GJ keeps taxes exempt from TABOR

Grand Junction will continue to exclude a 0.75 percent sales tax, and the city’s less than 1/3 of 1 percent portion from Mesa County’s sales tax, from limits set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. The move breaks step with Mesa County commissioners, who Monday decided to again include sales tax revenue in their TABOR calculations. Grand Junction appears to now stand alone among state municipalities to operate this way—yet it may be the only local government with its ...

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Teen shelter upsets GJ neighbors

Some neighbors in the block that houses a homeless shelter for teenagers want their quiet cul-de-sac back. Neighbors on a street in the area of Seventh Street and Patterson Road worry that property values will decline on their block of mostly well-kept brick homes now that one of the homes — a shelter called The House — has been operating on their street for the past year. Neighbors say they have caught teenagers smoking in an abandoned barn and on a nearby backyard patio, ...

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Grand Junction council chooses 13 projects for $350,000 in block grants

Grand Junction city councilors on Monday divvied up more than $350,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to local programs, with the two largest awards going to structural improvements. The federal funds are distributed by the city to eligible nonprofit groups that request the matching grant dollars. Just to be on the safe side, the city subtracted 5 percent from this year’s expected allocation to account for possible federal sequestration cuts for the program, said ...

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Former White Hall site could become housing atop offices

As crews work to demolish the burned-out White Hall, the next phase is getting under way for the corner of White Avenue and Sixth Street. Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado recently awarded the city of Grand Junction a $5,000 matching grant to complete a planning document for the site. The Grand Junction Downtown Development Authority wants to create some kind of project on the site to get the property’s next use on the tax rolls. Harry Weiss, executive director of the ...

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The cupboard is bare

Jon McDougle smells like he’s been drinking alcohol, but at least he’s on his medication. That’s the only way Lori Meyer feels safe around the homeless man who often partakes of the long-standing free lunches Meyer provides in Whitman Park. “This woman is so very important,” he said gesturing elaborately and giving Meyer a bear hug at what is dubbed “homeless park.” “We need her to be supported and financed. It ain’t just food or ...

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Palisade High speakers tout many successes of seniors

When her 209 other classmates were hitting the books at Palisade High School this winter, senior Natalie Combs was halfway around the world. Combs, 18, had always wanted to do a mission trip, so she jumped at the chance to travel with a friend and volunteer for two months teaching preschool and cuddling babies at an orphanage in Uganda. “The culture is really awesome,” she said. “They’re so caring and so happy. Everyone there is so grateful for what they ...

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Tea time at the art gallery

During a day best spent lavishing time and love on mom, Sara Muller of Grand Junction couldn’t pass up the combination of art and tea at the Blue Pig Gallery in Palisade. The mother of two boys, ages 1 and 3, first enjoyed a brunch with her mother, Judy Muller, at Spoons Bistro & Bakery, 3090B N. 12th St., before the two headed out to peruse the work of local artists at the gallery. “We both love art, and we both love tea,” Sara said, happy being able to mesh the ...

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Fruitlands Forever saves 58 acres

Three more parcels totaling 58 acres now are protected under conservation easements in Palisade’s peach orchard country, thanks to the help of Mesa Land Trust. Thirteen acres owned by James and Laura Sanders are included in the latest easement acquisitions. “We’re excited that the option is even there,” James Sanders said. “We’re excited about the idea of it staying protected. It’s nice to know there will be Palisade peaches on the property ...

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Police: Armed man robs C&F on North Avenue

Officers with the Grand Junction Police Department are seeking a man in connection to an armed robbery at the C&F Store, 2847 North Avenue about 7:30 a.m. this morning. The suspect, who said he had a handgun, stole cash and a soda and fled on foot heading west on North Avenue. The suspect is described as being a black male, about 6-foot tall and wearing tan cargo shorts, blue sneakers and sunglasses. The store reopened about an hour and a half after the incident. Officers had not ...

