riverbend Park. The festival’s lineup features traditional and contemporary Americana music along with camping and other activities such as yoga, music workshops, jam sessions, local wines, craft beers, arts, food and more. A kid’s activity tent and guided hikes and bike rides to ...

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Time for Strawberry Days in Glenwood

Looking for a berry good time? Look no farther than the 116th Strawberry Days Festival, set for Wednesday through Sunday, June 19–23, with a number of events around Glenwood Springs. The festival’s carnival will open with “Buddy Day” (buy one all-day access pass for $30 at the carnival and get another one free) at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, in the Glenwood Spring Mall parking lot. The carnival will continue through the festival, opening at 4 p.m. Thursday, June ...

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CMU Repertory Theater summer schedule

The second season of summer theater presented by the Colorado Mesa University Mesa Repertory Theatre will feature two rollicking comedies and a children’s production. All three productions will take place in June in the intimate Mesa Experimental Theatre at the Moss Performing Arts Center, 1231 N. 12th St. ■ “The Complete History of America (abridged)” is described as a “hysterical comedy by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, the creators of last year’s ...

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Your Town, June 9, 2013

Last week’s column touched on how Facebook and Twitter might negatively impact interactions with classmates at a class reunion — what do you talk about when you already know everything about them from their posts, photos and profiles? Today, I counter that point with a heartwarming story about how Facebook can bring people together in a profoundly rewarding way. After my younger sister passed away in 2005, Mom hoped to locate one of Sheri’s closest childhood friends to ...

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Music Scene: Hey Marseilles

A self-described “folkestra” — cello, viola, trumpet, accordion, clarinet, piano, guitar and percussion — is set to pay Fruita a visit in the form of the Seattle group, Hey Marseilles. The six-member pop ensemble from Seattle is touring in support of its second album and will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at The Hot Tomato Cafe, 124 N. Mulberry St., in Fruita. The sophomoric album, “Lines We Trace,” was released earlier this year. It was written ...

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Movies Under the Stars season opens

The 2013 season of Movies Under the Stars, hosted by the Glade Park Volunteer Fire Department, will start on Friday, June 7, behind the fire department at 16400 DS Road on Glade Park. The concession stand will open each Friday of the season at 5:30 p.m. and the grill will fire up at 6 p.m. offering burgers, hot dogs and Polish sausage. Live pre-movie entertainment will start at 7 p.m. and there also will be children’s games, volleyball and hay rides. Movies start at dusk. Take a ...

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Rockestra, classic autos a good fit

If you’re born to be wild, then the second annual Rocker Ball is for you. With a rockin’ assortment of ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s tunes performed by the Grand Junction Rockestra, this event with the theme “Born to be Wild” is set for Saturday, June 8, at Allen Unique Autos, 2285 River Road. The Rocker Ball will begin with a cash bar at 5:30 p.m. and the opportunity to view the cars in the Allen Auto Museum. Pre-concert music will be by Tony Rosario. A ...

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Your Town, June 2, 2013

The recurring theme in this week’s Your Town is “reminiscing” and catching up on “the good ol’ days.” There are a number of picnics and reunions highlighted in Your Town today, and no doubt, there will be more as the summer rolls on. Will you be attending a reunion this summer? Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has changed the face of reunions and gatherings, but not necessarily for the good. While it may be easier to locate the ...

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Fruita Concert Series schedule

Fruita is the place to be on Thursdays nights this summer during the Thursday Night Concert Series that goes from June 6 through Aug. 15 at the Fruita Civic Center Pavilion, 325 E. Aspen Ave., in Fruita. A wide variety of musical genres will be represented during the series, ranging from rock and patriotic Americana to alternative, country and bluegrass. Take a blanket or chair to the outdoor event. Concerts start at 7:30 p.m. and the lineup for the series is as follows: ■ June 6: ...

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Exotic cars, animals at Zoological car show

Grand Valley Zoological Quest has planned its first Zoorific Car Show featuring exotic cars and exotic animals. The show will go from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at American Furniture Warehouse, 2570 American Way, and awards in a number of categories including “best of” from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, “best of” various makes and models, along with Best of Show, American Furniture Warehouse Choice, Brakes Plus Choice and Zoological ...

