Young unauthorized immigrants may apply for deferred action

The re-election of President Barack Obama means more young unauthorized immigrants living under a cloud of fear in Grand Junction may be coming forward to apply for the recently created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “I think the program will remain in place until something better comes along,” said Attorney Imelda Mulholland with Grand Junction-based Hoskin, Farina & Kampf. Prior to the election, the program put in place this summer that provides ...

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Council gets look at nature trail, arboretum

The Grand Junction City Council got a sneak peek at the tree and nature theme Lincoln Park Redevelopment before approving the contract for the second phase of the project Wednesday evening. “A lot of these elements were designed by the people who will be using them,” said Director of Parks and Recreation Rob Schoeber. One that came from the public is the removal of the loop road that will begin this fall, following access improvements that start this month on 12th Street and ...

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City grants request for $30,000 to fund center’s detox unit

A last-minute request for money, an April voter question likely concerning transportation, and the Horizon Drive improvement project took center stage Monday during the Grand Junction City Council workshop. Councilors gave the go-ahead to a one-year allocation of $30,000 for the detox program at Colorado West Regional Mental Health Center. Despite the timing late in budget season, councilors commented on the value and necessity of the program. “I don’t know what we’d do ...

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Walking, biking trails summit set for March

Ideally, someone could hop on his or her bike and ride safely to and from anywhere in the Grand Valley, say bike enthusiasts who are organizing an upcoming conference about trails. They are taking a holistic approach to the topic, engaging in discussion about the future and connectivity in terms of economic, health, transportation and recreation impacts. The Walking and Biking Trails Summit, in the planning stages and set for March 8 at Two Rivers Convention Center, will be the first of ...

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Downtown businesses to extend hours

Shoppers may soon see more hopping evenings in downtown Grand Junction, as business owners challenge the traditional weekday hours. “We hear the same thing over and over, ‘Why aren’t more businesses open?’ ” said Margie Wilson, owner of Grand Valley Books, 350 Main St., who stays open until 7 p.m. or later during the week through Saturday and is open on Sundays. Such feedback is coming from tourists and locals alike who are looking for an evening experience ...

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Montrose church proud of growth, adds 2nd chapel

After outgrowing their spiritual home for the fourth time since beginning in Montrose, members of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints recently celebrated the opening of a second chapel and meeting house. “The buzz is the fact that this building is the second of its kind in the world,” said Kerwin Jensen, public affairs director for the Montrose Colorado Stake. Architects came from Utah to design the energy-efficient, 18,000-square-foot building seven miles south of ...

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White Hall demolition delayed while grant obtained

White Hall will sit in its burn-scarred, collapsing state a bit longer. The early-September start date for the asbestos abatement and demolition project was pushed back while permitting and a grant application processed at the state level. The wait proved fruitful as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Brownfields Program recently agreed to give $85,000 to the city of Grand Junction to help with cleanup. “You can’t get reimbursed if you’ve ...

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Homeowner’s flooding claim denied by city

After $106,000 in repairs for flooding throughout his home and yard, a local homeowner along Leach Creek sought compensation from the city for damage he said was caused by a nearby bridge not being maintained. The Grand Junction City Council heard Glenn McClelland’s case during a recent workshop. About a week later and after an executive session, he received a letter saying the city will not be offering him payment. “While the Council feels for you and the damage that ...

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Boy Scout plants signposts for park’s arboretum trail

Lincoln Park visitors soon will be able to identify nearly 70 species of trees as the first stage of the playground’s makeover takes effect. “It is going to be a showcase playground for our entire community,” said Traci Wieland, recreation superintendent with the Grand Junction Parks and Recreation department. Between now and the end of next summer, the playground will become more accessible, more educational and safer with the help of a $250,000 Great Outdoors Colorado ...

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50 compete in intense fitness tests

Just three months after having a baby, Sarah Francis demonstrated explosive strength, pulling herself up and over high-hanging rings and pressing a 115-pound bar over her head. She was one of about 50 competitors tackling the SouthWest FireBreather CrossFit Competition on Saturday at Stocker Stadium. Francis, who surpassed her goal on the first day’s challenges, described CrossFit as a fast, intense workout and even more than that, a lifestyle and a community. “It’s for ...

