2011 Grand Valley Echo November

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Volume 4 Number 2 FREE Mid-November/Mid-December 2011 Providing a voice for community-based organizations and individuals that enrich the life of the Grand Valley INSIDE Taekwon-Do page 12 Craft show page 13 Our schools page 21-23 KSUN’s gala page 3 Living Nativity page 24 Serving the Grand Valley since 2008 By Laurel Koning, Echo contributor A team of men golfers from Battlement Mesa and Parachute reached the finals of the second annual Colorado Golf Association (CGA) Team Interclub Championship on Oct. 22 in Aurora. Seeded No. 1, hopes were high for a swift defeat. But the Lone Tree Golf Club (seeded No. 3) beat them 24-12 in the finals. The road to this elite title began this summer. Competitions between Battlement’s team and Lincoln Park Golf Club, Book Cliff Country Club and the Redlands Mesa Golf Club landed them on top. The local team beat them all and became the No. 1 seed based on a season total of 74 points. Fifty-two teams participated in this event, with most clubs coming from the eastern side of the state. Since they were seeded No. 1, the first round gave them a bye. Their two vic- tories against Desert Hawk Golf Club from Pueblo (23-13) and Foothills Golf Club from Denver (25-11) qualified them for the finals. Doug Choate, Tom Gentilcore and Mike Stiers defeated their opponents in the singles. The teams of Choate/Oakley and Gentilcore/Santos also won in the Four Ball finals. For reaching the finals, both Battlement Mesa and Lone Tree received $250 each for local golf programs from the CGA. All played their hardest considering that many were “years older” than their young competitors. Of the 12, four of our players are 70-plus, with another five players in their 60s. Huge thanks to the youngster of the group, Doug Choate, who won nearly every match throughout the season. Thanks also to Larry Moss, Jeff Bradley, Fred Inman, and Thom Hammick who played in earlier matches in the sea- son. The 12 men from Parachute and Battlement Mesa who traveled to Denver for the Colorado Golf Association’s finals are, front row, Mike Stiers, Jon Prater, John Santos, Doug Choate, Chuck Perrin and Chuck Hall. Back row are Al Tanner, Jack Elsea, Tom Gentilcore, Gordon Elliott, Ken Seidel and Frank Oakley. Photo courtesy of Laurel Koning Parachute/Battlement Mesa golfers have impressive showing in Denver

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Transcript of 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 1: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Volume 4 Number 2 FREE Mid-November/Mid-December 2011

Providing a voice for community-based organizations and individuals that enrich the life of the Grand Valley

INSIDE

Taekwon-Dopage 12

Craft show page 13

Our schoolspage 21-23

KSUN’s galapage 3

Living Nativitypage 24

• Serving the Grand Valley since 2008 •

By Laurel Koning, Echo contributor

A team of men golfers from Battlement Mesa andParachute reached the finals of the second annual ColoradoGolf Association (CGA) Team Interclub Championship onOct. 22 in Aurora. Seeded No. 1, hopes were high for a swiftdefeat. But the Lone Tree Golf Club (seeded No. 3) beat them24-12 in the finals.

The road to this elite title began this summer.Competitions between Battlement’s team and Lincoln ParkGolf Club, Book Cliff Country Club and the Redlands MesaGolf Club landed them on top. The local team beat them alland became the No. 1 seed based on a season total of 74points.

Fifty-two teams participated in this event, with most clubscoming from the eastern side of the state. Since they wereseeded No. 1, the first round gave them a bye. Their two vic-

tories against Desert Hawk Golf Club from Pueblo (23-13)and Foothills Golf Club from Denver (25-11) qualified themfor the finals.

Doug Choate, Tom Gentilcore and Mike Stiers defeatedtheir opponents in the singles. The teams of Choate/Oakleyand Gentilcore/Santos also won in the Four Ball finals.

For reaching the finals, both Battlement Mesa and LoneTree received $250 each for local golf programs from theCGA.

All played their hardest considering that many were “yearsolder” than their young competitors. Of the 12, four of ourplayers are 70-plus, with another five players in their 60s.Huge thanks to the youngster of the group, Doug Choate,who won nearly every match throughout the season.

Thanks also to Larry Moss, Jeff Bradley, Fred Inman, andThom Hammick who played in earlier matches in the sea-son.

The 12 men from Parachute and Battlement Mesa who traveled to Denver for the Colorado Golf Association’s finals are, front row, Mike Stiers, Jon Prater,John Santos, Doug Choate, Chuck Perrin and Chuck Hall. Back row are Al Tanner, Jack Elsea, Tom Gentilcore, Gordon Elliott, Ken Seidel and Frank Oakley.

Photo courtesy of Laurel Koning

Parachute/Battlement Mesa golfershave impressive showing in Denver

Page 2: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 2, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

MISSION STATEMENTTo provide a voice for local

schools, nonprofit groups and civicorganizations; to bring attention tothe individuals and local businesses

that are the fabric of the Grand Valley region; to contribute to

the vitality of our small town life.

The Grand Valley Echois published monthly, and is distributed

throughout Battlement Mesa and Parachute.Subscriptions are available

for a $35 annual fee.

PUBLISHER/DESIGNERALYSSA OHNMACHT

EDITORCARRIE CLICK

ADVERTISING SALESBARBARA PAVLIN

285-7634

DISTRIBUTION/CIRCULATIONSTEVE PAVLIN

Dawn Distribution • 963-0874

274 REDSTONE BLVD., REDSTONE, COLORADO 81623970-963-2373 • [email protected]

All copy submitted to The Grand Valley Echo will be edited and reviewed by our staff for style, grammar and content. The Grand Valley Echo reserves the right to refuse publication

of any submitted material that does not meet the publisher’s standard for a positive, informative, educational community newspaper.

Thank you to this month’s contributors:

Laurel Koning, Jeannie Martin, KSUN, Mary Anderson, Charlie Hornick, ME Denomy, Bill Cornelius, Jennifer Kelly,Tanny McGinnis, Keith Lammey, Dick Ciprich,Dianne Haynes, Pam Szedelyi, Cherry Goff,Grand Junction VA Medical Center, SueChapman, Sharon Temple, Doug Straw,Gene Pickett, Melissa Wood, Betsy Leonard,Rob Ferguson, Dr. Carol Lybrook, Department of Veterans Affairs, Kathy Germano, Ken Haptonstall, Trish Braby, Jazmin McFarland, Dustin Weist, Kim Whelan, Jory Sorensen,Ryan Frink, Jeanne Miles, Veronica Duran, Sue McEvoy

Gratitude

Dear Echo:

On Saturday, Oct. 29, beginning at 6 p.m., the Grub n Scrub, Phillips 66 gas sta-tion and convenient store located at 26 Cardinal Way, Parachute, started filling upwith ghosts, ghouls, vampires, princesses, lost boys, ninjas, and various children,youth, teenagers, and adults to join in a haunted house presented for the commu-nity free of charge.

Shommy's Family Restaurant gave drinks and candy to all who came. Shannaand Lou Nolan held a raffle drawing for a grand prize giveaway and gave out giftcertificates for various costume prize winners. Christina Willms, manager ofDomino's Pizza gave out trick or treat candy to all those who exited out of thehaunted house.

It was a great night full of fun for our community. We appreciate the supportof our community for joining the Grub n Scrub, Domino's, and Shommy's for theHalloween event.

Manager Cherry Goff would like to give a special thank-you to Swallow OilCompany, all the employees of the Grub n Scrub, Domino's, and Shommy'sFamily Restaurant for their participation and effort to make the haunted house asuccessful, fun-filled event for everyone.

We also want to give a special thank you to:• Clark's Market• Intermountain Distributors• and Pepsi for their donations.

Congratulations, Jinnie Jemenez, the raffle prize winner.Hope to see all of you next year!

Cherry GoffManager of Grub n Scrub

Parachute

Thank you for supporting my wrestling

Dear Echo:

Thank you to all of the contributors that sponsored my wrestling, withoutwhom I would not have been able to even consider traveling to Mexico andwrestling for Team USA.

The contributions that I received will be going towards these future competi-tions:

• Body Bar Nationals in Florida• Jesse Bethel Girls invitational in California• Menlo Open in California• and possibly the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa.

Much thanks to Valley Automotive and Diesel, Inc., Sinclair, SD HaulingCompany, Noble Energy, Alpine Bank, Grand Valley High School Wrestling Team,Parachute Park and Rec, Kari and Jason Fletcher, Amy Martin, Mark Cordova,Donna and Dan Lloyd, Ryan Frink and Coach Rick Gallegos.

Cody PfauWrestling Cadet National Champion

Parachute

Send us a letter. Got something on your mind? We’ve expanded our word-count limit to 500 words or less for Letters to the Echo to give you plenty of space to express yourselves. The Echowelcomes your input, opinions, thanks and whatever else you’d like to share with our readers, provided it’s written in a respectful, civil way. (Please, no unsubstantiated attacks, etc.) The Echoreserves the right to edit and proofread letters. Send your words to The Grand Valley Echo, [email protected], or 274 Redstone Blvd., Redstone, CO 81623. Please be sure to includeyour name, title if necessary, and where you live. Thanks.

L E T T E R S T O T H E E C H O

echonewspapers.com

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GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 3

A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M E N T

Jeannie Martin’s sculpture, “No Trans Fats.” Photo courtesy of Jeannie Martin

Jeannie Martin winsPeople’s Choice award

Jeannie Martin, a new member of the Village Artists, won thePeople's First Choice award for her soft sculpture, "No TransFats," a giant-sized fried chicken dinner, during the group’sOctober show at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center.

“This giant sculpture is a parody on the commercials that con-sistently inundate us with the idea that fried foods are betterbecause they haven't any trans fats,” said Jeannie. “One couldsay this fried chicken dinner not only doesn't have trans fats, butalso is full of fiber.”

Jeannie recently moved to Battlement Mesa from GrandJunction. She is known as The Fabric Chef because she trans-forms fabric into realistic food art.

Read more at thefabricchef.com.

PARACHUTE RIFLE970-285-9697 970-625-17057 days a week • 5 am - 12 pm Tues-Sat. • 5:30 am - 12 pm124 E. 1st St., Parachute 112 W. 3rd St., Rifle

Come chat with us over Coffee, Donuts or one of our breakfast items!

All Homemade!Donuts including:

Cake and Raised, Fritters,Cinnamon Rolls and Twists.

Cooked to order breakfast including:

Pancakes, Omelets

and French Toast

Homestyle Cateringalso available!

Ceramics are just one of the crafts for saleat the Craft Fair on Nov. 19th. See page13 for more information.

Photo courtesy of Mary Anderson

Dancers cut the rug at last year’s KSUN Dinner/Dance. This year’s event willbe held on Dec. 3. See calendar, page 4, for more information.

Photo courtesy of KSUN

Page 4: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 4, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

GO GRAND VALLEYHelp our calendar grow; let us know. Send public event items to [email protected]. Be sure to include

the five Ws (who, what, when, why and where), contact info, cost and anything else readers need to know.

• Nov. 15: 9-10 a.m. Computer 101 is at the ParachuteBranch Library. 285-9870.

• Nov. 15: 12-2 p.m. Ladies Who Do Lunch Bunch fea-ture “19th Wife” by David Ebershoff at the ParachuteBranch Library. 285-9870.

• Nov. 16: 10 a.m. Toddler Time at the Parachute BranchLibrary. 285-9870.

• Nov. 17: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time at theParachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Nov. 17: 5:30 p.m. Cabin volunteer dinner is at theBattlement Mesa Schoolhouse for all volunteers of theVisitors Cabin; parachutechamber.org.

• Nov. 18: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at theParachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Nov. 19: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Home for the Holidays shop-ping event at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center featuringScentsy, Avon, Pampered Chef and more. Tracy 285-6671.

• Nov. 19: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 29th annual Craft Fair atGrand Valley High School. More than 133 booth spots,concession stand, and huge amounts of handcrafted holi-day gift items; parachutebattlementparkandrecreation.org.

• Nov. 19: Mesa Vista Assisted Living’s communityopen house, craft and bake sale. Kathy,[email protected].

• Nov. 19: 12 p.m. Parachute/Battlement MesaChamber of Commerce meeting features guest speak-ers Ed Green, Tom Jankovsky and Fred Jarman from theEconomic Development Group of Garfield County at theBattlement Mesa Fire Station.