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New signs point bikers to monument

If you like getting out on your road bike, you’ve probably pedaled over Colorado National Monument. But if you’re not from the area, it can be tricky figuring out how to make the loop back to town. New signs installed, thanks to a partnership between the city of Grand Junction and Mesa County, direct cyclists along South Camp Road and South Broadway, a refreshing break from cycling solely along the traffic-heavy Colorado Highway 340. The idea for adding signs to the route ...

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Council candidates tallied $60,000 in contributions

Ten candidates for the Grand Junction City Council raised a combined $60,340 for the April 2 municipal election. “There were more contributions than in years past,” said City Clerk Stephanie Tuin. Final candidate filings were logged with the city May 2. Phyllis Norris raised the most money with $17,003, while Harry Butler opted not to raise a dime. Both were elected. Marty Chazen and Rick Brainard, who both were elected, each raised the next highest amounts — a ...

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Latimer House out $5,000 after theft of designer shoes and presents

Authorities are seeking some sole-less thieves after Latimer House reported it was deprived of 100 pairs of high heels the nonprofit group uses for an annual fundraiser. The shoes, an assortment of stilettos and pumps in men’s sizes 10 and larger, were stolen along with Christmas gifts for women who are the victims of domestic violence. The items, stolen April 16, after thieves forced their way into a locked storage shed near one of Latimer House’s transitional housing ...

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$8M aviation deal is a go

A plan hatched 10 months ago for Grand Junction Regional Airport to build a new hangar for West Star Aviation was heralded with a celebration on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, members of the Grand Junction Regional Airport’s Airport Authority board gave the nod for Director of Aviation Rex Tippetts to craft a contract with West Star for the $8 million building the company will use to paint airplanes. The expansion project is expected to create up to 150 jobs at an average ...

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Rift opens on new council

Typically a mundane formality, the swearing-in of four new Grand Junction councilors Monday morning revealed tensions on several fronts. For starters, protestors who have publicly rallied against Rick Brainard stood and turned their backs as the man accused in two domestic violence charges against his girlfriend was sworn into office. Earlier in the morning, Brainard had a plea deal and sentencing date set for his court case — 4 p.m. May 17. Immediately following the swearing-in ...

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Rick Brainard swears in despite protestors

A swearing in ceremony for four new Grand Junction City Councilors was anything but ordinary, as about a dozen protestors turned their backs on the proceedings when Rick Brainard took the oath of office. Meanwhile, friends, family members and supporters of the four new-elected leaders cheered the turnover on the board. Earlier this morning, a hearing was postponed for Brainard’s first appearance on two misdemeanor domestic violence charges against his former girlfriend. Protestors ...

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‘Accidental politician’ reflects on time as public figure

Teresa Coons didn’t start out with ambitions to seek political life. She didn’t pine for it in high school or prepare for it in college, as some do for a career in politics by earning a political science degree. Four years after Coons moved to Grand Junction, the Democrat put her hat in the ring — naively, she says in retrospect — to run against Republican contender Josh Penry for the District 54 state representative seat. She was soundly defeated. ...

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Donors to Brady’s campaign a mystery

Grand Valley residents likely saw the flurry of campaign yard signs, billboards, pamphlets and other media in support of industrial zoning for Brady Trucking’s riverfront property. While voters overwhelmingly approved the zoning issue in Grand Junction’s April 3 municipal election, the public may never know how much money was spent on the campaign to support Referred Measure A and who spent it. Issue committees—much like candidates running for political ...

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Cessna lands on Highway 50

The pilot of a fixed-wing, single-engine airplane walked away unscathed after an emergency landing north of Delta on U.S. Highway 50 late Thursday morning. The man, who was the plane’s only occupant, had taken off from Montrose Regional Airport and called into a police dispatch center just before 11:30 a.m. reporting that the engine was losing power and he was attempting to land it on the highway, according to Delta Police Department spokeswoman Jamie Head. Dispatchers tried to get ...

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Council: No more cash for chamber

Tensions that have been bubbling up between some current city councilors and the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce erupted Wednesday night as councilors voted to yank the city’s long-standing membership, a $6,000-a-year contribution. Councilor Jim Doody, who introduced the topic during the councilor-comment portion of the meeting, said he believed the chamber had moved from being a group to help economic development to a political entity, with the creation of the Western Colorado ...