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Music Scene: You Knew Me When

You Knew Me When, an indie folk-rock duo from Nashville, Tenn., is touring troubadour style in support of its second album and will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at The Ale House, 2531 N. 12th St. Last June, the husband and wife team of Cie and Karisa Hoover put their full-time jobs on hold and began a yearlong tour, with stops throughout the United States and into Canada, according to a news release. They’ve played more than 150 shows in more than 40 states and traveled more ...

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Your Town, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and I’m taking a trip down memory lane, recalling family gatherings of years gone by. I spent almost every Memorial Day as a kid with my paternal grandparents and various aunts, uncles and cousins on Dad’s side of the family. Dad, Mom and my two sisters and I would pile in the car and climb the familiar Red Mountain Pass from Silverton to Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Montrose. We traversed the winding Million Dollar Highway so often in ...

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Learn about ‘Super Crocs’ at new exhibit

See you later, alligator. In a while, crocodile ... make that 112 million years later. “Super Crocs: Terrors of the Cretaceous Swamp,” an exhibit featuring the ancestors of today’s alligators and crocodiles, will open Friday, May 24, at Dinosaur Journey, 550 Jurassic Court, in Fruita. These monsters lived 112 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous swamps, according to a news release from Museum of Western Colorado. “King among these truly phenomenal animals was ...

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Music scene: Trapt

In 2002, rock band Trapt plowed stubbornly onto the Billboard charts with its mega-hit “Headstrong.” Trapt is touring this summer in support of its newest album, “Reborn,” and will perform with guests 3 Pill Morning on Monday, May 27, at Mesa Theater and Lounge, 538 Main St. In 1997, before even graduating from high school, friends and original band members Chris Taylor Brown (vocals), Simon Ormandy (guitar), Peter Charell (bass), and David Stege (drums) rehearsed ...

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Memorial Day weekend activities

Fun family gatherings and barbecues, the ping of a bat at JUCO baseball games and kids splashing in the waters at Lincoln Park-Moyer Swimming Pool signal one thing in Grand Junction: Memorial Day weekend is upon us. But along with fun activities that mark the weekend, there are a number of events honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Here are some of the events taking place Memorial Day weekend: ■ At the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western ...

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Your Town, April 19, 2013

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Only three days left on the School District 51 traditional calendar. Come Thursday, school is out for the summer (go ahead, sing along with me in your best Alice Cooper voice). No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.  Congratulations to all the graduating seniors in the Grand Valley this past week, as well as those who received diplomas from Colorado Mesa University on Saturday. It’s exciting to finish school with ...

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Mike the Headless Chicken Festival celebrates No. 15

Stop searching for your lost shaker of salt and head to Mikeritaville — the 15th annual Mike the Headless Chicken Festival set for Friday and Saturday, May 17–18, at the Civic Center Park in Fruita. The ever-popular festival celebrates the chicken named Mike, who in 1945, actually survived his head getting chopped off. In the 18 months that Mike lived after the chop, his owners exhibited him at sideshows in New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and San Diego as “The ...

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Music scene: May 17-23

Get ready for relaxing evenings of jazz in the shadow of Colorado National Monument with The Art Center Guild’s Jazz Among the Grapevines music series. The first concert of the season will feature Hot Tub Jazz playing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Two Rivers Winery, 2087 Broadway. Tickets cost $10 for each concert, and all proceeds benefit The Art Center (the Western Colorado Center for the Arts). Tickets can be purchased at The Art Center, 1803 N. Seventh St., at Two Rivers Winery ...

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‘Alone Together’ features solo dances

The perspective of solo dance will be explored during “Alone Together: An Evening of Contemporary Dance Solos” directed and produced by Laura Bradley of the Beyond Boundaries Dance Collective and Push/Don’t Pull Dance Theatre. “Alone Together” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, at the Creative Avenues Performance Space, 835 N. 26th St. The dance concert continues “in the tradition of Push/Don’t Pull, a company which emphasizes small cast ...