• Nov. 22: 2-3:30 p.m. “Techie” Tuesday for grades 5-8at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Nov. 23: 2:30-4 p.m. Anime Club for middle and highschool students at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Nov. 24: Happy Thanksgiving.

• Nov. 24-25: The Parachute Branch Library is closedfor Thanksgiving Break.

• Dec. 1: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time at the ParachuteBranch Library. 285-9870.

• Dec. 2: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at theParachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Dec. 2: 7-8 p.m. Living Nativity is at Beasley Park indowntown Parachute. Scripture readings, refreshments,fellowship.

• Dec. 3: 1-4 p.m. Holiday Home Tour in BattlementMesa, presented by the Philanthropic EducationalOrganization (PEO) Chapter IP. $10/person. Tickets areavailable from any PEO IP member or by calling 285-1111.

• Dec. 3: 7-10 p.m. KSUN Community Radio’s DinnerDance Christmas Gala is at the Battlement Mesa ActivityCenter. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. $30/person. Tickets avail-able at the activity center, Alpine Bank, Wells Fargo Bank,or Old Mountain Gift Shop. Contact Laurel Koning, 285-1258, or Mary Lee Mohrlang, 216-5058, for more infor-mation.

• Dec. 7: 10 a.m. Toddler Time at the Parachute BranchLibrary. 285-9870.

• Dec. 7: 3-4 p.m. “The Good, the Bad, the Gross” atthe Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Dec. 8: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time at the ParachuteBranch Library. 285-9870.

• Dec. 9: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at theParachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Dec. 10: 1-3 p.m. Kids’ Christmas is at the BattlementMesa Activity Center. Santa is coming; cookies from GrandRiver Hospital and toys for the kids;parachutechamber.org.

• Dec. 10: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Grand Valley United MethodistCookie Sale is at 132 N. Parachute Ave, in Parachute.Cookies, candy, and crafts for sale. Come for the cookies,come for the fellowship; [email protected].

• Dec. 13: 7-9 p.m. Page Turners Book Club features“Redbird Christmas” by Fannie Flagg.

• Dec. 14: 10 a.m. Toddler Time at the Parachute BranchLibrary. 285-9870.

• Dec. 15: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time at theParachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

ONGOING• The Battlement Mesa Activity Center has a variety ofexercise classes for preschoolers to seniors. Call Anne,285-9480.

• Every Monday from 12:45-4 p.m., Party Bridge is heldat the Battlement Mesa Activity Center. All levels welcome.

• The fourth Monday of every month, the Grand ValleySew and Sew Quilters meet at 9:30 a.m. at theBattlement Mesa Schoolhouse. Call Ann Arrington at 285-9757 or Mary Galterio at 285-0243 for more info.

• The last Monday of the month, an Alzheimer’s caregiv-er support group meets from 10-11 a.m. at the GrandValley United Methodist Church, 132 N. Parachute Ave.285-9892.

• The first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., theGrand Valley Citizens Alliance meets at the RifleBranch Library community room. Leslie, 618-0890.

• Every Tuesday at 7 a.m., the Kiwanis Club of GrandValley/Parachute meets at the Community Room of theParachute Branch Library, 244 Grand Valley Way, inParachute. Coffee is at 7 a.m., program begins at 7:30 a.m.

• Every Tuesday, seniors age 60 and older, or anyone witha disability, can take The Traveler to Rifle. The Traveleralso goes to Grand Junction the second Tuesday of eachmonth. Call 625-1366 for more info.

• The second Tuesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. theBattlement Mesa Service Association’s Oil and GasCommittee meets at the Battlement Mesa ActivityCenter.

• The second Tuesday of each month from 10 a.m.-12p.m., Tips, Topics, Talks on Tuesday is at the ParachuteValley Senior Center; men and women of all ages wel-come. 540 N. Parachute, Parachute.

• Grand Mesa Chorus rehearses every Tuesday from6:30-9:30 p.m., at the Redlands United Methodist Church,527 Village Way, Grand Junction. All women age 16 andolder are welcome to audition. Call Shirley at 255-9419,grandmesachorus.org.

• Neighborhood Watch meets the second Tuesday ofthe month at 7 p.m. at Parachute Town Hall, 222 GrandValley Way, Parachute. 285-7630.

• The Glenwood Springs Chapter of HEARTBEAT –Support for Survivors After Suicide – is open to any-one who has suffered the loss of a loved one through sui-cide – no matter how long ago. This peer group meets thesecond Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the FirstUnited Methodist Church in Glenwood Springs. Use theBethel Chapel entrance of the church, 824 Cooper Street.Call Pam Szedelyi, 945-1398, e-mail [email protected].

• The second Tuesday or Wednesday of every month at6:30 p.m., the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park andRecreation District Board of Directors meets at therecreation district office, 259 Cardinal Way, Parachute,285-0388, parachutebattlementparkandrecreation.org.

• The third Tuesday of every month at 9 a.m., theBattlement Mesa Service Association meets at theBattlement Mesa Activity Center.

• Every Wednesday at 11 a.m. is Toddler Time, and everyFriday at 11 a.m. is Story Time at the Parachute Library.Both open to young children. Call Michelle at 285-9870.

• Every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., the Parachute ValleySenior Center hosts a luncheon prepared by the RifleSenior Center. $2.50 for those over 60. Reservations takenMondays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; call 285-7216.

• The first and third Wednesday of every month at 3 p.m.,the Battlement Mesa Architectural Committeemeets at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center. Open tothe public. 285-9432.

• Every last Wednesday of the month from 5-6 p.m., anAlzheimer’s caregiver support group meets atAlpine Hospice, 1517 Blake Ave., Suite 100B in Glenwood.Andrea, 303-704-6377.

• Every Monday from 12-1 p.m. the Grand Valley UnitedMethodist Church serves a free soup lunch at thechurch at 132 Parachute Ave.

• Battlement Concerned Citizens meet the secondand fourth Wednesdays of every month at 1:30 p.m. atthe Battlement Mesa Activity Center to discuss issues ofconcern to the Battlement Mesa community. Open to thepublic. Dave, 285-2263 or Ron, 285-3085.

• Weekly transportation on Thursdays from Parachute toGlenwood Springs and towns in between is available toseniors and disabled people on The Traveler minibus.Service is for door-to-door pick up and return for a fee of$8 round trip. Trips can be for doctor appointments, shop-ping, visiting, or personal needs. Call 625-1366, 48 hoursin advance for reservations.

• Every Thursday at 10 a.m. (except the first Thursday ofthe month), the Prayer Shawl Ministry meets at theGrand Valley United Methodist Church, 132 N. Parachute,Parachute. Call Sharon, 285-2318, or the church, 285-9892, to join in.

• Every Friday from 9-9:30 a.m. “CommunityConnections” hosts interviews with community mem-bers on KSUN 103.9 FM.

UPCOMING

• Dec. 15: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time is at theParachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

Page 5: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 5

G O O D D E E D S

By Charlie Hornick, Echo contributor

The Grand Valley/Parachute Kiwanis Food Drive picked uploads of food for the holidays and for the coming year for LIFT-UP, thanks to many in Battlement Mesa and Parachute.Hundreds of households gave food and more than 125 volun-teers assisted in collecting and sorting the boxes, cans, and pack-ages donated.

Those who witnessed the diligent work of youth and adultsat St John Elementary School on Oct. 29 came away encour-aged.

“To see a community coming together like this is truly amaz-ing,” said one community member.

Well over half of the volunteers were young people. TheBuilders Club from Grand Valley Middle School and the KeyClub from Grand Valley High School along with volunteersfrom Grace Bible Church stuffed fliers into the plastic bagsdonated by Clark’s Market. More than 2,500 bags were thendistributed a week before the food drive throughout theBattlement and Parachute area by these youth, along with BoyScout Troop 255, Parachute Police cadets, Kiwanians, Town ofParachute employees, and other community volunteers.Residents were asked to fill the sacks with non-perishableitems. The response was phenomenal.

On the day of the food drive, volunteers filled the gym at StJohn Elementary and sorted the food, which was then trans-ported to the LIFT-UP Food Bank in Parachute. It is estimatedthat more than three tons of food were donated.

The LIFT-UP Food Bank serves local families in need. LIFT-UP is an acronym for Life Interfaith Team on Unemploymentand Poverty. Utilization of the food bank has increased morethan 100 percent in the past couple years. This year’s food drivewill make the holidays brighter and easier for many.

Kellen Jansen and Zach Kelty assist Kiwanian Mike Stiers during the LIFT-UP food drive. Photo courtesy of Charlie Hornick

The 23rd annual Kiwanis Food Drive – A huge LIFT-UP!

Page 6: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 6, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

Playing in the dirtEvery well that is drilled requires the use of water to aid in the drilling and the fracturing of the

rocks underground to get the gas flowing. As part of the drilling operations, companies often dig abig pit for storage of the water and various chemicals that are used for the drilling and completionprocess. This pit contains various liquids including oil and oil products, water, wasted drilling mud,pieces of rock and some chemicals.

If you have been watching the drilling site located in downtown Parachute lately, you can seethat Williams has had a large number of trucks moving in and out of the site. The trucks are haul-ing off loads of dirt and just recently there have been truckloads of dirt being brought into the site.This work is being done to reclaim the earth that was in and around the pit that was used for thedrilling of the wells that are located there. When the clean-up is done, the area should look evenbetter than it did before the wells were drilled.

This well site is only one example of the process that is done for disposal of the drilling and com-pletion fluids. There are times that the liquids are put into tanks and hauled off as they are filledand then there are also instances that the liquids are allowed to evaporate and the pit is backfilledwith the dirt that is located on the site.

It might be interesting to ask if the folks that are doing the work on the Williams’ site enjoyedplaying in a sandbox or making mud pies when they were children. This would certainly be a goodbackground to help them work now on putting the well site in Parachute back together again.

Happy Thanksgiving – and count those plusses!

Mary Ellen Denomy, CPA, is a Battlement Mesa resident and an Accredited Petroleum AccountantShe has been nationally recognized as an expert in oil and gas issues. Mary Ellen is the immediate pastpresident of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners. If you havequestions, contact her at the naro-us.org website or through The Grand Valley Echo.

GRAND VALLEY ENERGYA monthly column by M.E. Denomy, CPA

FANTASTIC PRICE/CONDITION Battlement Mesa – $199,000

Unique courtyard villa- all stucco with tile roof. Gourmet kitchen,

quality upgrades and finishes.

BEGIN HOME OWNERSHIP HERE

Battlement Mesa – $120,000Master bath with garden tub plus a

shower. Laminate wood floors, neat asa pin in and out of this MF home.

A THREE CAR GARAGE Battlement Mesa – $325,000

Finished garden level with familyroom plus two bedrooms. Full stucco,back deck and patio with open views.

A WONDERFUL FACELIFT Rifle – $149,900

Charming ranch with new carpet,fresh interior paint, “spic and span”.

A friendly subdivision.

ENJOY THE COZY FIREPLACE Battlement Mesa – $170,000

An array of windows- sunlit views-oak cabinetry- move in condition-

fenced storage and RV parking.

NEED TIME FOR FUN AND PLAY

Battlement Mesa – $115,000Carefree townhome- walk to activity center and shopping.

Cozy kitchen with center island opento living/dining.

COMFORTABLE FAMILY HOME Battlement Mesa – $248,000

Oak hardwood trim, cabinets andinterior doors. /lighted deco accents

in living room. Neat and clean.

THE SCENES CHANGE EVERYDAY

Battlement Mesa – $415,000This is the home for entertaining.Great room, dining kitchen and flex room blend for a wow effect.

NESTLE IN BEFORE WINTER Battlement Mesa – $119,000

Nice MF home borders walking trail.Efficient kitchen with pass thru

bar and eat-in area.

BATTLEMENT MESA MAGIC Battlement Mesa – $245,000

Live on main- play on lower level.Lots of space- living, family, den,

dining, eat in kitchen- Wow!

ENERGY EFFICENT RANCH ESTATE Rifle – $649,900

Unique home- 40x60 shop with RVhook up. Dramatic living, dining andgame room, 5.8 acres, borders BLM.

LIKE NEW HOME FOR THE HOILDAYS

Battlement Mesa – $175,000Heated and finished garage, new

paint and carpet, borders open space,upgraded appliances, easy care

landscaping.

FINE FINISHES- UNIQUE PLAN Battlement Mesa – $390,000Loft with skylights overlooking

the spacious family room open to big kitchen- formal dining room.