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Mesa County Clerk’s Office set as civil unions go into effect

The Mesa County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is prepared if an influx of same-sex couples enter into civil unions today, the first day Colorado will recognize the legal rights of gay and lesbian couples. However, the local office did not open at midnight, as was the plan for offices in Denver and Boulder. Mesa County Clerk Sheila Reiner said she’s heard that possibly 10 to 15 couples plan to enter into civil unions today. “If it turns out to be 10 to 15 couples, we can ...

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Restroom, irrigation first steps for Las Colonias

To start, work will begin on a much-needed restroom and an irrigation system at Las Colonias Park. Grand Junction City Councilors are expected to adopt a master plan in June for the park, a 101-acre swath east of Western Colorado Botanical Gardens between Riverside Parkway and the Colorado River. That plan includes an outdoor amphitheater to seat 10,000 people, a five-acre dog park, trails and wetlands or a series of lakes, a playing field, a native grass area and a boat launch. A ...

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Longtime water chief steps down

If his wife didn’t know better, Jane Proctor would swear irrigation water — not blood — ran through her husband’s veins. For the past 19 years, as general manager of the Grand Valley Water Users Association, Dick Proctor ensured customers along 55 miles of canal and through 150 miles of pipe received water for crops and landscaping. Proctor, 62, retired from his post in early March, a few years sooner than he had anticipated because of health issues. Former ...

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Fruita’s eclectic vibe draws cyclists

Any doubts that the trails around Fruita have become a mountain biking mecca and an economic driver should be laid to rest in light of this weekend’s Fat Tire Festival. Hundreds of people took to trails in the Grand Valley and wandered about downtown Fruita for the event in its 18th year. Some of the festival’s success can be attributed to the area’s allure, said Marty Gotantas. Seven years ago, he bought a home in Fruita and lives there in the spring and fall — ...

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Immigrants march for U.S. rights

If ever the time was right for immigration reform, it’s now, hundreds of participants chanted during a rousing march and rally Saturday along North Avenue. For Danya Galindo, 21, of Grand Junction, immigration reform would help keep her family together. “My family is not from here and I want them to be here,” she said while holding a sign asking U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo., to back reform efforts. “A lot of people think racism is over, but it’s ...

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Montrose officers seek yellow Lab’s shooter; 2nd dog still missing

The Montrose County Sheriff’s Department still is seeking the person or persons who shot a dog in the head at close range. Bella, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador, who was found Tuesday after crawling out of canal in Olathe near Amber and 60.00 roads, is expected to make a full recovery and has been returned to her owner, Montrose County spokeswoman Katie Yergensen said. “They were beyond overjoyed,” she said. The dog’s owner, whose name has not been released to the ...

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Council winner Brainard off hospital board

Grand Junction City Councilor-elect Rick Brainard has resigned his position as a member of the Community Hospital Foundation’s board of directors. Chief Executive Officer Chris Thomas told The Daily Sentinel on Thursday Brainard decided to resign to focus “on his life and City Council and career.” “We have appreciated all his help and we wish him well,” Thomas said by phone Thursday. Thomas said Brainard served on the foundation board, the hospital’s ...

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Suspect 
in abuse 
gives to 
Latimer

Embattled Grand Junction City Councilor-elect Rick Brainard donated the balance of his campaign funds to Latimer House, a Grand Junction shelter for victims of domestic violence. Brainard’s final campaign contribution paperwork, on file with the Grand Junction City Clerk’s Office, indicates he donated $542 to the local nonprofit agency. Brainard raised $11,135 for his campaign, reports showed. Those running for office can donate the remainder of their campaign funds to a ...

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City praises its actions in gas leak, explosion

Grand Junction’s response to the natural gas explosion on North Seventh Street last month prioritized public safety, according to a recently released internal report. The March 19 incident in which three people were injured and two homes were destroyed after a contractor nicked an underground, medium-sized natural gas line will also be used as a learning experience, the report stated. “It was clear from the start that safety was our No. 1 concern,” Grand Junction City ...