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Your Town, May 12, 2013

Little handprints forever captured in a plaster of Paris mold; a shadow drawing that highlights the facial profile of a 6-year-old; colorful paper mâché beads crafted into a necklace ... the list is endless. These and many more items compile a treasure box of Mother’s Day mementos, presented to me in the earlier years, when my two sons were once shorter than I. In more recent years, their grown-up gifts have shifted from to fragrant lotions and candles, to time spent ...

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Art and Jazz Festival comes to downtown GJ

The commingling of art and jazz will occur Friday through Sunday, May 10–12, during the 25th year of the Art and Jazz Festival from Third to Seventh streets on Main Street. Local and national musicians are on the bill along with art vendors, artisan demonstrations and a beer and wine garden. Members of the Grand Valley Art Students League will offer The Main Street Art School with a variety of free classes available to the public with media that include jewelry-making, alcohol ink, ...

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New Castle to celebrate 125th throughout 2013

Happy anniversary wishes are in order as the town of New Castle celebrates its 125 years. The town incorporated on Feb. 2, 1888, and is now a thriving community of 4,500, tucked between Silt and Glenwood Springs along Interstate 70. Residents and visitors are invited to participate in a series of events through the year to commemorate New Castle’s history beginning with a celebration on Saturday, May 11. A Lions Club pancake breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the New Castle ...

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Music Scene: May 10-16

The online bio for the band Loves It! reads like the script of an episode of the 1960s Andy Griffith Show. Imagine a front porch, Sunday afternoon, lemonade-sipping setting, crashing head-on into a modern-day punk rock showdown. Austin,Texas-based Loves It! will play at 8 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Cavalcade, 201 E. Aspen Ave., in Fruita, performing its brand of “vibrant honky tonkin.” In 2010, “Vaughn Walters and Jenny Parrott, each veterans of the road, left their ...

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‘A Faculty Showcase’ concert 
at CMU

The Colorado Mesa University music season will come to a close with the presentation of the CMU Wind Symphony’s “A Faculty Showcase” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Robinson Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center, 1231 N. 12th St. Stephen Page will perform Claude T. Smith’s “Fantasia for Alto Saxophone” with the symphony, and Sean Flanigan and Jonathan Hinkle will perform “Fandango,” a duet for trombone and trumpet by Joseph Turrin, ...

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Your Town, May 5, 2013

Mother’s Day is just a week away. No pressure. Take Mom to the 34th annual Mother’s Day Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the Orchard Mesa Lions Club, from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 12, at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, Building C, 2785 U.S. Highway 50. Tickets are a $5 donation with ages 7 and younger admitted free. Your ticket also enters you into a chance to win a 32 inch flat screen TV, a BluRay DVD player and many other door prizes. There will also be a silent auction and a ...

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CMU theater grads to be featured

The culmination of work achieved by the 21 graduating seniors in Colorado Mesa University’s department of theatre arts will be presented at the Senior Capstone Day event on Saturday, May 4, in the Mesa Experimental Theatre of the Moss Performing Arts Center, 1231 N. 12th St. Final works to be showcased include: ■ Design and technical theatre presentations from 10–10:30 a.m. by Tyler Thompson, Bailey Brown, Henry Taylor and Darien Harlan. ■ Musical theatre cabarets ...

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CMU musicians to perform ‘Peter and the Wolf’

Children of all ages can enjoy Colorado Mesa University Symphony Orchestra’s performance of “Peter and the Wolf” in a benefit concert for Western Slope Center for Children. Events related to the performance will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4, in Robinson Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center, 1231 N. 12th St. There will be an instrument petting zoo, cider and treats for kids, face painting and door prizes. Prize drawings for kids will be at 7:15 p.m. with the ...

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Raw Canvas among numerous art shows

What’s a thingamajig? It’s kind of like a whatchamacallit or a doohickey, but more artistic. The Raw Canvas will present a member showcase titled “Thingamajig” during the First Friday Artwalk from 6–10 p.m. Friday, May 3, at 507 Main St. The show features work from its 20 local fine art members. There is no theme to the show, just a variety of pure talent and artists doing what they do best. Musical guests Lainey’s May will perform. There will be wine ...