Acre lot with views.

COUNTRY SUBDIVISION CLOSE TO RIFLE Rifle – $154,900

MF Home with cozy gas fireplace. All bedrooms have walk in closets.

Textured drywall and upgradesthroughout.

OWN CHEAPER THAN RENT Battlement Mesa – $29,900MF home on corner lease lot

includes rec center. New carpet, split floor plan, great views.

AWESOME PRICE REDUCTION Rifle – $139,000

Classic home beautifully remodeled.Huge storage/work space in basement.

Big kitchen, enclosed front porch.

VACANT LAND

OWN A PIECE OF COLORADO WILDERNESS 20 and 40 Acres North of Silt,

$25,000. – 45,000Surrounded by BLM, view of the

Hogbacks and Harvey Gap. Steep ter-rain, landlocked, being sold as-is.

READY TO BUILD 8.3 ACRES Battlement Mesa $249,900

Enjoy conveniences of town nearby.Mini ranchette subdivision, shop, well

and utilitites in place.

160 VIEW FILLED ACRESDe Beque $215,000

Unimproved acreage North ofDebeque. Great for recreation or

grazing, partially fenced. Borders some BLM.

PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE Eagles Point Lots Available,

Battlement Mesa $72,500-98,000Covenant controlled community,

design and build your dream home.Impact fees paid/utilities on site.

VIEW FILLED LOTS/ BUILDINGPLANS AVALIBLE

Monument Creek Lots, Battlement Mesa $69,000

Two to choose from. Nice views, quietcovenant protected subdivision.

Impact fees have been paid/ utilities to property.

COUNT THE WAYS…Only a few lots left in Battlement

Creek and The Reserve, Battlement Mesa $74,900.-93,500

You will enjoy the amazing views and golf course living when you

build your dream home here!

Mary Lee Mohrlang, CRS, GRI 970-216-5058Brandy Swanson, 970-319-3574

73 Sipprelle Drive, Suite J-1, Batlement Mesa, CO 81635

Virtual Tours www.MohrlangJones.com

mohrlang • swansonThe NAMES that mean EXCELLENCE in Real Estate…

The Colorado Heritage Group

Open 5:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. M-F • 6:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sat.-Sun.315 E First Street • Parachute, Co. 81635970-285-1917 • catering 970-285-7091

Weekday specialsunder$10!

SPECIALS

Chef’s Choice Daily Specials

Monday - Steak Nite - $300 offfreshly cut steaks

Friday - Catfish Day

Saturday/Sunday from 1:30 Fresh Baked Prime Rib Dinner

Book your Holiday Party Now!

970-285-7091

Page 7: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 7

O I L & G A SOil and Gas Updates

Garco oil and gas reserves equal about $120 million

On Nov. 3, Lisa Dawson, director of Garfield County’s administrative servicesdepartment reported that Garfield County has approximately $120 million in cashreserves, mostly due to energy industry activity in the county.

The money comes from property taxes paid by the oil and gas industry, andthrough federal mitigation funds.

Dawson made the report at the Garfield County Energy Advisory Board meeting,held each month in Rifle.

The Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported that oil and gas is taxed at aproperty tax rate of 87.5 percent, compared to a rate of 29 percent for business andcommercial property, and 7.96 percent for residential property.

ProPublica features western Garfield County in nationalstory about health problems and gas industry activities

The national news agency, ProPublica, recently featured western Colorado and thepotential effects of fracking and drilling on residents living near gas industry activities.

Besides reports of ill health coming from residents in Colorado, the story, titled“Science lags as health problems emerge near gas fields,” details the health issues ofpeople in Pennsylvania, Texas, Wyoming and Louisiana, where gas drilling is occurring.

Although residents complain of various health ailments, possibly stemming fromwater contamination and toxic fumes, the story quotes scientists and other industryrepresentatives who claim there isn’t enough data to show that gas industry activitiesare causing these problems.

"We do not have enough information on hand to be able to draw good solid con-clusions about whether this is a public health risk as a whole,” said Christopher Portier,director of the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the NationalCenter for Environmental Health.

To access the ProPublica story, go to http://www.propublica.org/article/science-lags-as-health-problems-emerge-near-gas-fields.

New emissions study planned

A new emissions study to determine if potentially harmful toxic emissions are com-ing from gas drilling activities is in the preliminary planning stages.

Colorado State University (CSU) representatives, industry partners, and additionalgovernment entities are discussing the breadth and scope of the study. Dave Devanneyand Bob Arrington of Battlement Concerned Citizens (BCC) have met with some of thestudy planners, and a preliminary study proposal is expected from CSU professor JeffCollett by the end of November, according to the Garfield County environmentalhealth manager Jim Rada, according to the Glenwood Springs Post Independent.

Rada said the new study will be much like the health impact assessment study thatwas begun earlier this year, but that it would include monitoring by CSU.

BCC representatives are requesting that the study include monitoring the presenceof hydrogen sulfide, though state and industry officials have said that the material doesnot pose a threat to human health.

More than 100 wells planned for the Grand Mesa

GRAND JUNCTION — The Grand Mesa, which towers above Battlement Mesa andParachute, may soon see up to 108 wells on 26,000 acres to tap oil beneath the mesa.

The Daily Sentinel reports Fram Operating LLC revealed those numbers on Nov. 8during a meeting that's part of federal land managers' preparation of an environmen-tal analysis of the project.

Fram originally sought up to 500 wells in the area that some residents worry couldaffect Grand Junction's watershed.

Fram project manager David Cook says the company expects to drill about 25 wellsover four years.

A master development plan submitted by the company says oil had been discov-ered in the 1970s and 1980s but that was before the Trans-Colorado gas pipeline wasbuilt in 1996.

Page 8: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 8, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

PARACHUTE RADIO SHACK 316 E 1st street next to Napa Auto Parts

M-F 9 am – 6 pm and Sat 9am -4 pm

970-285-2111

MARY LEE MOHRLANGCell (970) [email protected]

The Colorado Heritage Group73 Sipprelle Drive Suite J-1Battlement Mesa ,CO 81635

BRANDY SWANSONCell (970) 319-3574

[email protected]

Shop locally and support your local chamber businesses!

HappyHalloween

Chamber NewsCabin volunteer dinner is Nov. 17By Bill Cornelius, Parachute/Battlement Mesa Chamber of Commerce

The chamber’s membership drive will begin on Jan. 1. Contact Mary

Lee Mohrlang [email protected] or see the chamber website para-

chutechamber.org for a membership form.

The Cabin Volunteer Appreciation Dinner will be held for all Visitor

Cabin volunteers on Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Battlement Mesa

Schoolhouse. Thank-you, cabin volunteers, for all of your work this last

year.

Kids’ Christmas is on Dec. 10 at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center

from 1-3 p.m. Santa is coming; cookies from Grand River Hospital and

toys for the kids.Vistor Center

Page 9: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 9

G O V E R N M E N T

By Jennifer Kelly,Garfield County Sheriffs Office

A series of motor vehicle thefts in Denverand on the Western Slope that occurredbetween Oct. 25-30 have been identified asgang related. After further investigations, it wasdetermined the crime spree was a product ofthree gang members living in Garfield County.

All three juveniles are validated Sureño gangmembers. Jason Alexis Gamez-Banda, 14, is cur-rently facing charges of aggravated motor vehi-cle theft (class 4 felony), theft (class 4 felony),carrying a concealed weapon (class 2 misde-meanor), possession of a handgun by a juvenile(class 2 misdemeanor) and first-degree criminaltrespass (class 5 felony). Luis Jurado, 16, is cur-rently facing the charge of aggravated motorvehicle theft (class 4 felony). The third juvenileis still under investigation and is not currentlyfacing felony charges.

I.C.E. Homeland Security Investigations isassisting in the investigation of the gang mem-bers involved. I.C.E. has placed a hold onGamez-Banda.

From what we know about the crime spreeat this time, the three Sureño gang members arebelieved to have stolen seven cars total; fivefrom the Pitkin/Garfield County jurisdictions,one from the Steamboat Springs area and onefrom the Denver area. They are also believed tohave entered eight vehicles, stealing miscella-

neous electronics and one handgun. The hand-gun was recovered from Gamez-Banda whileattempting to steal another vehicle in NewCastle. He was apprehended and held at gun-point by the vehicle’s owner until officers fromthe New Castle Police Department and deputiesfrom the Garfield County Sheriff's Officearrived and took him into custody.

During the initial stages of the investigationof Gamez-Banda by the Carbondale and NewCastle police departments, the Carbondale offi-cer recognized what he knew to be gang relatedinformation. The officer immediately notifiedthe Garfield County Sheriff's Office T.A.G.Deputy, who used his resources, database andinformants to help identify the other suspects.This resulted in a joint investigation, whichinvolved T.A.G., Carbondale PoliceDepartment, Aspen Police Department, NewCastle Police Department, Immigration CustomEnforcement and the Garfield County Sheriff'sOffice. The joint investigation has led to therecovery of the previously mentioned stolenvehicles.

According to Garfield County Sheriff LouVallario, the outcome of this investigationdemonstrates the importance of the cooperationbetween local and federal law enforcementagencies such as I.C.E. Homeland SecurityInvestigations Operation Community ShieldTask Force. It also demonstrates that dangerouscriminal gang activity is present in our commu-

Government BriefsFraudulent phone calls targeting Garfield County residents

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office has received con-cerns and reports about fraudulent phone calls from a pri-vate number claiming to be either the sheriff or an attorney.

The fraudulent caller makes statements that residents“owe money,” “are guilty of check fraud” and they“might be arrested”. As always, the sheriff’s office isreminding citizens not to give any personal informationover the phone.

If you receive these types of calls or any others you feelmight be fraudulent, hang up the phone immediatelyand contact either the Parachute Police or GarfieldCounty Sheriff’s Office.

– Jennifer KellyGarfield County Sheriff's Office

Identity theft scam targets veterans by phone

Veterans in the Grand Junction area and surroundingareas have recently reported identity theft attempts byphone. Veterans said they received the calls in theevening from someone claiming to be with the VA whoneeded to confirm their contact information, social secu-rity number and bank account. The VA Medical Centerstaff does not ask for this information when contacting aveteran.

Veterans who believe they have been targeted for iden-tify theft or a scam should report the attempt to theVeterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (OIG)using the OIG hotline at 800-488-8244, faxing 202-565-7936 or by e-mailing [email protected].

– Grand Junction Medical Center

Local law enforcement agencies uncover gang auto-theft ringnities and how a cooperative law enforcement approach with ourcitizens is crucial to eradicate this criminal element.

Law enforcement would like to remind its citizens to removetheir keys and lock their car doors. Recently documented vehiclethefts, including the above, involved unlocked vehicles, and somewith the vehicles keys inside. In an effort to prevent these types ofcrimes, please remember to remove valuables and secure yourvehicle. Whenever possible, park your vehicle in a location that iswell lit and has high visibility.

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Page 10: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 10, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

G O V E R N M E N T

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By Tanny McGinnis, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office

Garfield County Emergency Management is developing a countywideCommunity Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The CWPP has two purposes. First,it assesses wildfire risks and hazards to a particular community. Second, it helpscommunities and their local fire departments coordinate their preparation andresponse to a wildfire and synchronize with nearby communities for the bestcommunication and fastest response to a wildfire.

Communities with CWPPs are given priority for grant funding to implementvegetation-fuel management and other appropriate projects improve wildfireresponse capabilities. Based on up-to-date information provided in the CWPP, firedistricts and communities will be able to organize projects such as building fuelbreaks around communities, reducing vegetation-fuels in community spaces, andcreating defensible space around structures.

Information about this countywide CWPP project is posted on the GarfieldCounty Emergency Management website at garfield-county.com/county-servic-es/emergency-management.aspx. To learn more about what you can do on yourown, take a look at the brochure that provides information on actions that youcan and your family can do to protect your home in the event of a wildfire.Colorado State Forest Service, at 970-248-7325, is available to help homeownersdevise a defensible-space plan for their homes.

In an effort to collect the most current and accurate information about yourcommunity, we need your help. By participating in a 10-minute survey on wild-fire risks and mitigation needs for your community. To find the survey, please visitthe Emergency Management website and look for the CWPP Survey link.

Walsh Scientists and Engineers, LLC will survey the communities of GarfieldCounty and interview fire chiefs. The information gained will be used to assess-ing wildfire risks and to identify mitigation opportunities for communities. Data

and maps of these community assessments will be available to the public on theGarfield County Emergency Management website.