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Duped by Craigslist ad

At $550 a month, the rental price for the cozy, yellow home near Colorado Mesa University seemed a perfect fit. The two-bedroom home with a fenced-in backyard would make a great place for his two girls, ages 3 and 5, to play, Grand Junction resident Jerry Dvorak reasoned. After finding the listing on Craigslist, Dvorak spent about two weeks emailing back and forth with a man who claimed to be the home’s owner. The owner needed $700 for a security deposit and first and last ...

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Parking lot
 pet sellers
 will need 
city permit

Expect to see fewer people selling or giving away dogs and cats from the backs of pickup trucks in parking lots around town this summer after Grand Junction City Council added teeth to an ordinance concerning the practice. Those who want to sell pets in public spaces first must obtain a permit from the Mesa County Animal Services, which ensures the seller has obtained approval from the business to be on its property. A permit also provides proof that the animals have been seen by a ...

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Council: Brainard should go

Participants with duct tape over their mouths and eyes blackened out delivered impassioned speeches at Wednesday’s Grand Junction City Council meeting in protest of City Councilor-elect Rick Brainard, who has come under fire after a domestic violence arrest. About half of the people who crammed into City Hall chambers—some were families with their infants in tow—cheered in support of a resolution approved by all but one city councilor asking that Brainard not take the ...

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White Hall’s days are numbered

Asbestos removal has begun on the hulking, scarred remains of White Hall in downtown Grand Junction. Demolition will occur in a couple of weeks on the historic structure at 600 White Ave., according to Grand Junction city officials. White Hall was gutted after a fire swept through early on the morning of Sept. 15, 2011, but its 10,000-square-foot eastern end was largely untouched. That portion of the building will not be torn down. The city took ownership of the property in May after ...

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Facebook
 drive to 
Brainard: 
Quit now

Supporters of a Facebook page demanding that Rick Brainard resign his post before he takes office plan to pack Grand Junction City Council chambers tonight. Brainard, who was elected to the council earlier this month, has said he will not resign despite being charged with third-degree assault and harassment in an alleged domestic violence incident against his girlfriend. The Facebook page invites people to attend the 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall and to speak up during the citizen comment ...

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Conservation urged, just in case, water officials say

During a day of desperately needed rain, officials with the Grand Valley’s four domestic water providers said they would ask customers to conserve water now so that restrictions won’t have be imposed during the height of summer. “If everybody will do that we can make it through the summer OK,” Larry Clever, general manager of Ute Water Conservancy District, said Monday. The annual meeting was a chance for water officials with Palisade, Grand Junction, Clifton Water ...

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GJ to join Mesa County in pursuit of 29 Road funds

Grand Junction City Councilors gave the go-ahead during a workshop Monday night to support Mesa County’s push to apply for a state grant to continue 29 Road to Interstate 70. The state’s Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships Program,  or RAMP, is intended to supply $300 million a year for five years to transportation projects that show the most need. The grant requires a minimum matching funds of 20 percent. Mesa County Public Works Director Pete ...

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Exploding costs

The city of Grand Junction has spent nearly $20,000 to date dealing with the effects of last month’s natural gas leak and explosion on North Seventh Street. Nearly half of those funds, $8,993, were distributed in the form of hotel vouchers and grocery gift cards to residents in the evacuation zone when a contractor boring into the ground struck a natural gas line at Seventh Street and Orchard Avenue on March 19, causing a massive gas leak. An ensuing explosion decimated the home ...

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‘No-brainer,’ crowd says

A spirited crowd of nearly 100 people chanted slogans and carried signs Friday morning calling for the resignation of Grand Junction City Councilor-elect Rick Brainard. The event in front of City Hall attracted two current councilors, Bennett Boeschenstein and Jim Doody, who said they would present a resolution during Wednesday’s council meeting asking for his resignation. “He’s already cost our city a huge amount of embarrassment,” Boeschenstein told the crowd, ...