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Music Scene: May 3-9

The sport of skiing brought them together, the art of electronic music keeps them connected. The Boulder-based electronic trio Robotic Pirate Monkey is on tour and will perform Saturday, May 4, at Mesa Theater and Lounge, 538 Main St. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and tickets cost $15. Andrew Hathaway, Matt Berryhill and Matt Flesher, who make up Robotic Pirate Monkey, are a “party pillaging electronic trio that fuses eclectic samples from the past with cutting edge sound design to ...

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Your Town, April 28, 2013

“What’s in a Word” is one of my favorite blogs on our website, GJSentinel.com. The column is written by Daily Sentinel Newspaper in Education coordinator/writer Debra Dobbins, who takes us on a journey through language as she explores the meaning and etymology of words found in the newspaper. In a recent post at http://www.gjsentinel.com/blogs/whats_in_a_word, Dobbins examines the word “intuition,” noting its root words, giving a definition, and adding a ...

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Music Scene: April 26-May 2

Acoustic instrumentation has found a safe haven in musician Andy Hackbarth’s hands. The Colorado native and his band will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the KAFM Radio Room, 1310 Ute Ave. Performing a potpourri of diverse music, Hackbarth joins a choice few indie artists who “preserve the folk ethic of acoustic instrumentation,” according to http://www.AndyHackbarth.com. “He also manages to create a cohesive album while weaving together seemingly ...

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Gear up for 
Fruita Fat Tire Fest

The Fruita Fat Tire Festival, celebrating its 18th birthday, will ride into Fruita on Thursday, April 25, and continue through Sunday, April 28, at the Fruita Civic Center Park. VIP registration will be from 3–6 p.m. April 25, along with the expo set up. The DT Swiss–Continental Tires VIP party beings at 6 p.m. and includes free food and New Belgium Beer while it lasts. A VIP pass is required or pay $20 at the door. The festival events on April 26 begin with the expo and bike ...

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Noted jazz saxophonist to perform with CMU faculty

Jazz saxophonist Eric Alexander has a list of impressive guest recordings on more than 100 albums and has released more than 20 albums with himself as band leader. Music at Mesa will present this prolific musician in a concert featuring the Colorado Mesa Faculty Jazz Quartet and student Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, in Robinson Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center, 1231 N. 12th St. “A direct descendant of competitive, no-nonsense tenor saxophone titans such as ...

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Family fun to be offered in two events

Two upcoming events will offer family fun for kids of all ages: ■ River Canyon School invites all families to attend a spring Mayfaire Festival from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Sherwood Park. Families can participate in games and festivities, craft making, candle decorating, gnome/doll making and paper crafts as well as a traditional maypole dance at 11 a.m. After the maypole dance, activities will continue with more crafts, a silent auction, a puppet show, musical ...

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Your Town, April 21, 2013

The country has been riveted to dramatic news updates this past week as tragic events unfolded in Boston — as well as Texas — in front of our eyes. Numerous stories were told of survival and far too many lives lost. But stories also were told of heroes, woven in and out of the story lines, creating a quilt of comfort, in a trying time of tragedy. Here’s to the heroes and prayers for those who have been lost or face a lengthy recovery. ■ Here’s a hero with ...

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Exhibits showcase work of local artists

There are two student art shows of note that are set to have receptions. Here are the details. ■ The second of two exhibits showcasing the work of 2013 graduating Colorado Mesa University senior studio art majors will be on display through Friday, May 10, at the Art Gallery at the CMU University Center. An opening reception will be from 6–8 p.m. Friday, April 19, at the gallery. The exhibit showcases a developed body of work from artists Rachel Carson, Allison Daugherty, ...

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Southwest Arbor and Earth Day fest shows off park renovation

Get outdoors and celebrate spring at the 12th annual Southwest Arbor Fest and Earth Day celebration from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Lincoln Park. Arrive early and be a part of the 10 a.m. grand opening ceremonies for Phase I and II of the Lincoln Park Redevelopment Project. A ribbon cutting ceremony, with Lorax-themed treats and activities for kids, will kick off the day and celebrate the completion of the work in the park, including the new playground area. Beginning at ...