For more information, please contact Chris Bornholdt, Garfield CountyEmergency Management at 945-0453, ext. 1012 or Danielle Cassidy, WalshEnvironmental, at 303-443-3282.

Garfield County provides information aboutprotecting your home from wildfire

Page 11: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, 11

We are offering the building for single event rent. The building consists of two rooms, parking, a complete kitchenand rest room plus 10 tables and 150 chairs. Complete serving ofchina, silverware, glass ware available for nice parties. Great dance floor, too. Capacity 75

For organization meetings & meals, holiday/birthday/anniversary parties,

neighborhood gatherings and family reunions.

For more information contact: Judith at 285-9696 or Michelle at 285-7828

FOR RENT Battlement School House owned by Grand Valley Historical Society.

The Battlement Mesa Service Association

Battlement Mesa’s Community ParkBy Keith Lammey, President, Battlement Mesa Service Association

Recently, I have attended several Village annual meetings. Judging from some of what Iheard at these meetings, several residents are excited and curious about the newCommunity Park while others are confused and perhaps even concerned about it. Yes, it istrue. We plan to build a new community park.

About three years ago, the school district acquired 35 acres for the new Grand ValleyMiddle School, but they only needed about 29 acres for the school. Under Garfield Countyregulations, it is easier to transfer 35-acre-and-larger land tracts than it is to transfer tractssmaller than 35 acres. In order to avoid the more arduous land transfer process, the districtacquired more land than they needed but “gave back” an easement on six acres. The ease-ment is actually four, 25-year easements and, until 2108, limits the six acres to one use: acommunity park.

As a community, we need to decide, do we want to have a pile of rocks, which is what iswhat we have now, or do we want to have park?

Emotions seem to be fairly high on this issue. Although some residents are excited aboutthe prospect of a new park and are eager to get it built, others seem to prefer a pile of rocksto a new park. Some residents simply want to understand what we are planning to do, howit will impact them financially and what will be included in the park. Unfortunately, at thispoint, we aren’t able to satisfactorily answer everyone’s questions. Nevertheless, doing noth-ing until we can answer all of the questions doesn’t seem like a good choice to me.

It is my belief that progressive and vibrant communities need parks. I believe that if prop-erly planned and built, parks have an appeal to all. I also believe that the day when a “greatpark” consisted of some nice turf grass, a few trees and a covered pavilion for a companypicnic or family reunion is long gone. Today’s great parks are much different!

Those who are against this park probably won’t be excited to learn that, according tomost standards, even when the proposed new park is added to our existing parks, like theparks in Valley View Village, Saddleback and Tamarisk, we’ll still need more parks as our com-munity grows.

Our existing parks have a lot of turf grass but that is about all they have. I agree withthose who say, we have enough grass to take care of. We’re thinking of an entirely differentkind of park. The proposed park, and subsequent parks, must include one or more featuresthat can be enjoyed by everyone. Unfortunately, this fact means that park creation is a com-plex and time-consuming process.

Some have asked what will be in the park and who will pay for the cost of building andmaintaining the park. Before we can answer, we need to know at least two things: What isgoing to be in the park and how much of each thing will be used? The recent CommonGround-sponsored effort to gather input on these issues will help us figure out these issues.From this preliminary survey information, we’ll propose a design concept for the new parkand project not only construction costs, but future maintenance cost. Unfortunately, thisprocess will likely take months, perhaps even years, to gather adequate information todesign and complete projections for the new park. Until that phase is complete, it is impos-sible to tell you exactly how the park will be paid for and who is going to bear the cost.

Nevertheless, I believe that we need a new park and when confronted with a choicebetween a pile of rocks and a new park, I’m voting for a new park. I’ve never liked rock pilesall that much and I am confident that collectively, this community will figure out what fea-tures we want and need in a new park and what we’re willing and able to pay for. It won’thappen overnight, but, rest assured, it will happen.

G O V E R N M E N T

Logos • Brochures

Advertising

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HAPPYTHANKSGIVING

Page 12: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 12, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

S P O R T S & R E C R E A T I O N

Linda & Dave Devanney support The Grand Valley Echo

By Dick Ciprich, Echo contributor

You can now hit real golf balls, and use your own clubs, all winter long at theBattlement Mesa Activity Center (BMAC).

Wow, it’s about time. Now we can all stay in great golf shape without havingto travel. It is not a game like the Wii or other toys. It gives you complete and accu-rate swing analysis of club head speed, the face angle at impact, your swing path,the face contact, and visual feedback of each shot.

When we say accurate, it gives you the distance you hit the shot plus or minustwo feet. And the driving range has multiple target greens and crystal-clear graphicsdisplayed on a 55-inch LCD screen. It supports right- or left-handed players, and youcan control the ball just like you would outdoors. You’ll know whether that shot inthe right rough was a slice or a push and what in your swing made it happen.

This makes practicing much more beneficial, helping you understand your golfwhether you’re on the driving range in practice mode or you’re challenging your-self to a championship course in play mode. No matter what, you will get realis-tic and accurate feedback.

The combination of shot analysis and shot tracer technology puts the informa-tion right in front of you so you can make the adjustments necessary to routinelyhit better shots with every club in your bag. Long gone is the question “I wonderwhat I did wrong?” It is right in front of you on the screen. Until now, your onlyoption to practice has been to hit into a net, or work out on the range.

If you’re practicing into a net, you’re missing out on observing your ball's flight.On the range, you’re not getting the critical feedback needed to improve your

swing. You’re left guessing as to what’s actually happening to your golf shots andwill end up practicing the wrong thing over and over again.

Also available are 10 championship courses:The Golf Club Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz.Bethpage Black in Long Island, N.Y. Torrey Pines Black (South) in La Jolla, Calif.Torrey Pines White (North) in La Jolla, Calif. Big Horn Mountains Course in Palm Desert, Calif.Big Horn Canyons Course in Palm Desert, Calif.Barseback Golf & Country Club in Skane, SwedenBlack Mountain Golf Club in Hin Hua,ThailandCanadian Club Golf Course in St George, CanadaÖsteråkers Golf Club in Stockholm, Sweden

Play with up to four players. Hit all shots from tee to green. The computer islike your caddy. Its settings are specific to each club in your bag, so pick up a clubregistration form at the BMAC desk or from the Tin Cup Golf Club in theMezzanine.

Register by Dec. 31 and you get a free membership in the Tin Cup Golf Club,and discounts for play. It’s perfect for beginners, ladies, men, couples, or seniors.Leagues and tournaments will be held after Jan. 1. The Tin Cup Golf Club has veryfew nos: no wind, no rain, no carts, no cold, no snow, and no lost balls!

Come on up and take a look. You’re invited to the Tin Cup’s free demo day onNov. 26 at 1 p.m. Call 250-5154 for tee times or more information.

Hi-tech indoor golf now at BMAC

Taekwon-Do studentsmedal at Broomfield tournamentSubmitted by Dianne Haynes

Nine students from Battlement Mesa Taekwon-Do brought home medals in thesparring and pattern competitions at Grand Master Sereff’s Fall Championship onOct. 16. The fall championship brings together students from all over the UnitedStates to compete in the areas of sparring, patterns and breaking.

In the PeeWee boys division, Caleb Frink, high white belt, took third place spar-ring, and green belt Cayden Sproles took first place sparring in the junior light-weight division.

Junior boys green belts Seth Morrick and Connor Sproles fought their way tosecond and first place finishes, respectively, in sparring.

Not to be out done by the boys, Jamie Ramos, high yellow belt, took a thirdplace medal in sparring in the junior girls division. In the women’s colored belt spar-ring, Leah Frink took third and Tracy Morrick won first.

Sheila Sproles took third place in the adult (men’s and women’s) pattern compe-tition. Husband Travis brought home third in the men’s sparring.

First degree black belt Ryan Frink coached all the participants.Senior Master Bob Haynes, 8th Degree Black Belt, is their instructor.

Top, from left to right, SeniorMaster Bob Hayes, Travis, Cayden,Sheila and Connor Sproles, JamieRamos, Caleb, Leah and Ryan Frink.

Right, Tracy and Seth Morrick

Photos courtesy of DianneHaynes

Page 13: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, 13

S P O R T S & R E C R E A T I O N

echonewspapers.comcheck us out!

Sponsored byParachute/Battlement Mesa Park & Recreation District

285-0388 • Where the Fun Begins"

Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District - “Where The Fun Begins”

Craft Fair is Nov. 19By Mary Anderson, Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District executive director

29th annual Craft Fair When: Nov. 19Where: Grand Valley High SchoolTime: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. This craft fair has 133 booth spots inside the school and there will be four vendors located out-

side of the school. The Grand Valley Kiwanis Club will be in charge of parking all the cars. Pleasebe respectful to them. The Grand Valley Wrestling Team will be helping the vendors unload andload up their precious wares. There will be a good concession stand available with hot coffee, colddrinks, breakfast and lunch entrées and snacks. Beautiful poinsettias will be again offered for salein the lobby. All proceeds from the concession stand and poinsettia sales and the help given to thevendors will go to high school youth groups.

Some of the hand-created items available but not limited to will be: stained glass; art work; notecards; Christmas and holiday items; yummy baked goods; gourd art; an array of jewelry; lavenderitems; hand knit and crochet items; fleece wear; embroidered items; clothing; furniture; woodenhome décor; candles; pottery and ceramics; personalized bread dough ornaments; gingerbreadhouses; guitar straps made to order; birdhouses; homegrown local honey; soaps; dips, salsas andsoup mixes; aprons; baby items galore; photography; almond toffee and jams; glimmer and tie-dyed T-shirts; tapestry luggage and bags; items crafted from antlers; lariat baskets; country items;metal art; quilts; gift baskets ready to take home; calendars; wreaths; crystal salt lamps; purses; hairbows; plus much, much more.

Adult Coed Volleyball: Six teams are playing against each other each Tuesday night at theBattlement Mesa Activity Center gym. Games are held at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Fun for everyone.There will be another league of adult coed volleyball beginning in January. Thank you to the sen-ior class members who are doing the babysitting during the adult volleyball games as a fundraisingactivity. You are appreciated.

Youth Girls Basketball: There are two teams in each age division participating in girls bas-ketball. Age divisions are third through sixth grades. League games are being played at area townsand at the St John Elementary School gymnasium. Practices are held two times per week at StJohn’s.

Thank you to the coaches: Danny Manzanares, Susan Lang, Willie Williams, Cher and DannyMedina, and Michael Shepard. Our coaches volunteer their time and we appreciate each and everyone of them.

Tiny Tot Basketball:Tiny Tot basketball for the little ones K through second grade has alreadystarted. Practices began on Nov. 7 at Bea Underwood Elementary School. Practices are held onMonday and Wednesday after school. There are no teams and no games; just the opportunity forthe youngsters to learn and play basketball. Parents are encouraged to come watch the participa-tion of the children.

Boys Youth Basketball: Youth basketball for boys will be held beginning in January and run-ning through mid-March for third through sixth grade boys. Fee to play is $55 plus a $35 refund-able uniform fee. This is a league with other area towns. Practices are held two times a week withthe games to be held on Saturdays. Please pre-register your child by Jan. 4. Coaches are needed.

Youth Wrestling: K through six grades is held March through May annually. Open to bothboys and girls. Serna will the head coach.

Parachute/Battlement Mesa Parks and Recreation is at 259 Cardinal Way, Parachute, 285-0388,parachutebattlementparkandrecreation.org. Check out the website; it’s updated frequently.

Page 14: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 14, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

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oloraMt. Callahan Community FundTen years of thanks and givingBy Pam Szédelyi

Next year, 2012 will mark the 10thanniversary of the Mt. Callahan CommunityFund (MCCF), an endowed charitable fundmanaged by the Western ColoradoCommunity Foundation to serve theBattlement Mesa and Parachute communi-ties.

Today, this column begins a continuing effort to inform our communities what theMCCF has accomplished and what it hopes to realize going forward.

Ten years ago, a group of civic-minded individuals realized that those communities thatthrive are those where neighbors take care of neighbors. With the goal of creating a con-tinuing source of revenue to assist in the many needs of a healthy community, severalenthusiastic leaders took action. Under the guidance and energy of Mary Ann McKinley anda $25,000 initial donation from Unocal, a matching grant from the Boettcher Foundationwas obtained and the fund was established. It has since grown to approximately $100,000and has granted in excess of $70,000 to worthy causes and organizations in theParachute/Battlement Mesa region.