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Dozens rally at City Hall to protest Councilor-elect Brainard

A spirited crowd of nearly 100 people this morning chanted slogans and carried signs calling for the resignation of Grand Junction City Councilor-elect Rick Brainard. The event in front of City Hall attracted two current councilors, Bennett Boeschenstein and Jim Doody, who said they would present a resolution during Wednesday’s council meeting asking for his resignation. “He’s already cost our city a huge amount of embarrassment,” Boeschenstein told the crowd, ...

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New airport administration facility on way

A new administration building will be the first in a series of improvements slated for Grand Junction Regional Airport. Bids for local contracting work are slated to go out Monday for the 22,685-square-foot building, which will be on the airport’s eastern side. Construction is expected to last about nine months. The building, designed with ample windows and stone work, will consist of two above-ground levels and a basement. Construction will be coordinated with future improvements ...

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Luke won’t pursue City Council recount

Grand Junction City Councilor Laura Luke has decided she doesn’t want to pay for a recount of votes tallied in the April 2 municipal election. Luke, appointed to the council two years ago, lost the chance to serve a four-year City Council term by a little more than a 0.5 percent margin to challenger Marty Chazen. A mandatory recount would have occurred if the results were within 0.5 percent. Luke had seven days after the election to request and pay for a recount of the votes, a ...

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School leaders learn how to fight a drug’s lure

If students are going to persuade their peers never to try meth, they should be armed with some good reasons why. That was the lesson some 20 Central High School students in the school’s student senate came away with Monday after a presentation by representatives with the Colorado Meth Project. Methamphetamine, which is a chemical cocktail made with the main ingredient in drain cleaners, fertilizers and brake fluid, did not sound like something student Blake Rogers wanted to ...

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Here’s your chance to fine-tune plans for future Las Colonias Park by river

You’ll probably use Las Colonias Park once it’s developed, so you might as well help plan it. Grand Junction city park planners want your input during a public open house from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Two Rivers Convention Center. The event will feature the latest version of a master plan for the 101-acre parcel off Riverside Parkway east of the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens. Plans include an outdoor amphitheater with seating for up to 10,000 people, grass fields, ...

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Brady will wait to build at site

New construction on property owned by Brady Trucking probably won’t get going until next year, according to Chuck Johnson, vice president of the company. Brady Trucking won approval from voters last week to have its 13-acre riverfront parcels remain zoned a combination of light industrial and industrial-office. The area is at the end of 27 1/2 Road. Johnson said the company still plans to build at its site but is waiting for the economy to rebound. “If we start before the ...

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Council OKs funding for spring cleanup

Grand Junction’s spring cleanup costs are steep, so you might as well take advantage. Grand Junction City Councilors approved spending on the annual cleanup during their meeting Wednesday night. Every year, the city offers residents the opportunity to place piles of garbage and yard clippings in the street in front of homes for free pickup. To get the job done in two weeks’ time, the city must contract with local dump truck services. This year,  the city is contracting ...

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New faces on Grand Junction council

Voters want to see new faces on the Grand Junction City Council. At least two incumbents, Bill Pitts and Tom Kenyon, were voted out of office, and a third appeared to be on her way out, according to Tuesday night election results. Phyllis Norris won handily in District A after nabbing 63.8 percent of the votes, while Rick Brainard ousted Pitts for the at-large seat, earning 57.7 percent of the votes. A tight race in District D showed Marty Chazen winning the race over incumbent Laura ...

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Voters narrowly deny city 
TABOR excess for roads

Grand Junction voters want their money back. That’s the consensus on a ballot measure that asked voters whether excess revenue from limits set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights should be invested in a host of local transportation projects. Referred Measure B failed by a narrow margin of 160 votes, according to the final, unofficial votes tallied Tuesday night. “I’m happy with the voting outcome because it seems to me that the city was spending money before they ...

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Voters hand Brady Trucking zoning victory

A years-long legal battle over property zoning on Brady Trucking land came to a close Tuesday night as voters sided with the trucking company. Voters overwhelmingly supported Referred Measure A, which allowed the trucking company to retain a combination of light industrial and industrial-office zoning on roughly 13 acres of riverfront property east of Las Colonias Park at the end of 27 1/2 Road. Final, unofficial results at 9 p.m. showed 8,307 voters, or 73.9 percent, favored the ...

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