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GJ receives plan, plea 
for face-lift on Horizon

Horizon Drive District board members came to the Grand Junction City Council armed with numbers about economic impact and public safety, making a plea for financial support of their revitalization project. “Horizon Drive is No-Where-Ville U.S.A. … We need to do something to distinguish our front door,” said board President Clark Atkinson, as he made the case for beautification of the street used every day by 20,000 vehicles and annually by 200,000 airport ...

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Council supports mosquito district expansion

The Grand Junction City Council this week passed a resolution supporting a ballot question that would expand the Grand River Mosquito Control District. The vote was 4–3. “It’s better control and safer for people,” said Councillor Teresa Coons, as she explained some of the background of the district and biological larvae control used today instead of chemical spraying. The core of the city often has high mosquito populations, which can carry viral infections, she ...

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Avalon design process whizzing along

The Avalon Theatre addition and renovation project is moving through the design phase with all of the core and half of the total scope completed, officials reported to the Grand Junction City Council this week. Council members approved the architectural services contract for the transformation of the 91-year-old theater into a full-service performing arts center. The request amended the contract by $392,800, which is split among project partners: the Avalon Theatre Foundation Board, the ...

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City may reinstate, add jobs in coming year

Reinstating city positions that went away with the economic downturn and funding alternatives for a Colorado Mesa University project were a couple of the items touched on during the Grand Junction City Council’s budget discussions Monday. “2013 is a very capital-intense year,” said City Manager Rich Englehart during the overview of the council’s regular workshop. In total, 13 new and re-established positions are in the proposed budget. These include two police ...

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Delta shelter in need of more space

Those coming through the doors seeking a warm bed are often people the volunteers with The Abraham Connection Homeless Shelter already know. They are longtime Delta County residents or families who have fallen on hard times, said Kami Collins, board vice president, who trains volunteers to understand that they will see children who go to school with theirs or recognize the adults. Now, entering its third season, the shelter has outgrown the church basement that helped it get ...

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Recyling firm finds new market after mill closes

With the industry under pressure to make life easier by allowing people to throw all recyclables together, product quality took a hit, resulting in the recent closure of an Arizona recycle paper mill with 300 employees. “There’s quite a discussion within the industry between single-stream versus multistream,” said Steve Foss, general manager of Grand Junction’s Curbside Recycling Indefinitely Inc., adding that he is glad the multiple-stream system his company uses ...

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Grand Junction begins leaf collection

As yards become colorfully decorated with the season, the city of Grand Junction begins its annual Fall Leaf Pick Up program today. Raked piles set 18 inches out from the curb that crews will collect is more than just a popular service for residents. It helps keep the leaves out of storm drains, which decreases flooding, and keeps them away from the Colorado River, where they can create algae blooms, city officials said. Darren Starr, manager of streets and solid waste, said the program ...

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Colorado’s ‘best kept secret’

Nearly 1,900 cyclists from 38 states rolled into Two Rivers Convention Center Saturday afternoon with giant grins on their faces after riding up to 62 miles, winding over Colorado National Monument and through Fruita. “The contrast of the Monument and the farmland ...  that was just tremendous,” said Mark Rumby, of Boulder, after finishing the inaugural Icon Lasik Tour of the Moon. He rode with Craig Rapp of Westminster and Larry Moon of Erie, who all escaped the snow to ...

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Trailblazers start 
putting their mark
 on 3 Sisters Park


Volunteers followed the pink flag loop Saturday, raking the dusty ground to create the first trail at Three Sisters Park, a 130-acre property adjacent to the popular Lunch Loop trail system. “This is the culmination of a dream I didn’t think would happen,” said Mesa Land Trust board member Bill Prakken, recalling when the area was slated to be a residential development. “Two years ago, if you had asked me if this would happen, I would have said, ‘No.’ ...

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Challenging races a boon for nonprofit groups

Minor cuts and scrapes, mud in places you didn’t know existed and full-body fatigue. Yes, please! At least, that is what a growing number of people participating in obstacle course races in and around Grand Junction are saying. These sort of races, which may vary anywhere in length from roughly two to 12 miles, likely spotlight mud and may include tractor tires, ropes, tunnels, fire or even electricity. In running events, it is the latest trend nationally, and local organizations ...

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Foster goes to GJ council for help on CMU project

Colorado Mesa University President Tim Foster returned to the Grand Junction City Council Wednesday evening, presenting information to support the school’s $7 million funding request for a second academic building. “We’re going to do something for sure,” Mayor Bill Pitts said. “We’ve just got to figure out how and where.” The meeting came out of a previous budget discussion where city councilors expressed concerns about the amount and wanted to ...