Over the years, there have been many important and integral players who have con-tributed to the success of MCCF, all of whom care deeply about our community. While itcan be very dangerous to “name names” for fear of overlooking someone, a few of the peo-ple who have taken strong leadership roles must be mentioned.

Nancy Jay and the Wells Fargo Foundation have been consistent supporters of – andgenerous donors to – the fund. During the “100 for 100 Campaign” in 2008 to build theendowment, the Friends of the campaign who each donated $5,000 were Judi Hayward,George and Betty Letson, Ivo and Betty Lindauer, Tom and Lou Roess, Lynn and Lynn Shore,and Alpine Bank. And in a courageous gesture of confidence and endorsement, the Townof Parachute pledged $25,000 to the fund.

Other people instrumental in the continuing efforts of MCCF over the years whosenames will not be forgotten are Susan Elliott, Frances Rose, Fran Storm, and MartieWisdom.

Currently, a volunteer steering committee accepts and reviews grant applications, coor-dinates the activities of MCCF, and assures the distribution of grants. These tireless cham-pions are Barbara Pavlin and Sara McCurdy (co-chairs), Sherry Johnson, Mary Lee Mohrlangand Jennifer Richardson.

Look to this space in future editions to learn about the organiza-tions and causes that have benefitted from the work of the Mt.Callahan Community Fund. And if you would like to support yourcommunity through MCCF, please contact any member of the steer-ing committee.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Sponsored by:Sherry Johnson

Sponsored by:Mac & Sara

McCurdy

Sponsored by:Mary LeeMohrlang

Sponsored by:Barbara Pavlin

Page 15: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 15

A R O U N D T H E V A L L E YHaunted HalloweenClockwise from right:

From left, Rebecca Gardner, and Tom, Timothy and TJ Boynton; Dustin Fowler,Dawn Ruelas, Angel Ruelas, Red M&M Cindy Break, Luigi Miguel Ruelas, ValerieRuelas, Little Miss Ladybug Alexis Rush after making it through the haunted houseand visiting Shommy's.

Zombie assistant manager Sandra Dunning and hippie manager Cherry Goff.

From left, Cherry Goff, Zak and Majenna Dean, Halona Goff, Sarah McGee, andRaistlin Kemper at Shommy's costume contest drawing and raffle sign up. All hereparticipated as haunted house actors.

Photos courtesy of Cherry Goff

Page 16: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 16, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

Echo briefsGrand Junction VA Medical Center temporarily suspends some surgeries

GRAND JUNCTION – The Grand Junction Veterans Affairs (VA) MedicalCenter has temporarily suspended certain types of intermediate complexitysurgeries.

These surgeries include such procedures as removing cancerous tumorsfrom the intestines or lungs, though the medical center is continuing to per-form other surgeries such as joint replacement, gall bladder removal, andappendectomies.

The surgeries were first suspended after a report showed a few more surgi-cal infections than normal. At that time the medical center leadership request-ed an outside review of the center’s procedures.The reviewers found no com-mon source for the infections and determined they were an anomaly thatrequired no further action and were not statistically significant.

However, the reviews recommended that the suspension remain in placeuntil a cardiologist and pulmonologist, heart and lung specialists, could beadded to medical staff. This will bring the medical center in line with newstandards of excellence in care.

In the meantime, patients requiring one of the suspended surgeries will betreated at other facilities.

There is no timeline to hire the new specialists, said Paul Sweeney, medicalcenter spokesman. “We want to hire the best qualified specialists possible,and that takes time. We want our patients and their families to know we arecommitted to the highest standard of care and have full confidence in ourproviders. If a veteran has any questions about their care we encourage themto contact their care team.”

– Grand Junction VA Medical Center

Family Christmas concert to begin holiday family fun

“Twas the night…” Do you know the rest of the story? Maybe.Grand Mesa Chorus Sweet Adelines will tell the rest of the story Dec. 4 at

the recital hall at the Ross Performance Center at Colorado Mesa University inGrand Junction.

The chorus will be assisted by a special chorus of third grade students fromOrchard Avenue Elementary School.

The Christmas concert is especially written for folks to start off the holidayseason with fun and music – and Santa. There is something for the everyone:kids, parents, grandparents, and everybody else.

Performances are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at PartyLand, Mesa County City markets, from any Grand Mesa Chorus member, andat the door.

If you would like to reserve your general seating tickets, call 245-1837.Ticket prices, are$10/adults, $8/seniors and students. Children age 5 andunder will be admitted free.

Santa and the Say Cheeeze Photo Booth will be available in the lobby forSanta photos with everyone. The cost per photo will be $10 at the booth.

Photo times are 12-1:45 p.m. prior to the 2 p.m. show, and at one hourafter the 2 p.m. show and at 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. prior to the 7 p.m. show

Bring the whole family and enjoy a fun, light-hearted Christmas story andmany of your favorite Christmas songs in wonderful barbershop a capella har-mony!

For more information, call Bobbie at 245-3480, grandmesachorus.org.

– Sue Chapman

Holiday Home Tour tickets on sale now

Tickets are available for the annual Holiday Home Tour sponsored by thePhilanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Chapter IP on Dec. 3. Fourbeautifully decorated homes are being featured in the villages of WillowCreek, Battlement Creek, Stone Ridge, and Monument Creek.

Those taking the tour will be amazed at the beautiful art, traditional andsouthwest decorations, and crèches celebrating the birth of Jesus.

The tour begins at 1 p.m. and will conclude at 4 p.m. Proceeds from the

tour will be used for scholarships for Grand Valley High School senior girls.Tickets are $10 and may be purchased from any IP PEO member or by calling285-1111.

– Sharon Temple, publicity chairman Chapter IP, PEO

LIFT-UP receives $30,000 grant from AspenCommunity Foundation

Aspen Community Foundation awarded a $30,000 grant to LIFT-UP inOctober to assist their ongoing efforts to feed people in need in our localcommunities.

"LIFT-UP greatly appreciates the strong support we've received from AspenCommunity Foundation over the years," said Mike Powell, executive directorof LIFT-UP. "As we move into the busy holiday season, this funding will helpwith our Thanksgiving and Christmas meal assistance."

Requests for food assistance at LIFT-UP's seven area food pantries continuesto be much higher than before the economic downturn in 2008.

"Support from the community and caring organizations like AspenCommunity Foundation has helped us keep up with the increased demand,which is how LIFT-UP is intended to work,” said Powell. “We're here to serveas a channel for the community's concern for their neighbors."

For additional details please contact Mike Powell of LIFT-UP at 625-4496.

– Doug Straw

Bluebird Project needs volunteers

The Grand Valley Bluebird Project is badly in need of volunteers for thecoming year. We have lost a significant number of our volunteers to illness orpeople moving from the area.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Denver Audubon Society spon-sors the project. The volunteers monitor from 10 to 15 bluebird nesting boxesonce a week from April to early August. This takes no more than an hour anda half hours each time.

We are currently monitoring 112 boxes. The boxes we monitor are at thegolf course and on Battlement Mesa above Stone Quarry Road. If you like towalk, and would enjoy doing so in the beautiful ranch country where theboxes are located, then come join us. The only requirement is that you be tallenough to look into the boxes, which are four and a half feet off the ground.We have fledged an average of 190 bluebirds a year since 2005. We alsofledge a number of tree swallows and fly catchers each year.

If you are interested, give Gene Pickett a call at 285-1538. Leave a messageif I am not at home and I will call you as soon as I can. This project will haveto be cancelled if we cannot replace our volunteers.

– Gene Pickett

Well Master Corporation opening a distribution center in Rifle

RIFLE – Well Master Corporation, which manufactures patented plunger liftsystems used to maximize oil and gas well production, is opening a distribu-tion center in Rifle. Established in response to the growing needs of westernGarfield County’s gas and oil industry, this location offers operators and pro-duction staff the convenience of finding the Well Master products and advicethey trust close to where they work.

Well Master is inviting the operator and production community to jointhem for breakfast and lunch on Nov. 15 between 7 a.m.-2 p.m. to celebratetheir grand opening. The distribution center is located on 3161A Baron Lane,Rifle, just west of the Garfield County Airport.

Well Master is a Colorado-based company, and is the exclusive manufac-turer of the Viper™ and the Venturi Viper™ plunger lift products. All WellMaster products are proudly manufactured in the U.S. and feature superiordurability and quality.

Well Master distribution center hours are Monday through Friday from6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and the phone number is 970-573-8383.

– Melissa Wood for Well Master

Page 17: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 17

Reasons for the seasons

We can see signs of fall and the coming of winter all around us. The colder temperatures andshorter days trigger responses in plants. Deciduous trees and shrubs (of which we have several inour area) begin to undergo changes.

One of the first changes occurs when the cells at the base of each leaf stem begin to die, form-ing a barrier that keeps water and nutrients from nourishing the plant. The green pigment (chloro-phyll) in the leaves starts to break down and other pigments begin to show through. When thechlorophyll is strong in the summer months, the yellow and orange (carotenoid) pigments aremasked, but as the chlorophyll decreases, these pigments become more obvious. Red (anthocyanin)pigments form as a result of chemical reactions that occur when the temperature drops and photo-synthesis slows, especially in burning bush, hawthorn, serviceberry, and royal raindrop crabapple.

While early cool temperatures bring about the vibrant fall colors, an early frost can diminish thebeauty as it kills the leaves outright before the shift in color can occur. As the base cells die, theleaf’s attachment to the twig weakens. Once broken, the leaf falls to the ground. However, withthe leaves gone, the tree is less likely to suffer damage from freezing. Without leaves, the tree can-not photosynthesize and so will remain dormant until longer days and warmer weather signal anew growth.

Many people believe that seasonal variations are the result of our changing distance from thesun. This is a misconception. Initially, this seems to make sense. When you are close to the sun, itshould be warm and summery; when you are far away, it should be cold and wintery – but this isnot true. Earth travels around the sun in a slightly elliptical path, so it really doesn’t change by muchhow far we are from the sun. Besides, Earth is closest to the sun in early January of each year; andfarthest from the sun in early July. And when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is win-ter in the Southern Hemisphere. Something else must cause the seasons.

The seasons are the result of changes in the amount of solar energy, which is received at theearth’s surface. These energy changes happen because Earth’s axis is tilted in relation to its orbitalplane, which is called the ecliptic. It is titled by 23.5 degrees and the axis always points in the samedirection.

During our summer, the Northern Hemisphere “leans” toward the sun in its revolution creatingmore daylight hours because the sun’s angle is more perpendicular to us than at other times of theyear. The longer days and concentrated sunlight result in more heating.

During the winter months, the Northern Hemisphere “leans” away from the sun. This causesfewer daylight hours with the sun hitting Earth at an angle; this makes it appear lower in the sky.There is less heating because the angled rays of the sun are spread out rather than direct. The resultof a lower sun giving us indirect energy and a shorter day means that we are receiving much lessenergy, and temperatures must go down.

Not all of the planets have the same kind of tilt as Earth. For example, Uranus has a tilt of almost98 degrees! Its axis, then, lies almost on the plane of its orbit. Yet on the flip side, if Earth had notilt (the axis would be zero degrees), our year-round climate would be rather boring and manyplaces on Earth wouldn’t receive much light. There would be no difference in how the rays fromthe sun hit in different regions and there would be no seasons. So, it is fortunate Earth has a 23.5degree tilt. The seasons help to make life more interesting!

Betsy Leonard is an environmental education specialist who lives in Parachute.

Nature at Home and AfieldBy Betsy Leonard

**Not valid on Valentine’s Day

**

From the BBBNow is the time to safeguard your child’s identity

Children are 51 times more likely than adults to havetheir identities stolen, according to a study conducted byCarnegie Mellon CyLab. Child IDs are used to purchasehomes and automobiles, open credit card accounts,secure employment and obtain driver’s licenses.

Children make good targets because most do not usetheir Social Security numbers until they become older.And identity thieves know that parents seldom – if ever –check their young child’s credit report. However, theCyLab report states that the youngest victim was 5months old.

The CyLab report also shared a story of a 17-year-oldgirl who is $725,000 in debt because her Social Securitynumber was stolen and linked to eight different suspects.The suspects opened 42 accounts including mortgages,auto loans and credit cards. Several bills were in collec-tions.