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GJ Orchestra ends season with ‘Te Deum’

Guiseppe Verdi’s “Te Deum” will conclude the 2012–13 concert season for Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. For this performance, set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the Grand Junction High School auditorium, 1400 N. Fifth St., the symphony will be joined by The Schumann Singers, the Western Colorado Chorale and the Colorado Mesa Concert Choir. They will present Richard Wagner’s “Prelude to Die Meistersinger,” Franz Joseph Haydn’s ...

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Music Scene: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and more

It’s not every day that a trip to the thrift store makes one famous. Seattle-based hip-hop artist and rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis will perform (and give thrift store shopping tips) on Saturday, April 20, at Colorado Mesa University in the Delta Quad. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show is at 7 p.m. Macklemore and Lewis released the album “The Heist” in August, but the hit single “Thrift Shop” brought the duo into mainstream music, a news release ...

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Your Town, April 14, 2013

This time of year, our meal menus shift from the hearty comfort foods that previously warmed us from the inside-out, to lighter fare that is more compatible with the shift to outdoor activity and more light at the end of the day for playing. Step away the casserole dishes and crock pots — nothing welcomes the change in seasons better than a crisp salad, fresh fruits and veggies and something sizzling on the grill. And those in need of a helping hand, welcome a change too. The ...

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Soul Train party to raise funds for KAFM

Funk is the word at the inaugural KAFM Radio Soul Train dance party to benefit KAFM Community Radio. DJs will spin funk, soul and disco, beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Mesa Theater and Lounge, 538 Main St. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Dig through your closets (or your mom’s and dad’s) and plan to dress up in a funky costume — platform boots, polyester and glitter — yeah, you’re looking cool. Pick your partner and polish your funkster dance moves ...

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‘The Glass Menagerie’ concludes CMU theater season

An American tragedy about a family ravaged by the Depression will conclude the 2012–13 theater season at Colorado Mesa University. Tennessee Williams’ classic “The Glass Menagerie” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, April 17–20, in Robinson Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center, 1231 N. 12th St. “‘The Glass Menagerie’ is a semi-autobiographical memory play that recounts the events leading to the downfall of the ...

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Pirates and the like to take over living history site

Be ye noble or pirate, dragon or fairy, soldier or wench — or just a curious visitor — you’re invited to the Dragon Unchained Renaissance and Pirate Fantasy Faire set for consecutive weekends. Hosted by Thunder Mountain Colorado Living History, this free event will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, April 12–14 and April 19–21, at 312 29 Road. The faire will feature merchant booths, entertainment and activities as well as camping passes offering ...

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Music Scene: Hudson Falcons

Sleep. Drive. Rock ‘n’ roll. Repeat. Not only is that the mantra for the rock band Hudson Falcons, it’s also the name of one of its songs. Following the old-fashion route of touring, touring, touring (followed by repairing the van and more touring) the band will bring its current tour to the Grand Valley and will perform at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at Cruisers Bar, 715 Horizon Drive. “Born in the swamps of New Jersey, the Hudson Falcons are following a sound ...

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Your Town, April 7, 2013

I offered to help my mom last fall in hauling a load of discarded items and hazardous waste to the landfill. In all the years she’s lived in the Grand Valley, she’d never been out to the landfill and was excited about the excursion we had planned. Girl’s Day at the Landfill! Whoo-hoo. There were numerous cans of paint and various bottles of cleaning solutions and who-knows-what that Dad had kept for years — he never threw anything away. “I might need it some ...

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Centennial Band gets patriotic

Music by American composers Henry Mancini and Leroy Anderson will join the playlist of standard patriotic favorites at the “Rhythms & Sounds of Spring” concert presented by the Grand Junction Centennial Band. The all-volunteer band, which is in its 30th year, will play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Avalon Theatre, 645 Main St. More than 60 western Colorado-area men and women are part of the band and are “dedicated to making a unique musical and cultural ...

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