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Hospital tells city of timeline for facility on G Road

With future demand, a shift in service needs and health care system changes in mind, Community Hospital has funding ready and is hoping to break ground soon on the first phase of its new facility off G Road. “We’ve outgrown the old building,” Chris Thomas, hospital president and CEO, told the Grand Junction City Council on Monday during its work session. Thomas explained details of a project that will move the hospital from the current property on 12th Street, ...

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Survey: Voters back beltway completion

If the results of the April election look anything like the initial Survey on Future City Capital Projects, voters will support a question leading to the completion of the beltway connecting the community. “This was ... kind of to test the waters, and we feel overwhelmingly, people see transportation projects as important,” said Betsy Bair, Governmental Affairs Manager with the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, which conducted the survey. Bair presented the results to ...

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Car careens into fence at day care; children OK

Two people were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and a child was treated and released at the scene after a Ford Escort crashed into the fence at a Grand Junction preschool We Kare-A-Lot Preschool on 12th Street on Wednesday morning. The driver of the vehicle, 41-year-old Kimberly Case, received a ticket for running the red light, said Kate Porras, spokeswoman for the Grand Junction Police Department. She was traveling east on Grand Avenue when her ...

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Car crashes through preschool playground fence

Two people were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for non life-threatening injuries and one child was treated and released on the scene after a Ford Escort crashed into the fence at We Kare-A-Lot Preschool, 1159 Grand Ave., this morning. The driver of the vehicle, Kimberly Case, 41, received a ticket for running the red light, said Kate Porras, spokeswoman for the Grand Junction Police Department. Case was traveling east on Grand Avenue when her Escort collided with a Chevrolet pickup ...

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Don’t pigeonhole these birds

These pigeons are not the ones dragged in by the cat or picking at the garden. These pigeons are trained athletes on high-protein diets that fly up to 500 miles in a day to find their way home. “People don’t realize how important they still are,” local pigeon racer and farmer Jerry Donaldson recently told the Grand Junction City Council while explaining the history of carrier pigeons used in the military and noting that some have even received medals of honor. “They ...

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Convention bureau wants help with Two Rivers

As budget conversations continue in the city, Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau board members shared their wish for a funding shift to free up marketing money to attract more tourism. They met this week for lunch with the Grand Junction City Council to talk about sharing more of the subsidy cost of Two Rivers Convention Center. This year, that cost for the VCB is $329,000. “We could do so much more if we had more money,” said board member Per Nilsson. For every $1 ...

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Businesses can target suicide issue

High suicide rates in Mesa County compared to the state and nation have a local prevention organization exploring new ways to create change. Throughout September, Suicide Prevention Month, Western Colorado Suicide Prevention Foundation is focusing on the role businesses could play, along with new ways to help the highest risk group — men. “We’ve got a cross-section of businesses in Mesa County impacted by suicide every year. … This is a beginning effort to ...

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City to present plan for redevelopment along North Avenue

Grand Junction city officials hope a new plan will revitalize, enhance and encourage use of North Avenue as more than just a drive-through thoroughfare. A zoning overlay is the tool they’re using as an incentive for property owners considering developing or redeveloping their land, and city planners will be looking for feedback about that tool during an open house Tuesday. “It’s really to create a different environment, a different feel … and hopefully bring some ...

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Plant problems spoiling Delta community garden

The city of Delta’s new community garden is on rocky ground until results of soil samples help officials determine why growers saw damage to their plants. Thomas Swan, a local resident participating in the first-year project, began to suspect some type of contamination when his cantaloupe plant flourished at home but died in the community plot. He was among those who raised concerns that something in the soil or a nearby chemical spray application could be the culprit. “If ...

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Festive grape lovers

They described the experience as “refreshing and slimy” while washing bits of purple from their feet. First time grape-stompers Janet Kovacs and Susan Berkowitz, both of Denver, smushed, laughed and rocked-out in wooden barrels of fruit to the live music playing behind them at the 21st-annual Colorado Mountain Winefest Saturday afternoon. They made the trip to the festival with eight other friends for their “23rd-annual Chick Weekend” and said while this was their ...

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LiveWell targets weight misconceptions

Many people know their height down to the quarter inch. But when it comes to weight, self and societal perception may mean misclassifications of true health risks. A statewide study showed that Coloradans see obesity as someone else’s problem and are not recognizing if their numbers fall into a healthy weight, overweight or obese category. “They tended to think of obesity in terms of The Biggest Loser,” said John Hopkins, Grand Junction resident and chairman of the Board ...