Red flags that indicate your child’s identity has beencompromised include unsolicited credit offers, lettersfrom debt collectors addressed to your child, a letter fromthe IRS stating that your child’s Social Security numberlisted on your tax return is a duplicate number or, uponopening a bank account for your child, you’re told anaccount has already been opened with your child’s SocialSecurity number.

Your BBB offers the following tips to help on how toprotect your child’s identity:

Guard your child’s Social Security number. Don't carryyour child's Social Security card in your wallet. Don't giveout your child's number on the phone unless you trust therecipient and never send the number in an email. Anddon't give your kid his or her number until he or she is oldenough to understand what it is.

Be careful about posting information about your child.Scammers routinely scan social media posts to find infor-mation such as birth dates and ages that can help themsteal identities. If you want to let your Facebook friends orTwitter followers know that it's your child's birthday, don'ttell them the child's age. Educate your children about theimportance of protecting personal information online.

Check your child's credit report. Go to annualcreditre-port.com, which lets you get a free report from each ofthe three credit bureaus once a year. If you enter yourchild's information and no report comes back, consider ita good sign.

Start With Trust. For trustworthy consumer tips andinformation, visit wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or800-564-0371.

Have a story idea?Contact the Echogve@crystalvalleye-

cho.com

Page 18: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 18, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

Grand Valley Fire Protection District

Be safe during the holidays

By Grand Valley Deputy Fire Chief Rob Ferguson

Grand Valley Fire Protection District covers a wide area of residential, commercial andsome very remote areas with fire suppression, emergency medical services, fire prevention,public education and training in cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The district coversroughly 321 square miles. This is I-70 from mile marker 66.4 to mile marker 82.5, then allthe way north to Rio Blanco County and south to Mesa County, including three-quarters ofa square mile of Mesa County.

For the month of October 2011, the fire district responded to 51 calls for service:8 fire incidents2 structure fires5 fire alarms1 brush fire35 emergency medical calls2 public assists1 hazmat assignment

Training hours per crew:Green Crew 13 hours Black crew 15.5 hours Red Crew 13.5 hours

Safe tips for ThanksgivingWe would like to remind the public that on Thanksgiving, the fire service sees three times

more cooking fires than any other time of the year.Please remember to drive safe during the holidays and if you are deep-frying a turkey

this year, remember to follow the instructions for the fryer and do the process outside awayfrom your home. You should be at least 15 feet from any combustible materials.

• Carefully decorating Christmas trees can help make your holidays safer. When decoratingChristmas trees, always use safe tree lights. (Some lights are designed only for indoor oroutdoor use, but not both.) Larger tree lights should also have some type of reflector ratherthan a bare bulb and all lights should be listed by a testing laboratory.

• Never use electric lights on a metal tree.

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to use tree lights. Any string of lights withworn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulb connections should not be used.

• Always unplug Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

• Never use lit candles to decorate a tree, and place them well away from tree branches.

• Try to keep live trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water daily. Do notpurchase a tree that is dry or dropping needles.

• Choose a sturdy tree stand designed not to tip over.

• When purchasing an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled as fire-retardant.

• Children are fascinated with Christmas trees. Keep a watchful eye on them when aroundthe tree and do not let them play with the wiring or lights.

• Store matches and lighters up high, out of the reach of children, preferably in a lockedcabinet.

• Make sure the tree is at least three feet (one meter) away from any heat source and try toposition it near an outlet so that cords are not running long distances.

• Do not place the tree where it may block exits.

• Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are highlyflammable and should not be left in a house or garage, or placed against the house.

Have a great holiday and be SAFE!

If you should havean emergency,

please call 911 assoon as possible!

www.bmac-co.org970-285-9480

Home for the Holidays Home-Based Business Fair, Saturday, November 19 starting at 9 AM Free Admission

KSUN Christmas Gala, Saturday, December 3. Tickets available at BMAC in November

Ladies Night Out, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012

A pinochle group is forming. Call BMAC for more information.

Get your art work ready for “Anything Goes” Art Show, February 2012

Drop in for:Zumba, Total Body Fitness, Advanced Step, Morning and Evening Water Aerobics,

Taekwon Do, Kung Fu, Ballroom Dance (January), Belly Dance and Yoga

Call for more information on these events and fitness classes at BMAC

Check out BATTLEMENT MESA METROPOLITAN DISTRICT'S

new website for valuable information about water &wastewater operations, district management,

documents, employment & association management.

www.bmmetrodistrict.com

970-285-9050

Office Hours: Monday - Friday

8 am - 5 pm

103.9 FM

TUNE IN!BROADCASTING 24/7!

Syndicated Radio Programs • Local Programming

YOUR SOURCE FOR EMERGENCY WEATHER AND AMBER ALERTS

ksun christmas galafundraiser

december 3, 20117 – 10 p.m. at the Activity Center

$30 Donation in Advance/$35 Donation at Door

Tickets available at the following locations:

Alpine Bank • Battlement Mesa Activity CenterWells Fargo Bank • Old Mountain Gift and Jewelry

We would love to have you support our station!

KSUN COMMUNITY RADIO398 Arroyo Drive, Battlement Mesa • 285-2246

www.ksunradio.org

Page 19: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 19

IF YOU ENJOY READING THIS PAPER, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!The Echo is available at many valley locations for free pick up

AND IS DELIVERED TO THE HOMES IN THE BATTLEMENT MESA AND PARACHUTE AREA FREE OF CHARGE

You can help support the paper by becoming a paid subscriber.

Mailed paid subscriptions are available for readers outside our area.

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City: ___________________________________________ State: ________ Zip: ___________Please complete this form & submit $35 per year to:

THE GRAND VALLEY ECHO 274 Redstone Blvd., Redstone, CO 81623

We appreciate your support!

H E A L T H

Are you prepared for a dental emergency?

By Dr. Carol Lybrook, DDS

Editor’s note: This is the second edi-tion of “The Tooth of the Matter,” theEcho’s new column about dental health.

Kids are prone to accidents and we as parents need to beprepared. Thousands of dental emergencies – from injuries to apainful, abscessed tooth – take place every day. Would youknow what to do if your child broke a tooth or had a toothknocked out while playing outdoors?

What if you had a bad toothache in the middle of the nightand couldn't get to the dentist until the next day? Knowingwhat to do can lessen the pain and save a tooth that mightotherwise be lost.

Keep your dental office phone number and an emergencynumber close at hand, where the dentist can be reached afterhours with other emergency numbers, such as your familydoctor, and fire and police departments. Some families postthese numbers on the refrigerator or inside a kitchen cabinetdoor near the phone. Call the dentist immediately for instruc-tions on how to handle a dental emergency.

Toothache: Rinse the mouth with warm water to clean itout. Gently use dental floss or an interdental cleaner to removeany food or other debris that may be caught between theteeth. Never put aspirin or any other painkiller against thegums near the aching tooth. This could burn gum tissue. If thetoothache persists, try to see the dentist. Don't rely onpainkillers. They may temporarily relieve pain but your dentistshould evaluate the condition.

Knocked-out (avulsed) tooth: Try to find the tooth!This may not be as easy as you think if the injury took place ona playground, basketball court or while skateboarding, so tryto stay calm. Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse the rootin water if the tooth is dirty. Don't scrub it or remove anyattached tissue fragments. If it's possible, gently insert andhold the tooth in its socket while you head to the dentist. Ifthat's not possible, put the tooth in a cup of milk and bring itto the dentist. Time is critical for successful reimplantation, sotry to get to your dentist immediately.

Broken tooth: Rinse your mouth with warm water toclean the area. Use cold compresses on the outside of thecheek to help reduce the swelling. Sometimes a broken pieceof the tooth can be bonded back into place. Make sure youbring it with you when you visit the dentist.

Tongue or lip bites or wounds: Clean the area gentlywith a clean cloth and apply cold compresses to reduce anyswelling. If the bleeding can't be controlled, go to a hospitalemergency room or clinic. You may able to reduce bleedingfrom the tongue by pulling it forward and using gauze to putpressure on the wound.

Objects caught between teeth: Try to gently removethe object with dental floss. Never use a sharp instrument toremove any object that is stuck between your teeth. If youcan't dislodge the object with floss, contact your dentist.

Possible broken jaw: Apply cold compresses to controlswelling. Get to the hospital emergency room immediately.

To learn more about the preparation of a dental emer-gency, talk to your dentist to define the plan that works for youand your family.

Dr. Carol Lybrook and her husband, Dr. Scott Lybrook, oper-ate Lybrook Dental Center in the Southgate Plaza inParachute.

Secure Your Financial FutureWORKING FROM HOME

Earn monthly residual income with America'sforemost green wellness company

PLUS Get Bonuses and Profit Sharing

For more information contact Barbara Pavlin970-285-7634 • 970-309-1354

VA screening some Iraq, Afghanistanveterans for exposure to rabies

Veterans who have returned from Iraq, Afghanistan or other areas in Southeast Asia in the last18 months are being contacted by the Grand Junction VA Medical Center to be screened for possi-ble exposure to the rabies virus during their deployment.

This screening is part of a nationwide preventative health program being conducted by theVeterans Health Administration in response to the recent death of a soldier who was bitten whiledeployed, but did not report the bite until after he developed active symptoms several months later.

There is a safe and effective preventative treatment for those exposed to the rabies virus, whichis transmitted through contact with the saliva of infected warm-blooded animals, such as dogs,cats, bats, foxes, skunks, raccoons, mongooses, and jackals. Mice, rats, and other small animals arerarely found to be infected with rabies.

A person does not have to be bitten to develop rabies. Normally, rabies has an incubation peri-od of one to three months; however, in some cases it can be as short as a few days or more thansix months. In extremely rare cases, the incubation period has lasted several years. If not treatedthe disease is fatal.

It is not always possible to tell if an animal has rabies. Not all animals infected with rabiesappear sick or display abnormal behavior, such as foaming at the mouth or aggressive behavior.However, abnormal animal behavior, such as daytime activity by animals normally seen only atnight can be an indication of rabies.

Current estimates are that about 10 percent of the dogs in Afghanistan and Iraq are infected withthe rabies virus. Many people avoid reporting possible exposure to the virus because they mistak-enly believe the preventative treatment is highly painful. Today the vaccine is given as a series offour shots in the arm, similar to a flu vaccine. The shots are spread over a one-month period.

Veterans who have returned from deployment in the last 18 months but have not enrolled forcare with VA and those with questions can call Tom Ziemann at 970-263-5080 for more informa-tion.

Veterans can also find more facts at cdc.gov/rabies/ or publichealth.va.gov/exposures/rabies/

– Department of Veterans Affairs

The Tooth of the Matter

Page 20: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 20, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

Mesa Vista News

Holiday parties and birthdays

By Kathy Germano, Mesa Vista AssistedLiving Residence activity director

Mesa Vista residents have been busy getting ready for theircraft and bake sale on Nov. 19. We painted pumpkins with thehonor roll students from the Grand Valley Middle School, whichwas a fun time for all and we had some very interesting pump-kins.

We are celebrating three birthdays this month of November:Marge Koteskey on Nov. 10, CC Cervantes on Nov. 17, andElizabeth Stephens on Nov. 23. Happy Birthday!

On Nov. 4, we ate out at our local Chinese restaurant, Hong’sGarden. Our Thanksgiving feast on Nov. 24 is at 12:30 p.m. Weare having a special saxophone performance by Jim Smith, “TheSaxophone Guy,” on Nov. 22.

December is bringing much hustle and bustle to Mesa Vista.The 4-H Club will decorate Mesa Vista again this year. I haveheard rumors that some of the staff and friends of Mesa Vistawill be decorating the outside of our building. Come by to seetheir decorations.

Our annual Christmas party is on the evening of Dec. 16 withUla the accordion player entertaining.

We hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season. Comeby and visit us anytime; we would love to see you!

Mesa Vista Assisted Living Residence in Parachute/BattlementMesa is part of the Senior Housing Options network of residences andapartments providing housing for older adults in Colorado.

Ruby Stout with Carolyn Thornton, then Yvonne Erickson her otherfriends at Mesa Vista.

Grand Mesa. Photo by Rachel Bailey

Page 21: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 21

O U R S C H O O L S

From the SuperintendentGarfield No. 16 School DistrictBy Ken Haptonstall

Nov. 2 was a difficult day around Garfield 16. Uncertainty for the future ofour staff and our students was evident around the district. With 40 percent ofour voting public affirming our mill levy increase and 60 percent voicing theirdemocratic right under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), the district andthe community will have to make some hard decisions on what it values andhow to deal with even more cutbacks in state funding.

While there was certainly optimism for the mill levy passage, in the currentpolitical and economic climate, the administration of Garfield 16 has beenworking to identify those key practices that are mandated by the state and fed-eral government, as well as those that might not be mandated, but certainlyadd tremendous value in meeting the district’s mission of preparing all studentsto be successful in life, in anticipation that the mill levy might not be successful.

The timing of the governor’s budget release, on Nov. 1, was both timely anddisappointing. With the state looking, at least at this point, to cut another $89million from K-12 education, the certain increase in insurance costs, and otherstudent enrollment cost increases, the district will be forced to cut between$550,000 and $600,000 in the 2012-13 school year. The multitude of cuts thathave been enacted over the past three years have left the district with very lit-tle room in the budget to make any more without severely risking our ability tomeet state and federal mandates, keep our schools in safe working order, andinsure that we have adequate staff to provide a quality education.

While it is easy to sit back and postulate the reasons for the negative vote,it also sends a very clear message that we have not communicated the needsand situation that the state cutbacks have created for our school system. Thatis completely our fault as a district and one that we hope to correct throughstakeholder meetings, more frequent communication via our website, andarticles posted to the Echo. It will be incumbent on the patrons of Garfield 16to provide feedback on the types of cuts that will be made, and the schoolboard to enact those cuts that will be necessary to meet the budgetary reali-ty we must now face.

From Grand Valley Middle School’s Librarian

Birthday Book Club beginsBy Trish Braby

Let me start by saying “Happy Birthday” to everyone born in October. It isa great month to be born in.

We were so excited to start our Birthday Book Club at Grand Valley MiddleSchool (GVMS), in October. A letter will go home with your child during theirbirthday month reminding them of the opportunity to participate in the bookclub.

After purchasing a book, they can present the book to the library in front oftheir class. I will then take your child's photo to add to the Birthday Book Clubdisplay and add the book to the library's collection, marking it with a specialspine label and donation book plate inside the front cover that includes the stu-dent's name, and the year they donated the book.

Students who participate in the Birthday Book Club will also receive recog-nition in the school newsletter.

This is a great way to share the love of reading with the whole school. Thisprogram is totally optional. We appreciate your support but do not require par-ticipation.

If you have questions about the Birthday Book Club, feel free to contact me,Trish Braby, at 285-5707, ext. 3111, [email protected].

Thanks and Happy Birthday!

Fight like a girlBy Jazmin McFarland, GVHS

“Fight like a girl,” has been a commonly seen and heardphrase around Grand Valley High School and the community ofBattlement Mesa and Parachute.

During the month of October, the Grand Valley HighSchool Music Department has worked to raisemoney to support Breast Cancer Awareness.They teamed up with Grand Valley KeyClub, Booster Club, the Grand River HospitalDistrict, and Headlines Salon in order to raisemoney and promote breast cancer awareness.

The backbone behind the whole project topromote breast cancer awareness was theGrand Valley High School Music Departmentand music sponsor, Barbara Carroll. Carrollorganized and put together ways to raisemoney by asking local businesses and clubs forassistance in her goal of raising money for breastcancer awareness. Carroll and her music stu-dents designed T-shirts to sell to students andcommunity members that could be personalizedwith their own names on the back, and they also donatedmoney from their 50/50 Giveaway Fundraiser.

Key Club sold small breast cancer ribbons, bracelets andpins, and made pink cotton candy to sell at the home footballgame against Roaring Fork on Oct. 28. Key Club also did win-dow painting around the high school and other community

businesses such as Alpine Bank, Clark’s Market, and GrandRiver Medical Center.

Along with window painting and pin sales, Grand ValleyKey Club challenged Grand Valley High School students to pro-mote awareness by wearing pink on every Wednesday for theentire month of October, which was a huge success. BoosterClub sold pink ribbons and hats at Clark’s Market as well as athome football games. They also donated half of all their pro-ceeds from the home football game on Oct. 28. Headlines Saloncontributed by selling pink hair extensions at the home game as

well, and the Grand River Hospital District puttogether informational packets and had freegiveaways at their booth during the home game.

The Grand Valley Volleyball and Footballteams also played roles in promoting breast can-cer awareness. Students are used to supportingtheir teams in black-out or white-out attire, buton Oct. 28, they were asked to participate in apink-out for the football game. At the footballgame, the cheerleaders worked with theyounger girls of the community to put togeth-er a 1-12 cheerleading team. At half time thegirls showed off their pink and performedtheir dance that they had been working on allmonth. In addition, the football team pur-

chased wristbands that the boys wore in all of their Octoberhome and away games, and the volleyball team purchased pinkshoelaces and ribbons to wear in their last games during themonth of October. At the volleyball team’s last home game,each player presented one woman of their choice with a pinkcarnation in order to show their respect and thankfulness to allthey have done to support or help them. The flower represent-ed the gift of living, and the hopes that they will not be faced

with this common and deadly disease.Everyone's time, dedication, and efforts resulted in an esti-

mated total of around $3,000 that was raised in order to sup-port and promote breast cancer awareness. The proceeds willbe donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Grand Valley High School has been striving to be morecommunity-involved, and working to make a difference inother people’s lives. Many people are generous with donationsamong other things to help make sure that students are receiv-ing the best school experience possible. Knowing this, studentsand staff have been more determined to give back in many dif-ferent ways. This year’s National Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth has been a large leap in Grand Valley’s efforts of givingback. People can expect to see Grand Valley students workinghard and being more involved in the community in order toexpress our gratitude to local businesses and community mem-bers for their support. With the efforts of all the businesses andclubs, this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month resulted in avery successful Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“Fight Like a Girl,” because it means not giving up, becauseit shows desire and drive, and most of all because we must fightfor the ones we love and the people who surround us. “FightLike a Girl,” because if we come out on top, maybe we willdefeat this disease rather than let the disease defeat us. Maybewe will not have to see these women struggle. Maybe we willnot have to see these women fall. Maybe we will not have tosee these women in pain and in sickness. If we can fight this dis-ease like a girl, then we are destined to be victorious in the end.

GVHS

Students Korie Hurt and Megan Smith help paint the win-dows of the library for Breast Cancer Awareness Month atGVHS. Photo courtesy of GVHS

Page 22: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 22, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY:

GARFIELD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 16www.garcoschools.org

O U R S C H O O L S

And the crowdgoes wild!

By Dustin Weist, GVHS

The 2011 season for cross country finished with a bang ofthe gun in the state meet on October 29, 2011 for juniorIsaiah Martinez. He made his way to state by receiving anew personal record at the regional meet in Delta onOctober 19 with a time of 17:56, which beat his previousbest record of the season by 1:25. But he fell short of beatingthe junior record, set by Sam Whelan, by only one second

Martinez was accompanied in the regional meet by sen-iors Dustin Weist and Kristen Schubert, junior RocioRoman, sophomore Luis Pena, and freshman JonathanMarbas. The boys’ team placed ninth as a team rightbehind Rifle’s team. Their accumulated time was a totaltime of 1:19:56.57 with their average time being 19:59.15.The girls did not have a full team which, so they did notplace as a team.

The girls ran first and showed impressive running withthat being their third meet of the season. Both girls wereinvolved with volleyball and had put in only a few prac-tices with the team. Their determination proved worth-while with Schubert receiving 22nd place with a time of21:02.88 which was only 53.98 seconds off from making itto state, and Roman only two places behind Schubertreceived a time of 21:07.20, which was only 58.3 secondsoff from making it to state. Schubert beat her previous best record of the season,and Roman beat her record by about 40 seconds.

Luis Pena, the lone sophomore, showed great running skills this year. He wasalso a part of soccer and was only able to run in four meets; he showed greatimprovement though. In his first run, he ran an excellent time of 22:19.7. He wasthen able to run at Hotchkiss, which was one of the harder runs of the seasonwith the hills, but Pena was still able to run with a time of 22:34 where he placed25th out of 54 and only two places behind senior Dustin Weist. Pena set a person-al record of 20:30.7 and placed 69th beating Marbas by five places but losing toWeist by 15 places.

Weist finished his season as a Cardinal cross country runner with a time of19:30.10 at the regional meet, beating his previous record of 20:43, which hereceived at Rifle. He ran all season with Martinez and Marbas and showed greatimprovement throughout the season.

“Some advice I’d give to future cross country runners is to try hard, never give

up, stay close with the members on the team, and stay determined to be the bestthat you could possibly be,” Weist said.

Marbas had a great start to cross country as a freshman. He worked hard allseason and was ready to the challenge that was ahead of him. He finished his sea-son with a personal record of 21:07. He placed 74th at regionals and was close tohis best with a 21:59 run.

Although he did not receive the school’s junior record for cross country, IsaiahMartinez still ran impressively all season. He placed 14th and that made him eli-gible for the state meet in Aurora. It was his first time making it to state in crosscountry and out of 128 athletes, Martinez beat his potential place by about 25places by finishing in 60th place, with a time of 18:39.61. He beat people that hewas trailing all season with this run. He had an amazing run and made GrandValley High School very proud.

Martinez said, “My favorite part of the season, was the end; when the seasonwas over.”

GVHS

Just say yesBy a GVHS Student

“Live life like there is a tomorrow,” guest speaker Bobby Layman repeatedly urged. Bobby was a motivational speaker who visited Grand Valley High School (GVHS) in hopes of inspiring better decisions in life. Layman suffered a severe

brain injury at the age of 17, but came to GVHS to speak about his experiences, and what he learned about life. This event was one of two motivational pieces that took place during Red Ribbon Week. The week was full of motivational messages concerning our

personal life and things we do for fun. We have all heard the saying live like there is no tomorrow, but does living that way keep us from really reaching our full potential? Every year Red

Ribbon Week is about saying no, but this year it was approached differently. It encouraged students to say yes to making a life change. When life givesyou lemons make lemonade.

Red Ribbon Week inspired many students to take advantage of having another day to live and living it to the fullest. Alcohol and drugs are so commonamongst young people that it is slowly destroying today’s youth, and with Red Ribbon Week we are reminded there is much more to live for. Let this weekbe remembered forever and, “just say yes.”

The cross country team has a little fun at the regional meet in Delta at the end of their season together. Photo by Coach Kim Whelan

Page 23: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 23

THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY:

GARFIELD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 16www.garcoschools.org

Terrific Kids for October 2011The Parachute/Battlement Mesa Kiwanis Club sponsors Bea Underwood and St John ele-

mentary schools’ Terrific Kids. The program promotes character development and self-esteem. “TERRIFIC” is an acronym meaning Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Inclusive,Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable.

Bea Underwood Elementary SchoolOctober’s Terrific Kids from Bea Underwood are, from left, first row, Opal Morganthaler

(Kiwanis representative), Alexis Vicencio, Kaiden Kump, Peyton Nye, Alfredo Borja, MattPiquette; second row, Evan Christman, Logan Wingfield, Lexi Norton, Adrian Mancinas. Notpictured: Kylee Dooley, Jacob Doyle, Enrique Garcia.

St John Elementary SchoolOctober’s Terrific Kids from St John are, from left first row, Francisco Ruiz, Nelson

Escolero, Marisol Isidoro, Jordyn Pittman, Rachael Brown, Kathryn Martinez; second row,Bill Coelho, Opal Morganthaler (Kiwanis representatives), Gage Price, Marco Rojas, ChaseLester, Baylee Perkins, Kathy Keeling (principal).

Congratulations to all of October’s Terrific Kids!

O U R S C H O O L S

Grand Valley Giversneeds youBy Principal Jory Sorensen,Grand Valley Middle School;and Principal Ryan Frink, GrandValley High School

What is Grand Valley Givers?Grand Valley Givers is a charitableorganization meant for the support and well-being ofGarfield 16 students and families.

What does Grand Valley Givers do? Provides financialassistance for dental/medical, clothing, basic needs, schoolsupplies, and school activity expenses for those students whoneed it. The Givers also provide needy families with food, aswell as coordinating the Angel Tree (now called the GrandValley Giving Tree) during the holidays. Part of the Giversmission is to involve and teach the youth of Garfield 16 theidea of servant leadership and helping others simply for thebenefit of our community.

How can I get involved or give to the Grand Valley Givers?You can make monetary donations to the Givers by contact-ing the office of Grand Valley Middle School. If you wouldlike to get involved in any other capacity, contact one of theschool administrators. There will also be Grand Valley Giversdonation jars located around the community. This is a chancefor you to help those students and families in our own com-munity. Become a Giver today!