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Grand Junction businessman dies in accident

The family of a 37-year-old Grand Junction business owner who died suddenly last weekend described him as being full of love and life. Brent Tuck, founder, president and chief executive officer of Tuck Communication Services Inc., died Sept. 1 in a skateboarding accident outside his family’s Grand Junction home. “He instilled an incredible amount of love in every one of us and taught us the true nature of loving and living life to the fullest,” his family wrote in an ...

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Voters get say on riverfront

After four years of conflict, the future usage of Brady Trucking’s 13-acre property near the Colorado River in south downtown Grand Junction is now in the hands of the voters. City Council members voted 6-1 late Wednesday night to put the zoning of the land at 347 and 348 27 ½ Road and 2757 C ½ Road on the April ballot. Councilor Bennett Boeschenstein cast the dissenting vote. For some in the overflowing meeting room passionately representing either side, the ...

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National Guard helps build site for storm drainage, gains training

Grand Junction Mayor Bill Pitts understands the power and the destruction rushing water from a quick storm over the Bookcliffs can cause residents along the Leach Creek Drainage Basin. Recalling his children’s treehouse that was knocked flat years ago while touring the stormwater detention site off 27 1/4 Road on Friday, he said: “I can attest to what it does downstream. I’ve lived on Leach Creek for 48 years.” In August, the Colorado Army National Guard began ...

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Congregation balks at offer for old downtown church site

The Grand Junction Downtown Development Authority’s hopes to turn the block next to the Mesa County Public Library District’s central library into taxable property stalled recently when Victory Life Church rejected its purchase offer. The congregation decided the $1 million offer on the city block between Fourth and Fifth streets and Grand and Ouray avenues, which included additional revenue components, didn’t meet the value of the roughly 2.6-acre property at 402 Grand ...

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Peña, Jiminian among Rockies enjoying Grand Junction

Franmy Peña smiled and looked over his shoulder toward a woman watering the baseball field after an evening home game victory at Suplizio Field. That’s just not something that happens in the Dominican Republic. It would be a man’s job, he said, providing this as just a small example of a cultural difference. Peña, 20, a catcher for the Grand Junction Rockies, arrived in June along with other players from the Dominican Republic and Latin American countries — ...

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Man mauled by bear near Lake City

A 50-year-old Colorado Springs man was treated for non-life threatening injuries and released following an early morning encounter with a bear while camping in the area of Lake San Cristobal near Lake City this week. “He did all he could do,” said Mike Porras, spokesman with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “He fought the bear off and he got help.” The encounter led to the bear being put down by a wildlife officer, Porras said. The man was camping in a legal but ...

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Advocates post 
fake eviction 
notes on homes

Community responses to fake eviction notices deeming one’s home unsanitary and dangerous have ranged from violent threats to sympathetic support. Occupy Grand Junction members created the notices when looking for “more radical and pointed ways to raise awareness” about the homeless and vagrant population, said member and longtime activist Robert McDonald, 61, who receives about five calls a week as a result of the notices. They have been posted on doors throughout the ...

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White Hall demolition approved

Historic and sentimental but an eyesore and safety hazard were ways neighbors described the charred, collapsing building the Grand Junction City Council approved for demolition at Wednesday’s meeting. The $313,650 White Hall asbestos abatement and demolition project of the main sanctuary is expected to start Sept. 4 with a completion date at the end of October, according to city officials. “It’s heartbreaking to have to take it down ... but at least it will be a step ...

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City to drive $80M beltway plan

The Grand Junction City Council agreed to move forward Monday with planning the completion of a beltway to connect the community — a project that likely will present itself to voters on the April ballot. This $60 million project would include constructing a 29 Road Interchange, connecting 29 Road from Patterson Road to Interstate 70, and widening 24 Road from Patterson to I-70. “Everyone uses those,” said Diane Schwenke, president and CEO of the Grand Junction Area ...

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City may flip its own streetlight switch

Cost and energy savings are driving factors behind the Grand Junction City Council’s green light Monday evening to test their hand at taking ownership of street lighting. Today, 22 lights are out on North Avenue and citizen complaints are well-known to city officials. Xcel Energy, owner and operator of the streetlights, notified the city of several “dead underground feeds” and informed officials that the city’s responsibility could be an estimated $500,000, ...

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