What is the Grand Valley Giving Tree? The Grand ValleyGiving Tree is replacing what was once called the Angel Treein our community. Our local LIFT-UP is turning their focus toproviding food for the community, therefore Grand ValleyGivers will be taking over this program. This is a program toprovide children of struggling families with Christmas giftsduring the holidays. You will soon see Giving trees up aroundthe community and in our schools. If you know of achild/family that needs to be part of the Giving Tree Program,contact one of the school head secretaries for sign-up (notLIFT-UP).

We look forward to continuing to provide services to ourcommunity this year. We feel it serves multiple purposes;providing much-needed services and items for our needy stu-dents, while promoting servant leadership and giving amongour youth. Please join us in promoting the Grand ValleyGivers and make a difference for a child.

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Page 24, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

F A I T H

Faith BriefJed Johnston new Family Life Pastor of Grace Bible Church

Jed Johnston accepted the call from Grace Bible Church to be its Family LifePastor and began his new ministry on Oct. 10. His goal is to minister to andstrengthen the families in the church and community through Biblical teach-ing and personal encouragement.

Jed graduated from Frontier School of the Bible in 2001 with a bachelor ofarts in Biblical studies and is currently in the master’s program of AntiochSchool. He has ministered to youth, children, and families full time for thepast nine years at Camp Id-Ra-He-Je in Bailey, Colo., a large Christian campthat has 10,000 campers each year. Jed has been the summer program super-visor, which has 2,500 summer campers.

Jed was also active in the Christian Camp and Conference Association andserved this past year as the president elect of the Rocky Mountain Section,which consists of more than 200 camps.

He also served as volunteer firefighter/EMT with the Platte Canyon FireDepartment. Jed and his wife Lisa have three children.

– Charlie Hornick, Grace Bible Church

Bethlehem scene to comealive in Parachute again

The nativity scene, which is a vital part of the Christmas celebration, willcome ‘alive’ again as Grand Valley area churches and the Parachute MinisterialAlliance hold their fourth annual Living Nativity at Beasley Park in downtownParachute on Dec. 2 from 7-8 pm.

Last year more than 40 people and several live animals participated direct-ly in the program along with over 200 watching and singing Christmas carols.The program this year will again consist of Scripture readings and carols, anda time of refreshments and fellowship afterwards.

All are invited! Admission is free.

– Charlie Hornick

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GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 25

All Saints' Episcopal Church150 Sipprelle Dr.Battlement Mesa285-7908Pastor's mobile: 985-5797The Reverend Edmond-JosephRivet, Priest-in-chargeWebsite: allsaintsepiscopal.infoChurch e-mail:

[email protected] e-mail:

[email protected]

Sunday Eucharist: 10:30 a.m.Choir: 9:30 a.m.Children's Godly Play: 10 a.m.

WOW: Worship On WednesdayContemplative Eucharist: 6 p.m.Soup Social: 6:30 p.m.Episcopal Theology: 7 p.m.

• • •

Crown Peak BaptistChurch101 W. Battlement ParkwayParachute285-7946crownpeakbaptist.com

Rick Van Vleet, Senior PastorDan LaRue, Associate PastorMatt Loftin, Youth PastorBrian Jarrett, Minister of Music

Sunday Morning Worship – 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Sunday Morning Bible Study for all ages – 9:45 a.m.

(Children's Church offered during 11 a.m. service)

Wed. Night Dinner 5:30 p.m.Wed. Night Programs 6:30 p.m.(Adult, Children & YouthGroups)

Small groups meet throughout theweek ... Visit our website for moreinformation.

Come -- Experience God's Power for life & living

Know -- Christ through a loving family for fellowship

Grow -- In Christ through a foundation of discipleship

Go -- With Christ in a ministry of service with a focus for evangelism

• • •

Faith Baptist Church235 N. Railroad Ave.ParachuteJohn Yadloski, Pastor285-7424

SundaySunday School: 9:45 a.m.Morning Worship: 11 a.m.Children’s Church: 11:15 a.m.

WednesdayBible Study: 7 p.m.

• • •

Grace Bible Church755 Spencer Parkway P.O. Box 6248Battlement Mesa285-9862

Charlie Hornick, PastorJed Johnston, Family Life PastorChastity McGillivray, GBC

Child Care Missionary Intern, Amy Hamilton

SUNDAYBlessing Up for Church Broadcast

8 a.m. - 103.9 FMSunday School: 9:30-10:15 a.m. Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m. Evening Service: 5:30 p.m.

Youth / Children’s ActivitiesGrace Bible Church Child Care:

Mon – Fri.Boy Scouts – Call for

days/timesAwana: Tuesdays 6:30pm (Sept.– April)

High School Youth: Sundays5:00-7:00 p.m.

Middle School Youth: Wed.7:00-8:30 p.m.

*Bible Studies, Special Activities (Call for times and places)Website: grace-bible-church.com24-Hour Prayer Line: 256-4693

• • •

Grand Valley Christian ChurchSecond Street & Parachute AvenueParachute

Richard Counts, Pastor 285-7597, 260-1080

e-mail: [email protected] Church Office 285-7597

Sunday worship 10:00 a.m.

• • •

Grand Valley United Methodist Church

132 N. Parachute Ave.Parachute

Dr. Bob Toll, Pastor

Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

Contact Us

P.O. Box 125, Parachute, CO 81635285-9892

[email protected]

• • •

The Lighthouse(Assembly of God)1833 S. Battlement ParkwayBattlement Mesa285-7236 or 379-5947

(Pastor's cell)Pastor: Dr. Robert C. McNew

SERVICESSunday school:

Sunday, 9:30 a.m.Worship service:

Sunday, 10:30 a.m.(Children's Church & Nursery)

Ladies’ Bible study and luncheon:

Tuesday, 12-2 p.m.

• • •

Shepherd of the Mesa(WELS)Website: shepherdofthemesa.orgBill Cornelius, Pastor 987-3093Youth Directors: Kristy and RoryRoder, Brandon Downing

WORSHIP:Sunday at 10 a.m.Bible Information Class:Monday at 7 p.m.Family Bible Study:Wednesday at 7 p.m.Location: Historic BattlementMesa Schoolhouse on CountyRoad 300

Lutheran Catechism:Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study Group:Monday at 9:30 a.m.

Location: 12 Rosewood Way

In Home Bible Study throughout the week.Call for times and locations in your area.

• • •

Wellspring of Life Churchat Grand Valley High SchoolCafeteria

800 Cardinal WayParachute

Pastor David Bartlett

Sunday Service Time: 10 a.m.Youth and Children’sSunday School

210-5795210-5849

• • •

• The Echo Worship Directory •To be listed in The Echo Worship Directory, please contact

[email protected] to set up an account, there is a small monthly fee of $10.

As I See ItThankful in tough timesBy Pastor Charlie Hornick, Grace Bible Church

An elderly senior felt she had every reason to worry and tobemoan her present difficulties on Thanksgiving morn. Hergrown daughters, desiring to comfort her, presented her with amultitude of reasons why she should feel blessed and encour-aged. Their mother proved to be an expert at throwing back thegrounds of her anxiety – at least she was satisfied with heranswers.

Finally, with warranted exasperation, one of the daughtersexclaimed, “Mom, you’re just going to have to trust the Lord,”to which she quickly responded, “Oh dear, has it come to that?”

Truth is, it always come to that. The God of the universerequires that his children trust him. Giving thanks when times aretough is an act that requires faith. Our forefathers demonstratedthis as they celebrated what we deem the first Thanksgiving cele-bration in America in the fall of 1621.

The year preceding that first Thanksgiving proved to beextremely perilous. On Dec. 26, 1620 the pilgrims landed inMassachusetts. Their insufficient provisions soon ran out andtheir makeshift shelters were inadequate for the harsh winter.Ten of 17 husbands and fathers died in what they termed the“first infection.” Fourteen of the 17 wives died within only threemonths. More than half of the band of pilgrims had starved todeath or were overcome by disease by April.

There were other tragedies that had plagued them along theway. William Bradford’s wife, Dorothy, drowned when she felloff the side of the Mayflower when her husband, along withother men, was scouting out the new land. On his return to theship, he learned of her plight. He was left to care alone for their1-year-old son.

The roof of the common house caught fire, bringing fear anddisappointment. While all were rescued safely from the fire,valuable warm clothing needed for the freezing chills was lost.

However, the pilgrims had already cultivated times fordemonstrating gratitude in their worship. Rather than choosingthe natural response of despair, they trusted in God’s providen-tial care and guidance in the midst of the hardships. Their reg-ular readings of the Scriptures would inspire them to believe inGod’s faithfulness. An attitude of gratitude would create a senseof hope that was vital for their day-to-day existence.

There were obvious things they could be grateful for. Thesummer of 1621 turned out to be a welcome reprieve frommany of the hardships. Two Indians, Samoset and Squanto whospoke English, came into their camp. Squanto especially wouldbe considered “an instrument sent by God.” Also, theWampanoag Indians became valuable friends who taught themhow to plant corn. The rocky ground was unsuitable for grow-ing wheat the pilgrims had brought from England. They learnedhow to hunt and fish in their new surroundings.

Approximately 90 Wampanoag Indians joined the 50-somepilgrims for that first special feast. Expressing appreciation toeach other enhanced the joys of the celebration.

Still on that Thanksgiving of 1621 the colonists were awareof the hardships before them. Within a month after their feast,they would be restricted to half rations. Recurrent hunger wouldactually plague them for many more years to come.

But the tough times were blessings in disguise. Painful trialshave a way of forcing us to look beyond the surface of things tosearch for what really matters. Life, liberty, family, and goodfriends are priceless treasures. Most of all, we have a God we cantrust. Even though the answers for many of our why questionsseem beyond us, God’s presence is not. Neither is hope.

The pilgrims experienced that it does come down to trustingthe Lord in tough times. Faith expressed with deliberate givingof thanks to God keeps us focused and assists us in inspiring oth-ers to keep on keeping on.

“Yes, Mom, you’re just going to have to trust the Lord. Enjoyyour dinner.”

F A I T H

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Page 26, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011

Where’s Redstone?PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Where’s Redstone – and why should you care? The Grand Valley Echo’s nine-year old sister, TheCrystal Valley Echo, is based in Redstone and is the monthly newspaper for the Crystal Valley. Besides, Redstone is aperfect, quick getaway for Grand Valleyites. Get to know your sister: Come visit.

Another Grand IlluminationBy Sue McEvoy

One of Redstone’s more unique traditions is the annual GrandIllumination that takes place on the night after Thanksgiving in theparking lot of the Redstone Inn. Excess wood, logs and branches fromsurrounding neighbors and the inn piles up in the lower parking lot andawaits a torch.

Businesses and residents all decorate their homes with lights andChristmas decorations. Each of the 17 street poles on the Boulevard isstrung with garland and lights. Hundreds of luminarias – small paperbags carefully packed with sand and candles – line both sides of themile-long residential neighborhood.

Children from up and down the Crystal Valley eagerly wait in lineto visit Santa Claus.

To the sounds of carolers singing all the holiday classics and warm

drinks and food served outside by the inn, hundreds of people gatheraround the fire to welcome the holiday season and spread the cheer.

From the Redstone Inn to Crystal Dreams Bed and Breakfast, the shopsand restaurants all stay open into the night to welcome old friends and new.It is a time to break from the hustle and bustle the holidays bring and enjoythe warmth of small-town hospitality.

Bells are jingling and hooves are clapping as the team of Blondie andBen from Avalanche Outfitters and Stables, clip-clop along theBoulevard, hauling people from one end of the road to the other just asthey did a century ago.

Take a step back in time and visit Redstone on Nov. 25 for some old-fashioned fun. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. For more information,contact the Redstone Inn at 963-2526, redstonecolorado.com.

Redstone is located on Highway 133, 18 miles south of Carbondale.Take I-70 to Glenwood Springs and Highway 82 to the junction ofHighway 133 at Carbondale. Hope to see you in Redstone!

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The Date Night Package - a one night stay and a three-course din-ner for two with a bottle of wine. The price is 150.00 plus tax andis good for any night of the week except holidays.

New this year…

WinterTrailRides

Page 27: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 2011, Page 27

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Page 28: 2011 Grand Valley Echo November

Page 28, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-November / Mid-December 20110